Love Thy Enemy - 31 (Final)

31

[The Fight]
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They both looked at Raghu astounded. Shakthi then came out of the shock first and attempted to move. Arjun quickly held his hand stopping her and said, 'No, don't go. Be here. I will go and speak first.'

Her eyes gave a strange expression that Arjun haven't seen before. There was a slight nervousness on hearing the news, but it was lost now. 'That's not going to solve anything, but anger him more,' she insisted.

'No I can take him,' he said with frantic intensity.

'That won't be necessary,' she said and without waiting for a response she stepped down. Arjun looked at Raghu desparately as if to ask him whether he would join him in attacking her husband. But Raghu was already in Purva's room to get Shakthi's things. Arjun then stepped down carefully trailing her.

Shakthi caught the first look of Prakash sitting on the couch and just then Archana gave him a glass of juice. He took it from her courteously and smiled 'Thanks'.

She was few feets away from him and looked at him, prepared for whatever going to happen next. He placed the juice on the tea table before him and got up.

Arjun came behind and looked at the fine-looking well built man standing there in front of them. When compared to him he thought himself as feeble. He was indeed charming and that added to his cruelty, Arjun thought.

Prakash moved forward and smiled at Shakthi. She looked at him without much recognition in her face and glanced at Archana. Then they heard few thuds as Raghu came down with Shakthi's bags. Archana looked at everything surprised - Jo's husband showed up when they thought that she had no family at all, Jo standing there without much reaction, Arjun's rushing at this hour horrified, and Raghu vacating Jo's things as fast as he could.

As if to avoid much confusion, Prakash broke the silence and spoke looking at everyone but Shakthi, 'Well, you lovely people have given my wife a safe shelter these days. I cannot thank you enough. I am grateful to you all. Anyway its time I take her with me,' he looked at Shakthi now, 'to our home' and smiled.

Then taking a step forward he held her hand and said, 'Shall we go dear?'

Shakthi looked around and knew there's nothing much she could do. She nodded her head. Arjun anxiously said now, 'You can't go...,' and looking at Prakash, 'You can't take her now...---'

Prakash said with the same smile undisturbed, 'And who you might be Sir? Why shouldn't I take my wife with me?'

'Because you are a horrible person,' he said and looked at his eyes straight.

Raghu then interrupted them and said, 'Gents, --', he didn't have to say anything more but they understood they have to take it outside.

Shakthi then spoke looking at Prakash, 'Let's go. I will fetch my bags'

Arjun looked at her raring. Shakthi thought, I can't let anybody else to be affected for helping me.

'No dear, I will do. You just get your coat,' Prakash already grabbed the bags.

Shakthi slowly got her coat and smiled at Archana, 'Give my best wishes to Purva... .' Archana still looking confused was about to speak, but Raghu came near her and grabbed her shoulders, which kept her quiet. Shakthi added, 'Thank you both for everything,' looking both of them.

Then turning to Arjun she said, 'Thanks Arjun. I am glad my husband has come to take me. I was worried how would I go to India alone,' she shrugged. Prakash waited as she wore her coat and carrying the bag he followed her to the door.

Arjun heart lumbered to see Shakthi walking into danger. They came out of the house and there was a taxi waiting for them already.

'I am coming with you to send you off,' he said instinctively seeing the taxi standing there, and thinking once they got into the car he might not see her again.

Without Prakash would even speak, Shakthi snapped 'I don't think there would be enough room in the car. It's ok if you say goodbye now and here.'

Prakash smiled at her response, but was irritated to see Arjun's persistence. But as long as Shakthi taking care of that, he didn't find a need to stop him. Arjun understood that she was trying to avoid him from any danger that Prakash might cause, but he didn't care about that.

He stood there seeing them off and got into his car following them leaving enough distance so that Prakash wouldn't doubt it.

Both of them sat in absolute silence in the car as it drove screeching the silence of the night. She didn't see him telling the driver where to go, he would have did already, she thought.

Slowly bursting the silence she asked, 'Is Jyoti alright?'

He looked at her and took her hand into his and gave a gentle squeeze.

