Love Happens

Chapter eleven

Writing this at the beginning. Be kind to vote and comment after reading the chapter. It motivates me😁. And please, pardon the grammar mistakes. English is neither my first language nor is this book edited. Thank you.

Mumbai
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The elders of the family gathered in the living room, where Ranbir was waiting for his wife and children. Anand spoke amidst the breakable silence.

"I thought we finished the discussion yesterday. Riya won't return there."

"I want to hear that from her. If she tells me to go, I'll go." Ranbir replied.

"Your wish." Anand shrugged, unbothered. "Riya!" He called out to her.

"I'm not coming, Ranbir." Riya's voiced. All their gazes moved to the balcony upstairs, where she was.

"I will respect your decision. If you want to part ways, we'll part ways, but my children are staying with me. Where are they?" He declared it, leaving all of them shocked.

Anand chortled. "They're not coming. Riya can take care of them perfectly without you."

"You're now being selfish, Anand. If you think I'll let the kids stay with their mother's family when you didn't let yours stay with their mother's family, you're mistaken. Just like you love your children, I also love mine. The mother can stay since she wants to separate because of a mistake we can correct together, but my children can't."

"There's a difference between our families. I have an extended family where my children will be loved more, whereas in Supriya's family, there is no one except her sister and mother. And for you, you live alone."

"I can always call my family to live with me, even though I know I'm enough to take care of them."

"The kids won't go with you." Anand remained stiff in his decision.

"What will stop them from going? He has full rights over his kids. It's okay if Riya wants to be adamant, but the children won't be deprived of a father's love because of us. They'll live with their father." Anand's father exclaimed.

"Family has disputes. It doesn't mean that after many years of staying together, you forget everything and decide to leave just because he slapped you. If you want to live together as a family, Riya, you must learn patience. If you want to live with your children, you'll follow your husband now to your home because we won't stop him from taking his kids." Anand's mother contributed her thoughts to the conversation.

"I refuse to let my children go." Riya blurted.

"I knew this would happen. I came prepared. I have a court order with me."

It was when he said this that everyone noticed the black file he was holding. He opened the cover, and his eyes scrutinized the paper.
"The court orders the children to live with me until Riya and I get legally divorced. The judge will then decide who'll get full custody of the children." He read it out to them and closed the file. "But I'm sure none of us will want this. To prevent ruining the children's future, let's make peace, Riya. I still love you." he admitted with full honesty.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "The children won't go with you." She snarled.

"The penalty for that is staying in jail until our divorce proceedings start."

"So be it. I'm ready to be in jail, but I refuse to hand my children over to you. You can't take care of yourself, and you think you can take care of three children." Riya replied.

"Is this your final decision?" Ranbir asked her, to which she replied with a declarative yes.

"The court will summon you tomorrow. Get ready." he said, exiting the house.

"I wonder why you have a coconut head, Riya." Her mother distastefully eyed her before she left the living room.

"Drag the reputation into the mud. Know that Karma will follow you." Anand's father exclaimed and left as well.

"Don't worry, sister. The children will stay with you." Shraddha sent her a reassuring smile, while Riya nodded her head.

"I know."

"Father!" Riddhima joyfully called out as she descended the stairs.

"My beautiful daughter." Anand spread his arms, and they engulfed each other in a hug. Shraddha admired their relationship with a bright smile on her face.

"Today is results day. I will make sure I make you proud." She placed lots and lots of kisses on his face while he giggled.

"If you top it this time too, you can ask me for anything and I shall give it to you." he replied.

"I've made my list already. We will go on a vacation somewhere where there's lots of water, birds, horses, and beautiful sunsets only you and I."

"Your list is impossible to fulfill because of work."

"I know you'll find a way to make it possible." she said.

The girl was full of energy. She had it in full, and she was very determined that she'd top her class exams. Meanwhile, Poonam came downstairs while still looking sleepy.

"Good morning, Father." She waved a hand from afar. Instead of coming into the living room, she walked to the dining table.

Shraddha sighed. She wondered if she didn't come because she was there.

"Do you know we have visitors in the house?" Anand asked his daughter as they went out to go to the dining room.

"No. Where are they, and who are they? I've not seen anyone." she replied.

Shraddha followed them into the dining room.

"Strange. Are they still sleeping? Won't Riya wake them up for school?" Anand looked at Shraddha. She understood what he meant. He was indirectly asking her to go and check on them. She nodded and left from there. She went upstairs to Riya's room.

She saw her crying by the window.

"Sister!" She rushed over to her, and Riya immediately wiped her tears and wore a smile to pretend everything was fine.

"I know. You don't want to live without your children." Shraddha mumbled.

"No mother will want to do that." she answered.

"Mother!" Her daughter's voice brims from the bed.

"My beautiful baby! You're awake?" She looked at Shraddha once before moving to the bed, where the rest of her children were still sleeping.

"Mother, won't we go to school? Where is Father? I miss him." the girl said.

"He visited, but you were asleep." she chipped while engulfing her in a hug. "But why does it matter if you don't see him? I'm here, aren't I?"

