Dear Readers,

The next update after 350 votes and comments. Tomorrow. Same time. (If the feedback comes on time.)

AUTHOR's NOTE and TRIGGER WARNING

Everyone is free to voice their hate or like for a character. A complicated character will spark reactions. If as an author I cannot make you hate or love a character, I  am not doing my job right. 

Some of the characters in this story are extremely complicated. The story deals with themes of Manipulation, Child Abuse, Brain conditioning, Vindictiveness and Fowl Play. The characters were not designed to glorify these traits, rather to highlight the fall out of such acts. 

Reader discretion advised.

No further warnings will be given. 

The world became a blur of trees and shadows as the car sped through the forest road. He was lost in the comic book that everything faded away. His mother's laughter blended into the background as he was busy flipping the pages.

Out of nowhere, there was a loud 'bang, jolting him out of his seat. The comic book slipped from his fingers and tumbled to the car floor. He watched, in horror, as the steering wheel slipped from his uncle's grip.

With a sharp swerve, the car veered off the road, the tires screaming in protest. He felt my body lurch sideways as the seat belt dug into my chest, holding him back in his place. His heart pounded in his ears, and a shriek of terror escaped his lips.

The entire car shuddered as they smashed into the tree. The force of it made his vision blur, and a searing pain shot through his skull. He called out for his mother in fear and felt her arms encasing him in a protective grip.

For a moment, everything was still. When he forced his eyes open, the world tilted and spun around him.

"Mumma!" He cried in distress, his voice trembling with fear. He tried to reach out for his mother, his small hands fumbling against the seatbelt. His mother lay slumped over the back seat, her hair cascading over her face like a veil. Blood trickled down her face, leaving him terrified.

"Mumma!" He screamed again, louder this time, as panic surged through his veins.

His tiny hands tried to reach for his mother. "Please, Mumma," He whispered, his voice breaking, "wake up. I am scared"

The silence was deafening. He looked at his father lying lifeless on the front seat. His uncle's face was plastered to the searing. He closed his eyes, wishing it was a nightmare, but he knew it was the reality.

"Please, Mumma. Open your eyes. I am scared."

Dheer could not stop crying as the past and present blurred for him. Dhriti reached for his hand, trying her best to calm him down, but he was crying for a mother who could not come back to comfort him. Dhriti unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to reach for him, the terror in his eyes was hard to ignore. She knew he was going into a shock. She needed to snap him out of it before he could hurt himself.

"Dheer, we are safe." Dhriti gently cradled his face, coaxing him to look at her. "You are safe. Please don't panic. Nothing happened."

Dheer could only see his mother's face, his hands trembling as they caressed Dhriti's face. "Mumma?"

Dhriti's eyes filled up. It was the child's distress that she saw in his eyes. He was the enemy and yet she found herself reaching for the boy. Her arms cradled around him as she offered him the comfort he seeked. At that moment it did not matter that he was the child of the woman she hated the most, all that mattered was that he was terrified and she could not ignore his fear.

Dheer buried his face into her curls, and let the tears fall. His body wracked with sobs. Dhriti wished Dhruv was around to comfort the boy, she felt helpless. She was on the verge of panicking when she heard the sharp knock on the widow. Dhriti's eyes widened in surprise as the car was surrounded with armed bodyguards.

For a second she feared for their safety but the fear did not last long. The bodyguard yelled at her to open the doors. They were there to help. Dhriti pulled back from Dheer and quickly unlocked the door. Thankfully the hit was not hard enough to engage the airbags. Dheer had stopped the car from crashing into the tree.

The body guards tried to reach for Dheer, but the boy held harder to Dhriti, refusing to let go.

"Don't" Driti stopped the bodyguard from using force. She did not want Dheer panicking more. "I will get him out. Step back."

The bodyguard stepped back and let her coax Dheer. It was no easy job but she untangled herself from Dheer's arms and got down from the car. The boy was crying too much. She knew he would not like anyone to see those tears. She quickly got down and helped him out of the car. Dheer did not protest and let himself be guided by her.

