Next day.
Vansh was discharged from the hospital and was now in their room resting as doctor had instructed. His eyes were closed and was lying on the bed. Ridhima entered the room with food tray.
"Va...Vansh." She called him. And didn't get any response. She walked near him and kept the plate on a table nearby. She sat on the bed and lightly patted on his right arm. "Vansh? Get up."
Vansh opened his eyes and saw Ridhima and a smile rose on his face when he heard her calling his name in a soft tone. "Get up and have lunch." Vansh forgot his fracture and tried to get up. He groaned when he got hurt.
"Sorry.... Sorry... one second let me help you." Ridhima said and helped him get in sitting position.
She brought the tray and put it on the bed, in between them.
"You can't use your right arm either, so I will feed you," she said and started to feed him.
"Did you had your lunch?" He asked.
"Yes I had."
She was lifting the spoon so softy to his mouth as there was bruise near his lips. All this time Vansh was focused on his wife, there was a little smile on his face which was not leaving.
She finished feeding him, "here." She was hold a tablet in her palm as to put it in his mouth. Vansh opened his mouth and she helped him swallow with water.
"Now rest again." She was about to help to lay down when he held her hand which was on his shoulder to help him, "Wait, where are you going? Stay here please, it is so boring here alone, doing nothing."
"I will take this tray back and..." She was cut off when there was a knock on the door. She sighed and said, "Come in."
"Ma'am should I take the tray if you finished." A maid said entering.
"Yes, you can. We are done with lunch." Vansh said smiling and held Ridhima's hand a little tightly which was still on his shoulder. The maid ignored it as much as she could and took the tray away. Ridhima sighed and looked at him who was already looking at her. "Vansh, leave my hand. Your arm is already hurt, it will hurt more. And I will bring some ice packs," She said trying to back away her hand. But her tone was soft. And Vansh was letting her go.
"Just sit in front of me and I won't be hurt."
"Vansh, just wait. I will be back." She backed away her hand softly from his grip.
After some minutes she came back with tray of ice packs, it would be too cold if would bring in hand and it wouldn't look good too you know.
She put the tray aside and picked a small pack. She started to gently apply it on the bruises on his face. And Vansh was just looking at her, which she notices. She accidentally pressed the pack hard and he groaned, "Oh..Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I'll be gentle." "You must be in much pain and on the top his plaster."
"Yes it is painful. But I get to see that you care for me." He looked directly into her eyes and she was unable to move. "If I only knew that an accident could make you care for me then I would have got..."
"I guess you have got hit on you head also. Don't say nonsense." She said in a low voice.
"Then tell me what could I have done to feel this much care of yours towards me? Huh?" Ridhima couldn't speak a word.
"I love you Ridhima. Why don't you get it? I did everything possible to make you like me a little bit. But nothing worked. I understand I did very wrong, and I will regret it till death. And I understand it is not easy for you to love me. I know why you were doing all this crazy stuff for a month so that you can make me hate you, right?" Ridhima was just listening.
He lifted his right arm and caressed her hair like he was caressing a baby. He chuckled, "at first I thought you were just toying but then I realized that you are doing this much only get away for me. And it was painful. Now seeing you care for me I don't know what to feel. I'm really, really happy to see this but I know you just doing this as my wife and not because you want to or you really care for me, and that hurts, "he took back his arm and pointed at his heart, "here." At this point both of them were shedding tears. "And now I have decided to let you go, if you want it and don't worry about dadi and others. I'll manage. You just be happy, that is the only things I want from you. And yeah until then I want your care, even if it just to I don't want to miss this chance. When I'll be alright, we can...you know" He pecked her forehead, and again looked into her eyes.
Suddenly he felt something wet on his neck. He looked at realized that Ridhima was still holding the ice pack onto his temple, which was now melting on his face. He looked back at Ridhima and she was just looking at him. He chuckled and said, "Ridhima, Ice pack."
Ridhima came back to her senses, "oh... yeah... sorry....sorry. One minute." She put almost melted ice back on the tray and stood up to bring him a towel. She helped his dry his face and neck, thankfully it wasn't that much.
After almost a week.
Vansh was still recovering but not completely he still need assistance on most time. At least was now able to do work. His plaster was taken off. He was now in his in his office in mansion, still working. It was so hard for the family members to keep his away from work his whole week. He would always find excuses for himself. Him and Angre were sitting on the couches placed there, files, papers, were covering the table in front. They were working in peace when the door bursted open and Aryan came in.
"Hey Vansh Bhai, how are you?"
"What do you want?"
"Huh?"
Vansh gave him a glare, because he knew Aryan's intentions.
"OK," Aryan sighed, "I was working on a project and got into a problem. Can you help me?" He said sweetly.
"No."
"I knew it," he whispered to himself, "At least can you Angre, please...please?"
Angre smiled and said, "OK.. I just finished here. I'll help." Then he left with Aryan.
Just when the door closed after Angre, he hear a phone ringing near. He looked and saw Angre's phone on the table ringing, he couldn't see name because it was upside down. He tried to ignore it at first but it was ringing continuously, he sighed and picked it up and saw...
Ishani?
The ringing stopped and few seconds after again started. He touched the green part on the screen and put the phone near his ears, he was about to say that Angre is busy and if she has any work tell him, but before he could even say 'hel' of 'hello' Ishani shouted in a low voice...
