Anguish & Affection

Part 20

"Di, I did it. I kept my promise and brought Diya back. Before you bombard me with questions, I need to go grab a file from my study room — or else I'll forget it completely!" Atharv rushed off before his sister could interrogate him on how he managed to get Diya back.

He felt like a coward for wanting to run away, but he wanted to avoid the inevitable confrontation with Diya and his sister. He couldn't face their joint opposition, so it seemed like the only sensible option to slink away from the situation.

Diya was anxiously awaiting her confrontation with Aditi, ever since Atharv had mentioned that Aditi was discharged from the hospital. Even though Diya felt sorry for her gaunt appearance and fragile state, she steeled herself to find out what she had been wanting to ask.

Aditi looked at Pari with a combination of surprise and joy as she spoke, "I'm so glad that you're back! It's been ten years since I've seen you. I can't believe that you were able to make peace with Atharv in such a short amount of time. Had the two of you already been talking? No matter what, I hope your life with Atharv is full of joy." She affectionately placed an arm around Diya's shoulders.

Aditi looked up at the younger woman, who was much taller than her due to wearing three-inch wedges. The fond and observant gaze she gave Diya was reminiscent of when her family members would comment on how quickly she had grown.

"Atharv said you wanted him to bring me here - did you ask him to kidnap and imprison me?" Diya asked, reining in her impulse to give the older woman a hug.

Aditi's hand dropped in shock when she heard the question, and she tried to protest with a quiet "Pari...", but Diya wouldn't let her finish.

Diya glared at Aditi, wishing to provoke a reaction. "You call me Pari, Di," she said, her voice strained and heavy with emotion. "And you destroyed the connection we had. We were apart for years, yet I still yearned for it - but who would have known that you and your brother wished to shackle me in a bond I could not escape from?"

Diya had no idea that an eavesdropper was listening in on their conversation, growing more and more infuriated with each word of accusation she said. He couldn't bear to hear a single bad comment about his sister, who had given up so much in order to make sure he was taken care of. He wouldn't let her suffer humiliation due to his own actions and decisions.

"I apologize for what has taken place, Diya. I did not intend for your independence to be taken away. I attempted to remedy a fault from the past and ended up creating another instead. Please rest now while I take care of this situation," Aditi said, resolute in her plan to speak with her younger brother.

Aditi's words confused Diya. She had no clue what Aditi was referring to or how tying up the loose ends between Atharv and her would help sort things out.

"Huh? What mistake are you talking about?" Diya asked, hoping this question would provide answers to all her questions.

Aditi tried to defuse the tension, but there was an uncertainty in her voice as she replied, "Let me settle this misunderstanding first, Diya. I swear that I will tell you everything, and hopefully you'll still be here to hear it."

Diya shook her head sadly. "I deserve to know the truth," she said, desperation engulfing her. She wished their reunion had gone differently than this.

Aditi shook her head, letting out a deep sigh of dismay. "Go take it easy. I'll handle him," she assured Diya. Without another word, Diya headed towards the bedrooms, only to be grabbed by an old acquaintance of hers along the way. "Atharv..."

He spat out the words, seething with rage. His jaw was stuck tight, his teeth grinding together as if he wanted to rip her apart with his own bare hands. The contempt and loathing in his voice felt like a physical force, knocking her back a step. "You have every right to be angry at me and direct that frustration towards me, but how dare you vent it on Di?". His scream reverberated through the air, shaking the foundations of the room.

Atharv yelled in anguish, his voice echoing in the stillness of the room. His hands trembling with rage, he yanked at his hair and pounded his chest as if to punish himself for his sins. His face contorted with pain and anguish, the veins in his neck standing out like whipcords ready to snap. "She's suffered enough already," he muttered through gritted teeth, "she doesn't deserve to take my guilt upon her shoulders."

Her furious frown softened into concern for the older woman. "I-I just wanted to know the truth. I wanted to get it out of her..."

A stifling chill enveloped the room as Atharv's maniacal eyes blazed into hers. Her every movement seemed to become slower and heavier as he advanced towards her, his murderous gaze sending chills down her spine. With each step closer he took, her confidence drained away from her like water, until a lump of fear coiled itself around her throat, tightening its knot with every passing second.

"You took away my parents from me, stole my childhood, and crushed my heart like it was nothing. But yet, I feel something for you and my mind is still conflicted about our relationship."

Atharv's words tore through the air, his voice trembling with rage. His eyes were ablaze with a mix of hurt and sorrow.

Her breath stopped and her heart raced as dread filled her veins with ice. She had never imagined his words, not in her most wondrous dream or terrifying nightmare. This unexpected happening had drained the life out of her body, leaving her numb and broken.

Killed his parents? How?

Broke his heart?

His complaint had confirmed her yesteryear fantasy of reigning his heart in a way that broke her own heart. The agony ripped through her bones until all that remained was an empty void where her heart once was.

"You are no different than them - full of lies and deceit! My mind screams that you are nothing more than a puppet master pulling strings, pushing buttons, playing with feelings like it doesn't matter. My family has already been broken beyond repair by your manipulative kind, and I won't let you do the same. Not again."

_______________________________________________________