He returned to silence...

He awoke sweating, startled from a nightmare. His mouth felt salty from the tears that had flowed in.

"What happened? You look worried!", asked wife dearest.

"Dad, why do you keep worrying. Of all days, today! It’s my wedding... please! Your ministry and its affairs can wait", said Hari.

That worsened the dark circles under his eyes.

**********************************************************************************************

Ooty, was cold. Not like Chennai.

"She's only 16. Looks like she was kept waiting for you."

Her pretty eyes were welled with tears.

Kumar, his confidant in every sphere of life, beamed proudly at his new ‘catch’ for his boss.

Occasionally, to escape his wife, he would go on a long 'business trip' which usually started and ended at his estate bungalow, in Ooty.

Rum.

The fireplace.

And something to lay one's mind off business and politics.

That something waited in his bedroom.

A terrified 16-year-old.

He downed his last glass of rum and walked in.

**********************************************************************************************

"Dad, this is Ramya, I told you about. My junior from B-school. Why don’t you have a look at her credentials. She's quite efficient. I'm sure we can fit her in somewhere."

Yes, he could easily employ her. He had a fairly large office. His business empire had grown over the years. The Anand Group was among the largest business conglomerates in the country.

Whatever he touched turned gold.

It didn’t take him long to plunge into politics.

It was an easy field for people like him.

**********************************************************************************************

The old man had wrinkles all over. He smiled and stood like an obedient servant.

"He takes care of the girl, her only distant relative. He says she is pregnant."

He threw a bundle of notes into the drunkard's greedy palms.

"Get her married. I don’t want to see you or her ever again. Else, both of you will be gone. I don’t need to tell you what Kumar is capable of, should I?”

The old man smiled again, obediently nodding his head.

**********************************************************************************************

"Dad, that Ramya girl is really good. She seems to have got into the good books of mom too! I mean, not bad knowing mom and her eccentricities!", Hari seemed exceptionally happy.

It took him some time to figure out why.

**********************************************************************************************

"Happy Birthday! You turn four today!"

They were cutting the cake through the icing which read Hari Anand, when the phone rang.

"Sir, Sir!", Kumar gasped.

"Kumar, haven't I told you to never call me at home?"

"Aama Sir, but this is urgent. That girl died ..."

"Which girl? What are you talking about? Listen, I don’t have time for this nonsense"

"Sir, please listen. That girl Lalitha. She delivered last night. And she died on the spot. The old man didn’t take her to the hospital…"

'Papa, come cut the cake with me!'

"Yes Hari, Papa is coming.
Shut up! I was talking to my son. I can’t talk to you now!"

"Sir, but the baby... the old man disappeared when she died. The baby was left at our doorstep this morning..."

"What baby? Throw it somewhere. Where is the old man? Bastard. I will kill him."

"Sir, but what will I do?"

'Anand, come fast. We are all waiting! Can't you keep the phone down for a minute!'

"Yes Suji. Coming.
Kumar, listen I don’t know what you do! You are responsible for this mess. Kill it. And don’t call me ever again!"

"But sir... "

Beep.

The cake was stale. It didn’t taste as sweet as it looked.

**********************************************************************************************

"Dad, mom, I need to talk. I think.... no. I know that I love Ramya. She is the girl in my life."

Now, that was a tough one. Accepting into his family a girl with modest or rather no roots.

Especially when business magnets awaited with proposals promising dowries of crores and joint venture deals that valued more.

But the PR almost made up for all the losses.

"The minister's way of guiding the society."

"Philanthropy starts at home."

"Business men are not always business minded."

The couple became a smash hit. The minister’s son and the orphaned girl.

Couldn’t help but bless them. After all, the empire he had built, was for his son.

**********************************************************************************************

Kumar never called. Until yesterday.

"Sir, Kumar here. Your old servant..."

"Oh! what a pleasure Kumar. I was hoping you heard about the wedding. It's only a day away. I want you to..."

"Listen to me first...!"

Arrogance. With years, he has grown gutsy enough to interrupt me!

"Sir, this is important. That girl Ramya. Who do you think she is? An angel who will make up for all the evil you did? She will be the cause for all your distress..."

"What do you mean?"

"She is your blood. Sir, she is your child!"

"KUMAR!"

"Don’t scream at me. It’s the truth!"

"I thought you killed the baby. Was it a girl?"

"I couldn't kill her. For all the sin I did, this was the only way I..."

"No. You killed the baby. You told me you killed the baby..."

"No. I put her in school. I sponsored her education with your money. I knew you would never let her live if you knew. So, I kept it a secret. But now..."

"This can’t happen...."

"Sir! You need to stop the wedding..."

He couldn’t hear anything, anymore.

**********************************************************************************************

"Where's Dad?"

"Anand... Anand... where are you?"

He tried to hide inside the palatial house.

"Minister calls off his son's wedding to sibling - Exclusive coverage."

"The blood thirsty Minister's appalling past"

"The Anand Group of industries - A black-mark for India"

He awoke sweating, startled from a nightmare. His mouth felt salty from the tears that had flowed in.

"What happened? You look worried!", asked wife dearest.

"Dad, why do you keep worrying. Of all days, today! It’s my wedding... please! Your ministry and its affairs can wait", said Hari.

**********************************************************************************************

Hari looked handsome as ever!

Ramya looked like her, decked in her bridal red sari. Yes, she had her looks. The same eyes. How could he not see it all this time?

The priest announced that the auspicious time had come to tie the knot. Everyone was rushing to get the closest spot on the Mandap.

He was dragged along.

Tears welled up.

His inner voice screamed.

His conscience hit him. Hard.

Yet, he returned to silence...