Kayla won't apologise and Paarth had known this, but one could always try!

"Insufferable narcissists both of them, a match made in hell" he snapped in anger and earned a slap from Sneha. They sat in front of the laptop, talking to Parul via video call.

Paarth had just updated the situation to his aunt and wife. "Dad is not going to apologise either, the man is so stuck up and we all know it. Bua are you sure he was not adopted? He doesn't seem to fit into the family equation in any way."

Parul took a sip from her coffee placing back the cup on the table.

"On the contrary to the popular belief, the arse is exactly like my father"

Parul dropped a grenade that had been itching to blow up inside her. Glancing at the shocked faces of her nephew and his wife, she huffed.

"Oh! Shut that piehole of yours, you two! The Jagannath that you saw Paarth was the sobered up version. Why else do you think I'm cross with them all the time? He was such a hypocrite and a staunch patriarch. Every time I wanted something I had to rebel and take extreme measures to get things done for myself. He was gutted after what Surya did, it made him think. Discovering your father's philandering ways was another knock on his pride." Parul sat miles away revealing a side of his grandfather he never knew existed.

"Hey, Paarth!" Sneha tapped his thighs to break his reverie.

"son don't let my experiences colour your image of him! As I said, he repented for his mistakes and truly changed for the sake of your mother, you and Appu. I saw his guilt and repentance. He has done an amazing job in your case."

Paarth and Sneha were equally startled. Paul sighed.

"This is exactly the reason I'm not very fond of your father. I thought that asshole was done with his indulgence after Aparna was born when I had confronted him."

She spared them the rest of the painful details. The smug expression on her face that spelt trouble, drew a chuckle from the young couple.

"Have you seen your Dad without his beard? A clean-shaven asswipe that he is?" She deadpanned.

Paarth chuckled while Sneha felt guilty laughing at the cost of her father in law.

"As long as I remember he has been sporting a beard. Why?" Paarth tried to recollect.

"Something happened before Aparna was born and that's when I was informed of his vagaries. Well, let's say that the talk I wanted to have with my elder brother did not end well, and I landed up injuring him and his freaking ego. And to hide that scar on his cheek he began growing a beard." She summed up with a pang of guilt filling her insides.

Paarth scrunched up his face and remarked playfully, "Ouch!...remind me to never piss you off. Bua, while you were at it, you could have cracked some of his bones. What stopped you?" Even though he joked about it, deep inside there was hurt clawing at his heart at the thought 'dad was a habitual offender'!

Parul pursed her lips in annoyance, "Sati Savitri! Your honourable mother!" Paarth rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Trust me if I would have lived in Delhi, my eyeballs would have been permanently stuck to the back of my head. So many precious moments she gave me..." her sparkling eyes suddenly wore a look of melancholy. It was a well-known fact that Parul considered Padmini as a sibling rather than Chandrakanth.

"I should have been there Paarth," her lips quivered and eyes glistened with tears threatening to spill.
"I should have taken her with me to the pilgrimage. I told her to come with me. She wouldn't listen. I don't know what happened to her." Parul broke down, leaving Paarth and Sneha crying too. "Sorry" she composed herself quickly considering Sneha's health.

"I miss her a lot Bua" Sneha managed amidst her sniffles, Paarth slung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer, rubbing her arm to calm both her and him down. "When are you coming to India? You are the closest I have to Mumma. Aparna was asking after you too".

"In four days, darling. I know your Godh Bharai (a ritual like a baby shower) is in two weeks. And I wouldn't miss it for the life of me. Take care you two!" Her phone began ringing distracting her.

"Bua are you okay?" She realised they were on call when she heard Paarth.

"Yeah! Fine, some unknown number, must be some customer care thing..."

"Sorry darling, that you got into all of this and I understand if you're disgusted about this family Sneha". Parul apologised to her, understanding how the girl might be feeling hearing such unpleasant secrets about her inlaws.

She dismissed Paul's worries, "there are lots of hidden skeletons in everybody's closets Bua. Just that some are well consigned to the grave. It's just a matter of time until somebody goes digging" Sneha shrugged her shoulders.

She blew a kiss towards Sneha, "there is a woman who has her head in the right place! Paarth my boy how did you get so lucky?"

He smiled a full glorious smile and beamed at his wife as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey, lover boy! Take care of my baby until I reach there, and no hanky panky stuff alright, keep your horny bits to yourself. Ok?"
Sneha's blush added more to her pregnancy glow while Paarth let out a burst of deep rumbling laughter after a long time.

"Miss you Bua. Bye"!
Parul's phone rang grabbing her attention completely.

~~~~~~

Chandrakanth dismissed the waiter and glanced up at Kayla, "Kay please understand my predicament. It's just an apology. Your one word is going to bring so much peace and relief to me." He held her fingers from across the table, earnestly "the strike would end and it would save my reputation. Won't you do this for your love?"

He hated her for putting him in this position, begging, lowering his standards; but this was the time for damage control and he can't afford to escalate the situation than what it was already.

She sounded annoyed, "Chandru I told you already. I want you to prove to me that you genuinely want me in your life, that you value me as a person. I just refuse to be your arm candy like the other women. Is it wrong to secure my future, knowing your reputation? That's the reason I want a position in your company; to ascertain my significance in your life. You refused to give me that and hence I was forced to take that step." She raised her hand gesturing Chandrakanth to not intervene. She snapped her fingers at the waiter and asked him to refill her coffee. While he did, Chandrakanth was lost in thoughts.

Kayla kept demanding a position in their company which Chandrakanth was unwilling to offer. They had a huge fight over the matter and she for some strange reason wanted the post of Operations Director at their Factory. Two days after the fight she had headed to the factory and Das was giving her a tour along with Xavier the Operations Director. While Das got distracted with a call, for reasons unknown she claimed that Xavier had behaved inappropriately with her and slapped him and verbally abused the staff who came in support of Xavier. In the scuffle that ensued, Das was injured by the labourers while trying to protect Kayla and he was in ICU for two weeks. Xavier resigned and the staff went on strike demanding an apology from Kayla.

"I gave you an ultimatum,
Mr Malhotra! In a month, I want you to officially acknowledge our relationship publicly otherwise.." her tone and looks warning him.

"Kay... you know I want to, but without officially divorcing Padmini nothing can be done and the case won't even be taken for hearing in her absence, you know the law." Chandrakanth was beginning to feel exhausted. The anxiety of the past few months was getting to him. Kayla never gave him a moment's peace.

Kayla interjected angrily, "in that case find her Chandru. If you can't, at least prepare some fake evidence to show she is dead. Who knows maybe she is dead after all. That uneducated couth can't survive a day outside in the society!"
She stood up angrily rattling the cutlery in the process and hissed under her breath.

"That bitch ruined my life thirty years ago and continues to do so. IF, I come to know that you are playing games with me Chandru..." she continued in a warning tone "I shall have to reveal to the world about our decade long relationship and also about our child - our daughter. I know how cunning and scheming you are Malhotra and that's the reason she is in the safe custody of my brothers. Don't forget that I have DNA test results to prove that she is indeed the heir of the Malhotras. You don't have a choice."

She sauntered off smirking to herself. Colour drained out of Chandrakanth's face when he realised she had him cornered.

'I shall destroy you, Chandrakanth Malhotra, just like how you destroyed my life a decade ago.'

Author's Note:

Hello dear friends! The next chapter is up!

What do you think of the secret between Chandra and Kayla?

Having learnt about Kayla's intentions What do you think will happen next?

Almost forgot...

Did you guess whom Padmini called?

Please LIKE, SHARE AND COMMENT..!

Published: October 29th, 2021.