XLIV. Rescue

"Fear holds greater power. It consumes our mind and stops us from thinking positively about it. Shed the fear from your heart if you want success in your life."

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Everything was fine in my life until I lost my parents. As a child, I missed them, but I had memories of them with me. They always held their hands in front of me. When I understood the meaning of love, I wanted to have what my parents had.

Now, I don't want it. If Damini was right, then my father cheated on my mom and birthed a child. I have a brother, I longed to have a brother in my life but now I have one.

"Is Aarav my brother?" Damini stood still for a moment and looked into my eyes. My eyes held no fear, even with a gun on my head. I want to learn the truth and I knew that she would not lie to me.

"Why do you not fear for your life?" She pressed the gun on my head making me lean my head back.

"Is he my brother?" I pressed further.

"Yes, he is. Now it is time for you to leave this world, any last question?" She tilted her head sideways.

"If you wanted the property in Aarav's name, why did you want to kill him? Don't you love your son," she sighed as if she was tired from having this conversation with me.

"Don't you remember, because of him Arjun and others started calling me names? Aarav came into my life bringing troubles, because of him I had to kill the love of my life with my own hands," she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"But you showered him with love before. This changed after I came into your lives, why?" I wanted to know what my presence made her do.

"You ruined everything," she looked into the distance and continued speaking. "I loved my son or so I thought until I saw you, seeing you made me remember that if everything was right Aarav would be in your place. But that didn't happen, and I wanted to defeat others. You all together made me lose my Arjun, even Aarav. That's why I will kill all of you," she sounded sick. I don't understand her point at all.

"What will you gain from this? You will be alone. You even killed your husband," I said in a soft voice. I didn't understand her point in this revenge. I understood her reasons for killing my parents but others, I don't get it.

"I was all alone in this world from day one; I think I love it that way. About my husband, I should have killed him and you that day when I had the chance. Vinay was my friend, I thought I have more feelings towards him but I don't. I always felt a burden in being married to a person I didn't love. He even dictated my life for me and I let him do it. Now, I will let others rule my life. I will rule it." She placed her finger on the trigger. "Now, it's time for you to meet your parents."

"No, it's time for you to get punished for your mistakes," I moved my head to the side and looked behind her with a smile.

Seeing my expression, Damini turned around and yelped in surprise when the gun fell.

Aj rushed towards my side once the police arrested Damini. "Are you fine?" He removed the rope and I rubbed my wrists. He supported me as I stood. I approached Damini with Aj holding me up.

"I wish you have a good time in prison. I wish to never see your face," saying those words we moved out of the door.

"How did you do this?" She asked struggling like a beast to get to me. However, the police held her back.

"You forgot whose blood runs in me. You forgot about the person who raised me, she is a woman of many strategies. Did you think I would submit to you without a fight? You were wrong, you underestimated me and you will suffer now," we slowly reached outside, I smiled in happiness that our plan worked.

"I will never bow down. Not without a fight," I punched her face.

I ignored the pain in my knuckles as I enjoyed hearing her cry. She stopped the car and clutched her nose with her hands. There was blood on her hands.

"You may require surgery for your broken nose. But don't bother with it; no one will come to see you in prison." Seema glared at me with all the hatred she could muster. I was not bothered by it.

"You bitch," she raised an injection and tried to inject me with it. I stopped her and we struggled. She was coming at me and I tried to stop her from protecting me. I got exhausted struggling to fend her off me, I lost the fight and Seema got near me but a sound on the window distracted her.

As Seema turned around, I took the advantage of her distraction and removed the injection from her hand. I slapped her on the face making her disoriented. I got down the car and hugged Aj.

"She is safe, Diya is safe. Damini was unable to reach her," I cried in his arms with happiness.

"I know little one," I looked up at him in question.

"How do you know it?" I questioned him moving out of his embrace.

"I will tell you later, now we have someone else to deal with," he raised his eyebrows in the direction of the car.

I saw Seema trying to start the car discreetly. "Now where are you going?" I moved to her side and took the keys from the ignition. "Get down," she scurried out of the car.

