CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Jwala:

Vedika went to their orphanage to give the amount. Only we both were at our flat. I think I must reveal it now itself. It will be solely between Agni and me, even if he scolds me.

"Agni, I want to talk to you."

"For that, do you need my permission?"

"No, but Agni I did something wrong today."

His phone rang. Terrible timing. Who invented this stupid mobile?

"One-minute sweety," he said and looked at me.

"We will surely talk about that mistake soon," he said and received the call.

"Hello Kumar, tell me. Why did you call me suddenly? Didn't I tell you not to call me for three months? You take care of my business" he said

"What? How can it happen? See, we can forgive any employee but not the one who misled our accounts. Fire him immediately. It's not about the money, but it's about the trust. I would have given him one lakh if he asks for his daughter's study but showing fake details and stealing money is wrong. He broke my trust. Settle the salary and remove him" he said

Is he going to take same decision with me? Is he going to think that I have broken his trust?

"But Kumar, don't file any complaint and don't ask him to return the money. Leave it" he said and disconnected the call.

"So, tell me, Mrs Jwala Agni, what have you done?"

"I... I... Agni... I... Actually"

"Why are you stammering now? Tell me what you have done" he said.

I think his mood is horrible. If I say it now, I am sure he will shout at me.

"I will say after some time. I am scared of your anger now" I said wiping the sweat from my forehead caused due to tension.

It's better to ask dad to transfer the amount to his account. I will ask him to help me, and I am sure he will transfer money by himself. I called dad immediately, but he told that operation had already started as he paid the money.

Now I had no other chance than to accept my fault before him. I should confess the truth before he questions me. He loves me a lot, and that's why he said that I am the owner of his property. But still it's his property, and I shouldn't take it without his permission. I am sure he will give the money to me if I ask him directly without asking me any questions. I drank some water and went to him.

"Agni"

He smiled at me. He signalled me to sit beside him.

"Why are you so tensed baby? You are pregnant; you should not get tense" he asked so softly.

"Agni, when I went to withdraw the money, I got a call from my brother informing me about grandpa's heart attack. He told that we need to pay 15 lakhs for the surgery. I called you, but you didn't receive the call. I am sorry. I transferred the amount without your permission."

"It's not a problem Jwala because 15 lakhs is a small amount to me. But trust is something which is more important."

"Agni, please I never do it again. Please don't lose trust in me" I said holding his hands with tears.

"I am talking about your family, not about you. I trust you, and nothing can break my trust in you."

"I didn't get you."

"Your grandpa is perfectly alright."

"What?" I asked

"Your family trapped you for money, and they know about your relationship with me. I knew it already and their drama too. But, I didn't want to hurt you. So, I didn't say about it anytime. But, I didn't want them to play with your emotions again. Be strong, I am with you, and I love you as you are" he said caressing my hairs.

"No, you are lying. I know my dad loves me a lot. He never lies to me."

"Make a call to your landline and check. After dialling keep it in speaker. I will speak, and you will hear your grandpa talking" he said.

I got shocked.

"Enough, Agni. Don't blame my family for your money. I am sorry for taking it. I know you are blaming my family intentionally."

"Jwala, money doesn't matter to me. Not just 15 lakhs but even if take away my whole property, I won't be bothering with it. You are important to me, not money. Even if you spend my whole money, I am capable of earning it again, but I won't say anything to you. Jwala, why can't you understand that I am worried about you and baby, not about money? When they said your grandpa is serious, you worried a lot. After transferring money, you got tensed as you didn't understand how to tell that to me. As soon as you transferred money, I got a message on my mobile as it's linked to my account. If I am angry with you, I would have shouted at you as soon as you returned home. If I didn't trust you, I would never give my account card to you. Just make a call to the landline of your maternal house. I will prove the truth" he said again.

"Ok, I will make a call to my home, but if you are lying, I will never be talking to you," I warned him.

He smiled and gestured me to call. I took my mobile and called to the landline phone. Bhabhi picked the call. Agni signalled me not to talk.

"Hello, I am calling from State Bank, May I speak to Mr Veeraiah," Agni said.

Veeraiah is my grandpa.

"Hello, this is Veeraiah speaking," said my grandpa from another side.

