Myra kept holding her hand and staring at her granny's face.
She was remembering all moments she spent till date with her granny. After her mother, it was her granny who became her only family but now she was going to be left alone in this world in few hours, doctors had already declared. She was going to lose single motherly figure who could assure her that everything will be fine.
Looking at her granny's current condition, Myra realized her granny has very less time in this world. She was already slipped in deep slumber but her heart was beating at very low speed to say that she was alive.
"Myra, just have something" Andrew forwarded glass of orange juice to her.
But his voice fell on deaf ears.
From last two hours she was sitting on the same place with out moving her eyes from her granny's face.
But in her home, Neev was awake when he did not find his mother besides him, he started becoming cranky. Julia made her best efforts to keep him engage but still his eyes were searching for his mother's face.
Julia thought to give call to Myra to ask her about her grandmother's health but Myra's phone rang in Neev's room.
'Oh dear, she forgot her phone in home only.'
At the same time, Neil was in office. His mind was processing Niren's words.
'I am not telling you to trust her blindly. But you can at least trust our father. You know Dad, Neil. He is our father. He cares for you. Do you think without due diligence he will force you for this marriage when we have horrible past experience with the same family?'
'You need to settle down your mind my brother. I am missing my calm, sensible elder brother. My brother who always shielded me when I used to do some stupidity in our childhood. That most caring person of my life. The person who respected and cared for everyone.'
'Think about Neev.'
'NEEV NEEDS MYRA. You have to accept this truth.'
'When you accept it, may be it will be easy for you to think rationally.'
Neil had closed his eyes. Events over past two and half months started playing in front of his eyes.
'No doubt Myra had become Neev's world with in just two and half months. He even accepted her as his mother. Neev's health is also improving but is this all because of her? My baby is happy, I hardly hear his cryings now a days. ' Smile laced over his lips remembering his baby's smiling face.
'But then what my eyes witnessed that day, what was that?'
'No I cannot trust her.'
'But this is also a truth that I cannot keep her away from Neev.'
'Oh god what should I do? Please help me.'
He came back to home late that his usual timings, somewhere his heart was relaxed with the thought that Myra would be at his home to look after his precious baby. But today, he was welcomed by his son's cries.
"Neil where were you? I am calling you from so long." Julia came forward with crying Neev in her arms.
"Why is he crying?" He saw his phone to see Julia's missed calls. He cursed himself to keep phone on silent.
He tried to take his baby in his arms but his baby turned his face. He wrapped his hands around Julia's neck.
'Ohh god he is still angry over me.'
"Neev come to Dadda. I am sorry." He held his ears.
"Please baby. It's been one week, you played with Dadda."
"I am sorry for that day. Dadda will never scold you. Please.. please... please come to me." Neil's eyes filled with tears. He missed his son over one week.
After long efforts Neev turned his face and looked at his father from corner eyes.
"If you want you can give any punishment to Dadda. But please baby come to me. Dadda misses you."
"I promise, I will never talk to you in high pitch."
Neil took a step and this time Neev did not turn his face. He took out his lower lip raising his hands. He jumped in his father's arm who embraced him in tight hug.
Neil's heart was filled with peace after a long time. He rocked his baby and started rocking him forgetting world around him. It was after one week father and son had settled their issues and started playing.
Lounge area of home filled with Neev's giggles as his father was playing with him peekaboo.
"Mumma" Neev asked out of nowhere. Neil could not match his eyes with his son's. Even now his heart was reluctant to accept her as his mother.
He started crawling and looking for his mother. He thought she must be hiding somewhere and he needed to find her out.
"Mumma" he looked everywhere but today his mother was not at home.
He came to his father and stood up holding his frame and asked, "Mumma... Na ...Naa..."
"She is here only. You need to find her." Neil could barely mumbled as he had no idea where Myra was. He did not even ask Julia but Myra's absence put question mark in his mind.
'She never went out side of home. It's almost 9:30 where is she? Should I ask Julia?' Thought crossed his mind but his ego overpowered.
