Meri Chandani - Shadows Of The Past

C H A P T E R - VII

U N C E R T A I N

"Tere naina, has diye...
Bas gaye mere dil mein, tere naina..."

Love, a four lettered small word, which is used by so many people in their everyday life that it's called overrated by some, but some people who understand the huge meaning and important role of it in our lives, have always valued it a lot. Just like, Devika. The girl who craved love and affection all her life. She did get it though, in different forms by different people, her family, friends, cousins and siblings. But the glorified form of love that she looked up to always, in movies or TV serials, be it be any real couple or a fictional bond, the magic of it had always had her whipped into it so much that more than anything in her life, she craved the form of love her life lacked. The love from a partner, the love from a boyfriend. The love from someone she can lovingly call her soulmate.

But unfortunately, she never had it for herself. In all these long twenty-six years of her life, which is a very small part of living, she knew, she always craved to have a soulmate by her side. Eversince she understood what love actually is, and how life changing it can be. But not having it for herself ever, had her left behind with a lot of self doubt and insecurities. Fear about her appearance, her looks, her capabilities, her personality. Infact her as a being overall. But with two failed situationships and zero real relationships, her hope of finding love had turned so little, near to zero that she had almost lost it.

"Maybe God forgot to make someone for me!" She always told that to her sister, and her best friends. But the truth she always knew was no matter what, her family will find her an appropriate partner and then, maybe she will meet a soul and it will be her mate, for the all of the next births. Atleast seven, if not all. She might not have a soulmate, but her family will give her one. Hopefully.

But yesterday, the words that came out of Atharva's mouth had unintentionally left a deeper wound into Devika's already fragile and shattered heart. Her husband to be had already declared that he won't love her, ever. And the moment that she faced, had made her feel so unlovable that she couldn't express it in words, not even to the person who made her feel like that. In that very moment, she had decided of not marrying Atharva or infact anyone who could not love her, as his own wife, even after marrying her.

But as she ascended down the stairs, while mentally preparing herself to face the situation bravely, her mind went off to Aarushi's situation. No matter how many men Devika met, no one had embraced Aarushi the way Atharva did. He did not accept her as a little girl Devika picked up out of the orphanage out of pity. He understood, completely, that what Aarushi really meant to Devika. She wasn't an orphan, she was her child, Devika Mathur's daughter. And not only his words, but his affection towards Aarushi was so real that Devika knew, if not a good husband, atleast he will be an amazing father to Aarushi and infact her family will stop forcing her to marry anyone else who will treat her Aaru baby poorly. And not like their own.

She will be free from marrying someone who will be immature and that's all that mattered. Aarushi deserved all the love in this world, and all Devika wanted was to give her that. Even if that takes to sacrifice something that maybe she will never find anyways. She had made a promise years ago, and she will fulfill it at every cost. She will do anything to see her Aaru baby happy. Even if it takes to get married to the most Khadus Man in the entire Mumbai.

"Bas, toh fir kya? Haan kardi maine Amu. I am getting married to him now!"

Devika sighed in her phone, while she narrated what happened in the Mathur Niwas yesterday.

"Aur Mr. Khadus? Unhone kya bola?" Amrita asked with much curiosity, her eyes filled with amazement as she spoke through the other end of the video call.