Chapter 70: Chapter 70

Author's pov

Shivansh was standing in front of Satya's dead body like a robot. A police officer was asking him a lot of questions but Shivansh was just silent. There was no tears, no pain, no expression on his face. He was just speechless.

He noticed his father lying in the pool of his own blood. A white cloth was covering his father's body which has turned red due to blood. Police have surrounded the whole area and a forensic team was examining the whole place and Satya's body.

Shivansh's eyes fell on Satya's one hand and he went back to his childhood. He recalled how his father used to take him to school holding his tiny hands, he remembered how his father used to feed him with this hand and supported him always. Remembering those memories Shivansh couldn't control himself anymore.

" Dad," screaming loudly he tried to rush towards Satya but two police constables stopped him.

This time Shivansh couldn't control his outburst and started screaming & crying loudly. Tears started flowing from his eyes like a never-ending stream.

" Dad, how could you do this to me? How could you leave me like that?" Shivansh questioned crying like a little child and trying to touch Satya's lifeless body. But, the police again stopped him.

He fell on his knees lowering his head when a constable said," Control yourself, Mr Raichand. You can't touch your father right now."

Well, Satya was murdered by Lily and Yash. Both of them came to Satya to apologise and requested him to accept them. They also demanded some money. But, Satya refused saying that he won't accept them ever because of their misdeeds with Niyati.

Satya bluntly told them," Those who can play with a woman's dignity and self-respect, I don't have any place for them in my house."

Lily and Yash pleaded but Satya didn't pay any heed to their pleadings. He was firm in his decision and refused to accept them.

And, that's it. Yash & Lily lost control over their anger and decided to murder Satya. Taking two butcher knives they had stabbed Satya 49 times, goring his body brutally. They forgot about humanity while killing Satya, they even forgot that he was their father once! After the murder, they both escaped taking all the cash and a few property papers.

" Yash.....Lily," Shivansh mumbled shockingly when the police showed him the CCTV footage where Lily and Yash were escaping with the money.

The police officer said to Shivansh," They are the suspect. I have alerted my team already. They will be in police custody very soon."

Shivansh only heard the police but couldn't utter a single word. He was stunned and speechless after hearing the police. He couldn't believe what he just heard right now. He just kept staring at Satya's dead body like an emotionless robot. The police were asking him questions after questions but Shivansh wasn't in the state to utter a single word. He was still in disbelief.

Suddenly, Shivansh screamed like a madman and pushed away all the police officers. He ran towards Satya and hugged his dead body. Shivansh's whole shirt turned red instantly and he burst into tears feeling Satya's butchered body.

" Why? Dad............How could.......Dad.......No........please......God....." Shivansh could only utter a few broken words hugging Satya's body.

He rested Satya's head on his chest and continued sobbing like a little child. The only person who supported him sheltered him like a shadow and gave emotional support in every aspect of life is no more. Shivansh couldn't accept this heartbreaking truth and continued crying.

Cupping Satya's face in between his palms, Shivansh requested with his shaky voice," Please, Dad. Open your eyes.....tell me that it's just a........bad dream.....Please."

Getting no response from Satya, Shivansh again hugged his father and screamed," Dad.............................."

***************************************

Shivansh was sitting on a bench and looking at the calm ocean in front of him. He was wearing a white Kurti & pyjama and looking too much lost in his thoughts. After Satya's funeral, he came here to consecrate Satya's ashes.

During Satya's funeral, Shivansh didn't cry nor said anything. He just obliged what the priest was telling him to do. He was so calm at that time and it felt like his tears have dried down in the duct of his eyes. His inside was empty, void of any emotions.

Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him but didn't turn his head. He knows who is it. It was none other than Niyati. She was wearing a white saree and her face was gloomy.

She walked towards the bench and sat beside him silently. She looked at him with emotional eyes but he didn't look at her. He just continued looking frontwards. They didn't say anything to each other and kept looking at the ocean. Shivansh couldn't say anything because he wasn't in the state to talk and Niyati couldn't say anything because she wasn't finding any words to say.

" Police have arrested Lily and Yash. And, they have confessed their crime," Niyati said breaking the silence and Shivansh didn't say anything.

Niyati rested one hand over his shoulder when he started saying," I was 13 when I got into a bicycle accident and cut my knees. Dad rushed towards me and when he noticed my scratched legs, he panicked so much like I was having a heart attack. He could never tolerate a single scratch on me. That time I laughed seeing him so panicked for a petty accident and mocked him. I didn't understand his feelings that time. I didn't understand what a father feels seeing his children in pain."

