Chapter 19
Sidhi was back home, lying on her bed, reflecting back on the incidents earlier in the day. She chided herself for losing control, for running straight into Kunal's arms in a state of panic. She was relieved though, that her son was fine and taken care of. She was also slightly pleased at Kunal's behavior - him comforting her, understanding her, even fighting with her like old days - even though at some level, she wondered if she was reading too much into it and allowing herself to hope again, or live again. Her mind then wandered to what Thakral had said on the phone. Finally, it seemed like Richa's chapter had ended for good. Finally, it seemed like Sidhi's family would be able to live in peace, without any threat from Richa. Sidhi was happy, until she remembered the words Thakral had said to her the previous day.
"...Since when is this your home? Where is your home Ms Sidhi? You're a criminal. You're a modern day draupadi with two husbands. Women like you have no character and no..."
Sidhi turned pale. She knew that was how the world thought of her, and she felt cheapened and disgusted once again. She got up from the bed - this mishap of an association of Abhay's name with her...this curse had to be washed away from her name before she died.
-------------------------------------
Kunal was outside the Diwan house, wondering how to approach Sukh Lal. He knew he was a poor man, and a Diwan family loyalist. Kunal had to be careful not to intimidate him, while trying to find out about the murder of RamNath, Sakshi's father. He disguised as a local driver and waited for SukhLal at the paan shop across the road. He had already spoken to the paan guy and knew that SukhLal was a regular there. There was a big enough crowd at the shop and Kunal managed to stay hidden and not create suspicion. When SukhLal finally came, he got a conversation started on some pretext and prodded to learn more.
Kunal: Arey bhaiya, you work for Diwan family right?
Sukhwal: Yep. For 32 years!
Kunal: Is there a requirement for a driver there? Please get me a job no.
SukhLal: No bhaiya. No requirement right now. We have two drivers there.
Kunal: Okay. You must be right. Who leaves a job in such a rich family. The drivers must also be working here for 20-30 years, just like you.
SukhLal: No no. These are new. Nowadays drivers don't stick onto jobs. Everyone wants to drive a cab. Saabji had a driver RamNath many years ago who worked for many many years here - he was very good, he came here with me. But he died. After that many drivers have come and gone. But no vacancy right now.
Kunal: Oh. You sound sad about RamNath. How did he die? Was he old?
SukhLal: No no. He was my best friend. He was murdered. Some thief or someone murdered him. Nobody ever got caught.
Kunal: That's horrible. Murder reminds me, I have heard your mistress Surekha Diwan was in jail for murdering her daughter-in-law and grandson. She must be a very bad woman! How do you work for such a woman?
SukhLal: No No! My mistress is a wonderful very kind-hearted woman. And she killed nobody.
Kunal: But I heard she confessed!
SukhLal: Now dont make me speak too much bhaiya. Kind-hearted people are like that. They take others' blames on themselves. Especially when it is for someone your own...anyway, the daughters-in-law of this house are jinxed. The one who died lived a sad life and was tortured to an untimely death. Recently our sir got in a new one, and she was also beaten up and was crying all the time. I felt a lot of pity. But good she left before she could be killed.
Kunal's eyes filled with tears hearing the reference to Sidhi. He controlled himself, and tried to get more info, but did not get anything more usable. He was also trying to speak to other people standing there to learn more about Abhay and her mother. Still, SukhLal had confirmed to Kunal that something was fishy about Surekha Diwan and the murder case. While reading the papers, he had noticed that the time of death of Sakshi's father was AFTER Surekha Diwan had already been arrested. If she was in police custody, she couldn't have killed Sakshi's father, which was probably why a connection was never investigated. But now that Kunal knew Surekha probably was a good person and had likely taken up someone else's blame, his suspicion was also veering towards Abhay. He already knew Abhay could be violent and abusive, remembering Sidhi's condition in the hospital.
Kunal's eyes suddenly stopped across the road, on the gate of Diwan House. Sidhi was going inside!
"What was Sidhi doing here?" thought Kunal. Soon, he managed to pull away from the crowd and his feet took him automatically towards Diwan House.
Why was she here? Kunal wondered.
---------------------------------------------------
Sidhi was in the living hall in Diwan House, calling for Abhay.
Abhay, coming down the stairs, said, "Ah! Sidhi! My wife is back home!"
"Don't you dare EVER call me your wife! I am nobody to you! And here, here is something to make you remember that." Sidhi yelled and threw a few papers on Abhay's face.
Abhay picked them up and read - ANNULMENT of MARRIAGE
"Even though it was discussed and proven in court, I needed to get these to firmly erase my name away from yours. This is legal annulment and cancelled certificates of the sham of a marriage you forced me into."
Abhay, in anger, grabbed Sidhi's arm and twisted it.
"You! You woman! You very well know I had no interest in you or marrying you. I married you only for my son, and I will do anything to get him. If I have to marry you again, or murder you, I will not hesitate."
Sidhi jerked to free herself and slapped Abhay.
"He is NOT your son. And will never be. Here is another paper you should look at - I have legally transfered my guardianship to Kunal. Kunal who is Anand's father. So if I die, or you threaten me, or anything happens, I have legally submitted my statement that I want my children to live with Kunal Chopra. If you kill me, legally you have no right on me or Anand. In fact, legally, you can't even come within 500m of me or my son. You will get the notice of the restraining order soon."
Abhay was about to slap Sidhi, but just then he noticed Kunal walk in. He suddenly grabbed Sidhi and began pleading
"Don't worry darling. It's only a few more months, I will get you and our son back home very soon."
