Ignore mistakes please no proofreading done..hope you like the chapter! Happy reading!!💕
-----------------------------------------------------------
Manik's pov:
With every passing word di spoke, my heart shuddered at the slightest imagination of the what remained stored in next..I was expecting answers to the questions that stayed beheld by me for years together but with ever word, I only discovered things previously unknown. And so did it birthed hundred more questions I struggled to reason.
One of which, if Nyonika was in love with Randhir than why did she put up my sister as a bait, what's with all the 'deal' when could resort to an easier means.
With these thoughts swirling around my mind, I starred cluelessly at the walkman Curious at the very same moment dreading the following revelations-struggling to adapt and mould the reality previous at my exposure to fit the happenings in.
" I was mortified by everything I just heard hoping all of it to be far from reality, coming into my room as I sat trying to fathom the recent scenes the only thought or rather the person who kept popping was Dhruv, to say that I was worried about his reaction would be a understatement..I have known Dhruv to be very understanding and neither was the fact that he worshiped his father hidden from me, I could see and I knew the height of admiration he held for him and how much it would hurt him that his father had been lying to him the entire time...
I knew I wanted to tell him, to let him know about this, I had too..afterall it was his right he deserved to know. God for bid if ever this is revealed to him in some form and he realizes that this was no secret to me, he would be devastated...I would be betraying him...I could him- for forever.
I couldn't...couldn't lose him...I had failed the ability to live a life without him being in it." di's coherent sobbing as she spoke about Dhruv set ablaze a very unnerving restlessness in me, I could feel how much love she had for him. For all I have known her, it was tougher than moving a mountain to make her feel this way, weak and confused, she had always been a person who had her desires and wants very translucent from life and otherwise. Up until Dhruv, she only went this berserk whenever I was in question.
And for a matter of fact, di was aware and vigilant enough to know if someone's trying to lure her into things. She had always been extremely critical when it came to investing her trust and time in people and if Dhruv had got her to do the same he surely did put in some very rigid and valid efforts...or was atleast successfull enough to put a deeply convincing act up.
" As I kept reasoning and debating within me whether or not I should be saying this to Dhruv, when they barged into my room. I was aware that my actions regarding Dhruv had to be quick, I don't have much time vested with me. I stood upright as their evil smothered with smirk faces stood right before me. Rage filled me with the very thought that they have served people a life of betrayal, people they claim to love..
" ohh sweetheart have you lost your manners about no eavesdropping now!" Nyonika's mocked while I could only glare at their shameless figures.
" I guess your little secret is out now darling...tch, to bad it seems!" it was Randhir's sluggish remark as he slid his hand around Nyonika's waist, disgust filled me with the sight of them.
They chuckled finding my anger amusing which only made me hate their audacity so much.
" Darling haven't your dadu taught you good things?...tch..we'll let it pass though he was an old man afterall, since this comes off to me as a rare opportunity I'll do the honors...listen babygirl, you slip a word out of your petty mouth, you risk a loved one." he threatened me leaning closer making me despise him even more with every passing second.
" the power of choice rests in you. Decide do you chose to blurt the truth over a life of a loved one-You are a smart kid chose wisely child." he snickered as he spoke devilishly running the tip of his fingers over my face trying to intimidate me, to say the least..his empty threats did send chills down my spine the first time but I somewhere was off the belief that they were inherently just null threats, so I stood firm on my grounds.
" you think you can scare me, then you are soo mistaken! you DO NOT SCARE ME. neither do your empty threats...I chose truth...It will never fail me!" I yelled at them jerking his dirty touch away, I could see the bewilderment quite apparent on their faces. They knew my week point and tried to hit where it hurts, I already regretted giving in to this cheap tactics the first time when swayed by this I let you go away from me...not now!
I had decided to not let my fears be a gateway for them to rule me.
" if that! Is your choice than...may you have all the good luck with you!" it was Nyonika's mockery filled tone that hit me before they departed leaving me alone.
As much as I pretended to not be affected by their words a part of me was shaking with the insinuation of the worse possibilities.
It was then I made a decision to let Dhruv know at the earliest possible chance and so I called him over to see me...and what followed next was everything I was dreading about.
Within 15 minutes of talking to Dhruv I received a call while I traced the length of the room restlessly waiting for him to see me.
The call was from an unknown number and it was hitting evening by this time, I picked the call up..and the next thing I heard shook my entire existence..
