by MV Kasi
“No,” Sabitha answered. The meeting had lasted a couple of hours. And during that time, she kept her eyes on the table, looking at the papers and the words on it that she couldn’t read.
“Sir?” the lawyer asked.
“We are good,” Dev’s deep voice answered. “If there is anything, I’ll contact your team directly.” There was a pause, and she felt the intensity of his stare increase. “I want everyone except for Sabitha Prajapati to leave this room.”
At his order, the lawyers and his men immediately stood up to leave. But her men stayed. They didn’t move from their places next to her.
“Leave now, or your bodies will have to be removed from this room,” Dev threatened them with menace.
Sabitha turned to look at Dhruv. “Go. I’ll join you later,” she said softly.
Dhruv looked uncertain, but he nodded and left with the rest of her men. As soon as the door shut with a soft click, Dev rose up from his chair and came towards to her and stood right in front of her.
“How are you?” he asked softly.
“I’m fine,” she replied.
He watched her face, his eyes lingering on the shadows under her eyes and the slightly puffy eyelids. But he didn’t say anything about how she didn’t seem fine. She knew she looked beaten and devastated.
He slowly moved closer. She didn’t flinch or jerk away as he reached out a hand to her hair that had escaped, and tucked it behind her ears.
Placing his hands on the armrests, he slowly leaned forward and brought his nose towards her nape before inhaling deeply.
“I miss the smell of roses,” he said. And then he buried his nose into her hair. “I miss you, too. I miss you a lot, baby,” he said.
Listening to his vulnerable tone, Sabitha felt her control splinter. She clenched her eyes shut and dug her nails into her palms. She tried hard not to let a sob escape from her.
She missed him, too. She missed seeing the easy smile on his face, his affectionate kisses on her cheek, and the heated kisses on her lips. She missed being with the most charming and the most confident man she had ever met. She missed the man who held her heart.
“Why?” he asked.
She felt his finger stroking her cheek while his lips moved on her forehead, and then downward on her cheek. She didn’t realize she had been crying until she felt him capture her tears with his mouth as he trailed his lips softly to her jaw.
“Tell me why we can’t be together?” he demanded softly.
“I can’t, Dev,” she said. “I can’t be with you. We are simply not meant to be.”
“Don’t say that,” he said with emotion. “We are meant to be together. I love you so much. Just tell me why you are pushing me away,” he asked, this time in a pleading tone.
Her vision blurred as tears continued to fall. She didn’t try to control them anymore.
“Because I don’t love you,” she repeated the same lie. “I belong with someone else now. I want you to leave me alone,” she whispered.
She heard him take a swift intake of breath before he moved away from her. Immediately, she missed his warmth and presence. She opened her eyes only to find him watching her with anger and betrayal.
Anger she understood. But it was the betrayal that broke her heart all over again.
She knew he must be thinking that the last few months when they had been together, meant nothing to her. He must have also thought she didn’t love him enough to fight for him.
He was probably right. Even though she loved him, it wasn’t enough to fight for him and their future.
She watched as his expressive face showed her every emotion he felt. Along with anger and betrayal, there was also hate creeping into it.
She visibly flinched at the sight.
Before they had come together, they had truly hated each other. She was used to seeing that look before on his face and had even rejoiced in it. But now… the hate-filled look cut her deep.
He continued watching her with that look for a while. And then he turned away and left the room, making her feel cold and empty once again.
CHAPTER 37
Dev spent the next few days flying all over the country whenever he received the smallest of leads regarding the identity of the person who had shot Raidu.
He had just returned from one such trip and had fallen into an exhausted sleep in the office chair at the Singham Mansion when Abhay woke him up.
“Dev.”
Opening his groggy eyes, Dev saw the grim look on Abhay’s face. “What happened?”
“Virendra Prajapati passed away last night.”
Sabitha’s grandfather had passed away.
“Give me ten minutes, I’ll join you,” Dev told Abhay.
Abhay nodded. “Are you okay?” his older brother asked.
No. I’m not okay. I want the woman I love to love me back and want me in her life.
Dev knew his thoughts sounded pathetic in his own mind, so he didn’t voice them out to his brother. “I’m fine,” he said instead.
Two hours later, Dev, Abhay, and Anika were at the funeral held at the Prajapati Mansion.
Neelambari Prajapati was wailing loudly on her father’s body. Everyone stood in grim silence.
For the first time, the feud was put aside. The Prajapatis, the Singhams and the Senani family were present to pay their respects to the family head.
After Dev paid his respect, his eyes searched for Sabitha. He finally found her standing quietly in a corner with a somber look on her face. Dev knew Sabitha was mourning because he knew she was quite attached to her grandfather even though he couldn’t talk or communicate much.
He went towards her, wanting to offer comfort. But he stopped midway when he saw Revanth Senani reaching her first and talking to her.
He was just about to turn away when her eyes met his. He saw the grief in her eyes and for a second, he even imagined her looking at him as though she needed his comfort. But then it was gone. Her face smoothed and she looked away. She didn’t speak with Revanth Senani either, she just walked away.
