Chapter-40

Hold onto your seats tightly for this one...Hope, you like it...💕

Previously:

"Just stop acting for God's sake and talk nicely to him just for once! Give him what he deserves which is love and not hatred. Give him the love of a father or just give him a closure. You can stop acting selfish for once!"

"I didn't wanted to behave like that with him! It hurts me also! But, I had to do it. . .against my will…" As soon as he said this, they both heard a clicking sound and the door opened.

They both faced Aditya standing at the door with his eyes widened and his face covered in a confused expression.

"What?" Aditya asked in a low voice.

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"Vo..." Zoya trailed off.

"Nothing." Harsh said immediately. Zoya looked at him in shock to which he shook his head lightly.

"What did you say Mr.Hooda?"

"Aditya vo-"

"It was nothing."

Zoya signalled from her eyes to Mr.Hooda to tell Aditya everything but he kept denying, shaking his head lightly. Aditya looked between them unable to digest their drama more he said,"Will you both please stop it! I'm right here!"

He moved a little further into the room and stood infront of his father's bed.

"I heard what you said a few moments earlier..." He looked at at his father. "Infact, I heard everything..." He craned his head towards Zoya who stood there shocked. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm hinself.

"So, you were acting the whole time..." Aditya said in a low voice looking down on the floor.

"Adi, I wasn't actin-"

"I just now told you that I heard everything...please quit this act now..." Harsh looked down in his lap.

"Why...?" Aditya asked looking up at him.

"Why did you do it? Why!?" It wasn't his father yelling at him this time but him. His voice broke as he questioned him. The pain which accumulated throughout years was resurfacing again and was getting reflected in his voice.

"Adit-" Zoya said, trying to console him because she also felt the pain he was experiencing. She felt the intensity of it and couldn't do anything but try and reduce its intensity.

"No Zoya. Let me speak now. Let me fight my battles myself."

"And Mr.Hooda, will you please tell me! I kept cursing myself that I killed my mother that I killed our family. YOU kept cursing me. But, now I'm getting to know it was all fake...? Every insult, every ounce of hatred which I saw in your eyes, everything.... everything was fake... There must be a reason behind it...what was it Mr.Hooda..." He moved towards his bed and sat down on the floor on his knees.

"I promise I will never show my face to you..." He wiped his tears and continued,"I promise I will do whatever you say...just tell me...tell me what it was... I'm done with everything... I'm tired now of dragging this baggage... Just bring everything to end...please, I beg you..." Zoya kept a comforting hand on Aditya's shoulder and rubbed her thumb on it a bit.

"I will tell you everything..." Harsh said looking down at his fingers in his lap. He took a deep breath and looked out of the window as he began.

"I was eight years old when I lost my father... He was coming to pick me up from school when he met with a car accident..." He took a deep breath and continued,"I was devastated when I lost him...the accident was so bad that I wasn't even able to make out his face...there wasn't any chance for him to come out of it alive... I was the closest to him... He used to be by my side everytime...when no one else whould believe me he always did... I was feeling alone when I lost him... I felt what was the need to stay alive when I wouldn't be able to witness that proud smile on his face for which I was studying but then, I looked around and found others also suffering from the same loss... I was so much engrossed with my suffering that I forgot others had it worse...I forgot about my mother, about my brother... They were feeling the same thing as me but they had it more worse because they were older than me... My father was the sole earner of our family and losing him just...attacked us from every side possible... My mother got a job and she used to be away almost all the day, me and my brother would be at home alone... That was the time when I grew close to him... My world now started rotating around him... I used to wait for the school to end so that I can talk to him and tell him about my day... We watched movies together...and that was the best time as I remember...Years passed like that and now we got accustomed to the loss. It was soon my eighteenth birthday. I was so much excited for it. Do you know why?" He asked Aditya. He shook his head lightly.

"Because my brother was coming home from his college...I hadn't seen him in years and I missed the time we used to spend together but you know what...I didn't deserve that... God didn't wanted me to be happy... that's why He took my brother too..." He took a deep breath and looked at the leaves of the tree rustling outside. "When he was coming home, a truck ran over him...the driver was drunk...but we had to pay the price...This time the pain was terrible...it kept smashing me from the inside...I was just numb this time...this time I just wanted to die but my mother didn't deserve that... I slept all day, didn't eat anything and would just cry anytime I was awake... My mother might've noticed that so she sent me out to go and make some friends... friends lighten up your mood, right? She forced me to get out of house...I just used to sit on the bench and do nothing...I used to think about my life while sitting there and kept cursing like, Why me? And, there one day I met Anjana...She was the liveliest girl I ever met." A smile came on his lips as he talked of her.

"She came as a spark of light and brightened up my life...she was the first person who talked to me while I sat there on the bench...she dragged me up to her friend circle and introduced me... that's how I started anticipating going out...Anjana kept me alive those days...Days passed and we grew older...I finished my studies and found a job...My mother was so happy the day I got my job... The proud smile was there on her face and it was there for me just multiplied my joy...I told my mother about Anjana and she agreed for our marriage...We got married...and were so happy with everything...But, then Anjana wasn't able to conceive... She was sad because she loved children with all her heart...I suggested that we can adopt a child and give him the love and care which he deserves while our family will also get complete...Then you came in our life, Adi..." He said holding Aditya's hand in his hand kept on the bed.

"You brought life in our little house...Your presence made it alive...I still reminisce those moments...we were all so happy but, being the bad luck that I am... I lost Anjana too...but, I felt lucky that I had you...You were still there with me but you know what? I wasn't lucky for you...I wasn't good for you...I had to keep you away from me in order to save you...I wanted you to hate me to protect you...and that's what I did...I pushed you away...I kept pushing you... although I would cry for hours for treating you like that...I didn't mean anything I just wanted to protect you from me...from the bad luck that I was emitting, that I emitted since the start...I was so happy when you completed your studies and became a doctor but wasn't able to congratulate you...On that day, I went away...I went far away from you...where my bad omen couldn't even see you...but you know what? My bad omen now started getting back at me...and my health kept deteriorating...My end was near and I was happy that you were safe...but you kept holding onto me...Of years trying to make you hate me, you still loved me...Your heart is so pure that you can't even hate someone who hurts you so much... Don't waste your feelings on me, Adi...my bad omen will strike you... Stay away from me... I'm not good to be around..." He sniffed as he completed. Aditya wrapped his arms around his body and hugged him. This time, their worlds of pain collided and brought them closer to each other. No words were exchanged as emotions were enough. It wasn't the love or hatred that kept pulling Aditya towards his father but rather it was the pain. The pain of losing someone an the pain of feeling alone. His father suffered a lot. More than he did but, pain is a thing which cannot be compared. Pain is pain. It hurts either ways and it is justified to complain about your sufferings.

The impact is always the same.

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As promised 😌 This chapter was a lot difficult to write...and I just can't believe I completed it in one go👀

How did you feel about this chapter? Also, this book has come one step closer to its completion 😩😭😭... I will miss it😭😭😭

Stay safe and take care of yourselves 💕

And, go and grab some water...You deserve it...your body deserves it...stay hydrated, Bye...❤️