Siren of Hearts

30. Revelations

Today being the weekend, Siddharth would likely be at home. Ishita navigated the familiar narrow streets that led to Siddharth's house, her heart pounding with desperation to see him. As she stood before the green wooden front door, hesitancy crept in. Shraddha's stern words, 'You're not welcome here!' echoed in her mind, creating a momentary pause.

After a brief internal struggle, Ishita decided to confront the situation. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing Shraddha's curious eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Shraddha asked, a mix of suspicion and curiosity in her tone. Ishita cleared her throat, her nerves evident. "I was here to... see you, Sid, and Grandma," she explained.

Shraddha, perhaps sensing a genuine intention, softened a bit and walked ahead to open the door wider. Surprised yet relieved, Ishita turned around to find Shraddha waiting for her to enter. The realization of the last encounter's harsh words lingered in Shraddha's expression.

She looked down for a moment, mumbled, "Come in," and gestured for Ishita to enter. Finally, Ishita was welcomed into the house again, and the atmosphere held a mixture of tension and a flicker of acceptance.

As they stepped into the small living room, Shraddha gestured toward the single room upstairs. "Bhai is taking a nap upstairs in his room," she informed, ready to leave.

However, Ishita halted her, expressing a deeper purpose for her visit. "I said I'm here to see you as well, not only your brother," Ishita asserted, preventing Shraddha from leaving abruptly.

Shraddha appeared uncomfortable, glancing around the room. Ishita sighed, gathering the courage to address the underlying tension. "I'm sorry, Shraddha. I didn't have the intention to hurt your brother. You said you only have your brother. You think I don't know that? I know, Shraddha. I know you two are each other's family. As much as Sid matters to you, you matter to him as well. I'm aware of that, since the day you accepted me as a part of this family. I chose an easy way of escape and ended up hurting all of you."

Finally, Shraddha met Ishita's gaze. "It wasn't your fault. Bhai's accident was not your fault. I was just scared of losing him, so I said all of those in anger. I'm sorry."

Ishita smiled warmly at her, extending her arms for a hug. Shraddha reciprocated, and they embraced tightly. Ishita patted her back, and as they pulled away, she inquired, "Where is Grandma?"

Shraddha replied, "She is somewhere at the neighbor's." Ishita nodded, determination etched on her face as she started walking upstairs, ready to confront Siddharth. Heartbroken and terribly angry, she prepared herself for a difficult conversation that was long overdue.

A loud bang startled Siddharth, jolting him from his half-asleep state. Confused, he stumbled out of bed and opened the door, only to be met with the sight of an angry Ishita glaring at him.

Before he could utter a word, a sharp, burning slap landed on his right cheek, leaving him wide-eyed. But before he could process the situation, Ishita's hands clutched his collar, pushing him against the door. In the blink of an eye, her desperate yet gentle lips pressed against his.

His mind went blank, and his heart seemed to stop, yet he instinctively reciprocated her movements, losing himself in the unexpected kiss. After what felt like an eternity, they pulled away, leaving Siddharth dazed and Ishita with fresh tears in her eyes. Hesitantly, he spoke, his voice laced with confusion, "Isha?"

She began, her lips trembling, "Now you understand what kind of mess you made for me? The smartest boy I had ever met turned out to be an idiot! What was in your mind when you chased my father's car on your feet?" Siddharth's eyes softened as the realization of the pain he caused her sank in, and he stood there, ready to face the consequences of his past actions.

He began, "You. Only you were in my mind when I saw you in your father's car. I saw you leaving, and I couldn't think straight."

Ishita dropped her forehead against his chest, her body trembling as she began to sob, "I'm sorry, Sid." Her tears soaked his shirt as regret consumed her, "I should have tried to reach out to you. I should have."

Siddharth gently took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "I didn't try either. You can't blame yourself for that." Then, an absurd idea crossed his mind, a feeble attempt to lighten the mood, "And if you're gonna punish me like this, then... I don't mind getting crashed by a car again."

Ishita glared at him playfully, "You can have this kind of punishment whenever you want, just ask me. But you're not allowed to get hurt."

He pulled her cheeks in a playful manner, and she grinned, "Understood, ma'am."

After a moment, they sat in the front yard of his home, and Ishita opened up about her encounter with Raj earlier, revealing how she found out about the past six years.

Siddharth, in turn, shared his journey, detailing his time in the army and the life-threatening injury that forced him to transition into emergency services. As he recounted the story of the soldier who took a bullet to save him, Ishita held onto his hand, offering silent support. The evening unfolded with their shared vulnerabilities, bringing them closer together.

Ishita took a seat in her parents' house, expecting the impending interrogation about the failed date her mother had set up. As her mother entered and settled across from her, Ishita braced herself for the conversation. Her mother sighed, her gaze fixed on her daughter, "I heard Harsha's mother is looking for another bride. It means you must have told him about the Gupta kid."

Ishita sighed confidently, "Yes. I told him that I have a boyfriend I love."

Her mother chuckled with a nod, "You wanted to know why I would never approve of him, right?" Ishita nodded, her nerves escalating as she anticipated her mother's reasons. The air was tense with unspoken words as the mother prepared to unveil her concerns.

Ishita's mother began to unravel a painful tale that gripped Ishita's heart. "Rajat Gupta, a fire station chief of my hometown, where your biological father used to live. Your father was a storeroom manager in a local market. You were just 11 and a half years old, we both were sleeping in peace at our small house, while he was at his work in the storeroom. Around midnight, that storeroom caught fire, and he was trapped inside."

As Ishita's breathing quickened, her mother continued, "People called the fire station, they came, but they were all a bunch of inexperienced idiots. They couldn't control the fire in time, and your father... burnt into ashes." Ishita's wide eyes stared at her mother, the weight of the revelation settling in. Her mother sighed deeply, "You know why? Because the station chief left this big operation and ran out of the firetruck on the way. Because of him, a bunch of new recruits could not save a man. That station chief, Rajat Gupta, is Siddharth Gupta's father."

Ishita felt her heart drop, the shocking connection leaving her in disbelief. Her mother nodded, "You proudly announce him as your boyfriend, right? How could you? When your own father, your own blood, died because of his blood, his father?" Unable to process the revelation, Ishita stood up abruptly, shaking, and left in a hurry, her mind overwhelmed by the tangled threads of the past.