"I will call the ambulance." The bodyguard who knocked on the car said.

"No need." Dhriti stopped him. They were unharmed and did not need medical attention. "Just get me some water."

The bodyguard hesitated. "I am a doctor. He is in shock. Please, let me help. Get me a water bottle."

Another guard rushed to do her bidding. She made Dheer sit down and let him cuddle to her again. The minute he would snap out of it, he would pull away. She did not have to use force. A small crowd gathered around them. She could see the camera's flashing. Even before she could protest the bodyguards confiscated the phones and scared the crowd away. Such was their aura that no one dared to defy. Within seconds everyone was cleaned, the road wiped off all signs of the accident. Dhriti looked for the van that had crashed into the tree, there could be people who needed medical attention, but she realized that there was no van. Before she could ask anything the bodyguard handed her the water she requested.

She quickly reached for the bottle and splashed his face with water. Dheer shied away, but she continued to splash his face until he stopped struggling. Cold water was the best weapon against shock. Dheer needed to come to his senses, and she had no other means at hand. When Dheer's hands slowly withdrew from her waist, she knew it was working.

A body guard rushed to them with towels. She did not know how he managed to get them, but she did not question. Dheer was slowly coming back to his senses. She did not have to worry about him for long. When she tried to wipe the water away from his face, Dheer stopped her and took the towel from her hands. Their eyes met, she could see the realization in his eyes.

"We are safe." She whispered.

Dheer nodded his head and rose to his feet. For a second he stumbled but a firm set of hands held him before he could fall. The bodyguards surrounded him, making sure he was safe.

"Aap theek ho, Sir? (Are you alright, Sir?)" Someone asked.

"Let the boy breathe." An elderly bodyguard scolded, and quietly the other guards moved back. The elderly guard approached Dheer and handed him a fresh bottle of water.

"Aap theek ho, Dheer baba? (Are you fine, Dheer Baba?)"

Dheer's hands shook but he bobbed his head. His face flushed with embarrassment as he recalled his tears. He could not even make himself look at Dhriti.

"He is fine." Dhriti assured the guard. "It was just a shock."

The guard remained silent. He was Dheer's personal bodyguard for 12 years, he knew it was much more than a shock. The boy was jolted back to the past. He ignored Dhriti and gently pulled Dheer into his arms. He had seen the boy grow up into an admirable young man. The world only saw the Randhawa Heir, but he knew the boy's pain, his distress and fears.

"It's okay, baba. Everything is fine now. Sheetal ji ko call krun? (Shall I call Sheetal ji?)"

Dheer held on for a second and then pulled back. The familiar warmth helped him gain composure. The man had seen his tears, he was almost family. His mother used to address the man as Bhai. In a way the bodyguard was an honorary uncle. Dheer did not have anything to be embarrassed about before him.

"No, Mamu. I am fine." He forced a smile. "Don't tell anyone about this incident."

"Beta..."

"Please, Mamu. It was just an accident. The van came out of nowhere." Dheer ran his fingers through his hair and then looked around. The other van had crashed. He hoped no one got hurt, but when he looked at the tree there was no van.

"Where is the Van?"

That is when the bodyguards looked for the Van. They were so busy making sure that Dheer was unharmed that the thought of the van did not cross their mind. The Van was missing.

"Where did it go?" The bodyguard, Rajat, frowned. The others rushed to check. The only evidence of the accident was the dent on the tree where the Van crashed. They found no traces.

"They must have driven away." One of the guards concluded. "Hit and run?"

Rajat tensed. A hit and run with Dheer in the car could not be a coincidence. Dheer was not safe.

"We need to go back to New York, Baba" Rajat's eyes glinted.

Dheer shook his head. He was not ready to go back.

