In Search Of Her

By Deesha Sangani

A mother who would stop at nothing for her child, is a dangerous woman to mess with.

Avanni’s life changes dramatically when she loses her child due to an accident. But she knows it was murder, and the culprit is out there, roaming freely.
Her suspicion is proven true when she witnesses a series of unusual events – a suspicious email, a mysterious stalker, and the cries of a child which seems to be following her everywhere. She decides to embark upon the journey to find the killer.
Will she be successful in her mission to uncover the truth? Or will she be caught in a web of lies which will change the course of her fate?
IN SEARCH OF HER is a riveting tale of a brave woman who will stop at nothing in her fight for truth and justice. Filled with unexpected twists and turns, it will keep you hooked till the end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Srishti Publishers
• Release date: Sep 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9789390441402

Deesha Sangani

Deesha Sangani is Banaglore based Author/ Motivtional Speaker. She is one of the most influential blogger! Her Books 90 Steps Towards Journey & She Dared To Dream through Her eyes are Best selling across & have received amazing reviews & feedbacks from across. She herself is an inspiration to those who want to live their dreams whilst following corporate career.

Book preview

A WOMAN’S SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

DEESHA SANGANI

Srishti Publishers & Distributors

A unit of AJR Publishing LLP

212A, Peacock Lane

Shahpur Jat, New Delhi – 110 049

[e-mail]

First Published by Srishti Publishers & Distributors in 2022

Copyright © Deesha Sangani, 2022

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This is a work of fiction. The characters, places, organisations and events described in this book are either a work of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to people, living or dead, places, events, communities or organisations is purely coincidental.

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers.

This book is dedicated to all those who are bravely battling mental health challenges, and yet never give up in life.

Acknowledgement

A big thank you to my family, especially my mother, who has taught me to dream big, and work dedicatedly towards my dreams.

Thank you Arup Bose, my Publisher, for believing in my story and helping me to share it with the world.

My heartfelt gratitude to the editorial team and the entire team Srishti for making my book better.

To my close friend Shravan Samnotra, who was truly a shooting star. Brightest, yet short lived. You have been a gem who is truly missed.

Special credits to each and every reader for appreciating my work. I truly believe that readers make authors.

Lastly, I would like to thank each and every person who has been a part of my journey and all those who always believed in me.

Prologue

As I embraced Abhay, his warm touch settled down the turmoil of my mind.

After the police arrested Dr Goel, he had confessed to almost every bit of his crime. As he was being taken to the police station, I stopped and confronted him. No matter how hard you try to hide the truth, it will eventually come out. You’ve confessed everything else, so why don’t you also accept that you separated me from my child, even before it was born?

Dr Goel had an evil grin pasted on his face as he said shamelessly, I never killed your child, my love Avanni!

Every time he said ‘my love Avanni’, I became deeply unsettled and restless. I did not want to see that man anymore. Even though I was moving towards a new life, I had a feeling that I would never be at peace, especially without knowing the truth.

The culprit may have been caught, but the real murderer is somewhere out there in the world, wandering freely. And here I am, caged in my pain of losing my unborn child.

v

Almost one year had passed, but the grief was still there. I tried to conceal it with a smile to assure my loved ones that I was healing, but it didn’t help me much.

How can such a deep scar be hidden under a smile? By disguising pain with laughter, we only create wrinkles on our face. I might escape people and events, but I can’t avoid my inner voice which only had one question for me.

What happened to my child?

It was a mystery that I was unable to solve.

That fateful day is etched in my mind so deep, I can live it like it happened a few moments ago.

I remember it was my birthday. I was having a peaceful day and suddenly, I fainted. After a few hours, I woke up in a hospital room, feeling a deep sense of loss and a void. I felt as though something was missing. When I tried to sit, I was not allowed to move. Instead, I was asked to lie down and rest. But my perturbed mind wanted to know what was amiss.

I saw Abhay seated next to my bed, looking at me with eyes full of love and fear. I asked almost hysterically what had happened. I knew he would tell me the truth.

"Avanni, we lost our baby. I know it’s hard for us, but this is the truth." He told me that I had slipped on the floor and fell. The sudden pull had led to the miscarriage.

I couldn’t understand how that was even possible. I was perfectly healthy and happy, sitting on the sofa. I was waiting for my mother to be back from the market, so that we could have lunch together. And then, everything changed in just one moment!

I understand that leaving some things unanswered is sometimes better, especially when it is taking a toll on you. But a mother deserves to know who took her child away.

The guilt never let me move on. While I was relieved that the culprit was behind bars, Dr Goel’s confession that he did not kill my child added more chaos to my life.

My life has become like a spiral, getting more twisted with every passing day. I cannot cope with my loss. I used to be a super energetic person who was full of life, and now, it seems I have lost my identity.

