33.

This book is entirely a product of my imagination. Please do not copy my work, or I will take strict action.

Thank you ❤️

Jaye's POV

"Aaradhya! bhabhi!" we all shout running towards her.

"Aaradhya! Wake up baccha! Aaradhya!" Maa cries her voice breaking as she shakes her gently.

"Take her to her room" Papa says his voice firm despite the panic. Without wasting a second I lift Aaradhya in my arms and carry her to her room laying her carefully on the bed.

"What is happening to our family?" Maa sobs sitting beside Aaradhya and holding her hand tightly. Her tears don’t stop.

"Maa, Chachi, we’re going to the accident spot with Papa and Chachu" Darsh says quickly rushing out of the room with determination.

"Maa, everything will be alright. Please don’t stress" I say softly pulling her close. She leans her head on my chest and starts crying even harder.

"Tell me Jaye. Tell me he’s fine. Tell me, Jaye" Maa pleads her words trembling with fear.

"Maa trust God" I say trying to stay strong though my own heart feels like it’s breaking. She sits back beside Aaradhya, brushing her hair gently.

"Bhabhi the doctor is here" Chachi says as the doctor walks in.

"Please let me check her. You all wait outside" the doctor instructs. We nod and step out of the room leaving Aaradhya in her care.

Outside Maa is crying non-stop. I look at Riya and Chachi their faces wet with tears.

"Please be strong" I whisper to them trying to hold back my own emotions.

After some time the doctor comes out and we rush toward him.

"How is she?" I ask anxiously.

"She has suffered a huge shock which caused her to lose consciousness" the doctor explains. "Make sure not to force her to think or remember anything stressful. Let her rest"

"Maa, Chachi, you both stay with her. I’m going to the accident spot" I say. They nod and go back inside the room to sit with Aaradhya.

Riya comes to me and I pull her into a hug.

"Shhh baby. He’ll be alright. We’re here okay?" I whisper trying to reassure her. She looks at me with hopeful eyes searching for strength in my words.

I step away and head downstairs anger burning inside me. Getting into my car I speed toward the location.

When I reach the spot I see family members and police officers gathered there.

"Sir we are trying our best. Believe us" the IPS officer says but Papa grabs his collar in fury.

"YOU’VE BEEN SAYING THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN!" Papa shouts his voice filled with rage. Chachu steps forward pulling him back.

"Papa we’ve sent our men to search for him. Please be patient" I say trying to calm him down. But his mind is not at ease.

"Sir we’ve found a body that resembles Mr. Yaduvanshi" one of the officers says approaching us hesitantly.

"What rubbish are you talking about?" Chachu yells storming toward him in anger.

"Sir please! Please cooperate with us" the officer pleads trying to maintain calm as we all freeze in shock and dread.

Aaradhya's POV

I wake up feeling a sharp pain in my head. Slowly I open my eyes and blink adjusting to the light in the room. My gaze falls to the side and I see Maa sitting beside me crying.

Why is she crying? I wonder trying to sit up. The movement catches her attention and she looks at me.

"Aaradhya" she says softly holding my face in her hands.

I glance toward the couch and see Riya and Chachi coming toward me. Their faces are swollen and red their eyes puffy from crying. Why are they all crying?

And then suddenly it all comes rushing back.....the news about Aarav ji.

"Maa where is Aarav ji?" I ask my voice trembling. She looks at me with sympathy in her eyes the kind that makes my heart sink.

"Chachi where is he? Please tell me! Tell me he’s fine!" I plead grabbing her hands desperately. But her tears.....those endless tears....are telling me something else something I don’t want to hear.

I start crying unable to stop the fear consuming me. "Where’s my phone? I’ll call him. He’ll pick up on the first ring. I know he will!" I say frantically searching for my phone.

"Beta he is no more…" Maa’s voice rises slightly breaking through my panic and freezing me in place.

"Your Papa is bringing his body here" she says her words heavy and final.

"He is no longer with us" Chachi cries her voice shaking as fresh tears roll down her cheeks.

I stare at them my mind refusing to accept what they’re saying. My tears stop but my heart feels like it’s shattering into pieces. My mind goes blank as if it’s protecting me from this unbearable pain.

This can’t be real.

I sit there, frozen, hoping, praying that this is all just a bad dream. Any moment now I’ll wake up… wake up in Aarav ji’s arms safe and loved, just like always.

I know he’s here with me. He promised me he would never leave me in this life. My Aarav ji will come back to me I’m sure of it.

“They’re here” Raj says entering the room.

Maa and Chachi stand up crying badly. I get up with them too but my eyes remain dry. I know the body isn’t his. My Aarav ji is safe.

