Chapter 34

Vikram looked at her, a storm of emotions swirling in his eyes. Lakshmi's voice trembled with anger and pain as she confronted him.

"Did I come to you and ask for your name? Did I ask your age? Did I beg you to buy me chocolates? Did I propose to you? Did I ask you to marry me? Did I willingly come to your bed? No! You manipulated me. You used me for your physical needs. Did I ever want to come to your room? It was always you who came to me. I loved you, trusted you so much that I couldn't say no to you. I became submissive to your every demand. I thought you were in pain, lonely, just like me. But I never realized you were just like any other rich boy I'd heard about!" she yelled, her voice breaking.

Vikram stood frozen, absorbing her words. Before he could respond, Kittu's loud cry pierced the air. Vikram glanced down at the little boy, who was clutching Lakshmi's thigh tightly, tears streaming down his face as he watched them fight. Vikram bent down and tried to pick Kittu up, but the child squirmed, refusing to be held by him.

Frustrated, Vikram glared at Lakshmi and handed Kittu back to her. His heart ached as he took in the sight of his son's tattered clothes—the worn-out shirt and shorts with holes. His gaze shifted to Lakshmi. She, too, was dressed in a faded saree, her blouse torn at the sleeves. He had never noticed her like this before, in the office, she always wore her staff coat.

Then his eyes fell on her neck. The mangalsutra he had given her still hung there. A surge of anger and confusion overwhelmed him. He reached out abruptly, grabbing the mangalsutra and pulling at it. "You say I used you, manipulated you, cheated you, right? Then why are you still wearing this? Give it to me. It's my mother's," he demanded, his voice harsh.

Lakshmi stared at him in shock. For a moment, she resisted, gripping his hand to stop him, but then she let go, allowing him to yank the mangalsutra from her neck. Vikram stuffed it into his pocket, his breathing heavy. He then turned to Kittu, who was still sobbing on Lakshmi's shoulder, and reached out to take him. "He's mine too. Give him to me. He doesn't deserve to live like this with you," he said coldly.

Lakshmi's heart clenched at his words. She tightened her grip on Kittu, taking two steps back, her eyes blazing. Before Vikram could react, she slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the room.

Vikram staggered back, stunned. He stepped forward again, grabbing her wrist with a firm grip. "Don't you dare raise your hand on me again. Next time, I won't stay quiet," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.

"Get out!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "I won't give my son to anyone, especially not to a womanizer like you!" She tried to pull away from his grasp, but he held on tightly.

"A womanizer?" Vikram's voice cracked with emotion. "I'm a one-woman man. You know why I hate my father, and yet you call me that? You have no idea how I spent every second after you left me, waiting for you. Everyone said terrible things about you, but I didn't believe them because I trusted you!" Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke. "I've never thought of or touched anyone but you," he said, his voice trembling with anger and hurt. "But you left me for that driver, Raghu."

"Stop it!" Lakshmi cried. "Raghu is like a brother to me. Don't say such cruel things and add more sins to your list. It was you who left for America, lying to me, saying you were going to China for business. You claim to be a one-woman man? Then what about the other girls you slept with? I was such a fool to trust you. Raghu anna warned me to stay away from rich boys like you, but I was blinded by your sweet words and fell for you."

Vikram stared at her, confusion etched across his face. "What are you talking about? Why are you saying these things?" he asked, his tone softening slightly.

"Why do you keep saying I left you?" Lakshmi shot back, her voice breaking. "You're the one who went to America and never came back. Do you know how I waited for you? Every day, I stared at the door like a madwoman. People started noticing the change in me. That's when your mother told me the truth—that you had gone to America and would never return. She also said I wasn't the first girl in your life, that you were a womanizer."

Vikram's face paled as her words sank in. "My mother... told you that?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, but the picture they formed was one of betrayal and heartbreak.

Vikram frowned, his voice firm but laced with urgency. "Lakshmi, tell me clearly what happened. No more games."

"Why? So you can weave another story and manipulate me again? Sorry, but this time you won't succeed," she retorted, her voice trembling with defiance.

"Lakshmi, enough of this stubbornness. Just tell me what my mother told you," he said, his tone stern and commanding.

Lakshmi flinched at his sharp tone but gathered herself. "She told me you're a womanizer, that it's your habit to manipulate girls and use them. She said she knew about our relationship from the beginning and assumed you'd get bored of me and leave eventually. She claimed you were done with me, that you'd left for America and were going to marry her brother's daughter."

Vikram's jaw tightened, but he remained silent, urging her to continue.

"So, you left me just because of her words?" he asked, his voice softer now, tinged with disbelief. "Lakshmi, you know how much she hates me. How could you believe her and leave me like that?"

"No, it wasn't just her words," Lakshmi replied, her voice breaking. "I didn't even realize I had missed my periods after you left. I was so consumed with waiting for you that I didn't notice the changes in my body. But your mother did. She confronted me, told me all those horrible things, and then... she mentioned my pregnancy. She said if your father found out, he'd kill both me and the child. That's when it hit me—I might be pregnant."

She paused, wiping the tears streaming down her face. "When I tried to leave, she stopped me. She said she didn't trust me and dragged me to the hospital to force me into an abortion. But somehow, I managed to escape. I ran away and came here."

As she finished, her body shook with sobs, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air. Vikram's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white. His eyes burned with unshed tears, his heart aching as he imagined the pain and fear she must have endured—carrying their child alone, fleeing for her life, all because of his mother's cruelty.

"That bitch..." he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and sorrow. His mind raced, replaying Lakshmi's words, each one a dagger to his heart. He had failed her. He had failed their child. And all of it was because of her—his evil stepmother.

"Lakshmi, please stop crying and listen to me," Vikram pleaded, his voice soft but urgent. "I'm not the man my mother made me out to be. You know me, don't you? She played this cruel game to separate us because she wanted me to marry her niece. But I'm here now, for you and for our son. I can't live without you anymore. Please, come with me. I want you both in my life." He reached out, gently holding her hand, his eyes filled with desperation and love.

Lakshmi, still clutching Kittu tightly, pulled her hand away from his grip and took a step back. Her tear-streaked face reflected a mix of pain, distrust, and defiance.

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