Hello All!
Here is the next chapter! I will post the thank you note tomorrow. I have got blisters in my mouth and it is highly irritating me! :(
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CHAPTER 34:
"Hello Christopher! Hi Aria!" Hunter said once he was allowed to meet them in the visiting room. Christopher had requested a few guards to be present around them. He never trusted Hunter. Yes, they were in the visiting room of the jail where Hunter was kept.
"It's Mrs. Christopher Brentt to you. Do you get that?"Christopher said in a firm tone while curling his arm around his wife protectively. His little act made her break into a small smile while Hunter caught a glimpse of the rings on their fingers.
"Oh! I didn't know that you were married. Many - many congratulations to both of you." Hunter said in a small tone with a week smile on his face. He lost weight and appeared defeated. He had continuously requested Daniel since a few months to meet Aria but Christopher kept avoiding it. And when Aria caught him red-handed trying to hide it, he had to tell her about it. And now, they were sitting right in front of Hunter at the round table. His hands were cuffed to one of the legs of the table while a guard was standing right next to him as per Christopher's request.
"Thank you Mr. Fox!" Aria said in a firm tone with a straight face.
"Hunter is fine." Hunter suggested but Aria nodded her head in 'no' and said "No, I am fine calling you Mr. Fox. Now, tell us what did you want to talk about?"
"First of all, I wanted to apologise for everything I did in the past and a few months back. I am really... Really very sorry Aria... I mean... Mrs. Brentt!" Hunter said in a tone that laced of guilt and shame while Christopher hunched a little towards him and said with gritted teeth, "Well, she doesn't need your sorry. So, stop this drama!!"
"It's not drama Christopher! I mean it..." Hunter tried to justify but was interrupted by Christopher who now scoffed and asked "And what makes you think that I will believe you?"
"Believe me or not, I am telling the truth. I mean it. I am really very sorry." Hunter said looking at Christopher who looked no less than an angry beast ready to rip off Hunter's head.
"What is she going to do with your sorry? I don't..." Christopher said while curling his fingers into fists but was interrupted by his wife while Hunter looked down feeling ashamed.
"Christopher! Let him speak! I want to hear what he wants to say." And before her husband would go mad in anger she justified her previous statement saying, "We are here to know what he wants to talk about. So, why prolong it? And I am not saying this because I am supporting his gestures or something. But yes if I don't let him speak for himself just like he did years back with me; then you tell me, what will be the difference between me and him?" Christopher knew what she said was the truth. Somewhere the wounds Hunter left were still fresh and with this pregnancy going on she has been remembering her last pregnancy.
"I just don't want you to be stressed honey." He said while cupping his wife's cheek with one hand while the other had was still curled around her shoulder.
"I know. And I promise to take care of my stress levels. Believe me Christopher." She said in a soft tone with a bright smile on her face while he simply her husband simply nodded his head in 'yes'.
He turned his head in Hunter's direction and said, "You were saying something?"
"Yes! I am really sorry for everything I have done; for the trouble I have caused you; for the pain you went through because of me. I am sorry! I am really sorry! Christopher is right. My sorry won't bring back the time or heal the wounds but I just wanted to tell you how sorry and how ashamed I am for treating you like that." Hunter said in a guilty tone while looking at Aria who was looking at him with a straight face with her husband's arm wrapped around her protectively.
"You were right! I was supposed to protect you, love you and support you. But most of all I was supposed to trust you. But what did I do?" Hunter said in a disgusted tone. Yes, he was ashamed and disgusted thinking about his behaviour in the past and said "I accused you. I abused you. I believed in those nasty photos and videos over you. I didn't even try to give a thought that you won't be the one in those photos. I blindly believed in them and threw you out of my life brutally." Aria was looking at him with a straight look while she was carefully listening to what he was saying. Knowing what must be going on in her mind, Christopher lightly pressed her arm to let her know that she was not alone in this.
"I should have believed you. I should have given you a chance to speak. I should have heard things from your side. I made a terrible mistake; a grave mistake and there is no excuse for what I have done." Hunter said while looking at the table unable to meet her powerful gaze and continued saying, "You were right! I was wrong all these years. I was wrong in assuming things. No one gave me the right to blame you. No one gave me the right to accuse you of being a cheater. No one gave me the right to verbally abuse you. No one gave me the right; not even the god!"
