Destiny

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

“She hates me because I am not her daughter.” Gauri answered in a calm voice.  She heard nothing but silence after her statement.

She felt Siddarth’s gaze on her even as she felt his hand tighten around hers. She could not look at anyone so she looked down at the carpet instead. “Amit’s mother and my father separated when Amit was two years old. She left my father because she felt he only married her to stay in America and what her father could do for my father’s business.”

Gauri hadn’t called her father’s wife mom since she found out that she was not her mother. “My father didn’t try very hard to bring her back, instead he had an affair with my birth mother.

Siddarth could not take his eyes off of Gauri’s bent head. She was completely detached from everything. There were no feelings of anger, pain or bitterness as she told everyone why her family never accepted her. Never in millions years, would he have thought that this is what caused her so much distressed.

“My birth mother was estranged from her parents and was living on her own because she did not want to get married. I don’t know anything more than that about her.” Gauri hoped she could hold on until she finished telling them everything. Only thing she felt was Siddarth’s tight grip on her hand. He was her anchor, holding her up when all she wanted to do was drown.

“By the time she gave birth to me my father had reconciled with his wife, but only for his business, not because he loved her. For that matter he didn’t love my mother either, but his wife did not know this and did not care to forgive him for his infidelity.

My mother dropped me off at his doorstep, not wanting to have anything to do with me. My father wanted to give me up also, but grandmother found out and refused for him to take me to some orphanage or give me up for adoption.” Gauri’s voice broke and tears clogged her throat.

Amit looked at his sister with tears in his eyes. Sweta and Gauri’s aunt were crying openly when they saw how difficult it was becoming for Gauri to continue.

Sheetal aunty realized that she needed to finish the story because Gauri was now just staring into space. “For a while things went well and my mother took care of Gauri, but then my sister-in-law found out she was pregnant and this is when she started to take her anger out on Gauri. My mother tried her best to keep Gauri with the family but in the end asked my brother to let her move out and take Gauri with her. And so this is what we did.”

Desai’s were stunned to hear how Gauri grew up. Hetal and Sunita were both appalled at what Gauri had to deal with and as mothers they couldn’t help but cry for her.

Karan clenched his fist and jaw. “Why were we not told of this before Sanya’s wedding? Amit, why didn’t you tell us that day we found out Gauri is your sister? Now Sanya is the one paying for it because you both wanted to hide your father’s dirty little secret.”

Desai’s were shocked at Karan’s behavior. Sweta gasped and glared at Karan. How could he be so insensitive? Before anyone could say anything to Karan, Gauri stood up and went back to kneel in front of Sanya.