Jeep and Bourbon Part 26 - The Scribe Tribe #CelebrateBlogging

Team Name: The Scribe Tribe

Chapter 26 - Crime and Punishment

Read the previous part here

The three got out of the van, relieved that they don’t have to sit next to each other anymore. Cyrus looked aloof wanting the ordeal to be over soon. If they decide to punish him or jail him, he could take it easily, he just can’t wait. Jeremy had his characteristic swagger, though his smile was no longer menacing. It was like a façade, he always had to put up, while Aryan was busy examining something on his shoes. His eyes were full of tears, some moments ago, wailing at Cyrus and asking to help him. Cyrus was not interested in knowing his story or how he got stitched up by Jeremy. He wanted some peace, but Aryan didn’t give him any and narrated about all his unfortunate meetings with Jeremy. He looks oddly composed when he got out of the van, his handsome features, for a change, didn’t come to his rescue. The police van left them, as if it discarded them as wastes.

Cyrus’ thoughts were disturbed by a car which vroomed past them, stopping at a distance. His dad got out of it, taking him by surprise. He was accompanied by a serious looking person holding an iPad and a duffle bag in his hands. Cyrus walked towards his father, meeting his eyes all through. They didn’t speak to each other for a long time as Aryan looked at them, confusion written all over his face.

“We are getting you out of here Cyrus. Mr Sharma, our lawyer will handle this. Get in the car.” His dad ordered. Cyrus didn’t speak a word and followed him. 

Aryan ran towards him and grabbed him by his tee shirt. Cyrus struggled to break away from him.

“You got to help me brother. Don’t leave me here with this man. You are the only one I have now.” Aryan pleaded with tears finding their way back in to his eyes. “Like Clockwork” Cyrus thought.

“Stop this act man. This isn’t a fucking audition.” Cyrus pushed him away, but he could not avert his gaze from Aryan’s tearful eyes. The man lost it.

“Whoa…brother. We were in this together. Don’t forget it. Now you bring in an influential fucking father into this and run away scot-free. You make me the bad guy. I’m the sucker in all of this. What a fucking asshole you made of me. Bravo brother!!!” 

Aryan lost it, and was screaming at the top of his voice, clapping violently at Cyrus’ retreating back. His abuse didn’t bother Cyrus a bit. The dramatics was the last straw he was clutching at. He could understand Aryan, even empathize with him. But could he help him? How could he help him?

The car moved away from Aryan as he saw Cyrus and his father talking to each other. He was truly doomed now. “What will I get? 5 years?” were his thoughts when the car stopped and Cyrus came out from it. Aryan ran towards him like a mad man.

“I can’t promise anything. Get in and shut up for God’s sake.” Aryan hugged him tightly.

“I owe you one brother.” 

Jeremy stood still as this scenario played out, fiddling with his mobile. He could not understand why he was brought here. He should have been in a Police Station, where it would be easy for him to maneuver. This drama, he couldn’t comprehend. 

Tara appeared from a distance making Jeremy flinch. She started walking towards him, her steps confident and slow, her eyes withholding tears and her teeth gritting at the effort to stay calm. She should not lose the opportunity to make a statement. 

Jeremy tossed his head back carelessly. Tara’s hair fell into her eyes, obscuring her vision. She pushed it back and disciplined it in a ponytail, looking at Jeremy without missing a moment. She wanted all of it in. She wanted to face him for once. She wanted to tell him that he can’t destroy her. She was not to be messed with again. She was thankful to him, in a strange way. He rekindled her faith in her family. He saved her from burnout. Whatever motives he had, the last few days meant a lot to her. She wanted to apologize to Jeremy for some unknown reasons, it was more of an apology to herself, but she could not forget what Jeremy has tried to do to Roohi. Her anger is essential for her to confront him. She should thank him and forget him. She should remember the lessons. 

Her feet brought her closer to Jeremy even as her thoughts towards him didn’t turn into a definitive emotion. She was still unsure what she felt of him.

“You still look beautiful, Tara and I won’t apologize.” Jeremy was the first to break the silence. 

“You were important then, and you are important now Jeremy. But for entirely different reasons.” She could not bring herself to add anything more. Her voice seemed hollow, but it rang true.

Jeremy understood why she didn’t file a case against him. It was her way of saying that she forgave him, or it was an admission that she was equally guilty at how things have turned the way they did. 

She traced her steps back, now at a brisk pace wanting to leave the place and the moment as fast as she could. Jeremy expected a backlash, a rebuttal, some drama, tears, even beating from Tara’s fragile hands. Her reaction confused him. It was almost as if she was talking to him, about him, as a thing of the past. He felt he was no longer important to her life, yet she called him just that. There was nothing he could do about it, though he wasn’t sure if he would try something again. His desire to destroy her started to get weak which he hated. It was as if he lost a sense of purpose in his mundane existence. He hated Tara for doing this to him. He has to live with it forever. How could she punish him like this?

                                                              Read the next chapter here

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Jeep and Bourbon Part 21 - The Scribe Tribe #CelebrateBlogging

Team Name: The Scribe Tribe

Chapter 21 - Closing In

Read the previous part here

“Come on man, she’s just a kid. 9 years old. You understand what you are asking me to do? It is impossible. I can’t do that.”  Cyrus was almost screaming into his mobile when Aryan walked into the bar. He was promptly on time, was dressed up in casuals and looked like he wanted to get this whole thing done soon.