Sidhi was momentarily surprised, then understood why Abhay was acting as soon as she heard him say
"Kunal Chopra! What are you doing here? Are you stalking my wife?"
"I am not stalking YOUR wife. I don't know why she's here"
"Kunal - you have already given my wife and son too much pain. They want to come home"
"Oh really"
"Yeah, see Sidhi has been preparing so much to get the custody case in our favor"
Kunal looked at what he saw around him. A bunch of legal papers in Abhay and Sidhi's hands and also on the floor. Kunal remembered seeing Sidhi at the family court not so long ago. He looked at Sidhi, who was quiet, but had tears in her eyes and her eyes told him, even though she didn't, about the lies in Abhay's words. A bangle had broken on Sidhi's arm and blood streamed on her hand. He remembered her behavior earlier today, the sheer terror thinking Abhay was with AC2. Kunal knew that terror was genuine, not this what Abhay was saying...
Kunal roared back: "You will never get my son's custody, no matter what you do." As he said that, Kunal was looking at both Abhay and Sidhi, and for a moment Sidhi was convinced Kunal had once again bought into Abhay's life. Afterall, he didn't trust her at all. Her face fell. Pain stabbed at her heart. One more time, it was proven that there was no faith in their love. There was no point saying anything. Sidhi closed her eyes.
Kunal: Anand is my son and Sidhi...
Before Kunal could finish, Sidhi yelled, "Enough! Enough of you two men talking of me like an object, I am not either of yours' wife. I was never your wife Abhay, and that forceful relationship is now officially over. And Kunal, our relation broke years ago. So don't you dare, either of you, talk of me like anybody's wife ever again." Sidhi screamed, quite literally with pain, and started to run away from the hall, when suddenly Kunal caught her arm and stopped her.
Kunal calmly said, "I didn't finish, Sidhi. Abhay, listen carefully, and remember this - Anand is my son and Sidhi is my wife. She was, she is and she will always be my wife" Kunal said slowly but firmly, putting emphasis on the last few words.
"...and you never, ever dare to come anywhere close to my wife or children again. If every any harm comes to them, if another blood drop floats on my wife's arm, you will not live to see the light of the day." Kunal's rage burnt his words. Sidhi, whose arm Kunal was still holding, was facing away from both Kunal and Abhay and was trying to fathom if she was really hearing Kunal, or was she dreaming.
As soon as Kunal relaxed his grip, Sidhi ran away from there. Kunal followed her, not entirely sure about everything that had just happened, but intuitively knowing that what happened was right, and that standing up for his wife - YES, his wife Sidhi - felt damn good.
Sidhi had taken an auto, but Kunal followed Sidhi all the way home, where he found Sidhi crying uncontrollably in their room, by the window. As soon as she saw Kunal, she stopped, but sobs still continued. Kunal went and sat by her side, not directly looking at her or touching her, but trying to give solidarity simply by being.
"Rona band karo" (Stop crying!) Kunal softly said
"What does it matter to you what I do! You're nobody to me."
"Fine! I am nobody. But you're somebody to me. You're the mother of my children. You're Sidhi Kunal Chopra, my wife."
Sidhi turned her face away, not responding.
"Theek hai. As you wish. Dont talk if you dont want to" Kunal said and got up. Suddenly he hurt his leg with the corner of the bed.
"Ouch!"
"What happened? Where did it hurt? You don't even know how to walk! Show me!" Sidhi had immediately sprung to Kunal's side, kneeling.
"Nothing. First biwi got angry, now the bed. It's not a good day Kunal Chopra" Kunal quipped, then continued with a smile. "But you are very concerned for a nobody, aren't you?"
Sidhi frowned and sat back on her old position, without replying.
Kunal said, "Sidhi I am sorry for not trusting you earlier. It wasn't easy. But now I trust you. I don't know and I don't care why you went to Abhay's house today, and the only reason I came in behind you was because I feared for your safety, but I do know that Abhay was lying and you were not."
Sidhi lied down, turning away from Kunal, "It's too late Kunal, leave me alone please."
Kunal decided to speak later and moved outside the room. On his way out, he saw a folder of legal papers on the side table. He stopped to look at them.
Softly, Sidhi said, from behind him, "These are copies...of what I went to throw on Abhay's face today"
"Annulment of Marriage" Kunal saw on the papers and turned, to see Sidhi looking straight at him. There eyes met. Tears were flowing through Sidhi's eyes.
"I couldn't live with Abhay's name be linked to me in any way whatsoever. I can't change what people want to believe, but I couldn't die with the question mark on my character and my respect of marriage." Sidhi said, looking down, turning away again, facing out of the window.
Kunal looked at the papers in front of him - the custody papers, the restraining order, Sidhi's will. He kept them back in the folder, smiled to himself and left the room. He didn't know the details and didn't care. He had trusted his wife today and he was right. He felt more complete than he had in years. He knew from the papers what she'd done and why - his wife was a good lawyer.
Precap
"This is weird. The victim had struggle marks all over her body, but the woman who murdered her didn't even have a scratch. Also, your autopsy says the woman was murdered while she was trying to run, standing up, from behind. But the angle of the knife was downward. Kunal, how tall was the murderer?"
Kunal looked up. Sidhi was right. The confession story didn't match forensic evidence.
"Anyway, you're the world's best lawyer Kunal. I am sure you will figure it out and you will win." She said and left the room.
Somehow, when she said it, it felt true.
Edited by teekay - 11 years ago
comment:
p_commentcount