'Where is Jyoti? Did you hurt her?,' she asked again, now looking at his eyes.

Surprised to see her boldness he replied, 'She is there, where she belongs'

'What does that mean?'

'You would understand when we get to our home,' he said and thought, 'And you would join her as well.'

My God what had he done to her? her heart melted thinking Jyoti suffering.

And the vagueness in his response said something bad has happened to her. Suddenly she felt the thought intolerable.

She stared at the road unwinding from beneath the vehicle and breathed heavily. Her hollering and screaming in that lonely house, his tantrums played a vivid picture in her mind; and Jyoti might have gone through that, or WORSE - angered every cell of hers.

She had to make sure Jyoti was alright. She had to make sure that at once.

The urge made her fingers tremble. She looked at the side of the roads, she can't make it where they were heading to.

She turned at him who was now looking at his iPhone. She craned her neck and saw some flight symbols and airline names on the screen. He might be checking the next available flight, she thought.

When she was furiously looking for an oppurtunity, the car made a sharp left turn and they both leaned to their left side, and Shakthi on him.

For a moment he lost his balance, holding the iPhone in one hand he grabbed the handle on the other. The car came to an immediate halt on the next signal. Prakash released his grip on the handle and used that hand to search his pocket for something.

Shakthi intensely watched the light turn yellow and the driver was getting ready to start the car. In a quick motion, she grabbed the iPhone from Prakash, which he was carelessly holding. With the back of the phone slightly inching outside her grip, she gave a hard blow on his nose.

The unprepared attack, the excruciating pain and the shock caught him off guard. Using that split second gap Shakthi opened the door of the car that was already in the move as the light turned green. She jumped out and ran couple of steps with the car due to momentum. Then her basket-ball trained legs picked up the speed. Like a passby wind she was out of there.

Prakash shouted, 'You Bi***' and yelled at the driver, 'Stop the car you IDIOT'

The driver screeched stopped the car at the road side, and shouted back, 'Hey... Watch your mouth.'

Ignoring his comment Prakash ordered, 'Turn back... She ran into that street... follow her'

'Yeah right,' he scoffed and continued, 'Like I have no better things to do. Settle my money and you run chasing behind her.'

He groaned, threw few notes and got out of the car. Suddenly realising that he might need her passport and not knowing in which bag her passport might be he had to carry all her bags. Now he was standing in the roadside, with luggages, bloody nose without even a mobile to call another taxi.

Shakthi without any idea where she was running, didn't dare to stop. She kept running till her legs got tired.

She then saw a park and ran into it. There were few trees here and there which gave her a good hiding place. Sitting behind a tree, leaning on it, gasping for breathe she looked at the mobile.

Wiping her forehead, she fiddled with the phone and finally brought it to live. Then she entered Jyoti's number she had memorised. There were series of 'Not Reachable' messages.

After few attempts she felt her whole body got exhausted. Involuntarily her hand fell down, and she cried aloud, 'Oh poor Jyoti.... Jyoti.... What happened to you.... Oh dear... '

Arjun who was following the taxi which Shakthi and Prakash got into, saw Shakthi escaping herself from the car from long distance. Carefully he took a turn and followed Shakthi. He saw her running furiously and was shocked to see her speed.

As she entered a park, he parked the car in a distance and ran into the park. As he neared the trees, he heard her crying. In few steps he reached her.

Shakthi didn't show a shock on seeing him but continued crying.

'Its alright Shakthi... its alright... I will get you somewhere safe now,' he consoled her.

She swayed her head and between sobs said, 'Jo.... Jyoti.... '

He understood what she was trying to say. He allowed her a minute to calm down and asked, 'Did you call her'

'Its...her phone.. can't be reached....,' she said rubbing her cheeks.

'Do you know any other number to call? '

She closed her eyes and tried to remember. Suddenly she opened her eyes and her face turned bright instantly.

'Yes,' she shouted 'Yes... I know ... Sachin's number. Its the next number of Jyoti's.. He got that phone for her... ,' she was typing the number as she was speaking.

