Page 104 of Reckless Hate

And now, she understood his reasons even though it would take a while to accept them.

“I’m so sorry, Sam. I know it will take time for you to forgive me. But please know that I love you, and I want to be in your life again.”

Her eyes blurred with tears as her lips trembled.

“I shouldn’t have believed your mother and fought harder to see you. Especially after I-I knew what she was capable of doing. She ruined the friendship between me and my best friend too.”

Samantha knew her father was referring to Viraaj Simha, Ved’s father.

But she believed that Viraaj Simha was equally at fault for having an affair with his best friend’s wife. Ved had hated her because she was the witness to her mother and his father kissing. When she was asked by others on what she saw, she had only told the truth.

“For years, I couldn’t face my best friend because I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye for what your mother did to him.”

Samantha didn’t know why her father was taking away the guilt from his best friend.

Her father’s eyes looked pained. “She destroyed his life with her accusation.”

Her heart thudded. What did her father mean by destroyed? “What accusation?” she asked.

Her father’s face crumpled. “She accused Viraaj of forcibly molesting her at a party. And I believed her and not my best friend. When I finally realized the truth, it was too late.”

Shock reverberated through her.

***

Samantha spent the next few moments in a shocked daze.

Her father spoke to her and told her about what had happened. He had believed his wife about the molestation accusations, especially when his daughter had also witnessed the kiss. It was only much later when his wife demanded a huge payout from the Simhas that he realized the truth. It led to the divorce.

“I couldn’t stomach the thought of living with a woman like that anymore,” her father said. “It wasn’t the first time she had affairs. She had a bad reputation even during our university days. Viraaj warned me as well when I had a brief fling with her right before graduation. I wanted to break it off, but she told me she was pregnant. I married her believing she was speaking the truth. But later, she claimed she had lost the baby. I remained married to her hoping she’d settle down after marriage even though she didn’t give up her ways. I was close to leaving her, but then she told me she was pregnant again. You were born a few months later. And when I saw you, I fell in love with you and promised myself I would always be there for you.”

Her father held her hand. “I’m sorry, Sam. I know I let you down. But please give me a chance to prove myself again. I promise I will always be there for you.”

Tears filled her eyes as her father pleaded, but she didn’t know how to react. She was too shocked.

“I believe you,” she whispered.

She got up from the chair in a daze. “I-I’ll talk to you later… Papa,” she said.

And then, she walked out of the dean’s office. With trembling hands, she called Ved. His phone was answered in a couple of rings.

“Ved… where are you?”

“I’m in my room about to head out for basketball practice. I’ll come by your place in a couple of hours.”

There was a pause as though he sensed something was wrong.

“Sam, what happened? Where are you?”

Her voice came out as a sob. “I-I was at the dean’s office. M-my father came here to visit me. H-he told me the truth. I didn’t know what had happened.”

There was a loaded pause. “Sam. Stay where you are. I’m coming. Don’t move.”

She ended the call but didn’t stay where she was. She kept walking. She felt the burning urge to see Ved right away.

She reached the housing unit where she knew Ved and his cousins stayed. Knowing she’d be in trouble but choosing to ignore it, she went inside and then climbed the stairs to Ved’s apartment.

She rang the bell, and it was answered by his cousin. Abhiram Simha looked surprised, but seeing her face, he let her in.

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