Not Just An Ordinary Family

Chapter 49

There was a long moment of silence before Narain regained his composure.

"All these days I lived thinking she loved me so much and I had been the reason for all that had happened. But today after hearing just how much you loved your boyfriend, I wish she had loved me just a little more."

He paused. "She would not have taken such an impulsive step and ended her life and the child's. She would have tried. She would have at least realized how much she was hurting me. If only she loved me a little more.

I'm not saying she didn't love me. She loved me a lot. If only I had known that she loved her career so much too earlier, I would have never let her go on with the pregnancy. She might have lived. I could have been living a happy life. Without this guilt. Without all this heartache. With or without a child, we would still have been happy together.

But no, she died. She left me so easily. Instead of taking me with her, she left me here to live like a dead man all these years! I love her so much, for God's sake!"

Tears pricked Anuradha's eyes as she watched him. I thought I had been through more than enough pain. But here, you have been through so much more on your own, reliving the pain every single moment you have lived without her.

Unable to see the pain in his eyes, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

Narain was shocked by her sudden gesture but did not react.

"It's not your fault, Narain. Not at all. I don't want to hurt you but I can't stop myself from saying this. I'm sorry. She was your priority. You loved her so much and your love for her was true. That's why, not once you suspected whether she loved you.

But she was never sure of herself. What she had felt towards you must have been an attraction at first. She would have liked everything about you and mistaken that 'like' for love. Because of your good nature, your supportiveness towards her wishes and your selfless care, that attraction she felt towards you lasted for a long time even after your marriage.

But she wasn't sure which was more important to her: you or her career. That's why she always cross-checked with you that you would never stop loving her and doubted your love for her. Only when she realized that she wanted her career more than she wanted you in her life, she asked for divorce. To say it simply, your Swetha did not love you. She was obsessed with her career. Because you have supported her so much and also maybe since you had all the characteristics of the man she likes, you seemed a safe bet."

Narain frowned. He wanted to deny what she was saying but he could not as he realized that she was right.

"Even I never suspected Raghav or his love for me. That's why I was very hurt when he let me go so easily like I was a nobody to him. He said I was a stubborn pest and left him when all he asked me to do was abort my child. But he was wrong." Anuradha paused as she pulled away from Narain and let her gaze fall to her hand.

"If he had asked me to choose between him and a child, I would have chosen him over and over again. Instead he thought I left him choosing the child over him. But the truth was I left him not only because I felt killing the innocent child would be wrong, I didn't have the heart to do it but also because I thought he loved me and he would realize it and come back for me."

After a long silence, Narain spoke. "It's ironic how we both have lost our loved ones from our lives because of a child... when we would have surely chosen them over the child. If only they had realized our love."

"Hmm. I have lost my child and my love. I just feel empty, nothing else. But you have been living in guilt for no reason. Why did you let her hurt you so much?"