One hour later..

It had been exactly one hour since she sent that email, and exactly 60 minutes for Aandhi to mourn the loss of her brother, realize the rest of her siblings life are in danger and deal with a distraught Anjali who had blamed herself for her brothers death and the risk she took that ultimately caused Abirami actions. 

And when her sister had called Aandhi had to be held back gently but firmly from speaking up and pleading for other siblings by Pradeep while Sanskar talked with Abirmai, the phone call was short and yet came up with a list of demands that it had been hard to keep track of it, except the moment her sister began speaking up, Swara had calmly written them down without so much as a word.

" I know the phone is on speaker, So I won't bother to think we are having a private chat Sanskar, but we will soon be able to speak alone. I know how much you hate me killing others, so if you don't want another of my sibling to join my bastard of a brother then you will come to my house alone , so we can finally meet in person as I longed too. And there are few more demands from my side. 

Pradeep, I am sure you must have been thrilled to find the evidence even if it is lost to you now. You can't prove it in court now but you can still arrest me for my brother's murder and keeping my siblings hostage. So don't try to be oversmart and brave and risk more casualty, you can still catch me but only after I get what I want , which is to meet with Sanskar alone. Don't even think of marching inside with your guns, this is an hostage situation, you may kill me but think about the consequence if there was more casualty because you rushed in without trying to meet my demands

And Swara, I am a greedy person. So if I can't have Sanskar then so can't you, that is the price you need to pay for staying alive and stealing him from me. I wanted to kill you but they have kept you locked in the tower protecting you from me, still the knowledge that Sanskar is going to come and meet me in spite of your tears and pleading thrills me, because you are going to losing him and yet Sanskar will walk away from you because for once I hold the power. 

Lastly my sweet sister Anjali, If only you hadn't did what you did, I killed someone for you, to avenge you and yet you betrayed me. You couldn't handle Aandhi death and the guilt , now you will have to live with killing rest of your siblings and the only way to prevent that is to plead with Sanskar and send him to me, the clock is ticking. 

Can't wait to meet you Sanskar, remember if you didn't reach my home in the next one hour, you will leave me with no choice but to kill one of my siblings . " Abirmai spoke up and ended the call leaving Anjali in tears while Aandhi hadn't been able to decipher others reactions as their face were grim but no one said anything for a minute or two which seemed like an hour.

"Give me half an hour, no just 15 minutes before you decide to be reckless Sanskar, I know you don't want anyone to die because of her and So do I more than you know, So give me few minutes to think of something else  " Pradeep had been the first to speak up and Aandhi had hoped he would be able to find another way but she knew he was only stalling for time and trying to keep Sanskar from walking into the trap. 

Then it had been Swara who had began calling the rest of Sanskar family and asking them to come home, Aandhi realized Swara had been hoping the more people in the house, the more chances they have of convincing Sanskar. Aandhi understood Swara, yes her siblings life are in danger but for Swara, Sanskar must be the priority and it was humane to expect to save him first after hearing the dangerous words from her sister.

That had been the reason for her sister's call to instill fear in their mind and heart by her words, if she sent the demands in email as before it wouldn't have had the same effect on them as of hearing her speak it out, she targetted everyone weakeness, Sanskar's guilt to not let anyone die , Swara love for Sanskar, Pradeep duty as a police office who have to keep his personal emotions aside and act as an office dealing with an hostage situation first then trying to catch her and the final nail in the coffin had been directed to Anjali, who is likely to be scarred by those haunting words forever, the only anomaly had been her. The one Abirmai assumed to be dead but right now Aandhi didn't feel like she could be useful at all as she failed to comfort her crying sister,  and find a way to save the remaining siblings , because she was a lost as the rest of them with no solution in sight .

One by one Sanskar family arrived, his cousin and wife arrived first, they must have broke every speeding rule in history to get there that fast and then it had been Sanskar who had shared what happened so far, very calmly, Ragini, Swara's cousin immediately went and sat beside Swara to offer as much as comfort as she can while Laksh argued with his cousin not to listen to her sister demands. 

Then few minutes later Sanskar's inlaws arrived and were clued in as well and everyone had said the same thing, asking Sanskar to think about Asha and Swara, not risk his life again but Aandhi was confused by Swara's silence, she had been the only one who didn't say anything so far, while Aandhi expected her to say the most to protect the man she loves yet she stood in silence as his family argued with him.

Aandhi didn't blame anyone for losing track of time, because Pradeep had been on the phone trying to bring in all the experts , Sanskar was dealing with his family and Anjali was too distraught but Aandhi kept track of the time, so she knew the 60 minutes were up, she should have told them time was running out, but she couldn't say a word because speaking up would be like asking Sanskar to risk his life for her family. 

Sanskar and Swara had lost so much already, and Aandhi couldn't be selfish and plead with them for anything more , so she clutched Anjali a little closer as she waited for the next catrosphe her sister will unleash on all of them , would it be one of her brother or her sister had been the question that haunted her , no one could have heard the sound of the email notifications in the chaos, but Aandhi had been the one closest to Sanskar phone that had been lying on the couch and her heart came to a standstill as she opened the email and found the attached picture .

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The soft gasp of cry got Swara attention first as she looked at Aandhi holding Sanskar's phone, then the shrill cry of Anjali who whispered no no no echoed through the room as everyone who had been arguing till now, stopped talking and stood in silence as they realized the time had run out.

Swara had lost track of time, so she didn't notice it had been already an hour. 60 measly minutes for Swara to deal with everything wasn't enough. She thought they still had time left in the hour but apparently not, Pradeep took the phone from Aandhi hand and his face turned further grim than before and then she noticed Adharsh, Sakshi sister in law reaching out for the phone and his face lost all the color as well and finally Swara reached her hand out, so the phone was placed in her hand next as she starred at the picture before her .

