PUNARVIVAAH - ARRANGED TO LOVE (L&M #3)

SHOT 2

Vaiga Raghuswamy's pov!

"Ammu, eat something. What's the point of letting yourself starve like this? Is it going to change anything?" Appa asked, as he sat next to me with a plate of food in his hand.

"I am not hungry, Appa." I said, leaning back against the wall and looking out through the window.

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Ammu. You didn't eat breakfast either. You can't skip lunch too." Appa said adamantly as he took a morsel of food towards my mouth.

I looked at him helplessly.

"Nothing would go down my throat, Appa." I said and my voice broke as a sob got struck in my throat.

"He doesn't deserve you, Ammu. Stop ruining yourself over someone who isn't worth it." Appa said helplessly and I couldn't help the tears that ran down my cheeks.

"What about my baby? He also doesn't deserve my tears?" I asked, as my already broken heart again broke into a million little pieces.

As I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall, that fateful day became clear in my head once again.

Few months ago!

I was thrilled after seeing those two pink lines on the pregnancy card and I couldn't wait for Shiva to come home, so that I could tell him the happy news.

We have only been married for five months, but this news is a happy and welcome one. I know Shiva would also be happy.

As I stepped out of the washroom, the pregnancy card still clutched tightly in my hands, I found my mother in law, Durga Devi, in my room.

"Amma, you want something?" I asked, a bit scared.

Shiva's mother never liked me. She wanted Shiva to marry her best friend's daughter, but Shiva had by then fallen in love with me. Shiva was my college professor and against all odds, we had fallen in love.

My Appa always stands by my wishes and dreams, so he never said anything when I told him I am in love with Shiva and that I want to marry him. All he wanted was me to complete my education. Shiva had promised that my education will never be interrupted, but he didn't know his mother enough.

I sighed and shook my head to dispel all those thoughts from my head and looked at Shiva's mother again.

"I wanted some hot water. You were gone for a long time. So, I came searching for you." She said in an authoritative cold voice.

"I will get it now." I said and was about to walk out of the room, when she stopped me.

"What's that in your hand?" She asked and I trembled, not knowing how she was going to react to this news.

"Show me!" She demanded and snatched the pregnancy card from me.

She looked at it and I didn't understand what she was feeling. She is going to be a grandmother, after all. This might probably change the equation between us. She might even start liking me.

"Does Shiva know?" Amma asked and I shook my head in a no.

"Don't tell him on the phone. Let him come home. Then tell him." She said and I nodded my head. It was a miracle that she was even talking to me other than ordering me to do some or the other chores.

"And you lie down for a while. No need to come to the kitchen." She said, shocking the hell out of me.

I felt joy filling my heart.

"Baby, it seems like your grandma already loves you. I can't wait for your papa to come home." I said as excitement filled me.

"Here, drink this juice. I will manage the lunch. You take a nap after drinking the juice." Amma said, coming into my room again and I looked at her in surprise.

I felt my eyes tearing up. I have never had the love of a mother. All my life, I had believed that once I get married, I would get a mother who would love me and who I can love. Maybe that wish is starting to come true..

I took the glass from her and drank it on the go.

"Sleep. I will wake you up when lunch is ready." She said and left the room.

As I sat there, I felt a bit dizzy and immediately laid on the bed. Dizziness and all is common during pregnancies.

I didn't know how long I slept. The next I woke up listening to Shiva's screams and the sounds of some physical altercations.

As I woke up with a heavy head, I was shocked to see that I was only in my blouse and underskirt. I panicked and looked around for the saree and found it on the floor. I quickly took it and clutched it, covering my bosom and looked up to see Shiva beating a guy.

Did he try to misbehave with me when I was sleeping? Is that why Shiva was attacking him? Oh god! How can I not know when someone touched me?

"Enough, Shiva. What's the use of beating him when the real culprit is someone else." I heard Amma saying coldly and wondered who she was talking about.

I felt vulnerable at the moment. To realise that someone had tried to touch me and I didn't even realise!

"Shiva!" I called out softly. I needed him at the moment. I needed him to wrap his arms around me so that I could feel safe.

"Don't you dare take my name with that dirty mouth of yours, you b*tch!" Shiva screamed at me and I stared at him in shock.

"Shiva! What are you saying? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked in panic, seeing the hatred in Shiva's eyes.

"Amma always said, you were having an affair. That someone keeps coming here. I always ignored her words, thinking that she was saying all that out of her dislike towards you. I didn't even mention that to you, because I didn't want to hurt you in any way. And this is how you repay my love and trust?" Shiva asked, his eyes teary and red due to rage.

"No, no! Shiva, listen to me. This is all a misunderstanding. Please listen to me once.." I begged, as I hurried towards him, wrapping the saree around me haphazardly. Before I could reach him, I felt a heavy blow on my cheeks. The pain was unbearable. It took me a moment to realise that Shiva had slapped me.

"Stay away, Vaiga. Don't you dare touch me. You are the biggest mistake of my life. I wish I never met you.." Shiva said and I felt like he had pierced a knife into my heart.

"How can you say that, Shiva? How can you not trust me?" I asked, as my heart broke into a million little pieces.

"I trusted you like a fool all these days. Not anymore. I want a divorce. I can't even breathe the same air as you. I feel disgusted just looking at you. Who knows what kind of upbringing you got that you behave like this. After all, you grew up without a mother to teach you the values.." he said, disgust lacing his every word.

"Stop it. Just stop it," I screamed at him.

Enough is enough!

"Leave, Vaiga. I wish to never see you again."

"Vaiga.." I got startled out of my thoughts when I heard that voice filled with love. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see the person standing in front of me.

A/n

So Vaiga is here..

I had given a small introduction to Vaiga in Chapter 17 of Vows Of Love..

Let's see how Abhay and Vaiga, scarred by love once, finds a way together..

Stay tuned to know more..

Please share the book with your fellow readers..

Love,

SF❤️