77. Who's The Clever One?

Marona's POV 

Another escape wasn't easy but I had to, so Mikhail could follow me. 

I wanted to take him to where he met Devi, I thought his visit might spark a curiosity to find her but he didn't do anything. 

But I noticed that he does miss them, I saw him sitting by the same wall to wait for Devi. He must have thought that she would come. 

I know it was stupid but I felt jealous. Even if Devi, Mallika and Marona were the same, he belonged to Marona and not Devi for whom he was waiting there. 

At the same time, his Grandma told me about Miguel and his friendship and at that time I recalled that Mikhail was my friend. Our memories came back flashing on me and I regretted it so much that I forgot to write about him and our childhood.

I was angry at Mikhail but as soon as I remembered about our childhood my heart softened. There was a reason why he was running away from all of them and I no longer had the heart to punish him for anything. How can I hurt my one and only friend who is now my husband?

I just wanted to end everything and start a new life with my Mikhail who has suffered just like me and for that I had to get rid of Mallika and Devi. 

I was happy when he started sharing his problems with me. I made him find Devi, even though I had no idea where Mrs. Nair was. 

I anyhow wanted to find her before Mikhail does so I can manipulate the situation in my favour. 

I took Rafael's help and he found her in no time. I called her and she was so happy to hear me again. She was proud of me for the way I survived. 

I requested her to not tell anyone about me being Devi and she knew about the potential threat from Ivan so she agreed. 

When Mikhail reached there, she just told him about little Devi and not me. 

But this wasn't the case with Mallika. I knew that I can't manipulate Rotero so I asked Rafael to bribe him and tell him that no one should know that Miguel was there with him. I also sent him the letter which I had written for Leo. 

Rotero was in need of money so he agreed and of course because he himself didn't want to tell anyone about me. 

Rafael had some questions for me but we had a deal and he wasn't allowed to ask any questions. Poor guy!

Everything was going according to my plan. Mikhail got rid of Devi and Mallika. 

He had accepted my pregnancy so peacefully and naturally and that time I realised that he isn't like Ivan. My Mikhail loves me beyond limits. 

Everything was fine until he decided to look for Miguel and didn't tell me about it. I would have definitely manipulated the situation. 

I never thought that he would find out the truth like this. 

"So it means Ivan is the murderer and he is faking his insanity."

Mikhail questioned. 

I needed.

"Yes! He is faking it... I struggled a lot to take his case in my hands. Finally his favourite doctor retired and it came to me. I am going to make him regret whatever he did. He is so excellent at faking it. I knew that he must be visiting our old house and I was right because do you remember when I told you that I saw someone's shadow in the house. It was Ivan... I am still trying to find out how he managed to fake it for so many years."

"Because he has bribed the management."

Mikhail declared. 

"What?"

I frowned. How can he bribe the whole management? 

"Yeah, I found out a few things in my investigation."

He informed. 

"How did you find out all this? What's your story? It wasn't easy to solve this tangle."

I am really curious. He must have worked hard to find me. 

He smirked.

"You are smart, wife but I am also clever... I wanted to find Miguel after Devi and Mallika were gone. You can say that my confidence was strong after finding them, I thought it wasn't hard... I searched for Miguel and initially it wasn't easy to solve the mystery of murder and his disappearance but I have a team... I met your orphanage manager, she told me that something was definitely wrong with you and your mother 

Didn't die in an accident. I tried to get the footage and Nair had perfectly messed with them. I recovered them and found out that Miguel is trying to escape from the orphanage in girl's attire. I already knew how Mr. Nair looked so it was easy to link it to Mrs. Nair again. At that time I didn't know Miguel was a girl, it was a shock. I went back to Mrs. Nair and she told me everything. Then I realised that Devi died before I started talking to her which means Miguel was talking to me... Now I was compelled to question Mallika's existence too. I tracked Miguel's movements when she left the house on that stormy night. She went to that same railway station where you wanted to go. Something clicked in my mind but I wasn't ready to believe that you will be involved in this at all but I had a feeling that the hotel is somewhat involved in this because Miguel decided to spend the night in the forest but not in the hotel. She could have requested and anyone would have let her stay inside the gate. It would have been a hundred times better than staying in the forest. 

