"Innocence and Intrigue"

Part 37

Nitya's POV:

Seeing Rudransh ji, I explained, "Actually, according to the documents, I'm 25, but my actual age is 20. I know there's a huge difference between the two, but what could I do? When I was in secondary school, they refused to allow me to write the exams unless I was 16. I was on the edge of tears, so my father changed all the data, allowing me to write my exams without any issues."I was interrupted by Raj, who said, "Bhabhi, you were 11 when you took your first board exams." I nodded, and then he asked, "Bhabhi, how much did you score in that exam?" Gouri and Rudransh ji both chimed in, "She got 98 percent in her board exam." I just nodded again.

Then, Raj asked, "But how, Bhabhi? I was 16 at that time and I only got 95 percent, even though I faced different difficulties." I replied, "Well, I was small, right? I didn't have any distractions, and I loved reading books. So, nothing was that much trouble. You know, when I was young, I completed three years' worth of study in just one year. It was like fun to me. Whenever I got promoted, my father and mother used to buy whatever I wanted, just as I said. So, I just wanted to continue studying."

Then I heard Ishika saying, "Wow, Bhabhi, you're great. It must have been hard for you to take the board exams so early." But Gouri interrupted, saying, "No, she used to enjoy it. It was hard for me and everyone else, but for her, it was just like a game, aunty. You know, because of her, I used to get scolded by my so-called parents. But whenever I got scolded, I'd go to Nitya's house, which was like my own. I'd complain to her uncle and aunty, and they'd tell her not to top the exams, threatening her that she wouldn't get her favorite fast food if she did. But, unfortunately for us and fortunately for her, she'd top every exam. 

We'd hide her books and make her do the cooking. You know, she developed an interest in cooking like that. Whenever we had exams, she'd try to learn new dish recipes, and we'd enjoy the food. Even then, she'd still top the exams. When we asked her how, she'd just say, 'I don't know, maybe the teacher is biased.' It became our daily routine until we graduated, aunty. You know, we even celebrated her 16th birthday grandly. Her birthday was after our last exam, so we all went on a trip, just saying it was her birthday."

I interrupted her, saying, "Maa, you know, on that entire trip, they only spent my pocket money. It was like my life savings, but she didn't even show any pity while spending it."

Author's POV:

Everyone was smiling as Gouri explained everything to Sunitha, while Nitya complained about her antics. Seeing this, Latha said to Rajandra, "Today, I feel like my family is complete." Rajandra smiled and replied, "Now concentrate on your granddaughters, or else you'll miss the fun."

Gouri continued, "Like that, we completed our degree and all got placements from a company. But Nitya wanted to enjoy her teens with her family and friends, so she declined the offer and applied for work from home, which got accepted. You know, aunty, she only used to work for an hour a day but was the highest earner in our group. We had a chilled-out life until my so-called parents called me, saying they had a good proposal for me, which I had to accept without question.

 That's when I decided I wasn't going to do that. I told them I wanted to study more and left India. But my baby girl and uncle aunty never left my side and supported me. When I returned to surprise them, I found our lives had changed. Seeing the change in atmosphere, Rudransh diverted the topic by saying, 'Maa, I'm going to the office.

' Hearing this, Nitya got up from her seat, went to the kitchen, and came back with a bag, handing it to him. Seeing the bag, Raj asked, 'Bhabhi, what's in it?' Nitya replied, 'The bag has food for Rakesh bhaiya. He's not here for my "pehli rasoi," so I packed it for him.' Rudransh took it, saying, 'Butterfly, this is the last time. I'm not his assistant; he's my assistant.' Nitya replied, 'Okay, bye. Have a nice day.'"

As Rudransh left, the atmosphere shifted again, and everyone interacted with Nitya, who also enjoyed their company. The Raghuvanshi family felt relieved, sensing that Rudransh now had someone at home who softened his heart. Eventually, everyone retired to their rooms, having taken a break from their work.

When Sunitha entered the room, she noticed her husband, Jay, smiling and lost in thought. She approached him and asked what was making him smile and ponder. Vijay replied, "Today, I feel like our son will also have a normal life like others. He will have a partner who will take care of him and us, someone with whom he can share a bond like ours, maa, papa. You know, love, today Rudransh gave a pet name to someone he doesn't usually like being called by anything other than his name."

Sunitha nodded, understanding. Vijay continued, "I thought our son would never find someone to take care of him. I knew about his temper, but did you see how he accepted the carrybag from Nitya without hurting her feelings, and even gently told her not to do it again? And Nitya smiled back at him, understanding his unspoken message. Today is the happiest day of my life."

Rudransh pov:

I assumed butterfly didn't pay attention when I talked about everyone's preferences, but today I realized she hangs on to every word I say. Seeing the dishes she prepared, tailored to each person's tastes, was eye-opening. She's only 20, and yet she's managed to control everything within herself despite losing her parents and marrying a stranger. 

Most people in her shoes might have given up, but she's fought tooth and nail. The thought infuriates me, but it also fills me with resolve to protect her. First, I need to find out what happened to her parents and who's responsible. I called my detective to investigate their deaths and any connections to the work I assigned them, but so far, there's no leads.

As the car stopped, Rakesh opened my door, and I instructed him to fetch the bag inside, making sure butterfly didn't suspect anything. I didn't want to risk hurting her. Rakesh looked surprised but then smiled when I explained it was from butterfly for her "pehli rasoi." Back in the office, I retreated to my cabin, feeling strangely unsettled by my own actions. Why did I bother explaining things to Rakesh?

He soon entered with my schedule, reminding me of the busy day ahead. Glancing at the time, I realized it was already 10:30. Packing my things, I left the office, my mind still consumed by thoughts of butterfly and the mysteries surrounding her past.

***********************************************************************************************Author's Note:English is not my native language, so I appreciate your understanding if there are any errors in my writing. Your feedback is valuable to me, so please let me know in the comments if you enjoyed my story or if there's anything I can improve upon. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!