The Return of Passion (Complete)

Chapter 17

NIHAR

Kalki koechlin.

He watched kalki koechlin walking down the ramp as the show stopper stealing the breathe away from the crowd. There was an uproar of applauding as she posed for the cameras and for the third time he pressed the call button on his phone.

'Pick up the phone! Please! Please! I just need to hear your voice. '

And as though his wish was granted, someone picked the phone up.....but it wasn't her.

"Hello. " It was his asshole cousin. Dhruv's blood ran cold. Why would he pick up Alisha's phone?

"Where's she? " He gritted out.

"She is with me now quite calling! "

"Give her the damn phone! I need to talk to her! " He hissed.

"You can't talk to her right now! She is resting. I will tell her to call you tomorrow morning. " Dhruv was taken aback with his calm attitude.

"W-why is she resting? Is she alright? "

"Yes, yea she's alright and so is our baby. " He could imagine the smug smile that spread across his cousin's face right then.

He lost!

***

The second night was a hit too. Kalki kolechin had taken everybody's breath away being the show stopper for the night. The night chosen for the theam of 'light and darkness' where all the dresses designed were around the shades of black and white.

And boy did it was super-duper hit! Because last night was about the' awws' and 'oos' but tonight was anything but. It was whistle worthy.

But what made it a relaxing and celebrating moment is that Alisha's absence went unnoticed.

"Do you think we should go to her house and know if she is okay? " Shalini spoke, sipping on the red wine leaning her back on the table.

Dhruv turned around with a spectical look with his own glass of vodka in his hand. They were in his office and it was almost one in the morning. "Are you kidding me? Do you seriously think she is okay and is at her house? "

Shalini frowned.

"Of course she is not!" He drowned the whole glass at one go.

"You think she's in problem? " Shalini asked not sure if it was just a drunken rambling or it's serious. At half past midnight when the last of the guest left and there were only a few of the designers and workers around to prepare for the last day ramp. Dhruv asked her if she would like to have a drink.

She said yes and from last half an hour all she is doing is twirling the wine around and round in her glass and watch him drinking like a maniac. So, yes there's a chance that it's just a drunken lover's heart doing rubbish rambling because she didn't show up tonight!

"I am damn sure she is in some deep s**t again involving her asshole ex-husband! "

Shalini rolled her eyes. "So why not let's go out and check for yourself! Com'on!" She put down her glass and tried to pull him by his arms to the door.

As he shrugged his arms away and downed another glass of vodka into his throat.

"No!"

"Why not? It's just fair being friends that we check up on her and help her to get out of problem if she is in one at all!"

"I am not sure she would like our presence there! " He spoke, pouring another glass of vodka.

"Where?!"

"Just forget about it! " he raised the glass to his lips when she caught his wrist.

"Stop drinking like that! And why do I feel like you know something that I don't? You know where exactly she is. Don't you? "

"Yes she is in the hospital with her EX-husband and HIS child! "

***

"Hey! " Shalini softly spoke, opening the door to Alisha's hospital suite. Meeting eyes with her bright red ones. The eye liner was smudged all around. The lips redder than ever.

She was sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, wearing the light blue hospital gown, her hair still adorned with a strand of Jasmine flower.

"Uhh...Alisha can-can I come in? " Entering into the room she turned back to signal Dhruv who followed her inside.

"Are you alright? "It was the first thing Dhruv asked taking in her appearance.

"Do I look like, I am alright? " She hissed. "Just-just tell him to leave me alone and I would be fine! " she swiped away the tears from the back of her hands.

And that is when Dhruv and Shalini were aware of the presence of a fourth person in the room.

Aditya Singhania.

"You asshole! " It was just a moment before Dhruv was charging forward for the neck of his cousin who sat on the couch beside the wall as immobile as a rock.

He pulled him up by his collar and hit him to the wall with as much force as he could. Before plunging straight for his neck. "How dare you ruin her once again! " Aditya tore him off from himself before averting his eyes somewhere else once again. And this non chalence attitude from him angered Dhruv more.

"Ali...see this is our personal matter! So please tell these people to do not interfere in it, henceforth! " He glazed at her with utmost emotion. "Please! "

"Why don't you just leave me alone? I am piting myself right now that......you just keep on ruining my life again and....again...and....again and I-I can't do anything about it but watch it all getting destroyed.... as a spectator!" She sobbed, hiding her face away between her knees.

Shalini sat beside her running a soothing hand down her back.

"I am not going anywhere without you! " He repeated in the same stony voice.

