Ethan's POV:
I sank to my knees as I realized what Rose being in the hospital could mean. She was 6 months pregnant now. Yes, I knew it. 6 months and 5 days exact. I had missed being with her for every day of these last 2 months 21 days and around 5 hours. I had missed her and counted every single one of those moments. Now, she was serious. I couldn't imagine the thought of losing her. Not now when I could have her back. "Oh God Please, please keep my wife and child safe." I prayed reverently. I had lost a wife once before and had seen my life crash around me. I couldn't go through that again. “Oh God please”.
I looked up and saw Caro, she was crying in her Grandma's arms and everyone around looked worried. But when they realized I was there, they worry changed into anger. If looks could kill, I would have been killed at least 20 times by now. But I didn't care. I was worried about Rose.
The waiting room was bursting at it’s seems with the number of people inside. Everyone was there. All of them were standing there, praying for Rose. All of them were her family. I looked around and then back at Caro. I had missed her so much. But right now, she looked lost.
"Caroline," I whispered, "What has happened to Rose?" I asked her as I walked over to her and knelt in front of my little princess.
"Rose?? Who Rose?? Please call her Ms Rathore." Caro spat at me as her Grand's hold on her tightened.
"She is my wife Caro; I will call her whatever I want, get it? She is Mrs. Hawk now." I hissed back at her. How dare this chit tell me what to do? I swear her mother's love was going to her head.
"Oh! So now you have come here too!" I turned around and saw my father-in-law walking up to us. He looked mad; totally mad, worried for his daughter and mad at me. I knew. He had the right to. But hey, I was taking his daughter back right, so why the hostility?
"Aren't you happy that you messed up my daughter's life? What more do you need to revenge your sister? Tell me, did you send your daughter here, to kill her step mother? Well I must say, you devised a brilliant plan. Someone we love and trusted tried to kill my daughter and her child. Get out of here now! Both of you, get out! I should never have believed you both ever. My daughter is fighting for her life, hers and her child’s, all because of you and your brilliant daughter.” He yelled in pain, each word felt like a poisonous dart puncturing my heart, filling it with his venom.
"No sir, I had come here to meet my sister, I just realized who Rudy was when I walked in here. Please forgive me." I said, rather begged. I might have spoken to a rock. He ignored me. "So Caro, you hurt the woman you call ma. How does it feel? You must have come here to avenge something too right? But you are done now? Correct? So please leave with you father and never come back. Don’t you ever show me and my family your face!”
Caro was sobbing. She fell on her knees and begged him, "I haven't done anything. I swear I didn't hurt ma. Please believe me. Don't send me back. Please."She sobbed; each sob tearing my heart.
"Stop now!" Her Grandma yelled and pulled Caro into her arms. "Caro, my Grandchild, saved her mother's life today. Don't you accuse her of things you have no idea about okay." It was the first time I had ever seen this couple fight.
He too was taken aback. This lioness was worse than her daughter when it came to protecting her cub. I think my Rose got it from her. I smiled a bit to myself and remembered Rose's smile, her scent.....
Good morning honey," Rose woke me with a kiss."Hmmm.., you taste so nice early in the morning." She moaned as she bit my jaw and the kissed it. I held her in my arms and she tried to wriggle free. Suddenly a loud crash resounded in the house and Rose pushed me off her.
"Caro what happened? Are you okay baby??" She yelled out as she ran downstairs. Caro stood in the kitchen, glass shattered at her feet and tears staining her face. "I… saw Andy Mom." she whispered and fell to the floor. Before I could cautiously move through the glass, Rose ran up to her and hugged her tight. Not bothering about the glass piercing her feet or fearing for herself. She consoled her till she calmed down and then helped Caro walk carefully into her room. Never once did she look at me.
My tigress, her cub was all she could care about then.....
Sheila, what is happening inside?" An old voice asked Cece. Where had this lady come from? I wondered. She was old yet elegant and beautiful. "Mom”, Cece replied respectfully, "She is inside. We are waiting for the doctor. Because she is my own child, I cannot go in and neither can Shiva." She explained to her mother-in-law.
