Warning: Not Edited

Aaradhya's POV

Slowly pulling out of the hug, I caressed his face. "Relax first, okay?"

"May I.. just..." He said pointing at the glass. "Just.. one drink.." I sighed.

"It's enough Raghav. Okay? You had too much already. Not anymore now." I said making him understand and pushing the glass a bit more away.

"I want it" he whined like a kid and looked at me angrily.

Mood swings.

I smiled and politely held his hand. "You were telling me something right?"

He frowned and started thinking "I was?" He asked and I nodded.

"Oh Avantika.." he exclaimed and tears made way through his eyes again.

"Hey! Don't cry na.. if you want to share, tell me, otherwise it's completely fine." I smiled while he kept looking into my eyes.

"Don't leave me when you get to know the truth.. please" he slumped down and sat on the floor.

Fear of being alone.

I swallowed the lump in my throat looking at this broken man. Sitting down on the floor beside him, I looked towards him. "I won't. Trust me."

"Where should I start from?" He asked being lost as he looked at the ceiling.

"Maybe you can start from the beginning?" I gave him hints.

He laughed. "I am alone from the Beginning."

I sighed. "Why Raghav?" I asked now facing him.

Slowly, I shifted to sit in front of him so that I can look at his face.

"I'll tell you from the start ok?" He asked and I smiled and nodded.

"I was born in a rich family. My dad and mom were very different." I stared at him.

Man, you're still veryyy rich.

"After I was born, I never got attention from them. Dad always told me he is busy with his business. And mom, I never saw her at home. She always came home late. Though she didn't work. I didn't realise this, until one day I started realising." He sighed as tears in his eyes didn't stop.

I wiped his tears and encouraged him to continue.

"I was 5 years old when my grandmother was called home. She used to look after me. She was my only support, my only strength. Since then, the little attention that I got from my parents previously, that was also gone." I cried as I realised he was just deprived of love from the start.

"I was 10 when everything changed. I saw mom and dad fighting in their room late at night. I peeped in the room to see them arguing. Mom noticed me there and pulled me inside harshly. Her hold on my hand was so tight."

He caressed his hand and cried "it still hurts" he choked because of the tears.

I gently took his hand and kissed it. I smiled at him "Does it still hurt?" He chuckled "You won't understand it"

I smiled "then you make me." He smiled and continued "I still remember their words"

"This boy. Because of this boy, you are not letting me go right."

(She turned to Raghav)

"You are such a curse for us. You know. You are the worst curse."

I was shocked to hear this. 10 year old. And your parents call you a curse. How much more pain do you want?

Suddenly he started breathing heavily. I panicked looking at him. "Raghav...Raghav, relax. I'm here." 

Looking around I didn't find any pills there. "Raghav.. do you.. do you know where are the tablets?" I asked with panick.

"I.. I am fine.." he was still breathing heavily. And he didn't look fine to me.

I looked around but didn't find the tablets. I stood up to bring them but he held my hand.

"Don't... Don't.. go.. I'm fine.. sit.." he said. Not having any other option, I sat beside him.

5 minutes later, his breathing calmed down. "Raghav, if you are not comfortable..."

"Let me continue" he cut me off.

"I cried hearing her words. I looked at my dad. But all I found was anger in his eyes too." I looked at this man who had gone through so much.

"I was too small to understand what they were saying. My dad grabbed my hand and sent me out of the room. And closed the door. I don't know what happened. I didn't want to know."

"I told my grandmother about this. She had just told me not to think about it."

I sighed and held his hand. Slowly caressing it, I looked into his eyes and asked him if he wanted to continue.

"Yes. I want to." He replied in a firm voice.

"Few days later I heard my grandmother and my dad having a fight." He clenched his eyes as he remembered the day.

"How can you do this to your own son!? He's still a child. How can you.."

"Mom please. This love, affection, it's not my cup of tea. Let Rajni do what she wants."

"Think once about your son Srikanth! He's a child. He deserves his parents' love."

"He was just a mistake maa!!!"

I clenched my eyes as I realised, Raghav had been through so much. I cried silently.

Raghav looked at me for a moment and then wiped my tears like an innocent child who doesn't want his mother to cry.

"Granny slapped him. She.. she was very angry." He continued.

"Do you realise Srikanth, what mistake you are doing!!?"

"Maa, I loved Rajni, but not anymore, she was just an infatuation. And Raghav was just the result of that one unfortunate night."

"You both are Married! For god's sake don't punish that innocent child!"