Today, Neil was happy after spending time with his son. He made him eat his dinner even changed his cloths and made him sleep. But his continuous ranting for asking his mother irritated Neil. He supressed his urge to go and knock on her room door.
'Both sisters are same. They think about themselves only. Niren, my brother you are wrong. Myra can never be a good mother for my baby.'
Neil heard a knock on the door. He opened to see worried Julia.
"Neil, Myra has not returned. She even forgot her phone at home. It's raining heavily outside. Can you please check if she is ok? She went to meet her..." Julia blabbed in one breath but was cut by Neil.
"Julia, it's not my concern where she is and what she does."
"You can't be this rude Neil. You will regret." Julia being his caretaker from childhood earned motherly respect and right over him.
"Hmm" he passed humorous chuckle, "I am already regretting."
"Good night Julia." Neil wished before closing the door. He went towards window, it was pouring heavily with lightening announcing upcoming storm in his life.
"I am sorry Myra. Your grandmother just pass away." Doctors informed her around mid night.
Just one sentence brought fresh tears in her eyes.
Andrew kept his hand on her shoulder and pulled her in his embrace caressing her hairs passing some soothing words. Tears started soaking his shirt.
"Myra" she heard from back as well as one palm on her hairs.
She turned to fatherly touch it was Dev, her father in law.
Dev has already asked hospital staff to keep him informed about Myra's grandmothers condition when today morning he got to know the seriousness. He flied back from Florida to provide his emotional support to his daughter in law.
"Dad" It was unexpected for Myra to find him here.
Andrew took a step back. Dev caressed her hairs.
"You are not alone my child. Your Dad is always with you." He held her shoulder in support.
Since she was daughter in law of trustee, hospital staff completed rest formalities on urgent basis. Her granny's dead body was going to shift to funeral home for cremation process which was scheduled next evening.
"Myra go home my child. I will look after everything here."
"Dad but?" She tried to protest.
"From afternoon you are here. Go home and rest for some time. Tomorrow will be a long day for you."
After some convincing efforts Myra agreed to leave for home.
"How are you going home? Where is Neil? Call him." Dev realized his son's absence.
"He was busy. I have not informed him about granny." She stuttered to find correct words.
He shook his head in disappointment.
"Do you have car? Or?"
"Yes Dad, don't worry." She had already observed Dev's anguish face. She did not want to make him more embarrassed over his son's nonchalant behaviour. She took leave and left from hospital with heavy heart.
Dev kept on calling Neil but his phone was switched off.
Myra came out and thought to order uber but she realized that she forgot her phone in her home only. She was exhausted mentally as well as physically. She started taking steps towards nearby taxi stand.
"Myra hop on" Andrew brought his car in front of her.
"No Andrew, I can manage."
"Myra at this time you will not get ride. It's pouring heavily as well. So please."
After one complete minute of thought she got inside the car and it started speeding towards her home.
Here in her home, Neil tried to sleep but it was far away from his eyes.
'It's very late, where she would have been?'
He himself was not sure why his heart was grappled with her thoughts.
Finally he got up from bed. He made a drink for himself and came near window checking his phone. He saw multiple calls from his father but he ignored as usual.
'Why Dad forced me to marry her?' This simple thought and Niren's words had taken away his sleep.
One sudden flash light stopped in front of his house's main gate. He saw one figure came out from driver's seat holding umbrella.
'Who is it at this time?'
Andrew opened the passenger door for Myra, she came out.
"Thanks Andrew." She passed fake smile.
"It's ok"
"Please you go now. It's already very late." Myra said.
"Sleep well. Take care. If you need anything I always there for you." He cupped her face with his one hand.
'Even today he loves me.' One more tear rolled over her cheeks.
"Thank you so much for being there for me when I needed someone." She closed her eyes and tears started rolling over her cheeks.
Her tears were unbearable for Andrew, he did not think twice but pulled her in his embrace caressing her hairs. She cried over her loss in his arms unaware of one pair of eyes looking at them in disgust.
For a moment CCTV footage of Meera kissing and making out with another guy on the day she left him played in front of Neil's eyes.
Andrew wiped her tears, kissed her forehead in assurance. He passed umbrella to her.
