Chapter 3
Bani fumed inwards. It had been a hectic day at the office yet again, with the boss piling all the last minute articles on his "most reliable employee". Bani sighed, it was disloyal of her to think of her mentor that way. AD sir had been her constant support , emotionally and financially, since her husband Pushkar's untimely death. Solely on the basis of being his star reporter's young widow, he had promoted Bani to the post of senior news correspondent from a junior one. Bani had not disappointed him. Living upto Pushkar's reputation as the best journalist at "Daily News" had become an obsession for Bani and proved theurapetic in dealing with her grief after being widowed after three months of a blissful marriage.
Right now she was locating her seat in the plane, cursing under her breath. After making her slave for weeks and then finally giving her the Walia assignment she had been begging for, AD sir had finally given her a well deserved vacation. Bani couldn't wait to meet her best friend Rano- the last time being at Bani's wedding.
"543 A….found it!!", Bani exclaimed triumphantly and then stopped short. Occupying the seats next to hers was a little girl of about three and a woman about her age. But what made Bani' s mouth open wide in shock was that the woman in front of her was almost her splitting image. More sophisticated definitely, but same eyes, bone structure, better but very similar features. The lady also looked at her very curiously before giving a haughty look and returning to her magazine. Bani felt conscious of her button nose as opposed to the other woman's delicate straight one. Bani then glared at her defiantly before taking her seat, shifting her attention to the little girl who had been staring goggle eyed at the silent exchange.
"Hi sweetie", Bani said, touching the girl's soft cheek. Pushkar had wanted at least four children, smugly telling Bani she would have his cooperation all the way. They were going to wait for two years while their marital and professional lives would be somewhat established before going the family way. Fate had different plans, they were barely out of their honeymoon phase when calamity struck.
Bani resumed talking to the little girl. Although she disliked her mother on sight, Bani couldn't help being surprised at her look alike's lack of concern as a total stranger conversed with her daughter. Although Bani had lost her parents within two years of each other when she was a teenager, she had loving memories of them. She remembered how religiously her mother used to instruct her on not talking to strangers. Her father too was very protective of his only child. Then Pushkar came into her life, to give immeasurable but brief happiness.
Bani was getting angry at herself. Remembering all the loved ones she had lost was not a promising start to a well earned holiday. But she had been feeling restless since the morning, unable to explain why. The little girl tugged Bani's locket, breaking her reverie. Bani smiled as she asked, "Whose pictures are these?" Bani pretended to think before saying mischievously, "I can't tell you unless I know your name." The girl looked at her with her huge green eyes unblinkingly before saying solemnly, "Sonia." "That's a very pretty name sweetheart!" Bani exclaimed. She couldn't hide her grin as Sonia's cheeks bloomed pink and her pigtails crashed with each other as she tried to remove Bani's locket. Bani gently removed her hands and unclasped the locket herself. Sonia eagerly opened the pendant but was disappointed to see no pictures. "No pictures!" Sonia said in a small voice.
Before Bani could reply, Sonia's mother looked up from her magazine irritated and snapped, "Sonia why don't you just shut up and stop fidgeting? I am trying to read something and your endless chatter is bugging me girl!" Without another glance, she returned to her magazine and Bani had to clench the armrest so as to not give in to the impulse of scratching the horrid woman's face. Sonia's hands were trembling, lips quivering and tears had already made their way to her cheeks. Bani instinctively undid Sonia's seatbelt and pulled her on her lap, wiping her tears. "Hey, I am very hurt Sonia, " Bani said with mock hurt. "Why?" Sonia asked in a wobbly voice. "You haven't asked me my name yet!" "Oh!" Sonia giggled a little."What's your name Aunty?" Bani opened her mouth tom answer but no words ever came out.
Suddenly there was a booming crash. Bani was still secured with a belt but hit her head hard. Sonia fell down her lap and hit the floor, rolling away to the corner. Head throbbing, Bani struggled to open her eyes. There was pandemonium everywhere, people were screaming, struggling to get of their seats. There was fire everywhere. Bani could not see Sonia's mother anywhere. She copuld hear Sonia's screams. Stumbling in their direction, Bani found herself engulfed by the fire. Something heavy fell on her neck, knocking her down. No scream came out of her throat. She could feel the blood pouring down her back. Her hands were numb, lifeless as she recalled something almost as heavy falling on them. Half crawling, half dragging herself, Bani followed Sonia's cries, her head too heavy and vision dimming by the second. Finally reaching Sonia, Bani lightly touched her huddled figure. Sonia launched herself into Bani's arms, howling. That knocked down the remaining strength in Bani's body. She fainted.
