Broken (Wattys2016)

CHAPTER 7

Three weeks had passed and today was their second hearing.

The next day Aaliya returned home, she didn't even bother to meet Aarav's eyes but instead locked herself in Lirisha's room. Out of all the argument they had, she was sure about one thing and that was that Riddhima was on her side and was against the divorce as well so she'd try everything to stop her son from taking such a step. The only thing bothering Aaliya was if Riddhima had told others about this as well because if she had then Jay would definitely kill Aarav without even listening to him and that was the last thing she wanted to happen at the moment.

Aaliya and Aarav didn't even make an attempt to talk to each other after their first hearing at court. Aaliya was too pissed to talk to him, ever since she had heard him say that he wanted to end this as soon as possible. On the other hand, Aarav avoided talking to her because he knew that Aaliya would ask him to give her another chance and he felt guilty for turning her down every time. He felt a pang of guilt when his mother asked him to give their marriage another chance. This was the first time that he had not listened to his mother. He had always been a mumma's boy and had listened to her without complaining, but this time he was not going to listen. Aaliya would get up in the morning, make him breakfast and then cook him dinner in the evening without exchanging a word. She did all her duties except acknowledging Aarav. If Aarav had thought that the situation earlier was bad, then this was worse.

They drove to Karkardooma Court separately in their cars. Aaliya looked pale like the winter's moon, drained out of energy. As they stood on the wooden platform yet again, the lawyers explained the judge whatever details she had asked for.

"Why have you both filed for divorce?" The same middle aged woman asked.

"Well my soon to be ex-husband took infatuation for love and married me. And now after my miscarriage he realised that it wasn't love after all and was just a mistake." Aaliya said rolling her eyes and the woman looked taken aback from the way Aaliya had just explained her everything.

She looked over at Aarav who shrugged before saying that it was true and the marriage was meaningless.

"What happened to your hand anyway?" The judge asked.

Aaliya looked at her right hand that had now turned red, brown and purple from burn marks. She thought of what happened last night. She was cooking dinner while thinking about their second divorce hearing when some oil splashed on her hand and burned her skin. Just then Aarav came to the kitchen and noticed her burned hand. She did earn an hour lecture from him for being so irresponsible. Not that the lecture got her irritated but instead she felt happy when he nursed her burns and lectured her. Aaliya felt loved for the first time in the last one and a half year, she felt that she still meant something to him after all.

"Aarav did this to her. He burnt her hand." Aaliya's lawyer said and everyone's eyes widened and jaws dropped. Aarav composed himself and waited for the worst to happen. Somewhere he knew this was coming up ever since he heard Aaliya talk to her lawyer on the day of their first hearing.

"No!" Aaliya shouted shooting a death glare to her lawyer.

"Don't worry Aaliya, you can tell the judge whatever you told me back in my room. We'll make sure Aarav doesn't harm you again." Her lawyer said with a hard look pasted on his face.

"Aarav hasn't done anything. Never in our two and a half years of marriage or seven years of dating has he raised his hand on me even playfully, so forget burning me. I know things aren't good between us but he respects me and would never hurt me. In fact he nursed my burns last night." Aaliya said to the judge.

"Aaliya-" Her lawyer began.

"Shut up." She shouted back as she clenched her fists.

"Mind your language." The judge said to Aaliya who just rolled her eyes.