・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Sanskaar was tired, he should be happy but then staying up the whole night, even if it had brought the friends together again, was taxing on his body. He was also fatigued with all the shifts that had to be taken in the plans because of Swara's impulsiveness. Even though he felt a sudden loneliness descend on him when his friends had left reluctantly, he knew they too had to rest and refresh themselves. The hot shower, which he had taken in his specially designed bathroom, had managed to drain out a significant amount of the physical exhaustion and he hoped that a few hours of sleep would relax his mind. Unfortunately, people around him seemed to have a different agenda and he could not suppress his exasperation when he found Kabir waiting for him in his room and was surprised as to why Rache had not warned him.

Despite his ire and exhaustion, he could not help noticing how familiar Kabir looked. Kabir was slightly leaning against the door, legs crossed at his ankles and his hands stuffed into his pockets. That was how his dad would stand, it was how he would too, when he had to be smug or intimidating or confrontational, and he wondered what Kabir wanted. And despite not wanting to, he remembered, standing at the threshold, leaning against the door, ankles crossed, while he waited for Niki as she checked herself in the mirror once again, for the hundredth time, his eyes meeting hers in their reflections, the slow smile that had tugged at his lips, full of hidden meaning and blatant attraction; her gentle licking of her lips as a reply, tantalising and heady; his teasing wink at her actions, the heat that flooded her face and the hardness that had filled him...

...all gone now, all those vibrant emotions were faded memories today; for along with Niki, his body had died, and there were times he wished his feelings had died when the sensations had disappeared. It had been humiliating in the beginning, when he needed someone else to assist him, for every routine thing, including a visit to the washroom, how somebody else would have to check him for cuts and bruises or reddened skin for he could not feel the physical sensations. Time and efforts and persistent counselling had reduced that shame to resignation and then to acceptance, though he still felt the embarrassment at moments like this.

"What exactly do you plan for Swara?"

Sanskaar shook himself out of his reverie and gritted his teeth for he really did not have the energy or the interest to do this; discuss something that was not even a concrete plan. It was, in reality, only a desperate ploy to buy time; time that they needed to put the original plan back on the rails. Even as he wondered how to answer, he realised that Kabir was still talking.

"...I read that opinion article; it is disgusting of them to print it. But then you are not quite worried about it nor upset with Swara, instead, you plan to let her do the interviews. So that means you are using her. Hence my question."

Sanskaar was losing his cool, it did not help that Kabir had gotten it quite right, but he was not in the mood to entertain him, so he spat out, "Surprise, you have got it absolutely correct. We will use her to rattle them, make them spill information, but before that we will put in a recording device which would record their private post-interview conversations, and then steal it back from them, preferably by having her seduce Sahil, all the while hoping that we could find something incriminating in their conversations."

The brief silence made Sanskaar hope that his sarcasm had quelled any further questions. He immediately learnt that it was a foolish hope.

"Sounds interesting, though I want to know how exactly plan to have her do that. I hope it will nothing to put her in trouble."

Sanskaar gave up and decided to not even try to make sense of what Kabir was saying, though it took considerable effort not to pull his hair out in frustration. There had been a few times over the past years, once he had discovered that Kabir was his half-brother, when he had wished their parents had married, he felt it might have been nice to have a younger sibling, growing up with him. Today however, he was grateful that it had not happened, he was irritated by Kabir's presence and the presumptuousness that he portrayed.

He had hoped to stall Kabir, which had not happened, so he went on the offensive and bit off the words, "Are you serious? We do not plan on anything like that, especially the seducing bit. And do not ask what exactly I plan, I am not telling a word. In fact it would be better if you forgot about this whole conversation and if you could please"—

"I am serious, it is a good plan. The recording device one, not the bit about Swara trying to seduce either Sahil or his father, I can make out you would never be serious about something like that. Anyway, coming back as to why I think that the other one is good idea, will you hear me out?"

