Entanglement With Fate (Part 2)

22. Three Broken Hearts

"That is the entire problem, Payal. Justice is the same for everyone. It is my father's duty to protect dharma. So is mine for I'm his child."

There was a few moments of silence when there was a sound of something crashing. Payal sighed. For a second, the smile disappeared from her face.

Was it Aakram?

I got the answer when the devil himself showed up. Really drunk. I was worried about Payal. She clutched her dupatta's end, a bit nervous. Payal was quick to pick up the idol. She didn't care for the rest.

"Tell me something, Charu, why is that chhaliya so important to you?" He asked in his drunken stupor.

"Listen, just leave the idol alone," Payal told him.

"Just once, Charu, just once try and understand what I'm telling you."

Payal was annoyed and tried to walk out but Aakram grabbed her dupatta.

"Let it go. I don't want to entertain any arguments with you when you're drunk. You are in no condition to even listen. You'll burst out into temper again and break stuff."

"Then why do you make me angry?"

Payal wanted to scream at him but took a deep breath and calmed himself.

I sort of realized something. All of the family was totally nuts about trying to force their way into the lives of the girls who didn't want to do anything with them. Virat wanted to impress maa. Aakram was rather trying to force himself on Payal and Nandini wanted to convince me to abandon my family and go with her.

"You might want to let go of her dupatta," I commented.

The first time since he had entered the room, his eyes fell over me.

"Who are you and how did you dare enter Charu's room?" He asked.

"Ummm... I'm not in Charu's room. I'm technically in Payal's room." I commented. He grabbed up a dagger but Payal quickly dashed before.

"Aakram, calm down. She's just here on Shukracharya's orders. She's a bit new here." She defended me.

Aakram laughed for a few moments. "You would save the entire world but not even once try to side with me, would you?"

"You're drunk. Just sleep." Payal pointed him to the bed.

"You would join me?" He asked me. Payal sighed.

"No. You need to sleep. Not with someone. Just sleep."

"You're still angry? How do I explain to you that I regret what I did?"

"What is he saying?" I asked Payal, holding her hand. That brought an intense reaction out of Aakram.

"Get your hand off me," Payal told me.

"What??"

"Get your hands off me. He will actually tear you apart. One, he's drunk. Two, he is crazy possessive. Three, no one is allowed to touch me."

"Wow... touchy much..." I chuckled. "Calm down, dude. I have no such feelings for her. Relax." I told Aakram.

"You dare touch someone that is mine..." Aakram pushed away Payal.

"Aakram..." She got up and tried to pull him away but none of her strength was enough.

"Will he remember?" I asked Payal.

"Remember what??" Payal asked.

"Yea, well humans generally wouldn't remember most of the things they did while they were drunk. So, I'm asking if he will remember anything he did while he's drunk when he is sober again?"

"No.."

I grabbed up a vase next to me and smashed it on his head and kicked him really hard between his legs, finally smashing his head against a wall. Aakram fell down, knocked unconscious. Several other women in the harem came running.

"Please help. He fell down and went unconscious." They all picked him up and put him on the bed. Almost all of them fanning over him. I almost wanted to puke at their over-affection.

"Did you just-" I stepped on her foot to signal her to shut up.

"Ladies, ladies, it is alright. He's just too drunk and collapsed. It is normal among drunk people. Once he wakes up, he'll be fine." I assured them and shooed them out.

"You knocked him out!!!" She exclaimed in shock.

"What would you have me do, then, Payal? Sing a lullaby to get him to sleep?"

"If he does remember then you're toast. Even Shukracharya wouldn't be able to save you."

"Well, simple then. If he wakes up and seems to remember, then tell him that nothing like that happened. Tell him that he was just hallucinating. It isn't that hard to convince a drunk that he was just dreaming."

"You're asking me to lie to him?"

"No. I'm asking you to confuse him." 

"You think I am a person who can manage to make confusing statements? He's going to find out easily if I try to make up stories." 

"Relax. He might not even remember anything. Let's just hope for that..." 

I sat with her for a while. Talking to her, I realized that her love for dad is based on the Sakha bhava. She believed him to be her best friend. Someone who is her true friend and someone she can be completely honest with. A friend that she was always in the company of. 

I looked at Aakram on the bed, knocked out. Well, I guess there are three heartbroken people in this Patala. Nandini, Aakram and me. Neither of us can ever reach the person we like. Like we're ringing on the wrong network constantly.