chapter 11

Vikrant entered the room of his mother and found her sitting on the bed and staring blankly at the bedsheet, probably replaying the huge argument that took place just some minutes ago in the living room." Maa," he stepped forward and she lifted her gaze. She stared at him for a good seconds before looking away. Vikrant sat down beside her leg and called her one more time." Maa?"She did not say anything. A sigh escaped his mouth and he grabbed one of her hands." I am sorry, maa. I wanted to tell you-"" When?"He sealed his mouth as Akansha interrupted him. She shook her head and added," You wouldn't. If this argument had not happened you probably would never have told me."" No, maa. When I can disclose this truth to the media, why not you?"Vikrant defended himself. Akansha let out a bitter laugh, her hand slipping away from his grip."Media?" she repeated, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I am your mother, Vikrant. Not some stranger reading a headline. I deserved to know first."Vikrant lowered his gaze, guilt gnawing at him. He could face boardrooms full of ruthless businessmen, but the pain in his mother's voice left him feeling like a helpless child again."I know," he murmured. "I know you did, maa but.."No word came out of his mouth. She removed her hand from his grip and parted her mouth to speak." You have done a very wrong thing, Vikrant. You have not only brought shame to the family but have also broken my trust."He knitted his eyebrows, " shame?"" What else? You married a girl from a brothel- the same girl for whom you skipped coming home. Your father's anger is justified. You also broke Dhwani's heart- a girl from a respectable family, someone who would have brought pride to this household. You can't build a home with the mud from the brothel. This is not acceptable. How can we accept her as a daughter-in-law?"He shut his eyes for a second, Dhwani's name dragging a fresh wave of guilt, not because he loved her, but because she became another casualty of this war between him and his family. He stared at his mother with disbelief in eyes. Why? Why can't they just let go of the fact that she lived in a brothel. Why can't they see her innocence, purity and beauty the same way he sees them?" Shame? Mud? Is that all you think my Pari is, maa?"When Akshansha did not reply, Vikrant continued," I expected this from the whole family but not you, maa. Pari did not choose this life...life chose it for her."Akansha's lips pressed into a thin line, but Vikrant didn't stop." I never loved Dhwani. Have you ever seen me looking at her and mentioning her since I met her? She's a wonderful girl, no denial but maa, she is not the one I wanted to settle my life with. You guys chose her for me, not me."She did not look convinced." Do you think Pari will be able to handle the responsibilities of being Agnihotri? I can accept her but do you think your father and others will accept her as their daughter-in-law? They may introduce her to the world but she will never be acceptable in the Agnihotri household. And your son? If she gives birth to your heir, he won't be accepted as well."Vikrant sighed heavily, " I do not care, maa. I just do not care. If I think about them, their etiquettes then I swear I will die someday."" Vikrant-"He did not let her speak." The girl you believed ruined my life is the same girl.. who saved me, maa."Her gaze softened sensing the depth in his voice." If she had not been there, your son would probably have been far away from you. In the past year... she changed my life without even trying, without saying much. She didn't have to. She gave me the reason to continue living and made me believe that.. running away from problems is not the situation and we should face them with strength just like she does."Akansha is witnessing her son being expressive for the first time. She blinked, the depth in his voice seeping into her bones. She had never seen her son like this, not the ruthless businessman, not the heir but a man stripped bare of all pretenses, speaking from a place so vulnerable it shook her. A small smile formed on his face without his knowledge as he continued." How much courage it takes to desire freedom despite being stuck in that hell. She has such a generous heart that even though she herself is on the verge of breaking down, still puts herself at risk to help others. You don't know her at all, maa."His smile widened, " Jaisa naam vaisa kaam. Pari ko samjhna assan bhi aur... Nahi bhi."( Her name suits her well. It is both easy and difficult to understand Pari.)" Vikrant-"" Vo koi kalank nahi hai, maa. Bahut pavitra hai."( She is not a stain, maa. She is very pure.)" Vik-"" I feel bad when someone says such words to her. It makes me-"His jaw clenched as he added with dark eyes, " want to kill them."" Vikrant," she immediately grabbed his hands to shut his mouth." You... You've gone crazy," she whispered while looking into his eyes. Her gaze softened, the steel in her eyes slowly melting into something more fragile, something caught between disbelief and a mother's instinctive love.Vikrant didn't notice. He was lost in his words, in the rawness of emotions he had kept locked away for too long. Her fingers remained curled around his hand, but her heart... her heart was caught somewhere between resistance and acceptance." I am not leaving her, maa. Never. I will stay with her even if it makes me let go of my whole family."There was no hesitation in his eyes, no flicker of doubt. