Chapter Twenty Three

4 years ago

K-Shandra

@K-Shandra

Komolika impatiently paced the length of her room. Her irritation with the useless men she had hired grew with each passing day. Prerna was nowhere to be found. Well she had to be somewhere, but since Komolika no longer had access to information at Basu Bari, it made it so much harder to confirm the whereabouts of either Prerna or the baby. Especially given that Anurag had the security around the house changed, and the new guards had received strict instructions that they were not to disclose anything or any information about the inhabitants. All Ronit’s goons had managed to discover was that Prerna had given birth to a girl and that she was not living with her mother in Sharma Niwas.

The only information she had was that Anurag returned home daily, which indicated that Prerna and the baby had be in the house.

“No, this does not make any sense. Prerna should have put in an appearance somewhere already. Where are you Prerna? I intend to exact my revenge for what you have done to me.” Komolika seethed moments before her phone rang,  She irritably checked the caller id and then answered, snapping, “You’d better have a good reason for phoning me.”  

The man on the other side of the line replied, “I believe we have found her.”

“Really?”Komolika excitedly replied, then demanded, “Where is she?”

“She’s at the mall, it seems she’s meeting someone.”

“Send me the location and wait for my instructions. I don’t need you guys goofing this one up.”

“Yes!”Komolika exclaimed as she ended the call. “I knew you’d show up somewhere,Prerna.”    

Prerna met up with Kukhi at the coffee shop. Prerna had hardly placed Sneha down before Kukhi exclaimed, “Ma!” and hugged her tightly around her waist.

Prerna instinctively hugged the girl back before pushing aside the hair tendrils that fell across the girl’s face, asking, “And how are you?”

“I’m good.”Kukhi said and then pointed to the carrier and said, “Want to see.”

Prerna smiled and moved the carrier, lifting the receiver out of the way to allow Kukhi to see Sheha. Kukhi flatly stated, “She is a girl like me.”

Prerna smiled and nodded.

“So she is my sister.” Kukhi flatly declared, her tone was firm just like her father’s.

Prerna did not know how she could explain the situation to the girl so she simply nodded in agreement.

Kukhi was instantly thrilled and said, “Now I can tell Nimmi I also have a sister.”

“Come have something before you go shopping,” Khukhi’s caretaker said, inviting Prerna to sit with them.

Prerna quickly caught up with things with Kukhi and discussed what the girl needed to get, they then made a list of stores they would visit. However when they made to leave to the nominated store Kukhi’s caretaker said, “Leave the baby herewith me, you two can go. That way you won’t be burdened with her while selecting things for Kukhi.”

Prerna hesitated for a moment, not wanting to entrust Sneha safety with anyone, even if the woman was a registered child minder with all the required clearances.However Kukhi was quick to agree, and Prerna quickly realised the logic behind the suggestion. Dragging Sneha form store to store would take up time and she would have to be fed and changed at some stage as well.

“You have my number, right?” Prerna asked.

“Yes,”

“Call me when she wakes, it’s nearly feeding time.”

“I will do that.”

A while later Sonalika approached the childminder and with a sugar syrupy voice said,“This is Prena’s baby, right?”

The woman looked at her in confusion, but eventually nodded, “Yes, that’s right.”

“You mind?”Komolika asked indicating to the carrier. Komolika immediately sensed the woman’s resistance and knew she needed to be a great deal more persuasive if the woman would allow her any access to the baby.  Komolika smiled and added, “I haven’t seen her since the naming ceremony.”

The woman finally agreed and opened up to allow Komolika to look at a sleeping Sneha   

‘So this is the little brat he left me for. She’s not even that beautiful. I should think of a way to get her away form this woman, Prerna would be besides herself, and India is a big country, she would spend a lifetime looking for her daughter.’

Unknown to Komolika, her actions were recorded by the man tasked with ensuring the safety both Prerna and Sneha. He stopped recording and phoned Anurag.

“Good morning sir, I am here at the mall with your wife and daughter.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“Your wife left your daughter with the childminder and Ms. Sonalika is now with the childminder.”

An alarmed Anurag instantly asked, “Which childminder? We don’t have a childminder.”

“The other little girl’s companion.”

“Oh, and you say Komolika is there with them?”

“I have recorded her interaction as you requested, I think she is trying to convince the woman to let her hold the baby.”

“No! Never.Intervene if you must, I don’t care if she learns that Prerna has protection.It might just get her to back off… chances are Ronit is there as well.  ”

“What must I do?”

“Walk over to them, but stay on the phone, tell the minder you’re looking for Prerna as I’m trying to reach her but her phone is engaged.”

Komolika watched as a man approached them, he was neatly dressed which made her suspicious enough.

“Good afternoon ladies, I’m looking for Mrs. Prena Basu.”

“What would she be doing here?” Sonalika demanded.

