D-20

You attracts troubles.

That dream I had. What was the meaning of that? Is it a clear indication that Jayesh killed Seema in the very first time? But in the second time, he was with me. We were at his studio and he was misbehaving with me. Damn, it's so confusing. How to put the pieces right. Jayesh has the g*n which killed Seema but he was with me then also Seema was killed. This murder mystery is getting more and more complicated.

"Piya!"

The nurse glared at Deepak. 

"Piya." His voice lowers.

"Yes, what happened? You look tense."

"Your institute. Loan shark came, and they wanted to seal your building. There is huge chaos. Your staffs aren't able to handle it." He says in a panic voice.

"Where is Jayesh?"

"Don't know. We can't reach him, tried a lot."

Fine, let's go.

***

"What's going on here.... Vast crowd.. Yah.. OMG.. " Voice echos.

"Hey what are you doing. Put that down." I shout at the men who come to confiscate our property. 

They are loading our furniture in the truck. 

"Mam, look, na. They are misbehaving with us. Saying your boss is a fraud and not clearing the debt. They said you hide from them and many more." My staff says.

"You can not do this to us. It's the matter of bank, so let's settle it in the bank as well."

"Oh mam, you delayed your installments. Went absconding. Not picking calls also. Now that we came to your workplace, you showed up. How can we trust you?" The man says.

"There were some problems, please understand. My staff is in hospital."

"Don't give these emotional excuses. I have heard many more stories like this. Tell me, when will you pay your installment?"

"Soon"

"What soon? I want a proper date, okay."

"Listen, I will. I am saying, na. Please tell your men to put them down. Please don't create scenes. I will go to the bank and talk to the manager."

"What's left to talk now. Hey, what happens to your hand. Can't you work faster?" He roars at his men.

He is not gonna stop.

"Bhaiya (brother), please. We have a reputed business. Where we can run? This is a reputed institute please don't ruin it."

I genuinely mean what I said. He felt bad for us too. I can say it because he looked around, saw my staff's sad faces, and the crowd gathered. He lowers his head. He was about to say something. Maybe an order to his men, maybe some advice to me. But he got interrupted by the voice from the crowd.

"She is that same girl, no, who created a scene in front of actress Seema's house." A voice from the crowd.

"Yeah.. right.. she is.." Crowd howling.

"Such a shameless girl she is."

I lower my head. I can not bear this embarrassment. The loan shark sensed my embarrassing feeling. He stopped his men by the gesture. 

"Because of her, our star got so much tizzy."

"Yah, I've heard she is so afraid that she canceled her public appearance." 

"Just because of this girl."

"Yes... yes.."

"Silent, please! What the hell are you all speaking." Deepak tried to calm the crowd.

What's wrong with these people. Why are they getting so violent? They are no-one in my life; they don't know the exact situation, and this is beyond tolerable. 

I walk near to them. They were staring at me with rage. I don't think what I've done is a single percent wrong. I shouldn't be standing there and listen to this bullshit. 

"Thank you all for coming here. You got free entertainment, right? So be happy and go. Or else you'll be charge from now on." I put my both palms together in a namaste posture and says. "Entertainment over, now leave."

"Such a rude girl. You'll never be happy, I am telling you." A lady says.

"You are that lady from that pink building, right?" I ask.

I am so furious now. I won't spare anyone.

She nodded with an attitude.

"Are you happy?"

"Of course yes. What a rubbish question is that?" She giggles along with her as everyone laughs too.

"Every night I hear you whipping. That because you got beaten by your husband. If that's what you call being happy. So I really satisfied not to be."

My word spread a tense vibe all around. She got speechless. The crowd laughed with her now staring at her. I don't intend to insult anyone. But today I couldn't take it anymore. The crowd gave her a sympathetic look. That looks painful to bear than the look of rage on the crowd's face. This sympathy on the faces was a combination of being more content than being sad for her.

"Huh... Fraud girl. Lying about others. What you know about me, haan. Huh.. She is lying. Such a liar."

She tries to defend herself by accusing me. She tries to spark the fire in public.

"Don't you remember she lied to Miss Seema also?" She gave me the look of revenge.

"Yahh.. yes." The crowd started humming.

What's wrong with the public. They switch just like that. This lady is attacking me because of her personal rage. As I reviled the secret of her happy married life. Because of me, she'll be a gossip material. But she started it. I said the truth only. 

"She is not trustworthy at all. This institute shouldn't be in our surroundings." What the hell she's up to.

"Yes... Haan.. hmm." What are they? This crowd is full of mindless people.

"Why? Our institute didn't harm anyone." I defended. My staff joins me too.

"But you are a fraud. Lier." One says.

"I am not a lier."

"Such a lier. She said our actress will die. Our society should not accept this girl."

"What?..Wa."

"A girl who can't keep a promise with the bank is going to tell people their future." They giggle.

"I think, she went to ask money to her." One guy says.

"Yess.."

"When Seema denies to giver her money, she made this story."

"Yes, she needs money. And like she blackmailed the lady, she must have planned to blackmail her.

"Stop it." Deepak says.

"We, won't. What will you do?" The guy reply.

"You..." Deepak punches him. 

The crowd became frenzy in rage. We tried to pull Deepak off. In the meantime, someone grabbed my hand, and when I turned. He was about to hit me. His hand swung up for a slap. I squeezed my head to avoid it. His hand retired to hit me but got stopped by someone. 

"Jayesh!" I mutter.

"Leave her hand." Jayesh says in a really cold and bold tone. 

He looked furious. The guy got scared and loosen the grip. Jayesh gently pulled me back and hide me behind him.

"I am the manager of this institute. I failed to pay the installments. I failed to manage it well. She has nothing to do with it." What is Jayesh up to?

He is taking the blame on his head. Why?

"Whatever I did, will be sorted out in a bank or court. Because the court is where judgment is taken. You people don't have the right to judge people. To choose who to stay in your society and who should not. You don't have the right to behave like this. You don't have the right to punish anyone, even if it is clear that he or she is a culprit. It's the legal authority's work. Not yours." 

On Jayesh's word, all lower their head. 

"Don't you all have work? Please concentrate on your life. Okay. Leave!" He says.

Literary everyone left. And as shown in the Bollywood movies, police enter at the end. Fortunately, the cop had a visual of people leaving. Or else he might have thought nothing occurred here.

"Splendid speech, sir. Respect." Inspector says.

"Your voice is like a lion. I could hear it from far. Such a loud voice. You don't even need a speaker. Wow."

No one replied to the inspector. Jayesh seeks permission to have a discussion with the loan shark. My staff treating Deepak. 

"Miss Trouble attracting pretty lady." Inspector Karan call me.

"Yes"

"Have you heard of rice puller?"

"What?"

"Rice puller?"

"What is that?"

"It is a thing that attracts rice towards it and pulls it. Like a magnet. You are like that."

"How?"

"Like it attracts rice. You attract troubles. Since I met you at the hospital, we are seeing each other every day. You attract troubles and troubled attracts me. Do we attract each other?"

"What rubbish."

"I feel we have a strong connection from the past. Or maybe the future."

I glare at him. Such a strange fellow. Who made him a cop. I doubt.

"