Love - Nothing like in fairy tales

Chapter - 9 Dawning truths

Adiraj reached his room in a daze, his heart filled with shock and deliquence. He tried to take a shower to sooth the seething pain from the sight of her but in vain. Gulping down the drink in his hand, Adiraj sat in his lounger pondering over what has just occurred. 'I know what I did was wrong but she is no saint either. After all this is why she trapped me into this marriage.' He tried to console himself.

Then the phone rang.

Adiraj regretted picking up the phone the moment he answered. It was his father calling from India.

"What is so urgent that you forget your manner and call me at wee hours of the night dad?" Snapped Adiraj.

"Sealed the deal for 'Heritage villas'. I am an old man, son so I care more about my wee hours than your."

"Whatever. Congrats. Now hang up so I can go to bed."

"Eager to be with you wife I suppose." Chuckled his father."Tamanna seems to brought good things for both of us I think. Glad I had the vision of marrying you off to her."

"Well I guess it's my own doing. So stop the bloody hell, before taking credit for it." Adiraj snarled over the phone.

"What's put you in such horrendous mood, son. And just so you know your matrimony with her had been planned before you even arrived india. You just made it easier for me and Navlakhas.." Laughed his father.

"What??!!!! You had it planned??!! And what makes you think you would have pushed me into a loveless marriage and I would have succumbed to that?" Adiraj was beyond shocked to hear his father's confessions.

"Love is for fools son. We are businessmen and money is what we know. You were to marry Tamanna one way or another. And as for Tamanna she is just a silly innocent girl who came in handy for us to seal the deal. She was never our worry. You were. Her father and I had it planned it well. But you being a sybarite that you are, couldn't keep your hands off her. Which simply made things far less complicated for us." Concluded his father.

"Go to the bloody hell, father." With that Adiraj hung up. Still trying to digest the information thrown his way. 'So Tamanna was innocent all along. Damn! Fool that I was blamed her for all this. And now... This.... Lords what have I done' he cussed himself.

Adiraj couldn't sleep that night. He laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. Contrition crept through to his heart as her face kept flashing before his eyes. The tears in her stricken eyes, streaming down her cheeks the hurt and fear on her face. He berated himself for hurting her so 'she was innocent all along.' He kept chanting in his heart.

Adiraj knew the pain of betrayal caused by someone you trust. His mother's selfishness had taught him well. Agreed he wasn't on best term with Tamanna but he was her husband, vowed to protect her from harm. Now he was the moster causing her pain.

Frustrated after tossing and turning and trying to sleep he threw away the sheets and got off the bed. He made himself a drink and gulped it down in one go hoping it would sooth down the pain just a bit.

He reached the window bracing the sill with his hands, his knuckles white with power of his excretion. Staring out in the night sky he thought what if he wouldn't have stopped? Was he really capable to taking a lady against her wishes?

"Oh Tamanna! I cannot atone my disgraceful behaviour." He spoke into nothingness of the night sky feeling the sudden urge to run back to her room and hold her cold to him and make her forget the pain he had caused her. But his hesitation stopped him.

"I hope you forgive me someday" he spoke involuntarily.

'Whoaaa.... Me apologise.... Adiraj Singhal never apologises.' He shockingly wondered 'but Adiraj Singhal has never violated a lady before. Now has he?' His inner voice got better of him.