Bichadna vi jaroori tha (Separation was needed)

Truth

Shravan woke up startled at hearing a piercing scream. He saw Ishita on the couch sweating. It had been a month of their wedding and also a month of Shravan finding Ishita screaming at night.

It pained him to see her suffering. But he couldn't forget what she had done. It was not easy to forget.

Days passed and their relationship strained more. There was lots of tension.

Ishita was slowly slipping into depression.

It was Ishita's birthday and there was lots of preparation going on for the party but Ishita was not happy. She didn't want a party. She wanted Shravan's love and a simple wish from him.

Ishita's father in law couldn't see his bahu getting sadder even more, so he decided to speak with his son.

"Son, are you alright?" He asked

"Yes dad" Shravan replied. There was nothing right in his life.

"I don't think so beta. How much more will you punish her for the crime she didn't even do" His father asked irritated

"No fault? No fault! Of all the people, how could you say that papa!" Shravan shouted angrily.

"Everyone has to let go of past. She has been crying for godsake for three years. She is falling into depression waiting for you!"

"So you are saying I should forget about Maa! You want me to make a family with the murderer who killed my mother? No, never! I cannot love a killer. She disgusts me!" Shravan shouted.

Amidst all of this, they heard a heart wretching sob. Shravan found the source to be Ishita. So she had heard everything. Somewhere in Shravan's heart, it ached.

Ishita was unable to stay there anymore, so she ran, ran away from everything.

Niharika, Shravan's sister couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't let her brother destroy his life nor Ishita's for her sake.

"Enough bhaya! It wasn't Ishita that night! It was me who was driving the car! Maa died because of me! Me!" Niharika let out all the emotions, truth she had hidden inside her.

Shravan stared at his sister as if not believing what he heard.

"What?" Shravan whispered.

"Ishita was protecting me all the time. Mom died protecting me. She used herself as my shield. Ishita tried to stop me from driving that day but I didn't listen. Don't hate Ishita please. Don't hate me" Niharika sobbed louder.

Her father took her daughter in his arms and hugged her. He always knew the truth but was silenced by Ishita and Niharika.

It was shocking revealation for Shravan. All these years he had hated Ishita for what she had never done.While Ishita being the girl she was, took all the blows given by him silently.

She didn't protest when he had made the decision of leaving her and going abroad three years back. He had always known that she didn't want to be separated from him. But to protect his sister, she sacrificed her life.

He was an idiot.

He comforted his sister. He didn't want 'hate' anymore in his life. He knew what it had done to him and others. He knew how his hate had broken Ishita.