The man pointed to the baby carrier, “Sneha is with the lady and I know she works for Mr. Bajaj,” The man said to Komolika and then turned to look at the childminder, asking, “So, madam, could you tell me where I can find Mrs. Basu?”

Every time the man mentioned Prerna’s title Komolika seethed. ‘That’s my title, I’m Mrs. Basu, Prena is a fake. An outright fake and interloper. She can only dream of being Mrs. Basu.” Komolika thought to herself. 

“Mrs. Basu is shopping with Miss Bajaj, why not phone her?”

“Her phone is unreachable and my employer wishes to speak with her. So would you mind telling me where I can find her?”

“They were going to visit several stores.”

“Could you tell me which ones? I’ll find them.”

“Perhaps your employer should try to contact her again.” The woman stated outright. “I’m certain she will answer.”

Komolika remained where she was and watched as the man exchanged words with whoever was on the line. Komolika had a sneaky suspicion that it was Anurag, who may have come to know that she is there.  The man then turned towards the woman and said, “I’m to take the baby and find Prerna. Instantly the woman took hold of the carrier and firmly said, “No. You can’t do that. The baby has been left in my care so she goes nowhere.”

The man again listened to the voice on the other side of the line and then handed the phone to the woman, who still refused to relent her hold on the carrier.

“Yes?” The woman hesitantly said, before listening to the person on the other side. After some time she said, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. The baby was left with me and I will only release her to her mother. Your man is welcome to go look for her or wait here with me, but Prerna left me in charge of the baby and I will not allow her to be taken by anyone other than her mother.”

On hearing the woman’s words, and having her suspicion confirmed that it was Anurag on the line, Komolika took her leave. She watched form a distance as the man ended the call to Anurag and joined the woman, who in turn covered the baby again.

Prerna returned to the coffee shop her and felt a cold sensation envelope her body at the sight of the man sitting with the caretaker and Sneha. Although he was not entirely a stranger, she had not wanted to cross his path so soon after leaving the apartment.

Kukhi looked at the newcomer with suspicion, but seemed to relax when Prerna addressed the man. “Why are you here?”

“She was here?”

Instantly,Prerna’s blood ran cold. She however fought to keep her composure in front of Kukhi and the child minder, and replied, “Anurag sent you.”

The man nodded in affirmation, however answered, “He was trying to get hold of you and your phone was unreachable, and since the lady here refused to divulge to me as to which shop I could find you, I had no choice but to wait for you.”

Prerna pulled out her phone and checked it. She had no missed calls form Anurag, but said nothing about it as she hit his speed dial.

She waited for the call to connect and was not surprised at the anxious tone in his voice,“Prerna?”

“We’refine,” She replied keeping her voice neutral and continuing before he even got a chance of speaking. “Just got back to the coffee shop with Kukhi, what did you want to speak to me about?”

“Is he there?”

Prerna looked at the man and said, “Yes, you want to speak to him?”

“Hand him the phone.”

Prerna held her phone towards the man and said, “He wants to speak with you.”

Prerna then turned towards Kukhi and asked, “Was there anything else you needed?”

“No ma,”Kukhi answered.

“Well then I’m going to have to say goodbye, some things have come up, but I will see you soon again.”

Kukhi smiled brightly and gave Prerna a hug before leaving with her minder.

Prena turned to her bodyguard and asked, “What did Anurag say.”

“He’s on his way, he’ll take you home, but until then I am to stay with you.”

“Order yourself something, I am just going to see to Sneha.”

From a distance Komolika watched their interaction and in frustration said, “How could they have known I would be here? And since when does Prerna have a security detail?” She watched as Prerna took the baby and left for some time. “I wonder if he is only acting as a distraction to prevent me form following her, or whether she would come back now. Oh bother, what should I do now?”

Just then Prerna returned and sat down with the man, leaving Komolika in no doubt that they were waiting on someone, “But who?”

As if the gods had decided to answer her question, Anurag joined them. First taking a moment to admire his daughter. Komolika grew green with envy as she watched him, thinking, ‘I was supposed to mother your children, but instead you settled for that vexing middle class girl. I mean just what has she got? I’m far better looking than her, even with my new face. And what can she give you that I can’t? Not that you would know because you never even tried. All you ever thought about was Prerna, Prerna, Prerna, when you should have been focusing on me. But just you wait Anurag Basu, I will get her out of the picture, and then you will be all mine.’

Komolika watched as Anurag picked up the baby carrier and accompanied Prerna out of the coffee shop. Instantly she lifted her phone and pressed Ronit’s speed dial as they left. She waited for the call to connect and then said, “Brother, I have something for you to do.”

“Tell me.”

“Anurag,Prerna and the baby are leaving the mall, I want you to arrange things so that they meet with an accident on the way home.”

“Are you sure they’re going home?”

“Well where else would he take Prerna and the baby after they had gone shopping? Don’t bean idiot like Miskha now.”

“I will make the necessary arrangements.”