SANGAM

CHAPTER-4

Remember -"No emoji or Asking about next update or update soon will be counted as comment"
************************************

Harsh's world was crumbling around him, like a house of cards in a hurricane. He felt like a failure in every aspect of his life - as a husband, a friend, and now, as a father. The past memories started to haunt him, echoing in his mind like a cruel taunt. He remembered the day he married her, the happiest day of his life, when he filled her hairline with the vermilion of his name and made her wear the nuptial chain. He had promised to love her, to cherish her, to make her happy, and to stand by her side always.

But it all fell apart when Anupriya handed him the divorce papers on their one-month anniversary. Harsh was devastated, his heart shattered into a million pieces. He pleaded with her, begged her to stay, to tell him what he had done wrong, but her words cut deeper than a knife - "I don't love you anymore harsh and I think it was never love it was just a infatuation...and I realised this when I lived with you under the same roof....and now I think hamare liye yahi better hoga ki hum alag ho jaaye"

Harsh felt like he had been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him. He couldn't understand how their love, which had once burned so bright, could fizzle out like a candle in the rain. He even  fought with his father, a man of strong ethics and beliefs, to marry Anupriya. He had never disobeyed his father before, but for Anupriya, he did and risked everything.

And now here, she was telling him that their love was a mistake. Harsh's anger and pain boiled over, and in a fit of rage, he signed the divorce papers, surrendering to the agony that had consumed him. He fled from the shattered remains of their love, escaping to Mumbai, where he immersed himself in his work at the hospital, desperate to numb the pain and forget the heartache.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.  He had agreed to marry Mahima, his childhood friend, at his father's behest, hoping to fill the void left by Anupriya. But the wound still lingered, refusing to heal...

Nine months into his marriage with Mahima, Harsh's world was turned upside down when he saw Anupriya in a bustling market in Dehradun. The shock of seeing her again was nothing compared to the bombshell that followed - she was heavily pregnant, her belly swollen with the fruit of their love. The sight of her, carrying his child, was a visceral punch to his gut, leaving him winded and reeling.

As he confronted her, the memories came flooding back - the laughter, the tears, the whispers of forever. But alongside the memories, the pain and heartache also resurfaced, like an open wound that refused to subside ..Harsh's mind reeled as he grappled with the revelation - he was going to be a father, and she had kept it from him. If he hadn't chanced upon her in that market, he would have remained forever oblivious to this life-changing truth..

Harsh's reverie was shattered by the sound of his driver's voice, "Sir, your phone has been ringing nonstop for a while now." He nodded absently, reaching for his phone with a sense of trepidation. The screen glared at him, a harsh reminder of his neglect - 10 missed calls from Ruhaan, each one a stark testament to his failure as a father.

He closed his eyes, resting his head on the back seat, the weight of his responsibilities crushing him. But then, a newfound determination ignited within him. He couldn't let his children suffer anymore, not when they needed him the most. He sat up with a resolute glint in his eye and instructed the driver, "Take me to Dr. Janhavi's house."

He knew as Abhay was back, his presence was the key to unlocking the door to his all four children's happiness. Harsh's heart ached with a mix of guilt and longing as he thought of his eldest son, whom he had let go due to his own helplessness. But not this time, he vowed. This time, he would fight tooth and nail to bring Abhay back into his life, to hold him close as he promised to Anupriya and will never let him go away from them....