As she said this, Dadi-sa and Dadu-sa's faces lit up with joy, while Meher's expression turned to confusion. Before Dadi-sa could explain anything, Aarvi's caretaker hurried down the stairs, breathless.
"Ma'am, Aarvi bitiya rona band hi nahi kar rahi hai!"
Meher immediately moved toward her room. As she reached the doorway, the sight before her was both adorable and surprising. Vikram was holding Aarvi, gently swaying her in his arms. To her astonishment, Aarvi had stopped crying completely, her little face relaxed against Vikram's chest.
For a moment, Meher stood frozen, watching the scene unfold. Vikram, usually so distant, looked tender and protective, and Aarvi seemed utterly content in his embrace. The warmth of the moment contrasted sharply with the turmoil that had been brewing between them.
Vikram felt someone prescence he turned and saw meher standing on the door step,him with his cold stoned face said "She was crying to much,".Meher just looked at him and slighlty noded she took step forward and said "Its okay now you can give her to me"she said her voice was blank.
"Why? You wanna take credit again?" he said, as Dadi-sa's morning words started to echo in his mind.
Meher clenched her teeth, frustration bubbling to the surface. "What the heck, huh?" she shot back. "Suddenly, you woke up and decided to fulfill your father's duties? Just like that?"
Vikram's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "This isn't some game, Meher. I'm trying to change things, to be better for her."
"Better?" she scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "You think playing the doting father for a few minutes erases the fact that you've ignored her for months? You've been a ghost in your own daughter's life!"
Vikram stepped closer, his voice rising. "And you think it's so easy for me? You have no idea what I've been through. The guilt, the grief—it's suffocating!"
Meher held her ground, unflinching. "You think I haven't noticed? You hide behind that pain like it's a shield, but all it does is keep you from being the father she deserves. You can't just pretend everything's fine because you decided to sway her in your arms today!"
"Maybe you should look in the mirror!" he shot back. "You act like you're the only one who sacrificed for her. You married me out of obligation, and now you want to play the martyr?"
"Obligation?" Meher's voice was sharp as a knife. "I made a promise to Shanaya. I didn't sign up for your emotional baggage! I'm here for Aarvi, and if you think I'm going to let you drag her down with your self-pity, you're sorely mistaken!"
Vikram clenched his fists, anger simmering just beneath the surface. "And what do you think you're doing? You think you can manipulate Dadi by playing the good mother? Like I'm just going to roll over and let you pull the strings?"
Meher's eyes blazed with fury. "Manipulate? Is that what you think? I'm not here to play games or win anyone's approval! I'm trying to protect Aarvi from a father who's too busy drowning in his own misery to see what she needs!"
Vikram took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low growl. "You don't know anything about me! You only see the surface, and you think you can judge me? You're not as innocent as you pretend to be, Meher."
"Oh, please! Spare me the drama! I'm not judging; I'm calling it like it is!" she shot back, her voice rising. "You've made your choices, and now you want to act like you're the hero? You think a few minutes of holding her changes the months of neglect?"
"I realize my mistake, but let me tell you one thing clearly: I FCKING HATE YOU!" he spat, his words laced with venom.
Meher shot back, her voice icy and unyielding. "You think I care about your feelings? Your hate doesn't even faze me. You're just a coward hiding behind your grief, using it as an excuse to push everyone away, including your own daughter!"
Vikram's face darkened, but Meher continued, relentless. "You want to blame me for everything? Fine! But the truth is, you're the one who can't stand to look in the mirror and see the pathetic father staring back at you! If you really wanted to change, you would've done it by now instead of wallowing in your misery and dragging everyone down with you!"
As she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist, pushing her against the wall, effectively trapping her. "You are not her real mother," he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Meher leaned in, fierce and unyielding. "Sach hai mai uski asli maa nhi hu ,lekin jaise yashoda ne krishna ko maa ka pyaar diya vaise hi mai aarvi ko maa ka pyaar de rahi hu!! tumhe lagta hai baap hone ka mtlb DNA match hona hota hai?baap ka mtlb hota hai ki uske liye humseha rahna ,uski liye sahara bana .aur tumne kya kiya hann ,tum use shanaya ki maut ke liye blame karte rahe Tumne usse door kar diya jab usse sirf apne baap ki zaroorat thi! Main usse janam nahi diya, lekin main usse sab kuch dungi!
(True, I'm not her real mother. But just like Yashoda loved Krishna, I'll love Aarvi! You think being a father is just about blood? It's about being there, fighting for her, and being her rock. You blamed Aarvi for Shanaya's death, Vikram! You pushed her away when all she needed was her father! I might not have given her birth, but I'll give her everything!).
She said, then took Aarvi in her arms and left the room, while Vikram stood frozen in place, her words stabbing into him like arrows, each one hitting deeper than the last. He was left standing there, reeling from the force of what she had just said, her accusations echoing in his mind.
His hands clenched into fists as he struggled to breathe through the flood of emotions. Every word Meher had thrown at him—about being a father, about pushing Aarvi away, about blaming a child for something she didn't even understand—it all hit him like a punch to the gut. He had no defense because deep down, he knew it was true.
I failed her... I failed Shanaya.
The guilt gnawed at him, twisting his insides as the image of Aarvi in Meher's arms flashed before his eyes. Vikram ran a hand through his hair, his chest tightening with a mix of regret and shame. He could no longer deny the truth Meher had confronted him with. He had been running away, hiding behind his grief, and in the process, he'd been hurting the only people left in his life.
He sank onto the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, memories of Shanaya flooding back—her smile, her laugh, and the dreams they'd had for Aarvi. But those dreams had died along with her, hadn't they? He had buried them, buried himself in his anger and grief, but Aarvi... she was still here. She needed him, and he had been too blind to see it.
A wave of determination swept over him, and he stood up suddenly, his fists still trembling but his resolve strengthening. He had been a coward, hiding behind his sorrow, but maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe he could still fix this. He owed it to Aarvi—to Shanaya—to try.
YOU ARE READING
Bound by a Promise
Fiction générale"Bound by Promise" is a story of betrayal, resentment, and an unexpected bond. Vikram Singh Rathore, a successful businessman, is trapped in a marriage of convenience with Meher, the best friend of his late wife. Blaming her and their daughter, Aarv...
