Ashi’s POV

I always thought something was wrong with me for something was always wrong around me, and once again today I'm proved right. Here in our mansion all are gathered at four in the morning, none of faces are happy neither should be with the situation we are in, my eyes are burning from the unshed tears, “did you get something?” I ask for the nth time and Zain looks at me sadly in answer. I don’t think I’ll be able to take this anymore.   

It was almost a month back we came to Bangalore and since players’ schedules were mostly flexible or cleared, they decided to stay until Sid’s birthday which is two days from today, for a celebration is due, since the players won the concert, and again it was on news, so many calls came and bouquets and gifts to congratulate them, the lengths people will go to get their means satisfied astonishes me but then again these guys come from old money and from generations of businessmen, they are the Indian nobility, managing most of market.

Players have already celebrated their victory by getting drunk such as we had to pull the kids to other room, and spent the next day apologizing for their behavior. The next day after that Randeep left, this time to his New York headquarters, I am made familiar with the situation, Randeep is going against divine bringing it down and unveiling any misconduct done in its business. The night before I remember he explained me things were going to get bad, till dusk he was telling me how this was important to him for some reason and that it was for good and from past some weeks we all gather in front of television, only to see news of Divine, some anonymous tips giving big hits to its reputation or stocks going down or some employee being arrested.
Most people go for a romantic vacation or even a date after they confess to someone their love but no my husband thought it would be better to wage a war on his father. I'm scared to say the least, and rightfully so.

Randeep called me yesterday to tell me he was coming home, we all had called for a BBQ celebration in the evening and I slept peacefully that was until Ayesha came to my room, banging the door open which ended her at my gunpoint. “Randeep is missing” she said with her hands up in surrender, she was panting and her face flushed. I got out of covers leaving the gun in the drawer asking her “what do you mean?”

“His jet, Ashi, has vanished from radar” the news so scary, my blood ran cold. I rushed outside securing my night robe, down the steps I saw all the players on the phone or laptop as they yell and pace in the sitting area. Their faces tensed and worry lines clear on their forehead.

“what is happening here?” I asked aloud stopping everyone, “Randeep is missing, his jet vanished from the radar almost an hour ago, we got the news now and trying to trace him but there isn’t much to do” Abhi informed again before walking away and focusing on his call.

“how do we know that’s true?”  
“his air agency informed us, its not publicity, something must have gone wrong. We cannot get a hold of his manager, the PR is crazy” Raghav says glancing up from his laptop.

“turn on the news Sasha, get my mobile Nancy please” instantly all rushed to tasks, by the time Nancy came I stood in front of television, the news channel showing some telemarketing, with headlines from prior day running on the foot of screen. “Nothing is on news, are we sure Randeep is missing?” I ask and all stop, Zain gets to surfing all news channels, as Nancy gives me the mobile and I ring Mr. Singh who picks almost instantly, “ma'am we have a problem” is the first thing he says.
“I am aware, what is the PR situation?”
“the news is out, the channels are going to run it any minute now, stocks are crazy already, everything is on thread if news goes out” entire RAW will collapse without Randeep’s name on it, this is a disaster and I know I cannot stop it.

“hold off everything, I want the company shut till sir is not found, put an announcement, no client will get a meeting or word from RAW, get to the airport and send out search parties Mr. Singh, look for him, you are to keep me posted” with orders to run, Mr. Singh got to work.

The next minute, national news was running as Zain had stopped surfing and I turned my attention to it hearing the desk reporter, “an urgent news has just arrived for the attention of our viewers, Randeep Raichand’s jet which took off from new York last night has been off the radar and there is no trace of the multi millionaire at the second as per sources, he is one of the richest Indians with many operations locally and worldwide, who holds the ownership of RAW holdings”
 
That was six hours ago, right now I'm just in front of television relying on what reporters can dig in. every girl in the room has spent their morning consoling me into his well being and I desperately want it to be so, only I'm not counting on my luck since I've never had it when it came to my loved ones.

 “another report coming in, the jet that has been off the radar for eight hours with two pilots and two attendants along with Randeep Raichand has been found crashed in Catalonia, there is no news on survivors yet. Thus far there is no word from Randeep’s instant family and there is no known heir too to take after him, who will possibly inherit RAW if the millionaire is in fact nowhere to be found”

“shut them up for god sakes!” Raghav says, still the guys are on their phones trying to get any news they can and Ayesha turned the volume low since I don’t want it off. I am scared to death as of now, a month back we were all so happy, all of us got Randeep back and now he is like vanished into air.
“ma'am you're getting pale, are you alright?” Nancy asks and I nod, as I get up Samaira who is beside me helps me.

“bhabhi you okay?” Sanjay comes and I nod again.  

“I'm fine, Nancy please come and help me, inform me as you get something”
Getting away from Samaira I make way to the kitchen but before I step out of there, I see dado and bhabhi coming in the house. “Princess” he calls and all come out of study where we all were seated, “we heard the news” he states coming to me and envelop me in a comforting hug. “you holding up?” he murmurs and I hum as he strokes my hair.

Parting with him, I meet with my bhabhi, hugging me she consoles me but these shallow words aren’t helpful at all, I need to know he is alright and on his way to home. Dado meets with men in the room while bhabhi gets update from the girls.