"I... I have no right to abuse you and call you all those names. I was blinded by my own insecurities and it cost me a lot. I lost you. I lost the most precious person in my life. I am very ashamed of myself and the way I behaved with you." Hunter said while closing his eyes and thinking how he lost such a lovely person just because of his stupidity and insecurity.
"I... I... I didn't even consider the fact that you were pregnant. Instead of helping you, I troubled you even more. I behaved like an animal who was seeking revenge. I was so blinded that I forgot what a divine person you are." He said while trying to controls his tears and when he was a little successful in gaining composure, he continued saying, "I didn't even let you take your own money that you had earned by a lot of hard work. The money you had earned by working hours and hours in the little cafe. I took all your money and I had the audacity to call you a gold-digger? But when we look at it, I behave like a gold-digger. No, I was the gold-digger Aria... I'm sorry Mrs. Brentt!!"
"I not only abused you, but I... I abused my own blood. I called them... I can't even say that word anymore." He said in a broken tone and it completely irked Aria.
"Because now, you believe that you are their biological father?" It was true that the DNA report results were out in the open months back. To say Hunter was beyond shocked would be such a small statement. It made him fall into the grove called 'guilt and shame'; and since then he had been requesting Daniel to let him speak to Aria for once.
"You still believe a document over me. You should have believed when I said that it was your baby but you chose to ignore it. What if the DNA reports said that you were not their biological father? What would you have done then? Would you still request the police to give you a chance to talk to us? Would you still go on with your apology?" Aria asked in a sharp tone enough for making Hunter even more uncomfortable and Christopher to whisper while rubbing her arm, "Sweetheart, please!"
"But you know what? I don't care about it anymore. When you were married to me, you chose not to believe me. Now, it really doesn't matter to me anymore if you believe me or not. I don't care!" Aria said while nodding her head in 'no' while Christopher turned her head in his direction and said while cupping her face in his palms, "Hey, listen! Look at me. We can stop this. We don't have to talk to him anymore." But his wife was clearly not ready to stop this conversation; "No, let's get over with this Christopher." Understanding where this conversation might lead to he looked at Hunter and said, "Hunter, if you're trying to play a game...." But before he could even complete his sentence, Hunter interrupted him;
"No! I am not trying to manipulate or cause any harm. I agree that I have made mistakes and caused troubles in the past and a few months back, but I have no intentions of damaging your picture perfect family. I was a fool for letting them go away from my life and I have realized my mistake now. Yes, I definitely want to see them but at the same time I don't want to meet them too; because I don't deserve to meet them." Hunter said thinking about the little ones who he saw in his engagement party. The short meeting was still fresh in his mind.
"For all the troubles you and the little ones had to go through; for all the pain I caused you, I want to punish myself! Not meeting my own kids is the biggest punishment I can put on myself! I know what I did is not forgivable, but if you ever choose to forgive me ever in your life; I will be very happy. And I will patiently wait for it." Hunter said in a slow tone while Aria shifted her gaze towards the table. She turned her head in Christopher's direction, who was looking back at her with concern and love.
"I have a request to make... Actually 3!" Hunter said stunning the couple. Looking at their sceptical and confused faces he added, "And believe me, I have no intentions of troubling you or disturbing your peace. You can listen to them and then decide if you want to consider them or not."
"What are they?" Christopher asked in a slow suspicious tone while Aria was still confused about what request was he going to make? Looking at the conversation it had to be definitely related to the little ones.
"You know in this jail, the inmates are not supposed to sit idle and pass their time. We all are made to do something productive for the country and its economy. Sometimes we are made to work on some furniture works and sometimes on something else. We are often given classes about doing things like something creative and innovative too. Last month, some of them were working on clay crafts and some of them were working on yarn crafts. I was in the group that was working on yarn crafts and..." Hunter said while explaining them what all he had done there. He grinned sheepishly and said, "... And I made something for the kids..."