"Maa, this is our matter, please stay out of it."

"Yes! You know what, in fact I will stay out of your lives! I am taking Raghav with me! Never come to me again."

"Maa.. please try to..."

"No Srikanth! Don't call me maa! I hate that I gave birth to a boy like you!"

"We left. We never turned back after that. Never again. I stayed with my grandmother in an orphanage. She.. she lived with me while she worked there, taking care of the kids. After all, we needed money."

I sighed and looked at Raghav. He looked beyond broken. And I didn't know what to do.

I slowly cupped his face and kissed his forehead. I don't know how much correct this was. But I did what I felt in the moment.

He closed his eyes as fresh tears trickled down.

"The orphanage owner gave money for my education. Being old, my grandmother never complained. So much she worked, to take care of the kids, so that we can have some money for personal use."

"Gradually I grew up and started working in a call centre as a part time job. I studied. I worked. My childhood was lost somewhere."

He seemed so lost as he said all of it and I wanted to hug him, kiss him, console him, but didn't have the courage.

"Then I met Vihaan." And finally his eyes sparkled. With happiness.

"In college. I met him. And he was a very happy and jovial person. He told me he had just come from New York as his dad had shifted his business." I smiled. Of course I knew Vihaan was in New York, I was also there.

"We started hanging out, we started talking, and became good friends. Our friendship was too true. Many tried to break it as they were jealous. But we had the strong bond." He smiled as he spoke about Vihaan.

"I enjoyed my college life a lot. After college I thought Vihaan won't be a friend anymore as we would go away for jobs. But he proved me wrong."

"I started my company. Initially it was very very difficult to survive in this business world. But vihaan's father, he helped me a lot. My godfather." He smiled again with happiness.

"My grandmother didn't have to struggle more. I gave her, the thing she deserved. Her happiness. She didn't have to work anymore. My business was rising. And I was at great heights." He smiled as he spoke about his success.

I felt happy that things were okay now. And I thought the gloomy days were over. But then his expressions changed.

"But happiness doesn't last long. My grandmother fell ill. She started having health problems. And then one fine day she lay on her death bed." He cried and his breathing became heavy again.

I panicked. Should I go and search for his tablets or just sit and listen.

Idiot. Call Vihaan. And tell him to bring the tablets.

No. Just listen to his complete past.

Call Vihaan.

Listen to him.

My mind was battling when I thought probably I should make him drink water.

I stood up when he held my hand immediately as a reflex action.

"Don't leave me, please." He said as he looked at me. His eyes covered with pain, agony, hurt.

"I'm just bringing water for you. Relax. I'm here only. Look" I kept talking to him and slowly poured water in a glass.

Coming back I gave it to him but he kept looking into my eyes.

"Raghav, drink water. You'll feel good." But he hugged me immediately making me jump at my place spilling the water a bit on the floor.

I kept the glass down and rubbed his back. "It's fine." But he was not ready to leave and his hold grew tight.

About 5 minutes later, I slowly came out of his embrace and made him drink the water.

I smiled and asked "Raghav, do you want to continue? Or shall we talk later?"

He nodded like a child "I want to continue."

"In the hospital as I went to meet her. She told me something that made me hate my parents forever." I frowned and saw his face changing into anger.

I immediately held his hand and rubbed it "calm down"

"Raghav. I am going to tell you something today. You were too small to realise all this back then when it happened. But I feel now that I am going away, you should know the truth."

"Please don't say that granny, I love you. Nothing will happen to you"

"Raghav bachhe (child), listen to me.."

"Okay granny.."

"Your dad and mom saw each other in college and years later when Srikanth told me he loved Rajni I decided to get them married. Things were quite well for about an year. But they started fighting. And then she became pregnant one fine day. And they wanted to abort."

"Rajni's family and our family were all happy. But when I heard Srikanth's decision, I told him not to abort. I thought maybe the child will bring them closer."

"When you were born, they were ignoring you. And your dad told I was the one who asked for this child."

"I realised it was true. And I had to take care of you now. So I came to you."

"I love you granny" (cries)

"Shh.. my child. Don't cry. After I came there, Srikanth told me things that I never knew. He said he was just wrong and he didn't love Rajni. And Rajni, she had already started loving some other person. She had started sleeping with the person and they had gone too far to be brought back."

"When I told Srikanth about it, he said he knew all this and he didn't bother. They were just waiting for their divorce to be issued legally."

"Srikanth started enjoying his life with other women. One night stands, parties, bar, drinking everything became common for him. I never knew my son would become like this."

