***
A bit of sindoor fell on Maya's nose, again. This would happen every morning when she filled her hair parting with sindoor.
"Do you know Maya," Rudra had said one day when she was crinkling her nose to wipe it off. "It means your husband loves you a lot, and would keep loving you every day, and every night." He said huskily, wiping her nose and kissing it before leaving for bath.
It became like a ritual since then. Maya's heart had started to beat in a sweet rhythm, much to her alarm.
Today Rudra wasn't around, he had gone for a business meeting and Maya got ample chances to deny what she felt. She looked at her flushed face, saree clad self adorned in sindoor, shankha and pola and said, "Rudra Roy is wrong. Because Maya is never wrong.
She did not stop to think who she was trying to convince looking at her changed reflection. Everyday her trembling hands would make the sindoor grace its place on her nose, halfway between truth in her eyes and lie on her lips. Who knows which might be the last day of this ritual?
Sometimes her husband would act suspicious as if she deliberately did this to earn his kiss. Sometimes Maya wondered too.
As if one cue, her phone beeped with his messages.
I love you, and would keep loving you till eternity. ❤️
Your red nose looks cute. 😉
I love you too. Come back soon. ❤︎
That's all she managed to type, as her conflicting emotions threatened to spill out of her eyes. Control Maya, you are on a mission. MJ cannot win this time just because you are falling for his son.
"Beautiful."
Maya froze in her spot. By instinct she switched on her GPS. It was MJ, in her bedroom. She did not hear his footsteps this time. Was love making her blind and deaf?
MJ took steps towards her, "If I knew you would look this hot in a saree, I would have never refused to make you my Mrs. Roy."
"Get out of my room MJ." Maya said. This wasn't looking good, where was her spray?
"Aww..Honey is scared? Come to Papa, you'll not be scared anymore," he smirked. "I'll not tell Rudra anything."
The b*st**d! Maya sprayed pepper into his eyes and dashed outside the room.
"AAAHH! My eyes." MJ writhed in pain.
Diya was standing right outside the door, she caught Maya unawares and injected something. Maya's world turned black, and she fainted instantly.
Writer: Tournesol
Rudra looked at his phone and smiled. Maya is typing. Love does crazy things to you. Here he was sitting in his business meeting and stealing glances at his phone and waiting for his wife's reply. What was she typing for this long? The typing had stopped, there was no message, but there was a GPS notification from her phone. Wait, was she coming to meet him? Here? Sanki girl!
The perks of being the boss, Rudra gave everyone a 10 minute break and rushed to call Maya. "The number you have dialed cannot receive your call at this moment. Please try again after some time." This happened five times in a row and Rudra was worried. He decided to call Rajeev, because he might be with her for work.
***
The dot on the map had left Roy House and rapidly moved northwards. Did Maya have some new plan for their mission? She didn't share anything. Rajeev should probably call and check. Right then, Rajiv's phone buzzed with Wow ki Dukaan calling.
"Hello Rajeev."
"Hello Rudra, good that you called. Can I speak to Maya?"
"Maya? No, I mean I am in Pune for a meeting. I thought she might be with you, she isn't taking her calls."
Oh f**k!
"Rudra, by any chance, did you get her GPS notification?"
"Yes.. You got them too?" Rudra's breath became shallow.
"Yeah. Okay see do not panic, but we have to follow her to her location immediately. She might be in danger."
"But she was at home, how can she fall in danger?"
"I can't explain all that now, but we have go immediately."
***
When the hunter is out for hunting, pretend dead. That's the golden advice used for centuries in the forest. With a 'jackal' on prowl, Maya was following the same advice for the last one and a half hours. Wrong, for the last ten years. Okay technically she wasn't dead, she was acting to be unconscious in the backseat of the car, and in the past she acted to be gone from this world.
MJ was too smart to fall for Maya's pretending this time. He had tied her hands and feet, and he was himself driving the car. This time he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Amir had arranged everything at the venue, they would reach there as soon as the highway ends.
Maya kabhi kisi ke haath nahi aati, kyunki Maya ko pakadne se pehle sacchai se ulajhna padta hai, aur sacchai kabhi kabhi jaan le leti hai. Maya was a trained escape artist. To prepare for her revenge, to prepare to face MJ, to prepare to execute her reality, she had trained herself as an escape artist, fencing, martial arts and shooting for the last ten years. Now that the real fight had started, she had to use her skills. With her pretending intact, she slowly slipped out of her captivity and noted the car very well for ways to escape. MJ's gun was kept on dashboard of the car.
***
Rajeev was waiting for Rudra to arrive at a turn to the highway from Pune. When Rudra finally did, he was boiling with anger, actually anger, anxiety, restlessness everything.
"Get inside the my car, I'm going to drive." Rudra said.
Wooh! he looked hot in anger. No wonder Maya has fallen for real.
Rajeev got inside the passenger seat of the car without any word. Rudra drove the car near at the speed of light. He looked very pissed.
"Are you going to give me any explanation for this? Does Maya have any enemies I don't know of? Is that why she never came in front of the media? I am her husband, she should have confided in me. How did her danger walk into my house?"
