196

The next day, Sanyukta decided that she needed to see her family. She had to figure out a way of leaving the house without making anyone suspicious though.

"Randhir I want to go out," Sanyukta told him, as she picked up her purse.

"Where?" Randhir asked, sounding alarmed, because she never left the house.

"I...I want to go and visit Prerna," Sanyukta replied. "I just wanted to see her and kind of have a change in atmosphere."

Prerna was the wife of one of the members of their party. They worked with her husband and they had gone to Prerna's house a couple of times.

"I'll come with you," Randhir said.

"No, dad needs you... and Vidya and Atharva will miss you. I'll come soon," she said right away.

"Okay," Randhir said, and then wrapped his arms around her. "Come very soon."

She leaned into his embrace and hugged him back.

'I'm sorry for lying to you Randhir, but I have no choice... this may be my only opportunity to speak to my mom and dad again,' she thought in her head.

She broke the embrace and reached up to cup his cheeks. Then she leaned towards him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he replied, bringing his hands to her cheeks and feeling the warmth of her skin.

Then she turned around and left the room, towards a destination that was known, yet would remain unknown for a long time to come.

197

On the way downstairs, she bumped into Parth, who looked relieved to see her. He had Vidya by his side, who looked up at her mom.

"Sanyukta, Vidya is bothering me!" Parth whined.

"Sanyukta, Parth is bothering me!" Vidya retorted in the same tone.

Sanyukta laughed.

"She's your mom, not your Sanyukta," Parth argued with the six year old.

"Mom Parth uncle is bothering me!" Vidya huffed.

"She's the one sticking around me!" Parth complained.

"Both of you love each other," Sanyukta said, laughing. "Be good children."

"Oye, I'm not a child! Vidya is!" Parth said, frowning.

"I'm an adult!" Vidya said, puffing out her chest. "Seee!"

"Both of you are my cute babies," Sanyukta said, and pulled on Parth's cheek before pulling on Vidya's.

"Heheee Parth uncle you are a baby!" Vidya laughed gleefully.

"Not fair, Sanyukta. I love you and this is what you do to me?" Parth asked.

Vidya grabbed her mom's hand and held on tightly.

"She is my mom and only I get to love her!" Vidya said possessively.

"Shh, both of you stop fighting!" Sanyukta said. "I have to go out. So be nice to each other."

"Come fast," Parth said, and picked Vidya up in his arms, kissing her on the cheek.

"Mommy, you kiss me!" Vidya demanded. "Parth uncle's kisses are disgusting!"

"Huh!" Parth asked, his eyes wide.

Sanyukta giggled and kissed Vidya on the cheek before caressing her hair.

"Better!" Vidya said with a smile.

"Where's my kiss?" Parth asked, frowning. "You can't show so much bias between your babies!"

Sanyukta kissed Parth on the cheek too.

"Alright, mommy's getting late. I'll see you two for dinner," Sanyukta told them and then left the room.

She took one final glance at her playful six year old daughter and Parth, before she walked away from them.

198

Finally, just before she was about to leave, she walked through the living room and saw Atharva, who was colouring in his colouring book. He looked up from his picture and stood up, before running to his mom and throwing his arms around her legs.

Sanyukta bent down and fell to her knees in front of him, holding his face gently in her hands.

"What happened?" she asked him.

"You are going out?" Atharva asked, looking sad.

"Yes, mommy has some important work to do. But I'll come soon," Sanyukta told him and kissed his forehead. "Be good to Vidya and don't give daddy a hard time."

Atharva threw his arms around Sanyukta's neck and hugged his mom tightly, like he didn't want to let go.

"You're hugging me like it's the last time you're seeing me," Sanyukta pointed out.

"I don't like when you go out," Atharva said and then he started to cry. "Please don't go mommy... please."

Sanyukta broke the hug and wiped her son's tears, her heart aching. The three year old continued to bawl. He always stuck to her like glue and hated being away from her.

"Mommy will be back soon," Sanyukta told him softly. "I promise."

"Do you always keep your promises?" Atharva asked his mom.

"Of course," she said, but felt a pang of guilt as she thought back to last night's promise that she made to Randhir. "Keep on colouring. I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" Atharva asked again.

"I promise," she repeated, and then stood up before leaving the mansion.

Two years ago, Randhir taught her to drive, so she took the car herself, driving it to the place she called home for many years... was the place that she was returning to, still going to be the home she remembered?

199

She entered her own mansion. Her father was sternly waiting for her in the entrance hall and her mother was beside him, looking happy to see her. Her brother Ankit was also standing there. Everything looked the same inside the house, and it was like nothing had changed at all since she had last come here.

"Daddy," Sanyukta said, her voice cracking as she saw him.

Then she ran towards him, dropping her purse on the floor and hugged him tightly, sobbing. She felt her father reluctantly hug her back before breaking the hug.

"Come in," Kishore said, his expression flat and monotone.

Sanyukta picked up her purse and followed her father into the living room, with her mother beside her. Ankit also followed them. Anju placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and Sanyukta smiled at her mom.

The four of them sat together in the living room, and Sanyukta kept her purse on the ground.

