14: Shaurya gets a shock

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Lost in the shot of memories Vaani stared blankly at her hands which were decked with rings, haath-phool and mehendi. A sudden ringtone struck into the silence of the car drifting her eyes to the phone which vibrated violently residing beneath the pink dupatta of Shaurya which still was tied to the corner of Vaani's dupatta into a gathbandhan. Sliding off the dupatta she reaches for the phone only to discover Arya's name, being the caller. A burst of elation erupts inside the heart taking away the gloominess that shrouded her moments ago.

"Arya" she exclaims cheerfully, eyes perking up.

"Vaani?" Though Arya did get astonished on hearing Vaani responding to the phone, it was the most precious moment of his life. All night he kept calling her, yearning to hear that soothing voice, and now when the moment came, words felt short of feelings.

"Vaani" Arya broke the silence demanding answers.

"You left me like this, only leaving a letter behind. Didn't you think it was important to wait for me in the room, to pick my calls, at least once? Vaani, we could have found a way together. Vaani, you don't know how I've spent time from yesterday until this very moment. When you left, it felt like someone had taken my life away."

"Arya, I was helpless!!! They took my phone, and I couldn't risk my mother's life for myself. Arya, I didn't want this wedding. I tried so hard but..." she breaks into tears.

A hope ignited in his heart reflecting that uniting once again might be a possibility. He can get Vaani with him, close to him.

"Vaani, I'm here with you, aren't I?. This wedding doesn't mean anything to me. Vaani, you don't have to stay in this marriage. I will never leave you alone. You are mine!!! Only mine!!!"

Those words escaping his lips felt akin to claiming her which did pour a strange feeling in Vaani. It felt like she was not a human being but was a thing which he desired to claim, desires to keep with him but not giving it a thought she ignored it at that very instant.

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The privacy that the corridor lent Shaurya only drowned him in the immersive thoughts of the events that transpired the night before. The blue hour that formed the exquisite scene casts its reflection onto the glass interlacing with dim lights that accentuated his sharp features and the eyes lost somewhere profound in thoughts, for whom the wait seemed to last forever for the doctor. But more than the doctor, Shaurya wished Piya to arrive sooner so that the opportunity can be taken and he can leave.

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The cars halted by Ahana's car, lending the glow that pivoted around, interlaced with blue and red lights that resided on the roof of the police cars. Gaurav reaches Ahana's car only to witness those blood letters carved on the bonnet.

" all this?" he questions Karan of the origin of the discovery following which he notifies him of the events that transpired. Gaurav opens the car and the eyes halt at the dash cam forming a perking smile upon the lips.

"Take the samples, and I need that footage." he orders.

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The payal chimes with her every step advancing towards the threshold of the mansion. Vaani looks to her right where Shaurya's presence was to be but only thin air was. Her fingers clutch the pink dupatta of the gathbandhan, halting just at the threshold but the moment the family finds her alone the smile loses contact with the joyful faces.

"Bhabhi, where's Bhai?" Raina questions.

"Shaurya got a call from someone, and he left immediately."

"He left?" Rakesh exclaims at the revelation almost on the brink of bursting at Shaurya.

"How can we do the Griha-Pravesh without Bhai?" Raavi questions. Rakhi immerses in profound thoughts for a while but then a smile crosses her lips and stepping forward, she does the aarti(veneration) following which she asks Vaani to topple the kalash with her right foot. Abiding to it, Vaani gently overturns it and rice in the embrace of the kalash spreads to the floor and the metal clanks with the contact to the marble floor. The Thali of Alta is kept on the floor before vaani and carrying a smile Raina steps back, welcoming her bhabhi.

"Step into this and come inside." rakhi instructs her.

Vaani lowers her eyes, never even in thoughts did she ever imagine that she would do these rituals without her husband's presence.

Her feet dip into the alta in the thali whose color adorns her mehendi decked feet.

"A Bahu is an embodiment of Lakshmi Ji, whose arrival brings prosperity and happiness " Rakhi thinks joyfully as Vaani's feet touch the floor with every step advancing inside the mansion, her footprints left behind.

"Shaurya's presence is necessary for the rest of the rituals." sanya states to which rakhi agreed.

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A thud echoes with the door being closed indicating the doctor's arrival at which Shaurya gets to his feet. The doctor's expressions told the tale of the media trial which occurred against him, of whose knowledge she holds.

"You are her?"

" ex- husband" Shaurya clears the air before she can complete the question.

" she is pregnant "

He remains nonchalant at the news, while the doctor remains in the bafflement whether to congratulate him or just leave. Staying by the second option she hands over the reports to Shaurya and departs.

The reaction he compressed finally emerged with a scowl surfacing on the face. His hands rise and in a single flip, those attractive eyes of his scrutinize the report whose grip the fingers lost letting them tumble to the floor. For a moment in the embrace of the shock, Shaurya descends to the chair in the sitting position.

"How is that even possible?"

No matter how hard he attempts to recall the events of the night but every single scenario remains blurry as if wiped off the memory. Refusal is hurled by his heart to believe that the baby belonged to him.

"I was drunk that night." Shaurya curses himself for not having a single memory, except the morning's when Ahana notified him that the entire night they were together.

"I didn't touch you!! After the case, I can never ever touch you, whether I'm drunk or not." he lifts the reports off the floor. 

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