"I-I HATE YOU!!!" She yelled back at his face. "AND I REPEAT I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU ANYMORE! "

"And I am repeating it myself Ali" he went near her bed speaking softly. "I want you back! And I will have you back! " And saw her flinching away!

"Uh..uh" Shalini cleared her throat. "Mr. Singhania....I apologize for speaking in a matter that's....seriously none of my business...but would you mind giving us a moment alone. Because Alisha needs to know herself first..... that what she actually wants!"

Watching Aditya hesitating to leave she spoke again, "I assure you that we aren't against you! We are just trying to help Ali."

Nodding slightly, although still a little hesitant Aditya was out from the front door next moment.

"Alisha? What happened? "

"This-this was supposed to be a good news! " Alisha pressed her fingers on her womb. "And he ruined it too!" Tears knew no bounds as she leaned back on the pillows behind her.

"Okay first tell me! Is it true that.......this baby is his?"

"Yes, he paid my doctor to do his dirty work. "

There was silence for a long time before Shalini broke the ice. "Dhruv had told it all to me when we were in the car.... about how your divorce happened and about your daughter! "

"I just don't know what to do! HOW TO GET RID OF HIM! " She pressed her fingers on her forehead, immensely frustrated with the situation she was in. "I can't take it anymore! I just want to live my life in peace with....my baby."

Shalini looked around the room. It was a strange situation around her. The negativity, anger and sadness surrounding them. Each one around her was unhappy and distraught!

The girl who sat in front of her was distraught because she was carrying the baby of her ex-husband and who wanted her back.

The man beside her, the supposedly CEO of a large company sat there looking as broken as ever because he had fell in love with the ex-wife of his cousin and now she was pregnant!

And the third one, the man who just walked out was the complex of all perhaps because there's no way in hell was Alisha was going to go back to him!

But everyone here deserves to be happy. Doesn't they?

"I have a plan! " she spoke after what felt like a long-long time. And the next moment both pair of eyes were on her. "To get rid of your ex-husband."

"What?" Dhruv seemed more eager.

"You have to pretend to give him a chance. "

"And how would that help?" Alisha asked.

"From what I heard of him, he has a tendency to blame every tragedy of his life on someone else. Like he blamed you for the death of your daughter and called for divorce. So why don't you blame it back on him and get rid of him for once and for all! "

And then for the next several minutes she spent explaining her plan to both of them.

"What the heck? This is bullshit! " He roared getting up.

"No it is not! "Shalini piqued. "It is the safest and the best way to get rid of him! "

And watched as Dhruv stormed off the room in a furious frenzy. After all he was forced to see the woman he loved to go back to another man. It wasn't going to be easy! It wasn't supposed to be.

And he blamed it all on that Shalini! She is the one, making such plans!

But little did he knew that it was a plan she had made solely protecting HIM! It was a useless obsession with Alisha he had fell into which was doing nothing but hurting him and would do so more with time. So it was better to rip off the band aid at once harshly than picking on it little by little.

And for the rest of the two....they could choose whatever they want hereafter!

Shalini looked back at Alisha after a long time. "Let's go. I will drop you off at your home. And tell Aditya you would tell him about your decision tomorrow..........You need to rest. Com'on...tomorrow is going to be a long-long day! "

***

CHRISTMAS

25TH DECEMBER

He fixed his tuxedo for the last time before shutting the door to his bedroom.

Tonight was either going to leave him with nothing or life was going to offer him back everything that he had lost!

Slipping inside the limo he indicated his driver to start the car. At normal instances he prefers to drive on his own but tonight was in no way normal. And he wasn't in the right mind either to drive.

His hands were shaking in excitation and his heart had barely came down from the erratic beating it had caught on from last night after hearing her words.

"I will think about us. "She had told him before leaving with her friend. And all his thoughts have gone haywire just listening to her, 'us'.

"Just for the baby! " she had added. But he had brushed it off, there will be so many instances later to change her mind.

For now he just need her to give that 'us' a chance.

With a shaky breathe, he opened the door to his car ready to be swiped up into the world of lime light once again.

The agleam, lustrous building adorned in a classy Christmas way.

Thousands of paper snowflakes hanging low over his head with small glowing candle holders. There was even a large x'mas tree with all the stars and lights around it.

But his eyes weren't at the embellishment around, not even at the people of Bollywood and politicians decked up at the finest.

There was an announcement for everyone to take their seats. The lights were dimming, and Aditya knew it was time.

Taking his cue, he asked a waiter offering refreshments about the direction of the back stage making a run for it.

It was now or never!