IT WAS WEDDING DAY
Raj met Laxmi with Maddy early in the morning.
" Vishnu", sighed Laxmi. " I never trusted him but Alok he did ", she sighed again. " He killed his father. I was an eyewitness. Me and Riya".
" Riya Oberoi ", asked Raj.
" Yes", said Laxmi. " Well Vishnu was associated with Black Cobra gang".
" Black cobra", Maddy was stunned.
" He took Alok on gunpoint and then Maa shot him".
" The paintings", said Raj. " Did he use real models."?
" I once interviewed him before my marriage to Alok. He referred to Sushant's memoir as his main inspiration and an ancient painter. I forgot the name", said Laxmi.
" Aunty do you think he could have killed someone", asked Raj.
" Yes", she was not at all hesitant. " But who"?
" Probably a girl", said Maddy as Laxmi shivered. Maddy hugged her.
" Thanks aunty", said Raj.
" Anytime", said Laxmi.
After that he went to Kenny again. Drawn like moth to flame he thought.
Rahul was buzzing around her like a mosquito. Creep.
" I want you to take your conditions back", said Raj to Kenny.
" What", she was confused.
" The conditions which suggest that I keep my love buried in my heart. I can't bear to see you with him. I will kill him", said Raj.
" You will do no such thing", she looked scared. " What the hell Raj!"
" I love you", he said. He held her hand.
" Don't throw this love away sweetheart".
" Raj please", her voice broke. " Stop it".
" Will you just break up with me because I hid my royal identity", said Raj . " It means nothing to me".
" You still can't speak the truth to me", she hissed.
" Truth", now he was confused.
" You served military for an year after you completed school. Your financial and marketing team are buying Bhishma shares under your pseudonym. You are looking for a small weak party like us a new firm who can't handle you. Because you keep all the cards to yourself. YOU ARE IN CONTROL. You are playing a game. And I am just one of the pawns your highness ", she retorted.
He was stunned to silence by her accuracy.
" MY CONDITIONS STAND", she vetoed his argument.
The wedding vows were spoken. Paras and Sheena promised their lives to each other in front of fire. All Kanu could see was wedding but not this one. Another one which took place in the temple. Riya smiling shyly to her husband as Vicky teased her. They speaking their wedding vows circling the fire. Vermillion, Mangalsootra. And ..Superseding over this the image of Raj and her wedding.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. WHY THE HELL DID HE MENTION LOVE? She is trying to forget him and move on. Bloody hell!
Raj was gloomy too. Rahul was back on her side. He was whispering something in her ear. She was smiling. Kenny forced a smile on her face. It was Sheena's day not hers. She did not want to ruin it. For rest of the night she kept her distance from him.
" The moron is drinking again", said Solly to Ro. " Lets move him out of here".
Ro nodded as they both took Raj back and Ro gave him a sleep dose. Raj dozed off.
" I can't see him. Is he causing some kind of mischief again", she said to Myra.
" He is in his room sleeping with the help of medicine", Parry blurted angrily. " Spare him your highness. The only crime he committed was that he fell in love with you. And for your information he never touched another woman after you. Even when we all pushed him to do it. Wish you a good Night."
He bowed and left.
Tears came out of her eyes.
" I am going to see him", she whispered to Myra. Her friend nodded.
Raj's room.
There was a tentative knock as Ro opened the door. His four friends were there. She quietly walked in.
He was almost unconscious. She sat near him holding his hand.
" I love you too Raj", she whispered slowly.
" But we can't be together. I have my people to look for. I thought Aditya would leave USA to be with me. But Rajeev can never abandon Junagarh. Nor can I Vidhan garh. So I am with you until you climb that throne. After that we go our separate ways. GOOD NIGHT LOVE. And Goodbye. PLEASE FORGIVE AND FORGET ME."
Then she nodded to his friends and left weeping.
" You are wrong my love", a voice echoed in the room. " You will climb that throne with me. And its a promise I Rajeev Singh Thakur, crowned prince of Junagarh does to you".
Raj sat up and looked pensively at her leaving silhouette.
Then he looked at his friends and smirked.
" You are the devil", said Parry.
" And the finest actor", said Maddy." She really thougt you were unconscious and in pain".
" I am in pain Maddy. Who says I am not? It hurts here", he pointed to his chest.
Half an hour earler
" Take the sleeping drug and sleep or you wil burn your guts out with the alcohol", said Ro.
" And we all will have another date night with Miss Gunjan", said Solly. " No thank you".
"And to think that she was real and my uncle knew her creeps me out", said Maddy.
" Gunjan", said Raj. " This name affected her too. Parry do this for me"
He whispered a plan in Parry's ears. Then kept the drug on the table.
Present
" So Rahul lives", said Maddy." Such a shame".
" Yaa I was plotting ways", Solly seemed disappointed.
" Next time", said Ro.
" Solly", Raj's tone was professional.
" Yes Raj".
" Vidhangarh. I want everything on it. Sources of income, people. Weakness if any. Every tiny bit of information", said Raj.
" Two days", said Solly.
" You have them", said Raj.
" Maddy I want a copy of Sushat's memoir and the name of that ancient artist.
" On it bro", said Maddy.
Raj said to Ro,
" The nightmare can return. Be prepared".
" Are you that sure", asked Ro.
He just shrugged. He took the medicine and slept.
But it was not his usual nightmare that night.
" Dance courtesan earn your bag of gold leered a minister".
The lifeless girl stood up. She was beautiful but not wearing a veil. As the tabla and harmonium played Gunjan danced. She sang a love song with quivering lips. The courtiers enjoyed her plight.
All of them leered Except for him..The king..
" Somebody cover her please", screamed Raj. " Gunjan no please go from here. I am a sinner."
" Damn", said Ro as he got up with others.
" Miss Gunjan is back", said Solly.
The injections were ready. Raj was writhing in pain.
" He knew it would come tonight", said Maddy.
" He hides well but he was in pain", said Parry.
Fortunately injections worked and Raj slept.
SLEEP EVEN ELUDED KENNY THAT NIGHT
When she came back from Raj's room her mood was bad. To lighten it Kiara took her to Laxmi. Laxmi showed them an old album of her college days.
" Shai look at Zoya. She really was stylish", said Laxmi.
" And who is this studious girl", asked Shai
" That's Lisa", said Laxmi sadly.
" As in Ro's I mean Dr. Khurana's mom", said Grace.
" He told you", asked Laxmi. " He rarely talks about her."
" It pains him", replied Grace " But he did not hate her like his father."
Laxmi sighed.
Kenny saw her then a petite young woman standing with a tall atheletic man. Both smiling at each other.
" Riya and Vicky", she said touching the photograph.
" Yeah", said Laxmi. " This was Chennai. We took the photograph there", she said. " I miss her a lot."
" Mom too", sighed Shai. Laxmi just held her hand.
That night Kenny dreamed too.
" When I grow up prince Aditya I shall marry you", said a young child.
" I am honoured Dhara but I am too old for you", he said.
" Then I will grow up fast. Wait for me", said the child.
" What if I die", he said.
" Then I shal follow you to afterlife. MY FOREVER IS WITH YOU. If you reject me I shall remain an ascetic for life".
The scene shifted.
" I vow my love", said the young girl. " Before another man see me in wrong way I shall perish this body in fire. My soul belongs to you".
Finally Kenny saw a adolescent Dhara perishing in fire.
And she woke up.
She was hot all over. To get cool air she moved to balcony. And closed her eyes. Kenny did not notice as flames came out of her hands. Spark was weak but present. She slept in the cool air.
Both of them were dreaming incomplete love stories. For they were born to complete them.