Taking a deep breath Shivansh continued saying," That day when I saw him lying on his own pool of blood, I felt like someone has pushed me into a cold lake. He was lying lifeless just in front of my eyes and..........................

His voice got heavier and he couldn't finish his sentence. He burst into tears and out of nowhere he hugged Niyati very tightly. Burying his head over her shoulder he kept sobbing like a little kid.

This outburst was needed for him. He needed to release his painful emotions which were eating up his soul. The constant heartbreak was butchering his soul constantly and he needed a shoulder to cry on. He needed a person to share his emotions, his pain.

" Don't hold back your emotions. Cry as much as you want," Niyati cooed rubbing his back very gently. She tried to not cry but automatically her eyes welled up.

Shivansh asked while his voice cracked" Why everything is happening with me, Niyati? Why one after another my loved ones are leaving me? I lost my wife, my sister and now my father!! Just why?"

" Shh......" Niyati again cooed in his ear but didn't find any words to console him properly.

After that, nobody utter a single word. For a few moments, Shivansh only sobbed over Niyati's shoulder and she kept rubbing his back very gently. He tightened his hold around her and she let him do it. She didn't push him away nor she flinch.

Suddenly, something clicked inside Shivansh's head and slowly he loosened the hold around her. He parted away from her and stopped crying. She looked at him questioningly and found him looking down with guilt.

" Sorry. I shouldn't have hugged you like that. I shouldn't have violated your personal space," He apologized genuinely and stood up to leave the place.

He forwarded his legs to leave when she held his one wrist tightly. She looked at him with soft eyes but he didn't meet her eyes.

" I am here with you to share your pain," She said.

He asked nervously," Why? Who am I to you?"

" Ummm...... You..... I still........because of humanity," She finally answered after hesitating too much.

Shivansh slowly freed his hands from her hold and said," Thank you. But, I don't want people to pity me."

Saying that he started leaving and Niyati called him from behind. She called numerous times but he didn't stop. Wiping away the remaining tears he left.

After some days

Niyati's pov

I was sitting at the dinner table with Neela and Shiv. I was feeding Neela but my whole concentration was on Shiv. He wasn't eating nor saying anything. He was just looking at the food silently.

It's not the first time I am seeing him like that. After Mr Raichand's death, he became mute completely. He hardly talks to me and other people. He just talks to Neela properly. He doesn't even go to the office. Maximum time he just spent time in his room looking at Mr Raichand's photo. This death has left a big scar on him and it's not going to heal so easily.

" Why aren't you eating? Skipping meal isn't a good thing," I told him but he didn't answer.

I tried to say something when Neela asked him curiously," Papa, where is grandpa? Why doesn't he come to meet me? Is he angry with me?"

I got stiffed in my place hearing her questions and Shivansh looked at her with emotional eyes. I noticed tears gathering around his eyes but he controlled them.

" He won't come back," He answered shortly and left for his room. He shut the door with a thud sound and I flinched.

Neela asked me curiously," Why grandpa won't come to meet me?"

" I will tell you later. But, for now, go to my room and lay down on the bed like a good girl," I told her and like an obedient girl she listened to me.

Walking towards Shivansh's room, I raised my hands to knock at the door but stopped immediately transforming my palm into a fist. I lowered my head and kept standing here for some time.

There was a small hole in the door and I thought to look through it. The moment my eyes fell on Shiv, I couldn't control my feelings. My hands crawled on the door and fat drops of tears started flowing from my eyes.

Shivansh was lying on the floor and looking at the ceiling without blinking his eyes. A cigarette was in his hand and he was blowing smoke in the air. His face was emotionless and hard.

Suddenly, I noticed that tears started flowing from the corner of his eyes and he was still not blinking. Placing one hand over my mouth, I just returned to my room hurriedly. I couldn't see him like that anymore.

Reaching my room, I noticed that Neela is sleeping peacefully and I laid down beside her. I tried to sleep but sleep was far away from my eyes. Shivansh's thought was clouding my thoughts constantly.

I have forgiven Shivansh a long ago. That day when he saved me from Ranvijay, I forgave him. I couldn't hold back my anger anymore when he didn't abandon me. He didn't commit the same mistake again.

The reason behind my cold behaviour towards him is my fear. Fear of falling in love with him again and getting betrayal again.

Yes, I love him but I don't want to admit it nor do I want to return to him. My heart yearns for him and at the same time, my mind doesn't want to accept him. I know he is a changed man and if I return to him then he will cherish me and love me more than before. But... Yes...there still remains a but!!

Every time I thought to give him a chance, all those painful memories kept coming back. I want to move on but it's not easy for me to move on. I just wish he will overcome his pain very soon.