What Lies Beneath

Chapter 18

Sitting by the cafeteria of the company alone, Misha was scrolling through her phone in boredom while waiting for her friends to come who went together to order their meal for lunch.

In the midst of swiping her gallery clean she came across a picture that made her thumbs stop. Her eyes lit up as she zoomed into it.

This picture was of two old people sitting together on the edge of a fountain while resting their arms on each other's shoulders. The wrinkles on their faces were prominent but the smile they were radiating was very charming.

They were no other than Misha's grandparents; old and radical but the only family she has after her parents died. She remembered it was taken on the day of their fiftieth anniversary. Those loudest and happiest days of her eyes flashed in front of her eyes in a blink of an eye. She missed seeing them laughing like that again. That reassurance and laughter from their faces was long lost after the accident of her parents, not even the day of her wedding could make them smile like that again, it was in fact the complete opposite.

She still gets goosebumps crawling over her skin remembering the night that crumbled her into pieces.

Misha was in her bridal gown, completely ready from head to toe when she went to Mr Mukesh Malhotra to stop this wedding despite knowing she is at the impossible hour to do so. There was literally no room for the defecate, the guests had arrived, the wedding procession was ready yet she clutched on her hope tight.

But who could have known the damage was done by the time already. Misha did not know what exactly her grandfather witnessed when he suddenly started to panic about her future as if they were throwing their granddaughter into a pit of darkness for a lifetime. He kept repeating incoherent words like 'everything is ruined, we have been lied to...' before falling unconscious on the site, becoming a victim of spontaneous cardiac arrest.

Fortunately, Mr Malhotra came on time and sent him to the hospital immediately, worrying her grandma even more when she came to know about this as she had never seen her husband so vulnerable before. She rushed with him to the hospital, accompanied by Shubh and Ashwita to take care of the rest of the things.

After undergoing treatment for a long time, his vitals have been stabilized and the doctors declared he is out of danger now. A wave of relief spread over their nervous faces before they added that it was caused due to the excessive stress.

It was nothing more than a common statement but Misha's grandmother knew this can't be.

Her husband is the most cheerful and carefree person in the world. She understands him better than anyone and she knows he would never let any problem of life overwhelm him, unless it is related to Misha.

She probably had an idea of the truth behind his sudden worry, she was not ignorant of the situation after all. Since the day Mr Malhotra has set his son to marry their granddaughter, Misha had not been herself even if she showed the world she was happy. Something was fading in her and her estimate became clear when she asked Misha just one question, 'what she has been hiding from her?'

Of course, such a tragedy couldn't have remained hidden from Misha as well and she could not hold this truth from her anymore. She finally confessed afraid, that Ishaan didn't want to marry her.

Standing at the worst step of the situation now, her grandma couldn't decide what decisions she can take to save all of them. She was equally worried for everything, the health of her husband, the humiliation her family would receive if the marriage is canceled and the future that awaits Misha after knowing the truth that Ishaan didn't want to marry her.

She couldn't decide but Misha did. She chose to sit in the pavilion for the sake of her grandfather's health, out of everything, the worst she could ever think of giving her grandparents was humiliation. After everything they have done for her since her parents left the world, she wants to put an end to their sufferings now. She didn't want them to worry for her anymore even if she has to live a life full of thorns with Ishaan. Even if it doesn't work out with him, she'd think of a way but disturb their peace anymore.