Will I be able to find my way back?

1

Second Chance

My name is Avanni. I lost my father when I was pretty young; my mother brought me up. I have seen her work tirelessly to raise me. She ensured that I received the best education and grew up in a healthy environment. I was always passionate about painting and art in general. In fact, I believe that I am born to add colour to this black and white world. I feel blessed because the freedom to choose and pursue your passion is a dream for many people. And I was one of the few lucky ones who was living this dream!

I put in my heart and soul in the form of dedication and hard work into my art and honed my skill. I worked in an art gallery for some time to gain more insights into the industry trends. However, I wanted to start something on my own - a startup that would give me wings. I knew it would give mom a break from the constant pressure of taking care of us too. She had been struggling for many years to give me a fulfilling life. I wanted to become independent and build something of my own, but could not figure out how to go about it.

They say, when you’re in a crisis, you’ll find a way to brave through it. The crisis in my life came in the form of my breakup with Kiran, my ex-fiancé. I was heartbroken that he had been cheating on me. My life, that seemed well-planned till then, suddenly turned chaotic, shattering my spirit. I thought I would never be able to overcome it. Nonetheless, I reinvented myself by sublimating my grief and took my passion to a new level.

Today, I am a successful entrepreneur who has inspired many young women to fulfill their dreams. Mind you, this was not achieved overnight. It took me a lot of patience and perseverance in following my passion.

I also gave myself a second chance at love. I wanted to love and be loved, so I tried believing in relationships more deeply.

Destiny played its magic when I found Abhay. He is not only a handsome pilot but also an incredible human being. He has been a strong anchor in my life. I do feel lost at times, but Abhay has always helped me understand my emotions better. He stands right beside me, holding my hand, inspiring me to stay strong during difficult times. He has always given me a safe space where I could speak my heart out and express myself unapologetically.

All I had ever wished for was a simple and peaceful life. God seemed to have granted it as I was living the life of my dreams. I didn’t realize then that the gloomy patches and pain were waiting for me. I always thought that I was the important pawn in the chess of my life, but my circumstances took the better of me.

I had suffered a miscarriage almost a year ago. I lost my baby in a fateful mishap. However, my heart refuses to believe that it was just an accident. Abhay and I had gone to Manali, to sort out a few problems caused by Dr Goel, who is now jailed. After resolving the issues, we returned to our city to get on with our life.

That’s when it happened – right after there was a semblance of peace.

The guilt of not being able to save my child continues to unsettle me. I was lost in deep thoughts, thinking about the incident.

Avanni! Where you lost, my love?

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t hear Abhay’s voice.

What happened to you, Avanni? When I felt Abhay’s hands on my shoulder, I turned.

I am sorry, Abhay. I was thinking about something by looking at the mountains. They have so much to say to me. I tried to smile to assure him that all was well.

Are you sure everything is okay, Avanni? I mean, I called out to you a couple of times, but you didn’t even listen to me.

I remained silent. I didn’t want to tell him what was going on in my mind.

To cheer me up, he came closer to me and held my hand. You know something, Avanni! I’ll never be able to take my eyes off you. You are the love of my life. This is one truth that will never change. I want to bring you all the happiness of the whole world. I want to support you in dealing with whatever challenges you may come across in life. No matter what happens, please remember that till I am around, you are never alone.

My eyes welled with tears as I heard those words. I wish I could explain my pain to him.

2

Strange Occurrences

Airports seem like gateways that open up the world to people. For me, they hold a special place in my heart. The reason I love airports over any other place is because this is where I met Abhay, my partner and soul mate, for the first time. His fascination for airports was palpable as it led him to his calling. As a successful commercial pilot, he was touching great heights and making a name for himself in the industry.

I vividly recall it being love at first sight. Fortunately for us, love sparked between us eventually and we became inseparable.

You have fire in your eyes and a very serene presence, Avanni. I hope to be the lucky one who spends the rest of his life with you, were his exact words when he proposed to me for marriage.

I readily agreed. After all, he was everything I could have ever dreamt of. Life couldn’t be better for us! My mom was ecstatic as Abhay became a part of the family. The news of our pregnancy had been the happiest moment in our lives, until the accident.

The mere thought of going back to the airport again brought back a series of memories. As we were getting ready to head out, Abhay could sense the somberness in my demeanor.

Avanni, everything about you is excellent. I have always admired you for the way you handle your problems. You never escape them. Rather, you face them head-on. I understand that the loss of our child has left a void in our lives. That is why you are so lost these days. But, I will do everything in my capacity to fill that void. We will face this together. He held my hand warmly, yet firmly, to ensure that we were together in this.

"Abhay, you are the best! I know you are always with me. Actually, I was just capturing these lovely mountains in my eyes. I have told you how I feel about the mountains. They have so much to tell