LI. Crumbling down

"There will be a time where we make mistakes, we must not allow that mistakes to dictate our lives. We need to mold our lives and lead our life and never let that mistakes haunt us."

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Many people say to place your happiness first and then think about others. Some people call this selfishness, how can it be selfish to prioritize our happiness over others. I have been selfless all my life and did everything in my life based on others' feelings or happiness. It was on me to carry the burden of keeping my identity hidden by lying to others. Anu told me that I would feel less guilty as it will be easier to lie and Rudra papa told me that it was for my security and protection. I was being fed up with my life where I couldn't even tell others about my true identity. However, I was more relieved than afraid once the truth came out. I thought that I could lead my life happily without spewing lies.

God had different plans for me, however. Once, I got rid of a lie another lie added to the list, and the one that can wreck our families. The truth alone can drown the families into the depth of the waters leaving them there with lots of pain. Anu already knew the truth but I know that she was not sad after learning about Aarav. Abhi's family will suffer a lot after learning that the son they saw and held, the person they helped and raised as his own was not theirs to begin with. That family already suffered a lot and informing them about this will destroy them.

After getting the test results, I was shocked. I knew that this was the possible result but I wished that the result would be negative. Then we would have fewer problems, and I will not need to lie again.

I thought about it a lot last night and even thought of Aj's points. I decided to tell this thing Abhi after telling him about my pregnancy. I know that he will get angry but I hoped that the good news might reduce his anger. I thought that we would talk and decide what to do next.

But in my life, nothing happens according to my plans. Everything is spoiled and there was an underlying issue brewing between us.

"Aarav is your brother. When were you planning to share this information with me, or were you planning on never telling the truth about my brother's identity." I regretted telling this thing first to him other than my husband. I regret it now, all I can do now is to convince him.

"Abhi, you were in the hospital. How could I tell you this and make you worried? I was about to tell you today. We will speak about it but for now let's go home," I took a step towards him and tried to take his hand but he took a step back making me stop in my tracks.

I looked at him and found the serious expression on his face; I swallowed the sob in my throat. "Abhi I have good news to share with you. Come with me," I spoke in a soft voice. I had a surprise for him. I made some arrangements for him thinking about it and imagining his shocked look brought a smile to my face. I realized after some time that the smile would be the last one.

"No, I am not going anywhere with you," his voice brought me back from my dreams.

"Abhi, please don't be angry at me," I begged him but he was furious.

"Don't you dare say please!" He roared at me making me flinch back in terror. "Do you think it will be easy, because of the things you didn't say our family is in this position now? To that list, you got to know that Aarav has blood relation to you, and what did you do?" He came towards me, held my arms, and shook me. "What did you do Avni? Did you share this news with your husband?" His hold on my hand tightened and I winced in pain. I tried to move away from his grip but his grip on me tightened and he shook me to get my attention.

"Whom did you tell Avni? It was news that can break two families and instead of telling me, you told him! A stranger to us, how can you?" His voice softened at the last but his grip was still tight as he held me in position. I was silent letting him vent his anger out so that I can speak to him peacefully once he is done.

"Tell me Avni. Do you share all things with him? If you do then what am I to you?" I saw the pain in his eyes but the words he spoke broke my spell.

"You are hurting me," I meant it even though his grip was not tight as before but his words hurt me more than that. He took a step back immediately as the words left my mouth.

"Abhi, you don't understand." I am frustrated with him. Aj is my friend and Abhi is my husband he must understand this before he can start and have a fight with me.

"Listen here, you are my husband Abhi. I will share everything with you. Aj is just a friend of mine; he helped me and saved us from Damini. I am grateful to him. He was there with me when I was thinking about this thing, it just slipped off my tongue," I said trying to change his mind about the whole thing.

He was silent and kept looking at the floor avoiding any sort of eye contact with me. "Abhi!" I called him trying to catch his attention. I hoped that he was satisfied with the answer.

"Great, Avni." He clapped making me more confused. He looked at me and I gasped after seeing the look in his eyes. His eyes were glossy and held betrayal. I didn't do anything to receive that look from him yet I felt my heart heavy from his look.

"Abhi, try to understand." I tried to approach him but he stopped me from moving towards him by raising his hand.

"No, you need to understand, Avni." I stopped and waited to listen to him.

"You are trying to confuse me Avni, but I have a clear picture of you now. So be quiet and listen to me." He started walking around me as he lifted his hand and started counting.

"You are telling me that you found a friendship in a complete stranger. He became a close companion for you, you shared all your worries with him but not to your husband." He counted his fingers while telling the things, I opened my mouth to stop him but Abhi continued speaking ignoring me.

"You formed a close friendship with him that you shared a secret to him ignoring the fact that it would devastate many people. How can a person become close to a stranger in a short time Avni? And in addition to that you go and seek him telling him that you were weak because of me." He stopped in front of me, he has tears in his eyes and a tear rolled down leaving me heartbroken. I placed my hand over my mouth to control my sob and realized that tears were already flowing down my cheek. I never knew that he mistook my closeness to Aj in this way or was it my mistake. Did I overstep my boundaries and create a friendship with him that broke my relation with my husband. He wiped my cheeks making me look up at him.

"No Avni, don't cry. I can't bear to see tears in your eyes." For the first time, I saw something in his eyes that I thought I will never see.

