His Sunflower🌻

CHAPTER 3

Swayam was on the sofa looking dishevelled, but that wasn't what made him trail off though. It was the expressions on the other faces in the room that made him drop the bouquet of Sunflowers on the ground. His and Swayam's parents were sitting on the dining table. 

"Papa?" Ishaan said in a questioning tone. "What are you doing here?"

He had never seen such a look of disappointment on his fathers's face.

"How long has this been going on?", asked his father calmly. But Ishaan knew that his father was the opposite of calm right now.

"Papa let me explain."

"What do you have to explain!" bellowed his father.

"Papa—"

"How could you even think of doing such an awful thing?"

"Rajesh calm down. Let them explain themselves first." Swayam's father said.

"What is there to explain? If it wasn't for Arjun showing us those disgusting pictures of them... Shii." A look of absolute disgust spread through Rajesh's face and Ishaan's heart dropped.

"What... pictures?", he asked hesitantly.

"The pictures we posted on social media." Swayam answered his question.

Ishaan was suddenly reminded of the picture he posted. It was a selfie of him and Swayam, with Swayam's head on his chest, cuddling to him. But they have always posted pictures together so why was it just now causing trouble. None of their old friends or family were on their social-media.

"Arjun found those pictures God knows how and sent them to your dad." Swayam answered Ishaan's unasked question.

"It doesn't matter how he found the pictures. I'm thankful that he did or else we would have never known of this awful thing happening behind our backs. You were never like this Ishaan. What black magic has he done on you? What did he do to you?", his father asked angrily.

"Rajesh would you calm down for a second and stop blaming my son?" Swayam's father, who was always rational, said calmly.

"Who else is there to be blamed?! My son would never do something like this on his own." Rajesh yelled.

"Papa would you first listen to me please?" Ishaan pleaded.

"Ishu..." came a soft voice of his mom. "Please just say that it was all a misunderstanding and that something like this will never happen again. You know that your dad and I have already looked for a bride for you, right? Just say that it is all a lie and we can put this behind us, okay?" 

Ishaan looked at his mom for the first time since the whole ordeal had started. His mom was sitting next to Swayam's mom with tears streaming down her face. This was the first time he had seen her cry. He felt a pang of guilt hit his chest.

The old dilemma he had was back. 'Is what I'm doing wrong? Are we the ones at fault?'

He turned to look at Swayam and all his questions disappeared at ones. He knew at that moment that Swayam was the right decision, their love was the right decision.

"It's just a mis—" 

"Why would I say that what we have is a lie when it is the best thing that happened to me?" Swayam was interrupted by Ishaan.

A pin dropping could have been heard after Ishaan said this. 

He turned to look at Swayam who was already gaping at him.

"Why would I lie and say that I don't love him when I love him more than anyone on this planet?" Ishaan said while looking into Swayam's eyes. They kept staring into each other eyes, lost in the moment.

"Ishaan" his father's voice broke him out trance he was in. "I refuse to let you do this."

"Why, Papa?"

"What do you mean why?! I won't let you spoil the name of our family. Wake up Ishaan and be a man."

"But loving a man doesn't make me any less of a man Papa."

"Shut up. How could you be such a disappointment! I am ashamed to call you my son!"