My eyes filled with tears and I closed my mouth to hide my sobbing. Agni glared at me asking me to stop crying. He disconnected the call and sat on the bed leaning back to the bedpost. He hugged me his right side caressing my hairs to console me.

"Sweety, please don't cry. I am with you. Our baby is there for us. Our baby and I love you a lot, and our love is true. Please don't cry."

"But Agni, they are my parents, how can they do this to me?"

"Sweety, remember one thing. We should never love or forgive a person who betrays us, though they are our blood relation or related through the knot. But, we should never miss the one who loves and care for us truly, though they are not related to us in any way. That's what I learned in my life. Slowly you will understand all this. But, for now, think about our baby and leave everything."

"But I love them"

"But they don't know what love is" he replied.

I cried a lot, and slowly he made me sleep in his lap. After some time I got back my senses and realised he is unwell. He shouldn't sit for a long time till one month.

"Agni, please take rest. I am sorry, I forgot your health condition."

"It's ok; I am feeling better now. Look Jwala, don't do anything without telling me till I recover. I didn't mean you should take my permission for everything. But, now I am not well, and I can't protect you if you fall into problems. So, inform me before doing anything, so that I will inquire with my network whether it's safe or not for you. When I recover, you can do as you want because whatever it is I will protect you."

I broke down realising the betrayal of my parents. How can they betray me like this?

"Jwala, I tried talking to your parents about marriage saying I love you. But, they asked me to give one crore to get you married to me. I lied to you saying that they cancelled marriage knowing my affairs and arrogance. I am ready to give that money to them, but I didn't like the thought of buying you with my money. Are you a product to buy with money? I thought to win your heart and make you mine if you accept. So, I refused to pay the money. They fixed your marriage with Adarsh. I don't know the reason behind it."

"If you know all this, how can you leave me like that on that day."

"I can't force you to live with me. Moreover, I enquired about Aadarsh. He is good and loves you too. First I got angry with him for loving you. But later I thought if he is good, and you both love each other, it's better to leave you. However it's the toughest and painful decision I have ever made, trust me" he said.

I washed my face and felt better after some time, though my heart still ached due to the betrayal of my own family whom I trusted and loved so much from the day I born. Vedika returned home. Agni asked me to bring milk for him. I went to the kitchen and boiled milk. I caught the vessel in an absent mind.

"Aaah" I shouted, and Vedika came to me in a hurry.

"What happened, Jwala?"

"Nothing, I caught hot vessel."

"Oh God, what were you thinking? Come with me, don't do any work" she said and took me to the room.

Agni looked at my crying face.

"What happened to Jwala, Vedika?"

"She caught hot vessel with her hand."

He glared at me. Vedika took silver sulphate ointment to apply to the burnt fingers.

"Give it to me Vedika; I will apply it to her fingers. Can you please bring milk to both us and something to eat? I am a bit hungry" he said

Vedika nodded and gave ointment to him and went to the kitchen. I sat on the bed near him.

"I will do it by myself," I said

He didn't talk to me and sat on the bed. He held my hand and looked at my fingers. He placed kisses on each of my burnt fingers.

"What are you thinking, Sona?" He said reminding me, my father.

My father always calls me as Sona. I controlled my tears as he already looked at me seriously noticing my tears. He applied ointment so softly on my fingers.

"I am sure our baby will get a gold medal in crying," he said

"What?"

"Yes, when her mom is a cry-baby, obviously she too will become a cry-baby, and thus she tops in crying," he said teasing me.

"Don't you know why am I crying?" I asked pouting.

"I know but what I am saying is they didn't worth your tears. Just forget them."

"It's not easy, they are my parents," I said crying again.

"God, stop it Jwala. You are crying continuously and harming our baby. If you want to cry, cry after delivery. But if anything happens to our baby due to your stupid crying, I won't spare you. If you can't care for our baby before birth, how can you care for the baby after delivery? You are getting on my nerves these days" He said seriously.

"Yes, I know you love only our baby and not me. Your love and care are just actions. I know you don't love me. No one loves me in this world. I gave love to everyone, but no one loves me. No one is concerned about me. Everyone plays with my emotions as per their needs. I have no one" I said and left the room crying though I heard him calling me.