Love Happens

Chapter fourteen

Mumbai
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"What? You came early." Shraddha tried to divert his attention from what he just heard.

"Mr Kapoor!" Ranbir's anger literally shook the foundation of the house. Anand's father came downstairs.

"Is this anger for me or Riya?" He peacefully asked in a relaxed tone when the atmosphere was against his mood.

"Call Riya here immediately." He declared an order for them all.

"What you heard may not be true since it came from someone who is naturally an experienced liar." Anand said this while looking in his father's direction. Meanwhile, Anand's father had no idea what they were talking about.

"What did I do now?" He asked.

"I heard something. I don't want to believe it, but you know, doubts kill. It's better to ask for clarification as soon as possible before it does you harm. I love my daughter a lot, and I just don't want what I heard to be true. Who is the father of my first daughter?"

An awkward silence evolved in the room, not ready to be broken by anyone. Anand was looking forward to hearing his father deny the accusation. There was just no way Riya could have cheated on her husband. He didn't believe it. Riya wasn't capable of it.

"One day, my children will be the cause of my death. I've tried my best to see that I win the election smoothly and without any trouble, but one after the other, problems keep occurring. Riya left her home and came here. Anand, you broke ties with me, and now a new problem has arisen. Who told you your daughter wasn't yours?" he replied.

Shraddha's jaw dropped in disbelief at his answer. He was denying that he told her about it.

"Is she their daughter?" Anand asked.

"No. She's your daughter." he chuckled while trying to improve the tense atmosphere. "Of course, if not their daughter, whose will she be?"

"Fat...." Shraddha opened her mouth to oppose and remind him of what he said to her, but the harsh words that left his lips made her remain silent throughout.

"Hypocrisy. That's what you do. Is this your way of avenging your humiliation? Do you think my daughter is like your mother, who sleeps around with different men? If you want to take revenge, take revenge on me and leave my daughter's reputation out of this."

Tears ushered into her eyes. She bowed her head in front of them and surrendered to the misconception they had of her mother, although she knew she wasn't a prostitute. During all her 22 years of life, she has never seen her visit the brothel or do what they were accusing her of.

"Mind your language, Father. The woman you're speaking to isn't just anyone. She's my wife."

Anand standing up for her destroyed what his father had just told her in her head. She gleamed with a happy smile. He finally accepted her as his wife. He was defending her against his father.

"Don't forget I gave you that wife. I'm aware of who she is."

"Where is Riya? I'm not interested in your family's problems. I want to take my children and go, or I'll ask the officers standing outside to come and arrest her."

"Make yourself useful and call Riya downstairs." Her father snarled at her. The grunt in his voice delivered cold chills of terror down her spine. Although she was aware Riya wasn't home, she started walking to leave.

"Don't let his words scare you, Shraddha."

Anand's voice halted her. She turned, and he continued.

"Riya isn't here. She left a letter in which she mentioned she was leaving."

"To?" Ranbir asked.

"We don't know, but I promise you I'll find her soon. She left with many answers. She has to give me those answers." Anand exclaimed. He stormed out of the room while wondering what she knew about Supriya's death.

"I won't sit and wait for you to find my children. I'm capable of locating them too. Ranbir bellowed angrily and left as well.

Anand's father seized the opportunity that no one was around in the room and twisted Shraddha's hand against her back. The unexpected and unbearable pain that passed through her body caused her to moan loudly in pain. Unaware, none of them noticed Anand hiding behind the door outside.

"What type of woman are you that can't keep a secret to yourself? Why did you blurt out what I told you to Anand and Ranbir? Do you know you've ruined the little trust I have in you?"

"Fat..."

"Just be quiet!"

She shrieked as his voice made her shudder.

"Stay away from Riya. I don't want you interfering in her life any longer. Even in the letter she wrote, keep whatever you know to yourself. Bring it to me, and stay out of our family matters. You were brought not to meddle but to be the children's mother. If you don't do that and you try to interfere in other matters, you'll face dire consequences."

Anand walked up to them while clapping his hands. He couldn't believe what he heard from his father. He stayed back to figure out the actual truth of the story, and he was disappointed when he found out Riya cheated and Father covered her sins. His father slowly let go of Shraddha's arm. She rubbed the place he gripped to lessen her pain, while Anand's father stared at his angry son with an innocent expression.

"Why do you want the letter? To hide how Supriya died as well?" he inquired in a faded and tired voice. He was weak from the unforeseen turn of events. It should have stayed, as her husband cheated on her, but now it was the other way around. And sadly, she even had a child from the affair and kept the news from everyone. And to make it worse, for all those years, his father was aware of it, but he chose to hide it. He married her to a  man who accepted the child as his.

"What? Why are we bringing back Supriya's death today? What if your children hear you utter her name? They will be reminded of their...."

Anand shouted, not having the time to listen to his made-up story that would eradicate his sins and paint him as an angel. "How did Supriya die, Father?

"How will I know?"

"You know! Of course, you know." he barked.

Shraddha took steps backward after Anand motioned for her to. She too was curious to know how Supriya died because suspicion grew in her mind after Father asked her to take the letter to him and to stay out of Riya's affairs.

"Okay, I know. I killed her. Are you happy? I killed her. I'm confessing to you that I killed her."

Shraddha's mouth dropped wide open. Before she finished comprehending what he just uttered, Anand squeezed his neck within his hand as his eyes became wholly covered with fury.

"What did you do to my Supriya?" he snarled.

"I killed her. Isn't that what you want to hear? I killed her. She didn't die from childbirth. I killed my beloved daughter-in-law." he let out at once.

Anand stared at him blankly. He then noticed his hand around his neck and how he was struggling to breathe. He released him immediately, wondering when he did that. He turned and took a look at Shraddha, who was looking extremely baffled.

"I'm sorry." he whispered for his rude behavior, and he went out. The earth crumbled and squeezed him into a small space, not letting him breathe properly. He knew he wanted a break because he also felt suffocated, like Riya said, living in the house. It was a prison. They were never a normal family, and they will never be. All of them were selfish. All of them only cared about their personal interests, including him. He was no different, of course, because when he was with Supriya, he disassociated himself from spending time with his parents. And maybe the gap that grew between them has widened to an extent they'll never be like before. Before, Father didn't have an ambitious mind to rule India. For the time being, he didn't want to think of Riya or her illicit relationship. He needed space to breathe. He wanted his mind to charge so that he could investigate every nook and cranny and figure out how Supriya died. But he knew he'd not rest until he found Riya.

"Anandji!" he heard Shraddha's voice.

"I'm going out to find Riya." He stormed out of the house.