LOVE - HATE - LOVE

Chapter 22

After a Few Days...

Sakthi expected Aravind to come and help her anytime by anyway. She was expecting his help in any form and she was ready to escape. But as the days passed her hope was going down. She was worried whether Aravind would come to save her after what she did with him during their college time.

Meanwhile Gowtham's behavior also slightly changed towards Sakthi. Though he didn't turn soft towards her, he wasn't violent like before. Mostly he stopped torturing her physically but verbally it happened sometimes. But he didn't treat her with love and respect like a normal couple. Like usual Sakthi was doing all the household chores and she was treated like a servant.

That week Gowtham was out of station for the last few days to complete his project work. Sakthi was very much relaxed so as not to see his face, at least for some days.
But Lakshmi ma filled Gowtham's place and gave cold shoulder to Sakthi. She dumped all the house works on her.

Sakthi was washing the utensils in the kitchen, that time she heard some voice from outside. At first she neglected and continued to work, but later she heard the voice continuously so she followed the voice and went out.

In the garden area she was stunned to see Gowtham and Lakshmi maa talking in a low tone. She wondered how Gowtham came earlier?? What happened?? Because she knew that he was supposed to come only after two days. Has anything happened?? Why did they both look tense?? Sakthi asked herself, she became suspicious and went near them to hear their conversation. She hid behind the pillar and listened to their conversation.

" Gowtham, whatever she did but she has the right to know this news. We need to inform her now" said Lakshmi maa tense.

" But Lakshmi maa everything was over, I got the news only last night. That's why I came early this morning but we can't do anything" said Gowtham, rubbing his forehead. Sakthi didn't understand what they were talking from their conversation but she clearly understood that something big had happened. Secretly she keenly observed their talks and expected anything might be useful for her to escape.

" Gowtham,but she is his daughter, she needs to be there. This is not the right time to take revenge" said Lakshmi maa worried.

Gowtham nodded his head negatively and said hastily " No Lakshmi maa, I can't take such risk. You know right I made lots of efforts to bring her here and also did so much to make her family believe that she was dead now if I take her home in pity everything will be ruined". By now Sakthi understood that they were talking about her. She felt a twitch in her stomach, she panicked that why they were suddenly talking about her family.

" I know but it's the daughter's right to know about her father's demise so she has to know...." Lakshmi maa was interrupted by Sakthi's voice.

" What ?? Wh...hh..aa..tt..?? Are you saying??" Sakthi stuttered, by coming out from the pillar. Gowtham and Lakshmi maa look shocked they failed to answer her question and remained silent.

Sakthi looked at them restless, Gowtham and Lakshmi maa stands speechless. Sakthi was impatiently looking at their shocked faces for a while, her eyes flickered with fear, her forehead filled with with sweat droplets. She shouted " Tell me Gowtham... what happened tell me??"
However she tried tears rolled on her cheeks, she trembled in fear.

Gowtham still stood as a statue, he was worried to how to tell her the truth. Sakthi grows anxious and pulled his shirt collar angrily she bursted out, " Come on Gowtham tell me, I want to know the truth. I heard your conversation. Are you talking about me?? I'm getting scared please tell me everyone in my family is fine. My father...my father...is it he is good??" Sakthi asked him scared. She couldn't continue to speak and looked at Gowtham's face pitiful, she folded her hands infront of him to know the truth about her father. She pleaded " Please Gowtham, what happened??"

Gowtham took a deep breathe and said "Your father is no more" . Sakthi couldn't believe her ears, her whole body trembled, she felt weak go stand on her feet, she was completely broken. Still she have a little hope and she asked him once again with a broken voice. " Gautam please stop your pranks, don't try to scare me I know you want to make me cry so you are lying, my father is well I know that . You please tell me the truth. Is it all lie??" Asked Sakthi with a last hope.

Gowtham remained silent and nodded his head negatively. Sakthi shouted, she cried in pain, she lost her balance and sat on the floor. She cried vigorously by reminiscing her father " Appa.... Appa..."

Gowtham gets pity on her for very first time, his stone face turned soft, his deep and dark eyes shed silent tears. He felt the same pain few years back so he could relate her situation. Lakshmi maa felt bad for Sakthi, she knew the pain of loosing loved ones so she felt Sakthi's pain, but she was helpless. She sat down next to Sakthi and tried to console her but Sakthi was not in that state to understand what was happening. She continued to cry in her father's memories, she recollected how he gave endless love to her.

Shortly after that she looked at Gowtham and asked him while crying "How it happened?? How did my father suddenly die?? He was healthy then how he was dead??"

Gowtham mumbled in guilty, " Day before yesterday evening, your father got a cardiac arrest. Immediately he was hospitalized but the treatment didn't work on him. The same night he breathed his last breath "

Sakthi couldn't believe her father died, she couldn't handle herself. She wants to see her father's face, she want to embrace her mother. She want to be with her family. She begged infront of Gowtham to take her to her family.

" Gowtham please take me to my family, I want to see my father's face once. I want to take part in his funeral. Please Gowtham take me there" Sakthi requested.

Gowtham's eyes expressed an unidentified pain, he said " You can't see him, already his last rites were over. Yesterday itself his funeral were done by your family"

Sakthi hurriedly asked him " How come they do it without letting me know?? I'm his only daughter... " a sudden realization hits her mind that she is no more to her family. They all believed that she was dead. She felt a deadly pain in her heart. She worried for her family members. Sakthi couldn't believe everything happened to her family she was in dead shock. Her heart clenched in pain, when she knew that she can't see her father's face for last time. She felt that she is the most unlucky girl in this world. She was longing to see her father. She asked Gowtham to take her there.

"Gowtham, I want to see my mother, she must be in pain. I want to cry in her arms, I want to console her, please take me to my home. Please Gowtham... please"

Gowtham immediately replied " No "

Sakthi was in damn shock, she looked at Gowtham unbelievable with her blurred vision. Lakshmi maa felt bad and she tried to interfere but he stopped her by showing his hand.

Gowtham took a long breath and continued to say " I got this news only last night, I'm really sorry for your loss. But I can't take you there".

To Be Continued...

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