She didn't think, she had been thinking for over 60 minutes and trying to find a way but she always knew how it will end, so the point of losing one more life was cruel and she couldn't stand it, So she pressed the call button from the number she called them before  as everyone around her tried to take the phone out of her hand, they expected her to lash out at Abirami , and they stopped talking the moment when Abirami answered the call and Swara spoke up.

"You win, Sanskar will be there just as soon as he bids goodbye to his family. As you know by now there are all here, I wanted him to be able to say goodbye to his family first. And lost track of time, You need not kill anyone, and I know your sister is still alive, but may not last much longer without treatment. Please save her, and allow me to call an ambulance " Swara hated that her voice cracked in the end, it must be the doctor in her who couldn't stand by and see a person bleeding from a gun shot wound and not try to save them if they can, all her life saving people who were close to death had been the reason she became a doctor.

Swara already knew Sanskar decision, and she knew that she won' t be able to stop him, but his family deserved a chance to fight for him and so she called them, Laksh had just lost his father and Sanskar hadn't even told him that he was his brother yet and how would Laksh feel if he lost Sanskar without even having a chance to say goodbye, Dida had known Sanskar just like Swara it seemed, So she only hugged him and cried silently all the awhile saying out loud that nothing will happen to her grandson and her life should be taken instead if God wanted and not her grandson.

Sakshi parents and her brother tried to talk with Sanskar too but just like Swara expected Sanskar wasn't going to let anyone else die if he can prevent it , though he kept assuring them that nothing will happen to him, no one believed him in the least. And sweet little Asha was sleeping blissfully unaware of the turmoil and Swara worried about her the most, how will Swara say anything to the little one. 

 But she knew from the first time when Abirami sent the picture, Sanskar's mind was made up that everything end tonight no matter the cost including his life ,When Swara saw Abirami's  brother picture , he  had been already dead but now this time Swara could see her sister was still fighting for her life, she wasn't dead yet and maybe Swara could save her, if not her heart or her Sanskar. 

" Is that why Sanskar went and  fall in love with you?, because you are an saint while we are all just mortals, now I am curious to meet you too . Wouldn't it been fitting to have all three of us together for one last time, after all we shared so much past together, we both love the same man too, I think I will like seeing you in person after all.  The last few times we met , ended up leaving me less time to get to know you what with me busy trying to kill you. 

Let me make a new deal, you are right my sister while continues to bleed ,she isn't dead yet but another bullet could rectify it and make her exit shorter but I will listen to you and let her fight for her life , If you would come with Sanskar too. Does your selflessness last only to send your lover to danger or you willing to walk in as well. No Ambulance, you are a doctor right, so come and try to save her on your own , I won't keep a deadline now, since as a doctor you know how little time you have left if you wanted to save my sister. 

But don't forget my original demand, If Sanskar didn't take me seriously and be here within the next hour, there will be two picture next time, I am raising the stakes once again. Tik tok tik tok." Abirami voice ended with a laughter as if she was enjoying it. It was only then Swara turned to look at Sanskar, the man who had been willing to risk his life had been calm and collected but now he looked totally lost as if the last bit of hope he had of keeping the rest of his family safe went up in the air. 

Swara knew it , because it had been the same for her , When her life was at constant risk and threat, she could deal with it but when Sanskar life was in danger, she couldn't think rationally and while she looked calm in front, she was going crazy a little in her mind and maybe it was why she foolishly risked a phone call that may make Sanskar crazy in worry over her too. 

After a minute or a mere second, he whispered the one word that broke her heart in pieces for his pain. " No " , Swara understood him but she wanted to argue with him, reassure him that they have no other choice and yet she didn't have the time because each minutes she delays, Ashwini may not make it. 

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" Oh stop with your crying, don't you see I am little busy here " Abirami shouted as she starred herself in the mirror for the hundreth time, she knew Sanskar may not really look at her with love or admiration but she was going to look her best and the last saree she carefully selected and wore were stained by Ashwini blood as she tried to keep her sister alive until Sanskar arrives. 

It wasn't easy to keep people hostages apparently, they either  cry or shout and in this case Abirami ears almost got tired of their constant screaming and crying, when she first took the gun out and asked her brother to tie her sisters up , they thought she was joking but the moment she killed one of them, they moved faster than a speeding train to accommodate her, then she had asked one of her brother to tie others while she tied him up at last, being the eldest he did try to fight her, and well a knock to his head with the back of the gun made him slump down easily .

And only when she rechecked all their binding and made sure they were all trapped for the time being, she sent Sanskar the email with her dead brother picture unlike this time when she took the picture as soon as she shot Ashwini, which had been the reason Swara called and Abirami realized maybe having them together will work in her favour as well.

Keeping Ashwini alive and not using another bullet will ensure they arrive soon, which had been the reason she was bit busy trying to change the saree and look appropriate after moving Ashwini from the chair she shot to the Sofa to lie down, so as not to die soon. 

Abirami wanted to see Swara trying to save his sister and maybe it would be interesting to see how she would react when she learns about all the things Abriami had planned for the night, first she had wanted Swara to stay in home and worry over what happens but now she knows this was the better plan. 

And then she heard the sound of the calling bell making Abirami take one more glance at the mirror before walking out to greet the man she loves and the woman he loves, oh the irony of her life. She may have lost everything but she will have tonight and anyone who gets in her way will end up dead including Sanskar. 

P.S:" That it for now, Let me know your thoughts and Feedbacks.Hit the votes if you liked it "

Juanita Reid