Vihaan Mehortra had never been this angry at anyone before but he was furious now. The only reason he held back from physical altercation is his wife who stood beside him. They have been married less than 24 hours and he brought her to the police station first.

Not just his wife but his father in law as well. If the word spreads out then his whole family would be standing alongside him. He knew that and unfortunately the bastard before him didn't know that when he hurt his sister.

Vihaan would probably blame himself a million times later for not noticing his sister's distress. Although she kept it a secret from him not to add more pressure during his wedding. Vihaan wished he knew ahead of time so he could have prevented this from happening in the first place.

Vihaan knew someone else who blamed themselves the most, his sister's mother who let the monster inside their life. Vihaan knew there was a boyfriend, but he didn't know they got engaged recently or that his sister felt upset about the development because she didn't like her mother's fiancee.

His sister had been hesitant to voice out her displeasure because she didn't want to stand in the way of her mother's happiness. Until today when that bastard came home drunk and refused to leave when his sister informed him that her mother was not home as she was out for a work emergency.

"Get used to it. We are going to live together soon enough " he had told her according to Lavanya's written statement and then proceeded to get drunk and first get into a verbal altercation with her when Lavanya refused to come out of her room and broke her door in an attempt to get inside.

It had been enough to scare his sister that she rushed out of her home and stumbled on to his house for refuge. It took Vihaan and his Angel more than an hour to get her to calm down before telling them the entire truth.

His sister continued to be hesitant of telling the entire truth to her mother. But Lavanya had been able to convince her, she wasn't to blame.

Vihaan heart broke when he heard his sister asking him if it was somehow her fault. If this wouldn't have happened if she cooked for him as he requested but she had been to scared to go out of her room with a drunken stranger.

"It is never your fault Lavanya. You choose to protect yourself and I am so proud of you. " Vihaan spoken up and when her mother rushed to his home after he called her. She reassured her daughter with the same truth.

Vihaan logically knew there was no one to blame except that monster but he also knew everyone would feel their share of blame for quite sometime as they healed together.

His sister's mom might blame herself for getting engaged to someone and not knowing how much it affected her daughter. Vihaan will blame himself for not realizing how his sister felt, while he was glad she had been unharmed physically. He knew it was a close call.

It had been the reason they were in the police station now to file a complaint. Vihaan didn't know the legal ramifications of the case, it was why he had his father in law with him.

Even if the law couldn't punish him as he deserved since he didn't physically harm his sister by the altercation. And most of his behavior would be considered as drunken altercation. The fact he had been the fiancée would give him a lot of leeway as well. But Vihaan knew his father in law, so trusted him to do all he can legally.

Also Vihaan was relieved that they got to know the truth before the marriage and thus with one ring returned back or in this case thrown at him. His sister's mother was free from a relationship that would have turned toxic soon.

Vihaan had seen it with his parents. Men addicted to their drinks enough to alter their behavior under its influence should never get to have a family.

"Vihaan, I will take Lavanya and his mother to our house. You both should get some sleep" his father in law spoke up once they got out of the police station. When he hesitated, his sister insisted on it because she already felt bad that she disturbed him on their wedding day.

****************

Lavanya knew she should let him be alone for sometime. It had been hard for Vihaan to see his sister in danger and him not being able to prevent it somehow.

When they both entered the house, he asked her to get some sleep while he stayed behind on the living room. Lavanya didn't like the distance between them as it hasn't been 24 hours since they got married.

But she was also aware of how much it would have affected Vihaan. Until Lavanya was old enough to realize not all family tends to be similar to hers, she did have a naive concept of family.

Because she never seen anything differently, she was blessed with a loving family. Every family she known all her life were anything but lovely. Her aunts and her uncles had their own little perfect family just like hers that she was naive enough.

Until she grew up and learned differently. When she met Akash's mother first and saw how she was treated by her husband she had been shocked and concerned. She never knew how someone can use physical violence against family over any reason.

Then there was Vihaan. Someone who never really knew the good side of family until now. Growing up with a abusive parents had ensured he wasn't naive as her even when they were young. It was hard for him to believe he could be part of a loving family for so long that she was so proud that he had trusted his heart with her and her family.

Now just when they got married, life threw an obstacle on their path that must have scared him. Lavanya was thankful that the engagement was off, and Mrs Rathore seemed clear enough on her stance that is with her daughter over anyone else.

For Vihaan it must have brought painful memories back and so she let him have his alone time for however long he wanted, but a part of her still wished he could share it with her.

Just few hours ago she asked to be held by him when her heart was breaking apart to know about Dida's health and now he was holding himself apart from her when he was obviously hurting and that bothered her a lot.

Lavanya might have grown up naive believing all families are like hers but she also learned a lot from observing her parents. The way they leaned on each other, the way they always shared everything with each other.

When she asked Vihaan to hold her earlier, it was because of what she observed from her mother. Every time her mother comes home after a trial in court, she would walk directly towards her father and ask him to hold her.

When she was old enough she asked her mother why she continues to hug her dad after every case. Lavanya had assumed her mother would say something like she missed him or loves him but her answer still stuck in her mind.