Christopher and Aria looked at each other with confused faces while Hunter continued saying, "I have nothing to give them. My company is running in huge loss and I am bankrupt. So, I have nothing of my own to give them anything. And I know material things mean nothing to you. So, I thought I will make something more creative and with my own hands. I may have made grave mistakes in the past but, what I am giving you now is not fake. It means a lot to me and I really hope they will like it." Hunter's tone appeared extremely genuine to them. They could sense the defeated look on his face and the pain in his voice.
Hunter looked at the guard next to him who simply pulled out a small paper bag from the drawer and gave it to Aria. Aria shot Hunter a completely confused look while he simply smiled and hinted her to open the bag. She looked back at Christopher who also nodded his head 'yes' but with confusion still etched on his face.
P.S.: Hunter's Gift to Elijah and Olivia.
"I made these for them. How are they? Will they like them?" Hunter asked in a totally inquisitive tone that touched Aria's heart. This little gesture from Hunter was so heart touching and tiny drops started to form in her eyes. Trying not to break down there, she turned her head in Christopher's direction but didn't look at him. Her reaction did scare Hunter.
"Are the dolls that bad?" Hunter asked in a shocked tone thinking if the kids will like them or not. He really made them with love and care.
"No! She didn't mean that. They are good." Christopher said in a slow tone while looking at Aria who bit her lip to calm herself. Hunter's gift was really a surprise to them and this little gesture did touch Christopher's heart too.
"Oh, thank god!" Hunter said while heaving a sigh of relief and continued saying, "So, my first request is: Could you please give them these little dolls to Elijah and Olivia?"
Aria nodded her head in 'yes' slowly while still facing Christopher. Understanding what his wife meant, Christopher replied in a soft tone, "Of course!"
"What... What are the other 2 re... requests?" Aria asked while looking back at Hunter after she composed herself.
"I know that I said that I don't want to meet them in near future and I am sticking to it. All I wanted to ask is, can I attend their wedding?" Hunter's question completely shocked them.
"I know... After the way I behaved, I have lost every right of walking Olivia down the aisle and also for welcoming Elijah's bride, but can I attend their wedding as a guest at least? Well if I am alive till then! I promise, I will only see their wedding and go back. I won't cause any trouble." Hunter said in a hurried tone thinking if he offended the couple while Christopher and Aria were shocked and surprised listening to Hunter's thoughts. It was clearly surprising them that he didn't hint anywhere that he wanted to meet the kids.
"That would be my second request: Your permission to attend their wedding!" The much controlled tears started to again take room in her eyes after listening to Hunter's request. Unable to control anymore she looked at Christopher who nodded his head in 'yes' looking at Hunter.
"What is your third request?" Christopher asked him.
"My third request is: I never want Olivia and Elijah to learn that I am their biological father!" Hunter's declaration threw both Aria and Christopher completely out of place.
"What?" The couple almost shrieked hearing his third request.
"Yes, the twins have the best parents, the best father they could ever get. I don't want them to ever learn about me. I was a stranger to them, and I wish to be the same stranger to them for the rest of their lives." Hunter said in a soft tone while remembering the time when his own kids called him a 'stranger' and ran away because their mother told them 'not to talk to strangers'! The little memory did make him break into a small smile; he looked at the couple who were looking at him with confused faces.
"This is a very serious request from my side. I may be okay if you don't consider my other 2 requests, but please consider this one!!!" He said in a firm tone while Christopher asked him "Why do you want it to be a secret?"
"They don't need to learn about monsters Christopher! A father should be like you, not like me!" Hunter said with a bright smile on his face and got up from his seat. Christopher got up too and held his hand for Aria to get up.
"I am really glad that I met a wonderful person like you Aria. I am glad that I could spend a year and half with you. I am glad that I could make some good memories with you. I am really glad to know how carefully and brilliantly you have raised the twins. I am glad that you met your soul mate who loves you so much. I wish you both a very happy life ahead and all the very good luck!" Hunter said and turned around when his hands were free.
"Goodbye Aria!" He said with a small smile on his face and she stood there like a statue. With tears blurring her vision, she saw him going away from her life. Like someone turned the pages of her book to dwell into her past, she was bound to remember the first time she met him in the cafe; the way he had entered her life that day! And now, with the pages turned into the present the way he left her life today, it did hint her that the chapter named 'HUNTER' that started nearly seven and a half years ago was finally over!
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P.S.: Extremely sorry for the grammatical errors!
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