We go downstairs together and my eyes fall on a body lying on the floor covered in white cloth. I stop in my tracks standing far away from it. The whole family is crying but I can’t move.

Maa walks closer and removes the cloth from the face of the body. I quickly look away. The face is… unrecognizable. My heart races but my heart keeps telling me it’s not him.

Then my eyes fall on the clothes the same ones Aarav ji was wearing. No. My hands shake as I look toward the hand. There it is, our ring, in the same finger.

Did my Aarav ji…? No No no it can’t be true. It can’t.

“He’s not Aarav ji! My Aarav ji is safe! Believe me!” I scream my voice echoing in the silent mansion.

Papa comes toward me and I look at his face. He’s crying tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Papa don’t cry. He’s here with us. I don’t believe he left us. Please Papa believe me!” I say my voice breaking as my own tears finally spill.

Papa pulls me into a hug and I rest my head on his chest. “Cry baccha” he whispers gently and I break down completely.

I cry and cry unable to stop letting all the pain out. There’s no one here from outside just us broken and grieving.

I don’t touch the body. I can’t bring myself to believe it’s him. I can’t accept that my Aarav ji is no more.

They take the body away for postmortem. The sun starts to rise its rays lighting up the sky but the Yaduvanshi mansion feels dark and lifeless like a graveyard.

I sit beside Maa who keeps wiping her tears crying silently. My heart aches watching her like this.

I clench my fists anger and sadness swirling inside me. I won’t forgive you Aarav ji for making our family cry this much. The joyful lively people of this house are shattered because of you.

"Maa! Maa!" I shout my voice trembling as I see Maa closing her eyes.

"Sia! Sia!" Papa rushes toward her tapping her cheeks lightly trying to wake her up.

"Call the doctor!" Chachi shouts rubbing Maa’s hands to bring some life back into her.

After some time the doctor arrives checking her carefully.

"Her condition is very critical. She has taken everything to mind and it’s affecting her health. She’ll be alright but don’t give her any more tension" the doctor says before leaving.

"You all go. I’ll stay with her" Papa says holding Maa’s hand tightly. his eyes filled with worry.

We step out of the room but the moment I enter my room I drop to the floor, tears streaming down my face. My heart refuses to accept what’s happening but my mind is in chaos.

"Aarav ji please come back to me. Please! I can’t live without you. You are my last hope. Please Aarav ji your jaan is not strong enough for this. She needs you. Please come back" I cry my voice breaking with every word.

I sob uncontrollably when my eyes land on a photo frame on the bedside table.....our first date. My hands tremble as I reach out to hold it.

"My heart refuses to believe this and you have to prove everyone wrong. Please come back to me" I whisper hugging the frame tightly as tears soak my face.

A soft knock on the door breaks my moment. I look up and see Jaye entering. His eyes are red not from crying but from anger. He walks toward me and sits down beside me.

I look at him and without thinking I hug him tightly crying into his shoulder.

"Please Jaye please tell him to come back to me. I’ll die without him. I will die" I sob my voice muffled against him.

He strokes my head gently.

"Everything will be alright. Please don’t talk like this" he says softly but I don’t want to hear anything. I just want Aarav ji in front of me.

"Here take your medicine" Jaye says holding out the pills but I shake my head stubbornly.

"Please for Aarav" he says looking at me with pleading eyes. I hesitate but finally take the medicine swallowing it with trembling hands.

"Now rest. Everything will be alright" he says as he helps me lie down on the bed.

My eyes feel heavy and I can barely keep them open. Did he give me sleeping pills?

"You…" I start to speak but before I can finish darkness pulls me under and I drift off to sleep.

Author's POV

"Take the medicine Sia. If we fall sick who will take care of our kids? And what about Aaradhya?" Abhaye says gently looking at his wife.

Sia looks up at him with tear filled eyes. "But my Aarav… You told me he’ll come back to me. He’ll return to us. Tell me Abhaye!" she cries resting her head on his chest.

"First take the medicine please" he says softly holding her close. With great difficulty Sia takes the medicine and swallows it. Exhausted from her emotions she soon falls asleep.

Both Aaradhya and Sia have been given sleeping pills, as per the doctor’s advice to help them rest.

In the living room

"Did you get any updates about them?" Abhaye asks Jaye his voice cold more than ice.

Jaye shakes his head frustration clear on his face. "They’re still looking for them and we need to stop the media from spreading news about Aarav’s death" he replies firmly.

"Why?" Anirudh asks frowning.

"It can affect us in many bad ways Chachu. That’s why" Jaye explains pulling out his phone to make a call.

"Make sure there’s not a single piece of news about Aarav’s death in the media" Jaye instructs the person on the other end of the call before hanging up.

"Did you give the medicine to Aaradhya?" Mitali asks walking into the room.

