Episode 3: The Rise
“Ayya had another heart attack! You have to come immediately”. Niyati was shocked. Everything happened so soon. She immediately packed her bag and rushed to the Dean’s office to communicate her decision. The Dean had never seen Niyati so perplexed. He tried to reason out of her asking her to reconsider her decision. If required, she could take a semester or a year off and there was no real need for her to discontinue her studies completely. After all, she was one of the brightest students they had and getting a post doctoral seat in such a prestigious institution again would not be easy. As she parted, the dean assured her that she could always come back.
Niyati thanked him and closed the door behind her. She took a moment to let everything sink in. She knew she could never come back.
Niyati looked at her watch, it would be midnight by the time she would reach the hospital. She unbuckled the watch strap and flipped it over. Clearly etched were the words “For Niyati From Nani”. She could still see his smiling face clearly. In her house, men were never addressed by their names. Her brother was Nani for everyone, her dad Ayya for everyone, including her. She found the concept silly, but did agree it had a certain allure to it.
Chinnaya was outside the ICU when she came. He was in a very bad state. Her mom was crying uncontrollably at one end. Niyati tried to console her. Ayya was like a pillar for everyone in the extended family. Everyone knew he was close to Nani, but no one expected Ayya to take the news so seriously. Ayya was touring the constituency when news of Nani’s death came in. Ayya collapsed on the stage itself. It was more than a month before he was discharged but he was never the same again. Six months later, he was again in the hospital.
It was again a month before Ayya could be discharged back. He was restricted to a wheelchair and there were two full time nurses accompanying him wherever he went.
With Ayya out of action for almost a year, the family business took a huge hit. Dissent was growing from various quarters and talks of rebellion started mounting. No one said anything in front of Chinnaya, but everyone was baying for their share of the empire. Even Ayya’s loyalists, were not convinced that Chinnaya had done enough to avenge Nani’s death. Though unlikely, no one dismissed the thought that Chinnaya was complicit in Nani’s death.
Pratap Sahu had come to the city two decades back as a laborer for a construction company. The conditions for migrant workers were deplorable. This, coupled with the harassment of site incharges and local goons made them yearn for their barren lands which they had left behind. It was not soon before Pratap and others raised in rebellion against the construction company. What followed was a horror, the migrants could never have imagined. Many of their huts were torched at midnight with people still sleeping in. A bloody war followed for the next fortnight.
It was Ayya who had come to their rescue then. Ayya used to work as an engineer when he was disillusioned by the gross disparity and injustice being meted towards the downtrodden. He never was shy of taking any means necessary to correct what he felt was wrong. With each passing day Ayya’s followers multiplied and he ran a parallel government whose boundaries extended at the same rate.
As years passed by, Ayya’s clout in political establishments increased and he started demanding a share of the political pie. Everyone knew Ayya’s expanding business empire had hands in establishments neither legal nor moral but no one dared say a word.
Pratap became Ayya’s biggest asset and he was the de-facto number two in the empire. So when the time came to nominate someone to a minister’s post, Pratap got himself stitched a new set of Silk clothes. Ayya however, nominated Chinnaya, his brother, to the post. For Ayya, Pratap had always been his henchman and nothing else. The enraged Pratap threatened to finish Ayya’s empire and left with his associates.
The rivalry between the two factions took violent turn and escalated beyond intractability. The price was paid by the entire city which lay hostage over the next two decades to the whims and fancies of the warring elements.
A huge crowd gathered outside the house as Shankar led some of the most vocal Ayya’s followers to Chinnaya demanding what actions have been taken to avenge Nani’s death. Chinnaya was taken aback at the sudden outburst. Before he could say something, a voice came from behind-
“Call for a meeting with Pratap Sahu and his son Ravinder. It’s time we talk face to face”.
