Prejudice

41. Changes

Pranav had cried his heart out in Siddharth's arms, in silent hours of the night.

He had immediately transported the dead body of his father to Mumbai, where the funeral and the final rituals were conducted. The lost look in his eyes and the shattered hopes in his heart had broken Siddharth's heart.
Pranav lighted the pyre of his father and looked at his brother who was holding the burning stick along with him.

He was looking at Jay in a new light.

He did not know if Jay was the reason for his father's sudden death, but his suspicious moves had all the arrows pointing at to the hideous task.
Pranav had his own reasons for not disclosing his secrets to Jay, and now after his father's death, all his fears came true.
He always knew, Jay would not think straight and do something unthinkable. Jay had worked on his instincts and gone ahead to take his revenge.
Pranav was now blaming himself for giving in to his emotions and disclosing everything. It was the result of his lost control on his emotions, that Jay turned into a monster.

Was Jay always like this? 
Or he pretended to be that sweet and caring young boy? Was he just as heartless and cruel as his own father? 

The questions were endless and there were no answers.

Pranav was brought out of his reverie when Jay held his hand and dragged him away to a lonely corner.

"Don't think too much. You have nothing to worry about now. Go and give a life to your wife that she deserves. I will thrash every problem that dares to touch you and your family." Jay whispered.

Pranav looked at him with unblinking eyes and walked away without a word.

Jay was taken aback by his lack of response.

Pranav could not hold back when Siddharth tried to console him and convince him that Jay is not like his father and whatever he did was only because he loved his brother.
But, Pranav did not know, why nothing could make him feel better.

It was either the fact that Jay was slowly turning into a ruthless monster or Jay had closed all the possible doors to find Diya.
It was unpredictable how Jay would react if he would have a slightest idea of possibilities of Diya being alive.

It was late night when Prithvi was gently rocking the baby in his arms, that he had fondly named 'Kabir', on Diya's request.
It was sometime ago, that he encountered the news of death of Jay's father.
Prithvi had been closely following Jay after the arson and was suspicious when Jay was looking out for an intelligent robot.
He still could not put the pieces together, as to why would Jay need a robot and what it has to do with his father's death.
Something did not sit right with Prithvi. He did not know, why the people of Agarwal family were hell bent on killing one another. There was lot more to discover. Diya was not safe with the Agarwal family.

He looked at the vulnerable human in his arms and gently held him to his chest, making a silent promise to keep him safe from everything and everyone.

Though Prithvi had accepted the sole custody of the baby, he would take the baby to meet his biological mother, every week. Diya had the privilege to spend time with her baby on the weekends, while Prithvi stayed on the islands himself. Other days, he would take the baby with him to West Bengal and stay at his mansion.

One fine day, Pranav was approached by Jay. He was taken off-guard when Jay asked him to take Shraddha for a leisurely vacation. He tried to convince that since she was trapped in the house for so long, she deserved this.
Pranav went silent when Jay reminded him that there was no more trouble in their life. Jay assured him that he would take care of little Kabir, while his parents are away.

Pranav sighed at the thought of giving a few moments of life to Shraddha. Though she did not speak, he knew how troubled and traumatized she was. Unwillingly, he agreed.

Shraddha was beyond shocked when her husband proposed of a small vacation. She did not know if this was reality or just a fragment of her imagination. Next moment, she was terrified of leaving the safe confines of her house and refused to go anywhere. Pranav had to sweet talk to her and after a lot convincing and assurance, Shraddha gave in to her husband's wishes.

Shraddha blinked her unshed tears while she handed her three year old son to Jay. Jay had a glint of content in his eyes, as he saw his brother and his sister-in-law leaving for a two week trip to Shimla.
Pranav was in no mind to leave the country and play with everyone's safety. Leaving his child behind was another threat that lingered around.

The couple tried to put a smile on each others face, but both knew that they were smiling to make the other feel better. A weird feeling of being in open and vulnerable, surrounded Shraddha, while Pranav could not easily adjust to the fact that she was now completely safe.
Two weeks of time was inexplicably long and torturous for both Shraddha and Pranav.

Jay would rock his little nephew in his arms to put the boy to sleep. He would make sure to spend enough time to feed the growing boy and play games with him. How he wished his own child to be a part of this beautiful family!

He regretted defying his brother's orders to keep Diya in the mansion. Now he understood the importance of following his brother's commands, but was too late.

It was a real relief, when Shraddha stepped down the car and rushed inside the house to get a glimpse of her child.
It was a real relief, when Pranav was pretty sure, that she would not have a threat hereafter.
It was a real relief, when Jay saw his brother smile after an eternity.

-------------------------------

Another chapter up.

Vote...
Comment...

Love....