Finale

As I said before, victory is simply not feeling defeated; even a loser can feel victorious had they known this simple truth. I am at the edge of another victory and as usual the feeling of emptiness engulfs me. I thought this victory would be different, for many battles were attached to this one last trial. Firstly I would be up against the man I hated with all my heart, soul and mind; I would be saving the woman who I have started to love with all those too. This would be my last work in Kolkata, I am no more needed here, the last incomplete deed accomplished, I would find freedom.
I do not feel that, this victory is still incomplete.
It is the strange thing about hopes and wishes. They do not end. One hope attached to another and that attached to another, like a chain of never ending, one can chase it all their lives, trying to find its end. It’s like reaching the horizon, you can see it, but never reach that place…even the happiest man on earth have not reached his horizon. What is horizon…that would be where all the dreams meet reality, where no dream is unfulfilled, no desire left incomplete, nothing more to change…that would be freedom and now I realize that is unattainable!
Ragini confessed, to a crime I know she has a very small part to play. That is another thing about humans. They can do anything…even stupid things when it comes to hopes and wishes. To remain the daughter in law of the Maheshwaris Ragini was doing something of the very sort.
The break is about to end. The court would resume the trial soon and now it was Ragini, whose life was reaching a different kind of edge. I do not feel sad for her, but disappointed perhaps. I can save her. Although for what she put Swara through I know she deserves something along the lines…but that would be Sanskar’s opinion. It is not justice which SK yearns for. That one last evidence would get me that; it would get me everything I need. Just one last evidence…
I am waiting for Vic, who had disappeared a while ago. I am not sure had he succeeded or not. But I want him to. Then again there is another angle to this story.
Unintentionally my eyes sought out her. She is waiting with the lady officers; this would be the last time she does that. In a few more minutes, or perhaps an hour she would be a free woman, her life once more hers to decide.
I watch Lakshya approaching her and involuntarily walk towards them. This conversation, I can’t miss out on.
‘You said everything you had to the other day…what else now?’ I hear Swara’s calm mild tone. It sounds so diplomatic, so machinery.
‘I’m sorry Swara…’ Lakshya is almost begging. His eyes are red, tearful and his features slinking. ‘She made a fool of me I admit…but I knew inwardly that you would never… Look she, even court believed her until today…how could I?’
‘That’s the difference of family and court Mr. Maheshwari,’ Swara tells him. ‘Court would believe anything with evidence…where family believes each other…unconditionally. I don’t see a family with you…I am very sorry.’
‘But you love me! We love each other!’
‘Honestly I don’t know. I was in love with the idea that you loved me…which I have now realized that you do not. You moved on. Made clear of it. So have I. I’m no longer seeking to be loved Lakshya. That was immature me. I grew up, I think it’s time for you to follow as well.’
‘But Swara…’
‘Please, leave.’ She adds catching my sight over his shoulder. ‘I need a word with my attorney.’
With one last whinny look at Swara and a venomous one at me, he leaves.
‘So,’ I ask her.
‘He said he is leaving.’
‘Where?’
‘Out of the city. He is still in shock over what Ragini did and…’ Her voice dies as she stares ahead. I turn around to look at whatever caught her eye. It is her father with her mother behind him. The typical vision! I turn to leave and she holds my wrist.
‘Don’t go,’ she whispers.
‘You need to talk to them..’ I tell her, gradually taking my hand off her grip. ‘They might think ill of you if you do not.’
‘I don’t know what to say anymore.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I can’t say sorry…because now they know the truth. I can’t accept if they ask me to give Lakshya another chance which I know they will… I can’t go back to that house SK, I’m…I’m not that Swara anymore.’
‘Can you forgive them?’ I ask her.
She watches me, her coffee eyes glossy.
‘Do I have to?’
‘Of cause. Hatred takes you nowhere Casper. Forgive them, end of story. But they should know it is indeed the end of story.’
‘Is that what you did with your mother? Did you forgive her?’
‘No.’
