dushyant came to the room with the inconsolable kavin and meera. he decided not to really say anything, just quietly be there for them, just in case they might need someone. despite of the surface level noble intentions, deep-down he had guilt that would keep him silent.
meera, obviously, would not really have any problems with dushyant, at the moment, or so she thought, until kavin spoke up this upon seeing him:
"you knew?" he questioned bluntly, with an intense fury hiding behind his heavy voice.
dushyant, knowing he didn't want to make things worse, just kept quiet. but he might have not suspected, the fury inside of kavin.
"you knew..." stated kavin, as he stood in front of dushyant, with his glare fixed on him, while dushyant stood with his head down.
his silence was just contributing to kavin getting more heated up, as he grabbed dushyant's collar.
"you knew!" he yelled as dushyant averted his face away from kavin, who just pinned him on the wall.
meera witnessing all this, questioned how much she had it in her to bear all of this.
"chodo usse..." she stated firmly, as kavin, hesitant at first, did obey her.
dushyant, stood there, with his head down, crying.
"please, chale jao yahan se..." requested meera, as dushyant complied, the least he could do right now.
kavin sat next to her mother, as he hugged her tightly, as those moist eyes let out their tears, she cried loudly, letting all of her anguish out in those screams. kavin quietly sobbed with his chin resting on meera's shoulder, still in the hug, and would be, for a long time.
***
dushyant came out of the appartment, rested his back on the door, as he closed his eyes while the tears flowed out. he slowly slided down, seating himself on the floor, as he cursed himself for what just happened.
he noticed the pack of cigarettes that fell out of his pocket, the temptation to smoke away all of his problems was consuming him. he took the one cigarette as he stared at it for a while, only to throw it away on the next appartment's door.
little did he knew, that the door would open, and someone unexpected would appear in front of him.
"ishita?" said dushyant, shocked, surpsrised and perplexed at the same time.
but she didn't respond, barely managing to close the door behind her.
"ishita!" he exclaimed loudly, as she tip-toed to him, and sat next to him, completely mum.
"my father.....he raped anjula ji!" revealed ishita, as dushyant was dumbstruck.
***
"tumhare papa-mummy jab uss rented flat mein reh rahe the, na toh tumhari maa ki na tumhare papa ki itni thanka thi, ki woh apna ghar ache se chalaye. paise ki problem toh unhe hamesha hi rehti thi, tumhare papa, ne isiliye kaafi loans le rakhe the..." explained anjula, as she was seated on the dinning table with ishita and purvi on the opposite end.
"tumhari maa ki puri thanka woh inhe chukane mein laga dete the, lekin yeh unhone kabhi bataya hi nahi unhe....phir unhone tumhari maa ki ek chain bechdi, bina unhe bataye. yeh chain unke dahej ka aakhri gehna bacha tha...iske kaaran bahaut ladaai hoi dono ki. tumhari maa ko pata chal gaya ki kuch toh hai joh tumhare papa chupa rahe hain...phir unhone ek din mera address ek parche mein likha hua mila tumhare papa ke bag se.." revealed anjula.
"tumhare papa aur purvi ke papa, dost the, saath mein kaam karte the. kai baar, yahan drinks ke liye bhi aate the..ek baar, purvi ke papa ne itni peeli, he passed out. tumhare papa, ne uss din, zabardasti karne ki koshish ki mere saath...." recounted anjula, as she was starting to choke. purvi got up from her place, to give her mom a hug.
"par maa, apne kabhi..." attempted purvi to clarify why she was hearing this for the first time.
"tumhare papa, yeh pata chalne ke baad, chodke chale gaye the mujhe, purvi...mujhe darr tha ki tum bhi...." confessed anjula, as she teared up.
"maa, aap bhi..." said purvi, as she consoled her mother.
"toh, uss din, apne mere maa ko..." pointed ishita.
"nahi, tumhari maa uss waqt mere paas nahi aayi, in fact, tumhare papa ko confront kiya tha unhone...and he said, that, we were having an affair...and that I demanded money from him....he made some fake apologies and promises of not doing it again.....and, she forgave him..." corrected anjula.
"what!" exclaimed ishita.
"he's such a bloody..." blurted purvi, only to stop upon seeing ishita.
"but the money troubles, they didn't go away, he got into more debt, to pay his debts...and your mother, it all took a toll on her mental health. but she couldn't leave him, she had you..." explained anjula.
"i think, he stole from some of your mother's savings, which sent her off the edge, and that's why she came to me a few days ago...asking me to leave her husband alone, and that is when i told her the truth..." narrated anjula, as ishita, was frozen at her spot, unable to believe what she had heard.
***
"my mom was in so much pain..........and i, i just...." chocked ishita, as she bursted into tears, as dushyant just hugged her.
"and dad, just, he was always in front of me...and i, had no idea...." she continued, as dushyant rubbed her back.
"ishita, how were you supposed to know..." pacified dushyant.
"i am so stupid.." said ishita, as dushyant cupped her face.
"you are not stupid, ok? just because we don't know somethings, doesn't mean, we are stupid....we are just, human..." consoled dushyant.
they seperated as she wiped off her tears.
"i don't even know what i'll do now...." she remarked.
"me neither..." agreed dushyant.
a moment of silence was shared between them, as they sorted the chain of thoughts in their heads. it was one of those moments where they just needed someone next to them, not to talk, not to listen, but just, to be there.
***
author's note: ok, so, another very emotionally loaded chapter....so please tell me your thoughts in the comments, i would love to know how you feel.
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all my stars lead to you
Fanfictionishita is forced to confront after her mother's death, that she has nothing good to remember her by, only to find that everything she knew about her was completely false. dushyant and kavin are forced into the same home together, after their parent...
