He traveled through the night and reached Palampur just before dawn. The house was quiet, yet a lamp burned in the upstairs bedroom. He raced up, three steps at a time, and dashed in. As expected, he found Aditi pacing the room restlessly.

"You are back!" She rushed to him the moment she saw him. He gathered her in his arms.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have left. I didn't know it will get this bad."

"It's ok," she shook her head as her hand rose to touch his cheek. "It was my fault. I had to report Mohit and from there it kind of spiraled out of my hands. But your anticipatory bail helped." Yes, thanks to his foresight, she was not arrested. She had been to the station and back a few times but at least, they had managed to keep her out.

Pulling her in, he gazed into her eyes. He had to make the most of these moments. She had promised him they would have more time, but it felt like it was not up to them. His task in Delhi had failed. They had hours, maybe days before the police again arrived at their doorstep.

"Come now. You freshen up and I'll get you some warm milk." She patted his arm, then tried to move away. He shook his head.

"No. Let's...talk. There are so many things I want to say that I should have said before. Let me say them now." He led her to the sofa and sat, hugging her close to his chest. She looked surprised.

"What things?"

"Like the time I said I did not love you. When I said you are not my first or second choice, it was all wrong. I did not mean it like that."

She sighed. "It's not important. It was so long ago. Why are you still thinking about it?"

"It is important for me. I must get it out. What I meant at the time was that...you may not be my first or second choice, but you are my last. There won't be anyone after you."

Her eyes took a sheen of mist. "Then I too have to say the same. You are my first and the last. There was never anyone else nor it ever would be."

That much reassurance was enough for him. Pulling her closer he sealed the deal with his lips. The time after that was to cherish for life. There was no past to regret, no future to worry about, just the moments with each other in which to live their life.

Morning came with the news of Dalpat Raisingh's arrival. His first visit was to the police station to bail out Nehal. Next, he headed to the Sharma Residence with a team of police officers and lawyers in tow.

*****

He arrived as if he owned the place. The servants didn't dare to stop him. Zorawar's men stood dumbstruck, looking at each other for a clue as to how to handle this unwanted guest. Standing in the lounge, with a shocked Aditi beside him, Darsh wondered what this was all about. Dalpat Raisingh didn't just arrive with lawyers and police, behind him were two men carrying large, gift-wrapped boxes and bags.

"So, where is my grandson?" He roared as he looked around. Darsh stepped forward, stopping the man's advance a few feet from Aditi.

"I think you are going senile in your old age Mr. Raisingh. In case you have forgotten, Vivaan is not here. You discharged him a year ago and sent him to the US."

For a moment, the man stilled. His eyes went over him from head to toe. The look in his eyes was hard, contemptuous, yet ruminating. Then he smiled.

"I am glad you keep a tab on me, son, I'd expect no less from you. But I am not talking about Vivaan. I am talking about my other grandson. Neev."

By the time his words made sense, little Neev raced into the room. Darsh watched as the drama unfolded in front of their eyes. Dalpat Raisingh had come bearing gifts for his 'grandson' - toys, sweets, clothes. A golden chain with a pendant that looked suspiciously like a family heirloom.

"Aren't you as handsome as your grandpa! " Dalpat Raisingh put the pendant around Neev's neck and kissed his cheeks. Darsh stiffened.

"Hold on Mr. Raisingh. Stay away from my son. And he doesn’t need gifts from a stranger." He shot forward to snatch Neev back from the man’s clutches. Dalpat Raisingh tutted.

"But I am not a stranger, Darsh. I am your very own. How, might you ask? Maybe you can ask that question to your mother. And in the meanwhile, I want to see my old friend. It's been ages since we had a good chat."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

*****

Dalpat climbed up the stairs to his friend's room, his eyes leisurely sweeping around the sprawling property. He had missed it for the past three years. All his life, he had spent in luxury, living in the richest and most sumptuous places, but nothing compared to the feel of this place. Wealth was not just wealth here. It had an auspicious, ageless aura, as if Goddess Laxmi herself had blessed this place with her pious presence.

He still remembered the day his father brought him here for the very first time. They were given a tour of the estates - the grand mansion, the vast stables teaming with the most magnificent horses, and miles and miles of fertile land blessed with nature's bounty. Downstairs, in a special room was the temple, housing the family Gods. Fresh breeze whistled through the rooms carrying the scent of incense. Bright light filled every corner abolishing every darkness. There was no evil here. Everything was pure, divine, and blissful in its abundance. People's faces too shone with contented smiles. There was a rare devotion for their owner that had somehow imprinted itself in his young heart.

That was the first time Dalpat had experienced lust. At twelve, he hadn't understood it, but later he could place the emotion very well. It was a carnal desire, a visceral longing to possess, control, and subjugate. All his life he had plotted to get a foothold. If Balwant had a sister, he would have married her himself. If Balwant had a daughter, he would have made Kabeer marry her. Alas, he had to wait for the third generation to reach that point. And even then, he had nearly missed that chance.