It was Niyati, calm and composed standing by the doorway. Everyone was taken stunned and there was a moment of silence before Chinnaya spoke. “Niyati, you stay out of this. You don’t know anything about them or us -”
“Shankar, send a word to Pratap Sahu, tell them would be coming to their house this Sunday” Niyati cut before Chinnaya could speak. The entire gathering stood there motionless.
“You have any questions?” Everyone walked out without uttering another word.
“Pratap Anna, you were once very close to Ayya. I have tremendous respect for you. I am here to give you what has always been rightfully yours”
“Thanks Niyati! I never expected this from you”
Shankar and the entire gathering sat there dumbfounded. Chinnaya stayed back at home, not willing to be part of this masochism.
“I will command all our men to stop interfering with your businesses. You decide the boundaries between our areas and I will ensure we stick to it. We will also vacate the two ministry berths we occupy. You can have those too. I will put a word with the Home Minister as well”
“Only, if your Ayya and Chinnaya had your acumen, this city would have been Elysium by now. But, better late than never”
Ravinder and his men were beaming with joy and could not control their happiness. On the other hand Shankar and his men were boiling with rage. They never expected them to be pulled into this schadenfreude.
“I just have one request”
“Anything Beti. Just name it. You don’t know what you have given me”
“I need you to hand over Ravinder to us”
“Handover? What do you mean?” said Pratap now jolted.
The smile on Ravinder’s face vanished.
“I have credible information that Ravinder was behind Nani’s death”
“Are you mad, what are you-” Ravinder protested, completely taken aback by the accusation.
“Shut up! I am not talking to you. Pratap Anna you tell me, will you give me Ravinder or not?”
“You bitch! I will send you and all your men to your brother. I will see the end of you right now. How dare you, a woman, come and talk to me like this. Not just you, I have been kind enough all these years. First you, then your crippled father, all of you be ready to meet your brother today itself”.
Everyone in the room stood up. Ravinder pulled out his pistol from his pant and pointed it towards Niyati.
“Anna, I ask you for the last time.” Niyati still unperturbed and unmoved looked Pratap in the eye.
Pratap moved forward and slapped Niyati hard and she flung across the room. Ravinder moved towards her laughing while his men surrounded Niyati’s men. He knelt down, turned Niyati and held her close to his face. He caressed the gun over her face to reveal the oozing blood out of her lips.
“A waste of such a lovely face”. Niyati struggled to say something. Ravinder laughed much louder as the chorus among his men grew even louder. Niyati was whispering something. “Can’t hear you darling” and he put his ears closer to her lips.
“Not such a waste after all” Ravinder looked back in shock as Niyati pointed his gun to his face and in one quick motion blasted his heart out.
Shankar was quick to react, he held two of Pratap’s goons down with his bare hands and rest of his men followed cue.
Pratap was shocked and he rushed towards Niyati like a raging bull. Shankar tackled him midway. Pratap even for his age was quite strong and quickly tossed Shankar out of his way. Pratap dashed towards his cabinet and pulled out his revolver and fired straight towards Shankar.
Niyati dived to push Shankar away and in the same motion fired Ravinder’s gun on Pratap. There was silence. It was all over.
Pratap’s men quickly made an exit. Shankar looked towards Niyati, bleeding from her left shoulder, struggling to get up. He gave her his hand and said “Akka”. Niyati acknowledged the gesture and got up and tapped her hand over Shankar’s shoulder. There were tears rolling down his eyes.
The news spread fast. Before they reached home a huge crowd had gathered in the driveway with a continuous chant of “Akka! Akka!” Everyone wanted a glimpse of the woman, who in one stroke accomplished something that men before her could not, in the past two decades. She waved her hand towards the crowd and smiled. They went ecstatic. Crackers started bursting flowers were thrown around. Dusshera came much in advance this year.
In the cacophonous din, Niyati could her multiple sirens blazing. She was not sure if it was police, ambulance or the ministers. Whoever they were, they could wait. She needed rest now. She had earned it.