"It's nice to see you again," Kishore finally said, looking up at his daughter.

"It's nice to see you too," she replied with a smile.

"Sanyu, how are you?" Anju asked.

She was sitting next to her and took her hand, holding it lovingly.

"I'm good mom. You have two grandchildren," Sanyukta told her.

"Whose children?" Kishore asked, sounding curious. "Rehaan's or Randhir's."

Sanyukta looked up at her dad with a sad smile.

"You know Rehaan passed away... so my marriage was fixed with Randhir," she informed him.

"Why did you get re-married?" Kishore asked.

It was like he was interrogating her and she frowned.

"Dad I love Randhir," Sanyukta said simply. "And I'm so happy that you invited me here. It is really nice to see all of you again."

"You're running in the next elections?" Kishore then asked her.

"Yes," Sanyukta said, looking down.

"You'll run against your own brother?" Kishore asked, sounding a bit furious.

"So this is why you've called me here?" Sanyukta asked, looking up at her father.

Randhir was right... and her suspicions had been true too.

"Back out from the elections," Kishore ordered.

"No," Sanyukta replied simply. "I can't."

"Then we will make sure you don't show up to the elections," Kishore threatened.

"Do whatever you can, but I'm not letting go of this," Sanyukta argued.

"It doesn't look good for a brother and sister to compete with each other," Kishore snarled.

"Then tell him to back out! Why do I have to? Just because I'm a girl? And am I his sister? Strange because none of you contacted me in the last seven years!" Sanyukta argued angrily. "When you didn't need me anymore, you got rid of me!"

"Sanyukta watch your tone! Doesn't that family keep you in control?" Kishore snapped.

"They understand me! They respect me! There's no discrimination because I'm a woman," Sanyukta argued, tears falling from her eyes. "It's sad that when my own family abandoned me, there was another family who took me in their arms and helped me rise. My own family just pushed me down. What a wonderful family!"

Kishore took a deep breath.

"Okay Sanyukta, I'm telling you one last time. Back out from these elections, or I will make you," Kishore threatened.

"What will you do? You'll kill me?" Sanyukta argued angrily. "That's all that there's left right? Killing the daughter you abandoned?"

Kishore glared at her menacingly and she could see in his eyes, that if it came down to that, then he would even kill her.

200

Sanyukta took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. Her mom had placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Back out Sanyu," Anju said softly. "Please."

"Mom, you too?" Sanyukta asked, looking at her mom.

"I know you're very talented Sanyu, but your dad will do anything it takes to make sure you don't run in the elections," Anju told her. "Please back out. For your own sake. For your husband's sake. For your children's sake."

"Randhir told me not to come here," Sanyukta said, turning to look at her father. "He said it was suspicious you remembered me so close to elections. I found it suspicious too... but I still came because this may have been my last chance to see all of you. After elections, you may have withdrawn your invitation and I wouldn't have the chance to see mom again."

She took another deep breath before continuing.

"I don't regret coming here, even if all I got was a death threat, because seeing mom after so long made me happy," Sanyukta told him. "Maybe I don't deserve to be a politician. I'm so driven by emotions."

"Women don't deserve to be politicians," Kishore stepped in, sounding furious. "You're all emotional. You'll take decisions based on your emotions rather than what's practical!"

"Okay, you've proven your point. I won't be a good politician... but Randhir, he kept me balanced. I am very emotional, I agree. Randhir... he's sensible. He helps me. He's my better half," Sanyukta told him. "If I got the position then us together would make sure we did everything in the favour of the nation."

"Are you going to back out or not?" Kishore asked her.

"I will," she whispered. "Because it's better for me to back out than have my children see me dead."

She was lying. She just wanted to get away from here and go back home, so she could safely still run in the elections.

"Okay, good," Kishore said simply.

"Dad, she might be lying so that we'll let her go," Ankit said. "How do we guarantee that she won't run?"

"For an emotional fool like her, we would need to kidnap someone from her family... but they live under too much protection," Kishore informed.

"Then keep her here until the elections are over," Ankit said. "That's the best option."

Anju gasped loudly.

"She's your daughter," she said. "You can't keep your daughter confined."

Sanyukta's eyes filled with tears. So this was what they would resort to? Kidnapping their own daughter for success?

"You aren't allowed to leave. If we see you try to get away from here, then we will shoot you dead. If you behave, then after the elections, we will let you go," Kishore told Sanyukta simply, and then turned to look at Anju. "This is my final decision."

"I have the most amazing family," Sanyukta said sarcastically. "I'm going to my old room."

Then before they could say anything to her, she went upstairs with her purse and locked herself in her room. She took her phone and called Randhir right away.

"Randhir I need to tell you something. Please don't be upset," Sanyukta told him once he picked up.

She was trying hard not to cry.

201

Randhir had been in the office doing some work for the elections, when he got Sanyukta's phone call.

"Hello?" he said, picking it up and holding the phone to his ear.

"Randhir I need to tell you something. Please don't be upset," Sanyukta told him and she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"What happened Sanyukta?" he asked.

"I - I lied to you," she whispered, and then all of a sudden he heard a bang on a door and the call ended.

