Radhika tightened the ends of her bandhani saree in shock....
"What did you say?" Radhika shouted, clutching tightly onto Arjun's collars...
Arpana shook her head in fear...
"Aunty, this girl standing next to me is your husband's daughter. Sir does not know he has a daughter because it all happened before his marriage with you" Arjun explained to Radhika but she was damaged. Life was being unfair to Radhika!
So, Radhika rushed out of the venue and without waiting for anyone she went back home.
Seeing Radhika run out of the wedding hall made Ram worried because she was acting weird. Therefore, just after sending Pooja away with her husband, Ram and Nandini rushed back home.
"Arjun, why? Why did you tell everything to Radhika aunty? I did not come here with the intention of ruining another family's peace" Arpana said as she cried, feeling worried and nervous thinking about what's going to happen in her life now.
"Arpana, she heard most of our conversation. There was no point in lying" Arjun responded as he tried to comfort Arpana.
Very soon Ram reached his house. He immediately went to his room where Radhika was as he could hear her loud sobs.
"Radha, Radha! What happened?" Ram asked her worriedly.
"Don't you dare touch me. Get out of my sight!" Radhika screamed. Nandini flinched in fear...
"Please tell me what happened Radha.." Ram requested this time, keeping a distance from Radhika.
"You want me to explain now?" Radhika asked as she continued to sob.
"Please tell me what the matter is! I can't do anything if you are not willing to tell me what the issue is" Ram explained this time getting slightly angry. Radhika never acted like this therefore. Radhika's words and actions hurt him more than anything now.
So, Radhika slowly stood up from the bed and stared into Ram's eyes. The stare that could destroy him...
"Why did you marry me and ruin my life?" Radhika asked...
"Radha, why are you speaking like this? How did I ruin your life? More than anyone you know how much I love you. Don't you?" Ram asked emotionally.
"Oh stop your drama! You never loved me. You only loved Bhanumathi ...." Radhika blurted out, making Ram beyond shocked!
"Radha, mind your words! Don't cross your limit!" Ram said, nearly losing all his control. Yes Ram has told Radhika about Bhanu and how they were in love, before his marriage. But that was about it really, nothing in depth!
"No, I won't mind my words! Why should I?
I still remember how you acted so cold and distant with me after our marriage. There's no limit to how much I cried during that time because of you. I believed you probably acted distant with me because of the arranged marriage and how we did not know each other well. After around a year, you changed and became gentler, nicer and loving. That's when you mentioned it to me. At that time I thought it was just a normal infatuation or love and that you were over her. But today I was proven wrong, as your love toward Bhanu was deeper than I thought. If not, you would not have had a daughter with her!!!" Radhika finally vented out her anger....
"Daughter? What do you mean Radhika? I only have two daughters, Nandini and Pooja. I have no such child with Bhanumathi....
And my love towards you was not fake so don't you dare question my sincerity or love towards you!" Ram shouted as his blood boiled in anger.
"Who's Arpana then?" Radhika asked. It passed across as a big slap to Ram.
"Arpana?" Ram stuttered.
"Yes, she's your long lost daughter....
Yours and Bhanumathi daughter. She came here searching for her dad!" Radhika said as she sobbed. This made Ram shocked!
At this point Arjun and Arpana had reached the house ready to face anything....
"No stop lying Radha! Arpana is not my daughter!" Ram muttered.
"Yes she is! I heard Arjun and Arpana's conversation... Maybe that's why she looks just like your mother!" Radhika said as she dropped onto the floor and cried. Nandini was beyond shocked with the new information as well...
Nandini sat next to Radhika and comforted her...
Ram rushed to Arjun and Arpana's room and knocked aggressively.
Arpana slowly opened the door and looked into Ram's red bloodshot eyes. She was ever so frightened to face Ram at this point...
"Tell me honestly, who on earth are you? And what do you want?" Ram asked, gritting his teeth together. However, Arpana remained silent, fuelling Ram's anger more and more. "Tell me!!" He screamed, making the poor Arpana jump.
"I'm... I'm your daughter...." she said slowly...
"How? How on earth are you my daughter! Tell me!!" Ram asked her.
But Arpana did not have the courage to tell Ram the rest of the story so Arjun interfered....
Arjun was ever so concerned about Arpana and her health at this stage....
"Sir, I'm sorry to interfere. But my wife Arpana is your daughter. She is yours and Bhanumathi's daughter. At the time when you married Radhika aunty, Bhanumathi got to know she was pregnant with Arpana. Her father did come to explain the news to your family but your family sent him off and gave a good percentage of your wealth to Arpana. Soon Bhanumathi gave Arpana for adoption...
Arpana and I only found out about this recently through Bhanumathi's cousin who adopted Arpana after someone tried to kill us.
