Unedited.

Dhruv's POV:

After she left from there, I headed down with the slumped shoulders, and opening the refrigerator, I gulped the mouthful of water. That was when my gaze fell on the cake that was sitting in the corner.

Stretching my hand, I carried it and placed it on the kitchen platform before settling myself on it too.

'Congratulations, Mr. D.

I know you can do it as I always believe in you than anyone.'

My eyes instantly teared up after reading what was written on it. Wiping my tears forcefully, I put a small piece into my mouth and gulped it painfully.

Ignoring my blurry vision, I kept on savoring her treat for me with a fork.

Believe in me? How can you, Aaru even after getting so hurt in return, how can you believe me? Why can't you just be like me at least for once and accuse me of all the things? Why can't you do it? If only you did it, I would also get to know how it pained to have been accused without any mistake.

'I am truly sorry, Aaru. I know you can't forgive me this time. I also know I don't deserve you but call me selfish, I just can't live without you and leave you.'  I thought through my tears.

•••••

I looked down, masking away my pain when she again left the house without having her breakfast with us. While mom glared at me, dad just shook his head at me in disappointment as I closed my eyes in defeat.

It's been her routine since that day. She would never look at us or share her day with anyone. This house would no longer be filled with her chatter and laughter. I no longer would get a chance to irritate her or to experience her pranks.

Just like had she promised, she was really staying away from anyone by going to the hospital early and coming back late. I missed my Aaru and I didn't know how to undo my mistake and soothe her pain.

Washing my hand, the left the food untouched and started for my office. The whole morning went lifelessly and ignoring the grumbling of my stomach, I continued working to divert my mind.

Just as I was about to grab another file, I heard the ringing of my phone and seeing it was Indra who was calling me, I attended it immediately.

"Come to the station." I heard his curt voice and frowned in confusion.

"Why?"

"It would be better if you come here. You will understand everything." Mumbling an okay, I ended the call and informed Ravi to cancel all my further appointments before rushing outside to start for the station.

All the way, I kept on thinking about the possibilities but couldn't get at any. Once I was in front of the station, I parked the car and went inside to know what exactly was happening but slowed down in my track after witnessing Aaru and Aadhya sitting in front of Indra in his cabin.

As if she had sensed someone's presence, Aaru turned around and upon noticing it was me, she spun her head back after giving me an indifferent glance.

"I didn't know that his presence was required for you to accept our case, Mr. ACP." She stated in a blank tone as Indra ignored her words.

"Now you can tell me what you want to say." He asked her while gesturing me to take a seat and after not finding anywhere to sit, I settled myself in an empty chair beside Aaru.

"We are here to file a case on Vikas Varma." She said with a straight face.

"May I know what is it for?"

"For abducting my sister-in-law, Aadhya, and for abusing her physically." She said without looking at anything in particular as Aadhya continued after her.

"For further harassing my sister-in-law, Aarna who came to save me and humiliated her in such a way that I can't even say it out loud," Aadhya said while gritting her teeth as Aarna held her hand while shaking her head.

"We are here to seek justice for you, only for you. So don't involve my matter in this. It's not worth it." Aaru said as I and Indra both glanced at her after hearing her words.

"Sir, please ignore her words and you can ask her the details of what exactly had happened."

"Yes, tell me what exactly had happened that day," Indra asked Aadhya as she narrated how her senior proposed to her in front of the whole college and she rejected him by saying that if he wouldn't stop coming after her, she would tell her brother a.k.a me. So choosing the right time, when she was returning from college, he abducted her and took her to an abandoned place. Then he started thrashing her for how she could refuse him.

"I heard him telling his friend over a call that he had kept me at the backside of Park residency. So just when he left the place for some other matter while tying my legs, I heard the distant ringing of my phone and after searching it for a while, I managed to find it. So when my vadhina called me again, I attended the call and told her about my location. I really tried to escape but the wounds on my body didn't let me do it and I couldn't untie my legs given my plight. Soon Vadhina came to that spot and helped me in escaping." She finished it briefly but we all knew she had more to say.

"Is that all? Or do you have anything else to say?" Indra probed her as he too felt that there was so much that had been left unsaid.

"That was all, Sir. On the way, she had fainted out of shock and I admitted her to the hospital."

"I am not asking you. If you speak up for another time, I would have to escort you out until I finish talking with her." Indra shut her up as she glared at him furiously.