"This cannot be an accident." Rajat grabbed Dheer's hands and hissed under his breath so only Dheer could hear. "Yash sir needs to hear about it."

"Maamu please...."

"You are my responsibility, Dheer."

"And I am telling you that I am safe." Dheer yanked his hand away from the man's grip. "This stays between us."

"Dheer..."

"If you breathe a word about this to daddu, I will fire the entire team. All of them will lose their jobs, Maamu. You know I don't give empty threats."

Rajat tensed. He trusted the boy to live upto his threats.

"Maamu, please." Dheer quickly changed his tune, the man did not deserve his rudeness. "I think you are blowing this out of proportion. Let's not jump to conclusions. No one knows that I am here. Please don't tell Daadu. At Least make sure it was a deliberate attack. Please?"

Rajat was not happy with the request, but he nodded in agreement. Dheer quickly hugged him and stepped back. "Now leave. We are gaining a lot of attention. It's not good."

Rajat motioned for the team to step back, and soon the guards went back to the security vehicles.

"You are still carrying the tracker?" Rajat looked Dheer in his eyes. Dheer bobbed his head. He always carried the tracker in the locket of his chain. He never took it off. It was both sentiment and safety.

"Good. We will follow close by. Can you drive?"

Dheer's hands still shook but he nodded his head.

"I can send one of the guards..."

"I can manage, Mamu. Leave please."

Rajat did not argue. He knew the boy was stubborn. Being stubborn was a Randhawa trait, something he admired and hated at the same time. Dheer made his way back to the car. Dhriti was watching everything from a distance. She had not come closer after the guard took over.

"Chale? (Shall we go?)" Dheer's voice sounded strained.

"Go home with your guards, Dheeren. You need to rest."

"I am fine" Dheer's hands fisted by his side. "Let's get this over with." He reached for the car door but Dhriti grabbed the keys from his hands.

"I will not let you drive."

"Dhriti..."

"You almost crashed the car, Dheer."

"It was an accident." Dheer hissed.

"Exactly. You cannot keep going as nothing happened. Your hands are still shaking. Do you want to crash again?"

Dheer looked away.

"Sit, I will drive. We are almost at the gate. Let me finish the meeting with the Principal. If you feel better you can drive or we will take a cab back."

Dheer did not protest. He knew he was in no shape to drive neither was she. The compromise she offered was fair. Dhriti sighed in relief when he did not protest. The sooner the meeting was over, the sooner they could go back home. At that moment that was all that mattered.

"Playback singing?" Dhriti looked at the principal, her eyes widening in surprise. When she had come in she knew there would be something important to discuss but the news still took her by surprise.

"The audition in three days, Dr. Randhwa. This can change Dev's future." The principal gave her a warm encouraging smile. "The boy is very talented. I am sure he will be selected."

Dhriti nodded her head. Dev was talented, but playback singing was not a cakewalk. The industry was very tough and Dev was inexperienced.

"Devansh's mentor already spoke to him about the audition in the morning. The boy does not wish to participate." The Principle sounded worried. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Dr. Randhawa. VoN is based on luck. Even if Devansh wins the competition, success or failure will be left to chance. Not everyone gets a chance at playback singing. Your father was a legend. I do not understand why the boy is hesitating. Letting this opportunity go would be foolish."

Dhriti agreed with the Principal but she knew why Dev was hesitating. Now that Dhruv knew everything they would have to inform him about the auditions. If Dhruv said no, it would create a rift between them. Dev was only trying to avoid arguments, and ignoring his future. She could not let that happen. Her twin might be hurt, but she would never let him dictate Dev's life. The boy had a right to his passion. He had the right to decide for himself. She would have to find a way to deal with Dhruv.

"I will talk to Dev. He will give the audition."

"Are you sure, Dr. Randhawa?" The Principal's eyes beamed. "Will you be able to convince him?"

"I will." Dhriti assured him. "I can sign the consent forms."