He took a good look of her turmoiled face before saying, "Bye."
She waved and stayed at the same spot till his care faded away.
She tried to enter inside but security guard came. "Sorry Madam, you are not allowed to go inside." His voice was meek.
"What? You can't be serious about this."
But other security guard came informing the first one. "Sir said allow her for now."
Hearing orders from their masters, they let her in.
Myra came inside and was welcomed by Neil who was standing in the porch stuffing his both hands in his track pant pockets.
"Done with you romance?" He snapped when she came in front of him.
She ignored and started taking steps inside.
"You cannot enter without giving answers."
"Neil please not today." She begged.
"Why?" He held her arm in tight hold. "Ohh you don't want to share your dirty secrets with me? Come on I am your husband."
"What are you talking Neil?" Her heart filled with fear looking at his blood shot eyes.
"You and your sister both are same. One man is not enough for your satisfactions."
"Neil please." She was already mentally tired.
"Why did you even come back? You should have sleep with him for full night. Go enjoy for the night with your sex partner. Who is stopping you?"
"Neil enough. He is not my..." Myra started trembling when his harsh word hit her eardrum.
"Ohh so he was not your boyfriend? But just a one night stand. You are so disgusting." He ridiculed.
"Neil he was just a friend" she tried to cut him but he had lost his senses.
"You are just like Meera. She betrayed me with her boyfriend even after getting married to me and you.... You are doing the same thing. You Sehgals are bloody nymphomaniacs. Just can't control their lust. If you would have tell me I would have satisfy your lust but you want...."
THUD
Myra could not hear anymore disrespecting words. She gave tight slap to Neil.
For a moment Neil could not understand. But stinging sensation on his cheeks increased his temper to extreme level. Anger and alcohol took away his sanity.
"You know what Neil. You are mentally sick person. You don't deserve any one. You don't deserve any one's love. You don't deserve my love."
"Myra" he pulled her towards him with a jerk. Their faced were just inches apart but eyes with competing with each other.
"You slut.." he seethed with gritted teeth.
Myra jerked his hold with full strength. "You are a monster Neil. You are disgusting person."
Her eyes which used to shine looking at his one glance in her teen age filled with hatred for the same person.
"I disgust myself that I fall for you. I hate myself, that I loved person like you from my teen. You are not the Neil I knew from my teenage. My violinist. You are not my Violinist." She seethed with anger. Her words fell on deaf ears.
"Get out" he seethed with anger.
"Even I don't want to stay here for a minute." She turned but stopped in her tracks with Neev's face came in front of her eyes.
'Neev needs me. I cannot leave him alone. He is my baby. I can't live with out him.'
Between her self respect and motherly love, her love for her baby won the battle.
"I am sorry Neil." She turned back and fresh tears started rolling over her cheeks.
"GET OUT" He shouted on top of his voice.
"Neil, you can't do this. Neev, he is my baby. He needs me."
"My son doesn't need filthy woman. I will not even let your shadow fall on him. Just get out."
"Neil, I am sorry. Please don't separate me from Neev. He is the only purpose of my life. Please. I beg of you Neil."
"Guards, take her out of my house." He ordered. "Make sure her shadow also did not enter in my home."
He ordered and left inside without turning even for once, leaving behind dumbfound Myra.
"Neil please. Please don't do this to me." She kept on crying slumping on the floor. Her tears were mixing with rain drops.
Today, she had lost two most dearest people of her life. Granny and Neev.
"Madam, I am sorry but you have to leave." One of the guard requested her. They had seen her over last couple of months.
"I can't leave my baby." She shook her head and stayed there.
"Mrs. Singhania please else we will lose our jobs." Other one came with request.
After long time and wait she gathered strength and walked out of the house. She crossed main gate but turned with a hope to get one glance of her baby. Moments she spent with Neev over days replayed in front of her eyes.
She was walking on the road lifelessly without any destination. She was dead from inside. Her soul was killed by the person she loved all her life.
'Niren, prepare my divorce papers. I want them tomorrow.' He messaged his little brother.
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