Forrest looked at Reva. She was still in shock. "Forrest" Reva exclaimed. She held him in her arms. "Are you hurt?" Forrest was holding his cheek. "Let me see," Reva pushed his hand away to reveal the bruise. Then she turned towards the attacker. "How dare you hit my husband?" She asked angrily. "Husband? You married him?" Apurva asked. "I have children with him. He is the father of my twins. You possess no right to hit him."
Apurva looked at her. "I possess every right to hit him. He is the reason why all that had happened, happened." Forrest pulled Reva to him. "Sorry mate, haven't I told you that she is mine? It was worthless that you even tried to take her away from me. It will always be me." Forrest told him with a smile of triumph.
"I am sorry what? You kept cheating on her, and she went into a stage of depression for that. Then you kidnap her and marry her? Who does that? Do you even love her?" Nothing Apurva said was wrong. Forrest had done everything. Each and everything Apurva had to accuse of him doing he did all of that but no one in this world can love her as much as he does. This is one thing that is also very true.
"I have hurt her, the most. I know I have, but no one can love her as much as I do." He wasn't wrong and that is something Reva knew very well. "This is whom you had chosen for yourself, Reva? That too when I am here next to you? How can you choose him who can hurt you again and again?" Reva heard her children crying. She didn't even have to look at Forrest before he walked inside the nursery and she heard their cries stop.
"Did you see that? He understands what I need and when I need it. Yes, he had committed mistakes and that will not be his last ones. But he will always be the first one to amend it. He knows what is the responsibility of being a husband or a father is. I can never ever find someone like him." Reva told them. "I think it is more about his money than his sentiments, isn't it?" He asked.
"Honey a little help here, your children are being a handful." Her mother smiled at her and walked inside the nursery. And Reva followed. She was showing Forrest patiently how to calm the babies down. He thanked her mother as she helped put them back to sleep. And then she came out. "They are beautiful. Reva, they are as beautiful as you are when you were born." And then she gave Reva something. "For the babies, put them on when they wake up ok?" She nodded and then Reva looked at her father who too was looking at her.
"Papa, are you not going to meet your grandchildren?" Reva asked. "Reva I never wanted this life for you. When you refused to marry Apurva, you told him it was about your career and your dream of becoming the best in your field as you can. But then you come here, you are suddenly married and not only married but you are the mother of two children. What is the difference then? Why reject who we have chosen for you?"
Reva was happy Forrest wasn't hearing any of this or he would have been very upset and that is the last thing is that she wanted to happen. "Because he is rich then I am, that is why." Apurva gave him no needed input on the case. "I wasn't asking you, I want to know what my daughter thinks Apurva. She is married now to Forrest whether you like it or not, she will always be called Reva Lyte."
"No, Sir she is not Reva Lyte. She is Doctor Reva Arthur Mathur Lyte, the best in the field of cardiology. If she is not then I will make her. I will make her better than I am. That is her dream. I will make her achieve it." Forrest answered for her. "Nonsense, no one can do that. No one will ever want to let another be better in his trade. You do not want her to be the best, do you? You just want to console her to believe that it is what you want to." Apurva said looking at Forrest who still was holding his son in his hand.
"Please keep your voice down or you will wake up the baby," Forrest said. "And I don't think you are prepared enough to make him sleep again. Now, my wife is very tired and she needs her rest. I would like you if you do not to argue with her like this. She is not answerable to you for making her choices in her life." Reva's father was listening to Forrest's words.
"Now I see why she chose you. Caring and protective at the same time you understand when she needs her space and when she needs comfort. Come on Apurva, we need to get back. I have seen what I want to see. Let's not disturb them at this late at night."
"Sir, stay please, I can whip up something for you and mam both. And him too. I think your daughter will be happy too." Her father looked at his mother. "You can cook?" Her mother asked. "Yes, I try though I am not as good as your daughter and food is the first thing we have connected with. Among other things, I realize she likes to eat as much as I do. Though most of the time I don't know why she is very reluctant to eat what she likes."
"That is because she knows you will not like her if she became her old self again. Fat and not get fit in all those clothes that make her look likable." Apurva said dryly. "That's the last resort, you insulted her for the last time. And for your Information, I love her regardless of how she looks. Get out of here before I call the guards." "You are..." Apurva raised his hand but her father stopped him. "Now, Now Apurva, you are insulting my daughter, in front of her husband and her parents, I think you should leave."
Apurva left angrily. "Sorry about that. I didn't know what happened to that boy. He wasn't like this always." "Actually Papa, he was always like this. You happened to see it now. I have prepared your room. Ma and you can rest talk with your son-in-law and know about his wonderful research which he is doing and till then I can cook something for you all?" Reva offered. "No, not happening, strict bed rest, it is doctor's order Honey. I am going to cook. And I promise I will not burn the kitchen down."