It was a man, talking about Dhruv's car met with a fatal accident...and that they were taking him to hospital I was his last call so they called me....everything after the word accident went eeire for me. I couldn't feel my limbs, shocked, devastated, numb I slouched. It was seconds after the news when the accident, hospital made sense to me and I quickly rushed there gathering my shattered self.
I was so scared manu...so scared to lose him.." di sobbed saying so, while I remained to be shocked. But failed to hold back a sob listening to her wails, my sister was going through so much and I had no clue...How bad did I fail to live up to being a good useful brother. I hated to hear her cry and since so long I was only listening to hear wails and pleas and cries..maybe this was how I was suppose to pay back, this crippling helplessness, the want to help her, to be there to hold her to tell her that it'll be fine, to wipe her tears, to stop her from shredding those and not be able to.
Not be able to do any of it but only mourn and sob and hate myself for letting her go through this.
My hold on the walkman grew tighter and that did enough to hint Nandini.
" Manik...please..please don't allow yourself to go down that path yet again..you aren't to be blamed...you are not responsible...you were not a abominable brother...please let's hear di out before you jump to conclusions please." she whispered ever so convincingly to me as her hold on my finger entwined with her's grew stronger. And yet again I was amazed how she could contemplate my actions and give them a language of their own that only she was skilled in...
I held her slender fingers in mine squeezing them desperately attempting to gain the losing strength back..our eyes stayed locked while she nodded at me in assurance, beckoning me to continue.
" I was devastated with the thought, seeing him struggling to make it wretched me, they weren't letting me near him and it killed me to be away from him...before I could even take in the miserable happenings, Randhir shekhawat showed up nastly smirking at my misery....He knew..he knew I was about to tell Dhruv everything..he planned this...He risked his own goddamn son's life to prove a point. I was shook, petrified.
He threatened me that if he could make his son yearn for every ounce of breath...he could do so much worse to you—that, worked as a last nail in the coffin. He dragged me to a scheduled corner in the alley, negotiating from me for his own son or rather my love's life."
" the look on his devilish face was of victory already! The sight of my helpless Desperate self brought ample satisfaction to his sadist self. He warned me to stay miles apart from Dhruv if I loved him enough to see him alive...I hated to agree with his obnoxious demands but for both of your's safety that has to be done at least for the time being. I eventually gave in, in turn feeding his bulky ego."
" days passed and even though with extreme reluctance I had to stick to my words...It felt like I didn't knew what peace was, until I saw Dhruv walking safe and sound walking along the campus. In all those days away from him, I struggled to find one loop to get out of this mess, a single proof and I knew that Dhruv would believe me...I had rested my trust in him with utmost certainty that he among everyone would never be the reason that makes me regret."
" and just like that weeks passed, between those sneaky glances and longing gazes I yearned to be with him every second of the day...we were soo close yet so far. I wanted to be with him as soon as I could...one solid proof and it was over for both Randhir and Nyonika.
My patience eventually paid off...being their overconfident self, they almost didn't think of it as a possibility thay even I could keep tabs on them...you remember the meetings I used to go with dadu too, that brought a few influentials and trustworthy people at my reach.
They helped me keep my tabs on them and for all those weeks I was working to bring the truth before Dhruv and after so long it all made sense.
I happened to have been able to get a lead a few snaps which made for a decent proof...or at least I thought, it did.
And with this a hope beemed in me that I could have Dhruv believe in me...
A part of me was ever so convinced that Dhruv will atleast hear me out, considering how rational he has been always...I was positive that it will work."
" the very next day, I found myself running to him somewhere contentment seeping in me just with the thought of having him close to me yet again, the distance had been quite unbearable.
I found him in a fairly isolated backyard of the college, which had been his spot since forever. I rushed giving in my instinct to hold him to my dear life—I waited and waited for the favor to be returned but what came was a harsh push...
His accusing gaze penetrating to my very ounce of self while the usual, appealing calm in his demeanor stayed disturbed."
" I longed to question, offended at the piercing gaze and stonic self, while reassuring my own self that this was only a temporary tantrum.
I tried speaking, a word...formulate something but before I could the series of photographs thrown at me had me stumped."
" it was some absurdly foolish trick used to make it look like I was hooking up with one of your classmates...just clever photography, with the pictures before me I reacalled vaguely that incident, it was our library I was there collecting some books amd some how managed to get clumsy that guy I had known to be our classmate only helped me, keeping me from falling...
