9. Pooja at home

Abhimaan's POV

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw that I was alone in the room. I was confused as Begum Sahiba didn't wake up before me then how come today? And when she could have shifted me I would have woken up.

" Fuck."

I cursed and then came down the bed. I went inside the washroom and then started to take the shower. Standing in the shower, I was able to remember what happened last night.

I was becoming hard and looked down at my buddy getting hard. It needed a hole to fuck hard but I have promised Maa not to force her for anything and I will keep her promise forever.

I came out of the washroom. I had worn my clothes

I opened the door of the room and then headed towards the hall. I saw my mother standing there. I looked at her.

" Good morning Maa."

I said and then touched the feet of my mother. She blessed me. I looked around.

" Where.... Where is Ishqi?"

I asked.

" Here."

I heard her sweet voice from the kitchen and looked at her. She had kept a lot of laddos in the plate and heading towards me.

She stood in front of me with a smile on her face.

" I knew that you have forgotten. Today is Sonal di's pooja."

Maa said. How can I forget this day? This is the day that I hate the most. This day took away my mother from me forever.

" And Chestha, Yash and Yashika are also here. "

Maa said while keeping her hand on my shoulder. I looked at the gate and saw Choti Maa coming inside.

" Namaste Choti Maa."

I walked towards her and then touched her feet.

" Stay happy. "

" Namaste Choti Maa."

Begum Sahiba said and then bent to touched the feet of Choti Maa. Choti Maa held Ishqi in mid air.

" Ishqi, you are not the daughter-in-law of the house. You are the daughter. And daughter's don't touch feet. They stay near our hearts."

Choti Maa said and then hugged Ishqi. I looked at Chote Papa who was coming inside. We both hugged each other.

Chote Papa is more than to me just an uncle. He took care of me when my own father wasn't there for me.

" Come. It is the time for the pooja. "

Maa said to us. Then we all walked out of the r haveli. My father wasn't there. Why was I even excepting him to be there. He would be busy fucking someone.

Author's POV

As everyone walked out of the haveli, the pooja area was set up in the middle of the garden. Abhimaan and Ishqi sat down. Aradhya sat on the other side. Yash and Chestha sat on the other side.

Maanveer and Yashika sat behind Abhimaan and Ishqi. The pandit ji was doing the pooja. Abhimaan and Ishqi were outting the offerings. Aradhya, Chestha, Yash, Maanveer and Yashika were also putting the offerings.

After the pooja got over, Abhimaan and Ishqi fed the pandit ji. They kept a laddo near the chair. Laddo was made because Sonal liked laddos a lot. In India, on the death anniversary of a person, we make the food the the dead person loved.

In the form of crow, they come down from heaven and eat their favorite food. After that, everyone sat in the hall. Ishqi was in the kitchen making tea for everyone. Everyone had eaten food and now they wanted tea.

Ishqi made the tea and then got it out for everyone.

Abhimaan's POV

I took a drag from my cigarette, the smoke curling lazily around me as I pondered Maanveer's words. The tension in the room was palpable, a sense of unease settling over us like a thick fog.

" Looks like that Siddqui is planning something against you Bhaiya. You should do something."

Maanveer said to me. I looked at him.

"Siddiqui, huh?" I mused, exhaling a plume of smoke.

"What could he possibly be plotting now?"

Maanveer shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his brow furrowed with worry. "I'm not sure, Bhaiya," he admitted.

"But Raghav seemed convinced that it's something serious. We can't afford to underestimate him."

I nodded thoughtfully, tapping the ash from my cigarette into the tray beside me. Siddiqui was a cunning adversary, always one step ahead in the game of politics and power. If he was indeed planning something, we needed to be prepared.

"Keep an eye on him." I instructed Maanveer, my voice firm. "And gather whatever information you can. We need to know his every move."

Maanveer nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. "I won't let you down, Bhaiya," he vowed.

Raghav entered the room, his expression grave. "Thakur sahab, we've received some intel." he said, his voice tense.

"It seems Siddiqui has been reaching out to some influential figures in the city. He's rallying support for a possible bid against us in the upcoming elections."

My grip tightened on the cigarette, a surge of anger coursing through me. Siddiqui was playing a dangerous game, and he wasn't afraid to use every weapon at his disposal.

"We can't let him gain any ground," I said, my voice low with determination. "Raghav, I want you to dig deeper. Find out who he's been meeting with and what his plans are."

Raghav nodded, his expression steely. "Consider it done, Thakur Sahab."

As my two most trusted allies set out to gather information, I leaned back in my chair, the weight of responsibility pressing down on me like a heavy burden. Siddiqui may be a formidable opponent, but I refused to let him best us. We would fight tooth and nail to protect what was ours, no matter the cost.

