FLAMES: Of Revenge And Love

52. JUST COME BACK

Aradhya's POV

" Shall we leave? " I heard him ask me as I looked into the mirror. He was standing behind me, gazing at me as if telling me through his eyes that he'll always be there, I just have to turn around and I'll find him standing behind me, always there for me.

I don't want him behind me, I want him beside me, so I took a step backward, still gazing into the mirror till we stood neck to neck, side by side just like I wanted us to.

" It's the last right? " I asked him, desperately needing an affirmative answer, I was growing tired of these obstacles, I hadn't gotten time to enjoy my life with him. First that accident, then my vengeance from the Sinhas kept it at bay and when I thought it was over, there is someone else.

I still don't know how to deal with these newfound revelations, the people who are trying to be my family so desperately that I feel myself giving in with each passing day. I had trusted Viraj dadu, he betrayed me, for his own motive, for what he felt was the right thing to do, he snatched my choice from me.

I haven't met him since the night in their mansion, I don't want to, I still don't know if I could ever forgive him but I do know it's not now. For now I can't bear his presence, he was the one who taught me, he's the one who brought me where I am today and I'm thankful for it. But I still can't find it in myself to forgive him for what he did. I hope that someday in the future I will be able to do that.

" It's not. " He answered and I looked at him in shock.
" Life is not always roses and petals, it has thorns too. We'll have to face many things. If not now then when we have children, when they grow up, we'll face challenges during their upbringing, we'll face challenges as we navigate through our life. As the years pass everything will change, I can't say that is the last time we'll be facing such thorns. But what I can promise is that whenever we do, you'll always find me by your side, holding your hand as you reach out to hold the petals in the midst of the thorns. "

I don't know how I felt about his explanation but I was ready to face everything with him by my side. At some point I had thought if being with him I had gone soft, or gotten vulnerable but then I realised I hadn't. On the contrary he had hardened me by shielding me by himself, he was strengthening me by giving himself to me. I wasn't weak because I needed him by my side, no, I was just more stronger with him by my side.

We have been planning for weeks, the days have passed doing preparations to end this for once and all.
Mr. Raichand had been helping in eradicating the legal fronts Adhiraj Thakral has, and yeah I couldn't call him brother, not yet. I don't have a good history with brothers and while I know he is nothing like them, I'm still guarded.

As for his grandpa, he had been coming to our house plenty, making excuses such as to meet dadi or mom and dad and they indulge him nonetheless.

Even though we had managed to cut off all Adhiraj Thakral's sources, he had gone missing, the trackers I've installed were accidentally discovered and since then it's like he disappeared from the face of earth.

We tried but it was to no avail and that proved that no matter how much we managed to cut off his escape routes he still had enough resources to hide if he wanted to. They would run out for sure but we don't have the time to wait for it. So we paced up our action, in just three days, he lost everything and then he really couldn't sit still anymore.

This was the last, the day it all ends, Adhiraj Thakral had called last night, for a final battle. He knew it was us who destroyed his business, he knows it but he can't do anything other than scratching his head.

The place for today's meeting was an abandoned factory and that guy called me alone, claiming he had something to show me, something of my… .
My mother.