There was a rush of ministers, bureaucrats, businessmen and those previously working with Pratap Sahu to meet Akka. Shankar did a fine job of managing the calls and request and prioritized Akka’s meetings. Ever since that day, Chinnaya became a recluse and avoided her as much as possible. He could not take playing second-fiddle to a woman less than half his age.
“Chinnaya?”Akka came into his room unannounced one morning.
“Niyati, err.. Akka”
She came in and touched his feet “Chinnaya you can call me whatever you like. I have got some coffee for you”
“Thanks. Come, sit down”
“Chinnaya, the last few days have been really hectic. I never got a chance to talk properly to you. You have always been like a father to me. I regard you same as how I regard Ayya. Things have changed and I need guidance. And who better than you to guide me”
“Definitely Beti. I am always there for you. Let me know what you want”
“I spoke to Home Minister Saab today. They are giving us one Rajya Sabha nomination. I was thinking it would be unfair to pass on this opportunity to anyone but you”
“But this would mean, moving to Delhi”
“I am sure you will act as a bridge for us and the center. We have a long way to go”
“I am not so sure -”
“I am sure you will do the right thing”
“Let me think about it -”
“Sure. You decide Chinnaya. I am sure you will do what is right for the family” Akka closed the door and walked away.
Chinnaya took a sip of the coffee and closed his eyes. He never woke up.
Akka slowly pushed the wheelchair carrying Ayya towards the entrance of the new hospital which was opened in memory of Nani —
Madhav Super Specialty Hospital
Niyati always rued the fact that she was born a girl. Though Niyati was the elder sibling, Ayya had always looked up to Nani as his heir. It was not like she was ever denied a wish, but unlike her brother she always had to ask for it. From the time she could remember, she always hated him, but never expressed it. It was clear to her early on that it would be a struggle for her to overtake Ayya’s position.
While her friends used to idle away their time with movies and trips, Niyati immersed herself, getting to know all the tricks of Ayya’s business. She had spent her whole childhood trying to impress upon Ayya how capable she was. Yet, the blind love for his son blinded Ayya’s perspective. He sent Niyati to a medical school in Delhi but kept Madhav closer to home.
Madhav was never interested in the business. He wanted to be an actor and make movies. She still remembered that day. Ayya was to travel with the Home Minister on a state tour. Niyati expressed her interest in accompanying them. Ayya laughed at her in front of everyone and admonished her to her room. He wanted to project Madhav in the rally as the rising star of the constituency. And what did Madhav do, run away from home one day before the event to shoot some silly project video.
Ayya covered up the incident, but Niyati could not let go. She knew she had to snatch power if it was not to be given to her. Riyaz had told her the location where Madhav would be going to shoot the documentary. Once everyone had left for the rally, Niyati left the house discreetly. She changed her appearance so that no one could notice her. She took three different auto rickshaw’s to ensure no one could track her down. She covered the last couple of kilometers by walk.
She perched herself atop a hill away from the gaze of the crowd which was building up. She saw Madhav, dressed as a villager and hitting a woman. She could not bear the mockery her brother was up to. She pulled out a revolver, which she had concealed carefully under her dress. Years of hunting trips with her dad had trained her well. She took an aim right towards his temple and with one clean shot, it was all over. As she was moving away trying to conceal her tracks, she saw another woman running hurriedly towards her Zen with a gun in her hand. Niyati smiled at her luck. She noted down the vehicle’s number and later tracked it’s owner. She found her scapegoat if she ever needed one.
Niyati removed the small box she had hid under her bed. She flushed down its contents, thereby tying the loose ends tying her to Chinnaya’s death.
She looked at herself in the mirror. She let herself say “Akka” out loud and smiled. She liked the tone of her new salutation.
Previous Episode: The Joker
Alternate Publication: The Rise
Next Episode: The Lovebirds
Publication: Ranga Bhoomi
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