His Forced Wife [On Hold]

50 | The Missing Piece

Vanraj :

I stopped the car before the newly made office of the Rathore Group of Industries.
The sun had almost set over London. A cool comforting breeze blew.

I walked into the building and up to the Managing Director and CEO's cabins.

And then I heard voices.

"Hey! You are dumbo!"

"Mumma! Look at Samar bhaiya being disgusting!", The voice of Pakhi rang sharply.
"Samar, stop behaving badly with her.", I heard.

The voice was the most known to me, yet not the one I had wished to hear.

I walked into the cabin of the Managing Director.

Meera Joshi turned towards me, looking as exasperated as ever. She sat at the desk, wearing spectacles, with the laptop on before her.

"Papa!", Pakhi said immediately looking at me.
She ran down to me and hugged me tightly.
She was fifteen now. And yet, she was still the very same Daddy's Princess. With her black hair tied up in a neat pony, wearing one of those trending torn jeans and a t-shirt, she looked like the perfect teenage girl.

"I still have Mummy.", Samar said grinning.
He was nineteen now. The boy had grown up to be more handsome than I expected. With age, his eyes had turned a lighter shade of brown, and unlike me, he had the look of kindness on his face.
Much like his mother.

Meera sat back on her seat, looking at the scene skeptically.

"You guys know that I have work, right?", She asked sharply.

"Yep."
"Of course.", Samar said after Pakhi awkwardly.
"Bye bye.", Pakhi added, both of them immediately rushed out.

"You terrorise them Meera.", I said sitting on the seat before her.
She looked up from the laptop again, annoyed.

"I wish I terrorised you too, Vanraj.", She said.
Yes, the 'ji' thing was off.
"I know the naive you.. you can't scare me that easily.", I said finally grinning at her.
"The workload is killing me here—"

"I am leaving for Ahmedabad.", I said immediately.
She shut the laptop irritably.

"Please tell me you will not wreck any more havoc by visiting the new office of Singhanias.", She said removing her spectacles.
"Meera.. I can't help if your ex husband—"

"I apologise to remind you.", She said sharply, bending forward,
"Akshay is still my husband—"
"But you guys don't stay together.", I reminded her sharply.
She sat back immediately, clearly unhappy with the reminder.

"It's.. it is inconsequential. I still love him.", She said sighing.
"And he doesn't care. For either of us.", I stated.

"And I don't want you to go and remind him of that. He is doing what is good for his sister.", She said sighing.

"Did we mention he literally broke my marriage along with his own because of his so called right decision for his sister?", I asked sharply.
"He is doing what is best.", Meera said, lying of course.
Just defending the man she loves.

"I don't care about him, Meera. As if he hasn't ruined our lives enough already..", I said standing up finally.

"I am interested in meeting Malvika.", I added.

She stood up immediately, aghast.

"Have you forgotten the doctor's advice?! She doesn't remember you!", She snapped at me.

I drew in a sharp breath.

"I just want to try again.", I said finally.

•

Malvika :

I lay back on my bed, tired.

"Hello Mumma!"
I immediately sat up.
The cute little girl ran down to me, through the door.

She immediately climbed up on the bed and hugged me tightly.
I shut my eyes, feeling the exhaustion ebb away. I shut my eyes as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Hello Vanika..", I whispered.
"You look so pretty today!", She said grinning at me as she released me.
I carefully tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

She had the same skin tone as me. Hair of a dark brown shade. Her eyes were a distinct chocolate brown in colour. Everything about her was exactly like me, except the eyes. They oddly reminded me of someone, someone I just could not place properly in my memory.

"Thank you baby!", I said softly kissing her forehead.
"Vanika ma'am, you need to go to sleep. It's late.", Her caretaker said standing at the door.

Vanika, my ten year old daughter, pouted unhappily.
"I hate sleep!", She said annoyed.
"It's okay.. in life we have to do some stuff that we hate.", I said pulling her cheeks.

She sighed dramatically, getting off the bed.

"You are heading to Ahmedabad for a week?", She asked unhappily.
I heaved a sigh.
"Work.", I said.
"Can I join you? I have my summer vacations.. I will get bored here.", She said.

I drew in a deep breath.

"Doesn't sound bad.. join me tomorrow!", I said, beaming back at her.

She immediately smiled back.

"Yayy!", She said happily. She sent me a flying kiss that I caught mid air.

I glanced down at the ring in my finger, awkwardly.

"Mukku darling, why are you ruining your life by marrying an idiot?", I asked myself.

The answer was obvious.
Vanika would need a father.
But something just did not feel right.

As if there was a piece of my life that was missing.

•••