Harsh And Divine

Chapter 19

Vidhushi never felt so helpless and conflicted in her life as she felt these days.

In the last twenty days, following Dussehra, she still couldn't muster the courage to tell Kunal what was going on in her mind.

Tomorrow was Diwali and just like every Diwali, she had expected Kunal to come to her home to exchange sweets and gifts. The telephonic conversation that she had until today with him did nothing but increase her anxiety. She knew that he was a very good behaviour reader. He could accurately tell what the other person was thinking from their behaviour, posture and gesture. And she was performing so bad at lying.

She knew that he must have predicted some kind of change in the way she talked. She was mostly stuttering and delaying in replying. And that was because every question that he asked had something to do with Advith.

One day he asked what she was doing and at that time she was texting Advith.

She thought over her actions and realised that she was playing with two men at the same time. She didn't know how Advith felt for her and she definitely knew how Kunal felt for her.

Last night she scolded herself for being the type of girl who had some kind of relationship with two men at the same time. She knew she had feelings for Advith but she also knew that she had agreed to marry Kunal. It wasn't right, and she was aware of it.

But, one part of her mind consoled her by telling her that she wasn't lying to anybody. She didn't hide from Advith that she was Kunal's fiancé. And she didn't keep Kunal in the illusion that she was into this marriage because of her own will. She had made it clear every time to Kunal that she was marrying him because of her father's last wish.

Her father's last wish threw her into a dilemma again. Could she really back down from her father's wish just to seek happiness with Advith? Wouldn't her father feel horrible that his only daughter didn't fulfil his last words to her?

She felt horrible thinking about that.

But, her mother had clearly told her that her father would always support her happiness first. If he was here today, with them, he would have been the first person to support her emotions towards Advith.

Hence, she decided to tell the truth to Kunal tomorrow, when he comes to celebrate Diwali with her.

She really hoped Kunal would take it nicely...whatever she had to tell him.

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Advith went to his parent's home, first thing in the morning of Diwali. Coming out of his car, he took out all the gifts and asked for one of the helper boys to help him in bringing those, inside.

While entering the house, he noticed how his mother was busy making the rangoli at the main entrance door. He smiled and was about to close her eyes when she turned and ruined his surprise.

He felt bad when his mother started crying, seeing her son come home after so long.

"Happy Diwali, Amma." He spoke as he hugged his crying mother.

"I thought you wouldn't come home to see your mother at the festival too!" His mother said between her cries.

"Don't cry, Amma. You know I hate it. Plus, it's the festival. It's not good to cry today. Come, let's go inside." He consoled his mother.

Inside the house, when he gave the Diwali gift to his mother, as they sat on the sofa comfortably, his mother decided to ask the question that she had in her mind for a long time.

"Why don't you stay with us like earlier, mone?" His mother asked. (Mone means son)

"It's not like I don't want to, Amma. You know how Acchan is! It's suffocating to live with him and hearing him complaining about my choices...my life, all the time!" He explained as he placed his palm over his mother's.