The Arranged One | ✔️

Chapter 36 - Part 3

A/N. Here's your Christmas present!!!! Long Chapter alert. Last Chapter Alert. Enjoy the read😘

The doorbell rang, breaking him from his train of thought. Who would be here at this hour of the day?!

A jolt of hope ran through his body. What if it was her? What if she had finally agreed to see him again?

After him chasing after her around the world...trying to find where she was, contacting anyone and everyone to find out her whereabouts, trying to convince Divya to give up her location...Abhi had finally admitted defeat a month after making absolutely no headway in finding her. He had come back to Paris to finish off the project.

He hadn't spoken to Siya for an entire month. Not heard her voice, not seen her face, not felt her touch. His heart was in a constant state of pain. It was harder than the last time because this time felt more final.

His day was a series of mechanical activities. He had no sense of time. Days were just passing by him as he worked for more and more hours. Wanting to numb himself to the fact that Siya was not in his life anymore. He kept himself so busy that he wouldn't think of her. Because the moment he stopped working he was haunted by her memories and felt such excruciating pain that it became hard to breathe.

His life had become a living hell. Without her in his life, it felt utterly meaningless.

Even the slight hope that it might be her on the door felt like his body was resuscitated from depths of unconsciousness. He almost ran to the door and pulled it open with too much vigor.

The sudden spurt of energy in his body was quickly squashed as he stared into his father's grim face.

"Care to let me in son?"

As they both sat down on the couch, his father spoke in a calm voice.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to get to you. When I heard what happened from Siya a month ago, I was too angry. I wanted to give myself and you some time to think  before I could meet you. Now I am ready. And I want you to tell me everything. From the very beginning. Start from the accident. Please son...I need to know everything."

A moment of silence passed between them. Abhi took a deep breath and started to speak. Telling his father everything he had kept to himself all through the years.

After what seemed like ages he was finally done. His father spoke.
"I have failed as a father."

"Dad!"

"No I have", his father continued, tears streaming down his face. Abhi felt like someone had punched him the gut. He had made his father cry.

"You went through so much in life and you had to do it all alone. Come to think of it...We were both there for Siya, we both knew her pain. But we forgot to take a moment and address your pain. You were a kid, Siya was a kid. But I was the adult. I should have made sure you were unscathed from the whole incident but I was so caught up in my own loss, I didn't see yours. What kind of a father does that make me?"

"Dad none of this is your fault. Please...please stop saying that." Abhi felt shocked and wracked with guilt at his father's words.

"You saw my grief and the way I handled it and were put off from loving someone. Especially someone like Siya. A girl who was literally made for you. A girl who loves you so much, that it's painful to watch her try and live without you."