The next morning, Nihan was very happy when she entered seven Hertz hospital. She was eager to tell Mira everything about last day But Dr. Harshad informed that Mira was on leave. She wanted to meet Dev raj khanna, so she went straight to the I C U. Upon arrival, she learned that the old man had been already shifted into the room.
She hesitated to open the door of room no.201, thinking about the possibility of Abhay khanna's chances of being there. Obviously, she didn't want to meet his cold blood sucking face in such a happy morning. Finally she opened the door, praying not to jump into him inside. And as expected, there was no one else except the old man and his duty nurse. She sighed in relief and walked inside.
She put her hand bag on the side table and looked at the man's file. The nurse asked her permission and left the room for a while. Nihan put the file aside and started talking to the old man while looking at the iv drop to see if it was falling properly.
"Look buddy.. everything is alright now.. heart beat, pulse rate, there is nothing to worry about.
You really shouldn't be shifted from the ICU so soon. Instead your arrogant grandson, just turned the room into an I C U. Anyways.. please get up quickly.. you heard that?" And She bowed toward his ears and lowered her voice to make sure no one was listening except the old man, she said " I have taught your grandson a big lesson. If you want me to tell you about it.. get up soon.. "
Soon then, the duty nurse came back. Nihan adviced the nurse to take good care of him before she left the room. Later, She went to see the chairman.
"Yes Nihan, take your seat.." krishnakumar welcomed her with a gentle smile.
"Well sir," she began, sitting in the chair, "I wish to take all the responsibility of Dr. Barish sir legally. As a doctor, you better know that we can't delay such things.. "
Krishnakumar, who was listening intenly to Nihan cleared his throat and leaned forward from his seat. "Sorry, I couldn't tell you"
whatever he is going to say will be never good thing, Nihan could see it from his lame voice. Eventhough she remained silent and let him finish his part. "His family friend came and took him legally. I couldn't stop him" he said.
"What did you say?" Nihan asked with a shock and soon said. "But I have no idea that Barish sir has anyone like that.."
"May be, He may not have told you.."
"Who is it?" Asked Nihan, anxiously.
"You know him.. Grand son of Mr. Dev raj khanna.."
"Abhay khanna.." She finished his sentence uttering this name. Nihan was confused more than getting shocked. "No, it can't be true.." she mumbled and shot out of her chair.
"Barish sir will never make any kind of relation with such a person.. And he was not in Mumbai all these years.."
"Maybe.. But all legal formalities are cleared. And also it was an order.." krishnakumar said. He wanted to end this conversation as soon as it possible. But Nihan was not ready to let it go like that. She was getting more angry over the fact that Abhay khanna gave an order for a dead body just to avenge her. How could he find out that Dr Barish khan was so dear to her?
"He thinks, He can do anything because he have money.." She muttered with a heavy sigh.
"Sorry sir," She apologised to krishna kumar for being absent-minded and soon asked. "Do you know where he is now?"
"He must be doing the last rituals for Dr. Barish khan at his residence."
No wonder he left her alone after she did all those things. She defeated him and made him say sorry to her. And he was waiting to strike back in the most cruel way. He wanted to take away her chance of being a daughter after all this time. And she wasn't able to prevent this because she didn't even see it coming.
***
Nihan reached Abhay's residence named 'Devalayam' in a hurry. She hold the iron rods of his front gate and screamed calling "Abhay khanna" continuously until the security Came running and stopped her.
"Please, do not shout Ma'm. The funeral is being held inside."
"That's what I came for.. let me inside.." Nihan seemed distressed and softly pleaded. The security told her to wait and returned inside his waiting room. Nihan could see that he was dialling his bose for permission to make a decision regarding her. The fact that she have to wait as an outsider to watch the funeral of her dearest person made her very angry.
At the same time, Abhay was staring into the flames of a burning pyre. All the people there, were dressed in white including Uday who was standing as a spectator. And his phone rang.
"I am coming.." Abhay replied before listening and hung up the call. It was like he was expecting her to come.
Nihan saw him from a distance. He was walking toward her in his usual cold manner. He was nearly smiling but there wasn't the slightest bit of warmth in it. As if he was showing off his victory.
The moment he reached Nihan, she said in a very angry voice "I knew it..! You have no commonsense.. now I know that you have no conscience too.. "
"You are the one who is shouting at a place where there is a sacred ritual is going on... I think you lack it..."
"Do not call it sacred..You are insulting his death.. and yet you dare to call it sacred.." she said gritting her teeth.
"Oh.. really..?" Abhay crossed his arms, his head tilted in interest as he listened.
"Even when a man is alive, he wants to be surrounded by the people who love him. So is after his death.. you are burning the beliefs that he held while he was alive along with that pyre.." Nihan pointed to the pyre and said.
"Have you finished your speech..? Then listen.. you are absolutely correct. I paid my money for this old man only to avenge you. I have the full details of Nihan hyder khan in my palm.. " He showed his fist with a wide smile on his face. And stepped forward close to her.