‘Then you should too.’ She jerks her head. ‘She is here, see…’
She is right. Vic had returned with Mrs. Annapurna Maheshwari. The idiot got caught! I touch Swara’s shoulder briefly.
‘Go talk to them.’ I say as I make my way towards Vic who gives me an apologetic look.
‘What is this Sanskar?’ Annapurna Maheshwari asks me. ‘Why do you send him to break in to your own house?’
‘Isn’t that what you did too Mrs. Maheshwari? Years ago? you broke in to your own son’s house?’
Vic takes a step towards Swara, shaking his head at us.
‘Why are you doing this?’ She asks me. ‘Swara is free now, is this necessary? You just wanted to her out, can’t you stop this now?’
‘If you truly know me you want ask me the question.’
She takes a deep breath.
‘Will you find peace with this?’
‘I hope to,’ I tell her seriously. She hands me a package.
‘Then take it, find you peace.’
I watch her for a long frozen moment.
‘What are you waiting for?’
‘I’m trying to comprehend why you choose me this time.’
‘That was the last move,’ she smiles a little. ‘You said by not choosing you I made you lose everything that day. Those words rang in my ears until now. So, I choose you, and lose everything I have, at least then, both of us will find peace.’
‘I need to keep hating you, you’re making it harder.’
‘I need to keep loving you,’ she says touching my cheek hesitantly. ‘You’re making it harder too.’
‘Tell me why you did this…tell me the truth now.’
‘You know the truth already, Sanskar. I was afraid, for him and for you. I wanted all my family together…much like Swara does, and did the first thing that came to my mind. With it I lost all the possibility of ever having that dream fulfilled. So now I go with my second wish…finding peace, forever.’
‘It was you..’ I say slowly. ‘You called Mr. Singh… You did it to call me here, call me to her, save her because…’
‘I knew, you would find peace then.’
‘I will never understand you Ma, you’re so beyond me.’ I tell her, swallowing the gulp in my throat.
‘At the moment being your Ma is enough,’ she says lightly. ‘
*
‘So Mrs. Gadodia, it was you who killed the Mr. Vansh Varma?’ SK says in his usual light tone. My eyes flicker back to Ragini who looks like a ghost now. Pale and shivering, her words hardly are coherent.
‘Yes. I made that last plan. I intoxicated Swara and I eavesdropped when he called her to tell her what he knew…I knew he would call soon so I was waiting for that moment. He sent that taxi for her, she took it. That was when the drug started its full effect on her. I followed her. When she was arguing with Vansh I went to them and stabbed him.’
‘Very well,’ SK smiles a little. ‘I hope what you meant to say was you tried to stab him and Miss Gadodia pushed you away and her Mehendi got smudged. I’m sure you remember that?’
Ragini looks around for a moment.
‘Yes, I remember that.’
‘Where did she touch you, on clothes or skin?’
‘Skin,’ I knew Ragini would say that, because she had returned home in the same outfit and all those bitter events were included in the video that day. SK would easily point out there were no stains on her clothes.
‘And you didn’t get an allergy reaction? I mean you are allergic to mehendi right Mrs. Maheshwari?’
‘I…’
‘Let me propose you a different theory. You were telling the truth until the part where you followed Miss Gadodia. You did something else before that. You phoned someone.’
‘No.’
‘I have your phone records Mrs. Maheshwari. You phoned that person and asked him to meet you exactly where Mr. Vansh Varma was meeting Miss Gadodia and then you followed Miss Gadodia. There you stopped the car by the corner and waited for that said person to arrive. In that time…Miss Gadodia and Mr. Varma argued and the said person arrived. Then you joined the group carrying that knife. You wanted that said person to think that you wanted Vansh to stop stalking you sister hence you are trying to murder him. That would portray you and utter innocent meanwhile you wanted to make Miss Gadodia stab the victim.
This is where you plan went haywire and that person, grabbed your knife in the heat of the argument and stabbed the victim. Miss Gadodia tried to hold that person off, while arguing and her mehendi got smudged.’
‘What would you think of that theory Mrs. Maheshwari?’
‘I don’t agree.’
