" S.so you went to m.meet that man and he told you about umm your fathh.. I mean Sourish ", asked Kiara.
Gaurav looked at her.
" Ki you don't need to be scared", he said.
" I am not ", she lied.
Gaurav sighed.
" If we are.. ", said Kenny. " It's justified as you killed Malti. She loved you", she said angrily.
" So did I", said Gaurav. " But Riya had to spoil everything.. The b*tch. Cured me completely of that obsession ".
" YOU OBSESSED OVER RIYA", said Raj with clemched teeth and fist. For the first time he lost his calm. His eyes turned stormy. A hurricane brew outside.
" Raj please", said Kenny holding his hands.
He closed his eyes and reopened them. The storms slowly subsided.
Gaurav watched Raj in fascination.
" Amazing", he said. " You just did this. Now this is what I want".
" Keep it on and he'll blow you to pieces ", said Kiara angrily.
" I guess you want to hear my story", he said cleaning his hands.
The dinner was over.
Raj was deeply smelling Kenny and feeling her live pulse.
" It's okay", she cooed to him. " I am fine".
" Please tell me you find it creepy too", said Gaurav to Kiara.
" I do but that doesn't excuse your crimes ", she retorted.
" I own all my actions kid", said Gaurav out loud.
Raj suddenly snapped his eyes open and smirked.
" SO DO I".
Gaurav laughed.
" Told you we made a great team", he said.
" So what happened next", asked Kenny.
" Anticlimax ", said Gaurav as he narrated his story further.
Flashback
The following week Gaurav stood outside the same bar. He was waiting for that man. He could probably throw some light on his connection to Sourish.
The man was definitely there.
" Hey", said Gaurav but the other fellow looked a bit flustered and reserved. He greeted him smiling but Gaurav felt something was off abut him.
" So wassup" , said Gaurav. He tried to sound like the rogue.
" The gang wants to meet you. Come with me", he said.
" Why not", said Gaurav as he followed them.
They entered a shady bar. Gaurav's sixth sense warned him. But he was determined to find his relationship with the Royal Family. He had seen Ranbir the moron and the riches and prevliges he got for being the king's son.
" Umm so where are they", he asked that man. He was careful not to ask his name just called him man or buddy.
" Let's drink first", he said. Again something seemed off. Gaurav sipped his drink. A bit later he felt dizzy.
" What did you put in", he asked.
Bam
Someone hit him. More punches and kicks followed. He tried fighting back. But he was drugged. He fell down at last.
" Is he gone", asked someone.
" Yeah", said another.
" PYTHON ", said a man.
And in walked his doppelganger.
Sourish Singh Thakur.
He turned him with a foot.
" Who did they say he was", he asked.
" A Gaurav Shekhawat", said another.
" Shekhawat", he thought for sometime.
" Your cousin's stepson", said a man.
As Sourish bent to study Gaurav his guard lowered.
Bam
Gaurav hit the python and took him on gunpoint.
" Down with your weapons", he said.
The men were shocked. They threw the weapons down.
" How did you", asked a man.
" Simple I pretended to drink and threw the drink. Exaggerated thr symptoms ", he shrugged.
" When did you know", asked another.
" Aan aana no no", smirked Gaurav. " My tirne to ask questions . Who are you"?
His question was placed to Sourish.
Python was smirking too.
" He fooled you all", he said to his men. He was pleased. " And you young man are my son".
GOBSMACKED...
" How", he said.
" Let's confirm it first", said Sourish calmly.
" Shall we"?
He gave a stick to Gaurav for the swab.
An hour later
"The test results are positive", confirmed one of Sourish's man.
" As soon as I heard you snooping around arts department and local motels I got suspicious ", said Sourish to Gaurav. " The police wants me but then Bert here found you and I had you followed. Also after investigation I got your connection with Devika. Boy your mother fooled me big time. I mourned you and her for years."
Sourish then told her about Vibha and the swap.
Gaurav was stunned to silence.
" Do you have any questions ", asked Sourish.
He was dumbfounded for a few more minutes. Then he gathered himself and asked,
" What is your relationship with the king of Junagarh "?
Shutters came over his father's eyes.
" RELATIONSHIP ", he hissed. " I COULD HAVE BEEN KING OF JUNAGARH".
" H. h. how", stammered Gaurav.
Then Sourish explained about his father and Gaurav listened intently.
A while later
" Ranbir is a fool", he said to his father. " If he becomes a king the kingdom will be ruined.
" Then my son we have to stop him from becoming king", said Sourish.
" You want to kill him", asked Gaurav.
" No", smirked Sourish.
Gaurav was perplexed.
Present
Raj looked at his enemy. Maddy was right the way his brain worked. Mediocrity irritated him. And for all his virtues his birth father was a weak man. Even Raj at times wondered if he was fit to be a ruler or not. But this man... He remembered the words of Pundit Agnisharma:-
" This is what happens when you surrender yourself to evil. You lose the path of righteousness. Beware prince for a conscience that feels guilty is what separaes a right man from a wrong one".
" You should understand ", said Gaurav to Raj. " I only killed them who were out for my blood. Be it your grandfather or Vinod or Malti Or that officer's wife", he said. " I really don't like shedding blood. "
" Yeah you appoint others to do it", said Raj.
Gaurav shrugged.
" I am the boss. I get leeway", he smirked.
" When did you realise that you were Badev Chauhan", asked Raj.
" When Keekat manifested itself in front of me. I was in low spirits then. My father was killed in an encounter. Before dying I gave him a promise.
" Promise me son you will never be Bablu Thakur. You will remain Gaurav Shekhawat. And you will develop a harmless and a peaceful personality. The best disguise is hiding your nature. Vibha unknowingly gave you a jackpot. You are closer to the Royal family. Until it comes to survival you won't kill", he said.
" He knew he was going to die that day", said Gaurav.
Anyways his loyals asked me to take over as python but I declined. I remained Gaurav Shekhawat.
" How did you become Cobra then", asked Kenny.
" He always was Cobra beautiful ", said Raj.
" He just pretended to be Gaurav ".
" Exactly ", said Gaurav. " I have to eliminate my father's men first. They knew my identity".
" You killed them", said Kiara.
" They were not good people Ki", said Gaurav.
" What next", asked Raj.
" Then I started my own business. The shady ones. I started with a casino first and then built an empire. It was in early stages I met Keekat"
Flashback
" It's a long route ahead dad. But I promise you. Junagarh shall be ours", Gaurav said to Sourish's photograph. " I wish you were there with me. I feel lonely at times ".
" No need for it. The time has come for a cobra to emerge"...
It was a creepy voice.
Gaurav was startled. At that time the devil manifested in front of him.
" Hello king Baldev Chauhan. Remember me"?