Sanskaar did. Primarily because he could see no other alternative, other than ordering Rache to tear Kabir down, which he did not want to do. And because he knew that Kabir could be persistent. And he did like Vidya Maasi a lot. So he listened and as he heard Kabir, he started to appreciate it. When Kabir finished, Sanskaar gave a small smile, it was a brilliant plan, for it was not too difficult to implement and if they succeeded would give them a powerful tool and if it failed, well, they had nothing to lose.

But he was curious too, as to why exactly Kabir would want to help them, he decided to be cautious, "Why are you doing this?"

Kabir floundered, he was not sure how to answer that simple question, there were too many tiny things, but all added to one single thing, he would do it if it meant being by Swara's side and keeping her safe. However, to answer Sanskaar's question, he decided to do it the way his father always did, a bit of the truth, a dash of humour and lots of nice words, "As I said, primarily for Swara, you do not think much of this, but I know her, she will never forgive herself for what has happened, she holds herself responsible. Secondly, I think what they did, making fun of you, is despicable and they have to be taught a lesson, especially since I am beginning to guess that they are somehow, also responsible for what happened to you.

Then there is the fact that I can get into the good books of my mother, I agree that you are her best friend's son but it still is not enough reason for her to adore you a little more than me, I mean, look at me, I am quite adorable and yet she has a large soft spot for you, —"

Sanskaar felt the beginning of a headache, a very bad one and he was now thankful that his father had not married Vidya Maasi; he was sure that Kabir would have killed him with all that talking he did or he might have ended up beating Kabir to an inch of his life and neither scenarios were pleasant to imagine.

"—but then I guess there is no accounting for tastes. And helping you out, even if she does not know the details, would make her happy. I would like that. Further, Mr Sengupta is a sort of megalomaniac, and though my father prefers to see him only as a patient and ignore all the other facets, I cannot do it. I have an intense dislike of people who throw their weight around just because they have money and believe that the rest of the world exists only for their convenience."

"So how do you plan to do it?" Sanskaar cut him, not caring that he came across as curt or impatient.

Kabir flashed a smile and in a mock whisper, answered, "Magicians never spill their secrets. Do not worry, I will do it with utmost secrecy and nobody would be wiser."

Kabir's enthusiasm and irreverence irked him and he had a momentary realisation that this was how Meghna felt with him. He vowed that he was not going to object to what he termed as her bossy behaviour and also appreciate her more. But he could not resist taking a dig at Kabir,

"And yet, you would grovel before him?"

Kabir let out an exaggerated sigh, "See the things I have to do for the women I love. Yes, I will grovel before him, I might even have to kiss his butt, and I will do it. How else will you be able to pull out the rug from beneath his feet? It would be worthwhile watching him fall.

I shall contact my friend and get back with an estimate soon and then we can work out the timelines. Is that fine?"

Sanskaar nodded and watched as Kabir silently slipped out of his room. The prospect of this new idea excited him and he wondered if he could sleep.

He was fast asleep in five minutes.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Swara woke to darkness and warmth. She stayed still, not wanting to open her eyes as she tried to make out where she was and it took her a couple of minutes to realise; she was in her bed and she was warm because she had been snuggling up to her sister. It was something she had not done in the recent years, but when she had been young, she would often do that, most of the times she would seek out her sister and snuggle up to her. For a long time, Ragini simply let Swara sleep with her rather than have her come to her room in the middle of the night.

She lay awake, remembering what had happened in the morning; after Sanskaar had spoken to her, Ragini had come out and simply asked her to leave with Kabir and that she would soon be home. Swara had been hurt with that, though she took some comfort from the fact that her sister did not seem too upset with her. She had not known when she had fallen asleep waiting for her sister.

"You are awake?"

"Mmmm" Swara just murmured her assent, not trusting herself to speak anything.

"Good, wake up, have a shower and then come downstairs. I have something for you." With that, Ragini rolled out of bed and started to go out, when Swara said, "Wait di, I want to..."

"No, nothing now, we will sit in our favourite corner and then we will talk as much as you want and you will listen, to all that I have to say."

