A Scandalous Affair |COMPLETE| AnuPre Fiction

7. Crashing of Waves

A/N: First things first! Thank you so much dear FAM for actually sitting down and responding to each of my questions with so much thought, love and detail. It feels amazing to see that you guys are not only reading my fiction but also spending time pondering over it. It is a real reward to me as a writer :)

I want to alert you before hand, this is quite a roller coaster of a chapter, and that's going to shed light to a lot of things. This chapter will help build you opinion further on each character! So read it carefully! ;) (Now I feel like a teacher) :P

Also, for those of you who asked, you will get your first glimpse of Rishabh's point of view here! No more rambling, catch you at the end of the chapter then!

For now, HAPPY READING! :)

***

Rishabh:

I was sitting on the couch reading a book on my iPad. I wasn't really reading I was merely contemplating. It was late at night, and everyone had retired post dinner, when Anurag and Nivi left. I have known both Prerna and Mishka for a fairly long time, and I could tell, both were not being themselves today. Mishka was trying too hard it seemed, to show how happy she was with Anurag, but I could sense, the happiness didn't reach her eyes. Prerna on the other hand, has maintained a certain distance with me for years, punishing me for a crime I am not aware of. She has been the perfect home-maker, the perfect daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and the most perfect mother. She has performed all the duties of a wife with utmost reverence. But she and shut herself from me, it has been too long to reconcile, and I have accepted this. Therefore, it didn't make sense for her to show so much possessiveness towards me in the evening. Who was it aimed at, I wondered. One would imagine, Prerna to show this possessiveness before Mish, knowing our history, but Prerna has always been alert and indifferent of me in her presence – never over bearing, but keeping an eye all the same. Who else was there for her to act then? I could imagine, Mishka trying to show off her happiness before me, but I couldn't place Prerna's reaction, and that bothered me.

***

Mishka:

I was lying down on my bed, sleep had evaded me. Staring at the dark ceiling above my head and seeing the rickety old fan slowly move in circular motion, I realised something was bothering me. I wasn't feeling okay; I turned to see Mumma sleeping peacefully next to me. I sighed, maybe it was the exhaustion of waking up so early today due to Rishabh, I mean Jiju's arrival.

Rishabh...I had seen him today after a long time; age has finally caught up with him. I could see the fine wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled looking at us in the dawn hours of today. I think I noticed a few grey strands in his sideburns too, but even then he managed to look handsome as ever – like he always did. We spent a couple of hours without Di's overbearing presence, even though in separate rooms and Mumma wide wake and next to me, but it was still something, that time. Agreed, Di never verbally stopped me from meeting or talking to Rishabh; I personally didn't prefer meeting him alone after Di & his wedding, but I had to, when Aadi was born.

Flashback: 10years backs

It was during the time when Di was pregnant with Aadi. She was in her last few weeks into delivery and Mumma was supposed to go and stay with her. Until then, Rishabh's mother was there to look after her, but now with Ritika's examination nearing, she had to return and Mumma had dutifully decided to be there for Di. However, our plans went kaput when, a couple of days before her date of traveling, on her way back from the super-market, Mumma tripped and fell and suffered from a ligament tear in her ankle.