BLOOMING LOVE FROM HATE

Chapter 35

Nithya was shocked to hear his confession. She didn't know what to reply and stared at him with wide eyes. Adhitya moved closer and said, "Nithya, I know what I've done to you is unjust, but please, I'll do whatever you say. I'm even ready to give my life. All these years, I've lived like a dead body. I realized that without you, I'm nothing. Please consider."

Nithya snapped out of her trance, furious at his words. "Oh, love? Right. You love me, that's why you neglected me during my pregnancy. You insulted me with degrading words because of your 'extreme love.' You called our baby a mistake because you love me so much. You abandoned us when we needed you most out of 'love.' Now you have the audacity to come back and expect us to love you back? Dream on. Your chapter in my life is closed. Give me my son and get lost."

Nithya snatched Anith from his arms and gestured towards the door.

But Adhitya refused to budge. "Nithya, please give me one chance. I'll never let you down again, please," he pleaded.

Nithya stood rooted to the spot. "One chance? I've given you a thousand chances. I left your house only when I couldn't bear it anymore. I would have given you a chance if you had asked two years ago, but not now. Don't get your hopes up thinking you might get a chance for our son's sake. I'm mentally and physically prepared to raise him alone. We don't need you in our lives anymore."

Anith watched silently, his face filled with fear. He had never seen Nithya like this before. She was carrying him, her body trembling.

Tears streamed down Adhitya's face. He gulped, trying to control his emotions. "Nithya, I left, not because I wanted to escape my responsibilities. I thought you were angry with me and hated my presence. I abandoned my son as punishment for myself, but now I understand the pain of being unwanted and ignored."

"What made you come back? I still hate you. Yes, I loved you once, but not anymore. Just go back to London and leave us alone. I want a divorce. I always thought you were a strong man who could handle anything, but now I see you're a spineless coward. Once a coward, always a coward. If I give you another chance, you'll leave us again. So, file for divorce, and I'll abide by the court's decision regarding our son," Nithya shouted, her voice filled with anger.

Adhitya lowered his head in shame. He realized the magnitude of his mistake. He should never have left her when she needed him most. "Nithya, please," he pleaded, clasping his hands together.

Nithya turned away. "Stop the drama and get out. Please, don't come back."

Adhitya wiped his tears. "Okay, I'll leave now. I know I've shattered your heart, but I won't give up on you until you accept me," he said, casting a final glance at Anith before leaving.

After Adhitya left, Nithya collapsed onto the couch, Anith still in her arms. She wept uncontrollably, and Anith, sensing her distress, began to cry as well. She hugged him tightly, trying to comfort him.

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As Adhitya arrived unannounced, no one went to the railway station to pick him up. He got off the train early in the morning, and since no vehicles were available, he walked to Nithya's house with his luggage.

Adhitya walked to his home, feeling very tired, but not more than mentally exhausted. He reached his house by almost noon, all the things he bought for his wife and son were still at Nithya's place, as he had left them there. Adhitya opened the gate and entered his house. It was silent. His mother was cooking, and his grandparents were in their room. Hearing someone's footsteps, Adhitya's mother peeked out from the kitchen. Upon seeing Adhitya, she was extremely shocked; she couldn't believe her eyes and hurried toward him to hold his hands.

"Adhi, how are you? You came without informing us?" she asked. Ignoring her questions, Adhitya went straight to his room. His mother called after him, but he replied, "Ma, please don't disturb me for a while. Just tell everyone that." His mother felt both happy and worried as she observed her son's condition. She went to her in-laws' room to inform them about Adhitya's arrival and also called her husband to let him know about Adhitya's arrival.

Adhitya flopped onto his bed, crying heavily as he thought about how he had reached this point in his life. Many thoughts raced through his mind, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

He woke up to a knock on the door, his family was worried because he hadn't opened it for a long time. Adhitya looked around the room, which was dark. Realizing it was late, he got up, switched on the lights, and glanced at the clock—it read 7:20 PM. He opened the door to find his grandparents and parents standing there with concerned expressions.

"Adhi dear, what happened? You look so tired. Are you alright? You've become very lean—are you eating or not?" his grandmother asked with concern.

"No, Grandma, I'm fine. I'm just tired, that's all. You all go downstairs, I'll come down after I take a bath," Adhitya replied. His voice was not as usual, and they noticed something was amiss, but they didn't say anything further and left.

Adhitya came down after a shower and sat at the dining table. Everyone began asking him numerous questions, why he had left, why he was ignoring them, and why he looked like this. To all their questions, he gave a single answer, "Listen, now I've come back, right? I'm not leaving anymore, so be at peace and eat your food." His irritation was evident.

Seeing how he was behaving, they understood something was going on with Nithya and Anith. Not wanting to stress him further, they ate dinner in silence. Adhitya's mother had prepared all his favorite dishes, but he was not in the mood to enjoy them.

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