An Unwanted Vow

Episode 31

RECAP:

The door opened, and inside, she saw two people sitting at a small table. They looked up at her with kind smiles, but she didn't recognize them. Arushi's eyes darted between the two strangers, and she turned to Vivanth, her confusion evident on her face.

"Who are they?" she whispered, completely unaware of what was about to unfold.

(EPISODE 31)

"Who are they?" Arushi whispered, feeling confused as she looked at the two people in the room. She didn't know what was going on.

"Come inside," Vivanth said, sliding his hand around her waist and gently leading her into the room.

The two people stood up and smiled at her. They looked kind and friendly. Arushi smiled back, unsure but wanting to be polite. She couldn't help but feel something important was about to happen, though she didn't know what.

"Sit," Vivanth said softly, guiding Arushi to the couch beside him. She sat down, feeling a bit nervous, unsure of what was happening.

"Arushi," Vivanth began gently, "this is Vihaan, and she is Ishika..." He paused briefly, letting the moment settle before continuing, "They are Malini Maa's children."

He then smiled and added, "And she is your bhabi, Arushi-my wife," looking at Vihaan and Ishika with pride.

Arushi's heart raced, her shock mixing with a wave of happiness. She was taken aback by Vivanth's efforts, especially during their silent days. Despite the distance between them, he was still fulfilling her requests, quietly working to make things right. Tears of joy welled in her eyes as she realized how much he cared.

Arushi blinked back her tears, trying to hold them in, and with a warm smile, she asked, "Hello, how are you both?"

"We're fine, bhabi. How are you?" Vihaan and Ishika replied in unison.

"I'm good," Arushi responded softly. "But why did you check into a hotel? You have your own home you should come and stay with us," she added, her voice filled with care.

Vihaan and Ishika exchanged nervous glances, unsure how to respond. Their unease was clear, and Arushi noticed it immediately.

"What's wrong?" Arushi asked gently, sensing something wasn't right. "You don't have to feel uncomfortable. It's your home too. No one will stop you. You both have every right to stay there."

Vihaan let out a sad, sarcastic chuckle. "Our house?" he repeated, his voice tinged with pain. "Is that why your Malini maa never let us live there? Is it really our house, bhabi?"

Arushi could feel the hurt behind his words, the deep pain Vihaan was carrying. She remained silent, her heart aching for him, not knowing what to say to ease his burden.

Vihaan's voice softened as he spoke, but the pain in his words was clear. "She sent us to our nani's place when we were kids. We never knew why she kept sending us away. Not that our nani treated us badly; she took care of us with so much love and care, treated us like her own children. But no matter how much love someone gives, no one can replace a mother's love."

He paused, his eyes reflecting the hurt from the past. "Ishika used to cry for mom so many times when we were little. I was too young to even console her properly, but I'd try to make her understand. We never told our nani about it because we didn't want her to feel bad, after all the care she gave us. Then our school life started. We spent all of it away from here, barely visiting for festivals. Back then, we'd play with Vivanth bhai, Shardul bhai, and Nishika. But at school, we'd see our friends' mothers coming to visit, feeding them lunch... and we never had that. We didn't even have our mom at home, let alone at school."