Love Happens

Chapter fifteen

Mumbai
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Anand stormed out of the house to find Riya before she could leave Mumbai. Meanwhile, Shraddha turned around and met Anand's father. As usual, he wasn't happy with her presence, nor did he try to hide it on his face. He was looking dissatisfied with her, angry, and feeling all sorts of other bitter emotions for her.

Shraddha didn't know what to do. She was burning from his bitter outlook. She bent and wanted to seek his blessings since he'd never given them to her, but he took his leg backward and crossed his arms over his chest while looking as rigid as a stone that couldn't be carved even after a million years of work.

"By now, you should have realized you can never earn my blessing. You don't deserve to be in my presence; talk more about getting rewarded with my blessing." He spits venomously at the hatred he has for her.

She closed her eyes for a while to breathe. The family hates her without fault especially Anand's father.

"One day, I will try to earn your blessing." she whispered in an unsure voice because, with how things were going with their relationship at the moment, it was seemingly impossible.

"I made a huge mistake by marrying you to my son. I made a big mistake by making the wedding so famous. But in the end, all is fair in an election. Just as I got you married to him, in the same way, I'll make sure that a week after my victory in the election, you and him divorce. I'll make up another story that you and your mother have the same habit. And that is, you also sleep around with men."

"Father!" She raised her voice a little louder. His harsh words, as usual, got to her head, and it was having a bad impact on her mental health because no one would really tolerate hearing such disgusting things about their mother. "I'm sorry; you might have gotten me married at your convenience, but Anand and I won't ever separate in this lifetime. Unless I die like my sister Supriya."

"I will relieve you from this loveless marriage. Before you do more harm to my family, I'll eliminate you from it. The purpose of your arrival was for the election. And it will soon be over. Even Anand then won't keep you here with him because we forced him to marry you!" he exclaimed, sounding as confident as always, and walked past her. Shraddha gasped loudly from shock not long after he left the house. Her heart was tremendously racing from fear of having to leave the house. She only wished to be married once in her life, and she has. Sadly, she has also fallen in love with Anand, and she doesn't want to ever be separated from him. Her episode of sadness was soon broken by the loud, thunderous voice of Poonam that arose from upstairs as she shouted her name.

"Shraddha!" she shouted again.

Poonam recklessly threw the bag Anand's mother sent her clothes into from the balcony upstairs. The bag landed with a bang on the floor, and it opened with the clothes being bestowed there.

"Poonam." She was taken aback by her unexpected behavior. She watched her turn around and go into her father's room again. Shraddha ran upstairs and went in. She yelled out of disbelief that a girl like her could do what she saw in the room. The bed cover has been removed and thrown down. Her father's files have been torn and thrown, so was his clothes, and the mirror in the room was also broken. The pieces were lying peacefully on the floor. The sofa has been changed from its usual position; the pillows on the bed were also on the floor, and the curtains have all been dragged down too.

"My birthday was cancelled because of you. How much more cruel can you be?" She roared and yelled like she was speaking to one of her friends or a junior one.

Shraddha sighed tiredly. Her heavy eyes looked around the room, not having the strength to start working and putting everything back in its place. But she knew best to do it before Anand returned. As he was already angry at Poonam, she didn't want him to be even angrier. She decided to conceal the event from him.

"Leave our house now. I gathered your clothes. Leave." she shrieked with another vulgarity.

"Poonam, I wanted to come and talk to you, but I met with Father. Your birthday will be celebrated like it has every year. Anand loves you a lot. He can never make you angry." she began while walking near her.

Poonam eyed her suspiciously but was still intrigued to hear the final sentence about whether her birthday would be celebrated or not.

"He was upset that you called me a disgrace."

"And I'm not sorry. You're a disgrace." she uttered again without an ounce of hesitation in her voice.

Shraddha breathed a sigh of forgiveness because, to her, Poonam was a child that could be corrected later, if not now.

"He was upset about that, and that is why he wants to punish you. But don't worry. Didn't Riddhima also take first place in her class? She loves you a lot. She can ask Anand to allow your birthday to be celebrated since he promised he'd give her anything she wants when she tops her class."

Poonam's anger diverted upon hearing Shraddha's idea. It was good since her father never breaks the promises he makes to them. But then she remembered where the idea was coming from—their stepmother. If she suggested that, she had a motive behind it since they said stepmothers are never caring or nice.

"You will leave our house soon. I refuse to ask for a favor from my little sister. If my father says my birthday won't be celebrated, then it won't. You can't turn me against my father so that he thinks I don't respect his decision about me. He gave me this punishment. I will happily not rebel like you're asking me to. You're really a bad person for wanting my father and me to fight if Riddhima goes to him to ask for my birthday to be celebrated." She ferociously exclaimed and left. Shraddha smiled sadly. She misunderstood her. She will never want her and Anand to not be on good terms with one another.

It took her the entire day to finish cleaning up the mess Poonam had created. She laid on the bed to take a short nap.

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"Shraddha!" Anand's voice woke her up from her nap. She woke up in a startled state and saw him coming into the room. From his expression, he wasn't in a good mood.

"Who permitted you to touch my files?" he asked her.

She was unaware of the files he was talking about. So she tried to inquire. However, her lips refused to cooperate, as she was scared under his dark gaze. They trembled and denied letting a single word leave them.

"What did you do with my files, Shraddha?" he inclined forward, boring his callous stare at her. Her breathing hitched in her throat. He was back to the Anand that met her a day after their wedding. Cold-hearted. But everything was fine between them. They were progressing, even though it was in baby steps. What has happened?
She asked herself.

He banged his hand against the bed, and her shoulders jumped up in fear, with her heart almost following it. She looked at him, and his eyes grew darker with anger because she wasn't responding to his question.

"The files..." she whispered. She recalled the files Poonam tore earlier. She wondered if he was talking about it. She spoke. "I threw them in the dustbin." she then deterred her gaze from him as his eyes were bored on her. He was really furious at the moment and was capable of inflicting immense pain on her if she didn't leave his sight.

"Leave my house." he muttered.

She didn't hear at first. She was nervously sitting on the bed, waiting for him to straighten before she asked him about Riya and the reason for his anger.

"Leave my house this instant, Shraddha!" he snarled and straightened. He went towards the window, turning his back against her. Looking at her face disgusted him.

Unknown to both of them, Poonam, who was peeping from the door, smirked an evil smirk and left quietly from there.

"A..."

"I don't want to hear your voice. You'll leave my house this instant." he roared, and she flinched.

Tears of sadness filled her eyes. He wasn't even ready to share what her fault was. Whatever it was, she was ready to apologize to him for it, but she doesn't want to leave.

"Ana......"

"Didn't you hear me?" He whirled around. His eyes were looking lethal, and she knew better not to talk again.

"Inform the driver to take you to your village tonight."

"Bu....."

"If you talk again, you'll not leave this room with life.

His threat was threatening enough. It sent shudders of dread down her body that forced her to get out of bed and move out of the room.

"What have I done?"

"Goodbye, Shraddha." she heard Poonam's voice. She turned and saw how elated and happy she was.

"Goodbye. I told you you'd leave soon." Poonam waved at her with an ecstatic smile on her face, which was showing in all corners.

What do you think Shraddha did to Anand? Vote and comment😃.