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"I want to talk to him, Ishuu!" Sanket's angry voice thundered through the hall, his face red with rage. "No, you won't," Ishika stood firm, her eyes flashing with determination, as she blocked her father's path.
"Ishuu, are you understanding what you're saying?" her mother, Sakshi, intervened, her voice trembling with worry. "You're pregnant with his child; he should be with you, taking care of you!" The concern etched on her face was palpable, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
The moment Ishika entered the house, her parents' faces lit up with joy, but their happiness was short-lived. As their eyes met hers, they were struck by the sight of her red, puffy eyes, and their emotions spiralled out of control. Ishika's calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside her.
She gently coaxed them to sit, and with a heavy heart, recounted the events that had transpired. But when she revealed the news of her pregnancy, their anger boiled over. "How could they behave like that when you're pregnant?" Sakshi exclaimed, her voice laced with indignation.
"Mumma, nobody there knows I'm pregnant," Ishika dropped the bombshell, her words hanging in the air like a challenge. The revelation shook her parents to their core, their faces ashen with shock.
"Yeah, I didn't get the chance to tell them in all this chaos," Ishika spoke calmly, but the turmoil inside her was far from calm. Her eyes seemed to hold a deep sadness, a sense of loss that threatened to consume her.
"Mumma, please, I need to rest," Ishika pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. "We'll talk later." Understanding her fragile state, her parents nodded in unison, their faces etched with concern.
As Ishika turned to leave, she paused, her eyes locking onto her parents. "Please, don't call anyone there," she implored, her voice laced with desperation. Her parents' hearts clenched at her plea, but they nodded, respecting her wishes.
Sanket turned to Sakshi, his eyes filled with regret. "Sakshi, we should have been there yesterday when our daughter needed us the most." His voice was laced with remorse, his face etched with sorrow.
"You're right, Sanket," Sakshi replied, her eyes brimming with tears. "But I felt going to the funeral would be better, since our daughter wouldn't miss us among those people who love her the most. But I was wrong." Her voice cracked, her body shaking with sobs.
Sanket placed a soothing hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with empathy. "What if Rahul comes?" Sakshi asked, her voice trembling with worry. If her brother found out about Ishika's situation, he would be furious.
"He'll be back after a week, during his hostel holidays," Sanket reassured her. "By then, all this will be fixed." Sakshi nodded, but the uncertainty in her eyes betrayed her doubts.
Who knew when all this would be fixed?
As I stood under the warm shower, the soothing water cascaded down my tired muscles, relaxing my body and calming my mind.
My eyes drifted closed, and the flashbacks began to haunt me, sending shivers down my spine. The memories of that fateful night lingered, refusing to be washed away.
I opened my eyes as the sound of a gunshot echoed in my ear, a stark reminder of the trauma I'd endured. "Get over it, Ishuu," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the lingering fear that threatened to consume me.
Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that I couldn't let the trauma define me. I had to be strong, not just for myself, but for the tiny life growing inside me. I felt a surge of protectiveness towards my unborn child, and I knew I had to be brave for them.
I stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in a warm towel, and slipped into a comfortable kurti and plazzo.
As I settled into the swing on the balcony, the cool night breeze caressed my skin, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. The full moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the landscape.
I gazed up at the moon, feeling a pang of loneliness that seemed to echo through every cell of my body. Without stars, the moon seemed incomplete, just like I felt without Avyaan. A faint smile crossed my lips, a mix of sadness and longing that seemed to tear my heart apart.
"I know, Avyaan," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the rustling of leaves. "You were stressed and stuck between your sister's responsibilities. Taking my side would have only led to more questions about your love for them."
QI gulped, feeling a lump form in my throat as I thought about the pain he'd caused me. "But still, your walking away hurt me, shattered me. It broke me completely." Tears brimmed in my eyes as I thought about the emptiness I felt without him.
I put my hand on my stomach and smiled softly, feeling a sense of peace wash over me. "But I know you won't be able to stay without me, Avyaan. You'll come soon." I spoke with confidence, knowing that our love was strong enough to overcome any obstacle.
I felt a sense of conviction in my heart, a sense of knowing that Avyaan would come back to me.
Of course, no one is perfect, and we both had our flaws. If Avyaan had walked away when I needed him, I too had left my family when they needed me. I knew it had hurt them, but it had hurt me too.
