SHIDDAT - Love that transcends boundaries...

Chapter - 13

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Author's POV

Vihaan was in his office in the Mehrotra mansion, pondering over his last session with Ashiaa. It's been three days, however, still he was not able to find that one thing that might help him to channelise his pain and letting it out instead of going on a hurting spree. He sighed playing with the pen tip, clicking it again and again as he gazed at the ceiling mindlessly.

His thoughts came to a halt with a knock on the door and the next second, he saw his newest sister-in-law, Inaayat peaking her head in. He sat straight smiling and saying,

"Inaayat bhabhi, aaiye na."

Inaayat flushed before nodding and entering in saying, "Vihaan bhai, aap bade hain mujhse, please don't call me bhabhi. Feels weird."

He chuckled at the girl before teasing her, "Rishte mein aap badi hain par mujhse."

Before offering her a seat in front of him which she gladly took and huffed, "To kya hua, aap mujhe aisa bulaenge to bahot weird lagta h. You can call me Inuu."

He smiled nodding, "Okay Inu. Bataiye mam, kya kar sakta hu main aapke liye?"

She smiled playing with the paper weight, her gaze not enticing the picture frame of a happy family and Vihaan's late wife on the desk. She knew about his life through Armaan and couldn't help but be sympathetic.

She asked teasingly now, "Kyu, main aise hi nahi aa sakti aapke pas?"

Vihaan immediately said, "Are no no, you can come to me anytime."

She giggled before saying, "Ohho bhai chill, main to mazak kar rahi thi. Actually aapse baat karni thi."

He nodded, gesturing to go ahead when she hesitatingly continued, "Umm, bhai, if you don't mind me asking, I have seen you a little aloof from everyone else since I have come. And aaj bhi aap disturbed lag rahe the, are you okay?"

Vihaan smiled at the girl, "Inu, you don't need to be so hesitant, in fact, I am surprised. It's usual for my brothers to guess my aloofness but other than them, it's been the first time. It's actually just..."

She stayed silent waiting to hear, when he gazed at Avantika's frame and answered, "Your wedding just brought back a lot of memories. Memories I wasn't ready to recall yet. Of me and Avantika at the pyre, our married life and the new beginning we were going to have..."

Inaayat smiled sadly hearing him, somewhere guessing the right reason, when he continued, "I lost control, because as I said I was not ready. Mene vo cheezein ki jo mujhe nahi karni chahiye thi, khud ko chot pahonchana specially."

He fisted his injured hand catching her attention, before saying with a smile now remembering the thing which was on his mind since last two days,

"Then I went to Ashiaa for a therapy session, and she made me realise my pain was stored inside of me all this time. It was waiting to find a way to come out and then day it did, but in a way it never should. Usne mujhse kaha ki mujhe kuch aisa chahiye, jo mera dard bahar laaye, usse halka kare par mujhe or dard na pahonchaye. And since then, I am confused what it should be. Agar ideas hon to zarur batana..."

He chuckled softly at the end, making her giggle slightly as well, when she looked around the room looking at the things that caught her attention the moment she entered, there were sculptures all around the room, small and big, on the tables, as show pieces and near the plants.