Smirking to himself, he pushed open the door. Luckily, the tables had turned. Where his son and grandson had failed, his bastard had achieved that impossible feat. It was time to celebrate, to rub in that proverbial salt in his friend’s face.

"Today I win, and you lose." Dalpat walked in to sit on the bedside chaise. Sitting in his bed, propped against his pillows, Balwant looked confused.

"Huh?"

"You rejected Vivaan. You tried your best to wriggle out of your promise but today I have achieved what I always wanted. This estate will have a Raisingh name on it. The Sharma name will be erased and this place will belong to me."

To his surprise, Balwant's face cleared. It took a shrewd, knowing look that raised his hackles.

"Don’t celebrate prematurely, Dalpat. The race is not over yet, and I never put my money on a losing horse."

"This time you have already lost." Dalpat laughed. "Because this time you bet on the wrong horse. Your son-in-law is my bastard, and all that is left for me is to stamp my name on him."

*****

It was a dark, sunless evening. Rain poured, lashing at the windowpanes with uncontrolled outbursts. Darsh gazed out the study window, his hands tied behind his back in a tight knot. A few minutes ago, he'd had a chat with his mother. It was a very short conversation – a few uncomfortable questions and some equally uncomfortable answers. Even now he could hear the shame in her voice. Even from here, he could picture her innocent face, riddled with guilt and sadness.

“It was him. He is your father. Only he can save you from this. Just do what he wants.”

Behind him, a lawyer cleared his throat.

"You see Mr. Rathore, it’s all very straightforward. Mr. Raisingh wants to officially adopt you. That is his condition to drop the lawsuit. You’ll have to change your name from Darsh Karuna Rathore to Darsh Dalpat Raisingh. All your official documents must reflect the change. All your issues, present and future, must carry forward the name."

All his children must carry forward the name of his rapist father. Revulsion surged through his gut. "And if I don't?"

"Then Mr. Raisingh will be left with no option but to pursue the bridge case. You and your wife will be jailed. Your child will have no one to look after him. Mr. Raisingh is of course generous enough to take Neev under his wings, but I doubt you appreciate the gesture."

He did not. He could not tolerate Dalpat Raisingh within ten miles of Neev. Neev will have to live with his mother, but will Dalpat Raisingh let them live peacefully? Was there anyone who could withstand Dalpat Raisingh? Not Ravi Chachu, not his mother, not even the old and frail Balwant Sharma. Tired, Darsh closed his eyes. He had never felt such helplessness. Impotent was a better word. It was ridiculous, but that was how he felt at this moment.

Hours passed. Dalpat Raisingh had left. Aditi tottered around the house, bright-eyed, face plastered with an unnatural smile. One moment she was caring for Dadaji, another moment she was with Neev. The next moment she came to him to offer some solace. He wanted to hide in some deep dark cave. So much for his worldly-wise ways, so much for his cunning mind. Today he had truly met his match.

“It doesn’t matter. Had I married Vivaan, I’d be a Raisingh anyway. Let’s just do what he says and finish the matter. At least we all will be together.”

*****

It was late in the night when he went to Dadaji’s room. The man had trusted him in vain. He had failed, utterly and abominably.

"You made a mistake. You should not have chosen me for Aditi."

The man's face remained serene. "I said this to Dalpat, and I am saying this to you - I never gamble on a losing horse. You are fortunate that he is offering you those terms. Someone else in your place might not have been that lucky."

Darsh stilled, frowning at the old man's face. "So…you knew it? You knew Dalpat Raisingh is my father?"

Balwant shook his head. "I knew it the first day I enquired about you. Aditi was back from Badari and was clearly in love. I had to know everything about you and my sources never fail me. I combed your life thirty years backward, then went a year further back. What I uncovered, disgusted me, not for you but for the man I called a lifelong friend. But later as I thought about it, I realized you were a godsend. I could not have found a better match for Aditi.”

Darsh left the man to go stand near the window. He was not sure just now it was a good idea to show his face. All his pride was in ruins, and his self-respect was shattered. He wasn’t chosen for his qualities after all. The only qualification that mattered was his paternity.

“I’ll take your leave.”

"Calm down, Boy. No need to take this to your heart. You do not know Dalpat as I do. If he was not your father, you and Aditi would both be in prison, I would be dead, and Dalpat would be ruling this place as Neev's legal guardian. Be grateful he is allowing you this leeway."

Be grateful. Yeah, sure. He left the man to his ramblings and came out. The house was deadly quiet. A lamp burned in the third-floor room, he knew Aditi was waiting for him, but his legs took him to the downstairs guestroom.

***** *****