Also I was confused why you wanted to board that train when you were trying to escape, I shook my thoughts aside thinking maybe you wanted to go wherever you find the escape... But when I went to the tribal area, I found many similarities between you and them which I had ignored when I went there to find Mallika before but not when I was trying to find Miguel... Real Mallika didn't remember our moments, of course Rotero tried to hide it but I caught his lies. Now it is clear that Devi and Mallika are Miguel... But I also saw a snake tattoo on Mallika's mother's neck, the same tattoo which your grandmother had. Mallika had the same tattoo and the women sitting outside had that too. Also Mallika's mother was feeding her and she left some portion behind in the plate just like you always do. My heart was still not ready to believe that you are Miguel and you have suffered from so much pain. My heart was breaking after whatever Rotero told me about Miguel. I wanted to find Miguel anyhow and the doubts towards you were getting stronger. 

I thought the skeleton I found near Jacaranda tree belonged to your mother but when I did the face restoration, it came out to be Issac's. I was frustrated, I wanted to find Jacaranda's dead body so I can find out who she is. Her identity was erased. I found out that Issac went missing from Hotel Hywala and my doubts were true, that hotel was somehow involved in all this. I suspected you so I checked the same room where you stayed at the time of your escape and found those letters which proved that Jacaranda and Isaac had affair, it told me why she was murdered and then I was confident that Ivan had done it because when I visited him in the hospital, I saw some pictures on the management walls. He was with higher authorities and it won't be a big thing for him to stay in the hospital like it's his hotel. The hospital is also involved in many fucked up things... 

When we found out that Jacaranda's real name was Sabrina, I was mad. I couldn't see my daughter's name on the grave. I also saw your grandma near the grave when we were searching for Sabrina's grave. When she left, I checked the grave and saw Marona's name on it. I was furious... Somewhere in my mind, I knew that you are Miguel and you are the one I am looking for but I was not ready to see it as reality. My nightmare was coming to reality. Jeh got reports of Sabrina's face restoration and all my hopes crashed. She looked just like you. It felt like I was seeing your picture. It took me time to accept and process everything... I knew how Miguel became Devi and how Devi became Mallika but I didn't know how Mallika became Marona... So I went to your grandma to know all the truth. I had to tell her everything, assure her that I am just trying to help you. I want nothing but your happiness and then she told me everything..."

"You dug my mother's grave to solve the mystery?"

I don't know how to feel about this. This must be the second time she had to come out of her grave. 

"I am sorry... I had to do it!"

He held my hand gently.

"But I promise that she will rest in peace with her loved one."

I got up along with him and then my eyes fell on the grave beside her. 

"Issac?"

I mumbled as my eyes watered with unrecognisable emotions. 

Mikhail pulled me in his arms.

"They couldn't live together when they were alive, at least let them stay close when they are dead..."

I wiped my tears and smiled softly.

"I didn't think about it... Thank you so much."

I hugged him tightly. 

"They deserved better."

"Indeed! They deserved better, we can't change whatever has happened... But we are definitely going to punish their culprits."

He promised me. 

"It's not just your revenge now. They hurt my wife too and they will pay for it."

He cupped my face gently and more tears escaped from my eyes. 

"So you are not mad at me?"

I asked.

"How can I? In fact, I am mad at myself." 

He looked guilty. 

"I wish, I could have made better decisions and not just run away from the feelings. Your suffering might have been less... I am so sorry, my love... I am really sorry."

I shook my head. 

"Please don't blame yourself... It's not your fault!" 

He again pulled me in a tight hug and kissed my head. 

"You are so strong... I am so proud of you." 

"I still don't remember our childhood memories. You have to refresh them."

I smiled. 

"It's my responsibility now. I'll take care of that."

He pampered my face with kisses. 

"But I still have one doubt... You look like your mother so Ivan must have recognised you."

I shook my head.

"I wear a mask whenever I go in front of him and he thinks Miguel was a boy. He doesn't know that I am his daughter."

Mikhail cursed and rubbed his forehead.

"Maybe he knows now because when I met him, I told him that Miguel was a girl so I could get his reaction..."

"What?"

Fuck! I closed my eyes and cursed.