What is Revenge?

Prologue

1991

"Excuse me sir! Please put your seat straight and open the window shades. We are landing in 20 minutes", said the tall, slim, pretty airhostess. Mallesh did so and woke up his 06-month pregnant wife Shabnam, sitting next to him. After a couple of yawns and restricted stretching in his economy class booking, he peeped through window and thought, 'this city never fails to impress me'. Clear sky with high visibility, he could not ask for better conditions for a high-resolution bird's-eye view.

The aircraft started its decent and he could locate his favourite landmarks along the beautifully carved coastline. The memories were still fresh. 'Hiding her beauty under a blue stole, bordered with white beads', he thought looking at foamy white waves alongside blue water. The extension of beach road, which earlier seemed like a track for dirt bike, was beautifully tarred now.

Mallesh ruminated the wonderful memories shared with this city. He was Mechanical Engineering graduate from 1986 batch of Andhra University. He always wished he could stay in Visakhapatnam forever. But destiny had different plans. He wished he could time travel and change a few things in the past. He was travelling to Vizag after 05 years. He had mixed feelings; fear filled with ecstasy.

He stuffed the trolley with all his luggage and went out. Out of all the chaos of taxi drivers requesting for a drop, he could easily notice his childhood friend, Girish. 'He didn't change a bit', thought Mallesh and slowly moved towards him. They stared at each other for few seconds and Girish broke the silence, "Come on! Let's study". Mallesh burst out, "Asshole! You haven't changed a bit man".

"I have changed a lot. I remember myself when I see you", said Girish. Looking at the lady and her belly he asked, "How are you Shabnam?"

"I am fine Girish. How is everything back at home?"

With a small chuckle on his face, Girish said, "you will find it yourself soon"

Mallesh asked, "How is Aditya?"

Girish avoided that question saying, "I think you both should eat something"

Girish loaded the luggage into the 1950 vintage Rolls Royce car. Mallesh touched the body and felt that it had not lost its charm. Before Girish could come back after loading luggage, Mallesh occupied the driver seat and signaled him to sit beside. Girish said, "I knew it". Shabnam sat in the rear seat and they headed towards the place which Mallesh once believed was a paradise. They had lunch on the way along highway and started towards his hometown Vizianagaram.

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The Bhupati mahal was getting ready for the big event. 200 men and women were employed for painting, cleaning and lightening the huge mansion. 04 people round the clock were employed only to open the mammoth sized gate for passage of vehicles. Followed by the gate is half a mile path till the mansion. After garden full of fountains for half an acre of land, followed the huge 04 storied mansion. The mansion had a huge living room sufficient enough to conduct Olympics 100 metres race, 01 dining room sufficient for 500 people to dine together, 35 bedrooms of size enough to accommodate 10 elephants and galley sufficient to prepare food for 500 people at a time. The ground floor had the living room, dining room and kitchen. From the living room, there were 02 staircases with rosewood railings leading to bed rooms. The curtains in living room, made of finest silk were toppings on dessert. The visit to mahal itself was considered a boon for the localites.

Behind the mahal was the royal wooden guest house. It had all the facilities that even the best 5-star hotels in the country could not offer. A day's stay at mahal or guest house left life long memories to the visitors. The royal family had always treated their guests special irrespective of their financial or societal status.