Love. Yes, I saw love in his eyes towards me. I knew that he never loved me to his fullest but seeing the look in his eyes made my insides melt into a puddle. Even though he always tells me that he loves me I never saw the amount of love in his eyes. I placed my hand over him and we stared into each other souls through our eyes. I hoped that he can see my love for him. I will do anything for him and I wanted him to believe it.

"You don't have any reason to cry, I must be crying not you." He moved away from me leaving me shocked.

"A-Abhi, don't. Please," I tried to approach him but the love in his eyes vanished and his eyes were filled with hatred now.

"No, I am going to speak and this is going to end today. You go crying to this FRIEND," he stressed on the word making me cringe at the hidden meaning. "You tell him that you got sick because of me and my daughter. I can understand about me but about Diya," I stared at him feeling my heart break into pieces.

I will never feel any burden by taking care of them, I tried to stop Abhi but his look stopped me. "Diya loves you like you are her mom. In fact, she loves you more than me. But you Avni showed fake love to her and cheated me. If looking after her was a burden to you, I could have taken care of my daughter. I did take care of her all these years and I will do too from now on." My heart hurts from beating faster, I knew where the conversation is going but I don't want to face it. "I and Diya don't need you in my life anymore. Leave us." I clutched my chest in pain. I could never do that to her, I loved her like my daughter. I stared at the man in front of me who is the whole world to me. I pleaded with him with my eyes as the tears fell uncontrollably from my eyes.

"Mama no lowe me," a small voice spoke breaking the silence between us. I slowly turned around and found Diya looking at me with tears in her eyes.

"No!" This can't be happening to me. I know Diya loves me more than anything and I love her. Listening to Abhi's words made my heart soar in pain but looking at Diya's tear-stained face made my heartbreak. I fell on my knees unable to stand on my feet. "Princess," I whispered the words. Diya was looking at me with tears in her eyes. I extended my hands in her direction. "Come to mama," I tried to smile through my tears. Diya stood there simply staring at me. "Mama loves you, princess. More than anything in this world. Come here." I tried to coax her.

Diya looked behind me and I followed her gaze and found Abhi looking back at me in anger. "Karthik!" He shouted making me flinch.

"Yes sir," I heard the person's voice from behind me.

"Take Diya and wait in the car. I will come and meet you there in five minutes." He ordered still looking at me. I kept looking at Abhi begging him with my eyes not to send Diya away. "Go now!" He said in a loud voice when we heard no voice. I heard a soft sniffle followed by fading footsteps.

"Now, you stop acting and get up. I don't want your boyfriend coming and giving me a lecture on how to take care of you?" Abhi mocked me but I was unable to understand his words.

I slowly stood up and wobbled a bit before getting a grip on my feet.

"Boyfriend?" I asked having no clue what he was speaking. I wiped the tears from my eyes and my face.

"Are you serious now, Avni?" He looked even angrier than before. "Wow, you are damn good at it. You broke my trust and love, yet here you stand asking me to explain. Break it, Avni. Confess everything; at least I will not drag you in the mud for pulling the stunt on me."

"I really don't know what you are speaking about. Please Abhi, listen to me it's all misunderstanding, and let me explain. You will understand that there is nothing and we can go home and be happy as a family. Only you, Diya, and I. We can be happy and I have good news for us also." Our child also, I added that part in my head. I took his hand and pleaded with him trying to control my tears from falling.

He shrugged his hand out of my grip leaving me to stare at my empty hand. He wiped this hand on his shirt-clad chest as if touching me was a disgusting thing to do. "If you want to listen to it from my mouth then I will do it, but remember this we are not a family. From this day on we are anything but that." I wanted to listen to his words before I speak to him. Once I know what is going on in his mind I can make him understand, I thought to myself. It will be easy to convince him after knowing about the things in his mind.

"Tell me the assumptions you made about me. I am listening." I said to him wanting to know what he had in his mind. I know that his words are going to hurt me and haunt me but I took the risk.

"Fine Ms. Rajput." I willed my heart to be strong.

You are strong Avni, you will not cry. I encouraged myself.

"Yesterday your friend visited me and told me some things," I didn't know about this. "He came to me and apologized for blaming me for your health. You know the ironic thing, he mentioned that he came near me and was speaking to me because you were ignoring me." I stayed silent gazing at him assessing his expressions. "He accidentally told me about Aarav's test, I pressed him about him and he told me that he wanted to be a friend to me and said that you wanted Aarav's DNA for confirming about Aarav being our family. He told me that you suspected that Damini cheated on my uncle. Now, I found that she did cheat on my uncle with your father. Like father, like daughter." He mumbled the last words in a low voice but I heard him.

"What do you mean by that?" I agree with the things he told me. Yes, I did a mistake. I shouldn't have believed a stranger and shared the things with him. I am regretting it now, but I really didn't understand what he meant by his words. "What does like father, as daughter mean?" I asked him again.

"Enough Avni, why do you want me to spell everything for you?" I was still confused by his words seeing the expression on my face he continued.

"Fine have it your way," I braced myself for it but it hurt me more than I thought. "You are cheating on me." My heart stopped listening to his words, tears sprang in my eyes, and I blinked to stop from letting them fall.

"YOU ARE CHEATING ON ME WITH DAKSH AGNIHOTRI." He stressed each word again for me and left my heart broken into pieces.

"I found the little secret about you two."

Hello people,

I am now. Sorry it took me some time to get back. I promise to update regularly now.

So, how was the update? Was Abhi right in assuming things? Or did anything happen? What can it be? Share your thoughts!

I will leave you guys now. Have a great day.

See you guys, in next chapter.

Love you all 💕💕

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