𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐩𝐮𝐭'𝐬

Chapter 24

*This chapter was supposed to be published tomorrow but as I am busy tomorrow, so I am publishing it today. SO, THERE WILL BE NO UPDATE TOMORROW. *

Happy Reading!!!

"I feel your smile is fake. The happiness you show to everyone seems fake to me. Your eyes are always devoid of any emotions. You smile but you don't actually smile."

Vivaan whispered looking at Kriti through the mirror. Her smile vanished hearing his statement. She thought her smile will make everyone believe that she is okay but not him.

"Vivaan, it's nothing like that. I am happy."

Seeing her avoiding his gaze made it clear that she was lying. For the past few days, he was just trying to be friendly with her and make her more comfortable with him. He even behaved like a child which irritated her to another level, but he was making her comfortable with him.

He asked this sudden question because when he came out from the bathroom, he saw her lost in her thoughts, holding the choker near her neck. He couldn't control himself from asking the question, but he knew she would not answer and would lie.

"Kriti stop lying to me. The way you are avoiding eye contact I know that you are telling a white lie. I want you to know that you are not alone anymore. I want to know the reason for your fake smile, but I don't want to focus on you. I will wait for you till you come to me and open your heart."

Kriti felt her eyes brimming with fresh tears hearing his words. Gulping the lump in her throat she lifted her lashes, looking at him. Vivaan's heart clenched seeing her tearful eyes. He kept his shivering hands on her shoulder from behind. His hands were shivering because he thought that his touch might scare her.

"Please, don't cry. You have me. I am here with you and will be there for you. Just trust me for once because seeing you behaving like nothing happened gives me pain. It hurts knowing that I can't take all your pain."

"Nikhil Srivastava, my twin brother who was my baby bro and my whole world to me. My Bholu. Ram Srivastava, my father who was cursed with me and my mom Anjali Srivastava. That man destroyed everything in my life. He snatched my mom. He brainwashed my brother against me. He killed every reason for my happiness. He took my Bholu away from me when we were just twelve years old...."

Kriti choked on her own voice remembering her dark past. The twelve years with her brother and mother flash in front of her eyes and the tightness increases in her chest. Her breathing got ragged, and tears slipped from her eyes, making her whole face red.

Vivaan hugged her tightly and rubbed her back to calm her down. His own heart was beating faster. It wasn't not even half of her story but still he felt his heart heavier.

"Shh...calm down. Take a deep breath cherry... Breathe... Breathe."

Hearing the nickname, her cry increased, making him worried. Cheery was the nickname given by Nikhil and Anjali to her. And a fresh memory came back hitting her hard. Her breathing calmed down when she felt Vivaan kissing her head. His warm arms around her were calming her senses down.

Vivaan felt guilty for making her say this. He didn't want her to cry on their first Diwali, but he just couldn't stop himself from asking her the question. His guilt was increasing hearing her soft cries falling on his ear's drums. 

"My Bholu hates me now. He blackmails me for money every month but for the last three months I haven't given him any money. Vivaan, he will kill me. He will kill me... "

Vivaan tried his best to make her stop crying. Rubbing her back, kissing her head, saying sweet words he made her cry end. Kriti looked at with same tearful eyes which always clenched his heart.