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. Akansha's grip loosened. She stared at him. She thought she knew him but realized this was not the boy she had raised. Maybe, in the midst of chaos she even forgot what her son was. But, currently he looked like a man who had chosen his path. Fortunately, the right path." I.."She sighed, " okay, I'll accept her."His eyes glistened slightly hearing her words. She accepted her defeat against the will and emotions of her son. Her lips parted and more words came out of her mouth," Is..is she..I mean, untouched? I mean, I am not trying to sound rude but.. I just- she lived there, no? So, men must have touched her?"Vikrant's heart clenched, but his face remained calm. A soft, almost sad smile tugged at his lips, not because the question surprised him, but because he had heard it too many times from others. From a society that measured a woman's worth by her scars, not her strength." Trust me, she's very pure."It's not like this fact had mattered to him, especially after knowing a bit of her life. He saw the confusion in his mother's eyes, the battle between her love for him and her fear of what society would say. He reached out, placing his hand over hers again." Just trust me," he reassured her.She nodded and uttered with a concerned look on face." But we won't be able to convince others. What if they do not accept her? Because knowing her background, your father wouldn't allow her to be his daughter-in-law."His expression darkened as he shook his head side by side," I do not care about them, maa. I did not marry her to please anyone. She's my wife and I'll make sure she receives respect from others and affection from me."She smiled as she squeezed his hands gently." You are in love, son," she murmured loudly enough for him to hear. His anguish expression faded in no seconds as her words rang in his mind.Love?Is it okay to name his feelings as love? He cares for Pari. More than he's ever cared for anyone.He respects her, not just for surviving, but for the strength she carries, for the way she stands tall despite the world trying to break her.He wants to fulfill her dreams, to give her the life she's been deprived of.He wants to shield her from every cruel glance, every whispered insult. He wants to keep her safe, to keep her his.He wants to see her happy, to witness the rare moments when her guarded smile slips into something real.He wants to hear her laugh more often, that soft, broken sound he's only heard a handful of times but now craves like an addict.He didn't know love like the stories described- grand gestures, poetic confessions, endless promises. His love was fierce, quiet, and raw. It was a storm inside him, the need to protect, to possess, to heal.His lips parted, but no words came out.Akansha watched him closely as a mother saw her son unravel before her, realizing his own heart had long betrayed him without his notice." Vikrant?"She called him." I-"His voice faltered. The man who always had a sharp response now lost in a single word. And for the first time, Vikrant Agnihotri, the powerful, untouchable billionaire found himself speechless in front of his mother.Because love was never part of the plan.But somehow... it had found him anyway.....Vikrant opened the door of Pari's room and blinked his eyes. She is sitting on the bed and playing videos on her mobile but her interest does not rely on the device even though she is staring at the screen without blinking.And just then," Pari?"She lifted her eyelashes as soon as she heard his voice. She blinked, snapping out of the trance she hadn't realized she'd fallen into. The room was quiet, except for the faint sound of a music video playing on her phone, a mindless distraction she'd clung to in his absence.Quickly, she paused the video and locked the screen, placing the phone aside. It felt absurd now. She was trying to drown her nerves with meaningless songs while her entire future hung in the balance.He closed the door behind and stepped closer to her. She watched him silently and awkwardly.She sat still, her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress, feeling the nerves twist in her stomach.What had his mother decided?Was she angry? Did she now see Pari as nothing more than a stain on their family name? Her mind spiraled, but she forced herself to hold Vikrant's gaze, searching for answers in his expression.But he didn't speak immediately, just sat in front of her and looked into her eyes for a good seconds before asking the first question," Had dinner? Tai said you refused to eat."Yes, she did. How can she eat when he is having a conversation about her with his mother? How could she swallow the food?" Yes, uhm."She licked her lower lip slightly and asked nervously, " what did.. your mother say?"Hearing her question filled with concern, he couldn't help but to smile softly." She accepted you."Okay. Just three words and it was enough to race her heartbeat. She enlarged her eyes slightly and tilted her head confusedly," Sach? Unhe koi shikayat nahi humse?"( Really? She has no complaints with me?)He shook his head in denial, " no. She has complaints with me because I did not tell her beforehand and she got to know from the media. Everything's good now."She chewed the inside of her lower lip. How can she accept her so easily? Is she not angry anymore? What if their interaction becomes awkward? What if..." Do not think much," he shifted closer to her and she lifted her eyelashes from the mattress to him. He raised his hand and without any doubt, palmed her cheek. The touch of his rough palm against her skin did something to her..She looked into his eyes and immediately found herself drowning in them." She doesn't hate you. She had just questions and I.. gave her answers. She is not toxic like my other family members."His words were meant to soothe, but they barely scratched the surface of her fear. She blinked and parted her mouth to say, " what did she say about me?"A crease formed on his forehead. She looked..very insecure. Why wouldn't she be? People question her on the basis of background she did not even choose for herself, a past that haunted her every step.She grabbed his wrist and moved it down from her wrist." She probably thought badly of me. I cannot say anything to your family. You married me. We have different classes, different