As I entered my room, I was surprised to see Begum Sahiba, my mother, engaged in conversation on the phone. Her voice, usually calm and composed, carried a subtle undertone of concern that immediately piqued my interest.

"Ishaan, don't worry. I will be there on Monday," she reassured the person on the other end of the line.

Ishaan? Who is this? Is she planning something against me? I couldn't control my anger and stormed towards her. She looked at me, startled, as I grabbed her phone and hurled it to the floor, shattering it into pieces.

"Abhi, are you mad?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock and confusion.

But in my mind, I was convinced that she was conspiring against me, perhaps with someone named Ishaan. My heart raced with betrayal and anger, clouding my judgment and fueling my actions.

"Why are you talking to someone named Ishaan behind my back?" I demanded, my voice laced with accusation. "What are you planning?"

" Ishaan is. "

" I don't give a fuck who he is. You will not talk to anyone nor you will leave this house. I will make sure of it. "

I said and then stormed out of the room. I came out and then sat in the jeep and headed from there. I looked at the gift card that Siddiqui left for me.

I picked it and it was a room key at the Blue star hotel. I went straight there to see what he has planned for me this time.

I reached there and then walked towards the lift of the hotel. The lift opened on the 26th floor and I reached the room.

I was about to open the door when the door opened from inside. A girl in a sexy lingerie was standing there.

" Thakur Sahab, I have been waiting for you since last night. Where were you?"

She asked. I folded my arms.

" How much did Siddiqui give you for doing all this?"

I asked.

" Hmm, why should I tell you? Can you give more than him?"

" Yes. 1 lakh only for you. Just tell Siddiqui that we spent this night together. "

She got a smile on her face with my words.

" Very good. Send it and I will do as you said. Let me call him. "

She said and then picked her phone. She dialed a number and then kept it on speaker.

" Reena, I hope the work is done?"

" Yes Siddiqui sahab. Thakur sahab has just arrived and now we are going to spent the whole day together."

" Very good. Entertain him good. "

Siddiqui then cut the call. I looked at Reena.

" Money will come till the evening and till then stay here. Once you get the money, leave."

I said. As I stormed out of the hotel, my mind raced with a tumult of emotions. Betrayal, anger, and a gnawing sense of unease consumed me as I grappled with the implications of Siddiqui's sinister plan. My family was in danger, and I needed to act swiftly to protect them at all costs.

Climbing into my jeep, I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles white with tension. The drive back to the haveli was fraught with a restless energy, each passing moment fueling my determination to thwart Siddiqui's schemes.

As I entered the gates of the haveli, I was greeted by the familiar sight of our ancestral home, but beneath its tranquil facade lay a brewing storm of uncertainty and treachery. I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not when the safety of my loved ones hung in the balance.

Entering the house, I made my way to the living room where Ishqi was waiting for me. The tension between us crackled in the air, a silent reminder of the rift that had formed between us in recent days.

"Ishqi." I began, my voice tight with emotion. "We need to talk."

She turned to face me, her eyes ablaze with defiance.

"What is it now, Abhimaan?" she retorted, her tone laced with bitterness.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation that lay ahead.

"I know about your conversation with someone named Ishaan. What are you planning behind my back?"

I said, my words tinged with accusation.

Ishqi's eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of guilt crossing her features before she quickly masked it with a veil of indifference.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Really?"

She replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging within her.

"Don't play games with me, Ishqi. I saw the way you were speaking on the phone, the secrets you're keeping from me. What are you hiding?"

Ishqi bristled at my accusation, her defenses rising in response.

"And what about you, Abhimaan?" she countered, her voice rising in anger.

" What were you doing at that hotel? Who is Reena, and why are you meeting with her?"

My jaw clenched at her words, the sting of her accusation cutting deep. She picked her phone and showed me the photos in which I was getting intimate with Reena.

"Reena is nothing to me. She's just a pawn in Siddiqui's twisted game. And these photos are editted. "

Ishqi's eyes narrowed at my admission, a flicker of understanding dawning in her gaze.

"So you admit it. You're involved in this too."

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway, signaling the approach of my mother and the rest of the family. With a heavy heart, I realized that our conversation would have to wait, but the tension between us lingered like a storm on the horizon, threatening to consume us both in its fury.

I knew that it was Maa. I didn't want her to know that we were fighting. I covered her mouth with my waist. She stopped speaking. I waited till Maa didn't go.

I moved away from her. I pointed my index finger towards her.

" I will make sure that you don't leave this house till Monday."

I walked out of the room and then locked the room from outside. She kept shouting but I didn't listen to her and then went from there.