Lost but Not Forgotten

PART 31

As soon as Ritika finished speaking, the room fell into a deep, uncomfortable silence. Sammy and Moksh, with tears in their eyes, immediately rushed to their mother and wrapped their arms around her tightly, as if trying to shield her from the painful memories. Ritika held them close, stroking their hair softly, her heart heavy with emotions.

Everyone else in the room stood frozen, guilt gnawing at them. They had no idea the depth of the struggles Rohit and Ritika had faced. They had wronged them, turned their backs when their friends needed them the most. The realization weighed heavily on each of them, especially Virat and MS Dhoni, who felt like they had failed the people they considered family.

But suddenly, something clicked in Anushka's mind. Her eyes widened with confusion as she recalled a crucial detail. When Rohit and Ritika left all those years ago, they only had Sammy. Nobody knew about Moksh.

"Ritika," Anushka began, hesitating as she pieced it together. "When you and Rohit left, you only had Sammy. But Moksh..." She looked at the boy, then back at Ritika, as if waiting for an explanation.

Ritika sighed, her expression softening as she gazed at Moksh, then turned back to Anushka. "Yes. When we left, I was pregnant with Moksh. We didn't tell anyone... we couldn't."

Anushka's hand flew to her mouth in shock. "You were... pregnant?"

Ritika nodded. "It was... difficult. We were already struggling, and finding out I was expecting Moksh made things even harder. Rohit had nothing. We had nothing. No home, no money, no support. Sammy was just a little girl herself, and I was trying to hold it all together, but every day was a battle."

Everyone in the room listened intently, stunned by what they were hearing. The weight of the past now seemed even heavier.

"It wasn't just the emotional pain," Ritika continued, her voice trembling slightly. "It was physical too. I had to handle everything—looking after Sammy, making sure we had food, keeping Rohit from falling apart—and all while I was pregnant. It was exhausting. We were living in London with no connections, no one to turn to. The pregnancy was hard on me, and Rohit... he was struggling to keep himself together."

Sammy, who had been silent until now, looked at her mother with sad eyes. "I remember, Mumma. You used to cry at night when you thought I was asleep. You would always say, 'Everything will be okay, Sammy,' but I knew... I knew it wasn't."

Ritika pulled her daughter closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You were so strong, Sammy. You were just a little girl, but you took on responsibilities far beyond your years. You helped me when I couldn't do it alone."

The room was thick with emotion, and it was clear that everyone felt the weight of their mistakes. Virat, who had been holding back tears, finally spoke up, his voice cracking with guilt. "Ritika, we... I... I'm so sorry. We should have been there for you. For Rohit. We didn't realize..."

MS Dhoni, always the composed one, had a pained look in his eyes. "I didn't know, Ritika. I had no idea. If I had known, I—"

But Ritika shook her head, cutting them off gently. "It's too late now. What's done is done. We can't change the past. All we can do is try to move forward."

Anushka wiped her tears, overwhelmed with guilt. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you, handling everything on your own, especially with a baby on the way."

Ritika looked down, her fingers running through Moksh's hair. "It wasn't just hard, Anushka. It was a nightmare. Every day, we were barely surviving. Rohit had lost everything—his career, his friends, his dignity. I was scared, not just for myself, but for my children. For Rohit."

Moksh, who had been listening quietly, looked up at his mother. "Mumma... did Papa ever talk about coming back? Did he want to?"

Ritika smiled weakly, tears brimming in her eyes. "Your papa never stopped thinking about home, Moksh. But he was too hurt to return. He couldn't face the people who had once been his family, who had turned away from him in his darkest hour. It broke him."

Sammy's eyes flashed with anger as she looked around the room. "You all broke him. And now you expect everything to just go back to normal?"

Her words hit hard, and nobody could bring themselves to argue with her. The guilt was too deep, the shame too heavy.

As everyone sat in stunned silence, reflecting on the pain they had caused, Ritika sighed deeply. "We're here now. But things won't be the same, not for a long time. Rohit... he's still healing. He's still angry, and rightfully so. I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive what happened."

Virat, choking on his emotions, whispered, "We'll do whatever it takes, Ritika. To make things right."

But Ritika's gaze remained distant. "Some wounds run too deep, Virat. We'll have to see if time can heal them."

****************

The tension in the room was palpable as everyone sat in stunned silence, processing Ritika's painful revelations. But it was Jassi who finally broke the quiet, concern etched across his face.

"What about the attack?" he asked, his voice firm but tinged with worry. "Who were those people who followed us to the farmhouse? And the weapons... What's going on?"

Ritika opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, the door creaked open, and Rohit walked in, his presence immediately commanding the room. His face was hard, eyes cold, and his posture tense. There was an unspoken weight in the way he carried himself.

"You don't need to know what's happening with my family," Rohit cut in, his voice firm and dismissive, leaving no room for argument. He looked directly at Jassi and then let his gaze sweep across the others, making it clear he wasn't going to discuss the matter.

"Rohit, we just want to help—" Sakshi tried again, but Rohit's expression didn't soften.

"Help?" Rohit scoffed, his voice dripping with bitterness. "You've done enough already." His eyes lingered on the faces of the people he once considered family, and for a moment, the pain behind his cold demeanor was visible. "Whatever's happening now, it's my problem to deal with. Not yours."

He turned to Ritika, Sammy, and Moksh, his tone softening only slightly as he addressed them. "Get up. Go rest. You've been through enough for one day."

Ritika gave him a worried glance, but she didn't argue. She quietly gathered Sammy and Moksh, leading them away as they slipped into one of the rooms. Sammy shot a last, hard look at everyone in the room before following her mother.

Once they were gone, the room felt even more suffocating. MS Dhoni, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, ready to speak, but Rohit was quick to cut him off.

"Don't," Rohit snapped, turning his icy gaze on Dhoni, the man he once looked up to as a big brother. "Outsiders don't need to know what's going on with my family." His words were sharp, as if each one was a dagger aimed directly at the people standing before him.

Dhoni blinked, taken aback by Rohit's harsh tone. The Rohit who always sought his advice, who trusted him without question, was gone. This Rohit was different—cold, distant, and fiercely protective.

"You think I can't manage?" Rohit continued, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "I've been managing, Mahi Bhai. For twenty years, I've been managing without you. Without anyone."

The room fell silent again. No one dared to speak. Virat, who had been fidgeting with guilt, looked at his best friend, feeling the growing distance between them. He had seen Rohit angry before, but never like this. This was different.

"And just in case you're worried about security," Rohit added, his voice laced with sarcasm, "I'll take care of that too. I don't need your help." His words stung, and everyone in the room felt it.

Without waiting for a response, Rohit turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed in the silence, a final punctuation to his unspoken message—he didn't need them. Not anymore.

****
20 comments (and seriously I need it completed or I won't update even if it takes months or years)