Advay watched his mother feeding him mechanically. She was dipping paratha in curry and was forwarding it to his mouth but she was lost in some other world.
"Mamma" he called out softly.
Khushi jerked from her thoughts and looked at him. "Curry is over" he said pointing to the plate.
"Oh, I'm...sorry...I'll bring some more..." she said and was about to get up when he held her hand. "Don't cry" he whispered.
Khushi looked away and heard him telling, "He did that mamma. I know it's hard to believe but it's the truth! He killed my Hanna!"
Khushi withdrew her hand and said, "I know him more than you do Advay" and she walked away leaving him watching her retreating back.
Just as she went away, Kiara entered the room. "Hello" she called out. He looked at her and smiled faintly. She walked in and sat on his bed beside him and handed him a bar of chocolate. He smiled and took a small piece and she told, "I just love chocolates!"
"Hanna also loved chocolates" he whispered looking at the bar of chocolate in his hand. Kiara was silent for a moment and then said, "How do you feel now? You aren't eating anything and are fainting due to tiredness! Eat something mister!"
He smiled and said patting his stomach, "I ate a stomach-full" She chuckled and patted his tummy saying, "Mamma's raja needs mamma's food, right?" he smiled faintly and then looked at her.
It was then he was noticing her attire. She was wearing a dark green kurti with white embroidery. She had left her hair open and had no specs.
"You look like Hanna" he said and she looked up startled. "She used to wear dresses like this. You look exactly like her!" he said softly.
Kiara nodded and suddenly changed the topic sensing that the talk wasn't going in a good direction.
Hanna Samohar Bundela, called as Hani by her parents, is originally from Ratnanagari, a remote village of Madhya Pradesh. Her parents had shifted to Delhi when Hanna was 13 years old for a good job. But Mr. Bundela died in an accident just a year after, i.e when Hanna was 14. She and her mother had a lot of struggles living in the city but they managed. Her mother started going for household chores and she sometimes helped her. Hanna stopped her studies after 12th and started to dance in Chameli bar for earning money. Her mother died 3 years later due to illness. Hanna continued with her dancing and also worked in a restaurant. But after that she joined AR Fashion house as a model and soon became the head model of AR. She then married Advay Singh Raizada, son of ASR, 10 months ago.
Suraj sighed and closed the file. Nothing remarkable! He called for Manoj and said, "Prepare our vehicle. We'll go to Ratnanagari! I hope we'll get something from there!"
Well, he wasn't wrong! Something was waiting for them at Ratnanagari!!!!!!
She lay flat on the bed and looked at the other side where he used to lie. She caressed his pillow and tears rolled down her cheek. She moved to his side and buried her face in his pillow crying her heart out.
It was then she heard a knock sound. She sat up on the bed and realized that someone was at door. "Come in" she called out and the door opened and entered Kiara.
"I just wanted to check whether you're alright" Kiara said softly as she entered the room.
"I'm not okay" Khushi said in tears. Kiara looked down and said, "I don't know what to say but...Advay saw him there..."
"If you're here to convince me that my Arnav ji killed Hanna, then the door is wide open for you Kiara" Khushi said sternly.
"No...I didn't mean that. Advay is under stress. He saw someone in dizziness and that someone resembled Mr. Raizada. I'll try my best to clear his misunderstanding. I just want to say that...don't cry...when you're hurt, it hurts Advay too!" she said.
"When Arnav ji is hurt, I'm hurt!" Khushi said in tears.
"When you both are hurt, your son is also hurt!" Kiara said.
"Then why is he hurting us? He knows that Arnav ji will never do it. Then why is he doing this?" Khushi shouted in despair.
Kiara sighed and sat beside her. She held her hand and said, "See aunty...just for once, think from his side. He saw his wife, whom he loves so much, being raped in front of his eyes. He saw someone coming closer to her and shooting her with a gun. And that someone resembled his father. He is under shock. The shock of his wife's death and his father's betrayal"
"HE DID NOT DO THAT" Khushi shouted.
"I know. I trust him. He will never hurt his son and his daughter in law. But Advay saw that. His mind is already in a trauma. The image of his father killing Hanna has been imprinted in his mind. Unless we prove it to him that it was not Mr. Raizada, we cannot bring him back." Kiara said calmly.
Khushi sighed and looked down. Kiara said softly, "You need to be very strong. Your husband is in jail, your son is ill. You have to stand up. You have a huge family supporting you. Take their help and try hard to set everything right!"
Khushi nodded and wiping her tears she said, "I will"
The next morning, Suraj and Manoj walked through the streets of Ratnanagari enquiring about Bundela family. But all they got was that no one from their family exists now. Vijay Samohar Bundela and his wife had only one son, Param Samohar Bundela, Hanna's father. The last of the Bundela kin was Hanna and Suraj passed his hands through his hair in frustration.
He sighed and walked to one of the house as he was very thirsty. He saw a woman there and asked, "Can you please give me a glass of water?"
The woman nodded and went in. He spoke with the men at the house and drank the water when his eyes stuck at the photo which hung on the wall of the house.
The glass dropped from his hand and he asked standing up, "Who is this girl to you?"
The man looked at the photo and said, "That's my brother's daughter, Kiara Chaturvedi."
"And the girl with her?" Suraj asked shocked.
"Her best friend, Hanna Bundela"
Suraj stood frozen.
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