Clean Bowled

Chapter 25

*Viraj*

"Ye kya hai maa?" I ask, showing her the papers in my hand as she gulps nervously.

"Vo.. vo.." she starts speaking and I wait for her to continue. She doesn't.

"Toh isliye aaye the vo kal? Ye dene ke liye? Bete ko dekhna tha na unhe toh" I say furiously as I slap the papers back on the table.

"Aap sign karogi inpe?" I ask her, knowing the answer to my question.

Maa unhe divorce dene ko tayyar nahi thi. Jab mujhe pata chala that he was cheating, maine maa ko bahot force kiya ke vo unhe divorce de de. But she loved him so much. Still loves him so much that she was willing to forgive him.

She said that he is not in his right senses and will come back to her. That their love was real and they'll get back together.

Aisa hota hai pyaar? Itna ghatiya.

"He wants me to sign it" she whispers and I run my hands through my hair.

"He wants you to sign it, so obviously you will sign it. Kyu ki unki happiness sabse jyada important hai na. Chaahe vo aapko kitni bhi buri tarah treat kare, chaahe vo aapko divorce kyu na de de, but unki khushi important hai bass. Vo kya chahte hai, unhe kya chahiye.. aap sab dene ko tayyar ho. Divorce bhi? So that he starts a new life with that bitch" I say.

"Viraj" my mom glares at me in a warning tone.

Abhi bhi apne pati ki zara bhi insult sunn ke nahi leni. Ab toh vo pati bhi nahi rahe. Neech Insaan.

"Kya? Kya bolna chahti ho aap maa? I can't watch you like this" I say my voice breaking.

I am not going to cry. Not for that man.

"He has moved on. I guess I should too" she says sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.

"Aapne sign kiya toh bass sab khatam. Why can't you be angry on him? Why can't you torture him the way he did. You are letting him control you too easily" I say.

"Because I still love him. He is my husband!" she snaps at me.

Oh god again with this shitty love thing.

"That man doesn't love you maa! He cheated on you. He never loved you. He is just a manipulative bastar.."

My words are cut when maa's hand slaps me across the face.

I clench my jaw as my eyes fill with tears. She puts her hand on her mouth and steps backward. She is shocked by her own action. She has never hit me before. And I know this slap has hurt her more than it hurt me.

I just give her a brief nod blinking back my tears and go upstairs in my bedroom. "Beta I'm sorry.." I hear her words fade out when I slam the door shut behind me.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

*Aslesha*

I won! I actually won! Shit is this a dream?

My name gets announced and I stand rooted in the spot when Pari pushes me forward and I stumble on the stage.

The judges give me a trophy and I receive it with happy tears in my eyes and touch their feet.

I thank them as some photographers click pictures. I search for my papa in the crowd and see him clapping proudly for me. I grin widely and hold up the trophy to show him. He clicks my picture from his phone and I see him telling the man next to him that I'm his daughter with a big smile. And that's the brightest and proudest smile I've ever seen on him.