T H E   S I L E N T   W A T E R S
T H E   M E M O R I E S   B U R N S

Annika sat on the bed with a tired sigh, the day had gone around in blur. It was a tiring day. They did manage to score some of the clients by organising the party——it would have been more if the event would have been successful, but when did things go her way?

It didn't make sense.

She had tasted the food and drinks herself before they were out to be served at the event——whatever that have happened must have happened after plating and serving.

But after all those security checks—

She sighed, she picked up her phone and swiped it open.

Her expression turned ashen when she heard the voice——more so when she heard the news.

Annika's hands shook as she tried to process the news she had heard.

"I was involved in an accident." Is that why?

Accident.

She gasped as the lights went out. Another power outage. They had become less frequent but she could never get used to the darkness——the coldness, the sudden void.

She blinked away the tears. The lights were out and she had shrunk around in the corner to comfort herself, it would take a few minutes for the power outage to recover. Till now, she must stay in the dark.

This was not new. She thought she would be used to it by now. But it wasn't so. She was never. She would never be. Why she was afraid of darkness never came clear to her, she just was.

The thought of the darkness——the oblivion——sent chills down her bones——the darkness brought memories——unpleasant ones. Ones about which no one knows about.

Earlier——she shook her head at the thought—she had always relied on herself. And now too, all she had was her and Sahil. They have been so for as long as she could remember.

And they will be so.

She was afraid to hold onto that fragile thread of hope once again.

She had let go of the hope she used to hold with herself, no one was coming to save her. She was her own savior.

That's how it always has been.

<>

Shivaay nearly stumbled at sudden jab of pain he felt. He sat at the couch waiting for the pain——and that deep gnawing feeling that he had been trying to ignore since the moment he woke up———why is he feeling like he had been missing something?

He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily.

He couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had crept inside him.

He had been feeling this way since the morning, but he shrugged it off. How it was becoming unbearable and suffocating.

"P-p-p-riyanka." He called out as he felt a jab of pain spreading across his chest——he rubbed the spot trying to bring some comfort to him but he failed.

He couldn't hold back the painful groan.

Priyanka came rushing from her room.

"What's wrong?" She asked in panic as she tried to check him over.

"I'm okay——" he assured, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Are you really?" Aradhya asked sceptically.

"——something's wrong." He said, causing the other two to furrow their eyebrows, in confusion.

"There's this—this sinking in feeling." He called. "Like something bad——worse" he frowned as he tried to focus "—horrible is going to happen." He spoke.

Aradhya looked at him worriedly.

"What are you trying to say?" She asked as she took a seat near him.

He shook his head, "I am not sure, if I would be able to explain but something is not right." He tried his best to voice out what he was feeling but he failed.

"Shall I call Khanna and Arjun to check over?" Priyanka asked as she picked up her phone.

Shivaay shook his head.

"I don't know..." He sighed. His hands clenched in as a fist as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

What's happening?

"It's okay, nothing is wrong." Priyanka assured. "We just had dinner, bhaiya. I think you should sleep."

<>

Om turned in his sleep.

"I-I a-am-m n-n-o-ot y-y——" 

He couldn't ignore the pain that was masked as anger when Shivaay uttered those words.

"——aa-r-are my b-b-ro-t-t-ther-ss?"

He could feel the betrayal——that Shivaay was feeling when he managed to utter them.

"—u-ss-ed t-to n-n-no-ot a-ny-m-more."

Those words were haunting him——they came back as——dreams no——nightmares. Shivaay didn't consider them brothers anymore.

Why was he troubled with that? It was never him who initiated what was to happen——it was him——it him and Rudra who decided. And now he couldn't face what he had done years ago——

His eyes snapped open and he sat up on the bed. He looked around.

The sleep wafted away from his eyes in an instant.

He didn't know what disturbed his sleep. His eyes turned to his wife, Gauri who was peacefully asleep on the side.

He gently got off his bed. Opting for a stroll, he opened the door of his room and was instantly hit with the smell of oil.

He frowned. Why was it near their rooms?

He followed the pungent odour. Gauri had been complaining about the headache she had been feeling since the morning—could it be the reason?

He walked across the corridor, but the smell remained distinct, as if it was coming from every corner of the mansion. He looked around. He couldn't see where.

Fear took over him and he dashed towards his room.

He gently shook Gauri——alarmed.

She fluttered her eyes open—her calm expression instantly went alarmed at the panicked look that she was faced with as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Omkara?" She asked in confusion.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"Why is there kerosene all around the corridor?" He asked all of a sudden. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and then his words registered in her mind. Kerosene. Oh no.

"We need to alarm the others." She spoke getting off the bed, Om nodded and they both rushed out of the room to alert the others.

<>

"They saw." Saumya uttered. "What are you going to do now? Once everyone is alert there is nothing we could do." She spoke as they stared at the security cameras.

The woman looked at her with a sneer——"you are the new one in this game. I had played it for years. It's too late for them to stop anything now." She smiled.

"You should go." Roop spoke, "they would get suspicious if they don't find you in your room."

Saumya nodded and went back to her room, stealthily avoiding Gauri and Om on her way back.

