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Bhai Sa thanked him and hurried to Diya’s side. I followed more slowly, wondering when this would end. When would we get to live normal lives?
But I did know one thing. All other problems paled before this. I couldn’t burden my brother with breaking Dadi Sa’s will when he was so worried about his pregnant wife. I had to solve my problem on my own.
If only I knew how.
The doctor wanted to keep Diya under observation in the hospital for the night, and Bhai Sa insisted on staying with her, so I went home alone.
When I got home, I was surprised to see the smaller dining room being set up for a formal dinner. Ma and Diya’s mother greeted me anxiously.
“Is Diya okay? And the baby?” asked Ma.
I reassured them both and cocked an eyebrow at the frantic activity happening around me.
“Are we having a party to celebrate Dadi Sa’s passing?” I asked drily.
“Don’t be rude, Isha. This is all in honour of Raman Chandel. We’re hosting him for dinner tonight,” said Ma severely.
“Didi Sa, I think we should reschedule this dinner,” said Diya’s mother. “It doesn’t seem right when Diya is in hospital. You don’t need the added stress of hosting a guest on Veer’s behalf.”
“Nonsense, Raji,” said Ma briskly. “Veer is family. We’re very happy to help him out. I’m sure Chandel Sahab will excuse Dheer and Diya’s absence.”
Chandel Sahab turned out to be very different from what I had imagined. I was expecting a neta type, but he was more like a strict school teacher. He cast a very judgmental look at Veer when he first met him, but I was relieved to see his frowny face relax a bit as he got to know Veer better.
“Is it working?” I whispered to RV, who was seated to my right. Veer was right opposite me and I could see the muscle in his jaw jumping as Chandel Sahab spoke to him sternly.
“I’m not sure. He’s willing to give him a ticket, but he still hasn’t made any commitments about endorsing him for the CM’s post. I don’t think that’s going to happen this time.”
“Why not?” I asked.
Veer would make an amazing Chief Minister. He had a clear vision of where he wanted to take the state and he was absolutely incorruptible. But I remembered the underhanded dealings of my father and realised that a lot of people would suffer if the CM was so clean. Because Veer wouldn’t take crores of rupees in bribes in return for one signature, and neither would he allow anyone else in his cabinet to take any bribes. Corruption was a whole other industry in our country and a very lucrative one at that.
It all depended on Raman Chandel’s vision for his party. Was he one of those people who profited from being a politician, or did he really want to build a party that brought about real change in the state?
“And what about my problem? Did you go through the will?”
RV blew out a heavy breath.
“I did, and I’m sorry, Isha, but the will is indeed ironclad. If you don’t meet the terms of the will, the house will go to the Goel Foundation,” he replied sombrely.
Damn it! I glared at Dadi Sa’s wedding picture mounted on the wall. Why did she do it? Why did she screw me out of my dream house? Did she hate me that much, I wondered.
After dinner, we moved to the family room where Ranvijay brought up the Sisodia Trust’s philanthropic work and it was funny to see Veer squirming in his seat at the praise lavished on him. His ears turned red and he tried to play down his hard work.
“It’s the least we can do, Chandel Sahab. My family has always been aware of the privilege tied to the family name and fortune. We’re very tuned in with the needs of our people, which is why I’ve finally turned to politics. I’ve never aspired to be a neta. In fact, I’m happier working behind the scenes, but right now, I need to be out there. I need the visibility and the power to bring about the change that is needed in our state.”
“Hmm, that’s what I’m worried about beta. Your haste to acquire power worries me. Most people would work for years towards this dream, but you’re taking instant gratification to quite another level,” replied Chandel Sahab drily. “To an outsider, it looks like yet another impulse of a spoiled billionaire playboy.”
Wow! He didn’t mince his words at all, but Veer didn’t so much as flinch at being called a spoiled playboy.
“Chandel Sahab, I can provide you with the statistics of all the families who have been displaced in the past year. I know their names, ages, and phone numbers. Hell, I even know the names of every distant relative they call Tau and Chacha. And I can tell you that the graph is on a steady rise. More and more families are being tricked, bullied and frightened into selling their ancestral lands for a pittance, and if you follow the money trail, you’ll realise that the shell companies buying up the land all fall under the umbrella of one consortium, Shakti Organics. Which is just a cover for the mafia.”
“Why have I heard that name?” asked Chandel Sahab with a frown.
“You must have seen their trucks and vans going around the city,” said Veer, with a bleak laugh.
“Yes, that’s it! Don’t they sell organic veggies and fruits?”
“I wish! They use those trucks to transport their product quite openly,” Veer informed him.
