55. Gone
IT WAS MORNING and everyone tried to act as normal as possible. Shreya didn't remember anything that happened to her last night. Aarav also didn't reveal anything so she wouldn't take stress.
For the Haldi Ceremony, a huge curtain was made in between the living room so the brides and the grooms couldn't see each other's face.
"Shreya! Can you please find Aarav? I have been searching for him but couldn't find him so can you...", Aanchal asked.
"Yeah sure Di! There's no need to say please", Shreya said smiling.
"Thanks sweetie", Aanchal said before Shreya went to find Aarav.
She was passing by all the rooms when she heard loud voices coming from Rajeev's room. She frowned and walked towards his room and found the door was slightly ajar.
She peeked in and was about to open the door wide when she heard Aarav,
"Bade Papa, this plan won't work"
Plan? What plan was Aarav talking about?, Shreya thought frowning.
"He is right, Raj. What reason will we give her if she asks why have we hired bodyguards for her?", Manish said.
Bodyguards? For what? And who are they talking about?
"I don't know all that Mani! I just know my daughter's life is in danger and I need to keep her safe", Rajeev said.
Daughter? But Bade Papa said he didn't have a family, Shreya thought.
"God damn it RK! Stop thinking from your brain and for once think from your heart!", Akansha yelled.
"Akansha, calm down", Shweta said.
"How should I calm down, Shweta? You expect me to stay calm when he is acting so selfish?", Akansha said frustrated.
"I am not being selfish", Rajeev growled.
"You are! You are just thinking about yourself here. Just think what will happen if she finds out about the whole bodyguard thing!", Akansha said furiously.
"I am doing this to protect her from HIM", Rajeev's voice bellowed.
"Rajeev, calm down!", Manish said.
"You too, Akansha", Shweta said.
"No, I won't! She is not only his daughter! SHE IS MINE TOO!", Akansha yelled.
Their daughter? Shreya's head was hurting now. She wanted to know what the hell was happening here and who was this girl.
"Prem Uncle, please ask them to stop otherwise I am leaving", Aarav said annoyed.
What? Dad is also here?, Shreya thought.
"I have no say here. I have already ruined her life alot and taken away all her and Rajeev's happiness so I shouldn't interfere in all this", Prem said in a defeated tone.
"Exactly! I am her biological father and I know what is good and bad for her", Rajeev said.
Who were they talking about?
"You maybe her father! But Rajeev, she is pregnant! Have you fucking forgotten what her condition is? If you don't then let me fucking remind you that her life is at risk here!", Akansha said enraged.
"Akansha Maa is right! Her life is anyways at risk", Aarav said.
Shreya's heart started beating erratically. She had no idea who this girl was and why everyone was defending her even her own husband.
"She will get suspicious, Raj and she is fragile. If she figures out you are her father then it will be too much for her. She might break beyond repair", Manish tried to explain.
"I agree, Rajeev", Prem said.
"She is my daughter! And all I want to do is have few bodyguards with her to protect her if anything goes wrong!", Rajeev said.
"She doesn't need your bodyguards, I am here to protect her!", Aarav yelled finally losing his calm.
Shreya's heart broke a little at Aarav's words but decided to listen further.
"Exactly! We all are here for her, Rajeev", Shweta said.
"But...."
"No, it's enough Rajeev. Aarav is her husband and let me remind you he is strong and capable of protecting his wife", Akansha said fuming.
Shreya's eyes widened at Akansha's words. Her ears couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"Yes, I am capable of protecting Shreya and my babies", Aarav said and Shreya's heart shattered into pieces.
"Aarav, just..."
"No, this discussion is over Dad!", Aarav said and opened the door only to find Shreya in front of him.
Her eyes screamed with the accusation of betrayal. She looked shattered. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her nose and cheeks already red with crying.
"Shreya... just...", Aarav tried to explain but Shreya raised her palm in front of him stopping him from saying anything.
"NO, AARAV! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF YOUR BULLSHIT!", Shreya yelled.
"Shreya, please...", Aarav choked.
"Please what Aarav?", Shreya yelled and everyone rushed towards the door to see what was going on.
All were stunned to see Shreya in front of them. She looked at everyone with hate evident in her eyes. She hated everyone in that moment. Everyone had betrayed her trust. Her entire life was a fucking lie. She wanted to scream and yell maybe run away from everyone. She felt so devastated in that moment.
Her sister, her brother weren't really hers. Her parents were never her parents. She was never a part of their family. She was an outsider and that's why she was treated like that. She took away their son. She was the reason why Shravan died.
"Shreya, listen it's not what you..."
"Muma stop! PLEASE STOP! YOU ALL LIED TO ME! I TRUSTED YOU ALL! AND WHAT DID YOU ALL DO? YOU ALL BETRAYED ME! BROKE ME! AND YOU MR RAJEEV KAPOOR! WHERE WERE YOU ALL THESE YEARS? WHY THE SUDDEN LOVE ON YOUR DAUGHTER!!?? WHY!!!!", Shreya screamed as she sobbed.
"Di!! Are you okay? What happened?", Saloni said as she rushed towards Shreya.
"Saloni! Please tell me you are my sister... I... I am Shaurya's twin, right? We all are siblings, right?", Shreya asked in a baby voice as she hugged her and Saloni realised that she had found the truth.
Saloni's heart broke to see her sister crying like a baby in her arms. Shaurya came running upstairs and saw Aarav crying. He looked at his sisters and he knew that the inevitable had happened.
"Aarav, be strong not for yourself but her... please", Shaurya said trying to comfort Aarav.
"She hates me, Shaurya! She thinks I betrayed her", Aarav said crying.
"Then go and tell her the truth", Shaurya encouraged and Aarav walked towards Shreya.
