Forever Yours, Vrinda

Part 27

About 3 years ago,

"We cannot move forward with the ceremony, Paa!" said Vrinda, deterring her eyes to avoid clashing the accusing eyes of her family.

"Is there any problem, Vrinda?" demanded Bhanuprakash, disapproval obvious in his note as his scowl scorched his daughter bedecked in a splendid ensemble for her engagement ceremony. He could hear the muffled whispers of the employees and the relatives who had arrived down to join them for the celebration, and the apprehension that it brought along was only turning him more hostile.

"I cannot get engaged to Vijay," she responded, locking her eyes closed after hearing the sharp intake of breath from her mother, who was seated next to her.

"What are you suggesting, Vrinda? What is wrong with him? Did you notice any flaw that we missed?" challenged Bhanuprakash, endeavoring to hold on to his tolerance despite his resolve breaking with every passing moment as the murmurs intensified, and so did the uneasiness in him.

"There's nothing wrong with Vijay, Paa. He is a wonderful guy, but I cannot get engaged to him or any other guy," she declared, fortifying her nerves and clenching the bodice of her embellished fusion gown as she replied, "Except Vivaan."

"I knew it!" spat Smitha, causing Vrinda jump in surprise. "I recognized that there was something going on between these two! That ungrateful scumbag finally trapped your girl, Bhanu! Looks like trapping defenseless and good-hearted people really runs in their blood! Like mother, like son!"

"Bua! What are you saying? That's preposterous!" yelled Vrinda desperately. She did not want to tarnish the reputation of either Vivaan or Sucheta, and she had completely neglected the probability of its occurrence when she had been deciding. She turned over to Sucheta, who remained benumbed and perplexed in a corner, drawing scrutiny in a way she had never sought.

"What wrong did Didi say, Vrinda? We kept him close to you to act like your bodyguard and keep you away from cheapsters, and he turned into a cheapster himself," remarked Bhanuprakash, his twisted lip disclosing his displeasure and outrage towards the man she was besotted with.

"He shielded me from the monsters, which I did not even know, existing in my life. Paa, he pulled me away from selective mutism. He encouraged me to pursue my passion of dance. He stood with me in every step of my life. Everyone says I took my first steps with him. How is it wrong to desire to take every step of my life with him?" demanded Vrinda, disbelief coursing through her mind as she glanced around at dozens of pairs of accusatory eyes boring into her.

"In every step of your life? But he does not even seem to be by your side when you are fighting your own father for him. Where is he?" drawled Bhanuprakash, smirking maliciously at Vrinda, who looked towards the veranda opposite to her. She had, herself, restrained him from initiating the talks, like he had wanted. She wanted to be the one to reveal the truth to her father, and she realized her plan had backfired.

Vivaan walked in, sighing profoundly in misery and disillusionment, incapable of meeting his parents' eyes. His brother, Daksh, could only pat at his shoulder as a gesture of solidarity as Vivaan passed by him.

"There he is! Let him also confirm that he is infatuated with Vrinda! Why will he not do that? Being a gold-digger runs in his blood, after all. He is just proving himself to be that wretch Sucheta's son! Neither was he grateful to his father that he gave his name to him, nor was he grateful to his father's employer! Only shameless bastards like him lure and trap rich heiresses like Vrinda. Who knows if he is even Suresh's son or not?" lashed Smitha, relishing the way pain danced on everyone's faces. Vengeance danced to the tunes of destruction as contentment filled her void of heart.

"Bua! Please!" pleaded Vrinda, alternating between Vivaan and Sucheta. She could feel it in her bones it was not going to end well.

"You have said enough, Bua! You have attacked enough and alleged enough! My mother and I never had ill intentions for anyone, but I am afraid that the same cannot be said about you. You said that we trapped warmhearted and vulnerable people, right? My mother and I have loved sincerely and unconditionally. But I do not love Vrinda in the way she does," exclaimed Vivaan, causing Vrinda's hopeful glow to fade into a heartbroken frown.

Daksh, Sucheta and Suresh peered at him in confusion at the flagrant lie that he had pronounced to debase the claims alleged by Smitha. Years of gibes had finally broken his resolve, and they could do nothing but stay silent. Every choice, every act and every word of the involved had simmered down into one circumstance that had sworn to destroy everyone with no mercy.

She stood amidst two warring families, counting on support from childhood best friend who had won her heart, only to be spurned away in the most devastating way possible. His unwillingness to reciprocate her amour had thrown away her self-respect to the wolves.

He had been the ray of optimism in every boisterous situation. Alas, destiny threw her into the vortex of darkness, away from her beloved, torn by shame for letting her family down, and withered by the anguish of betrayal.

She did not understand the reason behind his words. She stumbled back from the sheer force of his words and his public rejection. Why did he show the hope of a beautiful future, only to drown her in the ocean of agony?

"Why, Vivaan? Why did you break every promise made to me when I needed you the most?" she whispered to herself, hoping to find an answer to thousands of questions running through her mind.

The curt bow of his head rendered an unconditional apology to her. The way his eyes stuck to the ground revealed the remorse burning into his conscience. And yet, it could not stop her heart from shattering into thousands of pieces which scattered across in a desert with no hope.