Parul's 20th birthday was celebrated 5 days ago and she had received so many gifts. She was very happy as it was her first time receiving so many gifts. She did miss her maa baba a lot.

At the moment, she was sitting in their room while Rajiv worked on his laptop. She had been thinking about the information he gave her regarding pregnancy.

She had a lot of questions in her mind and except Rajiv no one could settle it. So, she poked his thigh making him hum.

"Suniye!"

"Kahiye!"

He muttered distractedly and she bit her lip while whispering in a slow voice.

"Mujhe abhi bhi samajh nhi aaya."

"Kya?"

"Ki kaise krte hai."

"Kya kaise krte hai?"

He gave her a brief glance before shifting his attention to the laptop.

"Wo!"

She said as if it was self explanatory. He frowned and looked at her.

"Kya wo?"

"Arre wo!"

She said with her eyes widening a little to put emphasis and he looked at her still unable to understand.

"Kya wo Parul?"

"Wahi jisse pregnant hote hai."

She whispered as if it was a secret and he bit the inside of his cheek in amusement.

"You mean sex?"

She nodded and he chuckled.

"Kya jaana hai?"

"Hota kaise hai?"

"Padha toh tha."

He replied not knowing how to make her understand.

"Lekin samajh nhi aaya ki ho kaise paayega."

She frowned in confusion and thought for a moment before an idea struck him. It was the only option left now.

"Wait! Let me show you something."

He said and started typing something on his laptop. She peeked in curiosity and saw him play a video. He kept the laptop in front of her and she looked at him.

"Dekho! Samajh aa jaayega kaise krte hai."

She focused on the laptop and blushed when the couple on the screen started kissing. She averted her eyes and asked him. Her eyes widened when the couple started removing their clothes.

"Ye-ye kya dikha rhe hai?"

"Sex! You wanted to know right?"

"Lekin ye-ye aise-kapde kyu-?"

"Sex is a very intimate act that happens between a couple Parul."

He explained and asked her to focus back on the screen. She did only for her eyes to widen in shock and disgust when the act actually began.

"Cheeee! Band kriye isse!"

She yelled and closed her eyes. He chuckled and she yelled with her eyes closed again.

"Band kriye isse! Mujhe nhi dekhna kuch!"

He did and shut the laptop still laughing. Her reactions were the cutest. She huffed and opened her eyes still looking visibly traumatized.

"Aapke paas ye video kaise hai? Kaun hai ye log?"

She asked in disbelief and he shrugged.

"Mere paas nhi hai. It's all over the internet. It's called porn. Koi bhi access kr skta hai."

"Koi apni private video aise internet pr kyu daalega?"

She asked horrified and he shrugged again.

"They earn from doing it."

Parul got silent for some time.

"Pregnant hone ke liye ye sab krna padta hai?"

"Not only for getting pregnant but for pleasure too."

"Pleasure?"

"Ummhmm! Sex stimulates the sexual organs, the penis and the vagina and releases some hormones jinse pleasure milta hai. And it's quite normal between a married couple or a couple in love in general to have sex."

"Mujhe bhi krna padega?"

She asked after some time and he shrugged.

"One day, whenever you're comfortable to do it."

Then she asked something that horrified him.

"Kiske saath?"

He looked at her in disbelief and asked in a loud voice.

"Kya matlab kiske saath? Pati hu mai tumhara. Mere saath krogi na!"

"Ewww! No!"

She scrunched her nose and he looked even more shocked.

"What no? You're married to me. Kisi aur ke baare mai sochna bhi mat!"

He declared possessively and she showed him her tongue knowing it was riling him up.

About a month later was Parul's father's Shradh (an event when the family of a deceased feeds a Brahmin as a representation to bring peace to the deceased). She prepared a plate of food and covered it with a cloth after keeping all the necessary items on it.

She had seen her mother do this every year for her father and this year she had to do it. She reached the colony temple and touched the steps before entering.

"Pandit ji! Mere baba ka shradh krna hai. Ye le lijiye."

She spoke and the priest nodded accepting the plate.

"Kya naam hai tumhare baba ka?"

