“When I come back to my home the Sun almost sinks under the horizon. I was not prepared for Ayan and our talks took unpredictable time. I stealthily enter my house. However, I am lucky that Papa hasn’t come back yet from his press. I tiptoe to Maa’s room and become satisfied to see her sleeping with Rishi till now. I was about to enter my room when a sight makes me halt. I and Manvi share this small bedroom. When I left to meet Ayan, that time she was not at home. Perhaps she was in her college or school. But right now, she is standing in front of the mirror. Well, it is not any rare view but she is admiring herself in the mirror. She is wearing the necklace which Aditya gave me as his mother’s blessing. I don’t know what happened to me but the sight ignites the fire inside my head. I always ignore and avoid Manvi’s all indecency and insolence but today she touched the line of my patience. I have nothing to do with this necklace but I have definitely something to the emotion of a mother and she can’t play with that. I storm inside and come in front of her. She gets startled for a second but immediately gathers her words.”

“Oh..so, you are back. Does Maa know that you went outside or you sneaked out? Di, hats off to you. After so much, you have the courage to go outside all alone. If I had been in your position, I would have locked myself in this room for my entire life.”

Her perennial rude words can’t pierce Nandana’s heart this time. She points at the necklace and utters ruefully,

“Who gave you the permission to wear this? This is someone’s bailment. Someone’s love and blessing. You have no right to wear it so casually. Please give it to me. I don’t know how I forgot about this. I will have to return it, Manvi. Take it off.”

Nandana forwards her hand to touch the necklace. Manvi steps back a bit and scoffs,

“Wait..wait…love and blessing! Whose? Your so-called husband Aditya Oberoi’s? When you are so much concerned about him then why are you doing all this drama? Just go away and let us live peacefully. If I tell Maa and Papa that you secretly went to meet that rascal what will be their reaction? If I have no right to wear this then you have no right to ditch us. Sorry, Di..but I must say that you are a big hypocrite. In front of Papa and Maa you say that you hate Aditya Oberoi and you will never go back to him but in reality, you still care for him. Otherwise, you will let him die in jail…”

Her words get halt as Nandana’s palm contacts Manvi’s cheek with a loud thud sound.

“Shut up..who are you to tell if a person will live or die? If he has done anything wrong, he did it to me. I am the person to judge him. Not you. If Papa and Maa question me, I will give them an answer. I am not answerable to you. Do you understand? Don’t cross your limit. Or else…”

Manvi was about to counter when Jaya’s voice halts both of them,

“What the hell is going on? Is this a fish market where you both are fighting like two cheap girls? Don’t you know Rishi can’t bear this kind of shouts and tension at home?”

Manvi makes faces at her words and replies,

“When your favourite daughter Nandana Basu is here, how can this house be tension-free?”

Jaya nears them and chides at Manvi,

“Nowadays you forgot what to say to whom. Nandana is your elder sister and you should behave like a younger sister to her. Say sorry!”

Her tone has a command.

“No need, Maa. She is a grown-up girl. She knows what is right and what is wrong. You just tell her to give this necklace back to me. I have to return it to Aditya.”

Nandana demands with determination. Only then, Jaya notices the neckpiece on Manvi’s neck. She frowns at it and asks Nandana,

“For that, you have to meet him. Will you meet him again?”

Before Nandana can reply, Manvi unhooks the necklace and slams it on the bed while venting out,

“Will meet! She already met. Ask your dear daughter where did she sneak out in the afternoon? Maa, before lecturing me, open your eyes and try to understand who is obeying you and who is not.”

She honours Nandana with her snicker and leaves the room by saying,

“Keep your necklace. Good for you.”

Jaya turns at Nandana and asks in a surprised voice,

“You met him? Nandu, why? After so much trouble and torture by that bastard, how can you even think of meeting him? Where did you go alone without telling us? Do you know how much it can be dangerous? He can kidnap you again. He can do anything out of his rage.”

She sounds agitated. Unwillingly Nandana utters,

“If he had wanted to do anything he would have done it till now. He is in lockup, Maa. And he voluntarily surrendered.”

