Pooja woke up to the smell of coffee and Poha. She was sure that if she walked into the kitchen right now, Amma would be preparing his favorite breakfast. This was her house but from last three months the breakfast that was made here was according to his liking. He will come to start work at 6 am sharp which means Amma will have the staff up and running for his breakfast at 5:30 am. As far as Amma was concerned that man walks on water. She could not blame Amma for liking though. He had saved Amma’s life and all things aside, she was grateful to him for that.
She clearly remembered that day. Amma had never been kind him before. She was in fact very suspicious about him because according to Amma he was the only Mittal with a very strong moral compass. She has always considered him a bigger threat than his father PK Mittal. Pooja had made him her personal driver so that she could keep an eye on her. She had picked Amma from her house so that they could go shopping together to the old market as Amma is not a fan of Malls.He was waiting by the car when they were crossing the road to him when the driver lost control of his commercial truck. He had made a dead run to save Amma. They were both hurt but he made sure Amma was treated first. When he was doing Amma’s bandages from the first-aid kit of the car Amma has asked why had he saved her life? And his answer has changed Amma’s point of view forever.
Flashback
“Why did you save my life?,” Amma asked when Kabir sat her down to treat the scratch on her hand even though his own back was completely scratched protecting Amma.
“Why not?” Kabir asked simply as he poured some alcohol onto a cotton to clean her wound.
“I have a part in ruining your family,”Amma had replied.
“Yes you have,” Kabir Agreed, “ This is going to sting a little bit.” Kabir said as he started cleaning her wounds, “But you are also the same person who chose to give shelter to two little girls when no one wanted to be associated with them. As far as my family is concerned they have me, I will take care of them.”
“Then why are you here? Why not reenlist? I am sure the Army will take you back no matter what your father did?” Amma asked the million dollar question.
“You are right. Army will take me back and even protect my family. They will give them new names, a new place to live where no one will be able to find them,” Kabir replied while putting antiseptic on Amma’s wound, “But then I won’t be able to right my father’s wrongs.”
“So you are repenting?,"Amma countered.
"No, I have nothing to repent as my only fault is that I am born with Mittal last name. I have not done any harm to anyone." Kabir replied as he started bandaging her hand," My only duty is that because I have the Mittal last name and it was my father who was at fault, to make sure that the wronged party gets justice."
"So Pooja is not your enemy?"Amma asked.
"I have seen what real enemy looks like and I don't see any of them here. All I see is a grown woman who is still a scared little girl inside.She deserves justice, care and most importantly she needs to heal because if she does not heal, that little girl will never become a whole woman. I am scared that she might end up being the same thing that she was fighting, my father. And how is that fair?"Kabir as he finished tying the bandage.
“No, it's not fair at all,” Amma agreed quietly.
“See we already have something in common,” Kabir said trying to lighten the mood as he opened the car door to let both of them inside. “Do not put any weight on that twisted ankle for a week and you will be good as new Amma.”
Pooja remembered how quiet that car ride home had been, the silence was piercing. When they were getting out of the car Amma had asked him to come inside so that she can call a doctor to treat the wounds on his back, to which he had simply replied that he was used to taking care of himself, they do not need to worry about him.Since, Amma could not walk for a week Pooja wanted her to move with her but Amma did not think it was wise to leave Rani alone. He had also solved that problem. She had no idea what he had said to her little sister but Rani had agreed to come back home with them that day. She never asked him what he said to Rani and he never breathed a word to her.
Now that she reviewed all their interactions since she threw them out of the house, she realized that he never initiated a conversation with her. He would retaliate to whatever she did but never initiated a conversation as if he was not angry at her for betraying his trust like all the other junior Mittals. Only times she would see him ticked off when she had gone out of the way to harm his family. No accusations, no blame. He must feel some anger after all she had betrayed his trust as well.It was as if Jhanvi never existed for him. She thought she knew who he was, after all she had studied every single member of his family but her judgement was completely wrong about him. The man had such control over his emotions that he gave nothing away. She nowadays could not tell what was going on in his brain. It was like she knew nothing about him except for one thing.
Kabir Mittal is a very dangerous man.
The harsher she gets on him, kinder he gets towards her. Her victory feels like a defeat because of that man. She does not find any satisfaction that PK was dead and Mittals are ruined because she could not break the spirit of one man. He could have easily lead a comfortable life but he is way too idealistic to let things be. She knows that is the fundamental difference between them. People are not dispensable to him like they were to his father and even her. He was constantly at odds with PK Mittal because of those ideals . At that time she simply used it as a way to achieve her goal. Now she has realised how foolish she was to ignore his morals and ethics.
She had thought that once she had avenged her father she will find peace inside but this man refuses to break and she can not find any sense of contentment till then. Today she has everything-money, status, power but it all seems useless when she sees him standing like a wall, completely unfaltered. The man does not give up hope. Amma can not understand why she was so angry at him. How could she explain to Amma that her insides burn everytime she sees him smiling through the hardships of life. He was the anchor that was keeping Mittals strong. Amma thinks that I have channeled my hatred for PK Mittal to Kabir because I could not kill him myself. But she was wrong. Even though the man nothing he seemed to have everything.
She was not angry at Kabir Mittal, she was jealous of him.
Okay, I do understand that this was a lot of rambling but still do let me know how you liked it.
Amnu
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