I went and stood beside Aj feeling powerful. Seema now had a bleeding nose and her cheek was red with my fingerprints on it.

"Tell me why Damini sent you near Abhi? How are you both related?" She jumped listening to my command. I was not going to fall for an innocent act.

"How do you know that we are related?" she looked shocked that I knew that piece from them.

"Your secret meetings must be more discreet, and watch who is following you," I informed her.

"That's why you tried to stop Abhi and sent Diya away. We underestimated you."

"Yes, you are going to suffer for it. Now keep your mobile away and start speaking," the mobile fell from her hand in surprise. I was getting impatient with her slow responses.

"Speak!" With that single command, she started telling me about her.

"Damini is my father's cousin, my name is not Seema. I am Riya I never met the Goenkas. I always nagged her to let me meet them but she denied me. I started developing a crush on Abhi so I changed my name and joined his college. I caught his attention and dated him. Aunty accepted my relationship with him she thought that I will do Abhi good. She was the only one happy with our relationship. Who will not be happy to have their niece as her daughter-in-law?" I was getting frustrated listening to her.

"Get to the point," she came out of her thoughts hearing me snap.

"Ok, he proposed to me after I was pregnant. I didn't want to have the child but I kept it because Abhi wanted it. Slowly, Abhi started distancing himself from me. I slowly came out of my crush. I didn't love him, but I realized it a bit late. I met another person and started dating him and then Abhi found out. I didn't want Diya, because of her my life changed so I tried to abort it. But Abhi found out and took her from me. I left them and started my life," she stopped speaking.

"I don't want to hear your sob story, tell me when Damini started with her plans? What does she intend to do with us?" I questioned her, even though I was interested in learning about her past with Abhi.

"It all started when Abhi got into the business, he was doing well and getting praises from others. Aarav was poor at his studies and she compared them both all the time. She wanted to get praises for raising her son well, so she planned to make Aarav the CEO," this was the new piece of information. "It was getting difficult for her. Then she started scheming on how to take property making Aarav the sole heir. Then you came making her change her plans. She had enough of this family and asked me to come. I wanted to have revenge on them as they all treated me poorly. I was waiting for her to call me and contribute to her. My part was to enter your lives and try to take Diya away from you. She wanted to keep Diya in her grip till she becomes adult because of some points in your parents' will."

That's the story then, for her son wanting to get praise and my involvement lead us to this.

"I need you to take Avni to the place Damini planned and act as if nothing happened. Tell Damini that Avni put up a fight knowing that Diya was not with you and that you drugged her," Aj ordered her as I tried to understand their hatred towards me.

Seema's eyes widened in fear and she started shaking in fear. "No, she will find out and she will kill me if I agree to you guys," she begged him.

"Don't open your mouth. We will take care of everything and in return, you will not let you die in jail," I offered her.

She thought for a moment and nodded her head agreeing. "If you spill this to her, you will regret it. I will show you hell, and you will feel death more peaceful than my torture," Aj warned. I got goosebumps on my arms hearing the threat in his voice. Seema nodded her head and got inside.

"Guess I don't know more about you, we need to correct it," I asked him softly.

"You will be safe, I promise," I agreed to him and got in the car. Aj gave me medicine to make me sleep.

"Bitch! You told me that you will not send me to jail?" Seema's screech got me back to the present.

We were outside waiting for the police to move. Damini was sitting inside and the police were trying to make Seema sit inside.

"Well, I promised that I will not let you die inside and I will ask to put you in a different jail than hers. Enjoy your stay there," I waved at her.

Did she think that after trying to kill my family, I would let her get away with it? Never, not in a lifetime.

"You have some explaining to do mister?" I turned towards Aj who was silently standing beside me the entire time.

"Let's go to the hospital first, I will tell you in the car," We got inside and he drove to the hospital. I looked at him eager to listen to him.

"I knew that it was related to Diya. I messaged Raghav and asked him about her. He informed that Diya was with him but Damini was asking for Diya. He was suspicious of her and didn't let her near Diya," I was getting mad at him.

