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Arushi's POV

Turning a few photos in the album he stopped at a photo that had Dad hugging a pregnant lady in it.

"She is my biological mother."

Shocked would be an understatement because I really could not register his words in my mind.

"I know you might be shocked but that's the truth." he said letting out a faint smile.

"Jai Shergill and Nandini Rathod were the two love birds of their college days and eventually they got married. After 2 years of their marriage I was born but unfortunate to my fate she died on the very next day of my birth. My grandparents termed me a bad omen that very day because my mother was the only one who was earning a living for them. Priya maa is my mother's sister she had just graduated when my mother passed away. Back here at home there was no woman who could take care of a new born because Dadi had died already. Against the wish of her parents Priya maa stayed with Dad taking care of me. Eventually the so called society started raising fingers on her for living with a man without being married. So Dad decided to marry her."

He looked up at me with a tear in his eye. His quivering voice was enough for me to know that he needed some support. I held his palm in mine and wiped of the tear from the brim of his eye. I just blinked my eyes asking him to continue because I really wanted to know everything. Everything that troubles him day and night.

"Though my maternal grandparents hated me and never showed even a little love or care they kept in contact with us because of Priya maa. Sometimes their behaviour hurt me but Dadu was always there by my side he loved me like no one else did."

"How did you get to know all of this?" I questioned him because he was an infant back then he wouldn't remember any of it right?

"I had not known any of it until I was 8. That's when Naina and Namik, the two twins were born to mom. I was so overjoyed with their birth. I loved playing with them and having them in my arms.... having those tiny little babies."

I never knew Naina had a twin. Maybe he was the brother Vikrant was talking about. But where is he now?

"One fine day Dad and Dadu were out for some business work. Mom was out to buy some groceries. I was left at home with the twins and my maternal grandparents who had come to visit us. I was carefully climbing down the stairs with Naina in my arms but I don't know how I tripped down the last 2 stairs. I hurt my leg a little but I had made sure nothing happened to Naina. Still my grandparents hit me and were screaming at me. They kept saying I ate up my mother and would hurt the babies as well but I did not understand anything they said because I had always known Priya maa to be my mother.

Their hatred and rudeness kept increasing day by day though Mom always fought back with them for me they never stop speaking out their hatred. Ever since that day I had kept questioning everyone about why they hated me while they loved Naina and Namik so dearly. Why they always said I ate up my mother and will hurt my own siblings. Why they always said I should be killed.

Dadu always tried to deviate my mind maybe because he knew at that age I wouldn't understand anything but that small child's brain wouldn't stop questioning until it received an answer. My maternal grandparents behaviour had started affecting me I had started being very quiet always thinking about why they treated me differently.

When I was 10 I could not take things anymore. I started threatening Dadu to tell me what I had done to deserve so much hatred. That's when he started telling me everything bit by bit. When I knew everything I still did not understand why would they blame me for everything. But as I grew up I realised that they had lost their daughter because of me so somewhere I started justifying their hatred towards me but not for once did Dad Dadu or Mom blame me for anything they always loved me. Dadu loved me so much that I had started ignorning the hatred of my other grandparents."

He had a small smile on his lips but the tears were still flowing down slowly from his eyes. Getting so much hatred at such a young age would surely have an effect on their mind.

He has been silent for sometime now but his hold on my hand was getting stronger. It looks as though he is not able to gather himself to speak something that he wants to.

"Vikrant it's ok if you don't want to tell something. Just don't stress yourself so much." I said wiping the sweat beads that were forming on his forehead though we sat in an air conditioned room.

"Don't you want to know where my brother is?" he questioned me but I did not understand what to reply. I surely wanted to know about him but not at the cost of his health. His forehead injuries are still not healed completely. I don't want him to stress so much and spoil his health.

"If it is troubling you then don't tell. It can wait just don't stress please." I said and handed him a glass of water.

"I was 19 when Dad had gifted me a bike that I had been asking him for. I was so happy that day. Naina and Namik were fighting with each other as to who gets the first ride with me and somehow Namik tricked Naina and we went for a ride late at night. Mom kept on telling us not to go but we wouldn't listen. The stubborn boys we were. I was riding on the Sion-Panvel highway. It was a calm cool breezy night we were enjoying the ride to its fullest but as we were crossing a junction a car rammed into us. I don't know who took us to the hospital but when I got back my senses Dad was there with me. I had just got some minor injuries and a fracture.

When I asked about Namik dad said he was fine little did I know that he was lying. They never let me meet him and only after I was fine I was told that Namik was in coma and it was all my fault. Hadn't I taken him on a drive he wouldn't have been in that state. You know Arushi it was so wrecking to see a 12 year old boy in that state living with the help of those machines. Somehow the hatred of my grandparents and their words started resurfacing in me. All their words all their hate started seeming to be the bitter truth. One whole year my brother lay there lifeless but everyone was just waiting for him to recover. The doctors said his condition was improving but after a few days they declared him Brain dead."

I was dumbfounded by the words that he just said. His tears were a proof of how that incident was still fresh in his mind. I did not wipe them off because they needed to be out.

" And then there is that phase where you begin to feel heavy in your bones your skin your soul. Probably everywhere. I felt lost I did not know how to pick myself up from the mess that was created. I just felt like running away. With days and weeks passing by the guilt was killing me.... guilt of killing your own brother, the guilty of snatching away a son from a mother. I don't know what is mom made up of but not for once did she blame me but my grandparents were always there to dig the wounds deeper. I had realised they were correct I would only hurt everyone so I started distancing myself from everyone. Then I went to London to stay away from everyone and once I was back I started living alone. I had given my family enough pain to suffer for a life time I did not want to hurt them more."

True to the saying to not judge a book by its cover nobody could have ever said that Vikrant held so much pain and guilt within himself.

"Can I lay down in your lap please." he said still tear flowing down his eyes.

He lay down on my lap snuggling more towards my stomach and wrapping his hands around my waist. His tight grip was just telling me that he still feared losing me or for a fact any loved one of his. I kept running my hands through his hair to calm him down to assure him that I was with him because neither did I know what to speak nor did I feel the need of words to comfort him. After a long silence Vikrant looked up at me.

"You know the worst part.... the date when Namik had died was the same date you met with that dreadful accident. I don't want to justify my actions but everything was resurfacing my mind when I was waiting outside the ICU room. I couldn't take the guilty of pushing another person to the pool of death."

"I don't know what exactly should I say but Vikrant whatever happens in our lives is not completely our fault. It's all destined to happen. Just try to let it go I know it's difficult for you to forget everything but atleast stop blaming yourself for everything that happens. You can't stick onto it for a lifetime. You need to let go of your fears only then can you truly love someone else you would always be in a dilemma of loving or not just because you would fear to loose them. Nobody can do any bad to their loved ones it's just the situation that makes you feel like that." he heard me keenly while I was busy ruffling his hair.

"I want to let go of my fears for once just because I want to live freely I want to live my life with you without fearing to loose you. Will you help me out? Will you forgive me for every wrong decision that I have made?" he questioned me while cupping my face between his palms.

"I will." I said as I rested my forehead against his. I knew I would forgive him even if he hurted me infinite times. I will forget all the things said, all the wrong actions done and everything because I did not want to loose him. I dont know why I would do it with zero expectations in return,  this would just make me an idiot but I would still do it. Because that is me. I can't help it.

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I hope you guys liked it.

Happy days coming ahead until my brain doesn't plan for anything evil😜.

See you soon with the next update.