LEAN ON ME: The Beginning...01(ARYLIE FF)

CHAPTER 13: COUNTRY ROAD

WARNING: Violent Content read at your own risk and stop reading if it's become unbearable and skip that part to the next paragraph.

Well it's funny I am saying this beforehand as I need to point out my most favorite part too of this chapter, Chavi and Aditya's relationship took a new turn and it somehow made me extremely happy while writing it.

Country road
If you follow this road onward
It continues to that town, I think
Country road

By myself, without feat
I dreamed of going
Shutting up my loneliness
Protecting my strong self, I'll go

Getting tired of walking then standing still
Floating closer, my hometown
The uphill road winding around the hill
I'm scolding that me

No matter what discouraging times there are
I'll never show any tears
Without heart, I'll hurry and set myself free
In order to get rid of my memories

Country road
Even though this road continues to my hometown
I just can't go, I can't go
Country road

Country road
Tomorrow, the me I always am
I want to go back, but I can't, farewell
Country road

CHAPTER-13

As Aditya knocked on the door of the house, a man came out who was wearing a white vest. He found this address on the employee records of the office.
"Is this Sudheer Jha's house?"
"Yes"
"Myself Aditya from Bhaskar Times, I have come to ask Mr. Jha about the last project before he took the volunteer retirement"
Aditya saw the man's eyes go wide open but he immediately got his composure back.
"Oh, please come in, I am Sudheer Jha."

Aditya went inside the house and sat on a wooden sofa, the ceiling fan was going round and round with its own laziness and the sunlight rays made the dust visible in the air. Sudheer went inside and came back wearing a shirt above his vest, he sat on the chair opposite to him and asked, "Are you here to ask about why I quit Urban tales section? Also my last article was about the white lady on the roof"

The mannerisms and behavior gave two things about the man to Aditya; one he didn't look like someone left with any hope of life and the second he didn't watch the news. Since yesterday almost everyone knows Aditya's face.

"I am here to ask about the Pagdandia case actually"
The moment Aditya uttered the name Pagdandia, Sudheer got a panic attack and started shouting, "Don't take the name of that cursed place, that place is haunted. That place is dangerous"
Aditya went near him and tried to calm him down, he took out his water bottle and made him drink water. After fifteen minutes Sudheer calmed down a little as he broke down in tears. He was crying as if he had lost everything in life.
"Sir, I need to know about Pagdandia's case that you investigated on the story of Chandra and Shekhar. Please Sir, the office files said 'nil' on your findings but I couldn't believe it. From childhood I read your articles, you were a person who didn't stop till you found the real cause of every rumor or story. Sir a girl's life is in danger right now in Pagdandia and only you could help"
Sudheer looked at Aditya who was helpless but eager to save a human life at any cost.
"What's the name of the girl you want to save?" asked Sudheer after getting control over his tears.
"Chavi Kumari, her father's name is Dularilal"
"Wait, what did you say?"
"Chavi..."
"No! Her father's name?"
"Dulari Lal"
"That man, that man is the cause of my misfortune."
"What?"
"Yes, I was guilty too but that man had ruined me"
"I am not getting you"
"Eighteen years back there was no Chandra and Shekhar"
"What?"
"Yes, Chandra's real name was Chandrakala Kumari, daughter of Dulari Lal"
"What? He and his wife does seem old though but they had a daughter eighteen years back, this is so confusing"
"Yes, they adopted a girl because they were not having babies, that girl was the fiancé of Chandrashekhar the eldest son of the Sarpanch(Village head). But while my research I found out she was dead two days before Shekhar died of some other reason"
"Do you have any proof?"
Sudheer went inside and was back in a few minutes with an envelope.
"These are my findings" said Sudheer and handed it to Aditya. When Aditya went through the contents of the document where Sudheer wrote the events in chronological order he was finding it hard to believe the trauma the fourteen year old girl went through.
He shouted at Sudheer with disbelief, "If you had this much content why didn't you write an article on it. The police would have investigated these criminals and Chavi's life wouldn't have been in danger today. Chavi might be their biological girl but they seems like people who loves to torture, such kinds don't spare their own kid too"
"I am sorry, I was stopped. Dulari Lal said he would kill me and my whole team. The whole village seems to own guns. They warned me that if I go back to Delhi and expose them, they would kill my family at any cost. They even gave me a lot of money"
Aditya looked at him with disbelief and asked, "You used that money?"
"I had no choice. Bhaskar Times wanted me out, the former Chief Editor wasn't a good man. I was forced to hand over my resignation as he gave me two choices mystery behind Pagdandia case or resign"
Aditya was skeptical about what to say. At last he cleared his throat and said 'Thankyou' for handing over the documents. As he was about to leave, Sudheer called Aditya again.
"Yes," Aditya answered.
"You know I was waiting for someone like you who would come and dig up skeletons from the past."
Aditya looked at Sudheer with questioning eyes.
"Actually the day I used the money Dulari Lal gave me to keep his daughter's secret, my own ten year old daughter and wife passed away in an accident while returning from her school. I have no more hope to live but I was waiting for a person like you who would ask for this file."
Aditya's eyes fell on the frames of the lady and a ten year old girl that was in the showcase of the drawing room.
"I am sorry sir" Aditya tried to comfort Sudheer.
"No please don't be sorry, this whole Pagdandia project files are like a burden for me.  I wanted to take them to police myself but what will I answer the police when they ask me why I was late to do this or where's the money which was used up on my wife and kid's last treatment, that fear never let me turn up to the police station. At last I could get rid of them like the way that voice assured me I would."
"Whose voice?"
"A lady's voice came yesterday while I was sleeping and said, 'Sudheer now you can escape your pain, the dark pathway's endpoint has arrived.' Aditya please don't waste more time, go and save the second daughter of that monster. She should not leave like her sister."
Aditya nodded his head and left.