"It's just a beginning.. " He whispered looking at her eyes. Nihan couldn't recognize his emotion. Even though his smile seemed like sweet to her, she knew the real meaning of it. Afterall he was mocking at her helplessness, inability and loss.
"Of course you are the great Abhay khanna.." Nihan yelled. " You don't understand the language of love and relationships. I am sorry.. The only language you understand is this.." Nihan opened her bag and took out some money and showed it to him before she finished her talk. "The language of money.." And she threw it over his head through the gate.
Money flew over his head and fell down to his feet with the flow of wind. He bent over silently and picked it up from the floor. He counted it and said. "People who don't value money, don't understand the language of it.."
He forcefully put it back in her hand. Nihan was already regretting of what she has done. And he made it worse.
"So your position will always be outside this gate.. and inside my decisions..." Abhay nodded his head and grinned inciting Nihan's rage even further.
" And who want to come in anyway...? You are disgusting than I thought.." She said bitterly.
"And you don't even deserve to be in my thought.." He said in a threatening voice and walked back.
"You can be helpless like this one day. Neither the money nor the power will help you then.. And if you die tomorrow, what if a person you hate the most burns your funeral pyre. Consider about your last rites, shattering beliefs that you have lived with so long. Can you feel the pain??"
Abhay could still hear her each words and it was stabbing his heart. He stood still for a moment and walked again as if nothing had happened.
"Ma'm please leave.. otherwise I will lose my job.." The security begged Nihan who was still standing at the gate, defeated. She handed the money to him and walked back from there.
She longed to do the rituals for Dr. Barish khan as she wanted to do for her late father. She was really disappointed that she couldn't even attent his funeral.
"Royal monster was behind all of this.. He is the one who caused all of these bad luck in my life.. Allah knows the truth.. He should have hit by a flash of lightning on his head from the God. A nuisance on earth will be reduced.." Nihan mumbled herself on her way back home.
She sighed when she came to her senses from her thoughts, she started looking for a rickshaw or taxi. Unfortunately, After waiting for hours, she couldn't get one. Finally The desperate women walked home.
It was already dark when she got to the flat with a heavy mind and a tired body. She took a hurry bath and changed into her pajamas. Soon then her phone rang and she picked it up. It was jhansu aunt, Mom of Feliz. Nihan recalled that she hadn't called for a month.
"Hello aunt.. how are you?" Nihan asked with a gentle voice.
"Fine sweety, thank you.. Do you know where feliz is?"
Nihan expected this question. But couldn't find an answer easily. She was confused for few moments and went silent.
"Sweety..?" Jhansu called impatiently.
"Yes Aunt.. Felice is at work.. hasn't reached yet.." Nihan lied.
"What kind of work is this..? She is always busy.. busy in the morning and even at night. This girl doesn't care about her Mom at all.. sweety.. you can understand my feelings, can't you? Is she fine??" Jhansu sounded very emotional. Nihan regretted her lie. But she had no choice but to choose felice's side. Otherwise it will annoy felice more and grew enmity towards her. So Nihan chose to be silent for now.
"She is fine aunt.. And I will make her contact you as soon as possible.." She replied.
"Her marriage is fixed and she doesn't even care about it. Please Nihan..For me, you should talk to her.. "
"Okey, I will.." Nihan hung up the phone first so she could end this conversation at once. She knew that Felice is never going to listen to her. Instead she will start to yell at her. Felice never liked advices. But Jhansu completely trusted Nihan. She wanted nihan to change her daughter into a nice person, which is never gonna happen. Nihan felt uneasy thinking about jhansu's trust for her. And for the first time in her life, she felt like she is useless in everything whatever she does.
***
"Mom, Aryan is not a kid" Abhay said to Meenakshi on his phone.
"So, you want me to not ask about him?" She said with grief in her voice.
"No Mom.. you can... I will make him call you once I get there.. okey?"
"Why are you living in a lonely home when we have a family mansion there, Abhi?" She asked and he went silent for a while.
"HMm...."Mom.. I will call you back.. " He cleared his throat and said before he hung up the call.
Abhay stood in the Balcony, staring at the dark sparkling sky. He could feel the frozen moonlight moving like waves in his eyes. His thoughts stopped at his Mom's comments. And that awkward silence born a few moment ago, was still in his heart.
'Family Mansion,' Abhay has came back to Mumbai but never went there. He never wanted to. And the particular reason was his Dad. A kind of hatred towards him. It is not entirely certain that the resentment which entered the heart at a very early stage, how long it has been changed into hatred. Whatever it is, it's been years since he talked to the man.
Suddenly, Nihan's words flashed in his memory.
"You can be helpless like this one day. Neither the money nor the power will help you then.."
Abhay could not understand why her words started bothering him. Eventhough he completely hated her. Still he was so worried about her words. But why? The question hanged in his thoughts.
"Or perhaps, i should give it a chance.." He looked like he made a firm decision from his tangled thoughts. He took his car keys and walked outside his home.