Swara sighed, there were sometimes when Ragini's apparent calmness irked her, she wanted to talk and find how angry Ragini was with her and also what exactly they had in mind for her, but then her sister did not seem to be in any hurry to let her know. And when her di wanted them to meet at their favourite place, it meant that there would be secrets shared, words spoken, tears shed and lots of whispered laughter.

Their favourite spot was a sort of shed between the outbuilding that housed the printing press and the large Badam tree that grew in the corner of their garden. It was a simple shed, one rectangle corrugated tin roof that stood on four poles, which their grandfather had got it erected, for Swara insisted on playing under that tree, not caring about the rain or the sun. To one side stood a winding staircase, which as kids, they used to get on to the roof and pick off the badam fruit. The tree had grown so large over the years that a part of the roof was embedded into the trunk, which was a good thing, for it afforded a greater stability to the aging roof. And a few years ago, their grandfather had a part of the corrugated roof replaced with a transparent flexiglass section; and on cloudless nights, they could make out the faint twinkling of the stars through the canopy of leaves. It was their haunt, their private spot; with a single seat swing and an iron wrought table and chairs, so that they could sit in comfort. Swara loved that spot, a secret getaway for her fantasies.

When Swara reached the shed around forty minutes later, she was greeted by the sight of her sister patiently waiting for her; and on seeing her favourite treats, tea and pakodas, she almost slipped into tears. She had been expecting an angry lecture or a tirade of harsh words, not to be rewarded as though she had achieved something. But then, when she had been young, tea and pakodas had also been a way to ensure that Swara would sit with patience and hear her sister out.

Swara drank the tea, and as she sipped on the hot sweet creamy concoction, she realised that she still had a taste for it, it was what her sister would often make for her, a child version of tea, which Swara would have as a treat for being brave and not crying all, while the doctors poked and prodded her. After a while, she looked forward to the doctor visits, for she knew that they would end with her sister treating her to the creamy tea and specially prepared pakodas. Deep fried, batter coated vegetables were definitely never a healthy option for someone with a heart problem, but then Ragini had devised a way around it; she would first bake the batter dipped veggies and then stir fry them, it would not taste as great as the traditional deep fried pakodas but with a dash of seasoning, a dip of sweet sauce and creamy tea, it had been a veritable feast.

Swara nibbled at a pakoda, it tasted of heaven and forbidden pleasure, of childhood memories and simpler days, but unable to savour it, dropped it into her plate and cried, "I cannot take it, di, not anymore. What I did was horrible and you are supposed to be angry with me, not treat me as though I have done something nice or brave. How can you pretend to be so sweet to me?"

"I am not pretending. I am angry, sad, upset, and also a little bit disappointed in you. But above all, I am also quite relieved."

Ragini smiled when she saw the surprise flit across Swara's face, "It was a good thing you were asleep when I came home, it gave me some time to think everything over. Swara, what you did was wrong, very wrong. Irrespective of the reasons which you felt justified your actions, you cannot deny that what you did was also unethical and unprofessional. But as to why I am not livid with you is that—"

Ragini wondered how best to put her feelings in words and then continued, "—okay, here is the thing, there were a number of factors working against you; all of us seemed to have kept it a secret from you and when Baba simply sprung it on you, Maa told me how he showed you your birthday album, it must have been upsetting. I do not know what he said to make you share the transcripts..."

"I did not share them exactly. I did not want to, even at the time when I was angry with you, there was a part of me that kept telling me I was wrong. But I did not heed that voice. And when Sahil gave me a way out, I took it."

Sahil?"

Swara gave a gist of what had happened, it got Ragini thinking, "Okay, will you be able to repeat it, without missing out anything, to Laksh?"

When Swara nodded, though bewildered at the request, Ragini smiled, "Do not worry I will be there too. And as to your actions, I am also to blame, I knew SNLRS, I should have told you when you started the interviews, at least when you blurted their names. But then I was scared, I did not want you to judge me badly."