He tried to call her back, but the phone was suddenly switched off. Maybe her battery died... but she sounded upset. What did she lie to him about?

He called Prerna and found out that Sanyukta had never gone there.

Randhir hung up the phone and left the office to go to his room to wait for her. Where could she have gone? Then the thought hit him - she had been so adamant to speak with her dad... could it be possible that she had gone to the Agarwal's house? In that case, her life would be in danger. He was upset that she lied to him, but he knew his first priority was finding her.

He picked up a set of car keys and decided that he needed to go there and find out exactly what was happening.

Sanyukta was sobbing in her room. Ankit had broken the door as soon as she called Randhir and snatched the phone from her. After giving her a hard slap, he left the room with her purse, in case she had any other items to her advantage.

She didn't know what to do. If she didn't get home, then everyone would be worried for her. Maybe Randhir would be able to figure out that she was here, but what good would that do? Kishore would never admit that Sanyukta had come here. He probably hid her car by now too.

A few hours later, Ankit returned to her room and glared at her.

"I told dad that this isn't the right place to keep you. You shouldn't be treated like a princess. He's arranging a space in the basement for you," Ankit informed.

Sanyukta gasped.

The basement? That was no less than a dungeon.

"What do you have against me?" Sanyukta asked him.

"Nothing. I just need to win the elections," Ankit told her.

"You think if I don't run, you'll win?" she asked angrily.

"It's better than losing to my own sister," Ankit retorted.

Sanyukta raised her hand and slapped him hard across his face. Ankit grabbed her arms and locked them behind her, before he dragged her out of the room.

"Dad!" Ankit yelled. "Sanyukta just hit me!"

Sanyukta struggled but Kishore appeared in no time, along with a few guards. Together, they tied her hands behind her and took her to the basement, where it was cold and dark. She was then tied to a pole and made to sit on a chair. Her mouth was sealed shut with duct tape.

"Aaargh!" she tried to scream, but she could barely get anything out.

"Sorry Sanyukta. We can't have you harm any one of us. We don't know how badly they've influenced you at the Shekhawat house... maybe they've influenced you to kill us," Kishore apologized. "Hold up for one week, then we'll let you go."

"I say we kill her," Ankit said. "Even if we let her go a week later, she will spread crap to the media."

"Good point. I'll think about it. Let's go upstairs," Kishore said and then he went upstairs with Ankit and the guards.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew politics was dangerous... but she never knew it could be so dangerous that her own family would even consider to kill her over it.

202

"You understand why I brought you here, right?" Randhir asked Vidhushi, after he stopped the car at the corner of the street.

He had brought her here so she could check in on the Agarwal's.

"What makes you think they'll even let me set foot inside their house?" Vidhushi asked Randhir with a frown.

"They'll let me in, maybe. They know who I am... I can say that I came here to end the enmity between our parties. You can come with me and sneak around to find her," Randhir informed.

"You really think she's there?" Vidhushi asked. "Maybe she went shopping... maybe she's back home already."

"I don't know, but she was talking about visiting her parents," Randhir informed.

Vidhushi sighed.

"You can't trace her phone?" she asked.

"It'll take days for the results to come back. Dad isn't even home right now... only he can order same day results," Randhir replied.

"Alright, let's try and go in," she agreed.

Randhir pulled into the gate and rolled down the window to speak to the guard.

"My name is Randhir Shekhawat, and this is Vidhushi... a member of my party. We came to speak with Kishore Agarwal. We have no weapons. You can check us," Randhir said.

The guard went inside and paged Kishore, before coming back out.

"Leave the car here. We'll have to check you, and then you can go inside," the guard informed.

Randhir nodded and the two of them got out of the car. After being checked for weapons, they entered the house. Randhir looked around for a sign that Sanyukta had been here, but there were none.

"Hi," Kishore Agarwal said, looking at Randhir sternly, as if he was suspicious that he came there for another purpose.

"Hi," Randhir said.

Kishore lead the two of them to the living room, where they all took their seat. Once again, there was no sign that Sanyukta had been here.

"What brings you here?" Kishore asked.

"As you know, my wife is Sanyukta," Randhir informed. "She is your daughter, and is running against your son... I wanted to say that we don't want any enmity between our parties. She would like that."

"Okay," Kishore said simply. "Point taken. Anything else?"

"How is she?" Randhir then asked. "Does she keep in contact with you?"

"No idea," Kishore replied. "We haven't seen her in years."

Just then, Randhir saw an older looking lady, undoubtedly Sanyukta's mom, standing by the doorway. She looked worried.

"Uh... can I use the washroom?" Vidhushi asked.

Kishore nodded.

"I'll take her," Anju said and Kishore shook his head.

He knew his wife would try and tip the girl off about Sanyukta.

"Guard!" he yelled, and a guard appeared. "You take her and wait outside the bathroom. Then bring her right back."

The guard nodded and Randhir watched her go, his heart sinking.

"She talks about you a lot. She misses you," Randhir informed.

"I see. Have her come by then," Kishore said, as if he was clueless.

Randhir sighed. It really seemed like Sanyukta hadn't come here.