I nod to Nancy and we go to kitchen, “prepare lunch for everyone and the house chores are done?” she looks at me in a shock, but nods anyway updating me on the chores done, of course you don’t worry about the house when your husband is missing but he loves this place, he designed this so if nothing else I can do at least I'm keeping this safe. “prepare something energizing, I'm not seeing the girls here. where are they?” the helpers are missing from the morning, I saw only Nancy was serving us each time.

“they are in the garden, sir had ordered all there at the end of month for gardening” her voice held certain sadness

Of course, no wonder Randeep had such beautiful garden. I nod, “we shall get to work, tell them to join us when they are done” as she leaves, I get to finalize the menu, since all of us are up, no one has properly eaten, some snacks here and there, players since the time we all are up haven’t had a minute’s rest.

A glass of juice comes in view which extends to a hand and I see my bhabhi holding it out to me. “you should have something too you know” she says and I take it only to keep it back on the counter, anything right now will be hard to swallow, even water. “come on Ashi”

“later, I don’t want to right now”

“just this juice, we need to keep you together for when he comes back, and hydrated” she pushes the glass in my hands and I take it, finishing the juice was a task I didn’t finish, by the time I had half the glass a bile was rising in my throat, I ran to the nearest toilet to puke with bhabhi behind me.

Having no energy to even get up I crawled to the bath and leaned against it with her help, I collect myself as she leaves to get my clothes, making it to the shower I sit under it clothed, memories flooding inside my head as my hot tears mix with cold water, the fear to lose someone is something nobody ever overcomes, it comes in waves and right now I'm drowning, the night playing in my mind where I could have stopped him and I didn’t, if I did none of us would be going through this right now. 

The night was cold and sky was void of moon but beautiful nonetheless, I was sitting on the balcony of our room, palace was decorated with flowers and lights and candles for the players had won the contest and would be the same till our departure tomorrow, only once the prince, that is Randeep will leave the gates will the lights be out.

Here in this place everything is so free and bound at the same time, its like this world revolves around Randeep, hands came around my shoulders pulling me out of my thoughts as he said, “am I interrupting my thoughts?”

I shake my head and he turns me around hugging me close, “thinking something?” I asked and he hummed in agreement.
“I have to leave” he said reminding me what we discussed a couple of hours ago, Zain was there and he tried his best to stop Randeep but in the end, he would be going. “I know” was all I said.

“you want me to?” he pulled back to see my face and all I did was smile with “do whatever for your peace, I’ll be waiting at home when you come back”

I could easily say no, easily I could’ve stopped him, and so I should’ve but I didn’t instead I sent him off happily to a war he might lose and today we are here, I can blame myself but I don’t have the right to lose it right now when all this was my fault, with the thought in mind, I step out of shower.
 
 
*
 Forcing all the men to eat something, I get to serving them with everyone. Mr. Singh is now reporting to Zain as I handled the media chaos outside the colony. Right now, my entire house security apart from my personal guards is out at the gate stopping those vultures from picking at our wound.
For the next hour the house was quiet as a graveyard. Everybody was eating, focusing and trying to put food down their systems, I had also ate two or so sandwiches before I left the mansion, Zain and I had to go to the airline to see whether they had found something or not.

Rest of my day was a blur, all I remember was someone saying, ‘its hard to track Randeep and people with him’ the next thing I remember was the sunset when we were on our way back, and seeing ladies at my place before going to my room. “you need something?” I hear someone ask and shake my head as they leave me alone. as footsteps dissipate I move out and to the fort room, locking the door I sit on the couch, on the back wall his picture looking right at the paintings’ semicircle. I had made him put one of his portraits as this is his room.
I don’t know how long was I staring at his portrait, thoughts running in my head, all of the memories rushing in one by one, its been almost a day and we are unable to find him, teams are deployed in all inhabitant and habitant locations and yet there is no trace of him.

A loud bang on the door startled me, and it came again as I became aware of myself, someone is trying to break in, I rush to open it for maybe there’s some news of him. As soon as I open it, Abhi’s arm is met with shoulder taking both of us down and his weight crushes me, soon all pull him up and I also get up with difficulty, “did you get something?” I ask as pulling up Abhilash.
“are you carzy?!” Zain shouts in the next moment “why would you lock the door?”

“did you get something?” I emphasize and we both have a staring contest as others watch and he says before anyone can step between us, “no but Sid is here to see you” before he leaves the crowd storming out.

From behind the crowd of ladies comes forward a sad but hopeful Siddarth. I go and hug him and he returns it, before I lock the door and we all move out of there, “did you eat?” I ask and he nods. “how did your parents-“
“they heard the news and so it was fit for me to come” he answers before I finish and I nod.

*****

SUPRISE SUPRISE 
Sakshi here. Since I said feb here I am with one update a week as normal. I have read your comments and the messages, I have checked my board and I must say I am deeply sorry to worry you all, I'm keeping well, at least now I am.
Past months have been nothing short of a roller coaster and so it took me longer than expected to come back, I wished to post this on 14 for y'all but no worries it is here
Thank you for being so patient with this story, I may not reply but I lurk in the shadows reading and watching ;)

Till next time then. Do tell me if you find anything amiss in this chapter.
Love❤❤
Sakshi