"Actually Dev has already collected the forms. He did not show interest but he took the forms. Please talk to him and get the forms filled. We need to submit them by tomorrow evening."

Dhriti agreed to have the forms submitted. When it came to Dev she could do anything to give the boy his dreams. Going against her twin was nothing. She and Dhruv both lived their dreams, she would not let Dev compromise. No matter what.

Dheer went to his room the second they returned from college. The drive back home was filled with silence. He did not expect Dhiti to share the details of the meeting and she looked too stressed to talk about it. Since Dev had already left for home they drove back home. Dheer wanted to sleep off the aftermath, but Dev was already waiting for him at home.

Dheer forced a smile and greeted him. "How was your day?"

"Bhaiya kab wapes ayenge, Bhai? (When will Bhaiya come back, Bhai?)"

Dheer was not sure. Dhruv would most likely be back after the shift.

"Did you guys talk?"

Dev shook his head. He tried calling but his Bhaiya's phone was switched off.

"How long are you going to drag this, Dev? You two need to talk. Why are you not apologizing to Bhaiya? Doesn't he deserve your apology?"

Dev's eyes misted. His brother deserved much more than a meaningless apology. "I will go and meet him."

"Wise decision. Do you want me to come?"

Dev shook his head. Dheer looked exhausted.

"I will take a cab. I need to talk to Bhaiya, Bhai. His silence is killing me."

"Just remember that your lies hurt him as well. He has the right to be upset. If he says something don't take it to heart..."

"I will not. He has the right to be mad at me. I can handle his anger. Bhaiya never leaves anything unresolved. His silence is scaring me, Bhai."

Dheer gently put his hands on the boys' shoulders. "Bhaiya is not angry, Dev. He is upset. When you get hurt, you tend to retreat into yourself. Only our family can truly see through the wall that we erect around ourselves. Don't let Bhaiya's silence worry you. Go to him. Hug him. I am sure he will not be able to hold back."

Dev hoped his Bhaiya would give him a chance. With the decision made he rushed downstairs, only to find Dhriti waiting for him in the living room.

"Di?"

"When did you come back from college, Dev?" Dhriti rose to her feet. She was exhausted, but she needed to make sure Dev was fine.

"Kuch der pehle. (A few minutes back.) When did you come?"

"Are you going somewhere?" She saw his backpack and questioned.

Dev bobbed his head, "Bhaiya ke pass. (I am going to Bhaiya.)"

"Sit, we need to talk first.'

"I booked a can, di."

"Cancel it, bachcha. You can get another cab. We need to talk."

Dev wanted to protest, but she took his phone and cancelled the cab.

"Di..."

"Why did you not tell me about the playback singing audition?"

Dev tensed. "Aapko kaise pata? (How do you know?)"

"Your principal called me. What are you doing, Dev. This is a golden opportunity. Why did you say no?"

Dev closed his eyes in frustration. He wanted to participate in the audition, but not behind Dhruv's back. They had deceived him enough. "I am going to tell Bhaiya about it."

Dhriti nodded her head. She knew he would do that. "Do you think this is the time to tell him about the audition? He is already upset because of our decision. I didn't even get a chance to talk things through with him....."

"I am not doing this behind his back, Di" Dev rose from his seat. "Yes he is not happy with our decision. He might even be angry, but no more lies. I will tell him about the audition myself."

"Do you think he will agree?"

"If he does not agree, I will not do it."

"That is exactly where you are wrong. This is your life, Dev. Learn to exert yourself. You cannot let Dhruv walk all over you. If you do that, you will end up resenting him."

"And if we continue to deceive him he will resent us more. I have not seen him in 24 hours." Dev's eyes filled up. "He is already stepping back...."

"He needs time to calm down, beta.' Dhriti gently cupped his face. "Dhruv feels betrayed. I need to make him understand why I did it. It was not your fault, Dev. Dhruv will understand. I will make him understand. I will talk to him about the audition. Let me convince him. Please."

