Dil Se Dance

Smriti Ghai

Kria's house.
Ding Dong...
As the matured lady walked towards the door, opened it to find the handsome yet disturbed youth on the other side.
"Swayam! Come on in dear..." It wasn't difficult for him to make out the faked politeness pouring out from her voice.
She turned her back to him, moving towards the seating in the living hall, giving him a choice of two ways: inside or outside.

"...I actually didn't expect you to turn up for my offer." She continued as she waved him to the opposite couch to her. She smirked as he chose to come in even after the deadly stare she received.

"I am quiet surprised at myself, that I did..." He said keeping a blank face but his eyes busy searching for the presence of her daughter.

"Coffee? Tea?" She raised her eyebrow as he sat opposite her on the sofa behind the glass topped teapoy.

"Water, if you must..." He said. She nodded and poured him a glass of water but soon noticed him, looking around as if he was trying find something.

"She's not here Swayam..." She informed him as she guessed the reason.

"Where is she?" He asked hoping his friend might be feeling better after the unfortunate revelations having unintentionally caused from his side.

"A guy can never be a girl's best friend forever Swayam... Take for instance the case of your parents... They were best of friends for a long time... But see them now..." She dragged away from the topic to a more sensitive one.

"What are you intending to say?" His jaw tightened.

"Leave Kria alone... Don't try to play the 'friends' card with my daughter...
Don't make me take any action on you Swayam... You are the only one of your family I haven't gone against because I see a hope in you... To rectify your family's mistake, your father's mistake... So I suggest politely to go back to where you came from."

"You know, I'm not surprised at how you manage to be the best barrister around for the affordables that is mostly the corrupt but, if you had that sense of understanding what's going on for real, you'd know you're on the wrong side..." He mocked sipping the water.

"If you are pointing towards my client, then let me tell you that your cousin's life is his charity, for now... Otherwise I could've put you all behind the bars and strangled the life out of your sweet little company... Making it easy to tear apart your family..." She scoffed.

"You don't understand it do you? Being half your age, I accept what is happening but you are so pathetic that you sacrificed your husband's life and now working for his murderers..." Swayam hit back.

"Mind your words there Swayam!" She responded pursing her lips together.

"Why should I? We could destroy you Mrs.Ghai...and you're client...and your baseless arguments within moments, but we chose humanity over your insanity and still do... Until you make us loose it... That's the reason you are at the least standing here arguing with me..." He stood up wanting to finish the argument. Before coming here, he had it pre decided that he wouldn't be involved in this heated argument with this lady. As he turned to leave, Mrs.Ghai said.

"In case if you want to know this is not the reason I called you here..." She poured some water out of the jug.

"What?" He asked calmly.

"The Agnihotris' have targeted the RaiPrakash industry. The simple reason why Shivam is behind Sharon."

"What bullshit is this?!" He got irritated.

"Its true..." She leaned back having found an effect of her new piece of information on him.

"Why?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Growth... Competition... Survival of the fittest." She said looking at her nails in between.

"What are you saying?" His eyebrows constricted.

"The RaiPrakash's businesses are now dealing with crisis of demand... They will drown in a heavy debt soon enough... Selling the shares would be their last way of keeping the company's name. The Agnihotri's are just trying to get the ball to their court in that chance."

"So that means there's nothing between them..." Swayam said to himself while Mrs.Ghai continued.

"I want you to know that I can be of help if Shivam wants any trouble..."

"And why is that?" He stared at her.

"Well, don't let it bother you..." She brushed off his question just like that.

"I don't want your help Mrs.Ghai... Aur jahaan tak aapne sochke rakhi hein, aap mere family ko kuch nahi kar sakthe... Woh voice recorder se bhi nahi jisko meine aathe hi off kar diya tha." His vision dropped to the teapoy below which he had found the electronic device while receiving the glass of water from her before.

The smirk on Mrs. Ghai's face vanished quickly with the mention of her device and pursed her lips yet again seeing that her plan failed.
He walked fast to the exit but stopped at the intersection of the wall.

"...Mere family ke saath khelne ki koshish ki thi aur aapke makaan chali gayi..." He continued. "...Bure logon ke saath mila, toh pathi... Abhi aapke paas apni beti hein... Use mat kho dena... Lekin kayi woh aapko jhod na de, isse pehle use sab sach bata deni chaahiye... Kya aapko nahi lagtha?"

He shut the door behind him as he left without giving her a chance to reply.
Mrs. Ghai sat there staring at the door unable to find words to answer his question. Swayam had a point to what he said. And that his fact was one that she had tried to forget from that day till the very present.

Kria didn't know what actually happened five years ago, when they lost their home and her father. She blamed the Shekhawats just like her mother taught her to.

But how could a mother gave her daughter after lying to her about the incidents that traumatized their life?

How could she tell her daughter that she killed her husband for the sake of a better life?