"But why would I do that?"

"If I told you that I was a part of SNLRS, you would want to know why we are not friends anymore and why and how we drifted apart. I am not proud of it, quite ashamed of what happened. I got angry and said certain things which I have regretted till date."

Ragini stopped, unsure if she should tell everything that had happened, a part of her was afraid what Swara would think of her, when she heard Swara say, "It is fine, I know it is difficult for you to talk about it, so do not say anything further. You know, Di, before I started the interviews, you warned me, it was as though you had a premonition that something would go wrong and I would act in haste, you warned me not to allow my anger to make my decision, that I do not make the same mistake as you did. Even Tanisha Ma'am had hinted to me, for she asked me to keep an open mind but then I never really listened to either of you. And see what I mess I have made."

Ragini patted her hand, "It is alright, we all make mistakes, and though it feels terrible, it is not so irreparable. We will set it right, but then you would have to do exactly as we say, not a bit more and nothing extra."

"If it means I am forgiven, I will do everything and anything and only what you ask me, I promise. I still cannot believe that you are letting me get away."

"Oh, no, you will not get away so easily, Udayan will quite upset, so be prepared for a lashing from him, it will be severe and I will not interfere. It will also not be pleasant, and your tears are not going to effect him and it will end in a recommendation to bar you from the office and if possible, from any newspaper office, for at least a couple of decades. He is a scrupulous man and he is quite firm as to how to deal with unethical actions. I will override that recommendation; after all, you are my favourite sister.

A relieved Swara, who had stuffed a couple of the pakodas into her mouth, mumbled, "I am your only sister."

"See, I knew there had to be a solid reason for you being my favourite sister," Ragini chuckled, the joy in that laughter warming Swara, much more that the tea and pakodas did.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Sunday night brought a sort of relief to most of the concerned, though there were notable exceptions. Sanskaar was unable to sleep, partly because he had slept through most of the day and partly because he was wondering if the gamble they planned was worth the risk of discovery; he knew that their involvement might not be found out but did not want the Senguptas to be warned.

So when Kabir landed at his place, even though it was quite late into the night, it was a welcome distraction.

Kabir looked tired but there was excitement glinting in his eyes as he launched into the specifics, "Okay, my friend, I am not telling you his name and I have not told him about you, fair is fair, he is over the moon with what I needed and says he can deliver the device in a couple of days, that is Tuesday, but maybe it is better to wait for a day more, for I want to test it. So is it fine if you can see that Swara has the interview on Thursday or even better, on Friday, afternoon?"

Sanskaar agreed, but then he wanted to know the details, he might not have the technical expertise, but he believed in knowing what exactly it would entail.

"Okay, he is a nerd, with both hardware and software, and he can work wonders with gadgets. So what he will do is take the Fitbit and one of those mini wrist band voice-activated recorders and weld them together, I am sure it would be a great job and the join would be undetectable. We decided to use a basic Fitbit model which has the heart rate monitor and then build a generic, customised gadget, one that is quite exclusive and should appeal to the Sengupta ego. Now I will skip the finer technical details, as I am not too clear myself but what we will get is a single wrist band device, that ostensibly is a heart rate monitor and can track the related vitals along with the expected apps for step counter and GPS. The recorder will function on the fitbit battery, so we have to warn Sengupta to keep same charged regularly, the double device would drain the battery faster.

Now as to the retrieval. We, or rather my friend, will build in an invisible 'piggyback software' that will ride on one of the existing harmless software and so coded that each time the device syncs to their mobile or laptop, the recorded data would be transmitted to my email. The transfer is via an encrypted file and he has already installed the app in my system to retrieve and save the same as .wav file."

"And how trustworthy is your friend, how do you know that he will not have the conversation sent to his mail too?"

Kabir stopped, he trusted his friend but then he understood Sanskaar's doubts, "Well, no other way, apart from me saying so. I guess that is one risk we have to take, but even if he did overhear, he would not go to them, so it should not pose much of a risk."