Nandana’s tone has unknown empathy for him which even surprises her. She embarrassedly looks at Jaya who is now glaring at her. Only then, Vivek enters and utters in a grave tone,

“Aditya Oberoi has been admitted to the police hospital. SP Bhosle just informed me.”

His words empty Nandana’s mind for a moment. With numb limbs, she sags on the bed.

“Aditya Sir’s life is in danger. Please listen to me. You will regret it in future…”

Ayan’s words are hammering in her head. With vacant eyes, she looks at Vivek and unmindfully mouths,

“I want to see him, Papa. He will die. I can’t let him die like this.”

............................

SP Bhosle comes out of the hospital room where Aditya has been kept. He arranged a separate room for him without informing his superiors. Because he knows, right now, even the higher authority of the police department is not very much concerned about Aditya Oberoi’s safety or security. This is the dirty play and influence of politics. Bhosle even arranged two trustworthy constables who will guard the room continuously. He knows, what happened last night can happen further and he can’t take any risk. SP enters the doctor's room and sits in front of him.

“Any serious injury, Dr Arun?”

He sounds concerned. Dr Arun Lahiri takes a deep sigh and replies,

“Thank God, you admitted him without any late. Otherwise, it could have been critical. Thankfully, his head doesn’t have a severe injury but his two ribs are broken. He is unconscious but I hope he will gain his sense very soon.”

“Hmmm….I also think so. He is a strong man and most importantly, he has strong willpower. By the way, there are two constables outside to guard him. If any problem arises or you smell any trouble just call me.”

SP Bhosle assures and adds,

“This is my personal number. Call me on this number only. Okay, I have to take your leave now. Thank you, Dr.”

He writes down the number on the pad and comes out of his room to head to the police station. Only then, he gets a call from the police station. He receives it and the information brings a surprised frown to his forehead. He mumbles in confusion,

“Nandana Basu? Strange!”

..........................

As SP Bhosle storms in, his eyes fall on the person sitting on his desk, fidgeting with her dupatta. It is evident that she is nervous and worried for some reason. Bhosle nears and calls,

“Ms Basu…you are here! Anything urgent?”

Nandana startles and turns to meet Bhosle’s surprised face.

“I…I..have come to know about…about Aditya Oberoi. I got to know that he is injured…how I mean…what exactly happened?”

She stutters a bit. It again shows her anxiety. SP Bhosle sits on his chair and calmly replies,

“Before that, I want to ask you something.”

Nandana bites her lips in tension and nods hesitantly. Bhosle budges on his seat and profoundly asks,

“Do your parents know that you have come here?”

Nandana inhales sharply and bends her head. Slowly she wobbles her head in denial. Bhosle’s jaws become hard. He rests both hands on the desk and leans a bit forwards.

“I hope whatever you are doing won’t affect your relationship with your family. Well, he is hospitalised because he was brutally beaten by some people.”

SP Bhosle notices how all blood gets drained out from Nandana's face by hearing his words. With a trembling voice, she again asks,

“Can I…can I meet him? I will just watch him from a distance. He won’t see me.”

Bhosle keeps on fixing his inquisitive eyes on her worried face for a while. Nandana breaks her eye contact with embarrassment and tries to justify her demand.

“I am not here to help him by anyhow. I just want to see if he is…”

Nandana can’t finish her line while Bhosle again mouths with deep concern,

“Ms Basu, the day after tomorrow I have to produce him before the Magistrate. I hope you will make your decision before that. Your dilemma can put a life into uncertainty. I am a policeman but I am a human too. If my profession teaches me to analyse a crime without bias, simultaneously, my human nature teaches me to feel the psychology of an accused. Aditya Oberoi is your offender so it’s up to you to punish him. Let’s not the law take your decision. Rest you are compassionate enough.”

He pauses for a while and gets up.

“Let’s go…before it gets late. Meet Aditya. It’s necessary.”

Nandana nods at his advice and both leave to head to the police hospital.