But they didn't realize that I'm not someone to be taken for granted, to be treated with disrespect. I wanted them to understand that I deserved better, that I deserved to be loved and cherished.
The cold breeze made me shiver, and I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling a sense of vulnerability. But as I looked down at my stomach, I felt a surge of strength. "Uhmm, baby, when Papa comes, don't be angry at him, okay?" I cooed, smiling softly. "Yeah, your father is a little dumbo, same as your mother." I chuckled, feeling a sense of joy wash over me.
"And when you come out of my stomach, na, your favorite person should be me, okay?" I continued talking to my baby, feeling a sense of peace and contentment. My heart swelled with love for my unborn child, and I knew that I would do anything to protect them.
Just then, my phone rang, shrill in the silence. I looked at the display, my heart racing with hope. Was it him? Was it Avyaan, calling to apologize, to make amends? My hands trembled as I reached for the phone, my heart heavy with anticipation.
But it was Mahi's name that flashed on the screen. I picked up the call, my heart still racing with anticipation. "Hello?" I whispered, trying to keep my emotions in check.
A faint whisper came from the other end, and I felt a pang of worry. "Mahi, are you okay?" I questioned, my voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, just got your talent to fall anywhere," Mahi joked, but I could sense a hint of unease in her voice. My heart skipped a beat as I wondered what had happened.
"What, where did you fall? Everything okay, right?" I questioned in one go, my words tumbling out in a rush.
"Just my head is a little wounded, I'm fine," Mahi reassured me, her voice soft and gentle. But then her tone changed, and she spoke with a hint of anger. "But Ishuu, I'm really angry with you. How could you leave without even informing us? Everyone is saying you were angry at their behavior and left."
I huffed, feeling a mix of emotions. I started telling Mahi everything, from the pain and hurt to the trauma and fear. Without asking any questions, she listened intently, her silence a testament to her unwavering support.
As I finished speaking, Mahi's voice came alive with determination. "You know what, Ishuu? I really want to go and stab him with knives, but my husband is being a witch, not letting me go outside the room."
I couldn't help but laugh at Mahi's fierce protectiveness. "You should rest, Mahi. No need to do anything to him or say anything. Let him take his time," I spoke, feeling a sense of moisture in my eyes.
"Achaa, listen, I will come to meet you in some days, but I don't think it will be needed. Of course, he wouldn't be able to stay without you," Mahi said, her voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.
After talking for some more minutes, we ended the call, i was feeling guilty about not telling her about my pregnancy.
My gaze drifted to the other contact on my phone, the one labeled 'patidev'. "Hope, you're now able to breathe comfortably without me in front of you," i spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. I knew that the time I spilled out the truth, if I had gone in front of him, he would have ignored me.
I'm not in fault, but somewhere I'm at least a little to blame for letting that situation happen.His ignorance was what I couldn't handle, what I couldn't bear.
But I hoped that taking his time to think properly, he would come back.
The soft moonlight illuminated the balcony, casting a serene glow on the figure sitting there. Avyaan's eyes, red-rimmed from lack of sleep, gazed up at the sky with a mixture of longing and despair. His head fell back, and he let out a deep sigh, his chest heaving with the weight of his emotions.
As he stared at the moon, memories of her flooded his mind, and a faint smile crossed his lips. But the smile was short-lived, as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks - she was no longer with him.
The smile disappeared, replaced by a deep sadness that seemed to consume him whole.
A lone tear rolled down his cheek, and his husky voice cracked with emotion as he whispered, "You shouldn't have left, biwi."The hurt and longing in his voice were palpable, echoing through the silence of the night.
His eyes remained fixed on the moon, his gaze burning with intensity. "We both are at fault, but leaving was never an option,"he continued, his voice laced with regret and sorrow. "I know I hurt you, you should've fought with me, beaten me, done whatever you wanted except leave. And that's what you did."
His mind wandered back to the promise they had made - "We will fix, we will stay."The memory of those words, spoken with such conviction and hope, now seemed like a distant dream. Avyaan's heart ached with the knowledge that he had failed to keep that promise.
As the night wore on, Avyaan's eyelids began to droop, the exhaustion of the past two sleepless nights finally catching up with him. His head nodded forward, and his voice barely above a whisper, he murmured, "Biwi..."before succumbing to a fitful sleep, his dreams no doubt haunted by the memories of the one he loved.
