Page 37 of Forbidden

“You have met him, haven’t you?” Aarav asks, stopping me from getting in the car.

“Yes.”

“A smile is all it takes to boost their jobs, Jhanvi.”

Oh!! He wants me to be good with his staff. I turn around and face his gleaming eyes.

“People have to earn other’s smiles, Aarav. Especially when they have hurt them. I’m displeased by all your staff who have helped you win me. As I said, I am still trying to accept the fact that I am your wife. That doesn’t mean I am forgiving you for what you did with me.”

His brows twitch into a frown. I might have confused him, but so be it. If he thinks I am going to act like a puppet only because I am here with him, he is wrong. I get in the car and he soon follows.

We don’t speak at all until I realize the direction where we are heading. We are too close to Raichand mansion where Daadi and Mohit stay. Why? Is he really taking me to them? But why? Has he found out I am faking all this?

“Where are we going?” I ask Aarav who is busy texting someone on his phone. He doesn’t even look at me while responding.

“You’ll know.”

Seriously? That’s it? I turn to the window and my worry peaks as the car enters the gates of the Raichand mansion and parks in the foyer. Aarav gets down from the car and even opens the door for me but I’m least interested in getting down.

“Can’t believe you out of all aren’t eager to get inside this house,” he mocks.

“Why are we here?” I come straight to the point. He is about to say something, but I cut it off. “Don’t say you’ll know. I need an answer, not your one-liner.”

Aarav huffs at my protest and the next instant, he grabs my arm and pulls me out. The movement is so quick that I almost stumble and fall on his chest. He holds me firm with his strong arms, supporting my body.

“I brought you here because I wanted to give you our wedding gift,” he glares at me. “Another tradition we Raichands follow. Now come on."

Pushing the door closed, he grabs my arm and leads me inside the house. Tradition? Gift? What gift?? Does he want to patch me up with Daadi and Mohit? But he doesn’t need to do that. I have already told him they are guilty of not trusting me. Then why else would he get me here? I am clueless.

One servant tries to stop us from entering, which I believe is on Daadi’s instruction. The last time Aarav had been here uninvited, so she must have tightened the security. But Aarav pushes him off our way using his other hand and keeps leading me inside.

Mohit and Daadi are in the living room, but the moment they see us, both rise to their feet.

“How dare you come here again?” Mohit shouts. “Security.”

“Shut up, Mohit.” Aarav snaps, leaving my hand. “You know who barks so much on the streets?”

“Watch your words, Aarav,” Daadi intrudes. She is as annoyed as Mohit, but like always, she is still controlling the situation and not worsening it as Mohit does. “Coming in my house you have no right to speak to the legal heir of this family in that tone.”

Aarav’s fingers clench into a fist.

“Legal Heir?” He lets out another huffed breath. “No matter how much you scream to the world who the legal heir of this family is, but you can’t change the truth, Durga Raichand. I am the firstborn to your son.”

“You are his mistake,” she mouths. “His worst mistake was meeting your mother.”

Aarav takes a long stride towards Daadi, scaring me.

“Don’t you dare get my mother in between. She is dead already and you better show some respect to her soul.”

No No No!! I don’t want them to fight on this topic now. If I have sensed Daadi’s hatred and Mohit’s bitterness for Aarav, I have also seen Aarav’s passion to destroy them both. I don’t have the courage to see more destruction. This was their fight so far and now I am the one not just witnessing it but living the consequences of it.

“Mr. Raichand,” an unknown voice from behind, diverts this heated argument. We all turn to the door. It’s a lawyer for sure as the man is wearing a black coat, which lawyers do.

Aarav composes all his anger and whilst I think that lawyer is here to meet Mohit or Daadi, Aarav is the first one to welcome him.

“Tyagi, please come.” He shakes hands with him.

Both Mohit and Daadi glance at each other and back at Aarav. We have no clue why he called a lawyer here? What does he want to prove? Gift! He said he was going to give me a wedding gift. Has the lawyer come for that? What could it be?

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