The next time she woke up, it was in the hospital as Pia Walia. Bani Dixit was dead for the world.Pia Walia had been declared dead under Bani's name.
Bani lay listlessly in her bed. She had been anaesthised while she had fainted and her surgery had been conducted. She had Pia Walia's face now. There was absolutely nothing she could do to change that fact. Her face was covered with bandages but she knew what lay behind them. A stranger's face did. It may be shockingly similar to hers, but it wasn't hers.
Tears of futile rage poured down her face. Oh not her face- Pia's face. The name filled her with hatred. A brief meeting with that woman was enough to convince Bani that she was a prize –oh did that matter? She would have been equally miserable if she had received Angelina Jolie's face. A gurgle of hysterical laughter bubbled in her throat. She should have died, Bani thought viciously. Pushkar had died in a plane crash too, when he had caught an early fight back from an assignment to surprise her. I t would have been a fitting end to her not so happy life.
Bani was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door open. I t wasn't until the person was walking that Bani heard approaching footsteps and she stiffened. Her eyes may have been bandaged too, but she certainly knew it was very late in the night. The whole Walia family had visited her when she was unconscious after the surgery, the nurse told her. She was gripping the bedsheets anxiously. Had somebody discovered the mix up? What was going to happen with her now?
'What the hell Pia!" someone hissed in her ears. Bani froze. The voice was menacing, the breath in her ears making shivers of terror run down her spine. She instinctively knew this person was not here to enquire about her health.She couldn't even tell if the voice was male or female. Her heart was hammering too loudly and her brain was too fuzzy with sedatives and tension to think clearly. But she heard the stranger's next words with alarming alacrity and heightened fear.
"Don't you dare think of giving any death bed confessions woman. You entered Jai Walia's life with a purpose and don't you forget that. You have already created enough problems in my plan with your recklessness and stupidity. This crash couldn't have come at a worse time, Jai had finally drawn divorce papers. Never mind, that was beyond even my control. But nothing else is beyond me so get this straight-you have to make Jai divorce you, claim at least half of half of his wealth and Sonia. What you do with that brat is not my concern but you know the objective-make Jai Walia's life a living hell, so broken that he won't know where to go. That's when the final phase of my plan takes place, when Jai is at his most vulnerable state. This time, I will succeed and you Pia are going to make sure of that." With a last cackle which chilled Bani to the bones, the stranger left.
Bani was trembling. Her sheets were getting damp with her perspiration. Not only had her identity been crushed, she had been given the face of a beautiful but dangerous woman. Now i she was an accomplice in some highly complex plan to destroy Jai Walia. Bani was shaking. What was the plan? Kill him? Lead him to bankruptcy? Some personal or professional vengeance? Damnit all!
There was no way to get out of it. The mastermind who just confided in her was obviously a family member. Only the Walias had access to the special suite Bani had. If Bani claimed her real identity, the conspirator would know who she is but she won't. He or she would kill her. Petrified Bani tried to think of an alternative. She found none.
Prone to hysterics in times of misery, Bani thought of a wild scheme. Why not go with the flow? She already had Pia's face and identity. Why not assume her life temporarily too? It's not as if she planned it. In fact, she would give anything to not be in this predicament. But with this, she could kill two birds with one stone. An intimate inside scoop on the Walia CEO mystery. As Jai's wife she would be privy to all details and provide a brilliant article, guaranteeing promotion.
Ashamed at her materialistic thoughts, Bani thought of the other nobler reasons. She was herself in mortal danger and could not reveal her identity. This way, she could find out who was the mastermind and his or her plan and save Jai Walia and his family. There really was no other option. Unable to bear her thought anymore, Bani drifted off to sleep. She knew what she was doing was foolhardy and dangerous, but for the life of her, she would not be able to stop herself. Jai Walia better be prepared to welcome his wife with open arms.
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