Her mom in law looked around and her eyes fell on me," Your brother Sheila?” She asked in happiness. “You have finally met him? I'm so glad girl.” She hugged her tight and then walked up to me," Hello son, I am your sister's mom-in-law. It's so nice to finally meet you." She greeted me and I stood there, tongue tied. I could only nod at her.
"How can you do this Grandma??" Asked a young man who I would later learn was Ishan, he wasn't given a chance to question further as my father- in -law spoke up. He was starring at Caro with guilt. He truly looked sorry and worried.
"How did she get hurt?? I'm sorry Caro. I shouldn't have spoken like this. Please forgive me girl. I saw him and lost my cool. I am really worried about her. Please Caro forgive me."
He held his arms open and Caro ran and hugged him. "I promise Grandpa. Upon my Lily mom's grave, I will never let anything harm Mom or my baby brother. I promise."
"I know my girl, I know this." He hugged her back. Both were crying. My mother in law soon joined into the hug and the trio stood there, holding each other. Worrying and crying for the woman they all loved. I stood there alone, watching them, feeling like a trespasser in their private moment.
A few kids came forward. All with tear stained faces. "Uncle-ji, we were fooling around and didn't see and pushed Rudra out of our way and she fell and Caro saw her fall and ran to catch her. She got scratched on her hands see." They pointed at the badly scratched hands of Caro.
"I am so sorry my girl. Please forgive this old man." He cried and she hugged him. He then called a nurse and took her to get her wounds cleaned and bandaged. The love between the Grandparents and Caro was apparent. My mom-in-law too went with them.
Everyone else sat there; some praying, some crying and some glaring at me in hate. One small kid of maybe around 9 walked up to me and asked, "Are you Caro's daddy?? I have seen Rudra kissing your photo many times. She cries a lot too." He confided and my heart soared. I still had a chance.
"Shush. You don't know what you are saying kid. Shut up and sit with us. Don't talk to people you don't know." A young lad pulled him away as he glared at me in anger. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind when Cece walked in after taking one of her many rounds into the operation theatre.
"Jake, this is my family. Please have a look at each and every face. If you ever hurt one of them again, I will make your life hell okay?" She threatened me. "I want you to leave and never come back okay. When we find a suitable boy for Rudy, I will contact you and you will agree for a quick divorce. Fair." She continued with narrowed eyes that got chillier by the second.
"Why can't I meet Rose? I will not leave without Caro and without speaking with Rose. You are alive so I can take my wife back as I now have no revenge, I will wait till she is fine, and then my family and I will leave."
HOW DARE YOU!!!! YOU WILL NOT TAKE RUDRA OR CARO FROM HERE YOU JERK! YOU WILL LEAVE NOW!" strong muscles pushed me into the wall even before I could retaliate. He held me by my throat. I punched him hard and he fell back but didn't lose his balance. He boxed me in my stomach and I returned the favor. We broke into a scuffle but were soon pulled apart as he tried to break my nose and I tried to give him a black eye before we were pulled off and held apart by many guys in the family.
"Stop this non sense now. This is a hospital. Not your father's garden" Yelled Shiva and the guy instantly stopped. "I'm sorry papa." He mumbled as I was stunned. I hit my own nephew?" I was truly a monster.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you are my nephew. I was just defending myself. "I tried to explain to the strong good looking man, marveling at him, my nephew.
"Sir, you are no uncle of mine. Neither do I accept you as Rudy's husband. For me, you are only the bastard who tried to destroy my family." He spoke as he starred hard and straight into my eyes. I found his glare difficult to match. I was ashamed of myself. How would Rudra forgive me? She too was as stubborn as him.
"Ishan, you are hurting your mother." An elderly man walked to him and hugged him. “Don't do that." He nodded and went to hug Cece. Their bond was beautiful. I was jealous of everyone here. Love was apparent and open and true. Even to a jaded man like me, their love made me want love. I felt the huge empty void in my heart deepen. I was very lonely without my wife and girl. I wanted this love and this warmth too.
But some people are not destined to have everything. Love was not in my destiny. All those who loved me were taken away; first my mother, then Cece, then Lily and now Caro and Rose.
