64. Beginning Of Truth #2
"But you're my everything." I brushed my thumb across her cheek and leaned closer, one hand resting against the desk behind her.
She looked away.
"No. Everything isn't me. Everything is what keeps people standing when life falls apart. Money matters. Business matters. Security matters." Her voice trembled slightly. "And we both know Kingsley is doing all this because I married you."
I immediately shook my head.
"No. Kingsley is doing this because he's a bitter man who can't tolerate not getting his way. Stop taking responsibility for someone else's actions."
"But that's the truth."
"No, it's not."
"It is." Her eyes turned glassy. "And I can't sit here watching you suffer because of me. I know how much this company means to you. It's not just business. It's your family's legacy."
I remained silent because she wasn't wrong about that part.
"This company carries your grandfather's name, your father's hard work, your family's dreams." She swallowed. "I don't want to become the reason all of that gets damaged."
She placed her palm against my chest and pushed me back slightly. "And I don't want to take advantage of your love the way I did before."
My brows furrowed.
"Dhwani-"
"No. Let me say." She shook her head. "When I wanted my brother back, I was selfish. I thought only about what I wanted. I never thought about what it would cost you. But I won't do that again."
I caught her wrist gently and pulled her closer. "What would you do then?"
She looked straight into my eyes with those honey-brown ones. Eyes that always gave her away no matter how much she tried hiding her emotions.
"I will..." She swallowed. "I will go and tell her we need her help."
My jaw tightened instantly. " Why?"
She stepped closer and cupped my face looking up at me."
because you only see the lengths I went to for my brother," she said, her thumb brushing my cheek.
"You have no idea what you're to me. For the first time in my life, I found someone I want to keep more than my own peace. And I would cross every fucking limit for you."
"Alright! You want me to take her help. Fine, I will do that. But in return, you have to tell me what happened seven years ago that made you hate her so much. Will you?"
She sniffed. "I actually came to talk about that only."
My brows lifted. " Really?"
"Yeah... but now the plan has changed because I want to talk to Ishaan first. We will talk at night."
She pulled my face down and pecked my cheek.
"Wait." I caught her hand. "Ishaan? Why?"
She picked up the lunch box from the table and held it against her chest.
"Because he always shows me the right path when I feel lost. Also, I want to give him lunch."
I stared at her then at the lunch box. Then back at her.
She smiled innocently and walked out of my cabin carrying that damn lunch box against her chest.
I settled on my chair and rubbed my forehead.
Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
I was her husband. That man was literally my employee. Yet somehow Ishaan managed to become everyone's favorite person without even trying.
What exactly was his secret? Did he distribute free emotional support coupons when nobody was looking?
I shook my head.
The worst part was I couldn't even hate it. I opened the lunch box and focussed on pasta instead.
I knocked on Ishaan's cabin door.
Usually personal assistants don't get private cabins, but Yugant cared about Ishaan far more than he admitted. That's why he had his own cabin since the beginning.
Though honestly, this was probably the first time I was visiting him here.
"Come in." His voice came from inside.
I pushed the door open and stepped in.
Ishaan looked up from his laptop. He didn't exactly look happy to see me, but he wasn't disappointed either.
Then again, reading emotions on his face was harder than solving mathematics. The man was literally a question mark drawn on a blank page.
"Umm... hey." I lifted the lunch box slightly. "I brought lunch for you."
"Thanks, but you didn't have to." He pointed toward the lunch box already sitting on his desk. "I always bring my own."
He was probably about to eat.
"It's fine." I walked closer and placed mine beside his. "You're family."
One of his brows lifted slightly.
The look clearly translated to: Lunch delivered. Mission complete. You may leave now.
I ignored it completely and pulled a chair.
"Actually... I need some advice."
His expression instantly turned blank again.
"And I'm not in the mood to give any."
"I really need it."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Ishaan..."
He sighed heavily. "Why do people keep treating me like some unpaid therapist?"
"Because your advice works."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
"It doesn't."
"It really does."
He stared at me for three seconds before giving up. Then he opened both lunch boxes.
"I am not in the mood to argue with your husband again," he warned while taking the first bite. "So whatever information you gather here better stay between us."
I smiled. "Of course."
