Married My Enemy (#1 Rajput)

23- His Cure

The old poor man noticed it and endured the ignorance of his favourite and first grandchild.

On the day of their flight, Kiaan had bent down to touch his feet, respectfully, but his grandfather stops him. His trembling arms pull his grandchild up by the forearm to embrace him into one last hug but Kiaan jerks it off. "I need to pull the luggage out." He used an excuse.

"Bhai—" Dhruv had tried to reason his brother. He couldn't bear the painful look in his old grandpa's eyes. Besides, they weren't sure when they'd come back to visit him. One last hug. That's the he wanted.

Kiaan's eyes were deadpan serious and impolite when he'd looked at Dhruv to shut him up. "I'll get the luggage." And like that, he dodged the hug.

Since the day they landed, his grandfather called every day, spoke to everyone but as soon as his old throaty voice asks for Kiaan, the eldest grandchild would make an excuse of sleeping, or showering, or going out. Or doing homework. If his grandfather is stubborn, so is he.

Kiaan was—is mad. Mad because his grandfather's decision was baseless. Home is no home without a family. Doesn't he see living in New York City gives us an opportunity at a better and brighter future? He ignored Kiaan's pleased, so now the teenager is doing the same.

Their last—and first since the day they've moved to New York—phone call disturbs him till this day. Ten years later it still haunts him.

"Dadu please. Do—don't say that you love me because you don't. I requested you, begged you, pleaded for you to come with us but you didn't! You know we're not sure when we'll visit India again but still you decided to stay there alone. Why? Because of that house? Is that house more important than me? Than your Kiaan?" (Grandad)

"Kiaa—" The old man coughs as he speaks but the hot-blooded young-man interrupts him.

"No dadu. Not today. Talk to me when you're ready to leave the house!" He's resentful. His voice is in charge and blunt. He wanted his grandpa to experience living in a different country with a different culture. He'd see his class-mates grandparents coming to pick them up but his wouldn't even be at home.

He is hurt.

But he never realized he hurt him more that day.

They received a call from their neighbour in India, informing about his grandad's sudden death. Heart attack. People think it's because he was old or missing his wife. Some believed it's because Raj had—has become selfish by leaving his father behind. If only they knew the whole truth.

Kiaan did.

He believes—strongly believes—he's the reason his grandfather's death. I killed him.

With my words.

It's going to be ten years soon since he's died. The memory is still fresh in his head. Kiaan was depressed, he blamed himself for it. He stopped playing sports because he missed him. A lot. Reyansh and Aarav were his only friends—at the time—from school who helped him come out of the horrifying memory.

After his death, whenever he felt low, angry, worthless, lost and penitent—anything that's negative—he'd always go to a club. Shower himself with alcohol—his grandfather had died a week before his eighteenth birthday—there was a point in his life when he'd stopped concentrating in his education—swimming—and his future. His escape was and is alcohol.

Flash Back Ends

They all lived in the same house—under the same roof—but his family rarely saw him. Now it all makes sense to him. The reason why his parent's got him married to Jaanvi. They saw her as a loving, bubbly, lively, kind and free-spirited person. That's stupid though. He doesn't understand how on earth can a girl change him? He can't change his lifestyle for her.