Ishqiya - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Samrat's flight landed and he felt nostalgia hit him. Finally, after years he was back in his country, his home, his soil, his people. He remembered how years back he was sent to London to look after their business and he was to leave his family, friends, siblings and especially his mother behind. He felt happy as well as emotional at the same time. No matter how much he tried he couldn't go back home because of the constant and increasing workload. Business kept him always caught up and soon he got so engrossed in it that eventually he turned into a workaholic freak. But one thing that remained constant was his roots back home.
Oh how much did he miss his mother's food in the firangi country, and how when he was back he felt like recreating the infamous helicopter entry of K3. He shook his head at his stupidity and looked out of the window taking in the fresh air when his phone rang.
“Mr Maheshwari, this is Inspector Fawad speaking from XYZ police station. We have your wife Mrs Adriti Maheswari and your sister Ms Sarah Maheshwari under arrest for rash driving, please come to the station quickly”, the person on the other side spoke and then the line went dead even before he could speak.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Adriti and Sarah tried their best to convince the officer to free them and not file any case.
"Please inspector, hame jane dijiye please, Hamari masum si shakal per thoda toh rahem khaiye. Maine kaha toh tha aapko ki hamari koi galat bhi nhi thi-", Adriti tried again but in vain as she was abruptly cut in the middle making her pout
"Dekh ladki, phele hi Mera dimag kharab ho raha hai tumhari bakar bakar sunn kar,ek aur lafz aur tujhe undar kar dunga", he threatened and passed her a glare
Adriti glared back at him, ready to pounce on him but Sarah being the logical one stopped her on time.
"Shant Adu, Shant, dekh baat aur aage na bada, inki jeb thodi bhari karte hai aur mamla Rafa dafa karte hai", she spoke in a hushed tone while the inspector and constable looked suspiciously at them trying to ears drop
"Per Saru, mere paas toh paise hi nhi hai,yaad hai hamara purse toh Gadi meh hi rahe gaya", Adriti replied copying her tone making Sarah hit her forehead in annoyance
Sarah now started panicking, firstly it was late and past her curfew hours. If anyone in her family got to know about her being in the police station, her dadi would eat her raw and wouldn't even burp, and her mother, she could imagine fangs and horns coming out of her inraged mother, she would toast her alive.
Maheshwari's were a big name in their city, heck in the whole country and her being the daughter of the family landing her foot inside the police lockup was on the highest inappropriate thing, heck more like a crime.
She was trying to find ways to come out of their mess when the constable yelled at them again, making her flinch which inraged Adriti.
"Dekhiye aap na tameez se pesh aaiye. Pata bhi hai aapko kaun hu mai, ha?", she spoke in a high-pitched voice
"So young lady, mind telling me who you are?", the inspector twisted his lips in annoyance
Adriti ran her brain in all directions trying to form a convincing answer when she remembered about something.
"Aaj na Samrat Bhai saalo baad Ghar vapas aa rhe hai London se, I'm so excited, mai na unhe tere banaye hue brownies khilaungi", Sarah had told her about her infamous elder brother who was oceans away taking care of their family business and returning today
Sarah tried her best to control the furious Adriti because she knew how of a task it was but the deed was done.
"Mai? I'm Mrs Adriti Samrat Maheshwari wife of Mr Samrat Maheshwari and she is Ms Sarah Maheshwari his sister, aap jaante nhi hai mere pati ko, ek phone call aur vho pura station hila kar rakh denge aapka", she yelled trying to intimidate both the officers
Sarah looked at her flabbergasted as if she had grown two heads. And in no time, her phone was snatched and her elder brother was called making her break in a cold sweat, while Adriti stood rotted on her place.
"Tu pagal ho gyi hai kya Adu? Kuch bhi bole Jaa rhi hai, tujhe pata hai inhone Bhai ko call kar diya, abhi kya hoga", Sarah's voice was filled with horror and she wanted to bang her head somewhere for her friend's stupidity
The one friend whom she managed to make after years and now she would lose her too. Her family never allowed her to make friends in the pretext of her security. Her family's prestige issues never let her befriend any outsiders.
"I'm so sorry Saru, don't worry I'll apologize to your parents and even your bhai, please tu udaas na ho", Adriti spoke in a soft tone and gathered a scared Sarah in a comforting hug
She felt sorry for the poor soul, because of her she landed in deep trouble. She knew how orthodox and narrow-minded her grandmother was.