“That’s why I told you to take Aryan’s help. He’s a good one.” Jeremy’s voice was cold, straight and piercing through his ears. It was his final word as he disconnected the call.

“What has Aryan got to do with this and how had he got stuck up with Jeremy” he questioned aloud, as Aryan walked towards him and sat opposite him.

They had their drinks silently when Aryan told Cyrus what he had to do. Cyrus felt as if Aryan had known this plan all along. Aryan wasn’t playing a victim, he was rather an insider, going by how eager he seemed while discussing the plan. As Aryan was discussing the course of action, once they get hold of Roohi, Cyrus felt himself tripping. May be it was the drink, which he had one too many, but certainly it was the diabolical nature of the idea, and its impact on the psyche of the kid. Cyrus suddenly felt protective of Roohi. She was a good kid, this wasn’t her fault.

Cyrus knew he was being used but he could not dare to go against Jeremy. He was not a man to be messed with, certainly not one to owe money or favors to. He could pull a lot of strings to make Cyrus’ life miserable if he rebels. He has to play this safe.

***

Shekhar sat in front of Mr Bhalla at his office, feeling the ground beneath him shaking. He was reading the corrections suggested by the editorial team. His manuscript was badly tampered with, all he could see were red marks, strike-offs, entire chapters missing, new ones added of badly written tasteless sex scenes, characters dumbed down to insult the intelligence of readers. He hated the book. It did not have his soul, or any, in it. He was holding the cover art for the book that would eventually be published. They changed his title too. It was too much for him to take.

“Mr Bhalla. I want to thank you for your interest in publishing my book, but unfortunately I’m not willing to change it according to your whims and fancies. You were obviously looking for something that I could never write, and I don’t want my name to be associated with the book you are about to publish.” Shekhar’s voice trailed off. He could not speak any more.

Mr Bhalla suppressed what seemed like a chuckle. “Mr Dutta. There is no point in talking to me like that. I’m doing you a personal favor on behest of your wife Tara, who had contacts. I loathe your work with as much passion as you do mine. It’s not like you are goddamn Shakespeare. So take it or leave it. No. There won’t be any leaving this. It will be published, coz I don’t want to meet my boss again in an uncomfortable situation. I’m going ahead and publishing this book and you will be a published author. That’s all everyone wants. Isn’t that what you want too?”

Shekhar could not believe what he was hearing. All these days, he thought his book had literary merit and that was why he was invited. Looking back, it all seemed unreal. The first meeting with Bhalla, how quickly they worked on his book, how eager they were to publish it. Everything was a calculated plan to show him what a failure he really is.

He left the room, an angry and bitter man again.

***

“Bhalla has done his bit. Now it’s your turn.” Aryan announced, his voice assuming a theatrical flourish.  They were back at Aryan’s apartment, looking through the window where they saw Roohi on a swing all alone by herself.

“Why are you doing this to me, the Duttas, what have you got against them?” Cyrus asked him in a hope to talk something out of him.

“This is a game buddy, everyone has their parts to play. No one knows more than what he should. I don’t know what Jeremy gets out of all this, but I know one thing for sure. He could make me a career in films, something which it would take more than a lifetime for me to make without him.”

“What about Roohi? This is going to devastate her. Do you even realize what you are asking me to do?” Cyrus wailed.

“If I were you, I would not be asking any more questions. I’m gonna go and get Roohi now.” Aryan walked out from the room towards Roohi.

***

Shekhar stormed into his apartment where he found Tara sitting cross-legged in their hall, flipping through channels on their television. A sharp surge of anger rose from within.

“So you are just like everyone else after all, considering me to be a failure. A good for nothing moron. Why didn’t you just say it the day I decided to stop earning? Did you get the kicks out of all my miseries? Why did you become so considerate all of a sudden? My struggle got to you? You got bored of this game?”

Every one of his questions was loud and violent. Tara looked at him, perplexed at his sudden outburst.

“Don’t try to give that look to me. I know it all. Your Bhalla was better. Or probably poor. He could not play this game long enough. He gave you away.

Tara’s face lost its color. A hint of a tear started to well up in her eyes. She brushed it away with her left hand, rose from the sofa and looked straight into Shekhar’s eyes.

“I did it for you dear. I can’t bear your frustration. I wanted to help.”

“You could have told me the truth Tara. What you thought of me. That would have been nice.”

“I always thought of you highly Sheku.”

“Well, that’s a blatant lie.”

“You were going nowhere with your work. It started affecting us, as a family.”

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Shekhar looked away, averting her gaze.

“You don’t have to be a self-pitying dick about this whole thing Sheku. I wanted a happy family. I was only trying my best to help and ….”

Shekhar cut her short. “I’d be damned if I took your “help”. I like our family to work too, but unfortunately I have self-respect. Too bad for us aint it?”

“You are not making this easy for me Shekhar.” Tara raised her voice. It was trembling with the effort.  

“Talk to me about it.” Shekhar was equally curt.

The television shut itself down, and all the lights went off after a power outage. Shekhar and Tara stood in darkness each to their own thoughts. The first word that they uttered after a minute of silence was “Roohi”.

                                                                                                 Read the next chapter here

“Me and my team, are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”