CHAPTER-24 I AM HERE

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 If you were so desperate for men, she said looking at Aalekh making him feel disgust at her words too. Then why didn't you ask Daadu to marry you off with that Vaibhav, your lover or I should say your bed-mate.

Aalekh felt anger rush through his veins, if anything he knew out of everything is that she isn't characterless, she could never be, but what made him furious was that Tara wasn't even defending herself. Did he misjudged the girl standing in front of him, looking at floor, accepting all the blames? Is she really CULPRIT? Did she really ruin that family?

But then he saw sudden fury in her eyes which next moment vanished like that was never there, she wore same cold look he saw in her birthday party when all swirling emotion of pain, sorrow, hurt, anger suddenly vanished and replaced by the same cold eyes for few seconds.

Well, I wonder how you even got your law degree?, Tara said in extremely calm tone. If you have done a little research before blaming me for such cheap thing, you would have known that I used to tie Vaibhav bhaiya Rakhi for years, ever since I met your brother. I, he and your brother posted every Rakshabandhan's pictures on our social media, Kanika clenched her jaw but didn't reply to that. You said, your Daadu did everything for his children's happiness, yes he made his grandson so happy that he was force to kill himself, he made his grandson's wife so happy that she was force to leave her husband's house, Tara didn't want to say things like that but Kanika needs to know the reality of her grandfather whom she thought the greatest man ever, otherwise she'll keep blaming her and she had no intention to run away again. This time she will face everyone and everything, she would have not left the house that time too if she was not living in his grandfather's house.

You are lying, my brother didn't kill himself, he was happy. You are just blaming Daadu so that you can hide your sins, Kanika said not believing her words. You are lying, Kanika screamed and pushed Tara before running away.



Tara sat in chair sideways, facing another chair, all exhausted from today's incidences, 1st she with lot of courage decided to tell Aalekh all the truth, then Aalekh's furious words, then she got violated physically and emotionally by Kanika, all the emotional damage she was feeling beyond her tolerance and her cold eyes her face replaced by tired and defeated ones.

Other side Aalekh was standing there leaning on the wall, today was not easy for him either. He got to know about the past of the girl he loves more than his own-self, the girl he shares his everything with, the girl he trusts more than anyone in this world but it seems it was all from his side, he was all alone in this path, he felt so pathetic now, he wants run away from her for now but her devastated form didn't let him leave her alone.

They both stayed at same position for don't know how long, he kept looking at her but her eyes were fixed on floor.

He took a deep sigh before moving away from the wall, he felt his feet little numb as he tried to take a step further, he waited for a while before feeling his feet back to normal. He went to shut the ajar door, fortunately all the 3 flats in this floor are his.

He sat next to her on the chair, facing her. He pulled her chair towards him till their legs touching each other. He held her hand and pulled her into a hug without saying anything. No matter what, his love for her always wins over his hurt, she is more important than his own self.

I am sorry, he heard her say. I was trying to tell you but I couldn't gain enough courage, he let her speak without interrupting. Today, I was about to tell you about my past life but I got little late, she said moving out from his embrace and leaned to her right to grab the envelope from the dining table. She handed him the envelope, he frowned before taking the envelope. I downloaded these from my old Gmail account, very next of we went to that lake, she said, clearing his confusion. He took few seconds before opening the envelope. He took out all the photos from envelope.

They are my grandparents, she said as he saw the 1st photo, an elderly couple with beautiful smiles were sitting on a bench under sky, in a garden like place amidst plants. He smiled and then slid the first photo to the bottom of the bundle.

These are my parents, she said as he was looking at the 2nd photo where a lady sitting holding a little girl in her lap, her head was covered with the Pallu of her Saree and beside her a man was sitting while folding his hands and his hair covered with a handkerchief. His eyes were stuck on the little girl. My Parents, she said and then his eyes got stuck on that little girl. This is you, he whispered.

He slid this 2nd pic and there was a pic of a couple, where a man was feeding the lady while her hands was full of henna. Tauji-Taiji, Tara said.

4th photo was of a boy and a girl, in their 20s, girl was showing her henna filled hands and the boy was making horns by his two fingers behind her head, it seems this picture was clicked on the same function as the previous picture. My cousins, Tauji's children, Tara said.

Next photo was of 2 men standing in some park, one of them was definitely Kanika's brother whom he had seen in the picture at Kanika's home, who had his hand on the other boy's shoulder. Karan and Vaibhav bhaiya, she said.

Next photo was of Tara, wrapping her arms around Kanika's mother from behind, both the ladies were wearing Sarees but what made him feel uncomfortable was the vermillon on her hair partition. Maa, she introduced the lady, and he frowned at her calling the lady Maa. Karan's mother, she reframed her words.

Next photo was of Arpita, her husband and her daughter. Kanika Di, Jeevan Jijaji and Vanya, she said, he already knows them though. 

The last photo was of an old man sitting in royal chair. Bade sahab......Karan's grandfather, she said. He noticed she called them all by some relation except this old man. He slid the picture and the 1st photo appeared in his view again.

Except my mother, my grandparents and Karan, all were alive when I left that house, she said and he hissed at her words. She was struggling here all alone in these years while she has her whole family, this big family there. He looked at her who was looking nowhere particularly. Tara, look at me, he said cupping her one cheek and she looked at him. She could feel his care, love and disappointment at the same time and he could see her pain, guilt and longing at the same time. I am here, okay, he said, assuring her and she just nodded.

She moved her eyes away and then her eyes fell on the dinner she had prepared for both of them. First eat something, she said and stood up while taking the bowls to heat the food. There she is, caring for him and he loves this about her but right now he just wanted to know her side of the story. But then he let her do as she please and moreover they also need a little time and space to calm their minds and hearts. The stress they have gone through had left them mentally exhausted.

Take some rest Tara, we will talk later, he said after having their dinner in silence and grabbed his phone to check the time and it showed 3:37am. She nodded and he just patted her head before leaving to his apartment.



Tara's sleep broke by the doorbell, she looked at her mobile and it showed 6:30am. Who is here this early, she murmured before climbing down from bed. Aalekh, what happened?, she said, looking at the worried Aalekh standing at the door. We need to go to hospital, Kanika's mother is in the hospital, he said and she instantly ran back to her room washed her face, tied her hair in a bun and grabbed her bag and phone before moving out of the room. What happened to her?, she asked while he was driving, I don't know much either, Kanika just asked to bring you there, he said making her more scared. She doesn't want to think worst but her mind went again and again to worst possibility.

Yes, we are on the way, he replied on the phone as Kanika had called him to know whether they were coming or not, she has least hope from Tara to come for her mother. 2nd floor ward no. 7, he repeated Kanika's words. Yeah, thank you, he said before disconnecting the call. 



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