Aditya’s words stiffen Nandana’s every nerve. Whatever differences they have between them, Aditya never fails to sense her disturbed mind. Nandana doesn’t answer. She can’t make up her mind about which incident she should prioritise. Aditya and Aryan’s row, Aryan’s dislike towards her, that unpleasant incident with that unknown person, Rishi’s revelation about Aditya or her wish to go to India? Suddenly Aditya’s proximity against her body gets released. He sits on the bed and turns on the side lamp. Nandana looks at him with surprise and anticipation. Aditya reclines on the bedrest and takes out a cigarette packet from the side drawer.

“I am still waiting for your answer.”

He mouths again while igniting the cig. Nandana swallows the saliva and turns on her side, facing Aditya who is now eyeing the ceiling and puffing reluctantly.

“You forbade Rishi to go to India?”

Finally, Nandana chooses to counter him on this topic. For a fraction of a second, Aditya stops inhaling the smoke. He probably didn’t expect this reply. However, he is a man to handle every unexpected.

“He told you that?”

He counters without moving his eyes from the roof.

“No. He just expressed that he loves you and he doesn’t want to go anywhere leaving you. But fortunately, or unfortunately, I understood what he exactly wanted to mean. You forbade him to meet Papa and Maa and for that, you emotionally influenced him in the name of your love. Am I right?”

Nandana tries to control her calmness. She is still lying on her side having full concentration on her husband. Aditya’s reply comes instantly,

“Wrong. I didn’t forbid him to go anywhere. Instead, he refused to go to India when I told him that he has to go there all alone. Because neither you nor I can come with him. Moreover, perhaps he can never come back here again. You know what I mean…”

Aditya darts his eyes on Nandana and adds,

“Now, it’s not my fault that he chose us over his parents. Is it?”

His eyes are beaming with a sarcastic smile which forces Nandana to lose her calm. She gets up with a jerk and mouths with an equal snigger,

“You know Aditya, whenever I convince myself that you have changed; you have started valuing people’s emotion over your obstinance and dominance, you prove me wrong. At the party, when you fought with Aryan for me and said how love is important to you, I thought that perhaps I succeeded in changing you. But I am wrong. Totally wrong.”

She pauses for a moment. Aryan’s words are resonating in her ears,

“You are with Nandana not because of love but lust. She is beautiful and I know your weakness.”

“Perhaps Aryan is right. You don’t love me. You just love to be with me. This is not love but lus…”

Her words get jolted because Aditya’s palm forcefully lands on her cheek. Nandana covers her cheek with a gasp and meets Aditya’s sore eyes. He raises his hand again to grab her but withdraws them immediately. Gradually, the fire in his eyes simmers down and it gets replaced by pity.

“Aryan was right. Love just for love doesn’t exist in this world. At least for not the people like us. Because every time we try to justify our love, it’s called obstinance, dominance, obsession or lus..lust. Mrs Nandana Oberoi…from this moment I swear, I won’t touch you. I won’t give you any reason to feel that my love for you is lust.”

Aditya’s voice is laced with anguish. He gets down from the bed and snatches the pillow from his side. Nandana tries to say something but Aditya doesn’t let her.

“Yes, I can’t let you go to India. But that is not because I will miss you in my bed but in my life. It’s for your safety not for my desire. Forget it! Why am I even explaining?”

Aditya utters in a bitter tone and throws the cigarette on the floor and stomps on it before leaving the bedroom. Nandana’s eyes become blurry and eventually, a drop of warm salt water trickles down her cheek, making a burning sensation where Aditya slapped some minutes before. She mumbles in her choked voice,

“I am sorry…I am sorry…”

........................................

SP Apoorva Bhosle was sitting at his desk when a junior officer enters the room. He roams his ardent eyes all around and finally, they get fixed on Bhosle. He strides towards him with zestful eyes.

“Sir, there is an important piece of information.”

He salutes SP Bhosle and states in an eager tone. Bhosle lifts his eyes from a file and meets the officer’s excited eyes. His brows crunch in query. The officer bends a bit and almost whispers,

“Sir, last night the dock police seized a container ship near the Mumbai dockyard. It had some illegal arms, drugs and explosives.”

“But it doesn’t come neither under our area nor our duties. It’s a matter of port guards, narcotics or naval force.”

Bhosle mouths his opinion. The officer counters,

“Right, Sir. But you should know the name to whom these consignments belong.”

“Who?”

SP Bhosle utters carefully. The officer looks to his right and left, just to be assured that nobody is eavesdropping on his words and whispers,

“Aryan Khurana.”

All of a sudden, electricity passes through Bhosle’s spine. He leaps up and asks in a raspy voice,

“Aryan Khurana…the Mafia king of the U.S.A?”

The officer nods positively and replies,

“Yes, Sir. One of the dock policemen is my friend. He said they have arrested two men from that ship and during interrogation, they spoke out his name. Sir, I was with you in the Aditya Oberoi case and I know that this Aryan Khurana helped him to run away from India. If we get to know about Aryan then we can trace Aditya Oberoi too.”

SP Bhosle keeps mum for some second as he is calculating something and then utters in a grave voice,

“Hmmmm…given the one, the other will follow. We have to get this man to reach Aditya. Can I meet those two guys? Can you fix it?”

“I will try, Sir but as you said, this is under the narcotics and port guard department. I have to arrange it unofficially.”

The officer states unsurely. SP Bhosle sits on his chair again, entangling his palms with each other. His eyes are shimmering with hope.

“Do it, Rane...do it. By hook or by crook, we have to trace Aditya. And this time, it will be my game.”
He mutters with determination. The officer stomps and salutes before leaving. SP Bhosle keeps on wondering for some time then he gets up from his seat as something strikes his mind. He grabs his hat and exits the police station in haste.

........................................

“WHAT THE FUCK! How can these fuzz head off my ship? Didn’t you shut their mouth with bucks?”

Aryan chides on one of his henchmen. The guy gulps his discomfort and replies carefully,

“Yes, Boss but as I said, it can be dodgy as some of the Indian coast guards are not on our known list and nowadays even the Indian Navy is on high alert. That’s why I suggested you use Aditya Oberoi’s ships to…”

“SHUT UUUPPPP….Don’t utter his name in front of me. I am Aryan Khurana. I don’t need any bloody friend to help me. Do you fucking understand? I don’t need anybody.”

Aryan’s cry gets overlapped by a grave stern voice,

“But I need.”