Destroying Myself (Myself #3)

2.5 The Family I Deserve

[ R A H U L ' S     P O V ]

"What are you doing here?" I pinned my gaze to my step-father, sitting leisurely in the living room round seats. The portraits placed on the front wall called my attention, the heavy chandelier hanging was lighted up, the cream walls screamed the luxury they held in them.

It was my favorite room of the whole house.

Dad's wondering gaze halted. "This is some costly house." I nodded, waiting for an explanation from his side.

Beside me, Nisha struggled to keep a composed face and shifted as a sign to leave, but I held her hand tightly and let the maids serve anything they desire in the room. I needed her with me. I needed her presence next to me to handle the words he was going to throw at me. Her face lit up with a smile, giving me a soothing relief.

"Nisha," He addressed her. "Congratulations to both of you." I put my attention back to the man sitting in front of me. "Dhruv called me last night." Who the fuck told him to call anyone from my surrogate family? "I wanted to talk to you alone."

Why? Didn't he kick me out almost a year ago out of his house, claiming how I was a murderer? He didn't even care about the bandages tied around my waist, didn't care where I would go, didn't care I was an orphan.

He just kicked me out.

"Nisha is going to be my wife. I prefer if you talk in front her."

He nodded tightly, placed the glass back on the table and said, "How are you?"

"Best of my life. Mr. Khanna, why are you here?" The room closed within me and when I turned my head to the front, I found Kabir and Alina waiting outside the room. I shook my head to them. Nodding, they stepped back and vanished their presence from the door.

"I'm your dad, Rahul." He crossed his legs. "You can call me dad."

"You were never acted like my dad." My eyebrows stitched together. "You kicked me out."

"I wasn't in my mind," He explained, rubbing his index finger at the temple where the sign of grey hair was present or the lack of hair rising in them. "Veer had died." I nodded. I understood his position. He was his real son. I was nothing. "Because of you."

"No," Nisha interrupted. "Uncle, I'm sorry but if you're here to blame Rahul further, then please leave." I smiled at her intrusion and worry for me.

How could I even fight with this girl in the first place? How I fought for years with her? How couldn't I see how much she mattered to me until one of his men threatened me with her?

"I'm not here to blame him." He uncrossed his leg. "I'm here to take him back to his family." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "He had enough. I apologize for kicking you out. I was shocked by the news of death. He was my only son."

Accept it, Rahul. Be a son again, have a family again, have the last name again, have your own personality that you had lost int he world.

Be their puppet again. Be the investment he had done to you years ago by taking you in because he felt responsible for not saving and fucking your mother. Be the member of a family who hated your whole presence and leaves the one who cared for you.

Nisha tensed beside me, her hand turned sweaty and her lips pursed tightly, but somehow, she managed a smile.

"That's great, isn't it?" She blinked her eyes to remove the wetness of them. "Thank you, Uncle. I should pack your bags. Don't forget we've our engagement next week."

Smiling softly at her words, I chuckled darkly and faced my father. "Where were you when I was living on the streets?"

He gasped. "You were living on streets?"