Ishqbaaaz : The Return of Obros

Dadi

Mrs Kalyani oberoi walked through the corridors connecting the west wing of the Oberoi mansion to the dining area with great difficulty. These days her age seems to have finally caught up with her. Each step ahead was a task in itself. She did not know what pained her most- her arthritis or the fact that she couldn't keep the promise that she had given her husband of keeping the whole family together.With great difficulty,she managed to reach the dining area only to be dismayed to find it unoccupied. It was 08 in the morning and nobody in the house had come down for breakfast.Strange.

She walked to the chair at the head of the table where the head of the family sat. The chair had been reserved for her at the head of the table after her husband's demise. It had always been her favorite place on the dining table because it gave her a view of the whole table. The whole family eating together always gave her an immense happiness. She conveniently ignored the issues that her family members had between each other and chose to believe on the easier pseudo-truth that all was well. 

What a hypocrite had she been.

Looking at the empty chairs she was once again reminded of her foolishness to believe in the happier, more comforting picture. The mansion which was filled with hope and happiness even in the middle of tangled relationship, was now occupied by few lost souls who didnot know what purpose they had in life.

She called one of the servants who was going to lay the breakfast for her.

"Suno, yeh ghar ke baaki sab kahan gaye?"

"Dadiji voh, Pinky madam ne apna khanna apne room mein hi mangvaya hai. Shakti sir subhe mandir ke liye nikal chuke hai."

"Aur Tej aur Swethlana?"

"Maam, Tej sir aur Swethlana maam ab tak nahi uthe"

She knew very well why they hadn't woken up till now. Yesterday night while she was walking to the kitchen to refill her empty water jug she saw Tej and Swethlana entering the house stumbling.

It was almost 2 in the morning and they are returning from their so called 'business party' at this hour and in this state. Disgusted, she turned and walked back to her room without refilling the jug.Seeing the scene of her son wasted in the arms of his mistress who was in an equally drunk state had killed her thirst.

Tej had stopped working. All day all he did was go to parties and spend money in the luxuries of life.The Oberoi group was withering away due to years of negligence.She had no doubt that if she wouldn't take things into her own hands then that day is not far away when Tej will sell all his property including the Oberoi mansion.It was time to set things right now.

"Tum jao. Aur haan jaane se pehle voh phone pakdana"Dadi instructed the young girl standing beside her.

She dialed a number and asked that person to meet her at the Oberoi mansion in an hour.She looked at the photo of her late husband and made a silent promise to him that she will definitely try her level best to set things right.

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This is it. All the years of her wait was finally going to be over.  the solution to all her problems was there in this folder which was lying on her lap.But she just couldn't gather enough courage to open the file.

"Maam, all the information you wanted is in the file. Your youngest grandson, Rudra lives in Mumbai  and luckily his latest film is being shot in Mumbai only. I have included his residential address and his contact number in the file"the young private investigator spoke up sensing the old lady's hesitation in opening the file.