Bound by a Promise

CH-20(Missed calls)

After some time...

Everyone was busy with preparations for Aarvi's first birthday. Dadi-sa and Dadu-sa had went to the mandir (temple) for blessings, and Maa-sa was bustling around, instructing the workers. Meanwhile, Yug was being his usual playful self, alternating between helping and teasing Maa-sa, making her smile despite the busy atmosphere.

As for Meher, she had taken Aarvi with her for some last-minute shopping, eager to make the day extra special for her little girl.

***

At the shopping mall, Meher was moving from store to store, with Aarvi perched happily in her stroller. They were enjoying their mother-daughter day out, picking out a few cute outfits and toys for Aarvi. But suddenly, Meher's instincts kicked in—she felt a strange sensation, as if someone was watching her. She glanced around, scanning the crowd, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off as paranoia, she continued shopping, though the unease lingered in the back of her mind.

***Meanwhile, Vikram was at work when his phone rang. He answered it casually at first, but his blood ran cold at the words he heard on the other end.

"Say goodbye to your wife and daughter," the voice hissed before the line went dead.Panic gripped Vikram instantly. He tried calling Meher's phone, but it was unreachable. His heart pounded as he dialed her bodyguard, only to hear that she had decided to go without any security, wanting to spend a carefree day with Aarvi.

Without wasting another second, Vikram rushed out of his office and drove home at breakneck speed. By the time he reached the house, he was frantic. He barked orders at his security team, instructing them to track down Meher's location immediately. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios, the fear of losing both Meher and Aarvi gnawing at him.

Just as Vikram was about to storm out of the house to go looking for her himself, the front door opened, and in walked Meher, holding Aarvi in her arms, completely unaware of the storm brewing.

Vikram's eyes locked onto them, and without thinking, he rushed towards her. He snatched Aarvi from Meher's arms and pulled her into a tight embrace, his body shaking with the intensity of his relief. His heart was pounding as he clutched Aarvi tightly, feeling her small, warm body in his arms, confirming that she was safe.

Then, he turned to Meher, his eyes blazing with a mixture of fear and anger. He glared at her, voice shaking with fury as he shouted,

"Phone kaha hai tumhara, huh? Aur bina security ke tum gayi kyun? Tumhe marna hai ya jo karna hai karo, mujhe koi fark nahi padta, lekin agar meri beti ko kuch ho jata toh? Haan?!"(Where is your phone, huh? And why did you go without security? You want to risk your life or do whatever you want, I don't care, but what if something had happened to my daughter, huh?!)

His voice echoed throughout the room, thick with panic and frustration. Meher stood there, shocked by the sudden outburst. But what stung the most were his words:

 "Tumhe marna hai ya jo karna hai karo, mujhe fark nahi padta" (You want to die or do whatever, I don't care). Those words echoed in her mind, their weight settling heavily in her chest.

For a moment, she felt her breath hitch, but she quickly masked her emotions, refusing to let his words affect her. Keeping her expression calm, she looked at Vikram, her voice soft yet firm.

"Sorry... mai sirf aaj ka din special banana chahti thi." (I just wanted to make today special.)Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked towards her room, leaving Vikram standing there, still holding Aarvi in his arms.