"Arun Mittal."

The priest looked surprised and asked.

"Rajiv Ahuja ko jaanti ho?"

Parul was confused as to why he was asking that but nodded.

"Ji wo pati hai mere."

The priest seemed to understand and smiled.

"Wo bhi aaya tha abhi kuch samay tumhare baba ka shradh krwane. Do saalon se aa rha hai."

The priest while walking away leaving Parul in a state of shock. He did her baba's shradh? Why? And he had been doing it since 2 years?

She reached home and saw Rajiv setting his hair. He winked at her and whistled but she looked at him as if trying to read what this man was.

"Aap mandir gye the?"

She asked and he froze. He looked away and mumbled.

"Haan. Chala jaata hu kabhi kabhi."

"Baba ka shradh krne gye the."

She said and he gulped not being able to look at her. He turned and settled on the edge of the bed and called her near him by patting the bed. She sat beside him and continued to look at him while he continued to look ahead.

A sad smile formed on his face and his eyes got moist.

"Unhe wapas laane ke liye toh kuch kr nhi skta, na hi apne iss paap ko sudhar skta hu ab. Bas ye kr ke mann ko tasalli de leta hu ki shayad unhe maarne ka kuch paap kam ho jaaye mere upar se."

She could feel his voice getting heavy. Will she sound crazy if she said that she didn't consider him the actual culprit of her father's death. It was someone else entirely.

"Life mai bhut kuch galat kia hai maine Parul. Bhut kuch! You know...I was a drug addict."

He confessed and her eyes widened.

"I was in Rehab because of that for 2 years."

"Rehab?"

She asked not knowing what it meant and he explained.

"Rehabilitation Centre. People get their addiction treated there. I have done all kinds of bad things. You know...I once played a girl's private video in public because she rejected my proposal to be my girlfriend."

"Private video?"

"She was with her boyfriend. Kissing and stuff. I played it in public."

Parul knew it was a bad thing. How ashamed that girl would be.

"I've hurt so many girls because of my ego and attitude. I have used them like tissues."

He sounded so much in pain as if the memories hurt him. But what did he mean by used them like tissues? His next words confused her even more.

"I'm not a virgin."

"What's that?"

"I...I've had sex before."

This got her silent. Somehow the image of him with anyone else in that intimate position didn't settle well with her.

"But aapne kaha tha ki we are married and we are supposed to-"

"I know right! I'm such a hypocrite."

He chuckled humourlessly and wiped another tear that escaped his eye.

"Kiske saath?"

She asked again and he closed his eyes.

"With multiple girls."

This was his short answer. She got silent again and he continued.

"When I came back from the Rehab, I started searching for everyone who I have wronged. I apologised to the girl and her boyfriend. I searched for you and your mother. Trying to lessen my guilt somehow."

He spoke and then a tear fell from his eye.

"There are two things that I'll never be able to forgive myself for. The unforgivable sins that I've committed."

He spoke and she saw him clench his fists to control his tears.

"One was killing your father and the other...the other...molesting my own...sister-in-law."

He spoke in a choked voice. The regret ran so deep in him. Parul's eyes widened when she heard it.

"Bh-bhabhi?"

"I'm a monster right? But she is an angel. She forgave me, Parul. She fucking forgave me for what I did to her. She lost her first baby because of me. She had to abort the baby because of me. All because of me."

He cried and didn't bother controlling his tears anymore. Parul didn't know how to react. The information was too much to process.

"Bhaiya got to know about my addiction after this sin of mine. He sent me to the Rehab. Lekin mai itne guilt mai tha of doing it to her that I wanted to kill myself."

He got silent for some time and then confessed in a small voice.

"I did try, you know. I tried to kill myself in my initials months in the Rehab. I tried multiple ways lekin har baar mere aas paas koi na koi hota tha and I couldn't go about with it. Bhaiya doesn't know about this."

Her eyes widened when he said he tried to kill himself. She had heard him say multiple times that his guilt wanted him to kill himself but she never believed that he actually tried to do it.

*************************************

Please do leave your comments.

Also, please vote for the story.������

Laters!!��❤️