Shattered Desires

Chapter Nineteen

Maya's POV

"Virat, you don't need to-"

"Was it the bullying?" Virat asked me outright. I was shocked at his statement. How did he know that I was bullied?

"How did you know about the bullying?" I asked him, curiously as I took Vedya from his arms and began feeding her.

"Vikram Anna came over once and confronted Ved Anna. He kept yelling at Ved Anna for you getting bullied. I watched my brother get beaten up by him." Virat said, shaking his head in displeasure.

"What? Vikky hit Ved? How come I never knew about this?"

"I think Vikram anna knew that if you came to know, you would stop him. I still have a million questions about what happened Akka. How was Ved involved?" Virat asked.

I wanted to badly to tell him the truth but before I could say anything Ved walked towards us and I silenced myself.

"Virat? When did you come?" Ved asked in fluent tamil and Virat stood up to hug his brother.

"I felt like taking a break from my homework so I just took the bus down here to see my cute niece. But I didn't expect to see Akka here." Virat said.

"Maya works for me now in taking care of Vedya. And from the looks of it, she is doing a good job." Ved said in a civil manner as he spotted Vedya drinking her milk formula hungrily from my arms. He made unexpected eye contact with me and I looked away in fear that my eyes would give away something suspicious to Virat.

"It must be great to have your friend over after all these years Anna! But Akka, poor you has to work for my devil bossy brother." Virat teased and Ved cuffed his ear lightly.

"That's enough Virat. Now come in, Mary has made some breakfast. Let's eat." Ved said. Virat walked forward and then stopped in his tracks. He turned back to me.

"Come Akka, let's eat together!" Virat said, excitedly.

"She will come Virat, you wash up and sit at the table. I need to discuss something with Maya first." Ved said with a smile towards his brother. My smile dropped instantly. What would Ved possibly want to talk about?

"Ok Anna! But you have to come for sure Akka!" Virat said to me.

"Of course Virat." I told him, barely smiling. He grinned at me and left the garden. Ved faced me, his cold onyx eyes fixated on mine. I looked down at the baby who had finished her bottle. She was silently watching a butterfly on a flower as she rested in the carrier against my chest.

"Maya, please don't tell Virat about what happened in the past..." Ved trailed off.

"Why Ved? SO he doesn't get a bad impression of you? SO he doesn't hate the brother that he thought he knew but truly had an ulterior motive-"

"MAYA!" Ved thundered and pulled me harshly towards him. My fury filled eyes met his matching blazing ones and we stared at each other in anger, one unable to accept the truth and the other unable to speak the truth. After some silence, I finally spoke.

"Is it an order Mr. Shastri?" I asked him.

"Maya-"

"IS it an order Mr. Shastri?" 

"Yes it is Ms. Srinivasan." Ved said, his grip hardening on me. He stared at me coldly. Suddenly the silence was broken by Vedya's cries. The butterfly had finished fluttering around the flower and had moved on further.

Both of us reached for her and our hands touched. I pulled away instantly and walked inside, leaving Ved behind.

"It's ok kutty (little one), we will go out to see the butterflies again tomorrow." I said rocking her against me. Virat was waiting at the table, a plate of french toast in front of him.