Dev automatically followed her, wanting to offer his comfort, but he was stopped by Revanth Senani.
Both the men had a stare down. Even though Revanth Senani looked at him with a blank expression, he could feel the rage emitting from him.
“Stay away from her, Singham,” he warned. “Don’t think I’m blind or dumb not to notice what is happening right in front of my eyes.”
Dev didn’t bother replying him. His eyes continued to search for Sabitha.
“Stop sniffing after someone else’s woman. If anything, you should be wooing my sister who will soon become your wife.”
Dev’s eyes met Revanth Senani’s. “I haven’t agreed to the alliance yet,” Dev replied coolly.
“Maybe so. But whether or not you marry my sister, it doesn’t make any difference to Sabitha or me. We are going to marry soon. If you intervene… it’s not going to end well for you or your people.”
Dev wanted to punch the bastard in front of him. But out of respect for the occasion, he controlled himself. “Don’t ever threaten my people again,” he warned. “What’s the matter, Senani? You have to warn off every man who wants to speak with your fiancée during her grandfather’s funeral? Seems kind of sad that you are that insecure.”
Revanth Senani’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything. Dev walked away before he ended up in a brawl. He had been itching to pummel that bastard for a while.
Even though Dev had the last word, the victory felt hollow. He still could not believe that Sabitha would prefer to tie herself to someone like Revanth Senani.
Feeling beaten, Dev walked out of the Prajapati Mansion, intending to return home when he received a message from the investigator. The lead turned out to be negative.
Disappointed, he was about to get down the last of the steps from the mansion when he saw an old man wearing priest’s robes trying to climb up the stairs using a walking stick.
“Let me help,
Father,” said Dev before he guided the man through the mansion’s flight of steps. When they reached the top, the priest was out of breath. Dev decided to wait until the man could go in and get help from someone else.
“Thank you, my son,” said the priest. Then he sighed. “I never thought I’d outlive even Virendra. He was quite a man. Always so tolerant and generous. Quite tragic what happened with him and most of his family.”
Dev nodded politely.
“His sons, Harshvardhan and Yashwanth, were equally tolerant, too. But unfortunately, once they were killed in a tragic accident, the tolerance within the provinces became very low. Most of our missionaries left within a few days.”
Something nagged within Dev. “Father, do you recall anyone who wasn’t a missionary, but had left at that time?”
The priest smiled. “A few of them, yes. Some of them call me from time to time and check up on me.”
Dev took out his phone and showed him Raidu’s picture. It was a picture from nearly twenty-five years ago, but it was all they had. “Do you recall seeing this man leaving along with the missionaries?”
The priest squinted. “I’m not sure. My memory and eyes are getting weak,” he said.
Dev felt a crushing disappointment.
“But I’m sure Father Mathews might know whether or not that man joined the group as they left. He was quite young at that time.”
Mathews? It was the same last name Raidu ended up using. Was it a coincidence?
“What’s Father Mathews full name?” Dev asked.
“Samuel Mathews.”
Dev felt a jolt. It cannot be that big of a coincidence. “Where can I find Father Mathews?” he asked in an urgent tone.
“He’s traveling. He should be back in ten days.”
“Can you give me his contact details? It’s very important.”
The priest shook his head. “He mentioned he could not be contacted in that remote place.”
“I see. Can I still get his details from you later this evening?”
“Sure, my boy. My doors are always open for anyone who needs my help.”
Dev summoned one of his men to take the priest inside while he went towards his car.
It was a long shot, but he somehow had a hunch, and it made more sense that Raidu took help of someone within the provinces to help him escape. Instead of only trying to find out who had tried to murder Raidu, Dev also wanted to know the identity of who had helped Raidu escape.
CHAPTER 38
A week had passed since Virendra Prajapati’s funeral. So far the progress made with the investigations were moving at a snail’s pace. Except for an unexpected one.
Dev was at the library. He was reading a journal.
He had already read his grandmother’s journals several times before, but he felt like reading them that night once again. His favorites were the journals his grandmother had written when she was a young girl.
When he and his family had visited the Singham Estate while he was young, he recalled the times his grandmother sometimes sat him on her lap. She told him most of her childhood adventures as stories. He had loved listening to them and made her repeat the same stories over and over again, asking her a lot of questions.
Because of his curiosity, she had even taken him and his brothers to visit the places in the Senani province where she had spent her childhood.
Dev couldn’t help but notice the similarities between his grandmother and Sabitha Prajapati. Both women were beautiful, strong, and fierce. They were also natural leaders who had taken up the reins to lead their people towards peace during the most violent and brutal of times.
Sometimes, Sabitha also reminded him of his gentle mother. Like his mother, Sabitha loved to cook. During their time together at the cottage, she had experimented with simple recipes. He had caught her watching him when he took the first taste of some of the dishes she had prepared. Her eyes had always brightened as soon as he complimented the dish.
