His Forced Wife [On Hold]

14 | Nightmares And Family

Vanraj :

"Maa please listen to-"
"There is nothing left to listen! I saw with my own eyes what you were doing with that girl!", Maa shouted as I took a step backwards, out of the house.
"Maa I-I love-"
"ENOUGH! Get out of our house!", She shouted angrily.
The neighbours peeped out of their windows to see what was happening. I could feel my face go red with shame. 
"Leela.. you are over reacting.. please-", Bapuji tried to say but was cut off by Maa.

"You will stay out for the whole night. All this love will get off your head in moments.", Saying so the banged the door shut on my face.

The scene suddenly transitioned to almost fifteen years later.
I was the one holding the door, Meera stood outside. 
"How dare you go out without informing me?!", I shouted at her.
I knew I was doing exactly what Maa had done, and I could do nothing to stop myself. 

I was the villian in her story. 

I snapped out of my sleep. I sat up breathing heavily. My hands were sweating, ache and fear crept through my being. The dim light was on, I looked at the clock, it was one at night. 
These self destructive dreams were happening too often. I slick back my hair as I drew in a deep breath trying to calm my breath.

I looked around the room, the same room, the very place Meera and I had lived in a fake happiness for years. I felt like the world was closing on me. I was suffocating.

I could hear Malvika's calm breathing from right beside me. 
Should I wake her? Maybe she would be of some comfort?

No. Why? Had I not been harsh to her as well? Why would anyone be of any comfort to me? 
I instantly got off the bed and walked out of the house, and sat on the swing in the little lawn. There was an intimidating silence, it was painful. 

I suddenly felt a tear itch my eye. I looked around, no one, not a single soul. No one would see me break down. I let the tear roll down my cheek. 
Meera left me, but her memories, the accusations, they didn't go. They stayed right here. The stain of a cheater, a man who didn't value her, they stayed back. 

Another tear rolled down. My father's accusations, when he had raised his hand on my for the first time after knowing what I had done. 
Tears rolled down, as I remembered the shattering ache to signing the divorce papers. When my kids chose Meera over me, when my whole family stood against me.

I buried my face in my hands, my throat ached due to numbness.
I wanted to set it all right, but I couldn't, it was too late. My son refused to call me father, my father didn't want to call me son.. everything crumbled down to ashes. 

Tears flowed incessantly, like water from a broken dam. The flashes came back like a painful memory. 

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I froze. 
I instantly wiped off my tears and looked up. 

Malvika.
She sat before me, on her knees to reach my height on the swing.

"You-you-why-", I mumbled numbly. She didn't say anything, she simply wiped off the tears from my face.
"It's okay to cry at times.", She said softly. I sat silently. She held my face, "I don't know why you were crying but it's okay. You will be fine."
"I won't. Nothing will ever be fine.", I stated simply. 

"You cannot stop the course of destiny. Somethings are meant to be. After my divorce, a year of torture, I too thought nothing will ever be fine.. but guess what? I am. Whatever happened, happened to teach to something, to make you a better person.", She said with a smile.

"You think.. I am a better person? I mean-"
"I think you are a good man, Raj.", She said, strongly. I sat speechless before her.
"You do? After everything?", I asked softly.
"I know it, because you regret what you did. It is in your eyes. And because your ex wife told me you weren't evil, just misled.", She said, she held my hand.

"She did say?", I asked unsure.
"Yes. She did tell me this. No one hates you, your son will understand one day, everything will be fine.", She said with a smile.
She stood up, holding my hand. I stood up.
"Will you stay with me, till the end?", I asked, I didn't know why I did.

She looked at me, and then nodded, "I will."

...

Malvika :

"Morning.", I heard as I yawned and sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"Morning, Raj.", I said finally opening my eyes properly. 

Vanraj sat with a cup of tea before me with a different smile. This smile was enchanting, it was pure.
I smiled back at him, taking the cup.

"Erm.. who told you I loved bed teas?", I asked.
"I guessed.", He said with his smile, constant.
"This is really sweet of you.", I said honestly as he nodded.
"Thanks for last night. I never fell asleep after those nightmares but for the first time, I fell asleep.", He said.

"Nightmares? About Meera?", I asked. He nodded, he lifted his hand, looking at the ring in his ring finger, the engagement ring. 
I drew in a deep breath. I knew he had not gotten over Meera.

"A lot of things.", He mumbled, "Sometimes it's Maa or Bapuji.. someone or else does appear."
His so called parents.
Huh!

I had seen him last night, he was so lonely. Had I not been here, he'd be crying alone and going back to his room, alone. In this so called family no body was bothered about him at all. 
I felt annoyance course through me.

"Your family doesn't really value you Vanraj. You are just an ATM to them.", I said abruptly, instantly regretting.
Damn it!

He didn't even look at me, he simply smiled. A broken smile.
"They have the right-"
"Why? You are also a member!", I said angrily.

He looked up at me, "I am not."

I stared at him in shock.
"Yes. I was adopted. Bapuji had told that to me many years ago. Anyways, how does it matter? These people have loved me all these years, for me this is my own family.", I stared at him in shock.
"Don't tell this to anyone.", he added, "No one should know that I know the truth."

He stood up, sighing.
"I am heading for office. I'll wait for you in the cabin.", Saying so he left with a smile.

And here I thought he didn't know his family did not consider him as their own. All this time he had known he was loved by them only because he was bringing in money. No wonder he didn't accuse them of anything, he felt like he didn't have the right.

This man was so complex.
But the more I knew him, more I was in awe.

....

Third Person :

"Adi, are you ready?", She asked, pulling out a royal blue suit from the wardrobe.
"Vanshi, I need some more time. The male lead is in the hospital and the female lead is going to operate on him!', The reply came.

Vanshika Arora Rathore sighed. 
"Adi if anyone ever got to know you binge daily soaps at home-"
"They will think I am a homely nice guy for once. Otherwise they keep showing me like a rude guy.", The reply came from the other room.

Vanshika nodded exasperated.
She had an important meeting in India, and her husband was still lying around with his salad and watching the telly. 
"Adi, which company are you investing in?", She asked.
"Vanika. That's right.", He replied. 

She shut the wardrobe. Her straightened brown hair fell down to her shoulder. 
"Congrats! Because I am the one marketing for it.", She said. The TV was turned off instantly. Adityaraj walked down to her with a raised brow.
"I am not working with you. Sorry.", he said seriously.

"It's too late.", She said with a smile.
"Have you seen the owner names?", Aditya asked with a subtle smile.
"Yeah, I know her. Malvika, met her in Las Vegas. Very cheerful and cool-"
"No. The other guy.", Aditya said.

"Who?", Vanshika asked, handing him his suit.
"Vanraj.", Aditya replied.

Vanshika felt her heart skip a beat. A glimmer of hope appeared and vanished.
"There are so many Vanraj-s out there.", She said abruptly.
Aditya didn't say anything. He just nodded observing his wife.

He wore the suit over his white shirt when she said suddenly, "Could it be.. him?"
Aditya drew in a deep breath.
"Maybe.. or maybe not.", He replied, holding her hand. She nodded, drawing in a cold breath.

....

So Vanar-raj does know his family is not his own.. Will he recognize when his own arrives?
Stay tuned!
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