The Vile.

Chapter : 49

Knowing Him.

Vasudha stands infront of the window overlooking the lake. She sees how happy Nihal looks today and she is glad that she could make this happen. He keeps reminding her of her brother, the brother she kept searching for so many days and couldn't manage to find a single trace. Her brother has always been a reluctant and carefree person, no one could tie him up to one particular place for a long while. But this, she knows, is unusual and unlikely. Now she knows deep down that her father is right, something has happened. Something pretty bad. For the first time she feels helpless, just like the day she understood that her decision of going to the police was nothing but a failure. They helped her with nothing. Every time she went to them, she returned empty handed.

She overlooks her shoulder to find Nihal and Maya laughing at each other's joke. They look happy, Maya is lucky. Her eyes tear up and she turns her face to the window once again. Now when she is certain that no one will be able to see her face, she lets lose her tears, in acceptance, that she might never see her brother again, that she might never feel that brotherly love. She is not fortunate enough. She feels someone walking towards her and immediately wipes the tears away. A warm hand is immediately placed on her shoulder. This is not Danuj, because for some reason she knows his touch well.

"Nihal.." she utters, still looking at the lake.

"Why are you standing here? Come. Sit with us." Nihal urges.

"I would've loved to but right now I need a few minutes of privacy. Would you mind?" She asks looking at him finally. Nihal doesn't miss the tear stains.

"Of course not. But before I leave you alone, I need to ask you something. May I?" He says like the proper gentleman he is.

"Yes, please." She answers, smiling at his antics.

"I have given you nothing since you came here Vasudha. I want to give you something, anything. Consider that as a brother's return gift." Nihal offers.

"You want to give me something? But you guys have already given me everything I needed." She answers.

"Even then, anything, I insist." He says.

"Fine then. Ojas is coming tomorrow isn't it?" She asks.

"Yes." He answers, feeling confused.

"That means they will leave for that confidential meeting day after tomorrow." She says.

"Yes." He confirms. She pauses for a second and looks out of the window once again.

"Nihal, I know you have seen the changes, the ups and downs between me and Danuj. No matter how many times I attempt to hate him, to dislike him, he only draws me closer to him. There is something in him that makes me weak and vulnerable. These describe things that I am generally not." She releases a deep sigh then continues.

"If you really want to give me something, let me know him more. I want to know him more. He is like a mystery to me. The man I have grown so much attached to, still seems so unreachable to me. Show me how his life is, let me know what he does. Help me break the image of him I've always carried deep inside me, because after today, I know he is not what everyone thinks he is. He is so much more than that. He just very tactfully hides that but I have seen many a times how he is capable of acting like a human as well, a human with a heart and so many emotions. I want to see him without this mask. I want to be confident about the man I have grown to like. And I know, out of everyone, you and Ojas know him more than what he deliberately portrays himself to be. So please, help me, show me who he truly is. That's what I would like to accept as a gift." She says the last line looking at Nihal, with so much emotion that Nihal immediately nods.