Dev hesitated. "If he doesn't agree?"

"Then I will convince him. You know he always agrees in the end. I will make things right. Please let me handle this. Don't give up on your dreams, bachcha. I promised Mumma to look after you. I promised her that I will always do my best with you. If you give up your dreams I will fail. Mumma will never be happy."

Dev felt helpless. He could not hurt his Bhaiya nor could he hurt his sister's feelings. Dhriti gently wiped away his tears. "As long as I am there, you will live life on your terms. No one will force you to do anything you don't want to. Give me a chance. I will set things right. I know how to convince Dhruv. His hatred for music will not become a hindrance in your way of happiness."

"Apno ko taqleef dekhe hasil ke gaye kameyabe me kiske khushi hote hai, di? (How can anyone enjoy the success that comes from hurting their loved ones, di?)"

"Stop acting melodramatic, Dev. If you give up your dreams you will hurt far more. These misunderstandings can be cleared. Dhruv is hurt, but he has to understand that he cannot make decisions for you." Her eyes filled up. "Woh bahut acha hai, Dev, par ziddi hai. (He is very nice, Dev, but he is very stubborn.) Once he sticks with something or someone it becomes impossible to change his mind." Dhriti shook her head struggling with tears.

Her mother tried her best to convince Dhruv that the Randhawa's were wrong, but Dhruv refused to listen to reason. Until the very end he kept his promise to stay away from the family and Dheer, but he never once agreed that the family was at fault. He always insisted that stepping back from Dheer was a mistake. He continued to blame himself for breaking his promise and that hurt their mother. She died with the pain that her own child valued others more than her. Dhriti could never forgive Dhruv for hurting their mother. She did not want Dev to be hurt the same way. Dhruv always supported the wrong people and channeled his hatred to the right things.

Instead of hating the Randhawa's for their selfishness, he chose to blame their father. Now he was making the same mistake again. She loved Dhruv, but she could not accept his behavior. For her loyalty to her family came first. The Randhawas could never be her family. The people who could not stand up for them in time of need, did not deserve to be called as family. Yash and Sheetal were always biased towards Devansh and Anjali. They let Abhishek die, because they were upset at Shati for keeping her distance from Dheer. No mother could risk her children's life. Dheer had too many enemies. Dhruv almost died because of Dheer and his parents. Shanti's apprehensions were right.

As the Randhwa and Maheshwari Heir, Dheer would always be a target. People wanted him dead, and would not stop at anything to get rid of him. The rumor went that the accident in which Anjali and Devansh died was also caused by rivals. Her mother was terrified that the same people would target them for revenge. She stepped back from Dheer, for their safety. If she had not forced Dhruv to step back from Dheer he would have continued to put them at risk. Dhruv never understood his mother's fears and Dhriti could never understand Dhruv's love for Dheer and their grandparents. In the end they agreed to disagree and never spoke about it. She kept her resentment to herself and Dhruv continued to honor his promise.

Dev's passion disturbed their equilibrium. She was the one who was most distressed by the lies, and yet she was the one who would fight him the hardest. She would never let Dhruv hurt Dev the way he hurt her mother. Her twin would have to give in. She would fight until he agreed. There was no other option!

1- Your take on today's chapter.

2- Dhriti character sparks debate, but do you think she is the guilty party?

3- Manipulation and brain conditioning done intentionally or unintentionally destroy a person's ability to think rationally. Do you agree?

4- What are your views on the accident. (Both present and past?)

5- If Dhriti's believes are proved wrong what would be her reaction?

6- Is deception justified? 

7- If Dheer's believes are proved wrong how would he react?

8- A mother always wants her children safe. Is Shanti right in her place? 

There is more to the story that what is revealed on the face. Do not jump to conclusions so early. Sometimes truth might be just straight forward and sometimes it might have layers. Read the story with an open mind. Voice out your opinion, but please do not be bothered with the comments. Love and hate is a part of fiction. we have to accept that.