"If you told me this then I would not be afraid for Diya. We would have interrogated Seema in the house, this all seems like a hassle," I whined.

"No, she lived in that house. There may be some people working in that house for her. We can't take the risk and it's a benefit for us. Police have caught her when she was trying to kill you, this will not help her case. She get the punishment for the crimes she committed. Don't worry," he squeezed my hand resting in my lap.

"Ouch," I yelped in pain.

"Sorry, let's get your wound treated." We drove in silence with me lost in my thoughts.

The physical pain can be healed but the pain and cracks my heart took today can never be healed.

"Apply the ointment on it daily and change the bandage twice a day. In ten days it will be good as new," the doctor instructed me.

"Thank you," I thanked her and came out of her cabin. I found Aj sitting there with Anu, they were speaking in hushed whispers. "What are you guys talking about?" They were surprised to see me, before I can ask what they were doing Anu engulfed me in a hug.

"God! I told you to find evidence not to get yourself kidnapped. Don't do that to me," she squeezed me tight.

"Ok, Anu. Are you done now?" I asked her when I started feeling awkward.

"Stop now, you are my granddaughter. Let me have a good look at you," she swatted me on my shoulder. She took my face in her hands and examined it. She checked my neck and next hands.

"Oh my god! You are hurt!" She exclaimed when she saw my bandaged hand.

"Don't create a scene, I am perfectly alright," I waved her worries away.

"Anu, I want to ask you something," I asked her seriously wanting to clear some things.

"Let's have a walk, come." She slowly took my hand and we moved towards the exit. When we reached the exit, I turned towards Aj.

"Thank you, Aj. For everything you did. I am grateful to have you as my friend," I squeezed his hand and thanked him.

"It is my pleasure, I will see you then." Anu and I watched as Aj drove away.

We reached the park beside the hospital we sat on the bench. It was evening and I was tired from today's events. I watched as the children played around us. I want to be a child having no worries.

"How is he?" I asked her. I wanted to know about him before I shift to difficult topics.

"He is improving, doctors are telling that he will be awake by tonight," it was the only good news I had in the total day. "Now, tell me. What did she tell you?"

I told her everything, from the start to the end. I don't have any other person to share it with. If I shared this with Abhi or Akky it might affect some relations in their lives. Anu was the only option for me, she can suggest to me what to do.

"Aarav is my brother, according to Damini. If it's not true then I have nothing to worry about but if it is true then what should I do, dadi," I cried.

"Shh, come here," I placed my head in her lap as she patted my head. I called her dadi when I was extremely sad and now I was distressed and I really need her advice.

"Don't cry. There is an answer in your heart. It's up to you what you must do. If you want Aarav to know then you should tell him otherwise nothing. No one will blame you for taking any decision," she explained to me.

I sat straight and looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Dadi, am I bad luck?" I saw her face clench in sadness at my words but I continued. "My parents and Vinay uncle died because of me. I entered Abhi's life and brought a threat in his life. Diya almost got kidnapped today, am I unlucky?" I felt like a kid expressing my insecurities.

Anu's eyes watered seeing my heartbroken expression. "No never," she took my face. "If you are bad luck then how come I am happy? How did Diya find her mother in this life? Damini would have killed them even if you didn't enter their life, you are not bad luck Avni." I want to believe her words but something is holding my heart back from believing it.

Fear, fear for my loved ones. If I am unlucky then by having me in their lives, they will never be happy.

"But my parents' fate is decided by me. If I didn't enter their lives Aarav would be happy, I regret entering their lives." I said softly.

"Avni, I can't tell you what to do. But you are making a terrible mistake. Don't believe their words. Yes, they were treated wrong but there is no rule that it will happen in your life." She tried to convince me.

I stood up. "Unwanted love and one sided love got us here. Vinay uncle's love for Damini made her do it and Seema's crush got us here. How can my love be appreciated? It is one sided." I cleaned my face with the back of my palm. "It's the best decision, everyone will be happy from it. It's time for me to exit from their lives."

Hello people!

I updated three days continuously, I think having a clear idea will make you write more words.

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