I stood there, in a room full of people, all hugging or holding each other. I stood all alone, all alone, by myself. It was me against the world. It had always been this way, but today, I felt I deserved it. I was ashamed of myself. More than I was ever of my own father. I hated that bastard but today, I had surpassed him today. Truly surpassed my dad, in fact he would have been proud of me...
I stood there in the corner, refusing to leave till I could meet Rose. “Just once”, I begged, “I wanted to talk to her. Hear her voice, see her smile, and talk to my children, just once... I... I uh... I...I needed her. I please... I couldn't... Lord please... I couldn't live if I lost them too. Please.” I silently prayed.
The old man walked up-to me, "Jake right?"He asked extending his hand. I shook it. "I'm Sheila's dad." He introduced himself and I smiled a bit; Sheila's father-in-law? No wonder she never wanted to come back. He spoke her name with love; whereas our dad wouldn't even spare us a second. He hated us with a passion and now I understand why she left.
She wanted to be loved and respected not thrashed and insulted. I understood her haste now. Here, all loved her, respected her even when her looks weren't all that great. But there, in our past, it had been only the two of us. Mom had passed away when I was young, Cece said because dad hit her too much and she wanted to be free.
Cece brought me up as her child, loving me, feeding me and even protecting me from my dad's belt. She would take my beatings instead. It took me 20 years to see the reasons of her leaving me clearly. Then, all I understood was that she left me to survive with my asshole of a father, his temper and thrashing. Had Lily not been there for me, I would have killed him or worse myself.
She was my love, my life, my best friend and then my wife. When she got pregnant, we eloped to Vegas and got married. I petitioned in court to change my name to my mother's maiden name by showing them my scars and convincing them of my dad's temper tantrums. They ruled him unfit and I shifted with Lily to my maternal aunt’s house and city.
"Jake, Jake," Uh what? I looked up to see that her father-in-law was saying something?? "Sir I'm sorry, I zoned out." I smiled sheepishly.
"Why are you here?" He asked softly. His hypnotizing eyes boring deep into mine.
"I came to meet my sister sir. But now, I'm waiting to meet Rudra." I answered honestly. His demeanor changed completely. "NO" He hissed. "You will not meet Rudra. Meet your sister and leave now!"
"But sir, I want to meet my wife. I want to wait for our baby and her. Please." I requested, humbly requested.
"Son, as Jake, you are welcome here, as Ethan, you are my sworn enemy and I will not let you meet my children. Get it?" He threatened.
"Please sir, I just want to meet Rudra once. Please." I begged but he refused to budge.
"Rudra's family?” a nurse came out and asked and all conversation ceased. "Yes" all of us replied in unison and the nurse laughed. "She is so lucky to have such a huge family. Well, the news is good. She and her baby are safe; the fall only sprained her wrist. But apart from that, there is no damage. You can meet her but she was taking some Ethan's name when she was unconscious.
I smiled a bit and walked forward. "I am Ethan and she is my wife. Can I please meet her?" I requested politely. I wanted to meet her, tell her that I am taking her home before her family met her. She smiled and nodded and told me to follow. I didn't give the others a chance. I ran towards her.
She had been shifted into a private room and was resting. She looked beautiful, my mind yelled in glee. My wife is officially the world's most beautiful women. Her long hair lay next to her as she slept on her back, hands protectively on her belly. I smiled as I walked in and kissed her on her head.
"Hello pretty lady." I whispered as I sat on the chair next to her. I held her hand in mine and I kissed it. Instantly her eyes opened and then went wide.
"How are you cute people feeling at the moment?" I asked her and she simply refused to talk to me. “Please call my family." She requested, it was more of a command. I pressed the buzzer by the bedside and smiled at her.
The nurse, who got me in, walked in. "How are you feeling young lady?" She asked sweetly.
"Sister, how is my baby? Are there any complications because I fell?" Rose asked in panic.
"Not at all, everything is perfectly fine. You need to rest and stay happy okay." She smiled, checked her vitals and walked out.
"Hi gorgeous, “I began, "I was wondering if you and Caro come home with me once the doctor gives you clearance?" I asked softly. "Let's become a proper family again. Your family took my sister in so there is no revenge. Now, we can get back together." I told her with a smile but...