Since then Arpana wanted to see you. Not to ruin your peace but to return all the wealth under her name and probably to know a little bit about her father...." Arjun said courageously to Ram.
Ram froze for a second with the new found information. He couldn't digest the fact that he had a daughter....
A lone tear escaped through Ram's eyes thinking of why fate is being so cruel to him...
Radhika, his wife who loved him immensely was at one side of him broken and shattered and his daughter Arpana who came to see her father was at the other side.
Ram had no idea what to do!
That night, the atmosphere in Ram's house was devastating!
The next day Arjun and Arpana packed their bags to leave Udaipur. They did not want to be a burden to anyone anymore.
When they came down from their room upstairs, the down floor was so quiet. For the last time Arpana decided to see the family members, no matter what they were going to say.
First of all Arpana decided to see Radhika.
Radhika was just like her second mom. The love and affection Radhika showered upon Arpana was something she could never forget.
Radhika sat on her bed staring onto something intently when Arpana walked into the room.
"Radhika aunty" Arpana called out. Radhika looked at Arpana then turned away!
Arpana slowly walked closer to Radhika and kneeled down on the floor next to where Radhika was. "Aunty... aunty, I was not intended to hurt you in any way. I didn't want any of you to know about me. I initially came here to only stay for a month but all the love you all showered upon me made me stay here longer. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed here more than I should have had.... Or else you wouldn't have known anything and would've been a happy family as usual. Sorry for ruining it for you.
Aunty I know nothing hurts more than being cheated on because my first husband cheated on me cruelly when he was my world at that time and he faked his death. I grieved for my first husband for many years sincerely. It was recently I found out about him and how he had cheated on me all these years... then my father who adopted me tried to kill me for my wealth that I never knew I had. Aunty, through my life experiences, I've learnt how much it hurts to be betrayed and cheated.
But I promise aunty, Ram sir did not intend to cheat on you. It was an accident and till now he did not know he had a daughter like me. He was sincere and honest with you after his marriage. Please don't hate him aunty, he didn't cheat on you..... Please forgive him.
I will never come back to destroy your peace. God promised aunty...." Arpana said whilst sobbing. Arjun gently comforted her as he rubbed her shoulders. Radhika did not say anything, only a tear passed by after what Arpana said.
Ram stood near the door listening to everything...
Slowly, Arpana stood up from the ground as Radhika did not react. When Arpana turned around to leave, Radhika called out Arpana's name. Arpana turned around with a hint of hope in her eyes.
Radhika got out of her bed and looked at Arpana intently. Arpana found it very awkward. A few moments later, Radhika smiled a little and kissed Arpana's forehead.
"Arpana chori, I do not hate you one bit. In fact I love you immensely, probably more than my own daughters.
However, the revelations which were made yesterday made me act out of my mind. I'm glad that you are part of our family chori (daughter).
The only person I'm a bit annoyed and frustrated with is my husband. If he loved anyone, he should have protected them and taken care of them instead of marrying another girl, no matter how much pressure he had to marry me.
Imagine the pain and agony Bhanu must have gone through at that time. Because of Ram's deeds, you also had to suffer. Didn't you? If Ram had been a bit more careful, all those years ago, you probably would have had a better life.
Wasn't it also unfair to me, Arpana? There's no way I will get justice now but I can understand how no one is to be blamed for my fate. It was written somewhere for the sequence of events to happen the way it did.
Arpana please forgive me for anything I did that hurt you! I was shocked and felt betrayed after what I heard yesterday but I'm over it now.
And Arpana don't you worry. I have no grudge or hate against Ram. It will take me some time to forgive him fully but I will never break my family just because of his deeds. Eventually I will get over this phase..." Radhika's words comforted Arpana massively. Her words meant that there's hope that the family will be back like how it used to be.
Arpana hugged Radhika tightly and cried, making everyone in the room emotional.
Soon Arpana went up to her father and looked into his eyes "Sir, I'm sorry for everything. And thank you for all the love you showered upon me the last few months. It meant a lot to me!" Arpana said as she cried, releasing all her pent up emotions.
"Chori, please don't cry. It's not you but me who should be apologizing. The regret and guilt I'm feeling is killing me. I wish I knew about you earlier...
If I knew I had a gem like you as my daughter, I wouldn't have left you to suffer! Sorry for everything!" Ram sobbed as he slowly knelt down onto the floor. Arpana too knelt and comforted him. She told him it's okay and that she's happy now. When he had calmed down a little bit, Arpana decided to mention the wealth.
"Sir?"
"Chori, please don't call me sir. Call me bapu or papa" Ram requested. He was craving for her to say those words!
"Bapu, when my mother's family came to see your family to tell them about me, your family closed their mouth by putting immense wealth under my name. I only came to know about it recently and I want to give it back to you? Or give it to Nandini and Pooja? It's suffocating me bapu" Arpana requested.
