~•} C H A P T E R|19 {•~
Aakarsh closed his mouth as no words came out.
He swallowed hard trying to moisten his dried throat.
He could feel her gaze on him but instead of feeling frustrated or angry like usual, he felt the urge to explain.
Explain what happened.
He knew he owed an explanation and she deserved one because leaving the world, family reputation, and everything, they were the ones getting affected by whatever was happening around them.
For god's sake, she was his legally wedded wife, and the news of him cheating would affect her the most!
"Aakarsh," she sighed.
"Give me a minute please," he murmured closing his eyes, fighting the sudden building headache as the memories of what happened swirled in his mind.
Clearing his throat, he called her, "Raina, don't question or cut me off in between."
When she nodded her head in affirmation, he sucked in a deep breath and started,
"That day when I informed you about my evening meeting... I left for the hotel at 5 pm. It took almost an hour due to the hotel being in the outer region. So since the time I reached the hotel, it was already 6 pm." He took a deep breath.
"I entered inside the hotel and waited in the food court of the hotel for an hour. The meeting was supposed to start at 6 pm but the land sellers didn't come. I decided to call them as it was 7 pm. I called them, they answered and apologized for the delay saying due to a big rock on the road they were late and probably will take an hour more. I believed them as it was a hilly region."
He inhaled sharply before continuing, "Then exactly at 7:30 pm I heard a scream. A scream for help. I looked here and there for the hotel staff but surprisingly there was none as it was their dinner break. I tried to ignore that thinking I must be hallucinating but then I heard another feminine scream. Not knowing what to do or whom to call, I decided to myself see what was happening. I didn't want to regret that afterward that someone got raped and I was there yet I did nothing..."
He balled his fists as his knuckles turned white. "I opened the door of that room and surprisingly it was not locked. I sensed something was wrong with the whole scenario yet I gave in to my urge to see and help. The moment my whole body was inside, the door was closed from the outside and a girl pounced on me. Through the dark I tried the much I could to get her off of me and at last not seeing any option, I used my physical strength which lead to her falling on the ground and bruising her forehead."
"I yelled and tried to open the door. But the door was strong and I wasn't a hero to be able to break it with a single punch you know. Well, the moment it opened, I felt that I succeeded... My god how wrong I was. I never succeeded because they opened the door and the moment I was out of that wooden door, there were flashes of the camera all around indicating the media." His voice turned lower and lower as if it physically hurt him to let those words out and think about everything again which created havoc in his almost peaceful life.
"After that... you know everything." He whispered and Adam's apple moved as he gulped hard.
Raina stood frozen in her spot as he finished. All this felt too much for her to take in two days. All this felt too much for him to bear in two days.
She was now sure that he didn't cheat. How could she not when right now, the man in front of her who always looked angry and tough was almost ready to have a break down recalling the incidents which changed his life in two days.
For once it didn't feel like he was not stating the truth. The way his voice would crack sometimes or the way he would wipe his clammy palms on his pants made even her heartache for the man in front of her.
He was a victim. A victim who was just trying to save a woman from rape, an incident that changes the life of a person who had to go through it.
He was almost sexually harassed by that girl and just because he was a male it didn't mean it was funny. It was as serious as it was for a girl getting sexually harassed.
"I know, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have given in to my urge to help that woman. I should have held my grounds that I hate women and I shouldn't get involved with them. But believe me, Raina I didn't cheat. I didn't." He mumbled.
"I trust you." She murmured ever so slightly but he continued, "I didn't cheat—"
Cutting him off, she repeated loudly, "I trust you, Aakarsh. I trust you. I believe you!"
He looked up, eyes widened with surprise as he inhaled then exhaled trying to think if he heard correctly.
And then, he threw his arms around her. He hugged her startling and surprising her this time. She went stiff not knowing what to do before awkwardly and hesitantly wrapping her arms around him too.
His tone for her to believe felt way too familiar. The same way she tried to tell the truth to her father who didn't even listen properly.
The same way she begged her father to believe that news was fake, she wasn't dating anyone and that boy was only a friend. But no, other than her sister no one believed her, not also her mother. She had to change her school and after that her every actions were monitored by her father.
And then again the way he looked hurt when Aadarsh turned another side, she felt the same when her mother refused to believe her.
