BADAL'S FEAR

At least for few seconds he was dumbstruck seeing the scene what shouldn't be seen.

The young girl whom they saved for their benefits had been pinned against the wall by those goons. And when the two of them cut her hand, instead of shedding a huge amount if blood, the wound healed in a blink of an eye.

'Have we really taken a monster in?'

'What should I do now?'

'Will that thing hurt Rishi?'

'No! Wait! Where is Rishi?'

His eyes searched the room. The next moment he found Rishi lying on the ground. He wanted to quickly run towards him and embrace him, protect him. But he couldn't. He found himself glued to the ground. Neither could he stand up, as if his lower body had become paralyzed.

His mind went blank. His other sensory organs also become defective. He could only see his son, his precious son, Rishi lying on the ground.

His senses came back following a loud sound of a groan. He unknowingly moved his vision towards the sound. He saw that bastard Mangu lying on the floor. His hands covering his left nape. And soon to add further fear and shock in Badal's already scaredy life, Mangu's whole body was turning black.

For a moment, he liked the painful face and groans of that harasser. But in the next moment, fear replaced his happiness.

'How did it happen?'

His eyes automatically shifted to Ana. 'Is she the reason? Did she do something?'

He again became dumstruck. He got back his senses when the goons left.

As soon as he saw Mangu Bhai leaving, he somehow walked, crawled near his son, Rishi and sat there, absolutely ignoring the unlucky thing laying unconsciously at the corner. It was if he would protect his son's body with his.

He even called out Rishi's name, but got no answer. He thought his son was...

But the up and down of Rishi's chest assured him that he was thinking too much.

Soon he found that the young, weak looking girl yet dangerous stood before them and sat there.

He tried to cover his son's body as if shielding it.

He murmured the 'Monster' a lot of time.

Little did he know that his this action rubbed salt on the girl's wound. And ebrn his murmuring could be heard by this so-called Monster.

She assured him that she wouldn't hurt them.

Still Badal never let his guard down.

He followed her every move while she took care of Rishi. That day was really too much for Badal.

Never in his life he thought he would fear someone this badly except that gangster Mangu.

He thought to himself, 'When Rishi will open his eyes, he will make sure to kick this terrible luck out of their house as well as from their lives. And from today onwards no matter how much money they receive they will never took anyone in.'

He had lost his wife already. No matter what, he won't let his son to get hurt. No matter what!

Badal looked at Ana who was sitting one or two hand away from them.

'The girl doesn't look bad. In fact, she looks really attractive.'

So, it's really true.

Dangerous things look so beautiful and attractive only to raise one's desire, just to enjoy the feeling if destroying that one's life.

'Hah' He sarcastically laughed at himself to harbour a life threatning thing in their very house.

Badal raised his hand and caress Rishi's forehead and hair. His mind somewhat calm down seeing Rishi.

He murmured, "Rishi, My son, I'll make sure that you're safe and sound. I'm sorry! Because of me, you brought this unlucky thing. I'll make sure that this thing is dealt very carefully."

Then he made up his mind. An evil smile appeared on his old face.

A cruel and life risking plan!

After few failed attempts, he successfully piggybacked Rishi and was about to go out of their nest to their new destination, when a trembling voice interrupted him, "Baaa-bba, wha-what are e-you doing?"

Hearing his little son's voice, he halted and postponed his plan for now. He replied, "Nothing!"

Badal fed his son, Rishi water with his hands.

After few coughs, Rishi managed to drink the water normally.

Rishi looked up towards his dad and said, "Dad, I know what you were trying to do. You want us to escape and leave this girl here, right? So that when Mangu Bhai's underlings come, this girl can be our scapegoat. Isn't it?"

Badal remained silent.

Rishi hold his shoulders and shook him, "Dad, why are you acting so foolishly? Didn't you hear at that time what she said? Her mother works at Rathore Villa? RATHORE VILLA! Even a child knows that a minimum working salary of a worker in Rathore Villa starts with 40,000/ month. This golden bird has come to us by herself! If we lose her like this, then aren't we bading goodbye to Goddess Laxmi herself? Think about it!"

When Badal heard this, he hesitated but still voiced out his fear, "Rishi, my Son. You're my only family. My life. My reason dor survival. If... If anything happens to you because of her rotten luck, then... then what-"

Rishi cut him off in the middle, "Baba, she's not that bad. Think about it! We helped her by taking her out from that garbage. And now We'll help her by sending her to her mother. Won't she feel gratitude towards us for all the things we had done for here? Then we'll ask for some more money from her mother and we can escape from this place for good. Think, Baba, Think."

Badal remained quiet for sometime. He then nodded and said, "Okay! Do as you think is good! But your safety is the main thing. If what you said, goes as planned, then we can get back all your mother's things and her house very quickly."

While mentioning about Rishi's mom, a drop of tear escaped from Badal's left eye and landed on Rishi's hand that was placed on the floor.