Andrew
It's been three days since Jay came into all our lives and started pushing us to edges by sending court notices and filing law suits against us for Amar's parental rights.
Right now Divya and me are in a meeting with Mr.Jacob King to discuss on to how to fight back. The main problem is Divya didn't file a divorce, that makes her legally that bastard's wife. We were all in a hurry to get her out of India from her parents clutch. I never thought of filing for divorce.
So, we have two problems at hand now. one is Divya is still legally married to Jay, Which makes Amar their child. We don't have any physical proof that Divya was abused and raped, the only favor on our side is Jay pushing Amar down at the hospital which will categorize him under abusive parent.
We all have been cracking our heads from the morning to get out of this safely within an hour before we start the meeting with Jay and his team of Lawyers.
I turned towards Divya who has a devastated look on her face, so I walked to her side and held her hand.
"It's okay Divya! We won't give Amar to him. Don't worry." I said to her.
"I am scared Andrew." She whispered holding me tighter.
"We've been working on ways for the last 24 hours but we don't have one solid plan." She sighed looking at the bunch of lawyers walking and talking in a hurry.
"Look at me, I will find a way Divya! I don't care what it takes but I won't let him near Amar and You. Go freshen up and put your strong suit on." I said pushing her into the nearest bathroom.
I talked to my dad, Jameson and updated them on the situation. Jameson said he has a plan and will be here in 20 min. My phone started ringing as I was waiting for dad and it was Amaya.
"My grandpa did send out a signed divorce petition to Jay. I remember him doing that." Amaya said panting.
This is the first good news of the day.
"Jacob! Divya's grandpa did send Jay a signed divorce petition 4 years back." I ran to the meeting room and informed him.
"Do have a copy of it?" He asked me.
"I should have it. All my grandparents stuff is in the storage room and I am going through them with Pinni(Aunty). I will send it you as soon as I get my hands on it." She said and cut the call.
Phew! That's amazing. At least someone thought about future and did something good. After a few minutes Amaya sent me the document and I shared it with the team. And now we all are in the meeting room waiting for Jay and his lawyers. It was Jacob, Dad, Divya, Me and Jameson on one side.
"Just keep quiet and let me do the talking." Jacob said to me as we heard the door knob move.
Jay and another Indian old man came in with a 3 other lawyers and sat on the other side of the table. I looked at Divya who's eyes are on the old Indian man.
"That's Divya's father." Jameson whispered in my ear as I kept staring between them.
Divya's father is glaring at her, while she lowered her head down after some time. Is she feeling guilty?
I held her hand under the desk to assure her, she lifted her head up to look at me with her eyes filled with tears. I squeezed her hand tight while she nodded at me.
"Okay! Let's start." Jacob told everyone and shuffled through his papers.
Just like dad said Jacob was really the best, he was killing them with his arguments.
"Your client is not getting any parental rights, he is abusive, careless."
"In my client defense he didn't know Amar was his child. And not mention the fact that Ms.Divya here hid the details from her husband about their son and ran away with him." Jay's lawyer argued.
"Correction Mr.Bates, Ms.Divya did file for divorce and your client refused to sign it and missed the court session. Here is the copy of her divorce petition. " He said pushed the paper forward and all their faces were filled with shock and confusion.
"You can take this case to any court and I can assure that you won't be winning. Your client abused, raped, spied on my client which pushed her run away from him. We have the video proofs from the camera he used to spy on her. His child or not he pushed a little boy who's an American citizen, for which your client will do 3 years in prison. I suggest you back off the case Mr.Bates, you picked the wrong side." Jacob said confidently leaning back on his chair with an evil smile on his face.
We have zilch in proofs, but look at Jacob going on like we have everything against them. I turned my head to Divya who's fidgeting with her fingers, she looks really bothered by her father's presence more than Jay's. I hate that we are in a room full of people, I wish I could take her out and ask what's going on in her mind.
Jay's team kept whispering seriously while her father just glared at all of us, if his looks could kill we all would've been dead by now. He was a great father we all wouldn't be here in the first place, I kept staring back at her father not wanting to back down. If he wants a staring competition so be it.
"Andy, Stop staring at him." Jameson nudged me breaking my eye contact with him.
"We need to discuss a few more things privately, Can we take a break?" Mr.Bates asked Jacob in desperation.
We all know they lost the case just by looking at their faces.
"Sure, in the mean time sign these divorce papers and this form to terminate your clients parental rights on Ms.Divya's son." Jacob said pushing the papers towards them. They picked those papers and walked away in disappointment.
"That was easy, don't interact with them guys. I have another client coming in. We will meet after they come back. " Jacob said and left the room.
"See Divya, I told you we will find a solution for you. Don't worry." My dad said and hugged her but she still looks dazed.
