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

SHOT 29

Reposting because many readers didn't get the notification.. 🥰

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Third person's pov!

"I apologise for this mess, aunty. I took him to the pub. I planned to talk to him over a bottle of beer, but he went ahead and ordered something hot. He looked so desperate that I couldn't deny." Shravan said apologetically.

He was feeling guilty for taking Abhay to the pub.

"It's okay, Shravan. We know you didn't mean any harm." Anjana said with a sad smile.

"I don't know whether I should feel happy or sad. For the very first time after Kriti's birth, he is so close to her. Lying next to her, hugging her." Siddhu said with a sigh.

"Let's hope this is a start. If he continues this, Kriti will grow up having no connection to Abhay. She doesn't know now, but when she grows up, she will start understanding that her father isn't around and she might even start hating him. If something of that sort happened, it can't be easily mended." Niranjan said with an exhausted sigh.

"Maybe we should try for professional help." Shravan said and everyone looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Niranjan asked.

"Mithran and I were talking yesterday and he said Chaahat mentioned getting Abhay some professional help. Let's take him to a psychologist. Maybe counselling could help him out of this guilt that is eating him up. He is dying to be with his baby girl. He has said so many times. But there is some invisible barrier that is always holding him back. Something that isn't letting him reach out to her. Even today, he needed a bottle of vodka to go near his daughter. He cannot always depend on alcohol to go near his daughter. We should try this out." Mithran said and looked at everyone hopefully.

Anjana and Niranjan had a thoughtful look on their faces.

"I think Shravan bhai is right. No matter how much we all talk to him, it isn't helping in any way. Let's seek some professional help. I am sure Shravan bhai and Mithran bhai could convince him of this. Kriti is growing up fast. We shouldn't delay this." Siddhu said.

"Right. Shravan, you and Mithran talk to Abhay about this. We just need our old Abhay back." Niranjan said, his eyes filling up with tears.

"Sure uncle. Let me check out who is the best in the field first." Shravan said.

Vaiga remained a silent spectator to all this. She was standing just outside her bedroom. Her eyes would dart back into the room now and again, her gaze roaming over the father daughter duo sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Her heart ached for little Kriti. She was having her father next to her for the very first time in life.

Over the last one month since she has been here, she had always wondered why he was staying away from his daughter. The two times she broached the subject, they dodged speaking about it. So, she understood they didn't want to talk about it, so she left it at that.

In the beginning she had even wondered if he hated his daughter, believing little Kriti was responsible for his wife's death. But she understood that wasn't the case when he asked her to stay away from Kriti keeping her emotional well being in mind.

Now they are talking about his guilt. Why was he guilty? What is he guilty of? She felt confused.

"Drishti, shall we leave?" Shravan asked. Drishti stood up from the couch and they left shortly.

Vaiga's gaze again went to the bed where baby Kriti was sleeping. Ever since the first time she had met little Kriti, she had slept with her only. Having Kriti next to her was her peace. How will she sleep today?

"Vaiga, you take the room next to this tonight." Anjana said, coming towards Vaiga.

"Kriti.." Vaiga said hesitantly.

"Let them sleep together tonight, Vaiga. They both need this." Anjana said emotionally.

"Kriti wakes up at night, Anjana Maa. She would need a diaper change. I don't think Dev ji is in a condition to wake up if she cries.." Vaiga said softly. She knew she was being selfish, but the thought of laying down on a bed without Kriti next to her seemed scary. She didn't want to spend the entire night with memories haunting her. She is tired of it.

"Don't worry. I don't think I can sleep tonight. I will be here if Kriti wakes up. You go and sleep. It is already late.." Anjana said, and Vaiga had no other choice other than to retreat to the bedroom next to the one she had been using since she came here.

Vaiga's pov!

As I laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep was far away. I missed Kriti's warmth next to me. But as Dev ji warned me, I shouldn't be getting too attached to Kriti. It is going to hurt later.

How am I going to live once I go back?

When Neelam aunty said Kriti looks just like me, my heart fluttered crazily. For a moment there, I wished Kriti was my daughter. I longed to be her mother. But then I crashed back to reality when Dev ji burst out in anger. It must have been unbearable for him to listen to someone giving his beloved wife's position to someone else.

I feel immense respect for him. His wife was gone for nearly a year now and he is still living in the woman's memories.

And then there was Shiva. Shiva who believed I was capable of cheating on him. Shiva who didn't even let me explain things. Shiva who got married to some other woman immediately after he got rid of me.

'You mean the world to me, Vaiga. I will always be by your side, no matter what.' His words before marriage echoed in my head and I scoffed remembering those words.

What a lie it was!

"Why Shiva? Why did you do this to me? I loved you more than anything in this world and what did you do to me? Did you even know that we were about to have a baby? Maybe you knew, but didn't care. Our baby is gone, Shiva. I lost you and our baby both." Vaiga cried out, as she felt the pain almost physically.

A/N

Hey guys, do you feel the story is going a bit slow? I kind of feel like that..

With four or five chapters, the story is going to take a turn.. I have some upcoming drama in my plan.. Stay tuned darlings...

Please do vote and comment..

Love,

SF❤️