backgrounds, still you married me. It must have hurt them. I.. I did not want this. I did not want to be the cause of distress in your family. They,"She took a deep breath." They were right. Society will never accept me. By marrying me, you put a stain on your life. It's not like the media won't ever try to search for my background? What if I got.. out and some men recognise me? What if that had seen me in the brothel? What will you do? Whose questions will you answer? You shouldn't have married a girl like me-"" Shh," he moved closer to her and cupped her cheeks in a firm grip. His eyes darkened for a fraction of seconds, as if he was showing her that he did not like the way she again thought so down of herself.He moved his one hand down from her cheek only to wrap it around her waist and pull her closer to himself."Stop it," he whispered, his voice low but firm.She opened her mouth to argue, but before another self-deprecating word could slip past her lips, his grip tightened, one hand still cupping her cheek, the other now firm around her waist, pulling her into him until there was barely any space left between them." I will. I will answer all the questions. I will fight with everyone. Girl like you? Yes, I shouldn't have married a girl like you."She frowned slightly and tried understanding his words because at this time, her heart beat is betraying her. He joined his forehead with her, closed his eyes and caressed his breath on her lips." Tum jaisi ladki.. bhagwan ka pawan uphar hoti hai. Shayad kuch to acha kara hoga humne, jo tum mili."( Girls like you are the purest gift from God. I must have done something that I have you now.)Her heart beat accelerated and fingers curled into a fist. She gulped and parted her mouth, inhaled and exhaled as he rubbed his tip of nose against her with a great tenderness. Her lips dried and she felt scared to stick out her tongue and lick them because the proximity between their lips was dangerous. What if she ended up touching his lips instead?The unnecessary thoughts built in her mind under his embrace as he ran his breath over her lips. His wrapped arm burned the bare part of her waist and she felt difficult to free herself from this wonderful cage." Do not call yourself that again or I might use different methods to erase those stupid memories from your brain."She frowned. What will he do? Her mind betrayed her again as visions of him hitting her head flashed like absurd scenes from a movie, hospitalizing her until she woke up with faded memories. Her frown deepened, the innocent confusion in her eyes caused her to push him slightly back. His hand moved down from her cheek while the other hand stayed around her waist." What.. will you do?"A slow, wicked smile tugged at the corner of his lips, not cruel, but dark enough to make her pulse stumble. His thumb stroked her waist, the roughness of his skin against her softness making her shiver.She gulped and blinked two times." Will you..hit on my head?"That's all she could think? The absurdity of her own question makes her feel foolish.His chest rumbled with a deep chuckle, " hit you?"His fingers traced small circles on her waist absent-mindedly." Pari, I have better ways to make you forget those memories."She blinked again, " what-"A low gasp escaped her mouth as he pulled her with a jerk to himself, and her palms rested on his chest instantly to support herself. She looked into his eyes, shocked. This is not how Vikrant Agnihotri used to behave.His head tilted to a side a little as he brought his hand up again but this time, to tuck the loose strands of her hair behind the ear. He looks very different today, like.. like relieved?Oh, she read him right.His index finger traced an unhurried path down her jaw, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Every inch of skin he touched seemed to pulse, to ache, as if waking from a long, cold slumber. She fisted her hands and felt too scared to even move. He never touched her like this.Not even in the brothel. Not in the entire year she'd spent trapped in that gilded cage, where his touches were fleeting, almost calculated. Back then, his fingers never lingered, never roamed like this.But now...Now, he touched her like a man who wasn't bound by unspoken rules.He touched her like she was his to hold.She blinked, recalling she had asked him a question. Before he could move his finger further down, she asked." Wh..what will you do?"He stopped an inch away from her cleavage and looked up into her eyes. His eyes shimmered and lips twitched to smile in a mischief." Bujho to janu."( Solve the riddle.)She frowned and he withdrew his hand from her waist and also from her face. He stood up and spoke," I can't. You, tell me."He turned his back to her to hide his smile." Think, Pari, Think. But, yeah don't think absurd. Do not think of me as an abuser."She thinned her lips to suppress her embarrassing smile. Well, that thought came eventually in her mind. She was so surprised by his actions that she failed to think straight.He faced her and parted his mouth to say something but just then someone knocked on the door." Yes?"Vikrant responded from inside." It's me, Son."Akansha replied. Pari got down from the bed and fixed her saree while Vikrant went to open the door. The nervousness which flew away in his presence, returned as he opened the door and his mother looked at her first.A comforting smile appeared on her face." Let's have dinner? Shall we?"She glanced at her son then back at Pari, " Pari? Let's go."She swallowed hard and gave a small nod."Ji."Vikrant stepped aside, allowing both women to walk ahead. But as Pari passed him, his fingers brushed against hers. He followed them, trying too hard to digest the sensations he felt just a moment ago. He had to stop, otherwise he would have ended up doing something really.. sensual.⋆༺✷༻⋆To be continue..Share your views in the comment.Read in scrollstack as early access.