Jameson did the same and we all walked out of the kings building. Jameson and dad left in their own cars while Divya and me are going in mine. It's been 10 min since we started and she didn't say a word.
"Divya! " I called her as she kept looking out the window and didn't step out even though we reached her house.
She turned to me with a sad look on her face.
Why is she looking sad? We did almost win the case right.
"Are you not happy?" I questioned her
"I am happy Andrew, but I saw my dad after 4 years and he is still mad at me. What wrong did I do Andrew?" She asked me as the tears ran through her cheeks.
I parked the car and got out of it and went to the other side. I opened her door and carried her inside in my arms. I placed her in the living room couch and kneeled before her.
"Divya look at me, You did nothing wrong. It's your father's loss. Don't cry Divya, I cant see you in pain." I pleaded holding her hand.
"I did so many thing for him and he still not satisfied with me. How can I impress my own father? When will he ever be satisfied? When will they recognize that I am an individual with feelings not just an offspring to fulfill their desires. " She sobbed.
I really don't know what to tell her. I don't understand why as a parent he is siding a random person over his own daughter.
"He is still mad at me Andrew. I thought he would've missed me and be proud of the person I turned into. But I was completely wrong, my own father still believes Jay over me. " She said as I held her in my arms.
"I am proud of you Divya and I will believe you over anyone in my life. I know you are craving for your parents love. I know it hurts, please tell me how to fill that void for you Divya. I will gladly do it."I told her consoling.
I really don't know how to ease her pain. Please help her god. Put an end to her pain.
"You already gave me love and hope to live a happy life Andrew. It's just that I didn't expect him to be there on the opposite side and was thrown off guard. I might've lost one but I got 3 set of parents now. I will be fine without his approval." She said voicing her thoughts out loud.
"There you go, that's my girl. No matter what happen I will always be there for you Divya."
"Forget about it Divya, concentrate on your work. Don't you have a surgery scheduled in a few hours." I said to her to change the topic and she nodded.
She freshened up and got ready while I waited for her, I quickly dropped her off at the hospital and drove back to Global Tech.I tried to but I just couldn't concentrate on my work.
Why does her father's approval means so much to her? He is the perfect example of a toxic parent with his self centered, controlling and manipulative behavior. People like him shouldn't be parents.
There is a huge responsibility on kids to constantly impress their parents which is a really toxic trait.
It's okay to not be perfect at everything, it's okay to walk away when it hurts you. It's okay to fight for yourself, it's your life not theirs. Our parents don't own us.
"I heard that the meeting went pretty good." Madeline said coming to my room.
"It did, but Divya is shook by her fathers appearance." I replied to her setting my posture back.
"Do you want me to go talk to her?" She asked sitting in the chair.
"Thank you Madeleine! But it's okay. She is performing a surgery and I will meet her tonight. How's Hannah doing?" I asked her.
"Hannah is with my parents and your dad is meeting some of his school friends." She replied.
I spoke to Madeleine for a few more hours, she is a great person now I can see why dad liked her. After she left I could concentrate on my work and did whatever was left for me to do.
I looked at the clock and remembered that Divya's surgery would be done by now and she would be back at her house. So, I drove there.
As I was taking my car through the driveway I found someone else's car there. I went into her house and found her father and Jay sitting on the couch smirking at me.
What are they doing in here? Where is Divya? Where is Amar? Why are they looking so smug?
"What the hell are you doing in here?" I shouted at Jay while he just gave me a coy smile.
Why do I feel that something is wrong in here?
"What are you doing in my daughter's house." Divya's father asked me with the same old glare in his face.
"ANDDYYYY.." A crying Amar came to me before I could answer him.
He was crying so bad that he was gasping for air, if Jay is the reason for his tears again. I will kill him.
I picked him up into my arms, placed his head on shoulder and walked into the kitchen to get him some water.
"What happened little man? Why are you crying?" I asked him as soon as he calmed down.
"Mama says we are going to India. I don't want to go Andrew, please let me be with you." He said gasping for air between words.
Did I hear it right? Why is he going to India? Why did Divya not tell me that?
"Divya! What does he mean by leaving?" I asked her as I felt someone walk-in to the kitchen.
She stood still at my question and lowered her head down.
"She is not going to answer you. Divya pack your bags, we will be late for the flight." Her dad came in and said to us.
I stood there numb with Amar in my arms who's crying a gasping for air.
Why is she not disagreeing with him? Instead she nodded at him. She is really leaving with her father.
My brain couldn't process the things I am looking at, I felt knocked out of my breath and everything around me started to revolve. I was feeling nauseous and out of breath.
Why is she leaving me?
Why would she do that to me?
Man! I hope you guys don't hate me now.
Anyway Don't forget to vote and comment.
I'll try to give the next update ASAP.
Till then have fun.
Love,
Sneha