"Rudra, actually her danger lives in your house. It's not my place to tell what happened in her life. And before you jump into conclusions, let's find Maya first. Or her phone might go out of coverage area."
Rudra gave a side glance to Rajeev before turning his eyes to the road. He would break all the bones of that someone who had tried to harm his Maya, in past, present or future. She had taken away his pain, he would wash away her injuries. She was his home.
The dark illusion named Maya had taken the front seat and looked at MJ who was outside the car. Five minutes ago, MJ's car had come to a jerky halt because the SUV dared to step on an insignificant but sharp stone on its path. The tire was punctured, MJ was calling Amir to get another car.
"Yes, Amir, please make it fast. Nothing can go wrong this time."
Nothing would be wrong anymore, Maya thought, it was now or never. With trembling hands she picked up the gun kept on the dashboard and deboarded the car. Beads of sweat appeared on her head. Agli baar apne sapno ki hadh apni aukat tak rakhna. Kyunki bade sapne aur cchoti aukat humesha khoon bahate hai.
Draped in her black sari, Maya pointed the gun at MJ.
"You are right MJ. Nothing would go wrong this time."
A momentary shock glimmered through his eyes, then an amused smirk.
"Well played, Manvi, I am impressed. Now put down the gun, ye baccho ki khelne ki cheez nahi hai."
"Bacchi nahi hu mai. Wo bacchi thi jisko tumne maar diya. It's payback time now."
"Payback haan? You are telling me to payback."
He laughed on the deserted highway. Under a nanosecond his stance changed into a cruel one as he snatched the gun and pinned her to the car.
"You know what Manvi, it's payback time for you. You killed my Rishi and I am going to finish you right here at this spot."
"Maya. Maya Rudra Roy."
"Don't you dare take my son's name, especially after killing another."
Maya smiled and tilted her head, "Deja vu right? Dad."
"Shut up!" MJ gripped her neck, "What did you say that day? Jaan k badle jaan? My Rishi would have been alive Godammit! My little child. But you killed him, watched him die." Maya suffocated " You heartless b*t*h, you killed my Rishi. You took my Rudra away from me, made him your puppet. You want to ruin MJ, don't you? You can't do that, because I'll destroy you." he roared.
What an irony! A father was lamenting the loss of one child after murdering another. Maya looked at the ruined man who was still gripping her at the gunpoint. Not a man, a monster. Hope at destiny's call walked behind MJ, it was time MJ lost another son.
Maya said, her voice was calm and cold,
"What would you ruin of a ruined woman MJ, who had returned from darkness only to destroy you. You already took away my dreams, my brother, my dad. Your baby, my hope. Now I have nothing to lose, it's only you."
The confession was directed more at Rudra than MJ who was approaching them, still behind MJ. This might be her only chance to tell him the truth, she hoped he had heard.
"MJ never loses. Never." MJ hissed.
"In that case, go ahead and kill me."
"Sure, I'll do you the favor. I'll send you to your family, you won't miss them anymore," said MJ.
"MRITYUNJAY ROY!!"
Rudra's voice roared in the place. MJ was shocked to see him there. There was no way one could find out where they were. He looked at Maya and he realized she had managed to play him. The rules of the game need to change.
Maya ran into Rudra's arms and sobbed, "Rudra, I love you."
Something stung in Rudra's heart. Everything came back to him, her tears falling on his shirt, her affection, her sincerity, her love, how he wished this love story was as simple as it appeared in the books he published. But her stories were always different, because it told stories of broken hearts, broken dreams, desires, broken will to live. She told through her stories since long.
And Rudra heard everything, what she said and left untold. She came back to avenge his father, his Maya wanted to be a mother until MJ Roy killed the baby, took away her dreams, her brother, her dad. Now I have nothing to lose, it's only you. Why did he feel she said that to him, that she didn't want to lose him.
How he wished he could undo all her sufferings, drink away all her pain.
"Rudra, before you jump into conclusions, find Maya. I need to reach Amir." Rajeev had told him when they found Amir's car on the way.
"Rudra, don't fall for her deceit. She killed our Rishi, she'll destroy you too."
"You mean like how you deceived her and destroyed her?" Rudra said.
MJ was furious.
Rudra found the truth, thought Maya.
"I'm sorry Mr. Roy, if you don't mind, I need some privacy with my wife. And please."
Rudra took away the gun from MJ's hand. MJ was pissed with Rudra. No worries, MJ always has a backup plan.
Rudra walked Maya at a distance to speak in private. MJ was still in sight.
"Rudra, you need to hear me out." Maya said.
"Why didn't you tell me Maya? Why didn't you tell me before?"
His voice was soft and calm, but it's rich depth scared her. Like she was scared when she realized she had fallen for him irrevocably. She blinked away her tears.
"I couldn't Rudra, then I lost my heart to you."
"Maya Jaisingh lost her heart to me."
"No, Manvi lost her heart to you, you brought her alive." She looked into his eyes.
"What about my Rishi Maya? Why is everything so difficult?" Rudra held her hands and cried.
