The Other Son

XXX. The Bullet

Shivaay sat on his bed trying to feed Ansh.
"Anika was right! You're such a mini SSO!", He said exasperated, trying to catch Ansh who kept trying to free himself from Shivaay's grip.

" Wife is always right, Billu ji.", Anika said walking in, grinning away.
"Okay okay, I agree. Now help me, will you?", Shivaay said, as Ansh made an annoyed face at him.

Anika carefully went and picked up the young boy in her arms, he stopped struggling.

"Hey! This is unfair!", Shivaay said keeping the milk bottle on the small table by the bed.
" The Mumma magic, we call it.", Anika said pulling Ansh's cheek lovingly. Ansh giggled.

Anika wanted to ask Shivaay about the whole fiasco, she had discussed about it to OmRu as well, but somehow she knew he'd not tell her.

"Give me that. I'll do the needful.", She said beaming.
" Yeah. ", Shivaay replied, caressing Ansh's golden blonde hair.
"He loves you, just that he loves teasing you like Abhi-", Anika paused awkwardly.

Shivaay forced a smile.
" I think I should leave now. My Company won't function with me sitting back here.", He said and turned to leave.

"Shivaay, if you want to share about it, I am all ears.", Anika said softly.
Shivaay sighed.
"I will tell you when it's time.", He said as he strode out of the bedroom.

He was about to leave when he heard a very unlikely voice from behind.
" Shivaay.", It was Shakti.
Shivaay turned, slightly astonished.

His father had not bothered to talk to him properly throughout his life. Bade Papa had been there, but a void had always remained.

"Yes, Dad?"
Shakti walked down to him. He placed his hand on Shivaay's shoulder.

"I know you'd never do anything wrong, but I think you should tell the reason to Abhimanyu.", He said.
Shivaay looked at his father, taken aback.
" But.. I..", Shivaay mumbled.
"He will trust you. You need to reveal everything to him at least. Betrayal hurts more than the truth sometimes.", His father replied.

Shivaay drew in a deep breath.
He somewhere knew his father was right.. But what if that Blue Eagle guy got to know?

" If both of you are together nobody can harm either of you..", Shakti said, almost reading Shivaay's thoughts, "Don't end up like Bhaisaab and me."

Shivaay wished to see through Shakti for the first time.
There were things he wanted to say, but for now, he decided to listen to his father's advice.

He drew in a deep breath, a small slightly uncertain smile.

•

Abhimanyu sat tapping his fingers impatiently.

He sat at the coffee house but Kapoor was nowhere to be found.
He sipped on his specially ordered tea.

Just then the glass door opened and a man walked in, wearing a black t shirt and blue denims. He looked like he was in his mid fifties.
His beard had been neatly shaved, dark hair slick back.

Abhi recognised him instantaneously. He drew in a deep breath as the man came and sat before him.

"Explain.", Abhi said curtly, drawing in a deep breath.

" How are my daughters?", Kapoor asked.
Abhi narrowed his eyes.
"You sir, didn't bother your life all these years when your daughter was trying to get you justice. Don't you date show this fake concern.", He stated coldly.

Kapoor sighed.

" I survived that day, more particularly my men saved me.. I was working for the Oberois just for the sake of it. My real business was of course-"
"Blue Eagle.", Abhi stated.
"Indeed."

"I started it when I was in college, in England, I studied in Harvard you see. My friend had Mafia connections and..", He sighed.
"I didn't want my daughters to end up into this mess but.."

"What were you saying about Shivaay?", Abhi asked curtly.

" Well, I wouldn't say what he did was his fault. He was threatened. He had to choose between Ansh and your baby. ", Abhimanyu looked at Kapoor closely. The man wasn't lying.

" There was another man who was saved after the Kalyani Mills. You'd be shocked to know, it was Harshvardhan Trivedi. Anika and Gauri's father. My men saved him and brought him under the Blue Eagle organisation.. And now he wants to,or rather has, snatched it from me."

Abhi sipped the last of his tea.
"And who threatened Shivaay?"

"He hates Svetlana, supposedly because she's caused a lot of pain to Gauri and Anika, so..", Kapoor sighed.

" And how did you reach here?"
"I escaped."
"And you know you'd be jailed for all this?"
"I do. But for me my daughters' safety is more important.", He said looking up.

Abhi felt a huge burden off his shoulder.

Shivaay hadn't done it on purpose, he didn't have a choice at all.
Probably Abhi himself would have done what Shivaay did.

" Then maybe you should meet your daughter. I am pretty sure that will be the best thing for her.", Abhi said feeling much lighter.

"Thank you.", Kapoor smiled.

•

Svetlana decided to stepping out of the hospital because I can't be sleeping here like a log doc! I have deals to sign!

She had called up Shivaay, because she wasn't sure about Abhi's situation. Also, it was very difficult to lie to him.

" You know this might just give away this lie, Sve?", Shivaay said slightly annoyed.
Somehow he had managed to gel up with his ex - enemy.
Svetlana raised a brow.
"I guess you've forgotten I am the much hated Svetlana you guys sent to prison.", She said.

Meanwhile Abhimanyu drove towards the hospital with Kapoor, now wearing a hoodie.

They reached the hospital. He got off the car, only to find Shivaay and Svetlana talking to each other animatedly.
He raised a brow, perplexed.

What the heck is going on here?

He was advancing towards them when he suddenly turned back, out of instinct, there was a three storey building, and on its terrace was a man.

He looked closely.

A sniper.

He turned back at Svetlana and Shivaay.
He suddenly realised.

"SVE MOVE!", He shouted, but his feet gave away, he lost his balance and fell face first.

He heard the sound of the bullet hitting someone, a loud groan of a collapsing person.

He shut his eyes, on the dusty road, frustrated, anguished, defeated.

Did he now, finally, lose the love of his life?

•••
No precap.
Hehe.
•••

Stay tuned!