Suddenly the doors opened with a loud bang and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand.
"Sarah?", a deep intimidating voice echoed in the room and Sarah wanted the earth to swallow her.
"Bhai", she spoke and gulped a lump forming in her throat
Samrat entered the station and found his baby sister hugging a girl of the same height as her. Long brown hair, a small and petite body and then he felt her get rigid when Sarah acknowledged him.
"What is happening here?", he questioned without beating around the bushes
Sarah quickly distanced herself away from Adriti and walked towards her brother trying to convince him, she was well aware of his anger issues and furious behaviour and she didn't want any drama and scare away her bestie.
"Bhai please, I'll explain later can we please go from here?", she pleaded, the tall frame of Samrat hovering over her
He raised his perfectly sculptured eyebrow at him, but nodded and taking her wrist started to walk out when they were stopped by the inspector.
"Aise kaise dono Bhai behen Jaa rhe ho? Mujhe bhi toh batao hai kaun tees maar Khan tumhara bhai", he said and Sarah almost pitied the man who had dug his grave himself
Samrat twisted his tongue and turned around facing the inspector, who looked at him in shock. He glared at him so furiously, that if looks could kill, he would be ten feet under the ground.
"M-Mr M-Maheshwari? Y-yeh aapki behen hai? Mujhe pata nhi tha, please, pehle pata hota toh mai inhe kabhi yaha nhi lata, Khuda ke liye mujhe maaf kar dijiye aaj ke baad aisi galti kabhi nhi hogi, meri naukari ka sawal hai", he begged
Samrat just nodded and started making his way out, dragging his sister along with him. He never thought that the first place he would step into after landing would be a freaking police station.
He knew his sister was a rebel and always landed herself in trouble but a police station was unimaginable, and even this late at night. Her safety was at stake. He felt like pulling his hair but alas he tried to maintain his calm.
"Explain", he demanded, after they reached their car
"B-bhai v-vho ,mai apni dost ke saath cakes delivery ke liye Jaa rhi thi, tabhi hi kuch ladke hame follow kar rhe the vho drunk bhi the. Meri friend neh unse picha chudane ke liye speed badai, tabhi vaha achanak se kuch police Wale aa gye aur hame rash driving ke case me yaha le aaye, baaki ka you know what happened", she gulped in fear and told everything
"Are you freaking nuts Sarah, what are you? Some five year old? Huh", he yelled, looking at her in disbelief
"I'm sorry bhai", she sniffed. "Is your sorry going to change the mess you created? a freaking police station? Are you for real? Where the fuck are your bodyguards?", he continued, trying to knock some sense into her, who stood in front of him with her head hung low
"Your security was at stake? Is Maa even aware of your whereabouts?", he questioned with red eyes, he was ragging like a bull as all the bad possibilities of her landing in grave trouble flashed in front of his eyes
"I'm sorry bhai", she apologized
"I'll deal with you later, go and sit in the car", he ordered and she quickly obliged
"Mr Maheshwari?", he heard a voice calling him from behind and he halted in his steps
Turning around he was met with a pair of brown orbs that stared at him with the utmost innocence and fear. Long brown hair, small face, big brown eyes, cute button nose, plump lips and a small frame. He felt a twist in his heart.
"Please aap Saru ko jyada mat daatiyega. Uska Sara gussa aap mujh per nikal lijiye per please usse kuch mat kahiyega. Saari meri galti hai, mujhe usse apne saath lekar hi nhi Jana chahiye tha. Please", she pleaded and at the last tears gathered in her eyes almost on the urge of falling.
He just stood in his place unable to form a sentence. For the first time, he was left speechless. He couldn't even get angry at her anymore, her innocent and captivating eyes held him under a spell. He felt something happening to him, something different, it made him feel alive at heart.
He felt his heart warming the way she was caring for his sister, at least he was happy that she was under good influence . And had made not some cunning person her friend.
He just nodded and quickly made his way towards the car and sat inside closing the door not before motioning the driver to start the car.
"Kya naam bataya apni uss dost ka?"
"Adriti, Adriti Gupta"
"Adriti Gupta", His heart warmed as those words perfectly rolled on his tongue. He could hear his heart beating, he did something to his heart and he knew he was gone, all gone. Pyaar hogaya hai mujhe.