>Where the hell have you been all day? You know mummy came to be today and asking me about marriage and stuff she is fully determined, and I swear if you are not going to tell them about us I'll marry any stupid guy they want....
<Ishani?
>Oh Shit.
And the call cut.
The phone was still in his hand and he was processing every word of hers. And it didn't took him any long to realize what is happening. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and clenched the phone , at least was in his senses not to break the phone.
***
Ishani was looking for Angre everywhere in the mansion. Chanchal came to her today and was talking about marriage again, she was just afraid to directly disclose to her our relationship. They love each other. Ishani liked him from the time he came to live with them. And she knows, he is also stressed about their relationship but he is also afraid to tell them. And only he knew how much he tried but always was backed away. And here Ishani was frustrated and he was nowhere to be seen. Then a maid said that they saw Angre leaving the mansion an hour or two ago. She was already stressed and now he is not here. She went back to her room and dialed his number in anger and frustration, he was not picking up in two or three attempts, but when it got received on the other side, she couldn't held her anger and let it out but then...
>Ishani?
It is not his voice? It is...
<Oh Shit.
She cut the call immediately. She scream and threw the phone on the wall. She stood up and locked the door and rested her back against it. When she couldn't hold it she let out her cry. This wasn't how they were supposed to know.
Knock Knock.
She felt the door getting knocked. Her heart was about to explode.
"Ishani, are you there? Are you alright?" She heard a female voice and recognized it. She opened the door quickly and dragged Ridhima inside and closing the door again.
"Wha.. hey what happened? You are crying?" Ridhima held her face gently, whipping her tears.
"Bha..bhabhi...wo..." Ishani was not able to even speak.
"Hey... Ishani, first stop crying. Take a deep breath ok? Calm yourself down and tell me."
"Va...nsh Bhai go...t to know a..bout us."
Ridhima understood what was happening. "Don't worry, Ishani. He won't..." She was cut off when the heard a phone ringing in the room. They gaze fell on the phone which Ishani had thrown, it was not completely broken but the screen was cracked. Ridhima looked and Ishani and went towards it, she picked the phone and her eyes widened seeing the caller.
"I..it is Vansh." She faced the screen towards her.
Ishani held her head in both her hands and shook her head, "no...do..don't p..ick it up, ple..ease."
"Ishani....Ishani listen to me. Just pick it up and answer him, you don't want to make him any angrier than he would already be. Please, he won't punish you or anything. If anything then I will talk him. Alright? Take it." She handed her the phone and Ishani received it. She placed it near her ear.
>Come to the office room.
And the call cut.
"He is telling me to come to the office room. I'm dead now." Her voice was breaking again and again, Ridhima looked at her with worry.
She knocked on his office room. Only when the heard "come in" they entered. Vansh was sitting on the same place, "why are you standing, come and sit."
As she sat on the couch next to his, the door opened, "you called for me?" Angre asked entering inside.
"Yeah come and sit, I have to discuss and interesting project with you."
Angre sensed tension in the air, looking at Ishani and her tear dried face, and sat down quietly.
"Look Angre I don't know how to beat around the bushes so I will come straight to the point.... I have known you since we were kids and have always trusted you the most, and you know that."
"I don't understand what you are trying to say." He said nervously. He looked at Ishani who was not looking up and was holding Ridhima's hand in hers.
Vansh sighed, "Why the hell you never tell me that you loved my sister and you two wherein a relationship." And Angre's soul left his body. He forgot to breathe for a second. "You two knew we were planning for her marriage, yet you didn't tell us anything. Or are you two just playing around?
" Huh?"
"No...no... I....I love her... I love Ishani..I truly do.." He said looking directly at Vansh.
"Then when were you guys going tell me? When we would have fixed the marriage? Ishani how many times we asked you about your preferences? Huh? Are you aware how serious chachi was?"
"I...I'm so..sorry." Ishani was controlling herself from crying again in front of them.
"For how long have you been together?"
"Fi...five years."
"Wow and didn't get a single clue."
"I was about to tell you today, really. In fact I was trying to tell you since morning but then you send me to office for some work and I thought to tell you after coming back. I am sorry, I let you down. But believe me if Aryan had not come earlier I would have told you. And ....and I was just afraid to tell you. I didn't know if you will see me the same or not or will not accept us. So..."
"Why did you thought I wouldn't accept you?" both of them looked shocked at him. "I mean yeah I am angry that you kept it secret so far...but.... It is good that you choice a good man. I will talk to your mom and don't worry they will happy."
Ishani went to him and sat on the couch right next to him, hugging him as tightly as could. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want that you find about us like this... but I was also afraid that you will not accept us... I'm sorry. Don't be mad please. Please."
"It's ok Ishani... I told you... I'm not angry about the relationship but the fact that you hide it from me so long and didn't even trust me a little bit. Now don't cry too much." He whipped her tears and hugged her. "Now go... and don't worry about the rest, I will talk to them." She stood up and left smiling.
Angre was about to leave also, "Where are you going? You come here, I am not done with you."
"Vansh I told you I'm sorry....."
"Here, this ##### project. I want every single detail about it, and I mean every single one and hand me till tomorrow morning." He also stood up to leave.
"But till morning? It is already 3 a.m. I can give it till tomorrow evening."
"Tomorrow morning that is final." And walked to the door.
"This idiot." Angre whispered under his breath.
"I heard it." Vansh said walking out with a silly smile on his face.