Parinidhi's pov!

I was walking down the steps of Shiv Parvathi mandir, when she saw Jeevika ji coming towards me. Her face wasn't as pleasant as before.

"Jeevika ji. How are you?" I asked politely. I was very thankful that Jeevika ji hadn't called me to go to their place last week. She had once mentioned wanting help with the engagement preparations. Thankfully she didn't breach that topic again.

Though she likes Jeevika ji very much, she did not want to go to their place often. And she is too polite to tell that to their face.

"Nidhi," Jeevika smiled at her, but Nidhi found that smile very dull.

"Everything alright, Jeevika ji? You look dull." I couldn't help but ask, even though it is none of my business.

"Can we sit somewhere and talk, Nidhi?" Jeevika ji asked.

"Sure, Jeevika ji. Let's sit under the banyan tree.." I said and together we walked towards the banyan tree.

"I am very thankful to have met you here, Nidhi. I badly needed to talk to someone." Jeevika ji said.

"What happened? And are you alone? Nobody accompanied you, Jeevika ji?" I asked, wondering how Siddharth ji managed to send Jeevika ji alone to the temple after what happened that day.

"I am not alone, Nidhi. I have a round the clock nurse appointed to look after me after that incident. And I have an additional bodyguard too now." Jeevika ji said, rolling her eyes.

"That's good. I still shudder remembering finding you on your knees, clutching your belly in pain." I said, slightly shuddering at the memory and Jeevika ji smiled.

"It's all good now. I am perfectly alright. Even the doctors said so. But Sid won't listen to all that.." Jeevika ji said and I simply nodded.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about, Jeevika ji? How is everyone at home? How is Bhavna ji?" I asked.

"Bhavna is in Delhi right now. With her parents. She said she will be back after two weeks." Jeevika said and she proceeded to explain about what happened a week ago.

"It's been a week since Sid declared that he had broken up with Bhavna.. Bhavna had moved out of Raichand house immediately after that. Sid, as usual, didn't bother to give us any explanations. Bhavna was tight lipped too. The only thing Bhavna said was 'This is for the best di. We are not made for each other.' I don't know what to do about all this." Jeevika said sadly.

I stared at Jeevika ji, unable to figure out what I should feel.

"I think it is for the best, Jeevika ji." I said after a few minutes of silence.

Jeevika looked up at me in astonishment.

"Don't mind me saying this, Jeevika ji, but Bhavna ji deserves better." Nidhi said without holding back.

Jeevika ji hung her head low, feeling ashamed of her brother's behaviour.

"He doesn't respect her. Every woman deserves respect." I said something that has been bothering me for a very long time. He doesn't respect any woman other than the women in his family. He doesn't deserve any woman in his life.

"I understand.." Jeevika ji said softly.

"You are also at fault, Jeevika ji." Nidhi said softly.

"Nidhi!!" Jeevika exclaimed in shock.

"I am sorry, Jeevika ji. My intention is not to offend you. But I have to say this. Siddharth ji had made it very clear what he thinks about marriage and love. Still you forced him to accept Bhavna ji. That is not how a marriage should happen. He might agree for your happiness, but what would be the end result? A toxic relationship in which there is neither love nor respect. I know you are worried about his life, but it is his decision to make." I said softly as I remembered what Jeevika ji had once mentioned during my notice period. She had confessed that she had emotionally blackmailed Siddharth ji into accepting Bhavna ji.

"I.. I never thought..." Jeevika ji trailed off, probably still reeling from the shock of my words. She might not have expected those words from me.

"I was just expressing my views, Jeevika ji." I said softly and Jeevika ji shot a sad smile at me.

"I understand what you say. I also know it is absolutely true. But I worry about him. Now all he thinks about is making money and providing a luxury life for his family, which once was ruined by our father. But a few years later, when he looks back, his life would be empty. He would be lonely. That is what I am worried about. When I realised Bhavna is in love with Sid, I thought this would be the best." Jeevika ji said, as a tear ran down her cheeks.

"Hmm. Let's hope everything is for the best, Jeevika ji." I said.

****

Jeevika's pov!

I was still thinking about what Nidhi said that I almost bumped into Girish ji who has a set of laundered clothes with him.

"Careful, Jeevika ji." Girish ji said and I smiled at him.

"Sorry Girish ji. I was lost in some thoughts. Is that Sid's clothes?" I asked, pointing at the clothes.

"Yes," He said.

"Give it to me. I will keep them in his room." I said and took them from Girish ji and walked towards Bubba's room.

For the last week, he has been leaving the house early in the morning, before anybody wakes up and coming back late at night, after everyone sleeps.

So, I decided to wait for him to reach home tonight.

What Nidhi said made sense. I never considered Bhavna's feelings in all this. I clearly knew Sid didn't love Bhavna. Yet knowing that Bhavna had feelings for Sid, I forced him to accept her. What would have happened a few years down the lane? Bhavna would have been living a life without love and respect.

I sighed and opened Sid's cupboard and decided to rearrange them, while waiting for him to return home.

It took me an hour to completely arrange the clothes in the cupboard. I went back to get the bangles I had taken out of the locker for Bhavna. They were our mother's. I thought of gifting them to Bhavna on the engagement day. There is no point of keeping it with me anymore.

So, I decided to keep those bangles in Siddharth's cupboard locker.

Now it is up to Sid.. I badly hope he will one day find someone he loves enough to give these bangles to.

I opened the locker and found Mama's jewel box there.

"Momma's jewel box?" I took it out and my eyes filled with tears remembering the number of times I had watched Mama taking out jewels from the same box while getting ready for functions. It was such a beautiful sight. Papa would be right beside me, simply staring at her.

I opened it and found a pair of golden bangles in them.

"Whose bangles are these?" I asked myself. They look very familiar, but I couldn't remember where I saw them before.

There were some other things in the box too. There were some broken pieces of glass bangles. A torn end of some dupatta.

I was confused out of my wits seeing what Sid had kept in our Mama's jewel box.

What I saw next was a photograph. It was kept with the photo side facing down.

I opened it and staring back at me was Nidhi. She was in a dhavani and she was standing in a temple premise, looking up at the sky, with a cute frown on her face.

I remembered seeing Nidhi in the same attire once in the temple. It was the day I forced Sid to come and light the diya in the Shiv Parvathi shrine behind the temple. It must have been taken the same day. But who took it? Sid? Why? And why did he have it printed and kept safely in Mama's jewel box?

That's when I noticed the golden bangle Nidhi was wearing in the photo.

I looked at the golden bangles in my hands and remembered Nidhi wearing them.

So, these are Nidhi's bangles.

"Why does Bubba have a collection of Nidhi things? Are these broken bangles hers? Nidhi does wear these types of bangles. What is happening here?" I asked no one in particular.

"Today, you have to answer me, Sid." I was startled out of my thoughts as I heard the loud voice of dadi coming from downstairs..

A/n

Here goes the next shot...

In a few more chapters, Sid is going to accept that he is finally in love with Nidhi. Stay tuned to know what leads to the confession...

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Love,

SF❤️