Unwanted [COMPLETED]

Chapter 39

Sensitive content ahead. Reader's discretion is advised.

***********

Nandini

“Are you ready, Nandini?” Manik asks me, and I nod at him.

“It is time, Manik. I need to do this. For myself. But more for Aastha,” I tell him, taking a deep breath when he rings the doorbell.

I wait with baited breath until the door is opened by my father.

When he sees Manik, confusion mars his face, but when his gaze falls on me, his face contorts to have the expression of hatred on it.

It pinches my heart to see such hate for me on my father’s face, but I shake myself out of it, remembering why I am here.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, his voice making me realize that I am not welcome in his house.

Heck, the way he is looking at me, I feel like I am not welcome to even be in his vicinity, let alone inside his home.

“Let’s go inside and talk, Mr. Iyer,” Manik says to my father, his voice tight with anger.

“I won’t allow her in my house,” Papa says.

The look of pure hatred he gives me while saying that makes me feel as if he has slapped me.

“Why do you hate me so? Why?” I ask, before I can stop myself.

“The nerve you have to ask that question, Nandini. You took away my only child from me, and yet you wonder why I hate you?” He shakes his head at me. “Are you really that dumb to not know why I have absolutely nothing but hatred for you in my heart?”

“Are you sure you want to do this outside your house, Mr. Iyer?” Manik interrupts us. “Nandini and I have no problem in talking here because we are not in the wrong. But I am sure your neighbors will have a very low opinion of you once they find out about the disgusting thing you have done and why we are here.”

“What do you mea—”

Before Papa can complete the sentence, Maa interrupts him.

Coming to stand beside Papa, she glares at me.

“Let them come inside, Subhash.”

Saying that, she turns and walks inside, without saying anything to me or Manik.

“Why did you give my address to Rishabh?” I ask as soon as I enter the house with Manik closing the door behind us.

Maa sits on the couch in the living room, loudly sighing as she disinterestedly flips the pages of the magazine that she took from the table in front of her.

The way she sits without even glancing at me, it makes me wonder if she even heard my question.

Papa also sits beside her on the couch, not so much as even glancing to Manik or me, let alone answer my question.

I signal Manik to stop when I see him stride toward the couch.

I know he is also angry with my parents, and understandably so. Even I feel that I will explode with rage any second, not only because of their action, but also because of how they are reacting right now.

After knowing that they were the ones who not only gave Rishabh my address but also told him to hurt me, I had felt betrayed and angry.

But seeing them like this currently, without even a trace of regret or remorse whatsoever for their actions has me positively seething.