"What has happened Rose? Why are you starring at me like this?" I jumped when I saw her face turn red with rage. "Why are you here?? Leave now and without my daughter. Get it." She lashed out. "You think you are the victim here, or some sort of judge to decide my punishment or something? You forgive my family for what by the way? You destroyed our family and business and the livelihood of hundreds of our employees and now you want me to go to your home with you?"
She was shaking in anger. She looked cute. "What makes you think that I will choose you over my family? I would choose a man who doesn't keep kicking me out of the house. You didn't care about my kids that evening and now you want me to come to you, just like that?"
"Yes," I nodded. I want her with me.
"Get the hell out of here now. My child is mine. Not yours. I want you to divorce me and officially give up rights of my child. I don't want any of my children come near you." She hissed
"I hate you Ethan, you hurt my family. No, I will not allow my daughter or son to be stuck with you. I want both of us to be free. Now leave." She yelled.
I slowly got up and walked out. She was right, I didn't think of the employees of the business I destroyed, I didn’t think at all till she mentioned it. "Wait a second," I turned around and found her starring at me. "Stay away from Caro. Get it. Now leave." she uttered those horrible words and I almost fell to the floor. I hadn't thought of the worshipping till now but with her declining me and opening my eyes, prays were all that came to me. I had hurt so many people before. I messed up those families too but I never stopped to think of the families I destroyed. Ever..
In my revenge, I destroyed many people, those not even connected to me. Worse still, this revenge only cost me my family, cost Caro her mother and Rudra her happiness. Revenge destroyed me. Then why do people want it all the time. It didn't bring me any happiness. It only brought pain; Mountains of it and loneliness.
I was crying by her door. I am truly my father's son; ss evil as him, a sick bastard who didn't care about anything but himself. I wanted Rudra back, but not once did I think of what she wanted. I wanted Caro back, but not once did I think if she loved me to come back to me. I wanted my family's love. But not once did I stop to think if I was still worthy of gaining it.
I broke down completely. Oh God! What had I done?" I was pulling my hair in rage. I deserved to be in pain now. But I wanted to be loved. Just once, I wanted someone to love me. Why had I done this?
"Jake, son, you okay? Rudra kicked you out did she?" Cece's mom-in-law mocked me. "Sitting here and crying will help you get your wife and children back? Did you ever think of the consequences of your revenge when you planned it? If you had, I'm sure, you wouldn't have done it. Revenge hurts the person you revenge but it also hurts you and those dependent on your enemy too. Did you think of the fifty thousand employees who used to work for us? Did you think of their families? You only thought of yourself. You were selfish enough to not care about the people you were destroying. What makes you think anyone would care about you now?"
She spoke softly but her words pierced my very soul. I cared for no one, now, no one cared for me.
"Please ma’am, please, I beg of you. Please get Cece, Rudy and Caro to talk to me. Please. I promise I will do anything for you. I promise. Please, this loneliness is killing me." I begged and cried. My heart wept. I had done all this for Cece... yet, she hated me the most. I didn't know what I would do with my life now. For all these 20 years, I was consumed by this need for revenge. Now, when I had it, I felt empty, like a soulless body.
"You promise to do anything for me if I get those three to talk to you? Okay, come with me" She pulled me behind her, "Can you put a smile on the faces of fifty thousand families that are suffering because you closed down all operations? Can you put a smile on the faces of over a million children whose dads and moms are worrying about the bills and loans? Can you put a smile on the faces of the Rathore children, many of them are not even over 15 years old." She said as she dragged me towards the kids in her family.
"You know what, these kids aren't even connected to you or your revenge, yet they have suffered the most. They have been taken out of their homes and schools, away from their luxuries because you destroyed their family business. You had a problem with my husband not our Grandchildren. What was their fault?" She turned and looked into my eyes, tears glistened eyes bored into mine. I was ashamed. Oh God what had my revenge done?"