'I have called police when I was driving. I will wait nearby the road in case they come searching for us. You stay here, ok?,' he said and left the place.

She nodded and anxiously wished for the phone to ring. In few seconds the phone started to ring on the other side.

* * *

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With one quick motion Sachin opened the door in Prakash's house. The next second he stood there gaped at the sight of what he saw inside.

In middle of several electronic machines, hundreds of magnetic tapes strewn around, with earphone clinged to her ears, Jyoti was listening to something from a small handheld device.

She turned abruptly when the door opened. Her face brightened seeing Sachin standing there and shouted, 'Hey Sachin... You came.....' She got up.

Hiding his eyes with his left hand, clutching his knees he slowly crashed down. She ran towards him and held him in her arms. Then slowly shaking him she asked, 'Hey .. you alright?'

His shoulders shook as he wept inconsolably. She hugged him tight and stroked his back.

Then slowly he asked, 'I shouted your name' in a pathetic voice.

'Sorry.... I was listening to these...' she pointed the tapes.

He rubbed his face and sat there trying to relax. 'I will fetch you some water,' she ran to the kitchen and came with a glass of water.

'Are you alright? I was afraid... ... ,' he said.

'Yeah, I am,' she said and as stroking his shoulders gently she told what happened the previous day.

* * *

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''So why do you think so Jyoti?', Prakash asked as his face went dark and eyes drilling hers. The nerves in the temples popped up and his breathing was audible.

'Bhaiya... I don't think like that... But ... erm.. I don't know why I ask that... I swear.... I don't know... I take it back... ', she said horror filled.

'Well, this is the attitude I definitely don't want around...', he said dropping the bags near the door.

The damage was done, she knew. Now she has to find a way to talk him out of the emotional charade he would go through now.

Gathering courage after deciding to fight back till she could, 'Bhaiya... Why do you lie to me?', she asked.

'Lie?'

'Bhaiya, its me .... Jyoti... your kid sister.... ', she said tapping her chest. 'You can tell me anything... Who in the world would understand you more than me?,' she walked forward and looked straight to his face keenly observing his reaction. The instant relax assured her, its working!

'You? you the Double-dealer?,' he asked scoffing.

'If I didn't do what I have did, you would be behind the bars by now', she uttered the words not entirely sure of what to speak next. Whatever confidence that made her to speak was getting extra body as she saw Prakash listening attentively.

'What do you mean?'

'Shakthi has filed a case requesting to investigate her father's death. I got to know that when she first approached me asking for help. I wanted to stop her so I pretended...--'

'There is no way she would doubt like that,' he scoffed.

'You think you know everything because you listened to her every movement? Then how did you miss her talking with me? That's how you missed that too'

He kept quiet and nodded as if asking her to go on.

She remembered what Sachin told about inducing heart attack, and hoped it would work now, 'Shakthi said that the police would arrange for a postmortem. I wanted to save you, that's all it occurred in my mind. So I talked her out of it. It seemed getting out of here was her priority than to investigate her father's death. So it was easy for me. I thought I saved you. '

She asked again, 'Did you do it? '

He raised his head and looked at her, 'Did you kill her father?'

Grabbing the bag, he stepped out of the house, in a firm voice he said, 'I had to'.

The next second the house was locked and he was gone.

* * *
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'Wow, and he just believed you and didn't hurt you?,' Sachin asked thoughtfully.

'Yeah, it was hard for me at first to believe too'

'What are you going to do now?'

'I first have to alert Shakthi,' she said and looked at him, 'How did you get in?'

'Through the french window behind the house. So you were inside the home and didn't attempt to escape?'

'I would've... I had to find some evidence before leaving'

'Evidence for what? Were you thinking of calling him in?'

'Yes! '

'But I thought you loved him,' Sachin asked bewildered.

'I do. And that's why I am doing it. He has to be treated. And being outside roaming freely, he never would give in for treatment. After he got arrested, I will claim insanity for him and be with him till he was completely cured, no matter how many years that takes, ' she said.

Sachin looked at her for a minute and asked again, 'How to alert Shakthi?'

