Hey guys,

Sorry for not uploading the chapter earlier. It just felt like a small writers block where I couldn't write anything even after sitting infront of the laptop for hours. Though everything was clearly plotted in my mind I wasn't able to write.

I hope you will like the Chapter. Once again sorry for the delay.

Vikrant's POV

As I blinked my eyes open the clock stuck 4. Arushi wasn't back home yet. Picking up the phone I tried calling her but she wasn't receiving. Just before I decided to go to the hospital and check on her I thought of calling at the hospital and asking about her. The receptionist informed me that she was still with the patient. I wonder what emergency it is so late which is taking so long.

My sleep was far gone now. My thoughts were pondering over the fact that Arushi's behaviour had changed so drastically once she had received the call. Was it because of the patient? Or because reality dawned her about our little make out session? Wasn't she comfortable or am I just overthinking?

All sorts of thoughts kept my mind busy and the time kept passing by. It was already 5.30 in the morning but there was no sign of Arushi getting back home. She hasn't even tried calling me back maybe for obvious reason that she doesn't know the password of my phone but she isn't even receiving my call and It's freaking the shit out of me.

I finally decided to check on her by myself. Changing my attire into a presentable one I walked out of the apartment after locking the front door. When I was entering into my car I saw Arushi's car taking a turn into the basement. If she was on her way why din't she receive the call when I called her just 10min ago?

I reached her as she parked her car in its bay. The spark that always beams through her eyes is missing. Maybe a bad day at work.

"What happened Jaan?" I asked her cupping her face in one of my hand. Even after a minute of my question there was no response from her. She seemed so lost. Her eyes were dilated her face looked extremely dull. She needs rest I guess.

"Let's get you to bed you need res...." before I could complete my words she was on me hugging me as tight as she could. For a second I was startled but eventually hugged her back. After a minute or so I felt some wetness on my shoulder. Is she crying? Oh God!! she's crying.

"Baby just calm down nothing's wrong. Tell me what happened?" I asked gently stroking her hair but it only made her cry harder. It was scaring me now. I kept rubbing my hand over her back trying to pacify her but nothing affected her. I tried getting her out of my arms to face her and talk to her but she wasn't ready to leave her hold kept tightening every time i tried that.

" We...coul...dn't save he..r Vik..ra..nt. Her in-la..ws ha..d alm...ost burn..t he..r int..o ashe...s." she spoke between her sobs.

"It's ok Arushi. Just calm down... stop crying please." I said concentrating only on her and not on her words because that is what mattered to me now. But as a reflex to my words she pushed me back a little. Behind those tears I could see the anger and rage in her eyes.

"Nothing is ok. Almost 80% of her skin was burnt there was hardly any good skin on her body. How can humans be such demons to burn a living person just because of a little dowry that they did not get? Why can't people change? Why do they have to be such abuser's? Why?" She was almost screaming by the end. Her tears were still endlessly flowing down her cheeks.

I could not understand what to speak. It was like I was dumbfounded by her words. I went a little closer to her and wiped the tears off her cheeks. I scooted her in my arms and started walking back towards home. She was snuggling into my chest still sobbing a little. I dropped her on her legs to open the door. Once I opened the door I picked her up again making my way into the room. After making her lay comfortably on the bed I tucked her into the duvet.

" Sleep you need rest." I said wiping the few tears that were still on her cheeks. She moved closer towards me as I sat beside her running my fingers through her hair until she fell into deep slumber. I wonder if loosing a patient affected her so much or was it because of the dowry part of it?

.

.

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I decided to work from home for the day. After seeing her state some time ago I couldn't bring myself to get to work. It was almost noon when I felt shuffles on the bed. Arushi was awake in a few minutes. She sat up resting against the headboard. There was silence for a few minutes then I felt her resting her head on my shoulder. I wrapped a hand around her while typing a mail from the other I needed to finish it so that I can be a little free to spend some time with her.

In the next few minutes I was done with my work I put the laptop on the side table and rested my back against the headboard with Arushi still in my arms. She still felt a little lost as though she has been thinking of something.

"It's ok to have a bad day at work. Everyday isn't the same right? Please stop thinking so much" I said making an attempt to relive her stress a little. She still kept mum. I could not understand what was troubling her so much and not knowing the exact reasons I could not gather any other words to speak. I did not want to talk wrong words without knowing the whole damn thing.

After what felt like an hour she finally spoke.

"Last night you asked me why I had a sudden change in career choice." I did not understand where this was coming from all of a sudden but I just hummed in response.

"There was a reason behind that." Hadn't she said biology just attracted her? Not wanting to interrupt her thought process I stayed silent. Hell I wanted to know everything about her but she is so reserved. She lives as though her life is an open book and everyone knows everything about her but its just the pole opposite. Every time I think I know her a little there's something new to add on.

"During our class 11 vacations I had brought Mahi home for a sleep over. The next day when I went with her to drop her home We found aunty all bruised and her forehead was bleeding profusely. I had known that Mahi's dad was just like few other males who would abuse their wife for the smallest of their mistakes but just because I took Mahi home without asking his permission he had vented out on aunty. Uncle wasn't at home we did her first aid but the bleeding wasn't stopping at all. Unfortunate to our fate that day was a doctor's strike. We kept going around a few hospitals but not one was taking any patients into the OPD. I felt so helpless at that moment I had put aunty in such pain but I could do nothing to reduce it. The need of a doctor at that minute was so much I had just wished there was a doctor back at home."