"Ok go ahead, and do your best." Her mother got up. "Let me help you, I can teach you some things she really likes to eat." Forrest smiled at her. "Sure, mam, as you wish." "You can call me mom, I am your family now Forrest. Come on let's go." They left and Reva watched them walk towards the kitchen. "Something wrong?" Reva's father Ranvijay Mathur asked.
"Something is wrong Papa, Forrest was always there, he had always protected me. But he is in danger I don't know if I can protect him when he needs it." Reva said to her father. "What is the matter, tell me." Reva sighed. "You know everyone has a past and Forrest have one too. This past comes with a crazy ex who thinks she can drag him to courts just because he had married me and not her." Her father laughed at that.
"Papa I am serious and you are laughing." "What? No, I am not laughing at you I am laughing at the situation beta. We all have one of that crazy ex who does not want to say no." Reva was shocked her strict, stick to the rule or I will kick you out father have a list of ex? "I don't see you as a lover type." She told him. "No, you haven't seen me in my youth I also have to make your mother happy that means taking her on outings, and dates were on the table. I was young like you were once Reva."
"So, what are the charges?" He asked. "I don't know, but..." "You suspect a foul play here. You suspect that she has something strong on him and you want to have something strong on him so that, you can use it against her once she opens her mouth don't you?" She was surprised that how much alike she and her father thinks. "Yes, exactly papa, how do you know what I was thinking about?" She asked. "Great minds think alike," She shrugged. "Now you are turning into Forrest and I have a place for only one in my life."
"A room for what now honey?" Forrest asked looking at the father-daughter pair. "Here, mind a drink, Sir?" He asked. Reva glared at Forrest. "You are recovering and you are not going to have a drink Doctor's order." Forrest hung his head low. "You win boss" That made her father laugh. "Don't worry son, we all go through this stage, It is better to learn that you cannot win against this force of nature. You will be happy this way."
Reva looked at him with an anger-filled expression. "I am telling ma, I am telling what you had said." She told her father. "No, no don't beta" Forrest looked at them, exactly the family he wanted to have. The one who can understand and accept him as he is. That is the difference between his family and this family he created for herself. Moreover, he can see her smile. She is happy and that is all he wanted to have. After dinner, everyone went to their room.
Forrest lay down on her lap. "I cannot believe they have accepted me." She played with his hair. "They had to accept you, no one can see that face and say no." She placed a kiss on top of his head. He holds her tightly. "We are going to be alright Forrest I can feel it." She whispered. "I don't want to leave you and my babies alone. I will sign my fortune but I am not leaving you." She smiled.
"Then we can build our own empire, me and you from scratch. We can don't we little birdie?" "Yes, we will but Forrest, this is something you have created just like this family that we have created, and all those people who work there depend on you. So, we have to fight till last."
He turned around and looked at Reva. "You are truly amazing you know that?" He asked. "No, I am amazing because you think of me as such. Now, don't you say a thing more? You must be tired because you are awake constantly. The babies are keeping you busy, aren't they?" She asked. He took her hand in his and kissed them.
"I love taking care of you and the babies." He told her. "That is what I want to do. For the rest of my life, I want to do that." She slowly stroked his hair. "Then you shall have your wish fulfilled Art. You will have your wish fulfilled. And I will fulfill it."
Reva didn't have much time in her hand. She needed to do this for him. As he has saved her and protected her many, many times. This is her turn to do the same for him. And she cannot think of anything else right now. Her first and foremost priority was her husband and nothing else mattered.
He held her hand thinking what he could do to get out of this messy situation that had somehow restricted him from being with her family. Shall he call Ange and ask her what she needed from him? The thought seems to be ridiculous. He knows what she needs very well, doesn't he? She needs him.
What else she needs other than him is something he will like to know very much. He looked at Reva she was in some deep thought. He pulled her down on the bed with him. "Don't think much honey. I want your abilities used in better places, like maybe in that lab of ours?" She smiled. "Are you sure that is the only place where you want me to use my expertise?" She asked. "Yes?" he said sounding unsure. "No, not just there, I think you can use your expertise at many places. Like for example here with me." She placed her hand over his chest. "Yes and? What do you wish for me to do now?"
He pulled her closer. "I think I can think of some things." He placed his lips on her forehead. "I love you, always know that. No matter what happens, I am going to be there with you." I told him. He slowly traced my spine. "I know Honey. I know from the very beginning that you are going to be here for me little birdie, that is something I always was sure about." Reva knew that is something she will do without even him asking for it.
Like he will do that for her without asking. It was something mutual. They have always understood each other and it was their strength. "Promise me one thing though," She said "That you will never ever be going to try and take your own life. Never, because I don't know who else you are important for but to me, you are my world."
Forrest looked at her with admiration. "I know and you are my world, my sweet little birdie, I will never do it ever again, that is one promise I am not going to break. Now put me to sleep as you do?" She smiled. "Sure Art, it is a privilege that I do not want to miss." She said settling herself down and slowly stroking his hair.
Word Count: 2377 Words