I chuckled, so sure that even, Dhruv would have done the same...afterall he knewe didn't he!? He knew that I loved him! He wouldn't let a photograph question everything we had...he would atleast hear me out....he trusted me...he told me he did!"
".....I was wrong, soo soo soo wrong that I hated myself to have loved him, accusing me of cheating...of never having loved him...of not knowing what love was...slapping reasons of how incapable of love I was—that..falling for me was the biggest mistake....how I was a cheat, a pathetic person to ever be with"
" I heard everything he had to say baffled at the false allegations, amazed at the brutality of how bad and deep his words could hurt me...will you believe me if I say..a part of me died that very day. I hated it..hated the audacity his words possessed, despised the power they had that ravaged my soul...prohibiting me to feel anything. I heard heard him curse, accuse, assume, hurt me and walk away...all this while refusing to form a coherent sentence in my defense."
" I didn't want to believe him....no! Not at any cost, I didn't want to but faith and give life to his words ever...but that's the catch! Ever damed word of someone you love affects your soul...and as much as I hated it I ended up believing him...believing that I didn't deserve love, that this lofe pf hardships was everything my 'fate' had for me..that my existence was a curse....he could hurt me, made me think and question my very human existence only because I rested the power to do so with him, because I trusted him...I loved him..and now there was no turning back."
" breathing the same air as him was suffocating me, I rushed as quickly as I could back home wanting to get lost in my safe haven..away from this nightmare my reality was shaping to be, but guess the nightmare wasn't over yet, before I could manifest the thought of even a temporary solace I found Nyonika and Randir calling for me lavishly in the hall.
" what happened, darling!? Your prince charming entertain you....or worst he didn't let you spill the tea?" I was perplexed at hid words....maybe that was when I did realize how I really had Underestimated themselves...a foolish slip and here I was...exposed.
" Did you really think we'll leave u alone just after a fair warning, now you don't know us well do you sweetheart!? Sadly we did analyzed every step you took from the day forth....after all we did know your dadu had taught u better than stepping aside. The courageous Avya malhotra won't walk to in the way of the mosr cowardly retort!"
" Do while you were busy ' spying on us...I was busy playing with my innocent son's mind—sure you didn't realize in your surge for truth for my sons supposed good you did push yourself away from him, while you craved truth I used it for my benefits. Your miffed Demeanor and the hurling insecurities me so much good, it wasn't quite difficult to plant a seed of mistrust in Dhruv's mind, how can he not discreet my words...I am his ' Idol' after everything.
Huh...that fool believed me when I said his mother died while birthing him...no questions asked and you think he has the nerve to question me at this!"
" what do you mean..."
" I. Killed. My. Wife!"
" you heard that right! I killed her, that bitch knew about our plan, all about it. How Nyonika entrapped Manik's father on my words when shekhawat industries was almost near bankruptcy...while I married Dhruv's mom for being an only child of a rich dying father had it's own pro's you see...it was all smooth...until one day she caught us and soon enough was to tell on us.
Before she could, Dhruv decided to pop out giving me a perfect segway to mourn my wife's death...rather murder."
" you did...not...how could you! How could you both do this!!!! You cheated....you have been cheating on everyone since so long...Manik's dad...Dhruv...You monster's murdered his mother!"
" give up darl! This ain't gonna send us guilt tripping about anything. It was a fairly conscious decision that we don't regret about!" Nyonika smirked, maybe it was then I thought back about you calling her Nyonika was worth.
" Dhruv trusted me when I faked his mother's murder for a natural death you think he would have second thoughts about you!?" Randhir snickered, I felt humiliated...deeply hurt. Didn't he trust me enough to at least let me have a chance to justify myself.
I couldn't stand anymore, I could not let them have the satisfaction of seeing me break apart...so I ran, as fast as my limbs could...while Randhir distinct yell lingering in my ears.
" You know what I think, he was done with you..done putting up with your insecurities...you were suffocating him and so with the very first opportunity he set himself free...YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A MERE BURDEN TO HIM AVYA...HOW NEVER WANTED YOU!"
Dilon main aag labon par gulab rakhte hai,
Sab apne chehro par dohri naqab rakhte hai....
~Rahat Indori poetry
Hey! Guys I hope you liked the update...do vote and comment if u did-❤