I could feel the little tears trickling down her cheeks as she was speaking her past out. Some incidents really have a deep impact on us they change us so much maybe for good or bad but still they drastically change us. I kept stroking my hand on her hair and placed a few kisses on the top of her hair to comfort her a little.

" That day everything changed. I could not imagine any other closed one of mine to be running around places in such condition Hell with closed ones I could not imagine any human to be in such a state. But little did I know few years down the lane my best friend would also be in the same state." she let out a faint laugh. I freeze at her words. I don't want to do anything to discourage her. She was finally opening up to me.

"Her father got her married off when she was just 21. Out of everything in the world I had only prayed for her husband to not be a daemon like her father was but some things don't exactly turn out like we prayed them to be. For 3 years I lived in an illusion that she was having a 'happy married' life because whenever she used to call me she sounded normal and all happy. But I din't know the truth that her husband was controlling her so much that he wouldn't give her the phone or let her call anyone until he wasn't beside her to hear everything that she spoke. Every time I met her that son of a bitch would always tag along with her. I thought it was cute not until I knew the whole truth."

Arushi using curse words would only imply how much she hated someone. She wasn't someone who uses it just like that. Despite those little tears flowing her voice was filled with immense anger and hatred. I had known that Mahi had a troubled marriage and a divorce but the things that Arushi was telling were extreme.

" It was her birthday that day... I had planned to surprise her. Little did I know I would be getting the biggest shock of my life. Uninformed I landed at her house. The door of the living room was wide open when I reached so I was tip toeing inside. I kept wandering around the house and when I finally found her in the kitchen she was laying there in the pool of blood with some burns on her body."

"I was just an interning with a doctor at that time. When we got her to the hospital I was assisting the doctors at the OT. You know Vikrant it was the worst feeling to have someone you loved on that operation table. Those forceps and scalpels felt so foreign. My legs were frozen and my hands were trembling as though It was the first time I was cleaning a wound. It was the worst day of my life. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I wouldn't have gone to her house that day. Just that thought is enough to crumble my senses." she broke down hysterically as she spoke the last few words. Now everything was making sense to me I could reason them the burns, the patient, the domestic violence everything.

I kept mumbling some hushes and soft words to comfort her while stroking her hair. She was in my arms all the while and the wetness of my T-shirt that I could feel only made me upset about the fact that she has cried so much.

"I am sorry about morning and last night. I snapped at you for no reason. I just freaked out when the receptionist said that It was a domestic violence case. I just can't control i don't know why."

"Shhh you don't have to be sorry about anything Jaan. I am happy that you could finally trust me enough to speak it out." Just as I said those words she moved a little away getting out of my arms.

"I've always trusted you Vikrant.... Just that there was never a chance of telling you everything. And last night I did not tell because I did not want to turn the happy clouds gloomy." she said looking straight into my eyes. I just pulled her back into my arms placing a few kisses on her forehead and temple.

We sat there in peaceful silence until I heard Arushi's stomach growl. That's when I realised she hasn't eaten anything after dinner and it's already lunch time.

"You freshen up while I get some lunch for us." I said making my way towards the Kitchen.

When I walked back in the room I found Arushi looking completely fresh just so much better than the disheveled look she had when she had come home this morning. We sat opposite to each other having our lunch in silence until Arushi decided to break it.

"Who's this 'Lifey'?"

Oh god! What's wrong with this woman? She doesn't realise her own phone number? I agree she was disturbed but... Anyways it's fun time now. I thought and smirked internally.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

" 13 missed calls that too in the middle of the night. I felt like banging your phone on the ground. My mind was already so upset and the calls were irritating me so much." she said stuffing her mouth with some rice.

"Who was that?" she couldn't even control until she swallowed.

"Ohh.. that she was Navya. You remember my colleague in Pune." I said digging my head down into the plate because I wasn't really able to control my laughter. I could see her eyes narrow a little and her nose scrunch up.

"Why such names when her parents have given her such a good name?" something is burning... haha..ha.

"Ya but she was just like my life who supported me when I was in Pune." the supported part was true but life?? No Never. That place is just for Mrs. Arushi Shergill.

"Jealous are you?" I said smirking at her when I did not get a reply to my previous statement. Her face looked like a fully puffed up chapati.

"Jealous my foot." she said before throwing a pillow at me and storming out of the room. I couldn't control my laughter. It seriously felt like a ROFL moment but she needed to know the truth at least before she came to any false conclusions.

"Arushi stop...." I said running behind her she had not only stormed out of the room but also out of the house. I couldn't stop laughing even while I was running to catch up the speed with which she was climbing down the stairs. She was fast.

"Arushi stop yaar please" I screamed as we reached the garden area of the building. She finally stopped and turned around glaring at me. I couldn't help but laugh again. After seeing me laugh she again turned off and started walking away.

'Control your laughter Vikrant' I mentally scolded myself before running towards her. I finally caught her by her arm and turned her around. The sudden turn made her bump into me and a few of her hair strands were on her face. Tucking them behind her ears I whispered " I cannot imagine anyone else as my life or my wife. It's just you."

I moved back a little and I could see her puzzled face. I fished out both of our phones from the pocket which I had managed to take before walking out of the house. I dialed my number on her phone and turned around the phones to show her the screens.

For the flash of a second her eyes glinted astonishment but then she was all red blushing in embarrassment. 'Sorry' she mumbled before throwing her arms around my neck hugging me tight.

•••••••••••••••

It's not just about Vikrant right? Even Arushi has her own past and reasons.

I hope you guys liked the chapter.

And I was just wondering if you guys are interested in reading a book about Mahima? If yes then let me know because I am planning to write one.

See you soon with the next update. Until then