Heartless (#2 in Malhotra series)

16. Arguments

Meanwhile in the Malhotra mansion, Aditya and Sara were confronting Kaira and Kartik about Mehek.

"Is Mehek your daughter Kaira?" Sara looked at Kaira doubtfully.

Kaira couldn't speak anything and was getting emotional.

"Yes, she is our daughter. Biologically she is not mine, but I consider her to be our daughter." Kartik who was holding Kaira spoke softly. He felt that this time he had to tell everyone the truth about Mehek.

"Kaira and Vikram were in love since childhood but she never told anyone about it as she feared that her father might get to know it and kept it a secret even from you." Kartik started explaining to Aditya who was shocked with the new information. He knew Vikram very well. Vikram used to be their class representative.

"One day Kaira got to know that she was pregnant. She feared her father and talked about her pregnancy to Vikram. He immediately decided to get married to her and they did elope and get married. They were living far from her house but one day their whereabouts were known. Her father sent henchmen to kill Vikram and they did kill him right in front of her eyes. Kaira wasn't doing mentally well and after few days gave birth to Mehek. She knew her father would kill her too and hence she left Mehek in the orphanage. Her father later forcefully made her marry me and even though she didn't accept me initially, I assured her that I would get Mehek back to her. But when we visited her once she was old, she refused to come with us. We tried everything yet we couldn't reach her after a point. But destiny made us meet her again today through your family." Kartik himself had tears in his eyes while narrating the whole story.

Kaira was a crying mess by now and Aditya consoled his best friend. He knew that Mehek misunderstood the situation and promised his best friend that he'll reunite her with her daughter.

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It was the day Alara was getting discharged, and Ayaan was slowly holding her while she was walking towards the entrance.

"Ayaan?" That voice made Alara and Ayaan both to stop in their tracks. Alara turned to look who it was, but Ayaan knew that voice well. It was his father.

Alara smiled at him and was about to go towards him but Ayaan's hold on her hand was too firm that she couldn't move. She looked at Ayaan, but he was glaring at his father.

"What happened beta? Are you alright?" Raj Dutt enquired Alara. 

"Yes, uncle I'm better now. I met with an accident last week." She explained to him.

"No one told me anything about the accident." He murmured looking at his son.

"We didn't tell anyone uncle." Alara was trying to make the environment less awkward but ended up making it more awkward.

Alara narrated how she met with an accident while returning from office and Raj listened patiently.

"Are you fine uncle? Why this sudden visit to hospital?" Alara asked him in concern.

"I've been facing heartache lately. That's why I wanted to get it checked soon." He answered while thinking to himself how his own son never cared to ask him about his health.

They talked for some time and the couple took their leave. Once they were seated in the car, Vihaan started driving.

"Wait a minute, did you see what I kept on your office desk?"

"Um no Alara." Ayaan smirked. He did see those cupcakes and other stuffs. Just when he finished eating, he got to know that the lady in his arms had met with an accident.

"Shit Ayaan. It would have gotten bad."

"I was kidding. I did see that first and only later got to know about your accident." He chuckled.

"You're such a pain in the ass." She hit his shoulder playfully.

"Calm down lady. You just got discharged from the hospital." Ayaan rolled his eyes at her behaviour.

"Can you both genuinely shut your mouth so that I can drive peacefully?" Vihaan who was losing his patience watching their banter finally spoke up.

The couple reached the mansion and Vihaan left for work. Since Ayaan was absent, he had to reschedule all his meetings and programs.

Ayaan helped her into her room and was reminded about the pills he saw the other day.

"Alara I know we aren't that close but i couldn't stop myself from asking this question. Why are you taking anti depressants?" Ayaan had always been blunt. He had no filter.

Alara stared at him for some time.

"I've got issues with myself Ayaan. Don't bother yourself much with this."

"You avoiding my question is the only issue I have Alara. I don't care about what happened before but now that we both are living under the same roof I think I have the right to know about you so that I can understand if anything goes wrong. It's my duty-"

"Duty?" Alara cut him off in the middle.

"I thought you were taking care of me because you cared about me but how wrong was I. You were doing that only because you had to answer my family if anything happened to me." She scoffed at him.

"Alara you are misunderstanding the whole situation."

"I don't think so Ayaan. In fact thank you so much for making it clear."

"That's not what I meant. Stop twisting my words." Ayaan was getting more and more irritated.

"If I'm that irritating then just fucking leave me alone. I really don't want to see you anywhere near me." She yelled at him and Ayaan left the room and slammed the door.

This was exactly what Alara feared, people considering her as a liability and not as a fellow human being. She hated when she was given special attention only because it was their duty and not out of affection.

So when Ayaan said she was her responsibility, she did the only thing that came to her mind, pushing him away. She didn't want to bother anyone in her life.

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It had been a month since the incident and Akash and Sania were preparing for their wedding. The whole Malhotra mansion was seen lively after months.

Alara was healing slowly and couldn't involve in most rituals. Even though her brothers weren't the kind to misunderstand her, she felt that they might have one another reason to hate her.

"Hey" Alara who was working on her tab turned to look at the voice source. It was Mehek with a lot of bags.

She raised her eyebrows at Mehek who placed the bags on her bed. "These are the outfits you'll be wearing for your brother's wedding and reception."

"You know how picky I am. Who picked these?"

"Akash"

Alara hummed in response and opened the dresses. It was looking really good.

"By the time they are getting married you'll heal 3/4th. So i don't think it'll be an issue for you." Alara nodded at Mehek.

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