Love Happens

Chapter twenty-three

"I'm glad you're awake Shraddha." he muttered.

She wasn't really paying attention to him. She was enjoying his embrace, his warmth, his scent. After all, she had all the rights to. He made her wait for him for so long. Not even a hug. He never gave her even a hug.

Anand broke their hug. She lowered her gaze as she blushed. The breeze made straps of hair move all over her face, and Anand forwarded his hand to help move them. He put them back behind her ear while she closed her eyes to relish the beautiful morning that resembled a dream.

"We have a lot to talk about. I don't know if it is the right time now, but I can't keep it in any longer."

The hesitation in his voice made her heart clench with worry. "Go on. Be rest assured you can tell me anything." she whispered.

"You've been unconscious for many days and only woke up today."

Her jaw dropped from shock. She was going to speak and ask how, until Anand explained.

"Poonam gave you a combination of overdose expired injections."

Her breaths fell slowly and gradually. "I hope you didn't send her to the boarding school." she uttered.

Anand gave her an unbelievable look. "She tried to kill you. Don't vouch for her because she isn't a good person."

"My daughter is a good person Anand. She was just surrounded by bad company maybe at school, but she's a good person."

Anand smiled briefly while goggling at her. Just how was she able to overlook everything his daughter did to her?

"What?"

"Poonam is in London. She'll not return until she completes her studies. Not even for breaks."

"You don't get it. She already hates me. She will hate me more because she'll think I influenced you to take that decision. And then she and I will never get along."

"So be it. I know what your truth is. What she thinks doesn't matter."

"It matters. You married me to be their mother. What they think of me matters a lot."

He shook his head as he got up. "I'm freeing you with her responsibility. Riddhima is still here. You can take care of her."

"And who will care for Poonam?"

"I will." without giving room for any more debate, he ambled out.

She sprawled back against the bed feeling sad because deep inside her heart, she never wished to let Poonam leave for the boarding school. To her, she didn't go astray here, but there are high chances she will go there because neither Anand nor her were there to correct her mistakes.

She put her one leg down on the cold floor. Her feet were sore. It was like she hadn't walked in forever because the pain that shot her when she kept it down was unbearable. She took it back and began to massage it while questioning herself if she grew fatter because the pressure that was released on it made her think that way.

She got up fully and went into the bathroom to clean herself because only Anand knows the last time she bathed. She finished, came out, donned a blue saree, applied her vermilion then proceeded to go downstairs.