‘My lord I have noticed in the crime scene photographs there is another set of tire marks in the pathway. Those tire marks belong to this fourth person’s vehicle and I have cross-checked that with the forensic department also I have the Mehendi stained outfit that person was wearing, while this incident took place.’
‘That evidence could be fabricated.’ Durga Prasad States and I catch the faulting note in his voice. His resolve was breaking.
‘Mrs. Maheshwari, do you know what my most fascinating piece of evidence is? That microchip you stole from Vansh’s camera. You see Vansh had his camera with him and he had managed to capture a shot of that person while they argued unknowingly. I’m sure you might have seen those pictures…’
‘No,’ Ragini snaps. ‘There were no pictures of him in there…I erased them myself.’
SK leans against the bar of the witness box, with a sly smile at Durga Prasad. ‘I never said it was “he” did I Mrs. Maheshwari?’
Ragini gulps as her eyes fill with tears.
‘Please…’ She mutters.
‘Now, will you tell the truth or do you want me to really bring forth him and start questioning him…he’ll crack faster than you do…’
‘I’m sorry,’ Ragini sobs. ‘I’m sorry Swara…I didn’t know what to do! I’m sorry Papa…I couldn’t keep my mouth shut! I’m sorry…’ She takes a deep breath. ‘Yes, it wasn’t me, it wasn’t Swara either. It was Lakshya, he stabbed Vansh and I saw him.’
SK closed his eyes with a deep breath slightly grasping the bar of the witness box.
‘The defense rests my lord.’ His tone is clear, empty and echoes in the perfect silence that followed.
*
In my entire life I had never felt more frantic. Trying to catch my breath I pushed the door open. The house was empty and silent; fear started to creep in, blended with emptiness.
‘Are you looking for someone Casper?’
I turned around, catching my breath and my heart together. He was there, leaning casually against the bedroom entrance. His lips pulled in to an easy smile, hair spiked, clothes colorful, the same SK I had met for the first time in the dark lockup.
‘I thought…Vic said…I thought you were leaving!’
‘Ah,’ he says, arching an eyebrow. ‘I am packing. The flight’s in three hours.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘What?’
‘You just left, with no words…is that a way to leave?’
‘You were too busy hugging your Ma, you know I dislike human hosepipes so I thought…and after all you would just go home right?’
‘Yes, I would go home.’
‘Then,’ he smiles again. ‘This is good bye I guess. Go home Casper.’
‘How can I…the flight’s in three hours.’
His expression freeze, as he continues to watch me, marveling at my serious way of saying something so utterly nonsensical.
‘You…’
‘Oh yes I.’ I continue in my casual tone. ‘Still love you, you see.’
‘Why?’
‘I know it’s stupid…I mean you’re such an evil guy… But I have no way of making my heart understand that.’
His arms wrap around me, holding me in the embrace he always wanted to. I let him, wrapping my own arms around him tightly, I have never felt more secure, warm, or loved. If this was the end of fall I was glad that I flew to begin with.
‘Tell that again, a little slowly…’ He mutters against my hair. I smile in to his chest.
‘What? you’re an evil guy…?’
‘No, before that.’
‘It’s stupid?’
‘Even before that.’
‘I love you.’
‘I love you too Casper.’
I look up, in to his eyes; they have a very clear reflection of me. It is just breathtakingly beautiful, flawless in his flawless eyes. That was my place, my home in the forever to come.
‘Swara,’ I say. ‘Not Casper SK.’
‘Sanskar,’ he corrects me. ‘Not SK; Casper.’
We smile together, an identical smile that reaches from one lip to another, as happiness reaches from a heart to heart and our eyes spark, in the brilliance of that glow of happiness.
I knew in later years that we both found what we were looking for that day. I found my destination after flying till my wings gave up and my skies changed. He found his peace and freedom…he found wings to fly away from his tormenting past. We found love, life and each other.
*
There ends the flight. With this Icarus officially became my longest SS yet.
Your thoughts are welcome, they inspire me.
If any of you are disappointed with the Finale I am truly sorry about that.
Thanks for reading!