Contractually Yours | 𝒂𝒌𝒔𝒉𝒏𝒂𝒗

chapter 4

rewritten completely.

~

BIRLA MANSION.

Dr. Arohi Goenka, wife of the late Neil Birla, stood agitated at the threshold of her daughter's room.
Ruhi was fast asleep.
Abhimanyu beside her, half asleep, gently caressing her hair back, with fatherly affection.

Abhir too, was asleep beside her.

Arohi gulped, feeling the weight on her heart increase multifolds.
This was what she had ever wished for.
Abhimanyu, and her kids, together and happy.

Abhir had eventually become her son, although he did not approve of it.
Abhir was still insistent on having his Papa back and not his Docman.
Abhimanyu continued to be tormented by that, but they knew, there's no way out of this.

She wished to comfort him, but to no avail.

What a strange twisted way of a dream come true.
She thought icyly.

Arohi's phone buzzed.

Raj

She immediately straightened up and tip toed out of the mansion, down to the sealed out house.
She unlocked the door to hear a hissing sound.

"What happened? Are you okay?", She asked immediately as she rushed in.
In the dim light, there sat a form in the darkness. Hair unkempt, hand extended before him as if struggling to tie a bandage. Arohi noticed the photo frame on the desk he had placed his extended arm on.

It was a family photograph, that excluded him.

"This wound keeps hurting.", He whispered.
"That is because you keep digging it and don't allow it to heal!", She said urgently rushing down to him.
She immediately picked a sterilised swab to clean the bullet wound on the man's forearm.

He allowed her to do what she wanted as he sat back on the chair.
The little window in the room allowed only light on the wounded arm, the man remained in oblivion.

Arohi glanced at the photo frame and paused.

"Abhinav?", The name rolled out of my mouth automatically.

"Indeed.", The man said, his lips curving into an amused smile.

Arohi drew in a deep breath, realising.
"Can't believe he is your son. He is so different. Such a soft spoken well mannered man.", She said going back to treating his wound.

"Took to his mother, honestly.", The man said as he picked the glass of canned beer.

"That is not healthy.", Arohi stated curtly.

"What makes you think I want to live at all?", He asked as he sat up, the light finally falling over his face.

"I have kept you alive for the last five years, Vanraj uncle. Not for you to kill yourself by alcohol.", She stated sighing as she took a step back after tying the wound.

He smiled.

"You are the only one who has ever cared for me from the Goenka scion.", He said as he stood up.