He took her hand in his when she pulled away and said, "Don't"
"Shreya, please just"
"What Aarav?!! What should I listen and why should I listen to you!? I fucking trusted you! I gave my entire self to you! And what did you do? You fucking betrayed me! You hid such a huge truth of my life from me! You helped this man!", she pointed at Rajeev "to gain my trust rather than telling me the truth! You sided with him rather than telling him to just leave me! Why Aarav!! Why did you do this to me?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you baby", Aarav choked.
"OH YOU DIDN'T?", Shreya asked and Aarav nodded.
"BUT GUESS WHAT MR AARAV SHAH, YOU HURTED ME THE MOST! Husband and wife don't hide stuff from each other then what happened today? Why did you hide such a big truth from me! WHY AARAV!??", She cried.
"Baby please....", Aarav pleaded.
He felt so helpless in that moment. Never in his life had he thought that Shreya would find out the truth this way. He was just helping a father unite with his daughter but he had forgotten that the woman he was trying to unite with her father was his wife too. She was right. He should have told her everything rather than betraying her. His heart was broken into million pieces the moment she pulled away from his touch.
"Jiju is not the only one who knew... we all knew about it, Di", Saloni said.
Shreya felt everything stop around her in that moment. It felt like someone had just splurged ice cold water on her.
"Saloni no...", Shaurya warned.
"Why Bhai? Why should only Jiju suffer? We all have betrayed Di and she deserves to know the truth", Saloni said.
"What truth? What are you talking about?", Shreya asked.
"The truth which Mom had managed to hide from us for so many years", Saloni said.
"What does Mom has to do with all this?", Shreya asked.
"Shreya, first please drink some water or let's go to your room", Akansha said.
"No! I am not going anywhere! ESPECIALLY WITH YOU OR MR KAPOOR!", Shreya snapped.
Rajeev and Akansha's heart broke listening to Shreya's words but they managed to hide it by their smiles.
"Shreya... it's not good for you to take stress", Mahek said.
"I don't care now! I just want to hear the bloody truth!", Shreya screamed.
"Baby, please calm down...", Aarav pleaded but Shreya ignored his pleas.
"You are Gauri Auntie and Rajeev Uncle's daughter Di...", Saloni started.
Shreya listened to her as she continued to narrate everything that happened on the night of Shreya and Aarav's anniversary. By the end, Shreya didn't know how to react. She felt ashamed of herself for blaming her father for something he had no control over. She felt sad that her entire life her father had to live without her Mom and daughter. She felt horrible for accusing Aarav and her entire family.
"I need some time alone", Shreya said as she tried to stand up.
Aarav helped her immediately and this time she didn't pull away from his touch.
"Time? What do you mean beta?", Manish asked.
"I am going out for awhile, Papa... I need to clear my mind", Shreya said.
"No stay in your room if you want but you're not going out anywhere", Rajeev said.
"Dad please...", Shreya said.
Rajeev's heart skipped a beat as he heard her call him Dad. She had unknowingly called him Dad which only meant one thing... her heart had accepted him as her father.
"No Shreya... you're not going anywhere", Shweta said sternly.
"Maa...."
"This is the end of the discussion, Shreya. Aarav, take her to your room", Shweta ordered.
Aarav took Shreya inside their room and laid her on the bed. He asked her to sleep and closed the door as he went out of the room.
After an hour, Shreya managed to sneak out of the mansion from the back door. She had taken the keys of Aarav's car along with her. She unlocked the door of the car and drove away from the mansion without having any idea of what the fate had in stored for her.
____________
"AARAV, IT'S BEEN four hours since Shreya hasn't left her room just go and check on her", Aanchal said.
"Alright", Aarav said and went upstairs to their room.
He opened the door and saw a sleeping figure covered with the duvets. He sighed and decided not to disturb Shreya. He went downstairs and informed everyone that she was still sleeping and it was better not to wake her up.
"But the weddings are in the evening, Aarav", Forum said.
"I will wake her up at 4... the wedding is at 7pm", Aarav said.
"Okay but wake her up on time", Forum said.
At four pm, Aarav went to their room in order to wake up Shreya. He pulled away the duvets only to find cushions underneath them.
"Dad! Mom! Bade Papa!!!", Aarav called out as his heart started beating erratically.
Everyone rushed in Aarav's room and saw the cushions instead of Shreya on the bed.
"Please, don't tell me she sneaked out", Akansha said terrified.
Rajeev's phone rang and he immediately picked up the call.
"Sir! It's me..Guru"
"Guru? Whose number are you calling from?"
"Sir that doesn't matter... That motherf***** took Shreya away!"
"WHATT!?!?"
"Yes Sir! Shreya had gone to Starbucks and we had followed her till there. She was walking on the road when a mini van pulled over and dragged her inside the van. Me and my men followed the van but I think they knew about us. They had sent other men to fight with us. I am brutally injured, Sir. We were all unconscious. Sorry to inform you late"
"Fuck! Where are they? Can your other men try to locate her location?"
"Yes we could if her phone was with her..."
"What do you mean?"
"Her phone was thrown away and now it's hard to find her Sir"
"No, this can't happen"
"Sorry..."
Rajeev threw his phone away in anger.
"Rajeev, what happened?", Manish asked.
"He took her! HE FUCKING TOOK OUR SHREYA AWAY!"
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So guys how was the chapter? Let me know!
I am pretty sad that the book is coming to an end but all good things come to an end one day.
And guys please comment! I would really love to know your views.
Excuse me for any grammatical errors! VOTE, SHARE and COMMENT peeps! Keep loving #Aarya!
Love ya,
Hugs and Kisses,
See you soon,
-Rhea❤