SHIDDAT - Love that transcends boundaries...

Chapter - 21

Hello guys! How are you all? I hope all of you are doing well...

Warning - The chapter contains sensitive and disturbing content like marital rape, domestic violence and physical abuse. Kindly refrain from reading if you are a minor, or the mentions of these disturb you in any way. 

Hope you all like this chapter!

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Author's POV

Ridhaan stopped the car at the foyer of the Mehrotra mansion, completely silent waiting for her to go inside. Roohi understood his silent gesture, and got out of the car, while he too came out handling the keys to the driver there and calling out to a butler,

"Car se sara luggage Roohi ke room mein rakhwa do."

The butler nodded calling out for some help, while the duo went inside and Ridhaan instructed, talking to her willingly for the first time since a day back.

"They are bringing your stuff, settle ho jao, or help chahiye to bata dena. I'll request Inaayat bhabhi or tell any female staff to help you."

She nodded, feeling bad hearing his detached tone, seeing him leaving she immediately closed the distance and held his wrist haulting him at his place.

"Ridhaan wait!"

She came in front of him seeing him making no move to turn towards her, her eyes begging him to just hear her out once,

"Why are you ignoring me? Aise baat kar rahe ho jese main koi stranger hu. Please, don't do this to me, it hurts seeing you so detached."

She let her heart out, without any filters from her side, he just smiled sarcastically,

"Funny coming from a person, who didn't bother telling about what's going on in her life. You surely are a hypocrite, calling my behaviour as of a stranger."

Ouch!

Roohi winced at his sharp words, but she knew it was because of the hurt she has caused him. Forgetting the slight sting of his comment, she closed the gap between them, somewhat breaking his strong resolve of being angry with her.

Her hand cupped his jaw from the left, speaking softly as if to a child,

"I am sorry Ridhaan, I just didn't want to trouble anyone. Main chahti thi ki iss bar apni problem mein khud solve karu, vese hi iss family ne mere upar itne ehsaan..."

That was it for Ridhaan, hearing her last few words he pushed her hand away from his face growling in anger,

"Move away." His tone and action scared her, she shivered moving back due to the force when he continued, "Ehsaan? So that's what you think we have been doing all along? My parents, who don't have a daughter, they treated you like one all your life, because they finally got a little princess to pamper as they always wanted. My brothers, jinki koi behen nahi hai, they treated you like one always taki unhe ya tumhe siblings ki kami mehsoos na ho. And then here you are, calling all their love, care, affection and pampering as favour."

Roohi shuddered as his words, hearing him throw at her the things that piereced through her deeply,

"You know what tumhari problem kya hai Roohi?"

She heard how he called her 'Roohi' instead of 'Rooh', his rooh as he always endeared since their childhood.

"Tumhari problem ye hai ki tumne khud ko kabhi ek charity case se upar dekha hi nahi. You always pitied yourself for your parents leaving you, for being an orphan, but ye nahi ki tumhare jese kayi hain iss duniya mein. Yet you got a family here in this house, but not every one of them gets that. You just victimize yourself. Main ginaunga nahi ki meri family ne kya kya kiya hai, or shayad naa hume kabhi karne ki zarurat padegi coz you yourself do that. You count even the selfless love gestures as favours from us."