Jaye nods his face still clouded with worry. "Yes she’s taken it" he says quietly his mind racing with thoughts of what to do next.

Aaradhya's POV

"Why did you give me that?" I cry my voice shaking as tears stream down my face. Jaye gave me sleeping pills and I had been asleep for two whole days.

"Aaradhya listen to me. The doctor told us to give you that. Please don’t panic and stop crying" Jaye says softly trying to calm me down.

"You all are lying to me! Tell me where is Aarav ji?" I shout my heart refusing to accept their words. They keep telling me he is no more.

"We are telling the truth baccha. Please believe us" Chachi says but I stare at her in disbelief.

"Why are you all doing this? Why are you telling me he is no more? He is here with me I know it! I hate you all because you’re lying to me!" I scream collapsing to the floor in tears.

Maa rushes toward me and I look up at her with hope in my eyes. She holds my shoulders and I search her face, praying she’ll tell me Aarav ji is fine.

"Maa he’s fine right?" I ask my voice trembling. But she starts crying unable to say a word.

"Maa please don’t cry. He’s fine. I know he is" I say wiping her tears but my own tears don’t stop.

"He is... he is" she says her voice breaking, but I can feel she isn’t telling the truth.

Papa comes closer and makes me sit on the couch.

"You are very strong Aaru right?" he asks gently and I nod trying to hold back my tears.

"Yes Papa I am" I say my voice barely a whisper.

"Then believe us beta. He is no longer with us" Papa says and his words shatter me.

I sit there silently my heart sinking. If he isn’t here, then I don’t want to stay either. My eyes fall on the knife in the fruit basket and before anyone can react I grab it and press it to my wrist.

"I’ll kill myself if he isn’t here with me. I’ll end it all" I say stepping back as everyone freezes in shock.

"Aaradhya please bacche don’t do anything!" Maa pleads stepping toward me but I move back.

"Aaradhya listen to me! Listen to your Papa beta. Please put the knife down" Papa says approaching me slowly.

"Papa I’m sorry. I can’t live without him. I’m really sorry" I say pressing the knife harder against my wrist.

Before I can do anything someone grabs me tightly from behind and in the blink of an eye Papa snatches the knife from my hand.

I turn around and see Jaye holding me firmly, anger blazing in his eyes.

"Don’t do…" Maa begins to say holding my shoulders, but her words are cut off by a loud gunshot.

We all freeze and turn toward the door, our hearts pounding.

"Hii lovely people" a man around Papa's age says as he enters the house with several bodyguards. His tone is mocking and his smirk is unsettling.

"What are you doing here?" Papa shouts, stepping toward him but the man's guards immediately aim their guns at him.

"Stay away from me Yaduvanshi" the man says with a sinister smile.

"Guards!" Chachu yells but no one comes.

"Oops, I forgot to mention. Your guards are now with us and those who refused are already dead" says a younger man standing beside the old one, someone around Aarav Ji’s age.

"Why are you here?" Papa asks through gritted teeth anger burning in his eyes.

"Ask your guests to sit first. Such bad manners" the old man says casually before sitting on the couch. His guards grab hold of all of us, restraining our movements.

"Let me start from the beginning. Your son Aarav killed my son and I’m here to take revenge" the old man says coldly.

"And not just that" the younger man adds. "He exposed me in front of the media. I lost everything because of him."

They share a malicious laugh and the old man continues "We planned to burn your factory and deliberately leaked this information to Aarav knowing he would come to stop us. But halfway there my men killed him. And guess what? We weren’t alone in this. Your lovely sister was with us too"

The moment he says this Bua enters the house her face filled with arrogance.

"Geetanjali!" Papa and Chachu shout together shock and disbelief written all over their faces.

"Don’t you dare shout at me! You have no right!" Bua yells her voice dripping with venom. "You all threw me out of this house, didn’t you? Aarav humiliated me and threw me out too! Now watch what I’ll do to you. I’ll make sure you all beg on the streets!"

Maa steps forward her eyes blazing with fury. "I’ll kill you for killing my son!" she screams charging toward Bua but one of our house helpers grabs maa tightly holding her back.

"Ah ah don’t glare at her" the old man says twirling his gun lazily. "Your helpers? They work for us now. In fact, they’re the ones who fed us all the information about this house."

The younger man’s gaze shifts to me and he smirks his eyes filled with filth.

"Oh so she’s Aarav’s wife. Or should I say ex-Aarav? What a beauty. No wonder he kept her hidden from the world" he says standing and walking toward me. His disgusting stare makes my skin crawl.

"Now sweetheart I’ll take care of you" he says leaning closer his hand reaching out to touch my cheek But.......

2878 words

Here guys take some tissues 🤧🤧