Sanskaar nodded, it made sense and he knew that any plan would never be fool proof and Kabir continued, "The physical retrieval is something I have not thought about, maybe I do it the same way I had them put it on, I was thinking of having my friend also sneak in a virus so that the device stops working and Sengupta will call me over and have my hide for saddling him with a cheap gadget. But if we have got what we want, it should not matter?"

At Sanskaar's silence, which Kabir interpreted to be as dissent, Kabir started thinking aloud, "Or else, I will go over on some other pretext and switch the gadgets, which means we need to have a substitute set handy. And I was thinking, how would it be if we tried to get Sahil to wear one too, I think he does not wear a Fitbit, he would be easier to manipulate and maybe..."

Saanskaar heard Kabir out, appreciating the effort and the thoughtfulness that went into the planning, and though he felt a twinge of disquiet at the idea of another nameless faceless member contributing to their efforts, he decided to take the chance.

"It is okay to both, getting Sahil to wear a gadget and having a second set to substitute, though you will do it only after we talk it out thoroughly, right?"

When Kabir nodded his assent, Sanskaar concluded, "then there is just one thing, if you need money to get the stuff, smooth the way or for anything else, irrespective of amount, you will tell me. You will not put in a single rupee of your own. Am I clear?"

Sanskaar smiled when Kabir visibly relaxed, "Thanks, it might be expensive and I would have managed though I would have to answer some uncomfortable questions of my parents. So I will make a move now and give you periodic updates over the phone, maybe it is best if I am not seen at your place anymore."

Sanskaar agreed, it did make sense and once Kabir left, he reached down to scratch Rache behind his ear, "Not a bad kid, right? Though he does talk too much." And when Rache merely cocked his eyebrow, he laughed with a relief he had not felt for the last few hours.

As he slipped into a fitful slumber he hoped that their far- fetched idea might bear some dividends.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・

Monday found the Sengupta men, more particularly, Sanjay Sengupta, in a quandary; Sanjay Sengupta had never had anything go contrary to his expectations, forgetting the old adage "As your perception, so your expectation" He had spent the past twenty four hours, imagining the reactions from the Gadodias and SNLRS and the planning the responses; thinking as he would have done if he were in their position and the absolute silence was unsettling. Shekhar was understandable, Sanjay knew that Shekar would not day or do anything, he was of the type who believed that trouble, if ignored long and hard enough, might disappear. He also realised that Shekar would not act until SNLRS enforced the NDA or at least sent out a notice to that effect, though he had expected something from the chit of his daughter, the one who had dared to refuse his son.

But even more confounding was the lack of communication from SNLRS, it was not like that they could turn a blind eye and hope that it all went away. The article could cause some damage to the personal reputations and he did find it unbelievable that they were keeping quiet about the whole thing.

The phone call from Swara to Sahil , towards the afternoon, was even more confusing. 

Sahil had, for a change, deferred to his father, instead of simply agreeing to her request for an interview; his son was a little soft, like his mother, a trait he disliked. But he could make out that his son was interested, Sahil loved the idea of being interviewed, it made him feel special. Strangely, so was he, though it was curiosity that filled him. He had overhead the conversation, for Sahil had put Swara on the speaker mode, without informing her and the anguish and pleading in her voice did soothe him. It made him feel nice that there was someone who felt miserable with the article and presumed that some of her grief must be on account of misery her sister might have felt, and that made him happy.

He pondered over it for the whole of the day, the silence and the request weighing on him, unable to find any reason for either of them. In the end he made his decision, he would permit his son to have the interview taken and also be the one accompanying him, it would give him some leverage with Shekar and maybe, it might work in their favour if SNLRS slapped a legal notice for the opinion piece.

Little did he know that his assent was the beginning to an end. Nor did SNLRS realise that it was the start of their payback.

And it starts, the next episode would continue with what they planned. I hope I did not bore you too much and would love to know what you thought of this update. The next update would be Chicanery.

love,
Nyna