She let us in but not before hugging Arjun...a brotherly hug Ofcourse and giving me a one last nasty stare.

As if I care!

I followed Arjun into my own house. Oops! I shouldn't call it my 'own'. It was never my house. Infact, according to their mentality, a girl doesn't belong to the house where she grew up but to her husband's house where she has to live till her end! Strange society and mentality.

Suddenly, my eyes fixed on the photograph hung on the wall. That was a huge photograph where there were all my fanboy members, from my parents to Disha's parents to my aunts and uncles to cousins...young to old, everyone. They were dressed in black. Unknowingly, my eyes started searching for my picture in it knowing I never had a family photoshoot. They looked happy. Very happy. And that girl who opened the door, even she was there standing next to Tanmay, just behind where my parents were seated.

It pained to see that. It really did. I never thought they would hate me to such an extent that they won't try to contact me. I never thought the parents whom I thought would support me no matter what would throw me out their lives for one reason and that's money.

I threw these thoughts off my mind. Why should I hurt myself for those set people who don't give a shit about my life!

Arjun seated himself on the couch while I remained standing there near the picture, just thinking about nothing.

"Amaya..." I heard Arjun call out to me.

"Hmm," I replied, lost in my own world of thoughts.

"That was taken two years back," he said.

"Hmm...nice," I replied still looking at the picture but now I was back to reality. Nothing would change. It will infact worsen even more than my imagination.

Just when I was walking back to sit, that girl appeared in front of me and asked, "What would you like to have? Tea or co-"

"She won't take anything, she will have lunch with us," I heard the voice of the woman I hated to my guts.

I closed my eyes in fury and tried calming me down. Ofcourse, I won't touch a single thing at her house...let alone having lunch with her.

"Welcome Amaya," she said as she descended down the stairs.

"Please sit. Why are you standing?" She asked in a mocking tone. I refrained from sitting and remained rooted at the same place.

"Amaya...sit," Arjun hissed.

What does he want to prove? Why is he doing this?

"So Amaya, how's life?" She asked as she finally came downstairs and seated herself.

I ignored her question and rolled my eyes. I had promised myself that I would never look at her face but thanks to Arjun and his great unpredictable plans.

Arjun literally pulled me to sit and I had to because his grip was really tight. He kept on holding my wrists till I took my hands back.

"Any plans about getting married?" She asked. Nerves of this lady!

"Getting married once was more than enough," I replied, placing my palms on my lap.

"I thought your boyfriend and you must have already got married and would even have children," she just said that and it was enough. I couldn't take it so I answered back.

"Excuse me Mrs Vanishree, I never had a boyfriend by your grace and secondly, I cannot think about making babies with anyone except Arj-" I was about to say Arjun and I had to stop and correct myself right there. Yes, this was true. The thought of another man having me disgusted me to hell.

"I mean I never wanted to get married in the first place," while I did the correction job, I felt Arjun's gaze fixed on me like a headlight.

Why has Arjun brought me here? To embarrass me?

"Fine...calm down," she said. "You know why you are here?" She added.

"No," I replied.

"For Arjun and Disha's wedding," she clarified. I know that!

"I don't want to attend the wedding," I said.

"Oh! But you have to or else and Arjun and you will be trapped together," she said in a wicked tone. "You want a divorce right?" She asked as she passed Arjun another stare.

"I am leaving," I stood up, abruptly and decided to leave when she rushed towards me and caught my arm.

"I may not have been the mother who could have supported you through all your hard times but I really want Disha to get all the happiness of her life," she said. "Your deeds should not snatch away her share of what she deserves," she added while I tried to comprehend what she just said.

My deeds? What did I do? Wasn't it Disha who tried to ruin their reputation and sabotage their business deal? (The deal that Arjun and our family had made)
And where am I mom? Do I even exist for you?

"Yes...really!" I scoffed. I hadn't done anything and she had no got rights to accuse me for the false things. Arjun also did the same and mom dad also.

"I am serious Amaya. You have to be there. We are tiered of the drama we have been doing for all these years. And even you know that Arjun and Disha love each oth-"

"I know...you don't need to tell me," I interrupted her midway. I cannot hear about Arjun and Disha's love story. It hurts...I am sick of this. I was always a replacement. I was always the second option and at some places, I Wang even an option at all!

"Did you ever love me mom?" I asked. "Just answer me honestly," I added. I wanted to know if I ever mattered to her. If she would answer it honestly, I would attend the wedding and do everything I can do for her. After that I will never ever come back. Forget that, I will even change my city, country and continent. My children are young and their school won't be hampered. I will move to Seattle or Toronto or maybe to New Jersey.

I was turning emotional I knew it but I had always craved for a mother's love. Arjun's mother loved me without any doubt but the kind of misunderstanding that was created between Arjun and me destroyed my relationship with her. She really loved me and I know that!

