SOLACE, SERENITY, SOULMATE

Chapter 21: "What! Bhai got hitched!"

    

    Vansh relaxed himself on the sofa, leaning his back and closing his eyes. 

    Suddenly, he heard the sound of breaking glass. 

    Jerking up from the sofa, he saw Riddhima trying to reach the jug of water that made it fall on the ground and she shrieked in pain in her hand due to stretching.

    Vansh hurriedly came to her and rolled his eyes at her foolishness. 

    "Why didn't you call me? I was here, right?", Vansh said in a harsh tone. 

    "But you were sleeping, so thought not to disturb you.", Riddhima replied in defense. 

    Vansh without saying anything pressed the emergency call button beside her bed and hearing the bell a nurse came in a trice. 

    Vansh asked her to bring water and clean the mess pointing towards the floor. 

    Riddhima was observing the process, as it was her first time in the hospital and that too in the VVIP cabin.

    The nurse came in a minute and handed her a glass of water and another came to clean the broken glasses. 

    "Mr. Raisinghania, here is Miss. Riddhima's personal stuff.", the nurse said while handing him Riddhima's sling bag and her mobile phone. 

    Then and there she raised her left hand to snatch the mobile from his hand. 

    He rolled his eyes again at her little stunt which could give pain in her right hand and put the mobile in his trouser pocket. 

    Riddhima faces the other side in anger which doesn't go unnoticed by Vansh. In the meanwhile the nurse left the cabin with the other staff who came for cleaning.

    "Why did you go there?", Vansh asked, narrowing his eyes. 

    "Why were your security personnel following me?", Riddhima replied with another question. 

    "Mr. Rathi wanted me to send a security personnel for you and Ritu. John seemed like a good choice, as you know him." Vansh had mastered the art of lying. 

    Coming to the point he again threw the question, "Now, tell me why were you there?"      

    "Because I had my doubts.", Riddhima replied, sensing the situation she was in. 

    "Who integrated this doubt in you, was it your mind or someone else?", Vansh wanted to hear it precisely. 

    Riddhima remained numb and was playing with her fingers. 

    "Stop being nervous in front of me. I am asking you for your own good.", Vansh said in a slightly higher tone. 

    "I received a message late last night after I disconnected your call.", Riddhima blurted. 

    Without asking anything further, he took Riddhima's phone out of his pocket and started looking for the message. 

    Vansh realised the message was sent from a private number and that's why his IT cell couldn't trace it. He was getting white knuckles due to his grip on the phone in anger, which he could never display in front of his wife. 

    Vansh took a deep breath to calm and compose himself. 

    "Why didn't you call back and inform me when you received this message?", Vansh asked Riddhima. 

    "Why should I do that?", Riddhima again replied with a question. 

    Vansh realised that the truth of their relationship was unknown to her.