'I don't know. I don't have a contact number of her. And he won't return here unless he finds her. I just hope that he should find her and they both should return here, safely. Meanwhile I find an evidence and inform police'

'Why not request a postmortem as you said to him?'

'I am going to do that. To start the process fast I need to tell the police how danger he is!'

'Hmm you don't have to worry about that. I have already called them when I started, they will be coming any minute now'

Minutes passed as they gathered the tapes in the bag and rummaging through the things in the other bags. Sachin's phone vibrated. He kept the bag down and answered the phone.

'Sachin here'

'Good God Sachin... Its Shakthi... Is Jyoti alright?,' voice of a terribly frightened Shakthi blared.

He looked at Jyoti and said nervously, 'Its Shakthi' pointing the phone.

* * *
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As soon as he got down the taxi, Prakash opened the bags and looked for her passport. It was not that easy in the dark and the useless gloomy lights. Finally, he found it inside the second bag. Securing it inside his coat he went running into the street where he saw Shakthi going.

From there on he followed his instinct and ran the length of the street until he started to gasp for breath. He stopped for a moment and looked around for a clue. The right side of the road was lined with the cars, in front of him was a big park and the left side of the road was empty, except for one parked car.

The car was parked haphazardly and it looked fishy. She is here, he confirmed and looked at the park. Its too open, she can't possibly went inside, he thought, as he averted his eyes away from the park they stood fixed on the series of trees, though not dense woods, yet perfectly capable of hiding a person.

He kept exchanging his looks from the road to the trees, finally trusting his instinct he raced towards the trees.

He sharpened his ears through the absolute stillness of the park. There wasn't even a mild noise as such for there was no sign of breeze. He drew his coat zipper open as he was sweating inspite of the cold weather.

If she was here, she would be crouching down behind a tree looking out for him, he expected. It took a queasy whole minute for his eyes to get adjusted to the dark.

Standing behind a tree himself, he slowly moved and took a step sideways to see the other trees. For his eyes anticipated a scene of dense bushes and the other fat trees, was totally shocked when he saw Shakthi standing straight few feets in front of him, directly looking at him.

He quickly explored the area around her. Her black winter coat and black jean has compromised itself with the dark background. All he saw was her dour face and closed fist.

There was no fear in her eyes, but a challenge; there was no sadness in her face, but an avenge; there wasn't any weakness in her body, but the stamina of a battler.

The concentration in the face suppressed the emotions fighting to surface. At once he felt like thousands of army men crowding around him and closing the distance together; like the whole environment demanded his attention; like every single object around him was a potential danger. It was much later he had realised what that feeling is.

Fear.

Taking in her immobility and silence, at one point when it all became unendurable, he felt it. He had that immense urge to break the lancinating waves produced.

He stepped forward, but still couldn't find a word to speak out loud.

'You killed my father,' she said stressing every syllable. He could see the teeth stayed fixed as her lips moving, that accentuated the message. The lips quivered as if there was something more, but her moistened eyes demanded for a response.

The words went through him and reached every part of his body. Every nerve made a full twist to tremble him with pain when he realised that he was distanced from her, forever. And it couldn't be repaired. No matter what he does or force.

He lost it! He lost the battle!

He stood there like a single soldier in front of whole enemy army, with his power been robbed, waiting for the arrows to be intruded in his heart.

Anger beaming from her eyes, she walked forward, each step far from the previous one.

'What did the poor old man do to deserve that?,' she said walking in the same pace.

The letters on the newspaper that her father penned in his last minute of life to save her, she foolishly mistook his message, and living with her enemy so long, worst of all, fearing him - boiled her blood. Her milk white eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

If they had wondered why there was no breeze, they could have got the answer now, for it started to drizzle.

'Shakthi, ' he said feebly and found it didn't affect her anyway.

Before he could speak the next word, like a lightning she threw herself on him. In a sharp, forced blow from her right fist, his nose bursted and splashed blood.

He covered his nose and growled with pain.

'How does it feel when happening to you?,' she shouted in high pitch.