Maya sobbed with him.
"I am sorry Rudra. I so sorry."
"Don't say that." His face was wet with tears. "You know, even after knowing everything I still.."
Rudra cupped her face close to him.
"I do not want to see your face ever."
He wanted to say his heart beated only for her but stopped midway. Maya sensed a discrepancy. She held his hands on her face.
"Don't say that. I'll die without you."
"No Maya, it has to be me." he said.
Rudra left his hands. Maya realized Rudra was trying to save her from MJ's aim by lying to her about his love. She pushed him aside. She promised to save him from her darkness.
The bullet hit Maya. On reflex Rudra fired back at MJ from MJ's gun. The bullet pierced through his chest, Rudra saw blood oozed out of the chest of the man he called his father. MJ's life took away his life. Rudra was on the verge of breaking down at the sudden turn of events. Still he rushed back to Maya because it might be her last moments with him.
"Tum sanki ho kya? Why did you save me?" Rudra scolded Maya.
Maya smiled, "Maine wada kiya tha na, tumse pyaar ki har kasam nibhaungi."
He cupped her face on his lap. Her blood colored his shirt.
"I promised you too, tumhare har darr ke samne mai khada rahunga."
"You have kept your promise Rudra. Now I want another promise from you. You won't let my darkness consume you. That you would always be happy for my sake. Our baby's sake."
"Our baby?"
"I had frozen my seeds in a lab because I can't ever conceive again. I want twins."
Her breath was getting shallower. Rudra didn't know whether he would cry or smile, his Maya would soon leave him.
"I love you Maya. I love you more than my life. Please don't go."
His tears washed her face with the purity of his love.
"I love you too."
With those last words, the illusion vanished forever into a place that knew only peace and hope. For she returned to her God who gave her the power and ability to complete this journey, and her Rudra, the man she loved till her last breath.
6 years later
"Papa, who is Prince Charming?"
Little Manvi stopped reading from her Kindle and looked at Rudra with her two large eyes, who was working on his laptop. Dressed in red-white check frock with two ponies on either side of her head, she looked so much like little Maya he had seen in the photos. The twinkle in her eyes were exactly like her father.
Her question gleaned attention from her non-identical twin brother who was spilling colors on the paper. He was wearing matching red-white check shirt and red shorts, resembling his father more and his mom when he smiled. For some strange reason, he always cried whenever his father tried to button up all the buttons of his shirt.
"I know that. He is a prince who is charming, like I am."
Manvi laughed, "You are no prince Rishi. You are baccha, my little brother."
"Mai baccha nai hu. I am a big boy."
"Wrong. You are two minutes younger than me and Papa says one minute is equivalent to one lifetime. That make me two lifetimes elder than you."
Rudra smiled. He would never get tired of watching his kids antics. But whenever he spent time with them, he missed Maya a lot. Like he had lost the most important part of the puzzle that his life was. The girl who killed his brother for revenge, gave up her own life to save his.
His mother went to London to his Dadi in the aftermath, and he did not keep in touch with any of his dad's allies. Sometimes Nandini maa or Rajeev came over to spend time with the kids.
Maya wasn't there, but she had written all her sukoon in his name.
"Kids, do you want to know who Prince Charming is?" said Rudra.
The kids dropped what they were doing and ran to their Papa to sit beside him.
Rudra continued, "It is someone who loves you, respects you, becomes your strength in spite of their own weaknesses, someone whose one minute becomes your entire lifetime."
"Papa, who is your Prince Charming?" Manvi asked.
"Your mumma." Rudra smiled.
Rishi crinkled his nose, "But Prince Charming should be boys na?"
"Not necessarily, she can be Queen Charming too, like your mumma. Because she did everything that a Prince Charming would do." Rudra said.
The kids got emotional and hugged their father "Papa, we miss mumma."
Rudra hugged them back, "Your mumma misses us too." A tear rolled down Rudra's cheek, "She has become a star and looks at us from the sky. But kids, we also have to be your mumma's Prince and Princess Charming like she became our, so that whenever she looks at her little Manvi and little Rishi, she feels proud. Right?"
The kids nodded obediently.
"Papa, one more question," said Rishi, "hum fencing pe kab jayenge?"
"Hmm...when my Rish and Manvi become a little more bigger." He kissed their foreheads with affection. "Chalo baccho, now it's dinner time. Papa has made your favorite dal and Nani has sent her delicious gajar ka halwa."
Rudra stood in the balcony after tucking the kids to bed. The moon looked ethereal, he squeezed the pearl bracelet in his hand and said,
"I miss you Maya. You always compared yourself with an ending night, but you were always my moonray who guided me to light. I wish the bloodshed never happened, I wish you were always by my side. I love you."
"I love you too." The wind cooed her last words in his ears.
Rudra saw the angel speaking to him in his imagination.
"Close your eyes and look in your heart. Till the last beating of your heart, I am always with you."
Rudra closed his eyes and said "Mayaa..."
A gust of wind came and left a kiss of love on his forehead.
*** The end ***
