Against All Odds

Chapter 24

Shaurya's POV

Niyati continued to cry uncontrollably.

It was hard to see her like this. I could only imagine how she must have felt then. She was alone and scared. Mother clearly took advantage of her situation.

" Niyu calm down. It's over now. Look at me. I am right here."

Ashu was trying her best to calm her down.She understood her sister well. Niyati was reliving the moment again. She was so lost in the memory that she had forgotten that it was just a memory. Nothing more.

Shikhar started shaking her to help her break the trance. Instead she started rambling

" Ashu must be so scared. She will be in pain. She is alone. What if anything happens to her? She must be asking for me. I don't want anything. Please take me to her. Please. We don't want anything. We are enough for each other."

Shikhar was trying to make Niyati drink water but she was lost in her own world, rambling and shaking while crying.

If she continues like this she will have a breakdown soon.

I couldn't stop myself from approaching her. Sitting beside her first thing I did was to breathe deeply to calm myself.

Grabbing her arms in my hand I made her face me.

" Look at me. You need to calm down. Ashu is fine now. It happened in the past. Snap out of it."

" No! She needs me. She is hurt."

" Enough!"
I screamed.

I know it was wrong of me to yell at her. But if she continues at this rate she may lose her mind. Frankly speaking I was hell scared to see her like this.

But, my yelling worked. Niyati now sat frozen in her seat looking at me. The tears still kept flowing silently.

" Stop crying. Ashu is fine now. I am here with you now. I won't let anything happen to her."

I was still holding Niyati's arms because of which she continued to still face me.

" Can you stop their relationship from meeting the same fate as ours? The history is about to repeat itself. Will you be able to stop your mother from blackmailing either of them? It's going to happen again. I know it is."

Though Niyati was crying she looked composed now. She removed her hands from my hold.

" I am scared. I know something bad is about to happen very soon. Can't you both see? Everything is the same as the last time. Bad things have also started to happen."

This time the questions were directed towards Shikhar and Ashu.

She was right. Bad things had started to happen. They weren't happening but were being forced to happen. Unlike last time, this time I knew who I was against and what I was getting into. I won't let Shikhar face the same fate as ours. Our relationship may be doomed but I won't let mother spoil theirs too.

" No way! I won't let mother win this time. Sorry to say it bro but I don't know why you always let them (parents) get away with everything. I can't be like you. I have always chosen my own path, be it my career or my love life. I wanted to wait for you to get married first but after whatever happened today, I don't think I should wait anymore. We are getting married at the earliest."

I was always proud of Shikhar to lead his own path. He was a self made man in true sense. I, on the other hand, always thought about the family name first before taking any decision. That was the reason why I ended up running the family business instead of being an IPS officer which was my dream. Though I don't regret my decision, but,some part of my heart always wondered what it would have been like to live the dream. So, I am going to make sure my brother lives his dream.