Nurture And Love (BOOK #3) ✔

Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Prachi threw her hands higher up in the air to prevent Vihaan from snatching the letter from her palm and took a protective hiding spot just behind Shaurya.

"Uncle, ple-ase guard me until I say what I have to." Prachi giggled before earning an angry glare from Vihaan. "So here it goes— Once upon a time there lived an arro-gant king and his innocent queen who came to be named as Mrs. Arro-gance just because of the king's mischi-evous actions to annoy her. And then one day, the queen could tole-rate it no more and decided to—"

Before she could speak more in her unusually bantering tone, Shaurya was quick enough to seize the letter from her hand and take a look at it himself. A Vihaan-in-motion suddenly halted in his tracks when he saw Shaurya's eyes gluing up on him.

"Vihaan, this is how you reward my sister after her years of toiling with you?" Shaurya tried stifling a laugh. "What did you actually do to displease her? I won't tolerate any injustice being rendered to my sister and—"

"Why are you always so biased and inclined towards your sister, idiot?" Vihaan rebuked annoyingly. "Why can't you for once notice the amount of distress your best friend suffers from, due to your sister's madness?"

Shaurya raised a finger. "This is the reason why she left you— your heightened arrogance. You mustn't forget that my ancient warning still prevails; my hands and your limbs if ever you hurt my sister!"

"Yeah alright I remember that." Vihaan raised his palm. "And listen, she hasn't left me. She only went away to cool down her newly acquired arrogant nature."

"The source of which is you—" Shaurya continued pestering Vihaan. "She has inherited this deadly disease from you. I wonder how my sister will recover from it. . . She must be very sick and tired of you."

Doning a sad face, Shaurya tried to imitate a very regrettable facial expression. It was not difficult for Vihaan to decipher his best friend's guise and he hollered at the top of his voice, "The hickory may have disappeared from the farmhouse on a never-ending hiatus but made sure to leave behind her loyal footprints in the form of her brother and her daughter only to exact revenge from me!"

Prachi and Shaurya exchanged glances, while a sleepy Durga walked out of her bedroom, located on the ground floor. "What's the noise all about? Where is Sanchi? Where has she disappeared? I didn't get your words, Vihaan."

"Ohh." Vihaan shut his mouth and turned to his mother. "Mom, haven't you slept yet?"

"How can I when you people are howling and screaming right outside our bedroom." Durga shook her head. "Now tell me where Sanchi is. She shouldn't move about here and there all alone. Our perilous situation hasn't yet subsided fully."

"Wherever your beloved daughter-in-law is, she is safe," Vihaan said with a particular assurance. "You mustn't worry."

"How can I not? You just now confessed that she has disappeared from the farmhouse on a never-ending hiatus. What compelled her to do so, Vihaan?" Durga was turning red with rage this time. "I remember the time when you both had separated after your twins were born. I don't want history to repeat itself."

"But I think that history might be repeating again, auntie." Rohini came out of the kitchen. "Like olden days, Sanchi has moved to Indore to be with Rihu while Vihaan is left behind with Pihu. Like many other family members including Sanchi, I was also kept in the dark by the trio standing in front of you."

Rohini was also pissed at Shaurya for hiding every truth from her. Her glance was so violent at him that he almost gulped the bitter saliva forming in his mouth. "Rohi, why are you bringing up this topic in front of everyone? Can't we have discussed it privately?"