zeal of his love

EXTREME

Vansh stumbled down the stairs, running towards the painting, ready to put out the fire with his hands when Riddhima came in between, holding him by the shoulders

"Riddhima, please hat jao, ma mai ma ko kuch nahi hone dunga, mujhe unhy bachana hai"

(Riddhima please step away. My mother, I won't allow any harm to come to her, I have to save her. Please)

Vansh tried to push her away, running towards the half-burnt-covered portrait.

"Riddhima tumhari samajh may nahi arha hai. Hato raste se"

(Riddhima why can't you understand? Get the hell out of my way.)

Vansh screamed, his bloodred eyes fixed on the fire pain evident in them. The same helplessness of his mother's hatred towards him rang in his ears tearing him apart.

"Vansh please ek bar meri baat sunlo, tumhe sab smajh may ajayega. Please ek bar meri sun toh lo"

(Vansh, please listen to me at least once, you will understand everything. Please just for once, listen to what I have to say.)

Riddhima pleaded, pushing him away from the fire but her feeble attempts were nothing to him as he pushed her to one side, crouching down in front of the almost burned portrait, desperate to put out the fire with his hands while Riddhima let out a cry of pain from the impact as her head hit the wall when she fell against it. Dizziness swirled in her head she gulped to fight the suffocating nausea building at the pit of her stomach.

Splinters of wood lying on the floor tore open her skin wounding her elbows.

Her wrist twisted with a sharp snap when she tried to minimize the impact of the fall using her hands. Lying on the floor, she touched her forehead, crimson liquid colored her fingers.

"Maaaa."

(mother....)

a heart-wrenching cry of Vansh made her eyes go wide as she turned to see Vansh holding the ashes of the painting in his hands. Riddhima blinked repeatedly at the scene in front of her as her mind goes into overdrive. A creeping cold fear grips her heart, and every follicle on her head tightens with terror. Vansh looks so broken. She had never seen him like that. She was used to him in anger but this was heartbreaking someone pushed a knife into her heart twisting sharply pushing it in inch by inch.

She started breathing rapidly as adrenaline and bone-numbing dread coursed through her body looking at the lost horrified expression of her husband. He was looking helter-skelter, trying to scoop burned remains in both his fist as if hoping for it to magically transform back into that beautiful portrait of the last reminder of his birth mother in this house.

Riddhima looked around, the entire family standing there staring at Vansh with pity but...wait is that smug smirk on Anupriya's face? Did she ??? Why the hell does Aryan look so gleeful? What with this fake yawn Chanchal was trying her best to stifle?

Riddhima's head swirled again, this time with questions, what the hell is this family? Is this even worthy of calling a family?

It feels like an eon has passed while she processes all this, though it is only, a split second in reality. She hardly got to her feet, taking the support of the wall behind her, and taking a step towards Vansh she was about to place a hand on his shoulder when she was spun around with a sharp tug at his elbow.

"Tumhari himmat kaise hui?"

(How dare you)

Anupriya bellowed, her hand raised in the air. Riddhima once again fell to the ground with a stinging sensation on her cheek. Anupriya just slapped her with all the strength she could muster. Throwing her hateful glare.