"Because every case showcase the darker sides of human, I get emotionally weaker after getting exposed to it . Being held by your father is my way of reassuring myself that I am not alone in the world. In simple words he is my strength , my support system. Someone who can make everything better." her mother's words stayed with her for a long time.

It was the reason she walked out of their room in search of her husband. Lavanya wanted to be Vihaan's partner, someone he can lean on when life gets tough. She knew Vihaan was used to suffering alone, he never had grown up with a family that tends to share their burden together.

While she was content with whatever level he shared with her before their marriage because she knew he needed time. Now she feared if on the first day of the marriage she let the distance remain, it will set the precedent for the entire marriage.

Lavanya would accept his rejection if he wanted to be alone when she found him but she had to try for both of their sake. Because Lavanya wanted a marriage where both shared not only the happiness but also the sadness.

When she found Vihaan sitting alone in the living room looking distraught, she knew she made the right decision as she walked up to him and sat beside him.

"Sorry Angel" two words reached her when Lavanya sat beside him.

"For what?" Lavanya asked him as she waited for Vihaan to share with her. What was bothering him.

"I don't know, for everything I suppose. First I told you about Dida and made you upset, then I dragged you to police station on our wedding day and now just when I was supposed to be sleeping beside my wife, I am sitting here alone because I am stuck in my past memories. I didn't want you to get affected by my mood" Vihaan spoke up distraught that Lavanya's heart tugged in pain for him.

"You know what being married means Vihaan. It is not only for the good times. Being married means you can always rely on me, you can always share everything with me. My mom used to call my dad, her strength and dad used to call mom, his happiness. That is what being married means Vihaan, we have not just signed some papers, we have intertwined our lives together with a promise of forever.

So you never have to hide anything from me because it would make me sad, you never have to suffer alone because you don't want me hurt as well. I will leave you alone if being alone is what you want at the moment. But I just want you to know that you doesn't have to face it alone" Lavanya spoke up and got up to leave before she heard those two words that changed her mind.

"Please stay" Vihaan spoke up and so she did stayed by his side and listened in as he spoke up about what was troubling him and how everything that happened today made him recollect his past and it scared him that his sister would have been stuck in such a situation like him.

"All my life even when I never knew where my sister was, I had been relieved and hopeful that she was at least safe from my father fists or the orphanage owner's cruelty. It scared me tonight that history could have repeated itself tonight " Vihaan spoke up concerned about his sister and it might be naiveness in Lavanya's part or it might be the firm belief in her family's goodness that made her spoke up those next words in offer of comfort.

"You were alone when it happened to you Vihaan, there was no one to save yourself until you did it on your own. But your sister got all of us. She got her family beside her, she got you a protective brother, she got her mother who would prioritize her daughter over everyone else, she got Yuv, she got me, she got Anjali , she got our whole family. Countless of aunts and uncles that she would never be alone.

What happened tonight was hard on all of us but your sister choose to come to you. Even if you weren't available she would have went to Yuv, my parents or Rajeev bhai or anyone else in our family. She always knew she can reach out to anyone of us. That is the reassurance we gain from being part of a family. We might not be able to prevent all the mishaps of life, but we will always be able to help each other out through it all " Lavanya spoke up to reassure him. She was relieved to find her words offered him the comfort as she wanted and he fell asleep a little later as exhaustion finally overtook him.

******************

Vihaan had to carry his sleeping wife back to their room. He didn't know when he fell asleep but when he woke up, he found his wife asleep next to him leaning on his shoulder.

His heart warmed up to see how his Angel choose to confront him last night and not let him suffer alone and decided to sleep in an uncomfortable sofa with him over their comfortable bed. It had been one of the millions reason he continued to be awed by her.

He didn't want to wake her up from her sleep, so he carried her inside their room. As he lay beside her, he assumed sleep would evade him now, but when his wife's arm wrapped around his chest. He felt lighter as if just her mere presence beside him was enough to make everything better.

As he drifted off to sleep with her. He knew the truth behind his wife's words earlier. Vihaan didn't have to fear for the same past happening again because he was no longer the same person all alone. He had his family with him.

Being married indeed means sharing every aspect of their life with each other. It had been the reason, few hours later his Angel was with him as they drove to the hospital next to get Dida admitted for her surgery.

Over the next two days, his Angel spent most of her time in the hospital with Savitri Dida, and according to the nurses Dida had more visitors over the two days it took till the surgery was scheduled.

On the day of the surgery, his wife was there as well with everyone who cares for Dida. The waiting room was close to full due to his family,

On a impulse he held his wife in an embrace for a long moment of time before walking into the surgery. As if holding her close to him held all the answers to the surgery while in truth her presence gave him the emotional strength he needed that day.

Before Vihaan might have worried over the outcome of the surgery more because losing someone is always harder but over the two days of being married, he had grown to accept what his angel told him. Life will have its way but he doesn't have to face it alone.

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P.S :" The End. Let me know your thoughts and feedbacks. Hit the votes if you liked it. "

P.P.S:" Also I have it on my mind to change Vihaan's sister name from Lavanya to something else because it does get confusing over time to type the same name for both of them. So any name suggestion are welcomed and I might make the edit once I compete the final book in the series as well. "