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“Mahendra never touched any woman other than his first wife Geeta. You forced him to marry Aarti, and he had to marry her only because you threatened him with ending your life. But he had made it clear to Aarti the night of their wedding that there can’t be any physical relationship between them and that he will always love Geeta only. But he took care of her. Aarti was a gem. Despite knowing Mahendra didn’t love her, she did everything for him and never spoke a word. They became friends, lived under the same roof but never touched each other. She had even met Geeta once and told her how lucky she was to have a man who loved her so much. But at the same time, Geeta pitied Aarti and coaxed Mahendra to think of giving her every right she deserved. Mahendra couldn’t. He was so much in love with Geeta that he could never think of Aarti. They continued to live like that for three years and your demands to have a grandchild from Aarti and Mahendra put them in a fix. Aarti was breaking down by the lack of love, but she could never walk out of their marriage because just like Mahendra was restricted by you, she too didn’t want to hurt you and her family by breaking it off. Then they left for London for two years, where Mahendra had to settle his work. That’s when Aarti met her old friend, Suraj. He was a good man. Aarti and Suraj knew each other for a long time. They bonded, and she shared everything that was happening in her life with him. Mahendra knew Suraj too. But one night changed everything. A night where Aarti couldn’t control her solitude and Suraj, who slowly started liking Aarti, couldn’t control his feelings.”

I don’t think I am alive right now. I cannot imagine Aarti cheating on my son.

“Mohit is Aarti and Suraj’s son.” Tyagi adds. “Of course, she didn’t hide this from Mahendra when she got to know she was pregnant. She had to tell him, but look at fate. Suraj was detected with last stage cancer and had only a year of his lifespan. Mahendra couldn’t let Aarti suffer alone, so they mutually told the world that Aarti was pregnant with Mahendra’s child and not Suraj’s. This solved the problem. Suraj passed away three months after Mohit was born and Mahendra raised Mohit as his own son.”

I try to get up, but my body doesn’t support me. I stumble and fall back. This truth has raised my guilt all the more. All these years I was raising a boy who was never my real blood? And all these years I forbade a boy only because I couldn’t accept his mother?

“Apart from us, Mahendra had also told this truth to Geeta. That was one of the reasons why Geeta could never stop loving Mahendra and supporting his decision to raise Mohit. Both your daughters-in-law did their part Durgaji, and your son kept a balanced life between them all because of you. They all passed away too soon and we do wish they were alive today to share this secret themselves.”

I cry. What have I done? Holding my palm over my mouth, I cry. That’s all I can do at the moment.

The breaking of a vase at the main door diverts our attention and my whole world crashes again as I see Mohit leaning on the door, with heavy eyes and his face expressionless.

He heard it. He heard it all.

CHAPTER 41

Jhanvi

Two Months Later

In a dark grey Armani two-piece suit, Aarav looked sharp, handsome, deliciously edible and sexy. I can never get tired of watching him dress and undress. After spending almost 6 weeks in London, we flew back to India two weeks ago and since then, this is our first public appearance together. A lot of developments happened in these two months. Our charity work together for single mothers is well established and running smoothly by our teams. I have shifted most of my work virtually, as working in London without my husband is not my choice, but I’ll have to keep travelling twice or thrice every year there and Aarav has promised to accompany me every single time. I know he will. He is such a possessive husband who cannot let his wife out of his sight for long. Ever since I took my responsibility as a wife in the AR mansion, Aarav and I have been spending lots of family time we never got.

Whilst these things are running smoothly, our passion for each other is still on fire. Every morning he wakes me up with kisses and at times more. There hasn’t been a single day he didn’t make love to me. I think so much love-making has made me addicted to this man to such an extent that I don’t miss drooling at him at every opportunity I get, despite being in a crowded event like this one tonight. Aarav and I have been at this party for the past two hours and though we are talking to people in different circles, he hasn’t left gawking at me while shaking hands with his business associates, sharing a drink with them or even when he is simply standing in the group.

Though I am doing the same, it’s not as open as him. I am admiring my husband only when his eyes are momentarily on others.

I hug one of his associate’s wives who introduces herself. We are still chatting when a message buzzes on my phone. It’s him.

‘How long will you not talk to me?’

I read the message from Aarav and curb my urge to turn around and see him. Yes. I am not talking to him. Well, I have my reasons. He deserves my cold behavior tonight. At least for a few more hours.

I keep talking to the woman when another message beeps.

‘Come here. I want to introduce you to someone.’

I don’t respond to that either. The next minute, someone hugs me tight. It’s Jaya.

“Hi, Jhanvi.”

She turns to my side giving me a glance head to toe. “You promised to wear red so we could twin and now you are in black instead?”

“Long story.” I roll my eyes but then quickly steal a glance at my husband who is staring at me from far.

“Long night. Long Story. I am in. Tell me.”

“No No. I am done telling you the spicy details of my married life. You tell me about yours this time. What’s happening between you and Aman?”

She blushes, and there’s no hiding. Jaya looks really happy. The last two months have been a game-changer for Jaya’s boring life too. She and Aman have come a lot closer than they were before. Since Aarav and I got busy with each other in London, our best friends had no one but each other to hang out with. Jaya gave Aman a tour of London and soon sightseeing changed to dinners and then pubbing together.

Soon the pubbing turned into something more intimate, and on her birthday night when Aarav and I made each other jealous and had a moment in the private booth at the club, Jaya and Aman shared a kiss too. Yeah, she admitted that to me two days later. So, out of all those gifts which Jaya received on her birthday, this one from Aman stood out. Obviously, things got awkward between them after that unexpected kiss, but like me and Aarav, they worked out their issues, insecurities and feelings and gave each other a chance to see if anything stronger was possible between them. One such time Jaya told Aman everything about her first boyfriend, who was her childhood crush too and who broke her heart terribly, making her sour for other men. Aman advised her to ignore that jerk and move on, which gave her the much-needed push to change her thinking. She always saw men in a bad light, hated them for doing injustice towards women, but after Aman came into her life, she realized there were good men too who would cherish their love forever.

When Aarav and I returned to India two weeks ago, Aman and Jaya drove to Scotland instead where Aman had some business work for Aarav to take care of. He just happened to ask Jaya if she would be okay to join him, and she readily agreed. They were definitely more than friends and very close to being a couple. That’s all I know so far, which is why now when Aman and Jaya have returned to India again, I couldn’t help asking Jaya for the updates. Her blush says it all, but I wait to hear those exact words.

“He proposed.”

She shows me the ring on her finger and my jaw drops. I hold her hand to admire the diamond ring and then meet her eyes.

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