A Promised Marriage

Chapter Twenty: The truth of that night.

Third Person Pov.

"TUMHARI MAA SACH KEH RAHI HAIN ARADHYA!"

Anuradha was shocked to see Rehan standing at the door looking at Aradhya with a worry-filled face.

"Rehan!"Aradhya exclaimed, rushing to him and enveloping him in a tight embrace. Her voice quivered with a mixture of relief and apprehension as she clung to him, seeking reassurance in his presence.

"Rehan, why is everyone lying? Please tell them it's not true," Aradhya pleaded, her eyes pleading for affirmation as her voice trembled with desperation.

Rehan's usually warm gaze appeared hollow, his eyes clouded with conflict as he struggled to find the right words. His dishevelled appearance and the uncharacteristic uncertainty in his demeanour were stark departures from his usual self-assured manner.

"Aradhya," Rehan's voice was cold as a shiver went down Aradhya's spine, something was missing from his usual comforting tone.

"Aradhya meri baat suno--"

"Nehi! Jo news main bata rahe hain wo kya sach hain Rehan!?"

"Ara-"

"Ha yaa na?" She asked her voice firm. It was clear in her voice that she only wanted to hear the truth, The truth that was hidden from her.

"No, what they're showing in the news is false," Aradhya breathed a sigh of relief; she knew that her Rehan couldn't be involved in such accusations. All she wanted was to hear it from his mouth. She held steadfast faith in him, unwilling to accept the accusations that threatened to tarnish his character.

"Sun liya aap sab ne? Aab baat yehi par khatam!" Anuradha shakes her head knowing, how Stubborn her daughter is.

"Aradhya, I may not have committed a murder, but I am not worthy of you. You don't know what happened that night if you haven't-"

"Rehan, it's time to return now. I can't allow you to wander free for much longer," the police officer's solemn interjection shattered the fragile peace, foretelling the inexorable course of events.

"Rehan, it's okay. I promise to clear any false accusations against you," Aradhya reassured him.

Before parting, Rehan brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead, a bittersweet gesture suffused with unspoken emotions, before being escorted away by the police officer. A poignant moment of separation marked by unsaid words and unyielding trust lingered in the air, fraught with unspoken promises and uncertain futures.

Rehan couldn't help but shed a tear as he listened to Aradhya, he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. To never let her go again. It took everything he had to part from her. As he was escorted away, he couldn't help but turn back, stealing one last glance at her figure, tears streaming silently down his face. For he knew deep down, he could never feel her touch, hear her voice, or see her mesmerizing smile again. The realization shattered his heart, leaving scars on his dark, broken soul.

In a poignant display of unwavering loyalty, Aradhya vowed to stand by Rehan, offering him her steadfast commitment to dispel the cloud of false accusations that threatened to engulf him. Her solemn promise resonated with a quiet resolve, a steadfast declaration of her enduring faith in the face of adversity.

A Promise to save him.

-~-

"Meera Aunty, please tell me about that night! ?" Aradhya requested Rehan's mother.

Rehan's mother sighed, knowing she couldn't keep the truth hidden any longer.

"Aaru, you know I care about you like my own daughter and that Rehan is my own child, what I'm gonna tell is not good at all. It will hurt you a lot."

Though it pained her to hear such things about Rehan, she nodded, signalling that she was ready to accept the truth no matter how difficult it was. "Please Aunty, I want to know the truth." Aradhya pleaded, her voice filled with desperation. She needed to know what had happened that night, no matter how painful the truth may be.

"That night," Meera began, her voice heavy with regret and sadness "Rehan and his friend Rohan argued and in the heat of the moment, Rehan...he..." Tears fell from her eyes, unable to complete her sentence.

Aradhya's heart sank as she listened to her, her breathing becoming erratic. She couldn't bear the weight of the silence and the unspoken words.

"Continue Aunty, please," Aradhya pleaded, her voice quivering with fear and trepidation.

"Rehan, in that argument, he almost killed his friend. He almost killed Rohan" Rehan's mother finally confessed, her voice cracked with guilt and pain.

"Rehan had completely changed after you left, and his life had spiralled out of control"  She added with tear-filled eyes.

Aradhya tried to process this information but her mind was flooded with a million questions and a whirlwind of emotions. She felt her world crumble around her as she struggled to make sense of the revelation.

"He was out of control that night. His anger was at the peak. Nobody knows what the hell happened to my son that made his outburst. So I decided to see a psychologist because I knew that was not normal."

Aradhya's tears streamed down her face as she heard the truth. She couldn't help but cry. She couldn't deny the deep ache in her heart. She struggled to come to terms with the fact that the person she had trusted and loved had been hiding such a dark secret for so long.

Meera continued to explain, her voice still shaky. "So, I decided to take him to a family doctor and explain what had happened, and... they diagnosed him with Intermittent Explosive Disorder, a mental illness that causes a person to lash out suddenly without any cause."

Bondita's gaze softened as she spoke, listening intently to her words. "And,"  Meera continued, "the doctor prescribed medication to help keep his anger in check, to help keep him in control, but that doesn't help much."

"So what sab bimari ka ilaz hota hain, Is ka bhi hoga!" Aradhya said in determination.

"Ilaz hain," Priya said with a smile. Aradhya brimmed with happiness.

"Kya?" She asked.

"TUM"

☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾. ๋࣭ ⭑⚝.

Long time no see!

How are you guys!!

Rehan's truth is finally out.

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