*Grab some tissues (Sorry I forgot to warn in the previous chapter 😛)*

SHREYA'S POV

We followed him but he was too fast to take the car and drive off.

Prem offered me the drive home which I accepted. The whole journey was silent but within me, there was a storm. There were a lot of things going on in my mind.

We reached the mansion and he left dropping me there.

As I entered I was welcomed by utter silence and utmost darkness. The door gets opened either by his fingerprints or the doorbell. It was open which means he is in.

I switched on the lights of the hall. There was not even a fly to be found. I was scared because the silence and loneliness were eating me out. I called out his name.

"Atharva"

No reply

"Atharva" this time a little louder.

Still no reply.

I went upstairs in our room, pushed it open to find it vacant. I knocked on the bathroom door.

"Atharva"

Still no reply. I pushed it a little and it gets opened. I went to his gym to search for him but he was not there too. I was not getting where to search for him. This is such a huge mansion and I haven't explored it yet. I searched for him everywhere I can.

I went back downstairs and to my shock, the room that always remains locked was unlocked. I took a deep breath and pushed its gate a little and it gets open.

There was complete darkness in there but still, I can feel a figure in the very corner of the room. My heartbeat took its speed. I breathe heavily.

I searched for the switches with the help of the flashlight of my mobile and switched the lights on.

I looked around and found that the room was decorated beautifully but everything was burned. You can easily see ashes and the black spots of fire.

Then my eyes fall on him. He was sitting in the corner of the room with a photograph in his hand. Either he was oblivion of my presence or he was ignoring me.

His coat was lying on the ground. He was in his white shirt with rolled-up sleeves to his elbows and disheveled hair with his eyes stick to the photograph.

"Atharva" I called him softly and he looked up.

His eyes were blood red and dry. My feet unknowingly moved towards him. I took the photograph from his hand. It was a little burned. There was a beautiful lady carrying a kid in her arms.

"My mother," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Why? Why were you so desperate to know about me?" He asked breaking the silence.

I put the photograph aside carefully and stretched my hands to touch his face.

"Because you are my husband and being your wife I have every right to know about you. You know everything about me and I know nothing." I said

"What do you want to know?" He asked while taking my hand in his.

"Why didn't you told me that you are not behind that accident?" I asked him and he smiled painfully on my question.

"I know you more than you know yourself butterfly," he said and my eyebrows knitted at the last word.

"Because you don't fake to anyone you think that no one fakes. You think that the people are showing their right self to you, they are not hiding their real identity from you. But it is not like that. The world is not as innocent and real as you think" he said

"Then why did you reacted like you are the one responsible for that accident," I asked him.

"The moment you told me about your father's accident I got it who is behind this. If I had told you the truth right then you would not have believed my words. And if you have then you would have not signed marriage papers that were very important for me to protect you from those monsters. So I just did what felt right because I cannot afford to lose you at any cost." he said

I faint gasp escaped my mouth. I was feeling very very guilty at that moment.

"I was very very angry at you because you slapped me and I was planning something big to make you marry me and sign those papers. But trust me Shreya, that was not a part of my plan, hurting your parents was not in my plan list. I am an orphan. I know what it is meant to live without parents".

"I...I am sorry" I said and looked down.

"Don't be. I was the one who forced you into this marriage," he said and I looked up.

"I don't believe in relationships neither I wanted one. I just wanted to live alone. But the day I saw you my heart craved for you. I wanted you around me every single minute. That's why I did it. First time for the sake of my heart. Literally, I didn't care that you were signing those papers unwillingly. The thing I only care was that I just wanted you by my side every single day". He said.

Before this every time, I was the one who speaks and he listens. He doesn't talk much but today he was speaking and I was listening to him. Because I wanted answers to all my questions today. I wanted him to let out everything from his heart which he is hiding from years from the world.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked

He nodded

"Why is this room burned? I mean who burned it?"

"Who else then Anika," he replied immediately like he knew what I was going to ask.

"Why?"

"Because it was my favorite thing," he said and I looked at him.

He started to move around the room with a sad smile.

"This was my room decorated by my mother just for me, close to her kitchen so that she can look after me with her work. This was what told to me by Madhu" he paused

"Whenever I felt alone I used to come here and play with the toys which were brought by my mother"

He took me to a corner and showed me a big box and opened it.

"Look this was the box, it was full of toys. But now there is nothing more than ashes" he said and I looked in and they were all burned.

"She burned the room because it was my companion. I used to get my mother's vibes from here. And she showed it as an accident," he said

There was so much pain in his voice and I can feel a little shiver in it. But his eyes were dry. There was not even a little moisture in them.

"She burned everything. Every memory of me and my mother. I was left with nothing. They snatched everything from me."

I gulped to restrain my tears and wipe a little sweat from my upper lip.

"Why they hated you so much?"

"Shaurya was jealous of me because my father used to love me more and she was jealous because of the will of my father"

"Will?" I asked

"That woman wants nothing more than money. For her everything was money and her beauty. She married my father just for his money. And my father was very happy to have three sons. So he prepared his will and gave me 50% of his property because he loved me more and he had sympathy for me while he distributed the remaining 50% between Prem and Shaurya. Along with that, he gave me this home because this was on the name of my mother. This thing was not digested by her. She wants to make me do things according to her wish and when I don't do that she used to beat me up and lock me in dark rooms. Because she was very well aware that I am afraid of the dark. She wants me to fear her and stay under her control" he said

"And that Shaurya...huh...he has the habit of snatching every favorite thing of mine. And his mother has always supported him in this. He snatched my favorite toys, my bicycle, my gadgets, even my father" he paused

"You know I used to have my breakfast and lunch in my father's lap but then he being the youngest one. He started to cry and jump on his lap before I can. And whenever there was a fight between me and him, his mother used to take his side only. No one ever took my side even if I am right" he said

"Th..they ruined my childhood completely" for the first time he stuttered.

"I know you have many complaints from me that I never allow you to go out alone. I have snatched all your freedom. But I am scared, butterfly. I am scared of losing you that Shaurya has contacts with underground people and these people are behind me for my money. He had destroyed everything which dad gave to him whereas I have created an empire of my father's business. But now they cannot get anything from me neither they can reach me in any way but when they know that I love you so much and you have become my weakness they will definitely try to harm you to get something from me." he paused for a minute and continued.

"That's why I don't let you go alone anywhere butterfly. I am scared of losing you" he took a shaky breath.

"You know that day at Aditya's birthday party when he was with you I just wanted to punch him right there. But I hate that man so much that I know I will not stop until he dies".

"You ask me why I am like this..haan?" He said but I remained silent.

I was not able to say anything. I felt like someone has stitched my lips. But I let him, I let him talk to let it all out.

"This is all because of them. No one has ever shown me love or kindness when I needed it. Then why should I have kindness or love for anyone?" He said

"Everyone whom I loved left me alone for this cruel world. First my mother, then Prem and then dad" he said in a very low tone.

I was just speechless at that moment. My heart shattered into million pieces. He has gone through a lot.

The thing that scared and shocked me the most was that he was telling all this with blank expressions. There was not even a tint of a tear in his eyes. There was so much pain within him that needed to be released but he was not letting it.

"You know in the juvenile home too no one was my friend. No one wants to come close to me or play with me because I was a murderer. The murderer of my own father. They used to bully me. I used to spend my days and nights only in the dungeon doing absolutely nothing. No one showed any sympathy to me there too".

"I don't know I should ask it or not but what made you kill your father?"

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Please don't hate me for this cliffhanger.

The chapter was getting pretty long. But I promise I will compensate in the next chapter and you won't have any complaints (I hope so 😬).

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