Yours, With Love

Love and Confessions

"Raj. Yahan?"

(Yahan - here)

She saw Rajeev leaning against his car waiting for them. He had parked a good five minutes away from their home lest it were to irk her parents.

"Surprise?", she pointed towards Rajeev who had now straightened himself and was walking towards them, and asked Kartik.

Her eyes reflected the pure content she felt within, seeing him.

Kartik nodded as an answer.

By that time Rajeev had reached near them. The street was well lit and Kartik could clearly see the way his face too shone with happiness just alike her.

How much in love were these two, he wondered.

"Radha.", he took ahold of her wrist.

"Hey Kartik.", he greeted receiving a plain 'Rajeev' as a response from his brother in law. Well, that would do. At least that was some progress from his usual nod.

"What happened? You told me something had gotten wrong. Please tell me what it is.", his curious and concerned gaze travelled to and fro between the two.

"And Radha", his eyes were now set on her.

"Wait, what is that", he was quick to turn her face to one side and what he saw on that cheek was enough for him to feel a burning rage.

He gently traced that cheek and the handprint which was etched onto it, tracing it with an uncanny gentleness as though even a slight increase of pace would pain his Radha.

"Who did this Radha?", his tone hard. This was the first time she had heard him speaking in such a manner, and when she turned to look at him, she clearly saw pure anger on his face.

"I will be there.", Kartik knew that the couple needed to have some time to itself, and made his way to a nearby tea stall.

"Raj", her voice came out as a pained whisper despite of her control over her emotions. She had tried to contain that anguish within, but seeing him in front of her, it once again made its way out.

"Baby", his voice too was a pained whisper, just alike her as though her pain had caused him pain too. And it had. Who could hurt his Radha? And why would anyone want to hurt her in such a manner? The handprint on her cheek was clearly indicative of the pain she must have felt, but more than physical pain, he was concerned about the emotional pain inflicted on her. He knew how sensitive she was, and how this would result in a lot of overthinking from her side. He had to alleviate her pain. He knew he had to.

After he made her sit in the car, he gently took her hands into his own.

"Radha, my sweetheart, please tell me who did this?", his intense gaze bored into hers, and love and concern emanated from his presence.

"Papa", she did not want to hide things from him, they had already decided that. And as shameful as it was for her to admit that it was in fact her own papa who had slapped her, she knew it was just her Raj in front of her. She could be brutally honest without having to care for any judgement.

"Uncle?", he let out a gasp of disbelief.

Radhika nodded, quickly averting her eyes. He too was in the same disbelief as she was in the moment her papa had hit her.

He was silent now. Very quiet. He just did not know why this had happened. How could her papa do this to her? His sweet Radha.

"What had happened Radha?", he finally said after what seemed like a long time.

"Raj", she took a pause trying to figure out what his reaction would be.

"Maa and papa had brought for me a prospective proposal.", she began, and the moment she told him this, his face contorted into something which she had never seen before. Rage, disbelief and immense hurt were etched on his face - all at once. He was rendered at a loss of words, and she gave him some time to take that it.