𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆

}•{ Ashamed

She hated being in this place. She hated causing pain to someone. She loathed people who did that and at the moment she loathed herself for being the reason for his vulnerable state.

But she couldn't return his feelings. She can't.

"Stop loving me then, Yuvraj Ji. Stop loving me," she whispered closing her eyes and turning away not wanting to look in his direction.

Yuvraj smiled at that, a painful smile.

"I can't live without my soul, now can I?"

She turned at that, her eyes getting lost in his as she stared at him without blinking, he just held her both hands in his hand as he held them close to his forehead, and asserted lowly,

"That's what you have become, my Ruh."

With this, he placed a kiss on the back of her palms and smiled at her who kept looking at him with a wildly pounding heart and raw emotions thumping in her veins.

"Why can't you return my feelings?" He questioned helplessly and as if a trance was broken, she withdrew her hands from his and turned away.

"Because I can't love anyone. Love makes me weak and the people I love always leave me."

A tear trickled down her cheek which he wiped away instantly.

"And I can't love you," she stated looking into his eyes with a smile that didn't reach her eyes making him frown.

"Is it because of our age gap or generation gap in your words? If is it so then I promise you that--"

He was cut off by her bitter voice,

"When the foundation of marriage is not trust and respect but instead threats, I don't think it would ever work Yuvraj Ji."

He was astonished by the revelation and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"

Ruhanika smiled shaking her head and stood up from the bed ready to leave like always but he was quick enough to grasp her arm and pull her to him making her gasp,

"I'm not leaving you till you tell me what did you mean by that," he gritted his teeth at her habit of running away from situations like these.

She could feel rage blinding her senses as well and his tone only seemed to put her off even more, snatching away her arms harshly from his hold she sneered,

"Stop playing innocent Yuvraj Ji! Your so-called grandfather threatened to throw my mama out of the rented shop he had owned for years if I didn't marry you! Still my mama never once told me anything about all this. He never forced me into marrying you. I got to know about all this from the so-called letter your grandfather left. Why do you think my brother refused to attend our wedding or hates you, hn? He knew how passionate I was about dancing and..." She trailed off as tears filled her eyes and she sniffed not wanting to break down in front of him or anyone.

Yuvraj stood rooted in his place, not wanting to believe her words but he knew she was stating anything but a lie by the look on her face. He swallowed hard and tried to reach for her but she stepped back with a hard look on her face and smiled bitterly,

"Still, still I married you with no grudges in my heart but with no hopes as well. I tried my best to fit over here but I was never enough for people in this house. No one cared to ask if I was fine other than Yuvika.
No one. If anything, they just left no chance to make me realize how I don't fit in this family. And that was ironic considering it was your grandfather who forced me into this marriage. But you know what? I stayed quiet because I never considered this as my family. And I settled with this fact long back."