Author's pov
" You didn't keep your promise," VR told Orni who was standing like a robot having a blank expression on her face.
Orni frowned her brows when VR grabbed her shoulder tightly. She looked at his eyes which were teary. Except for the immense pain in his eyes, she didn't see anything.
" 15 years!! For the last 15 years, I was alive just with the hope that you will accept me back. I admit that I deserve those punishments but how could you break me like that!! You promised that you will never marry another man. You will wait for me. But, in the end, what did you do? Why?" VR's heart-wrenching voice echoed through the whole place but Orni remained silent.
He asked shaking her aggressively," Why are you silent now?"
" Did you keep your promises? Then, how could you expect me to keep your rubbish promise," Finally, Orni spoke out with the same intensity.
Pushing him away from her she warned him," Next time you touch me with your filthy hands. You lose them. I am not your property that you can treat me however you want. I am someone else's wife. You have no right to touch me."
" Before showing me this day you should have killed me that day when you pointed the gun at me," VR said falling to his knees.
Lowering his head he continued crying silently. He lost everything now. God has made him ill at the right time. He doesn't want to live anymore. Orni just saw him silently. Though she felt pity for him, she has nothing to do.
" You should leave. My husband won't like your presence here," Orni told him directly who couldn't utter any further words.
Letting out some uncleared words VR screamed at her," Your husband!!! How could you marry someone else!! You knew how much I loved you."
" Yes, I married someone else. What will you do now? Beat me, rape me or drug me!! I almost lost my life because of you and still, you want me to acknowledge your actions as love!!" Orni shot back with the same intensity shutting VR's mouth.
VR was still mourning over his fate when he heard bikes honking. Turning behind his head he noticed that two young boys whose age wouldn't be more than 18 entered the property. Stopping the bikes right in front of Orni they got down from their bikes. By the time VR also stood up. VR didn't fail to recognise the boys when they took off their helmets. They were Roman & Rion.
VR had tears in his eyes after seeing them. Indeed they are his son. They look like him except for their eye colour and jawline. They are tall like him. VR could see his young self in them.
" Mumma, is there any problem?" Roman asked looking at VR suspiciously.
Rion asked VR," Ummmm...... Do I know you, Sir?"
" Roman.....Rion.... My sons........" VR burst into crying and pulled them into a tight hug before they could understand anything.
VR was sobbing nonstop while the boys looked at Orni with stunned eyes. They weren't understanding anything at all.
" Rudranesh Joshi and Onveer Joshi. Son of Rudraksh and Orni Joshi. They are not your sons," Orni declared and Roman & Rion broke the hug.
Before a mountain of questions collapse on Orni, she ordered the boys," Get inside the house."
" But, Mumma. Why is h......." Roman shut his mouth seeing Orni glaring at him.
No sooner had the boys left than Orni told VR," No one will welcome you here. It would be better if you leave my house otherwise I will call the police."
" You should have killed me that day. But, don't worry God heard your prayers," VR said with too much pain in his voice and left Orni's house with his dead heart.
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It was a calm and peaceful afternoon. Just like every other day Srilekha was sitting in the garden and reading a religious book. Sanjay wasn't at home. He had gone for a walk with their neighbour.
She was engrossed in the book when she sensed someone standing right behind her. She thought it was Sanjay.
" You returned early today," Srilekha asked chuckling but she was startled by a familiar voice.
VR called," Choti ma."
Turning her head behind she found VR standing right behind her. She thought she was hallucinating. Adjusting her glasses she looked properly. Realization hit her hard that she wasn't hallucinating.
" You!!" Srilekha mumbled blinking her eyes repeatedly.
Coming in front of her VR fall to his knees. Now, she could see him clearly. He had a very lean body now, dry messy white hair, pale face with a pair of dead eyes. Tear stains were clearly visible on his cheeks. He was looking dead. Like there was no soul left inside him.
" Why are you here?" She asked.
Placing his head on her lap he requested helplessly," I have nowhere to go, choti ma. Would you let me live with you for the rest of my life? I have hurt you so much. I want to compensate by taking care of you."
" You will have no place in my house," Srilekha replied curtly.
VR said," I will die soon, choti ma. Let me take care of you for the last few days of my life."
Srilekha didn't say anything further. She concentrated on her religious book again. She thought VR will leave after pleading for some time but he didn't. He kept sitting there placing his head on her lap. She doesn't know why she felt pity for him. She can feel that he has no evil in him anymore.
" You are better than your father. At least you acknowledge what you have done," Srilekha said but in response except for a small whimper she heard nothing.
***************************************
" This audacity of him!! He stepped in here!!" Rudraksh growled.
Orni answered," He went to bhaiya's house too and now he is in my parent's house."
" What? Ma didn't say anything," Rudraksh asked in disbelief.
Orni shook her head in the negative and added," Ma said he will die soon. She felt pity for him that's why she didn't say anything."
Rudraksh just returned from work. The moment Orni told him about VR, his blood boiled with anger. He knew that VR's punishment was reduced later but he didn't think after all the humiliation VR will come here right after the release.
" Roman and Rion are constantly asking me about him. What should I say to them?" Orni asked sounding confused.
Unknowingly she was feeling pity for VR. Somewhere in her heart, she felt extremely bad when Srilekha told her that VR will die soon. There was a time when she used to pray for his death but not anymore.
" What's there to say? They are my sons. That's it," Rudraksh told clearly.
Orni said," They deserve to know the truth. They are adult enough to understand everything."
" Do whatever you want to do. But, I don't want that man near my sons at all," Rudraksh warned Orni and then stormed outside angrily.
After thinking for some time Orni called her sons to her room and told them the truth. She just told them that they were born from her previous marriage. She had to leave their father because their relationship became toxic. She didn't tell them the whole truth.
" I don't consider that man as my father at all. My father is Rudraksh Joshi," Rion said nodding his head.
Roman let out in disbelief," He is a stranger. All of our life we have known only one person as our father. Rudraksh Joshi."
" This is the truth. I felt like you should know it. So, I told you," Saying that Orni forwarded her legs to the balcony. She knew that her children will understand her.