That day she held upon her sister the same way Aakarsh held upon her.
The way she wanted someone's touch to comfort her, Aakarsh today wanted it too...
And today she was being the one comforting him the same way her sister comforted her that night.
Their first hug of comfort.
It meant nothing special yet it meant everything.
Because sometimes people needed space to cope with problems and sometimes people needed someone's comforting touch.
After what felt like hours, he gazed up towards her face which depicted how hurt she felt hearing his story as if it was almost hers.
A look of disbelief crossed over his features as his brain comprehended what happened.
She believed him. The person whom he always tried to put down and keep away from him. She was the same person to show his trust in him when his family didn't believe him. She checked up on him even when he was the reason for her hurt at that time.
How could this woman do that?
How was she able to do that?
She came to know him more than his family.
The same person whom he tried to distance from himself as much he could be the same person who was comforting him, embracing him when he needed.
She was a woman too. So not every woman was bad...
"You aren't that bad, you are surprisingly good." He murmured feeling a little guilty as he picked her up, settling her on his lap before hugging her tight once again.
Yes, this position is more comfortable.
He thought closing his eyes keeping his face in the crook of her neck.
Whereas she still does not know what to do. All this felt way too foreign for her. She never hugged someone other than her sister.
I offered him my finger, he took my entire hand. She thought trying to make herself comfortable seeing him asleep.
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Yuvraj stretched his body as the wall clock indicated 3 am. After hours of debate in his mind, he still didn't conclude.
He didn't know what to do.
Unknowingly his gaze settled on the young woman sleeping on the bed.
That was unexpected of him to bombard her with questions but sometimes stress led people to do things they don't want to.
Also, there was no reason now to be rude to her.
In these six months, he came to know that she didn't have any interest in being his wife. She just wanted to be his daughter's mother.
This was enough for him to be relaxed.
She wasn't interfering in his life and was just taking care of his daughter with all her heart.
He wouldn't confess but yes, he was grateful for her. She was taking care of her daughter as her own.
So he could at least behave civilly with her.
He could do that much right?
It was the bare minimum he could do in return.
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Vardhaan groaned annoyedly. The weather wasn't well so the private jet couldn't fly.
His gaze snapped towards Ishani who was applying nail paint to her nails.
"Can you get more annoying, Ishani?" He asked frustrated.
"What am I doing Vardhaan?"
"You don't know what are you doing!"
"I ain't exactly grieving because whatever happens with your family is your matter. I am connected to that family through you and you aren't exactly kind to me, you know. Nor your family was much kind to me so why should I get affected with all this."
"You would have behaved the same when this happened with your family!?"
"I don't really care that this happened with your family or mine. All I know is that I am today struck with you due to our both families!"
"You are a selfish bitch. You know that?"
"Thankyou but yes, I already know this." She yelled going into another room.
"Well, I too am a selfish bastard but I at least love my brothers." He murmured looking at her retreating back and thinking how similar they were.
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Naina's eyes fluttered open as she yawned sitting up.
Her eyes went towards the alarm clock which indicated 5 am.
But her forehead creased as she found the other side of the bed empty
Her husband wasn't here.
Where was he at 5 am!?
Checking the bathroom and finding it empty, she could feel herself getting worried.
She knew how stressed he was yesterday.
And how much difficult it was for him to bear the fact that his twin cheated.
She wanted to just see if he was fine because she knew he wasn't a morning person. He didn't like to get up early instead he liked to stay awake till late so this meant simply he didn't get much sleep last night.
Which was itself a matter for her to worry about.
Just then she gaze towards the balcony door which was unlocked.
She didn't know if she locked the door yesterday or not due to everything else which was going on but checking there didn't hurt right.
Slowly she made her way towards the door and clutching the cold handle, pulled it.
She gasped clasping her palm over her mouth.
The sight in front of her broke her heart bit by bit...
Target- 420+
Well, the smallest chapter I have written so far but this week I wasn't well... So even a small chapter must do...
About Aakarsh?
Raina?
Yuvraj?
Aadarsh and Naina?
Also I wanted to say this since last two chapters but eventually forgot LoL. So we have crossed 50k reads!!! (Though now we r over 60 but never mind my laziness lmao)
So THANKYOU EVERYONE OF YOU! I LOVE U ALL!!
Take Care❤️