PROMISE TO BE YOURS

CHAPTER 19

Gaurav silently watched Mona pulling her travel bag and hand carry to the sitting room. He was reading but stopped to watch her. She went in and came out with her travelling hand bag and coat. She raised her head and saw him watching her. Gaurav knew it was useless stopping her or warning her still out of respect for the 25 odd years he knew he decided to break his silence "Mona do you really need to make this trip" "Oh so his highness decided to grace me with his words" "stop being sarcastic Mona, can you at least sit for a minute and listen to me" she plopped on the chair close to him "okay are you happy, I am sitting now talk and please be fast I have a plane to catch" "Mona please with this mind set nothing I say will be of any use, out of respect for the love we had and the children we had together" "Gaurav please I do not have time for one of your lectures, cut the drama and tell me what you have to say with the least number of words you possibly can"

"You are making one very big mistake Mona. This is not a good idea please drop it give yourself some time to think please, I begging you here" "Did that old dog or his spineless puppy call you" "Stop calling names, you should be above it, you are not a child even though you are behaving like one" "Okay I have had enough of this. Now listen to me very carefully Gaurav, when I married you I really did love you and the best thing out of that useless marriage was my two children. Out of which you managed to poison Nathan's mind" when he tried to stop her, she raised her hand "I listen to you so now you listen to me very carefully. I lost Nathan's love and respect only because of you. If you had kept your mouth shut about Mohan's death he would have never left home and I would have at least one of my children with me but thanks no thanks you deprived me of that pleasure by telling him all that information he did not need to know" she paused looked at the wall clock "Now about Shanika, she is the best gift you could have given me. I put my heart and soul to bring up my children and give them everything I can. When Gauri was pregnant and she delivered a son you know I told you I wish my first child would be a girl so Raghav could marry her. This was because I knew he will one day get all the Singhania wealth and my children will have a good life.

"Mona, I agree with all that but your wish could have materialised if Raghav lived in the UK and if Rudhi had not come into his life. If Gauri was alive even then it could have happened. But god had other plans. Gauri was gone, JRS had only Raghav and Rudhi was a beacon of light in their life. Raghav was fascinated with her from the day she was born, Shanika never had a chance. You saw how protective he was when they first visited us here" "Gaurav you had your blinkers on then and still do. That old fool was more in love with that useless piece of dirt more than his son" "You know that is not true" "you don't get it do you Gaurav, here I am fighting for my child's life and you are still defending that good for nothing brother-in-law of yours and his brat" "If you were in your rational mind, you will never say that Mona, you know deep down what I am saying is right, please I am begging you, do not touch Raghav or Rudhi, this time JRS is not going to be as generous as he was the previous times. "Oh don't worry, I am not going to touch your precious nephew and his keep. This time my target is their illegitimate brat" "They have a baby together" "yes when your so called nephew married my daughter he had already fathered a child" "so what, Shanika did the same thing and she did not even know who the father was, it was JRS who covered up the truth to save your grandson and Mrs. Gupta". Mona raised both her hands in exasperation "It's useless talking to you Gaurav. You are worried about everyone in the Singhania house and have completely forgotten about your daughter" "That is right Mona, I have forgotten about her, she did not just ruin her life, she ruined my 25 year old marriage, she turned you into one vicious woman I don't even know, she spoilt the good life we both had, she spoilt my image and reputation among our family and friends and she also ruined my only son's life, so you are right I have not just forgotten her, I don't have a daughter so my only request is please do not spoil your life any further. She chose the life she is leading now. Please stop trying to do the impossible and get on with your life. Keep the little dignity you have and let me warn you my dear wife, if you fumble this time and meddle with his kids life he is going to finish you and don't tell me I did not warn you"

"Wait a minute, does this mean you are still talking to that old fool" "No, I am stating a fact, I know my brother-in-law he is not going to take any more nonsense from you, Shanika is out of their life and if Rudhi is back in their life then they are not making all sorts of plans to continue with their life as it was before. You trying to ruin it will only anger him and make him do something rash. This time it's not Shanika who will be at the receiving end, it will be you and mind you he is not going to spare you". Mona stood looking at Gaurav but picked her bag. Gaurav knew it was no use pursuing this matter any further.

Mona did not want to drive so she took a cab to the airport. She sat thinking about what Gaurav had said. He did make sense but she did not want to let go. While her only daughter was lamenting in a jail of a country far away from home. She could not even see her child when she wanted. In no time she reached the airport, so she paid the driver and hurried in telling her inner self that she will have time to reminiscence the past while she sat on a plane for a 7 hour journey. Mona completed all formalities and hurried towards her window seat. Once she was seated and belted she wore the ear phones and put the world out of her orbit.

A/N:

Some learn by watching. Some learn by listening. Some learn by following. 

A few stubborn ones have to learn the hard way.