"Yes...I did! But that was when you were young," just when she was about to say further, stabbing my heart a million times, Arjun paced forth and said, "I have told her everything about the divorce," I don't know why but I felt like I will burst into tears when he said about divorce.

I have lost everything and there's no chance of getting them back. I don't know if I can ever get over this ever in my entire life but there will always be this pain in my heart that I couldn't be loved by my parents and my husband. It will always make me feel worthless when I will remember the day when I got to know that Arjun was still my husband and I was at his wedding, celebrating it.

"She will sign them a day before the wedding," he added.

It seemed as if she was jerked to reality and she nodded while she backed away. I was all teary eyed. Yes, to some extent she was good to me. I cannot say that she loved me to death or something but yes, she wasn't that rude, indifferent and selfish mother.

Even I am a mother of two and I find no point in differentiating between my son and daughter. They are equal to me and I love them to my death. A little scratch on them would kill me then how come my mother hates me so much? I tried so hard to be an ideal daughter...why couldn't I win her heart?

"Amaya you will be there, right?" She asked again.

Why does she want me to attend the wedding? When everyone hates me so much...when no one likes to see me...when it's my husband's wedding...why should I be there? To inflict unbearable pain on myself? To hurt me even more?

"Yes," I said as I exhaled the breath I was holding for so long. Maybe this will shatter me forever and it was meant to happen. It took so long for me to gather all the broken pieces of my heart and stick them back together and here...they were back to break it beyond repair.

"Let's have lunch," she said as Arjun held my hand and literally dragged me with him to the dining room.

"Arjun I want to go home," I said as I tried snatching my hand away from his grip.

"Arjun ple-"

"Will you just shut up?" He angrily said.

I just zipped my mouth and didn't utter a word till he brought me to the dining room.

All of a sudden I wanted to just see my father. Where is he? I didn't have the guts to meet him in person because I cannot let my eyes meet his. His cold, angry eyes are still instilled inside my mind.

I know I have told you a lot about my mother but I haven't told you much about my dad.

My father is pretty sweet as person. He has always supported and loved me but when mom's attitude changed towards me, even his behaviour turned absurd and during the last few months of my stay at Delhi six-year back, he also hated me.
But nevertheless, I always loved him no matter what. He never cursed me or asked me to die to beated me. He never even raised his voice on me then how can I hate him? Though I cannot forget how he supported mom in her decision, but that was the only time he had supported mom on something that wasn't in my favour.

"Arjun where's papa?" I asked.

After hearing my question, his expressions turned cold and he just averted his eyes in another direction.

"Where's he?" I asked again. It seemed as if something wasn't right.

"He is out of station," he said andI bought what he said. I thought maybe I was irritating him and that's why he turned so cold.

We had our lunch and during that time, mom introduced me to that beautiful girl.

"Amaya, this is Kritika...my daughter-in-law,"

I almost choked on my bite. Taran was married? My young, charming brother had married a beautiful woman.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as I tried smiling at her but she seemed really arrogant. She just rolled her eyes at me and continued eating.

She is such a bitch!

"And Taran is now an IAS officer. Like, I knew he will become one...unlike you," she spat her words as I tried gulping my food down my foodpipe with the help of water.

"Good...where is he now?" I asked out of blue. He was the only one who had tried to defend me but everyone shut him up because he was just nineteen and was so-called young.

"He is posted in Jaipur," Kritika said and that's when I realised that Kritika lives with mom and dad whereas Taran is no where to be seen.

"Okay," I said as I finished my food and waited for them to finish as well.

I wanted to see dad. I know he will be there with us at the wedding also but still...

After having lunch, I just wanted to leave. There was no point waiting here so I decided to tell Arjun that if he cannot take me home, I can go by myself but fortunately he agreed and we were leaving.

Just when my car exited the house, I looked back and noticed a wheelchair exiting a black BMW. I pinned my eyes on that scene and it didn't take me long to realise it was my dad.

Even before I could reciprocate to the scene, Arjun sped the engine and we left.

Dad was on wheelchair? Was it really him?

____________________________________

Sorry for the late update!

Anyways, how was it guys? See, I gave a little longer update...did you like it?

What do you think about Amaya's mother and her sister-in law, Kritika?

What drove Amaya away from her mother? Why does Amaya's mother hate her so much?

Any guesses?

And what do you think about her father? Was he really there on the wheelchair or was it Amaya's illusion?

Don't you think Arjun is like a puppet into the hands of Amaya's mother?

I am waiting eagerly for your comments guys. Please please do comment and vote.

Today's vote goal is 45. I know I exceeded it by 5 votes but that's what I received in my previous chapter so it won't be a problem for you to help me achieve that!

Waiting for you comments!!!