"I was relieved when I saw her there and just when she was trying to untie my legs, he came back and harshly pinned her to the tree by twisting her hands. After knowing that I was the one who called her there, he tried to beat me up again. That was when she stopped him from doing so, saying that he could do anything to her but not to me. Hearing her words and disregarding the fact that she would be the age of his sister, he... He-"

"Aadhya, please stop it, I beg you." Aaru pleaded with her while trying to control her tears but still pretended to maintain a brave front as I extended my hand to hold hers which she obviously avoided like it would burn her. Though hurt at her repulsive behavior, I knew I deserved more than just this for not keeping my temper at bay.

"He started touching her inappropriately." My head immediately snapped in her direction as she completely avoided looking at me.

" I was right there and except for pleading with him to stop humiliating her, I couldn't do anything. She endured everything just to get me out of there safely. His disgusting touches, his snarky remarks, his slaps, she endured everything just for me."

Hearing everything, I fisted my hands angrily. Angry at that jerk and angry at myself for behaving like one of a jerk in the situation. So no wonder she looked at me with so much hurt reflecting in her soulful eyes and it's no wonder, she was so unwilling to give in to my apologies this time and it's no wonder, she was so broken to the point that she even decided to leave the family that she started considering as her own.

"Just when he wanted to kiss her, she used the pepper spray on him and that's how we both managed to escape from him. That was it."

"Why didn't you inform this to anyone before going there all alone?" Indra asked Aaru calmly but I knew, he was boiling with anger just like me as I saw him flicking his lighter continuously which he would often do when he was frustrated and being angry at something.

"I tried calling my husband but he was on the business trip. So he must be on his flight at that time as his phone was unreachable. I even tried to inform my brother but even he was unavailable as all my calls were left unanswered. So when I wanted to tell my dad or anyone, I thought I was just being paranoid and went there alone." She said monotonously.

"Then did you inform about all this to your husband or to anyone after escaping from there?" Indra asked her as I just looked aside, too ashamed to call myself her husband.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because there was no one who would be willing to hear my side before assuming everything." She said and hurt was still fresh in her tone.

"You could have told your brother everything...right?" He asked her softly while looking into her eyes.

"My brother? The one who didn't even have the courtesy to call me till now to know the reason why I had called him so many times and had even left a message?" She asked him while laughing to herself.

"He.. It might not be intentional. He might have lost his phone..right?" He tried to convey through his eyes that how apologetic he was as here I was so ashamed for being a useless human.

"Maybe but at that time, the only two people who I would always think that I could rely on them forever was nowhere to be seen. So I just don't know what to do. One was not willing to hear my side when all I wanted was to pour my heart in his embrace and the other was not available when I need him the most." She said and I blinked back my tears as her every word showed the reality of our exact stakes.

Indra abruptly stood up from his seat and came near her. He kneeled down in front of her before turning her chair in his direction.

"I am sorry for not being there for you." He held her hands with his, sounding so apologetic and for the first time, I saw him openly admitting his relation in front of his subordinates.

"Geez! You are a grown man. So stop being a cry baby. If not, don't go around and say that you are my brother and stop apologizing. You did nothing wrong. I was the one who was not aware of the fact that you lost your phone. So apart from the initial blaming, I don't have any hard feelings."

He smiled at her slightly before standing up and said. " Hari, I want every single detail of that Vikas Varma."

After the said person excused himself, he glanced at me and gave me a look that meant 'you owe me a hell lot of explanation ' as I nodded my head guiltily.

"I will look into this matter immediately." He placed a hand on Aaru's shoulder and patted Aadhya's head.

"We will take our leave now," Aaru said as I followed them both numbly.

Once we were outside the station, she waved at her brother and turned to Aadhya.

"Aadhya, can you please leave on your own? I have to go somewhere with your brother." She declared as I looked at her with a frown.

"Can you please do me a favor by taking me to somewhere?" She asked me with a fake smile and I nodded at her senselessly, though I was pretty confused.

After settling in the car, I asked her, "Where to?"

"To Ankitha Akka's house." I looked at her in confusion.

"What? You know her address..right? Huh? How could you not? Hurry up now." She waved her hands casually while saying so, as I sighed worriedly.

Thanks for reading.

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I will try to give another update in a day or two once the target was achieved as I wanted to finish this book soon.