Could This Be Love

chapter 28❤

Hritika was looking at the ceiling, constantly.

Her phone rings.

She groans as she receives the call without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello, Hritika Kapoor here."

"Beta!! This is your aunt!" A dramatic and shrill womanly voice said.

"Everything alright?" Hritika questioned for her aunt and uncle never really cared to call her since the day she got married.

"Beta, don't say it like that. I just wanted to ask about your health." She said, feigning concern.

"Um.. I'm fine, thanks. How are you and uncle?" She asked happy about the fact her aunt might have changed and maybe misses her.

"Ah- honey, what to say.. his condition is very poor! And me? How can a wife be happy with her husband almost dying." Her aunt said, sobbing dramatically.

"Pardon?"

"Yes, honey, your uncle is dying. But you know, we've spent so much money on your studies, that now we don't have anything for ourselves."

Hritika felt hurt, because that wasn't true. Hritika's parents were rich and they've left a huge amount for her, which were used for her studies. Plus, during her Harvard days, she used to work three jobs to pay the fees.

"Hritika? Are you there?" Her sobs stopped suddenly.

"Yea.. yes I'm listening." She said.

Her aunt started sobbing again "so as I was saying, we spent all our hard earned money on you..got you to Harvard..that was too high.. nearly 70 thousand American dollars, honey."

"Aunty, as long as I remember, my father has left a lot for me to get educated..plus there were a lot of property papers..and speaking of Harvard, I worked three jobs to pay for it." She softly stated, as politely as she could.

"What? So you're saying we didn't do you anything??? How much did your 'rich' papa left huh?? How much?? They both died, leaving you with us!! God, they were cunning souls!"

"I expect you to respect my dead parents. If you can't, sorry but I don't want to continue this conversation any further."

"Yahi Sunna baaki tha! This is what we raised you for? You'd be an orphan!! Blooded with dead parent's blood!!" Suddenly the day got visible to Hritika, the day she lost her parents. Their lifeless bodies, blood all over the bodies.. her enthusiastic mother's smiley face was replaced by tear stains on cheeks.

She couldn't hold her tears, they dropped one by one. She could hear those crying sounds from the days they died. She squeazed-closed her eyes. 

"You are a badluck!! You ate them, now my husband is ill too!!"

Aarav who just entered the room after coming back home, was tensed to see her like this. Hritika's tears fell one after another with a blank expression on her face.

Aarav walked to her "Is everything alright?"

There was no reply from Hritika, she just held her phone to her ears.

Aarav, sensing the tension, took away the phone from her to himself.

"You'll destroy everyone's life!! You're so ungrateful!! You burdened us with all your needs and we fulfilled them!! Such shameless gir-"

"ENOUGH!" roared Aarav. "You've spoken enough!! I dare you speak one more ill about my wife and I'll make sure you don't speak ever again! Who are you even to talk to her that way?"