APRICITY [Completed]

6. VIHAAN

"Over time, this person swiftly gained the trust of both sides. And when his plan reached its final stage, he made the move. He planted the last bomb. He made arrangements such that both families believed that the other was going to attack them. He fixed the same location and time for both."

"Naturally, each of them wanted to save themselves so they decided to attack first and gain the upper hand. They locked the women and children in safe houses.

"But not your mother, never your mother. Nobody could ever contain her. She saw right through the deceit. She tried her best to convince your father and grandfather but it was useless."

"She disobeyed all orders and followed them. Firing happened, then cross firing occurred as everyone took cover. Nobody attacked to kill. They only fired to disarm."

"When Surbhi's grandfather shot, he was aiming for your father's shoulder. Now you must be wondering how it hit Aarna. He did not miss. Aarna came in between.

"She could not see her husband getting shot so she came to take the wound upon herself. However, she did not calculate that a bullet aimed at her tall husband's arm would hit her heart with her petite frame."

My mind swam. Hundreds and thousands of thoughts at the same time. I rushed to organize them but I couldn't. My entire life I pinned for a revenge that was actually a mistake. A bad one, but a mistake nonetheless.

Rekha Aunty continues speaking. I don't have it in me to listen, yet I do.

"Everyone ran for her, literally everyone, not caring for their lives. That's how much they loved Aarna. She fell in your father's arms. Anmol Khurana reached her next. He had tears in his eyes. He did not love her any less than his own daughter and the thought of losing her wrecked him."

"The worst effect it had was on your father. He couldn't live knowing his wife died while saving him. He hated himself for breathing and he hated himself even more for the person he had become. Every time he saw you, he remembered how disappointed Aarna would be with him."

"That didn't stop him from ruining his own life and yours too in the process. But you have a chance. Yours and Surbhi's wedding was fixed to honour Aarna. They knew she would have loved to see the two families join permanently."

"What happened to that traitor?"

"Your father and Anmol Khurana killed them all. That was the last time Singhania's and Khuarana's worked together."

"How come you never told me any of this before?" I ask the most obvious question of the day.

I can't say that knowing the events of the past doesn't change anything, because it does. It changes everything.

"Surbhi told me not to."

I sit up straighter. Why would she want me to not know? I would have treated her like a goddess if I knew that my mother would have approved of this bond. All this while, I kept thinking that I was seeking retribution for my mother's soul while in real I was hurting her.

My thoughts must be plastered all over my face because Rekha Aunty says, "Surbhi wanted you to want her, not keep her out of duty to your mother. Her innocent heart believed that you would choose her over revenge and love her the way she loved you."

Love her the way she loves you.

Surbhi loves me?

I knew that she had feelings for me but I swept it under the rug thinking of it as a crush. I am a handsome man and women do tend to fall for my looks. That is until they see my ugly side. I showed plenty of it to Surbhi and yet she chose to fall in love with me?

Rekha Aunty takes my hand in hers.

"Bring Surbhi back Vihaan babu. Bring the Laxmi of this house back. It's still not too late."

"It's very late Rekha Aunty. I messed up big time," I whispered.

A knock resounds on my door.

"Sir, Anmol Khurana is waiting for you downstairs."

----------------------------------------------

"I've come here to discuss about the money," Anmol says.

"How's Surbhi?" I asked ignoring his question.

A nerve ticks in his jaw. I half expect him to get up and punch me across the face but he thinks better of it.

"Not good," he says, "thanks to you," he feels the need to add.

"I didn't intend for this to happen," I say truthfully.

"Of course you did not. You did not even want her vocal cords to get damaged permanently or for her to be so scared of the dark that she has to sleep with lights on. And the scars on her body, none of it was intentional," he says in a single breath, his voice getting louder with every word he utters.

I sit opposite him with my face down as if I were being scolded by an adult. I don't even have an adult in my life. Nobody to come help me, guide me and tell me what I should do next.

I open my mouth to tell him that I don't want the money when he speaks.

"You'll get your money but I need some time."

This gives me a break.

"How much?" I find myself asking.

"I've put the house up on the market. I'll try to get a buyer as soon as possible," he exhales a breath as if saying that cost him a lot of courage.

It probably did. It's their family heirloom. Surbhi grew up in that house. Great! As if I need more reasons for her to hate me.

Though, if I tread carefully then I can use this to my advantage.

"Okay."

"Okay?" He asks suspiciously like he expected me to put up a fight.

"Yeah okay."

"She won't live with you during this time and if you try anything, I'll have to get a restraining order against you."

"That won't be necessary."

A plan forms in my mind. It's gonna take a lot of effort, convincing and grovelling but it will work. It has to. I can't lose Surbhi. I can't lose the only piece of family I have.

I'm coming for you wifey.

I don't care if I have to crawl and beg but I will win her back.