He narrowed his eyes. That probably meant he didn't believe me. Even I didn't believe myself here.
"Anyway," I continued, "what you said to Yugant was..."
"It was true." His answer came immediately.
I swallowed.
"I don't know what happened in your past, but your mother was-"He stopped halfway. His gaze moved toward my face. "I mean... Ms. Arora was..."
My brows furrowed. "Wait. Why do you keep calling her Ms. Arora?"
"Because that's her name."
"No." I shook my head. "She is married to Udayveer Ranawat. My father."
The name still felt strange on my tongue after all these years. "He is one of the biggest industrialists in mumbai and she was always known as Mrs. Ranawat."
Ishaan calmly took another bite of pasta. Then shook his head. "Nope."
Arghh... this man and his one words.
"What?"
"Nope. She is Ms. Arora."
"What do you mean?"
"As much as information I gathered before hiring her, she lives in a flat in Bandra." My fingers tightened around the chair. "With her father and..." he paused while checking something on his tablet. "A daughter."
A daughter.
The words landed like a punch to my chest.
For a second I forgot how to breathe.So the girl I saw with her at the temple on my birthday... she was actually their daughter. They really moved on from me.
Just like that.
The thought shouldn't have hurt. After seven years it shouldn't matter. But it did.
"And my father?" I asked, trying hard to keep my voice steady. "What about Udayveer Ranawat?"
Ishaan frowned.
"I've never heard that name mentioned anywhere in relation to her."
My stomach dropped. "What?"
"I'm serious."
He looked genuinely confused.
"This is actually the first time I'm hearing she has a husband. Otherwise I would've assumed he was dead or something."
"Ishaan!"
The word left my mouth instantly. How could he say that so casually?
He looked at me for a moment before asking, "So you were more attached to your father?"
My gaze dropped automatically. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes, but I wiped them away before he could notice and gave a small nod.
I loved him more than my mother. I was attached to him more and he took my side when my mother was standing against me.
"You weren't worried about the mother who was crying for you," Ishaan said, putting the spoon down, "but you're worried about a father who hasn't even shown up once in the last forty-eight hours?"
I looked up at him. "What do you mean? I don't understand anything."
A humorless smile touched his lips.
"You understand everything, Dhwani. You just don't want to accept it."
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
"The woman you refuse to call your mother looked like she was dying to touch you once. She stood there bleeding, crying, practically begging you to listen to her, and still you pushed her away. Meanwhile, the father you're so worried about is nowhere to be found. No calls. No messages.
No desperate attempts to see you. Doesn't that seem strange?"
My fingers tightened around the edge of the chair.
As much as I hated admitting it, he was right.
All these years I never contacted him because I convinced myself he had also moved on, that they were happy together and didn't need me anymore.
But now nothing made sense.
If they were happy, why wasn't she living with him?
If they had another daughter, why was she living with my Naanu instead of her husband?
The questions were becoming heavier than the answers.
I took a deep breath and stood up.
"Call her again."
Ishaan frowned. "Who?"
"Ms. Arora."
His hand stopped midway to his mouth.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not doing that." He shook his head immediately. "She agreed to take this case after a lot of convincing, and then whatever happened at Raizada Mansion. Honestly, I can't even face her after that."
I knew exactly what he meant. My behavior. The way I pushed her. The blood on her forehead. The guilt twisted uncomfortably inside my chest.
"I'll apologize."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I mean it," I continued. "Whatever happened between me and her, I won't let it affect Yugant anymore. This case is important, and I don't want him paying the price."
Ishaan didn't say anything. I took that as my answer.
Without saying anything further, I turned around and walked out of his cabin. The moment the door closed behind me, I exhaled slowly.
?
I had dinner with Dadi, Dadu, and Dhrithi as Yugant was late again. I even called him to ask when he would return, but he said it would take another half an hour. Not wanting to sit alone with my thoughts, I made my way toward Dadi's room.
Dadu was in his study, probably reading something as usual.
"Daadi, can I come inside?" I knocked softly on the door.
"Yes, beta."
I pushed the door open and found her preparing the bed.
"What happened?" she asked immediately. "Do you need anything?"
I nodded.
Her hands stopped. "What do you need?"
I swallowed hard.
"Can I... cry with my head in your lap?"