This is when Nandini decided to interfere. "Arpana, please don't return the wealth. We don't want it. You deserve it more than anyone. You are our daughter too and just like how we divide the wealth to Nandini and Pooja, think it like we gave it to you. Please!!"
"Yes, Arpana, we do not want wealth. After all, none of us deserve it as we've enough, only you do. Please Arpana please!" Arpana nodded at what Nandini and Ram said.
Arjun and Arpana finally were going to leave now. They had intended to leave in the morning but with everything that happened, they were delayed. Radhika and Ram tried to convince Arjun and Arpana to stay here a little longer but Arjun and Arpana were adamant to leave as Arpana believed her journey in Rajasthan had ended for now.
Just before Arpana left, Nandini and Arpana shared some moments together where Arpana advised Nandini to move on from her past.
"Arpana, when will you visit us after this?" Nandini asked Arpana sadly. More than anyone, Nandini was the happiest when she found out Arpana was her sister. Only the issues between her parents stressed Nandini.
"I will visit you all soon. When Pooja finds out the truth, I bet she'll be angry at me for not telling her about it earlier but tell her I did not mean to hurt any of you intentionally" Arpana said, holding Nandini's hands.
"Don't worry about that. Pooja will be the happiest when she finds out about it. And don't you worry about bapu and mom. They can't remain angry at each other for long, the ice between them will melt soon" Nandini said to which Arpana nodded.
"Nandu, would you listen to me?" Arpana asked.
"Of course I will"
"You are a well educated young girl. Not everyone is fortunate to be like you in this world. Make your hard work pay off. Start practicing as a doctor soon and earn a name for yourself. I know how much passion you have for your profession....
Do not let your past hinder your precious future....
Just because your ex treated you the way he did doesn't mean you should hide in a shell like you are now. If you feel therapy will help, you go ahead with it and don't think about what others will think. Because you are at an age where you shouldn't be taking shit from others" Arpana tried to motivate Nandini because she wanted to see all her siblings happy and financially independent.
"I've been through the heartbreak and I'm no longer in love with him but whenever something reminds me of him, my heart aches, because deep down I still don't understand why I was treated the way I was, when all I tried to do was to make him happy" Nandini said as she sobbed.
"I can relate to you a lot Nandini because just like you, I only tried to make my first husband happy. I didn't deserve to be cheated and betrayed but sometimes that's the way some people are. They are insecure and feel worthless so they make other people feel worthless. No matter how much we try to change it won't change. However, when I think of the positives that have happened because of it, I'm grateful to Vihan for leaving my life. If he hadn't left my life, Arjun would have not entered my life and I would have probably been dead. I'm much happier with Arjun than I was with Vihan. Do you know why? It's because I know Arjun loves me sincerely. He makes me feel special and makes me feel as if I'm the prettiest girl in the world.
I'm sure someone like Arjun will come into your life without delay and he will compensate you with love for whatever you went through in the past for loving someone so dearly" Arpana advised her sister.
And just like that Nandini felt confident and motivated to restart her life...
It was time for Arjun and Arpana to leave. As they were leaving, Ram gifted his daughter a beautiful gold necklace. Then he placed a kiss on her forehead lovingly. "I will miss your presence a lot, chori! You will always be my dear daughter. I will cherish all our moments together" Ram said as he lightly hugged his daughter.
"Bapu, never feel sad for not knowing you had another daughter. Believe me it is not your fault" Arpana told her father and wiped away the tears that were streaming down his eyes.
"Arpana chori, if you ever need anything we will always be there for you. To me you are just like my Nandini and Pooja. Always remain in contact and visit us frequently as possible. If you need any help during the next stages of your pregnancy don't hesitate to contact me. Ram, your sisters and I will always be there for you and Arjun.
And of course we will come to see our grandchild" Radhika said whilst cupping Arpana's face.
For the last time Arpana hugged everyone, especially her father. She wished so much to spend a little bit more time with her father but her heart told her it was time to leave this place and give some time for the relationship to bloom...
"Families are like braches on a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one"
"Family isn't always blood. Its the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what"
...........................................................................
.......
Here comes an end to the chapter of Arpana and her father ....
Hope this chapter wasn't too bad ...
What did you all think of this chapter ? Who's happy with how Radika accepted Arpana ?
And the bond between Arpana and Ram ?
What do you all think of Arpana's little piece of advice to Nandini ?
Where might Arpana's next destination be to ?
What may happen in the next chapter ? Any guesses ?
And finally I would like to thank Riyazisduniya and presha13 for all the help !
Please do vote and comment! It'll motivate me a lot ...
Thanks to all those who makes the effort to vote and leave a feedback. Its much appreciated 😊