A Promise : To You For You

Chapter 23

"No!"

The first word coming out of Naveen's mouth, after hearing to the irrelevant demand of Arpita.

She was being crazy.

How could she just ask him to do that?

"But what's the problem Naveen? One day or the other it has to be done. So why not now?" Arpita urged more trying to convince him but it all went above his head.

She knew it, he won't understand her concern. What she asked was only for betterment of their child, for his safe and secure future. Then why couldn't he agree.

Her demand had made Naveen furious. More he listened to her more he felt enraged. To him Arpita sounded a very very.... very selfish person. Though she was right what she had asked was for betterment of their child......but for only one. She knew that very well. Still she was asking him what was his problem.

"Problem is that Arpita you can't see the difference between right and wrong. You are blinded by your own anger." Naveen answered her furiously.

Arpita looked at him with her eyes widely open. Walking forward toward him she asked in a low voice, "You want to say I am angry without any reason?"

He didn't answer her. His silence infuriated her.

"She killed OUR DAUGHTER Naveen!! OUR DAUGHTER! How could you forget that?!" She cried shaking his shoulders like trying to bring him back to reality.

"Ahana is OUR DAUGHTER too!" He spoke loudly looking at her with his stone hard eyes.

"No!!" She shrieked. "She is not my daughter!" She yelled at him.
"You get that? She. is. not. MY Daughter!!!"

She panted heavily. Her eyes held fury and hatred. Only for one girl.

Ahana

She wiped out the angry tears that escaped her eyes roughly with the end of her saree. This time they didn't affect Naveen. All these years he lived away from his daughter, kept her away from him. Breaking off his all contacts with her he made her live a life of orphan. He couldn't talk to her even when she was living with him under same roof. He couldn't cherish her with his love. He felt so helpless,so defeated.

But this time he won't give in to Arpita's demand. Not this time.

He removed her hands from him which were grabbing his shoulders. His gaze trained upon her. At that moment he wasn't a husband.
He was a father. A father who never took stand for his daughter.

It was high time that he stood for Ahana. He could not devour her with his love but it was the least he could do for her. If Arpita didn't consider Ahana as her daughter, no problem.

She was his daughter.
Naveen Ahuja's daughter.

Replying back to her previous statement he spoke in deadly calm voice like a storm was brewing behind it. "She is my daughter and I will never do injustice to her. You also get that."

"You cannot step back from your words Naveen." She reminded him afraid of what laid in the next moment.

"Unfortunately, I do remember my promise Arpita. And believe me I regret making it every second of my life." He said. His voice filled with so much hurt and vulnerability that it felt like he would just crumble down on the floor. Realising that he gathered himself together, then spoke to her, "But don't you worry. I will keep it until and unless you free me from it yourself, even if it meant for my whole life."

Saying he left his bedroom shaking Arpita to the core. She stood there rooted in her spot staring at the door from where he exited without any care leaving her behind.