Though he could grab her in an arm and stop her, he was surprised that he couldn't do it. He felt himself like an obedient student in front of a teacher.

'Let me explain you Shakthi,' he begged wiping the blood off his face.

'Explain..,' she squalled, 'Explain my loss; Explain my life with you; Explain my tears; Explain my love; Explain my stupidity,' holding both the hands together and gave another intensified blow on his face by making a slight jump. He took the blow very deeply in his ears and left with a lengthy bleep in his brain.

She seemed to have no brake on her. Prakash determined to stop her and as he moved forward, he alarmed her, for she looked around agitated and pulled a wooden log that was planted in the ground and tied to the nearby tender tree to support it to grow straight. With her left hand he removed the rubber rope and in one full swing she reached for his hand, as he held out to grab the log. This time she directly hit the back of his elbow, which made him to crouch down in pain.

Arjun who was waiting on the road, now joined by a police man. He guided him into the park where he was sitting with Shakthi. As they both neared the tree, they heard Shakthi's screaming, though they couldn't hear exactly what she was speaking.

Arjun shook up and cried, 'Officer, he is dangerous. He is hurting her... He is a Psychopath.....'

That's it. The officer immediately drew his gun and prepared it for action.

Shakthi could see in the dim street light Arjun and a police officer running from the road. However they couldn't see neither Prakash nor Shakthi in the pitch dark behind the dense trees. Prakash pulled himself up straight and quickly rushed towards Shakthi, the motion that Shakthi stopped with another blow on his kneecap.

The policeman fixed his eyes straight and walked forward carefully pointing the gun forward with extra attention.

Prakash realised the situation, gathered enough strength to pull himself up and dragged him away from Shakthi.

In another few steps Arjun and the policeman can see the silhouette of a man. He was not standing straight, and at that far they couldn't see him clearly.

Shakthi saw what he was doing. Then biting her lips hard and swallowing hurriedly, she called in a husky voice making sure that Prakash alone hears it, 'Prakash, I am sorry.'

Prakash stopped, turned back and looked at her smiling at him, with tears running down her cheek. A sudden warmth filled his heart. The pain seemed to evaporate at once and he wanted to hug her tightly pleading for her forgiveness.

Arjun and the policeman stopped short seeing why he was turning back, and was wondering where Shakthi was.

With low voice she added, 'I love you Prakash'.

He closed his eyes and held out his arms straight asking her to come. The other two saw the silhoutte of Prakash reaching his arm forward and presumed danger.

Hoarsely, gnashing her teeth together she said, 'There..... you heard what you wanted to hear.... for what you killed my father... and .... THAT is the end of your life... You selfish demon.'

Still having his arms stretched, he listened to her confused.

The next second, Shakthi hollered from her stomach, 'HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP..... He is having a GUNNNNNN.'

The next moment, the officer pulled the trigger, once, twice, thrice...

Prakash, with his eyes wide opened, staring at Shakthi, body jerking with the force of the bullet, fell down like a tree.

Shakthi stood there watching his fall, without flinching a bit.

Then she took her steps forward and looked at his face. As he was trying hard to pull his last breath, he spit the last words, 'I'm.. nah...dying..... orphan..... ,' gasping he added, 'you... my... fami...fami...y.'

Inspite of the pain, he tried to smile. He did smile.

Then his breathing stopped.

* * *

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'That's my final boarding call,' Shakthi said grabbing her bags.

Arjun stood with her and said smiling, 'Take care Shakthi. Let me know once you reach Cochin'

'I will... Don't forget to visit me when you come to India'

He nodded and thought, If it was meant to be, they would meet again; she would still be available; and his feelings would still be strong and undisturbed... Yes.. if it was meant to be.

He watched her as she walked towards the gate.

The End

Dear Readers,

I can't thank you all enough for being so patient with me so long and for your lovely, encouraging feedbacks. I tried my level best to come up with this story. Silent readers, please share your feedbacks, because that would be very helpful and motivating for a beginner like me...

Hope you enjoyed reading the chapters.

See you all soon...

With Love,
ILT
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