His Older Substitute Bride

Chapter Twenty-Two

Not Edited.

Anwita's POV

I walked into the hotel's lobby and I saw everyone worried faces.

"Anwita beta!" Mumma said as soon as she noticed me gaining the attention of everyone else. I could see relief on their face.

"Anu, where have you been?, we were all worried sick about you, we called you, but you were not picking up. We had no idea where you were, and then we received a call from eshana saying you were coming back. What is this behavior?" Chachi said. I could feel my eyes burning with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry everyone. I wasn't thinking straight, I thought I could run away from the truth and the pain and memory but I can't. It's a sad truth that I have come to accept unwilling, and whether I like it or not it is a sad part of my life and I can't change that fact. Whatever I do, or however I live, it follows me like a shadow. I am so sorry if I hurt you all" I said as I shed tears.

"I'm sorry anu, I can't imagine what you must be going through reliving that bad memory. It must have been hard for you to share, I am sorry if what I said hurt you, its just that I have become so frightened that you might harm yourself in one way or another, Moreover, I already lost one daughter, losing another one will be an unbearable pain I do not want to go through. I am not so strong like you, I watch as you grew into the woman you are today, fighting the demons of your past, I watched how they haunt you, but you fight them, at times, I wished one could share pain then I would have taken some of the pain you felt for myself. You are strong Anwita. You are the strongest woman I know of. Now, I want you to embrace the present and make your future beautiful. Try to love sadhil and please, forget about poonam and her coming back, she already lost sadhil when she left him waiting at the alter. It's her loss not yours. Give your relationship all your focus and put your heart into making it work. I know sadhil, he cares for you, I can see the look in his eyes when he looks at you. Give him a chance. Don't let him go like poonam did." Chachi said, and she pulled me into a hug. I could see she was fighting her tears. days after mom's death, she would sit in my room and try to put me to sleep and if I had nightmares she would pull me into her embrace telling it was a dream and that mom was happy wherever she was. She would tell me that mom was always sad to see me cry and that she would be happy when I smiled. All through my stay in the states, she called everyday to know how I was doing.

"Chachi, I can never be angry at you. You have been like a backbone supporting me each step I took. You and chachu loved me when I needed love and I know you still do and you always will. I am so grateful for having you in my, When I ventured into modeling, you gave me your full support before dad or anyone else did. I am so grateful to everyone of you. You have all loved me and cared for me even when I became so difficult to control. All of you loved me and I am so thankful for having every one of you in my life. I love you all so much." I said and took my time in giving each and everyone a hug.

"Sadhil must be waiting for you, he was so worried that you might hurt yourself or do something worse in the emotional state you left him. Go to him so he can stop worrying" mumma said a smile playing on her lips as she lightly pushed me towards the entrance of the hotel. Although I couldn't tell if the last part of what she said was a tease or maybe she meant it, but I anyway did as she told.

I suddenly felt shy. How was I going to face him after my new found feelings for him. For some minutes, I stood there watching the entrance. I could see the faint light of the fairy light in the garden.

"This Girl!" chachi exclaimed. "Your husband is so worried about you and you are just standing over there and keeping him waiting and more worried." She added schooling me.

"I don't know what to do" I said looking at their faces only to be given confused looks.

"What to do? Just go to him." Mumma said.

"Then how do I tell him?" I asked.

"Tell him what?" This time Dad and papa asked. I could see their patience level was running out.

"Okay everyone, I know you are all pissed off with me right now, But I love a certain man and I am so shy to approach him or tell him of my undying feelings" I said and their reactions was so priceless. Mumma clapped her hands gleefully before sharing a hug with chachi. Dad, chachi, and papa did some weird stuff men.

"That is so Good and also the best thing I've heard so far today." Mumma said giving me a hug and chachi copied her actions.

"Don't tell him just yet..." Mumma started but was cut off by chachi.

"Why should she not tell him?" Chachi asked and with that, an argument started. I made up my mind to just summon up courage and face him, what's the point in being shy. Anyway, I am not going to get any help from these arguing people.

I walked out and slowly made my way to the garden. Sadhil was slowly pacing around.

"Sadhil" I called and he turned towards my direction.

"Anwita." He rushed to me and pulled me into his embrace, making me melt in his arms.

"I'm glad you are okay. I was so worried when I could not find you anywhere, I tried calling you but you left your cellphone here, until I got a call from Eshana, telling me you were on your way back here. I don't care of your past, in anyway, it wasn't your fault. You were a victim just like your mom was. You were young and innocent and those bastards took advantage of a child's innocence and committed a crime. You are my wife, I am not going to allow a painful past or regret ruin that. I married you and took the wedding vows, I promised to be with you in all conditions. " He said pulling away from the hug and I almost sulked because I missed the warmth his arms provided but, his words made me overwhelmed.

No more running away. I am ready to accept my feelings and also make sure that he knows.

"I'm sorry. I promise not to do that again. I tried running away from my past, but someone told me to embrace the present and make my future... No, our future beautiful and I plan to do that, and the past few hours that I left, I was into a lot of thinking. I realised I can't live without you, you have lived with me these past few months and have tolerated me and I will not say that I am the easiest person to deal with, infact, I am stubborn, can be childish and also a cry baby, and lastly, I have a past that hunts me, but you are ready to accept me. I don't know if I deserve you but eshana once told me it's destiny and I think I believe her now. You are the man that has made me feel things I have never felt before, your touch, your everything and you make me feel things I have never felt before. When you were far from me, I felt so lonely and shallow like I was missing something and I felt that today when I left. Yes, I was jealous, jealous of those women who gave their attention to you my husband, I was jealous that they eyed what was already mine I didn't understand my feeling, but now I do, it's you I want to spend the rest of my life with, it's you I want to have kids with, I want us to grow old together and watch our children have their own kids, I don't know if you share the same feeling, but for me, I can no longer keep it within me. I Love you sadhil"

Hello lovely people.

I am sorry, I had the case of a writer's block and I had to write this chapter a lot of times. Although, I am not so satisfied with this chapter, but this was/is the better one of multiple.

Anwita confessed. What do y'all think sadhil's decision will be?

I'm thinking of giving a sadhil POV about this feelings. But I don't know yet.

BTW, Happy New Year. I hope this year will bring warmth of love and positivity in your life. I wish yοu and your dear ones a happy, prosperous and blissful new year.

Until next update. I love you all.

♥︎