"Come," She took me inside the room. The women of her family sat there around my mom-in-law and Cece, consoling them, raking care of the, all looked worried, everyone seemed to. "Look at them Jake, what was their fault? But you know what? They had to sell their jewels for the money. Some mortgaged their family heirlooms too. Was it worth your revenge? Was it worth your revenge to kick innocent women and children out of their homes? Out of their comfort zones? Did your revenge include hurting them as well?" She asked and now I was crying too. Tears of shame burned my eyes. What had I done?
I knelt at her feet. "I am so sorry ma’am. Please forgive me. Tell me what I should do to atone for my sins. Please." I begged and cried. "I didn't realize the consequences. I am so sorry."
"You will really atone for your sins Jake? Will you even beg them to forgive you, prove you won’t hurt them again?" She asked with authority, yet in a voice you would call soft and sweet.
"Yes ma’am, please I want their forgiveness. Most importantly, I want Rose and Caro to forgive me and accept me. Please ma’am, they are all I have. Please, I beg you."
"Fine then, here is your penance. You will visit our family as Jake, as Sheila's brother. You are not to meet or talk to Rudra or Caroline. "
"What?" I broke in and she held her hand up. "Let me complete please. You will start the operations again and give all fifty thousand employees their jobs back. You will also ensure that all those who have suffered because of you will be adequately compensated. You will live on this island till such time as I tell you to. Your breakfast and dinner will be at our house, as our guest. Whenever you come home, you will only talk to us and Sheila, never with Caro and Rudy; no matter what, you are not to even get close with Caro. She will live with us and you will not coerce her or force her in any manner to come with you. If she ever wants to visit you, she will be free to but I do not trust you so in which case, she will have to be back within the time I stipulate. If not, I will lodge a complaint against you. You will see and witness love, but you will not feel it for yourself. You will be in the midst of a loving family but you will be lonely, the outsider. That Jake is your penance."
"Yes Ma’am, I agree," I promised as I conceded defeat to this lady.
"Ishan, take your uncle to our guest house and no fighting okay. Come back soon." She ordered her Grandson and then said," Welcome to the family Jake. Please come home at 8 pm sharp. Its dinner time and we don't like to be late." I nodded and was dismissed with a regal nod before she turned away.
In the far corner of my mind, I could hear Lily and me taking our vows.
I, Ethan Hawk take thee, Lily Mendoza to be my wedded wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part,
according to God's holy ordinance;
thereto I plight thee my troth.
Thereto I pledge my love.
I had taken them to Lily, but today, I promised myself to fulfill them to Rudra. I promised to set things right, no matter what.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
Indira Rathore's POV
(Rudra's Grandmother)
My heart went out to the poor guy. He had lost so much in life. I know all thought he was a jerk and an asshole; he was. But he was also all that Rudra had thought him to be. His eyes were filled with guilt and love. Love shone through them whenever he took the girls' names.
I always knew Rudra to be a good judge of character. She was always perfectly correct about people and their true intentions, except this time. This father and daughter duo had messed her up so bad, Caro was such a sweet girl and Jake, the man Rudra fell in love with, whom she believed to be a man among men, he proved to be a total bastard. But now, Rudra could read Caro like a book. It was only Ethan, A.K.A Jake her husband who had shaken her confidence.
I remember she had described Ethan to me a few months back, "He is full of love Gran, his eyes shine with it. But there is pain in them too. When I look at him, I want to hug him and take away all that pain. It's an odd kind of loneliness. He cherishes us but at night, when we sleep, he holds me tight, as if fearing that I will leave him too. He is such a weirdo. But Granny, he says he loves me, I think I love him too. I'm scared to admit it to him. But I know he is speaking the truth."
After this fiasco, Rudra had cried her eyes out. She was so ashamed of herself, of what she had said of how she had judged him wrong, believed in his lies. She was heartbroken. I believed her then too. Maybe she was indeed wrong. Maybe there was more to this man than what he had let on?
But today, I think I realized what all this was about. I did clearly. He was hurt and a lost soul in search of love. I would give him this second chance to prove himself. He would live near love and yet not experience it till he could open his heart and see inside. I will teach him love and respect. I will teach him by putting him in front of the hungry lions in my family. He will learn his lessons as he his slaughtered both mentally and physically. Rudra will slaughter him emotionally as well.
Jake, Ethan Hawk your time starts now.............