His mother looked at her without any emotions and said.

"Mujhse kyu maafi maang rhe ho beta. Jinke aslo gunhegaar ho unse maango. Mera toh aapse ab koi rishta bhi nhi hai. Mere liye toh aap ab sirf meri bahu ki badi behen ho."

(Why are you asking my forgiveness. The one you have wronged ask for them. I don't have any relation from you now. For me you are just my daughter-in-law's elder sister.)

She said making Radhika look at her in shock. She looked at Kiara as she realised her words.

She held Kiara's hands who looked away not looking at Radhika's face.

"Kia! Apni dida ki taraf nhi dekhegi?"

(Won't you like at your dida?)

She did not respond and Radhika cupped Kiara's face.

"Mujhe maaf kr de meri jaan. Meri wajah se tujhe ye sab sehna pada."

(Please forgive me. You had to go through this because of me.)

Radhika whispered and that's when Kiara looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"Mera saath jo hua mujhe uski parwah nhi. Aarav is the best husband I could have got. Lekin aapne jo mumma papa ke saath kia wo sahi nhi tha dida. Aapki wajah se they had to bow down in shame. Aapki wajah se papa cried in shame for the first time."

(What happened with me is not a concern. But what you did with mumma papa was not correct. Because of you they had to bow down in shame. Because of you papa cried in shame for the first time.)

Every word of Kiara's was stabbing Radhika's heart. She bowed her head and cried. Her mother's heart pierced seeing her daughter's condition. In the end, she was a mother.

Her father still did not look at him. She went to him and called him lovingly.

"Papa! Please ek baar meri taraf dekh lo. I am sorry papa."

(Please look at me once.)

Her father didn't budge.

"Please papa. Mai kuch bhi krne ko taiyar hu koi bhi saza de do lekin please ek baar mujhse baat krlo."

(I am ready to do whatever you say just please look at me.)

She sobbed and her father felt his heart melting. She was his baby after everything.

"Thik hai. Maaf kr dunga lekin ek shart pr."

(Ok. I will forgive you on one condition.)

Radhika felt a hope seep into her heart as she asked.

"Kya?"

(What?)

"Dobara kabhi iss ghar mai aayegi aur na hi humse baat kregi jab tak hum khud na bulaye."

(You will not enter this house or contact us until we ask you to.)

"Papa!"

She cried and her husband held her protectively.

"Thik hai. Agar aapki ye saza hai toh mujhe manzoor hai."

(Ok. I accept your punishment.)

She said after some time. She then hugged him making him clench his fists and close his eyes as a tear fell from his eye.

"I am sorry."

She whispered one last time before leaving him. Her husband saw her mother looking at Radhika with concern and said.

"Tension mat lijiye aunty. Mai isse ek karoch tak nhi aane dunga."

(Don't worry aunty. I won't let even a scratch come to her.)

Her mother looked at him surprised but nodded looking away. Radhika hugged her mother who controlled herself from hugging her back.

She then went into front of Kiara who smiled slightly.

"I am happy for you dida."

She whispered looking at Amar, her husband and Radhika whispered a 'Thank you' while kissing her head.

"I am sorry Aarav ji."

She said folding her hands and he said.

"Honestly Radhika unn kuch ghanto ke liye jab hamari shaadi hui thi maine hamari puri zindagi plan kr li thi. Jab aapka wo letter pada toh mai samajh nhi paaya ki ye kya ho rha hai."

(Honestly the few hours we were married I had planned our entire lives. When I read your letter I couldn't understand what was happening.)

She looked down in guilt and Kiara looked at him with pain and hurt.

"Anyway! Congratulations to you two and I wish you a happy married life ahead. Atleast aap khush hai."

(Atleast you are happy.)

He said and Kiara's heart pained. He wasn't happy with her. He still had feelings for her sister.

That day when they reached home Kiara immediately went to their room. She was about to run into the washroom to cry her eyes out when Aarav held her hand and stopped her.

"Kya hua? Upset lag rhi ho. Pure raste bhi chup thi."

(What happened? You look upset. You were quiet the whole way.)

She looked at him and asked looking straight into his eyes.

"You still like her. You still have feelings for dida."

Aarav looked taken aback. He hadn't expected this question. His grip on her hand loosened and she moved back.

Before he could reply she said.

"Ofcourse you would. Sach toh yahi hai na ki wo aapki first wife thi aur mai second. Wo itni smart, intelligent and mature and me! I am just a kid. Aapne unse apni marzi se shaadi kri thi na ki meri tarah aap pr thopi (forced) gyi thi."

9The truth is that she was your first wife and me your second. You married her on your own will and I was forced upon you.)

She started moving towards the washroom when he again held her hand and pulled her in. His hand snaked around her waist and he held her nape from his other hand keeping her in place.

He rested his forehead on hers and she looked at him shocked. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily.

"Who said that you were forced on me. I was against this marriage yes! Lekin you were never forced on me. Mai bas isliye ye shaadi nhi chahta tha kyunki I didn't want to snatch your freedom from you. I didn't want to punish you for something you never did."

(I didn't want this marriage only because I didn't want to snatch your freedom from you.)

He said and she closed her eyes gulping her tears.

"And about me thinking about you as a child. I never did. The moment we were tied in the holy bond I knew you were not a kid. I have always seen you as a woman Kiara. My woman."

He said and kissed her cheek making her suck in a harsh breath. He left from there and she kept standing in the middle of the room trying to understand what happened.

Did he just claim her as his woman? Her heart might explode with the giddy feeling she was currently experiencing.

She ran inside the washroom and locked the door. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was red and flustered.

She bit her lip as she remembered his words. He did not think of her as a kid. He thought of her as a woman. His woman.

Her splashed water on her face to get rid of the red hue that had started covering her cheeks.

The more she thought about it the more shy she felt.

It was at that moment she realised that she had a crush on her husband. A massive one. And listening to his words it seemed like it was reciprocated.
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