Beautiful Infatuation

Chapter 74

"I'll tell you everything later, Priya." Sneha kept on stalling her sister's questions.

"But at least tell me how were you able to afford the hospital bills. The facilities here are no less than a 7-star hotel."

Sneha sighed. She looked at her phone's screen and stood up.

"I told you, I'll tell you everything at home. For now, just take some rest. Maa, I'll be back tomorrow. I need to go home and check if everything's fine or not." She told her mother who was now shifted to Priya's room.

"Talk to your bua (father's sister) also and ask about them." Her mother said.

"Hmm. Bye." She said and turned around to exit the room.

She had only stepped outside when her eyes fell on Viraj who had just turned around the corner in her direction. She quickly closed the door in fear of her sister or mother seeing him.

"Hi!" She greeted him with a smile.

He returned the affectionate smile and gently hugged her.

"How are they?" He asked.

"Good. Priya is insisting on going home. I somehow convinced them. Papa had an early meal and he is sleeping now. The discharge procedure is delayed by three days because some doctors want to do some study on Papa's treatment. I thought of denying it but then I guess, I should cooperate with the doctors when they have done so much for me. How was your day?" She finally paused, giving him the chance to speak.

Viraj always knew that she was a talkative girl. She just never talked to him. But, the change he was seeing in her, that too in just a day, amazed him. The fact that she was choosing to talk to him made him content. He could really listen to her all his life.

"Are you planning to leave now?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Good. Come." He said and grabbed her hand to pull her along with him.

"My day was tiring, to be honest." He answered her previous question.

"Why?" She asked.

"I had four back-to-back meetings. One meeting was with a foreign client who did not understand English and we had to use a translator. So, a 2-hour meeting was stretched to four hours. While coming here, I talked to my parents about us. Ma seems happy, but papa was more surprised than happy. He said he wants to meet you..."

Before he could continue, Sneha interrupted.

"Viraj, no, please!"

Her expression made him give her a calm smile.

"I know he has instilled fear in you. But, trust me, I have talked to him about what he did in the past. He will not repeat anything like that. I know he is not sorry for what he did, but you have nothing to worry about now. He won't pull that stunt with any of you, again."

"I know he is your father and that I should not say this to you, but your father is really scary."

"I know. And, I also know that you don't like him."

"I am sure he doesn't like me either."

"He likes no one. I know my father better than anyone in this world. For him, only my mother, who is dead now, matters. The remaining world is only a means of transaction for him."

"Do you not talk to him about this? I mean, this is...not right."

"It's his life. And, he has always been like that. That's his nature. I remember the only time he actually tried to fake being nice was for my mother when I was a kid. He loved her so much that he was ready to be what she liked. It's just that his ways were a little too...extreme. Anyway, I do not preach to him because I am not a saint either."