The Talk

The Talk

The couple sat reminiscing about the old times, of a love unfulfilled, of the what-ifs and of the present.

“She is a perfect mix of her grandfathers,” he spoke up, “and I could see a bit of Dadabhai in her.” He held the glass of tea in his hand tightly scared that if he kept it down then his hands would seek hers.

“She takes after her father too especially in the anger-department,” the woman smiled, “and just like her father she likes to keep everything organized.”

They sat with smiles on their face trying to hide the pain that lurked inside their hearts. Fate had played a cruel game with him, first, it put distance between him and his child only to make them meet as strangers. Earlier that night he had shared a dance with his child and throughout the dance all he could do was take in as much as he could of her features, imagine her as growing up into the wonderful young woman and even glared at the Sisodia prince whom he had seen sneaking her out.

“You gave her the name I suggested,” he teased recalling their conversation about names. She nodded her head,

“I realised that it was better than some of the names I had seen on the list.”

They fell silent again looking at the traffic passing by on the highway. Holding on to the tea glasses even though they were empty in the fear that their hands would seek each other for comfort.

“This is for you,” she took out two receipts from her handbag and extended them towards him.

“The imaging lab would have tonight’s pictures ready within a day and you can collect them from it by showing this receipt,” she gave him the instructions as he stared at the receipt. The receipt was from earlier in the night around 30mins before they met at the dhaba.

“I took some pictures of you dancing with her and thought maybe you would like to have them as well,” she looked at the receipt unable to meet his eyes.

“The second receipt is for a photo-album” she continued, “it had all of her pictures from birth up to tonight arranged in your favourite style. It has all of her achievements, milestones as well as some of the fun ones that I have with me.”

He looked at her bowed head, “why?” his voice choked as he held onto the second receipt tighter.

She finally looked up with tears in her eyes, “because we promised to gift each other on our special days. Happy Anniversary, Ram”

Ajabde sat in her office going through the paperwork that the legal department had sent her. They were suing news channels, magazines and certain outlets who had created a scene in the past few days. Everything looked in order and as she was about to sign on them her cabin door opened with a force and standing on the doorstep was none other Heer Punwar.

“Hukum we tried to stop her,” one of the guards spoke up but she gestured them to leave. Heer walked towards her holding a file tightly in her hands,

“I know you do not wish to speak to us but please hear me out,” she spoke with fear in her voice. “I’ll accept any punishment you give but please I beg you to hear me out, Baisa Hukum.”

Pratap walked past the media frenzy in front of the hospital as he escorted his mother inside the building. Shakti and Sajjabai were waiting for them indoors and greeted them as they walked towards the room. Patta was outside greeting the guests who were coming regularly to check up on the patient. He greeted the ladies with a small smile his eyes clearly showing fear and pain of having a loved one in the ICU.

“Doctor said he needs a transplant,” he told them, “and turns out neither Heer nor I am are a match.”

Sajjabai seemed shocked but Jaiwanta Bai maintained her composure as Patta shared the rest of the diagnosis with them. 

“Papa is on the transplant list but there has been no update until now”

Half an hour later they walked out from the back entrance as to avoid the media but one guy caught up to them. He used to work with a channel but had recently turned into a freelancer

“Rani Hukum,” he called out to Jaiwanta Bai who recognised him. He hurried towards her and passed on a note. 

“Please give this to Sangram Singh ji,” the guy said while looking behind his back. “Sangram Singh ji will know the next steps.”

Pratap stared at his mother who calmly took the note and sat in the car. 

“Pratap, I need to go back to the apartment to prepare your grandfather’s room. You will be staying with either Sajja or Shakti when he arrives.” She quickly texted her father in law before dialling the housekeeper to give him instructions.

Ramrakh Punwar and Hansabai Chauhan in an illicit relationship. Sources confirm the duo were together before the tragic road accident. Meerabai kept silent for the sake of her children….

Meera gloated on watching herself portrayed as the victim. She considered herself a victim, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage for the sake of her children, carrying responsibilities and duties of a title that was only in name.

“You are my elder only in age,” the young Rajkumari had told Meera. “Neither in stature or position are you my equal.”

Her eyes narrowed as they were the same words that her mother had told her,

“You might be equal to me in age but when it comes to stature and position there is no match between us.”

“Hukum, Vajra Singh is here” the maid informed her. Meera walked down with her head high and nose higher on hearing that Chauhan family's right-hand man had come to visit her.

 “Must have come with an apology,” she thought to herself with a smile.

10 minutes later, Vajra Singh walked out with a signed apology from Meerabai Punwar. As he walked out of the place, he sent out a text to Sangram Singh Sisodia. 

Apology signed and received. She has been warned

Meera locked herself in the bedroom as she opened the file. It contained evidence that she was the one who filed the bail plea for Raimal Bhatt, paperwork tracing the transfer of money from her personal account to media personnel’s accounts and the script that had been running on the channels. But above all, it was the last words that threatened her the most- a note from the Indian Army confirming that it was Meerabai who had stopped the search a letter from to the Indian Army requesting to close the search for their missing officer.

Ajabde walked out of her office with nothing in her hand as the conversation with Heer Punwar played in her mind  

Heer looked at the other girl who was a year older to her,

“This is from our first birthday,” she showed her a photograph that had a young Ramrakh Punwar holding the twins as they blew out the candles. She kept another one, “this is from our first horse-riding lesson and this one is from our first dance performance”

Ajabde looked at the young girl confused, “I do not understand the reason for all of this, Heer” she told her formally.

Heer took out a file and placed it on the table, “Papa needs a liver transplant as his was severely damaged in the accident. My brother and I are not a match.”

Ajabde felt bad for the girl as she could see Heer loved her father dearly, “I’m sorry to hear that but I’m still not sure what I can do in this situation”

“Ajabde baisa, only you can help me because you are a perfect match for my father,” Heer looked at her with tears rolling down her eyes, “you see I’m not his biological daughter but you are- you are Ramrakh Punwar and Hansabai Chauhan’s daughter.”

Ajabde’s eyes widened as Heer knelt on her knees and joined her hands, “please save my Papa, Jija.”