"Granny please.."

"No dear. I am sorry for the hurt you went through. Had I not forced them to have the child, you wouldn't have gone through this."

"No granny. Please don't say sorry. I love you for all that you have done for me."

She smiled and wiped her tears.

"Srikanth is happy with his second wife now. They married 2 years later after we left. He didn't bother to ask about you. I am telling you all this because son, I have to go now. And you have to be strong. I just have one thing to say, please don't be like your dad. Vihaan is always there for you. I have realised that he is a great friend. And his dad is a great human. Be happy with the people you have around you my son."

"No granny.. please.. don't say this.."

"I love you my child"

"Granny.. granny.. please...."

"Grannyyy...." He cried and closed his eyes.

"Shhh.. Raghav.. I'm here" I caressed his face to give him assurance.

He hiccuped and his eyes were red. Full of hurt that I couldn't look into it.

"Then vihaan's parents also died an year later. And I had to be strong to handle him. We merged our companies. And everything was going well."

I smiled "Until Avantika came" and the smile didn't last long.

Aiyappa! How much have you hurt him?

And people blame him for being such a bad person.

"She changed my life. I loved her a lot. A lot more than anyone can imagine. I did everything for her. I thought she was the one for me."

He looked at me and then looked down, probably not wanting to say further.

"I didn't sleep with her. Please believe me" he replied still looking down. And I realised he wanted to be trusted.

"I trust you Raghav." He looked at me as his eyes twinkled like a child got his favourite chocolate.

"She said she didn't want to sleep before marriage. And I believed her. I trusted her for 2 long years. And she kept cheating me with my company's documents."

He chuckled humourlessly "Raghav Malhotra being cheated in business."

"She was just involved with my rivals. Vihaan caught her one day. And he tried telling me but I didn't listen. That was a huge mistake, not trusting Vihaan."

I smiled and rubbed his back as he hugged me again.

"I feel peaceful in your arms." He said looking at me with tears and I smiled.

"I was too ahead in her love, that I started planning for marriage. She said she didn't want a lavish marriage. And we decided on court marriage. Vihaan kept telling me not to go ahead with this step. She will ruin my life if I marry her. But I didn't pay attention to his talks."

"On the day of marriage, I was alone waiting for her as Vihaan said he didn't want to see her face. But she never turned up."

"I was too hurt. The person I love, always leaves me either by cheating or by god's wish."

He was referring to his grandmother, I knew.

"Vihaan still cared for me and handled me. He is the only person in my life who has been constant." I smiled as I knew vihaan's nature.

Once he becomes friends with someone, he makes sure to stay by the person's side. Always.

"Avantika met me a month later. With my rival. She said she was involved with him from start. He was more rich than me and I was a useless filth who wasn't even loved by his own parents. I was shocked that I trusted her to tell my past."

I never knew Raghav had gone through so much. I clenched my eyes not wanting to hear more.

"And now she has thrown that silly case." He concluded angrily.

I was too shocked to respond. All his past was so painful. I can't bear if this happened with me.

"Calm down ok. I'm with you Raghav." I smiled and kissed his forehead.

"You should go and sleep now." I said realising he needed some rest.

"She even told that I was a psycho person. I had this BPD and she said I was really hard to tolerate." I sighed as I understood he had already told her about this.

"You should not bother about the words of people whom you don't love ok?"

"But I loved her na?" He said innocently and I wanted to kiss him hard.

"You loved her Raghav. But now you don't." I replied and he smiled as he nodded.

"Okay now let's sleep?" I stood up and held out my hand for him. He took it and stood up.

Vihaan came in just then and looked at us. He smiled.

He hugged Raghav and took him probably to his room, and asked me to wait downstairs.

15 minutes later he came and gave me a side hug.

"He told you everything right?" I nodded looking away.

"I saw you. I had come there to check a few times but you guys were so busy.." he chuckled and I glared at him.

"How much hurt he..." I choked because of the tears.

"I know princess. But do you know something?" I looked at him with a confused face.

"Maybe he's falling for you all over again. And this time I know, it's not a mistake."

_____________________

Precap: I indeed felt so peaceful in her arms. And I knew this time she is the one.

I looked at her through the window and sighed.

I love you Aaradhya.

So so so hello my readers 😉

This was the most difficult part to write as I had to portray his pain 😑 but phew! I think it went well.

And and and I CROSS 10K VOTES!!! THANK YOU ❤️❤️💃💃💃 🎆🎆