Written In Stars (Ashlok version) Sample

Ch 60

NA nodded. Romila went out leaving pin drop silence in room.

Anjali,''NA I think we...''

NA turned to shlok,'' why astha was using public transport to go to college? don't you know she never travelled in local transport or that public transport in certain areas is not safe for a girl?''

Shlok remained quiet.

NA turned to astha,''why didn't you tell me or your ayi or anyone about it?''

Astha remained silent too.

NA,''will you both speak up!!''

Shlok,''baba its private matter between me and astha.''

NA,'' what did you say! private matter?''

Shlok looked away from NA,''she needed to be independent, she can not always rely on others.''

NA,'' and who are you to decide that?''

Shlok,'' I am her husband!''

NA could feel his anger mount,''so that gives you the right to do whatever comes into your mind? what if something happened to her? I can't believe it, I was wrong to trust you.''

Shlok's temper gave away and he surged to his feet and shouted,'' I didn't ask for this trust! you made me marry her against my wishes, and saddled me with a wife who was more a child in temperament than an adult. I did what I thought was right, thousands of girls use the same transport system daily, why shouldn't astha use it? nothing happened to her!''

NA looked at him like he was looking at a stranger,''you are still stuck on that?''

Shlok took a deep breath,''Its hardly something I can ever forget!''

NA stared at him and then looked at astha who was silently crying hearing them fight,she looked just like she had the day at airport when she had called him for help.It wasn't just the medicine, shlok was the reason she had gotten into that state.

He felt like someone suddenly struck him a blow,he looked at the angry shlok to crying astha and realized that he had made a big mistake, he shouldn't have gotten them married.

NA went and sat down beside astha and pulled her into his arms,'' why didn't you tell me?''

Astha looked at ayi who was sitting on sofa like she had turned to stone, her eyes showed her panic,''baba please, don't ask anything. Just let it go.''

NA,''how can I let it go? I should have realized something was wrong.''

Astha's heart broke hearing the deep sorrow in his voice,''No,baba please don't blame yourself, it was not that hard,nearly everyone in my class travelled on local transport and I quickly learn it too.''

NA pulled away to look into her eyes,''what are you afraid of?''

He glanced at shlok who was pacing the room angrily and listening to them, a new thought came into his mind and he asked astha quietly,''are you afraid of him? you can tell me everything, you have nothing to be scared of, I am here.''

Astha,'' baba, no its not like that, I...I don't want our family to break.'' the words slipped out of her mouth in her haste to assure baba that she was not afraid of shlok.

NA felt like crying himself, the little girl was trying to protect the family, it explained everything that why she did not tell anyone anything. She had tried to stay away from shlok by shifting to another room but she had to go back there. Both were miserable in this relationship but both were scared to say anything. what if there was more which these two were hiding?