Roop looked at the camera one last time——before she deleted all the footage and turned off all the security cameras just in case they survived the fire.

She lit up the candle with the match. She picked it up, the melting wax dropping on her hand as she gripped it tightly.

She walked outside, closing the door behind her and went to her own room. The burning graze the curtains and the walls as she made her way to her room——but not before taking a leisurely stroll around the house.

There was a smile of satisfaction on her face.

She had fulfilled what she had intended to do all these years——if only the Oberois would have been fair in their game. They wouldn't have to see this day.

Her mother. Kalyani. She was the main reason for all this. Had she not ignored her daughter, had she punished her sons for the crimes that they had committed, they wouldn't have to see this day.

She had committed one mistake and she was exiled from the house.

Tej had lived his life lavishly——yet he still remained the chairman, he cheated on his wife——yet he gets to stay——he plotted the death of his nephew——nothing happened. Why the partiality?

She had remained passive for way too long——that her brother had forgotten who she was. And what he had done to her.

She hissed slightly when the melted wax dropped in her hand and continued her work. She could enjoy it, her victory, when she would watch the downfall of the Oberois.

<>

"How did this happen?" Rudra asked as he followed the couple. He froze.

He could smell the smoke. And he is sure that his brother did too. Because he stopped in his tracks.

And their fears were confirmed when the fire alarms rang.

"Gauri——go out of the mansion." Her eyes widened her eyes reaching the second floor from where the smoke was coming.

"O-omkara?" She gasped as he turned to her. "Go outside. I will send everyone out." He looked at her carefully.

"Trust me."

"Yes, you should go outside, Om and I can handle it." Rudra spoke.

Gauri looked at them incredulously, "You can't possibly believe that I would leave you out here."

"Gauri... please..." He turned to Rudra, and his eyes widened. "Rudra." He breathed.

"The ground floor." He uttered, Rudra turned around to look downstairs and his eyes widened. "H-how?"

"Rudra, get Gauri and yourself out and I will bring the rest." Om added sternly and went away before they had any time to protest.

"Bhabhi, let's go." Rudra tugged on Gauri's arm and she was reluctantly pulled away, her eyes staring on his retreating figure.

"No, how can we?" She argued as she tried to go back.

"Om, will be safe. I will go back myself. But you need to stay out first." He spoke as he carefully moved out of the fire, it hadn't spread much downstairs. He didn't know why the security systems weren't working properly.

"Om!" Om turned around to see his mother looking around worriedly and for a second he could see fear flicker across his father's eyes as he assessed the situation.

"What's going on——"

"Get outside." Om instructed as he pointed towards the door where there were no flames. "From the back doors." He called as he moved away.

He repeated the same words with Shakti and Pinky, Roop, before rushing to Kalyani's room which was still remained close.

He cursed and pushed the door.

There was no answer from inside. He needed to break the door.

He stumbled inside, as the doorway moved apart.

Kalyani was sitting on her chair staring at the portrait of her husband. Her eyes were blank.

"Dadi—" he coughed out a little because of the smoke, but she didn't move from her position.

"We—need to go out." He spoke.

"This house——this company—was his dream." The woman spoke. And Om blinked——this was not the time.

"You failed to save the company."

Om held back himself at that.

"Now this house. This is the last living memory—"

"Dadi, I really respect him, but now is not the time for such things. The house is burning, we need to go out before anything unfortunate happens." He called as the smoke started filtering inside.

"I can't leave the house now." She spoke without turning back, her eyes trained on the portrait that was hung on the center of the wall.

"I'm sorry, but you have to." Om spoke, shaking his head in disappointment.

<>

"Why isn't he here?" Gauri asked Rudra, panic clear in her tone. She tried to free her hand from Jhanvi's hold as she held her back from running back into the burning walls.

"I am going to look for him..." Rudra spoke lowly before he rushed inside the house.

"Rudra!" Gauri screeched as he disappeared behind the smoke. She snatched her arm away from Jhanvi but the woman didn't relent.

A few minutes later, Saumya emerged as she assisted Kalyani outside the house. She carefully schooled her expression to look horror stricken as she looked at the members before she turned to look back at the mansion.

Om coming behind them.

Gauri's heart dropped.

Rudra wasn't there.

<>

Shivaay was standing at the courtyard of the manor. He couldn't sleep.

He was just looking at the sky but the feeling only grew——he was feeling suffocated in his room hence he came outside to breathe in the fresh air.

He closed his eyes as a cool breeze swept past him, ruffling his hair as he closed his eyes to relish the feeling.

"Shivaay sir——" he held back a groan as he turned to face Khanna who was panting. He wasn't in his uniform, and was holding up his phone.

Shivaay looked at the screen and his eyes widened.

What the actual fuck?

"Get the car ready." He ordered.

He didn't think twice before jumping into the action. Khanna right on his tow.

He rushed towards the car.

"To the Oberoi Mansion." He called as sat inside his car. One day without such mess.

Too dramatic?
But don't worry he won't forgive them.

Also, sorry for the late update, as I had said, the finals for my first year are approaching and I had to stay the whole day in the library, and I had just completed my study session. 😭😭

And I messed up brachial plexus!!!!!! Why!?! 😭😭