CHAPTER 23: OH, THE GUILT?!
SCENE 1: Vansh reveals that kabir is his brother…
Riddhima: Brother?!
Vansh: Yes Riddhima! He is my brother! Own brother!
Riddhima: That’s why you both hate each other?!
Vansh: I hate him because of that! I don’t know why he hates me, anyway i don’t give a damn! *he goes back to the car and sits, while riddhima is still perplexed*
Riddhima’s pov: What? They both are brothers? But…if he is his brother, then why does he hate him? If this is vansh’s reason, then what is kabir’s side….*she is broken from her thoughts on hearing car horn and sits in the car*
Riddhima: Vansh…
Vansh: No riddhima! Enough! I need some peace, for god’s sake, just leave me!
SCENE 2: Paritosh and Sulekha come to VR mansion…
Sulekha: Why did riddhima’s boss call us to his home suddenly?!
Paritosh: I don’t know, we will know once we go inside…let’s ask that security guard…
Security: Do you have permission?
Paritosh: Your boss, i mean Vansh sir only called us, we are one of his employee’s parents, riddhima’s parents…
Security: Oh! You are mam’s parents? I am sorry, please come inside…
Paritosh & Sulekha: Mam?!
They go inside…
Dadi: Anupriya! Riddhima’s parents are here…
Anupriya: I am coming Ma…
Dadi: Please come inside and take a seat….
Sulekha: Hello, we are riddhima’s parents..
Anupriya: We know! In fact, vansh called you here to speak to you about something very important..
Paritosh: Important? Is my daughter alright? I am sorry i am not getting anything, and we are scared also, vansh sir told us about the accident, and riddhima has also not called from long time…
Riddhima and Vansh enter the house…
Riddhima: Ma? Papa? *she runs and hugs them*
Sulekha: How are you dear?? We got so worried…
Riddhima: I am fine..
Her mother notices the nuptial chain…
Sulekha: What is this?? Why are you wearing a magalsutra?
Paritosh: Answer your mom riddhima? Why are you wearing a mangalsutra?
Vansh: Uncle, auntie, please take a seat, we can explain…
Paritosh: Explain? What is going on riddhima? When did you marry? And more importantly who did you marry?
Riddhima: Pa..pa..papa, i..
Sulekha: Riddhima! Answer!!!
Vansh stands in front of riddhima…
Vansh: Please take a seat…
Her parents sit down …
Paritosh: Now will someone explain to us?
Vansh; Uncle, please…calm down, i can understand your anger, it’s completely justified….but please don’t be angry on her, it’s not her fault…
Paritosh: Is she married to you?
Vansh: Yes uncle, if you give me a chance i can explain, everything….*he explains the situation* And to save our family reputation she agreed to marry me…
Paritosh: But we missed our one and only daughter’s wedding….
Vansh: Uncle don’t worry about that also, we will marry again in front of you both if needed…but please don’t be angry on her…instead try and understand her situation…
Dadi: Yes, she is a gem of a girl…and we are more than obliged to have her as our family member, we will always be indebted to what she did to save our reputation…
Sulekha: We need to talk to our daughter, alone…
They go inside a room…
Riddhima: Ma, papa, i will understand if you guys are angry with me!
Sulekha: We are indeed disappointed with what happened! But after knowing that you married Vansh, we are happy…
Paritosh: Yes! I saw how he stood by you, and supported you…We could never have found such a guy for you riddhima..
She looks at them shocked..
Riddhima: But…
Sulekha: No riddhima, he is a very nice guy, we know that, remember when you had accident, he called us personally, and explained everything, and promised us that he won’t let anything happen to you…and today, he stood by a you…and took the responsibility on himself…
Paritosh: And it’s hard to find a guy like this, I know this marriage happened so fast, that even you didn’t get the time to rethink the decision, but give this marriage a chance…don’t ever hurt him intentionally riddhima, these are the only things we are asking you…so?
Riddhima: I will never try to hurt him papa…
Riddhima’s pov: I am sorry papa, my very motive of this marriage is to hurt him, how can i forget that promise, the promise i made to myself? He is not what you all think him to be…but i have seen his true face….
Sulekha: We should go out now….
They come out..
Paritosh: Vansh, we have no objection with your marriage…
Vansh: Thanks uncle…
Vansh & Riddhima take their blessings…
Dadi: Now you both go and freshen up, you both were out the whole night! And Mr. Paritosh, you and your wife can stay here for a while…
Paritosh: Actually, we would be happy to stay, but i have very important meeting tomorrow, so we may have to leave in the evening, Vansh called us saying it’s urgent, so we came here, as you can see we didn’t bring our luggage also!
Dadi: But next time you both should stay atleast for a month!
Sulekha: Sure..
Dadi: You also go freshen up, i will tell the workers to set up the table for breakfast…
SCENE 3: Riddhima has freshened up and she is waiting in the room, for vansh to come out…
Riddhima’s pov: I should talk to him, about what happened earlier…and probably thank him also, i don’t know there is an unknown feeling, like i am feeling bad for what i said to him about killing kabir…i should apologise, i should not have gone near that matter, he was hurt, he reminds me soo much of abhi, and though he is nothing like him, i can’t see his face sad, i feel like, i am hurting abhi…
Vansh comes out…
Riddhima: Vansh, i need to talk to you…
Vansh: Not now Riddhima…
Riddhima: No Vansh, you will listen to me now, earlier you spoke i listened, now it’s my turn, now i will talk and you will listen!
Vansh: FINE! Go ahead…
Riddhima: Thanks for what you did, i mean for explaining to my parents…
Vansh: Oh, never mind..
He is about to leave
Riddhima: Vansh..
Vansh; What?
Riddhima: I..i..am sorry for what happened earlier, i didn’t know…that it would hurt you so much..
Vansh: *he turns around, holds her arms and pins riddima to the wall* You didn’t know? You don’t know anything Riddhima! You just make some assumptions and you try your level best to believe those assumptions and when you realize that your assumption was wrong, and after you hurt me, you say a sorry, as if it would fix the damage you have caused!
Riddhima: Vansh..Leave me, you are hurting me…
Vansh: *loosens his grip* I can see your pain riddhima, but are you able to see mine? If not as a wife, can you see my pain as a fellow human being?
STAY TUNED TO KNOW WILL THEY EVER FIND SOLACE AND PEACE WITH EACH OTHER?
LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FOUND THIS CHAPTER IN THE COMMENTS…