Two weeks later...
"I don't fucking pay you all for giving me excuses!" Avyaan's thunderous voice echoed throughout the mansion, drawing everyone out of their rooms.
They gathered to witness the scene unfolding before their eyes. Avyaan stood tall, his eyes blazing with fury, as he confronted the team he had hired to uncover the truth behind his sisters' tragic state.
"S-sir, there's no proof, nothing against them, that's the problem we're facing," one of the team members stammered, earning a piercing glare from Avyaan. His red-shot eyes seemed to bore into the man's very soul.
The rest of the family, familiar with Avyaan's escalating temper, retreated to the safety of their rooms. They knew that the Avyaan they once knew was gone, replaced by a man consumed by anger and irritation.
People trembled at the mere thought of approaching him, for his emotions seemed to simmer just below the surface, waiting to erupt.
"Bhai," Reyansh intervened, his voice calm and soothing. Avyaan turned to him, his eyes still flashing with anger. Reyansh handed him a task - to retrieve a photograph of Varun. "Bhai, I tried, but there's no picture of him in his university records or anywhere else."
Avyaan's frustration boiled over, and he closed his eyes, massaging his temples in a futile attempt to ward off the pounding headache. Reyansh's next words, however, made him snap his eyes open.
"But we can do one thing," Reyansh suggested, his voice laced with a hint of hope. "Bhabhi, she's seen him; she can definitely help us create a sketch of him."
Avyaan's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her, The past two weeks had been a blur of emotions, as he struggled to come to terms with her departure.
His every waking moment was consumed by thoughts of Ishika, his biwi. Though he longed to reach out to her, he hesitated, respecting her decision to leave and giving her the space she needed.
Every night, he found himself driving for hours, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But she remained elusive, and the frustration of not seeing her, of not being able to protect her, gnawed at him like a relentless beast.
As the darkness closed in around him, Avyaan's thoughts swirled with memories of Ishika, his heart aching with a deep longing. He knew that he had to find a way to make things right, to prove to her that he was willing to fight for their love. The question was, where would he start?
Here is the rewritten text:
"Go on," Avyaan replied to Reyansh, his voice firm but laced with a hint of trepidation. Reyansh's next words made his heart skip a beat.
"Bhai, I think you should go; it would be better." The demand was one Avyaan had been dreading, yet secretly longing for. Gathering some courage, he nodded, his slightly calmer demeanor bringing relief to those around him.
But the next voice to echo through the hall made Avyaan's heart sink. "You won't go anywhere, Avyaan." He turned to face the speaker, his eyes locking onto his father and Chacha Sa, who stood behind him, their faces stern.
"What do you mean?" Avyaan questioned, his voice firm but laced with a hint of uncertainty.
"I said you won't go anywhere," his father replied, his tone firm and unyielding.
"And why do you think I'll do that?" Avyaan shot back, his voice rising in defiance.
His Chacha Sa stepped forward, his calm voice a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within Avyaan. "You have to, Avyaan. You can't go in front of her, not now. She's left to find some peace, some relief from the pain this family has caused her. Let her take her time; going to her now will only make her weak." The weight of those words settled heavy on Avyaan's shoulders, the realization dawning on him that she needed time.
Avyaan stood there, frozen in uncertainty, until his father's next words shattered the silence. "You're leaving for the USA today."
Avyaan's eyes snapped towards his father, his voice laced with incredulity. "What?"
His father stepped closer, his hand on Avyaan's shoulder. "Avyaan, do you know how much our company has faced losses these past weeks? Only two meetings have been conducted out of 12 scheduled meetings. The project we're working on in the USA needs your presence; we can't close it mid-stream." The truth of his words hung in the air, a harsh reminder that business and family obligations often clashed.
Avyaan's heart clenched, memories of the one month he spent away from Ishika in Italy flooding back. "Just two weeks ago, I returned from Italy," he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
His father's expression remained resolute. "I know, but we can't do anything about it now. No more arguments, Avyaan. Please. And regarding the culprit, we'll send Mahi for the sketch." He paused, his eyes locking onto Avyaan's.
"But you've to leave for USA, tonight"
Okay, a little boring boring Sa chapter, but I promise the next one will not the same.
And yeah don't forget to read the note, updated after this chapter.
Words- 2.7k+
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