"You're not enough, Mom. I also want to live with Daddy. If our stay here is over, can we return home? I want to give him his morning kiss."

"Return to sleep, dear." She angrily voiced her anger and broke their hug.

"Why? Won't they go to school?" Shraddha enquired.

"Let them rest. The school is going on holiday today. There's no need to go."

"I will inform Anandji."

On Shraddha's way downstairs, someone grabbed her hand in a tight grip. She turned while being stunned, but she became more astonished after seeing it was Anand's father.

"Father!"

His grip loosened around her hand, and he beckoned her to step backward. She moved.

"I've never given you my blessings to date. Do you know why?"

She shook her head while focusing on his straight face.

"That is because before you get blessed by me, you must earn it. Why should I feel you deserve it?"

She gulped down her saliva with a sigh. "I don't know. I'll try my best to fit into the family and earn your blessing, although Anandji told me we'll only be married for two years."

"I got him married to you. He can't divorce you without my permission. He'll remain married until it serves my interests. Back to the point: send Riya home, and I'll bless you. Your mistake brought her here. His mother told me you went to visit her, and she sent you a message. Had you not informed Anand, this mess wouldn't have happened. Send her home and come. Not only will I give you blessings, but I'll give you a gift too. A wedding gift that was pending."

"How can I? Her husband cheated on her."

"She's not innocent either." He sounded confident, as if there was something hidden from them.

"How so? She lived with him for twelve years against her will."

"No woman will survive living for twelve years with someone she doesn't love. Riya was always a liar. She just wanted space to breathe, and she made up this lie."

"B...but...." Shraddha's thought system paused. The stories weren't linking up. Why would she lie, and how will she know who is telling the truth between her and her father?

"This is what happened years ago. Riya was in love with someone who didn't love her wholeheartedly. I warned her several times to let the man go and find someone else. Once upon a time, I was also against the idea of arranged marriage. It's clear because I allowed Anand to get married to the love of his life. Riya was too stubborn. I had to intervene and get her married to Ranbir, who was a close family friend's son. But there's a secret only she and I know to date, and when Ranbir finds out about it, he'll divorce her in that instant.

As he moved closer to Shraddha, she got pathetically nervous and went frozen on her spot. He leaned in and whispered into her ears.

"Riya's first daughter isn't Ranbir's child. Her father was the man who dated Riya before her marriage."

Shraddha's eyes widened in disbelief. Anand's father stood straight and continued.

"To keep this secret that was buried for many years, tell Riya to return to her husband. If she says she'll divorce Ranbir, who has supported her all these years, she'll be left with nothing. He won't allocate alimony to her because he'll take his children, and I won't let her stay here either because it goes against my tradition. If you're wise, you'll create a solution to the problem you created." he proclaimed, moving to go downstairs.

••••

Shraddha returned to the room. She has been thinking of what Father told her a while back. The newspaper Anand gave her last night crawled to her feet. She remembered leaving it on the table last night because she hadn't found someone who would read it for her.

"Let me take it to Mother." she thought, and she got up along with it. She dashed out of the room, but on the way there, she halted when a thought crossed her mind.

"Will she translate it as it was written?"

She wanted accurate translation, so she turned to go and meet Riya to do that for her.

"She's not innocent either." Anand's father's words echoed throughout her mind as she entered Riya's room.

"Welcome, Shraddha." Riya smiled and ushered her in.

Shraddha looked at her two daughters, who were talking to each other in a corner. She recalled what her father told her about the first child not belonging to her husband.

"What is it?"

Her voice transcended her thoughts.

"This!" she said, raising the newspaper.

"What about it?"

"Can you read what was written? It's in English, and I can't understand the language." Shraddha walked to her and gave her the newspaper.

She scanned through and remained silent, not believing the words that were published about her. She looked at Shraddha. "Why are you interested in knowing?"

"Anand..." she was about to blurt everything, but she thought to check whether what Father told her about her was right or wrong. If she can be trusted, she'll read what's on the paper without swallowing a single word.

"I found it in Anandji's room," she said.

"It's nothing important. It is an article about your wedding. It's congratulating you and Brother." She lied because she didn't want to hurt her feelings. Clearly, what was published was a lie because she has interacted with Shraddha. She can't be how she was described.

"Only?" Shraddha asked.

"Yes."

"Can I have it? Thank you." She beamed a forced smile while Riya gave it back.

"You're welcome."

Shraddha went out of the room, not fully convinced. She saw Mother approaching her. They exchanged brief smiles, and after she arrived, Shraddha spoke.

"Mother, Anand gave me this paper. Can you tell me what was written about me inside?" She showed her the paper.

"The newspaper?" She collected and inspected the front page with her eyes.
"It's talking about you. They said some nice, beautiful things about your origin."

"Only?" Shraddha inquired.

"Yes. It is only about your origin. I think the next page has the letter of congratulations for your marriage." she fibbed through her teeth.

Shraddha took the newspaper back from her and thanked her, even though she didn't believe her or Riya. She was sad that both of them lied to her. But she was more curious about the reason. Why were they trying to hide what was written on the paper when it was about her?