I Am Guilty

27. Genius

Richa cried her heart out, trying to ask for forgiveness, but Naren pairs no heed to her and asked her leave him after signing the divorce papers.
He outright refused to give any alimony.
He was too furious to think straight. He knew divorce proceedings would take time and there was a chance that Richa might try to reconcile with him.
He had called her parents and when everything was disclosed, the wished they were already dead.

Naren had asked her parents to take Richa away from his home. By the looks she received from her parents, she knew, she was not welcome in their home anymore, and would have to endure a lifelong emotional torture.

To her horror, he had called a team of doctors and gave a sample of Geet's hair from her hairbrush and his own blood sample for the DNA test.

"If that is so troublesome for you, don't bother. I will take my daughter along." Richa said furiously, within her tears.

Naren wanted to smash the face that he once found beautiful. It was nothing but heinous and he was filled with disgust.
"Trust me, you will be the only one parenting her, if she is not my daughter."

Richa gasped.
"You love her, Naren. Does she mean nothing to you?"

Naren stoned his heart.
"I don't have that big a heart. She will always be a symbol of your betrayal."

Richa wanted to cry and plead to reconsider, but Naren walked out and she was at loss of everything.

She was forced to leave with her parents, who were ashamed and disappointed with her.
She had cried while Geet was sleeping peacefully in Samrat's embrace.

In the evening, while Naren was too overwhelmed by the events, he sat by the window and looked down at the blooming garden.
Samrat caught his attention with a knock on the slightly ajar door and walked in with Geet holding his hand.

"Daddy!" The girl sprinted towards Naren and he did not think twice before enveloping her in his warm embrace.

He momentarily forgot that he was denying her parentage the same morning. He pulled her tighter to his chest and breathed in the scent of her skin. His senses calmed down with the fragrance of her lotions and powder.

Samrat looked at the two and smiled.

"Geet?" Samrat called out, gently pulling her away from Naren.
"Why don't you go and show your new doll to Bua?"

Geet looked at him thoughtfully.
She came closer to him and leaned towards his ear.
"U want to show my doll to that new Chachu too."

Samrat blinked at her. He was not sure how Arjun would treat the child.

"He is not well. He is very hurt and ill. We will show him the doll some other time. Now go to your Bua."

Geet nodded and sprinted out of the room.
Samrat sighed as he looked at his brother.

"Will you be able to live without her?" He asked referring to the girl, that Naren found a momentarily solace in.

Naren held his gaze.
"What if she turned out Sahil's daughter? Will you be able to look at her the same way?"

Samrat found himself at loss of words. The question had crossed his mind too, but the answer was unpredictable.

"I sometimes think, what is her mistake? What is she paying for?"

Naren just looked away, thinking upon it.

"Can I ask you something?" Samrat pondered.

Naren just looked at him.