His heart felt heavy inside. He knew Sabitha Prajapati was it for him. No one would ever come close to being like her in his life.
Even if he couldn’t spend his life with her, he knew there was no way he could ever think of tying himself to any other woman.
It wouldn’t be fair to that other woman. That woman could be beautiful or accomplished, but in his eyes, that other woman would always remain the second best or a pale shadow compared to the woman who would always have his heart.
He would call the Senanis the next day to let them know of his decision to decline their offer. They were not going to be happy and might even cause more trouble. He would also have to warn his people and Abhay to remain alert before he broke the news to the Senanis.
“Not able to sleep?” a familiar soft feminine voice interrupted.
He looked up. “No,” he replied. “I’m waiting for an important call. How about you? My niece or nephew still keeping you awake during the nights?”
Anika smiled. “Yeah. Woke up to another strong kick,” she replied.
He wanted to smile back at Anika, but it hurt to see her eyes that were so similar to that of her cousin’s.
Day in and day out he had been trying very hard not to remember Sabitha or the memories of them together. But the thoughts of her never really faded from his mind. He was stuck in constant hell.
“Dev… are you okay?” he heard Anika ask.
He mentally shook himself. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied.
Anika gave him a look as though she didn’t quite believe him.
Before she could question him more about anything else, “Did Abhay call you to let you know he’s returning tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. I saw his messages and called him a few minutes ago. He told me he’s spoken to the doctor I had recommended and convinced him to make some time to fly here.”
Dev nodded and was about to say something when his phone rang. “Excuse me,” he said and picked up the call immediately.
“We found them,” a man’s voice announced on the other end. The man also gave him a few details that stunned Dev.
“Alright. Keep them both safe. I’m on my way there right now,” Dev instructed.
As soon as he hung up the call, he dialed another number. The phone rang several times. Dev was almost sure the call might not be answered, and he was about to hang up to head there, when the call was answered.
“Sabitha,” he said. “We found them. The ones you have been searching for. I’m having a flight chartered for us to leave right now.” He gave her the location details.
Sabitha just listened quietly and didn’t ask him any questions about whom he was referring to. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” she said. He could hear the anxiousness in her tone.
Anika was still standing in the library, watching him silently with a curious look.
“I’ll have to leave now, Anika,” he told her, walking towards the door. “If I don’t speak with Abhay before he arrives tomorrow morning, do let him know I’ll be back in a day or so.”
She nodded. “I hope things work out,” she said softly. “I’m really rooting for you both.”
When he reached her side, he leaned and kissed her on her cheek softly. “Thank you,” he said before hurrying outside.
While the car sped towards the hanger area, Dev tried connecting the dots together. He still couldn’t. But he somehow knew that he might finally find out the reason she had decided to give up on their love.
CHAPTER 39
Sabitha watched quietly while Dev spoke to someone on the phone. As soon as she got the call from him, informing her that they had been found… she knew.
She had hurried out of her room and then out of the Prajapati Mansion to jump into her car and blindly drive towards the location he had asked her to meet him.
He had led her into the small plane and sat across from her in one of the seats. Maybe he knew she felt high-strung, so he didn’t attempt to ask her any questions or speak with her.
Her h
eart pounded inside her chest in anticipation. She had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. She had sacrificed so much and even let her aunt dictate to her because of this. She took in a deep, shuddering breath as nervousness began to slowly take over.
She jumped when she felt a hand covering hers. “We’ll land in an hour. Catch some sleep if you can,” he said softly.
She nodded and rested her head back on the seat and closed her eyes.
***
Two hours later, her heart continued to beat anxiously while she trembled in anticipation. They had landed an hour ago from where they were picked up by a car and driven to a non-descript house in a seemingly residential neighborhood.
First thing she saw as she opened the small gates were the dark-uniformed guards placed right outside the door.
She walked past them hurriedly into the house and stopped short. Her eyes barely glanced at the familiar face of a middle-aged woman who watched her with trepidation. All of her concentration was on the small child who was clinging to the woman. The child’s sweet little face looked fearful.
Slowly, Sabitha walked towards them. “Leave this room,” she softly ordered the armed guards standing on either side of the woman and child. The guards were probably scaring the child.
Even after the guards left, the woman visibly trembled while hugging the child close to her. The child clung back.
Sabitha relaxed her face and put on a smile even though she was nervous. She stopped in front of the small sofa where the woman and child were seated, and knelt down in front of them.
“Sahana?” Sabitha called out softly, her lips trembling as she tried to continue smiling to ease the child.
The bright green eyes of the little girl peered at her, but she didn’t respond.
“Don’t be scared, Sahana. I’m your—”
“No, you are not!” the woman shouted fearfully. “You are not her mother!”
Anger erupted within Sabitha as she looked at the woman who had once been like a surrogate mother to her. “Sahana is my daughter, Bina. I know that you kept her in hiding all these years upon Neelambari’s orders.”