𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 ✓

• 38 •

Aryan sat at the cafe, waiting for his mom. When she arrived, he could see the emotion in her eyes as she spoke with a quivering voice.

"Beta, please talk to me. I just want to make sure once you're happy, that's all," she said, tears welling up.

"Mom, I'm not here for that. I want to ask about dad," Aryan replied sternly.

"Dad? Why?" She seemed taken aback.

"Mom, why are you looking scared?" Aryan pressed.

"Mom, tell me, how did dad own this big company in his name when we used to live in a single-bedroom apartment?" Aryan's voice was filled with determination.

"Beta, how did you know about this?" His mom asked, clearly shocked.

"It doesn't matter, please tell me the truth. If dad was doing something illegal, that's why you murdered him," Aryan's accusation hung in the air.

"No, no, your dad wasn't involved in anything illegal, I know him," she replied with desperation.

"Then what's the truth?" Aryan demanded.

"Your dad was a RAW agent!" His mom confessed, her voice trembling.

"RAW agent?" Aryan was astonished.

"Yes, only I knew. We used to live in a small apartment. He was a workaholic. I used to fight with him because the cases he worked on were risk-taking," his mom explained.

"What?" Aryan was overwhelmed by the revelation.

"Why didn't I know?" he asked.

"Because I didn't want you to be in any risk," his mom admitted.

"So how did dad die?" Aryan inquired, his tone softening.

"He was working on a case that was extremely risky, involving illegal activities. I found out later when we started receiving death threats. One day, when he came home, his hand was bleeding, as if someone had been following him. He told me to go to the kitchen, and when I did, he closed the gate behind me. I don't know when, but I heard him struggle outside. When I tried to call him, he didn't respond. I tried to break the gate, and when I finally got it open, I saw him lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood, with a knife in his stomach. I rushed to him, and he told me to run and that they would come for me. And then, he passed away," she recounted with tears in her eyes.

Aryan listened intently as his mom continued, "I went to the police station, but they didn't file a report. They claimed he was involved in illegal activities and had proof, so they closed the case without an investigation, labeling it a suicide . I tried to seek help, but no one would do anything. I was running hopeless in the middle of the night when I accidentally bumped into someone's car. He took me to the hospital, where his wife was admitted too. But in the same hospital, his wife died after giving birth to twins. He was crying, but when he got news of me trying to commit suicide, he rushed to my room and stopped me. I told him everything, and he said we couldn't do anything. He offered me a new life and a chance to raise his child as his wife. He was no one but Mr. Rishi Oberoi. He never touched me. We just pretended to be a real couple. Rishi offered me a new life when I was just 29, with no home. As for you, beta, he told me he would accept you. But when he went to get you, you weren't there. I tried to find you everywhere since then but couldn't locate you. The day I finally found you, you were sent to an orphanage, and when I went there with hope, you had run away. When you became famous, I got to know about you and your career as a criminal lawyer fighter, just like your dad. I wanted to tell you everything, but Rishi stopped me, saying it might put you in even more danger," she concluded, her voice filled with regret.