Realisation And Nurture (BOOK #2) ✔

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

     For Sanchi, Vihaan was still a knight in shining armor. He spent four days working on Lipika's case, including one day transporting her son from Ujjain to Delhi. The second day was spent discussing questions with city police involved in Samar's murder investigation. The third day was wasted detaining her family members with an arrest and, the fourth in successfully addressing a press conference.

Sanchi was given immediate transfer to Indore, as soon as completion of the case that had been assigned to her. A day later, Vihaan brought everybody, including Rohini and her daughter, to the Bundela mansion. He had explicitly asked that she stay with them because she was a member of his best friend Shaurya's extended family, and he could never imagine upsetting him by allowing her to live anywhere else on her own.

Durga and Virendra were compassionate to Rohini and her daughter, they had the illusion that the father of her child was Akash, who was now deceased. Sanchi and Vihaan couldn't help themselves from keeping the truth secret, particularly at Rohini's request.

Sanchi cried as she leaned against the window ledge of her bed, admiring the picture frame set on the wooden nightstand. Vihaan's behavior toward her was normal, but she could feel the apparent cold gulf he had created between them after their last quarrel. She'd even noticed that he'd stopped calling her by her preferred nickname, 'hickory.'

In the late afternoon, Rohini pounded on her door, and when Sanchi approved, the former prompted her way into the bedroom.

"Are you crying, Sanchi?" Rohini rubbed her shoulder and asked her right away.

Sanchi brushed her tears down, her voice trembling with anguish. "I apolo-gize if anyone has misinter-preted you and your dau-ghter. It's all my fault... Much of this is my fault; I've been a liar for mon-ths and have failed to keep the pro-mise I made to my bro-ther."

"No, you're not to blame..."

"You're alw-ays being humble with me, Roh-ini!" Sanchi's eyes were sad and embarrassed at the same time. "I had alre-ady told you that after the child is born, I wo-uld have every-thing in your favor, but I couldn't..."

"When I was unaware of Shaurya's whereabouts, Sanchi, I claimed my rights, which you had assured me under extreme stress." Rohini attempted to justify herself. "Now that I know, I can't spoil anything by telling anyone the truth. Our families are still grieving over Shaurya's situation, so how will it seem if I decide to demand my rights over him?"

"How ab-out you, Roh-ini?" How can you cope wi-th the fabri-cated stories? "

"I'll take care of it. Your parents are shocked by the loss, and now is not the time to share any such details when they don't really like me," Rohini said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm going to try and get Shaurya out of his coma and win over your parents with the spare time I have. I should make an effort to be closer to them, to look after them through challenging times, and to assert them to like my daughter to some degree. I believe Shaurya will reveal everything to them once he has been cured."

"Ask for help if you ne-ed it. I'll go to what-ever extent to get you clo-ser to my parents." Sanchi offered her emotional support.

"I will..." Rohini nodded, her voice gentle. "Now, please assist me and fetch me to Shaurya. I desperately want to see him and inform him that he is now the proud father of a little fairy."

*****

When Rohini walked into the hospital room with her baby in her arms, it was partly dark. It was difficult to keep tears from flowing down her face, particularly when her beloved was in such a terrible state that the brewing feelings in her heart could hardly be prevented.