Raaz ~

4 a.m. ~

Vikrant woke up and saw Ishita sleeping 😴, nearly against his cheek. Her hair was covering her face, and her hand was resting on his bulky chest.

Vikrant slowly moved her hand from his chest and turned towards her. While resting on his arm, he was looking at Ishita.

Then he slowly moved her hair behind her ear.

"Sote hue kitni pyari lagti hai. Is masoom chehre ke peechhe na jaane kitne raaz chhupaye bathi hai. Par kasam hai tumhari, agar har ek raaz ko humne pata nahi laga liya, toh humara naam bhi Vikrant Malhotra nahi."

( "You look so cute while sleeping. Behind this innocent face, who knows how many secrets are hidden. But I swear on you, if I don’t uncover every single secret, then my name isn’t Vikrant Malhotra.")

Then he got up and tucked her in, properly, and while looking at her softly said,

“Humein jhoot bolne waale log aur sach chhupane waale log se sakht nafrat hai, aur hum nahi chahte ki aap unmein se ek ho, Ishita.”

( "I have a strong hatred for people who lie and hide the truth, and I don’t want you to be one of them, Ishita.")

He kissed her on the forehead and headed towards the bathroom.

He opened the shower and let the hot water wash away the tiredness from his travels.

After an hour ~

He came out of the 🚿 bathroom, steam rising from his body. He grabbed his phone from the table and called his assistant.

Arun picked up the call and greeted him.

“Good morning, sir!”

Vikrant, “Hmm... aaj sham ko 5 baje ka appointment le lo doctor ka.”

(“Take an appointment with the doctor for 5 p.m.”)

Arun, “Okay, sir.”

Vikrant, then ended the call and placed the phone back on the table.

Ishita woke up due to their conversation and began adjusting the bedsheet.

Vikrant, moved behind her and hugged her from the back, his grip a little tight. Ishita touched his hands firmly and tried to move them. Vikrant, didn’t remove his hand but loosened his grip. Ishita turned to face him, feeling his gaze on her.

She gestured for him to dry his hair.

Vikrant, “Baad mein, pehle...”

(“Later on, first...”)

Then, he kissed her neck, causing Ishita to start breathing faster and shivering. Her eyes began to redden, and tears started welling up.

Vikrant, “Ishita, kya abhi bhi yehi bologe ki vo painkiller ki hi medicine hai? You know what, I noticed something. Main jab jab tumhare paas aata hoon, tum tab tab resist karti ho, shiver karne lagti ho, aur jaise hi mujhse door jaati ho, tum vo medicine leti ho.”

(“Ishita, are you still going to say that those are just painkiller medicines? You know what, I noticed something. Every time I come near you, you resist, start shivering, and as soon as you move away from me, you take those medicines.”)

Ishita lowered her eyes.

“Ab kaise bataun Vikrant ji aapko apni condition...” she thought.

(“How do I tell you, Vikrant ji, about my condition...”)

Vikrant, “Ishu, batao aise kon se baat hai jo tumhe mujhse door karti chali ja rahi hai?”

(“Ishu, tell me, what is it that keeps making you distance yourself from me?”)

Ishita stood silent, tears streaming down, unable to tell the truth.

Frustrated and angry, Vikrant, “Thik hai, mat batao, lekin agar mujhe pata chala ki kuch galat hai, toh mujse bura koi nahi hoga. Bahut baar pyaar se pooch liya, ab bas, had hoti hai kisi cheez ki. Agar tumhe main pasand nahi, toh divorce le lo na, mujhe pagal kyun kar rahi ho?”

(“Fine, don’t tell me, but if I find out something’s wrong, nobody will be worse than me. I’ve asked you kindly so many times, but there’s only so much I can take. If you don’t like me, then just take divorce, why are you making me crazy?”)

He stormed off to wear his clothes, while Ishita stood still, tears still falling. Then, she went inside the bathroom.

Vikrant made a determined decision, “Main sach ka pata karke rahunga, chahe jo ho jaye.”

(“I will find out the truth, no matter what.”)

After getting dressed, he left for his company.

After a while ~

Ishita sat under the shower without removing her saree, crying continuously.

{Poor soul🥀...}

Vikrant ji ab kaise batao aapni pareshani aapko. Kaise bato ki jab jab aap mujhe pyar karte hai mujhe vo shakle yad aa jati hai, kaise batau mein aapko ki mein... apavitra hu.

(“Vikrant ji, how do I tell you about my past pain? How do I explain that every time you show me love, I remember the faces of those people? How do I tell you that I am impure?”)

She cried as the thoughts were roaming in her mind.

After an hour ~

She came out of the bathroom and wore her clothes. Afterward, she went downstairs and approached a servant, showing her phone.

“Do you know where Vikrant ji is?”

The servant replied, “Bahu rani, vo to kab ke chale gaye.”

(“Bahu rani, he left a long time ago.”)

Ishita, in her mind, “Chale gaye?”

(“He left?”)

Then she typed, “Unhone khana khaya?”

(“Did he have his food?”)

The servant said, “Nahi, bahu rani, vo to bina khana khaye hi chale gaye.”

(“No, Bahu rani, he left without having food.”)

Ishita moved toward her room after hearing this.

The servant called her, “Aapka khana nikal du, bahu rani?”

(“Should I serve your food, Bahu rani?”)

Ishita stood and, without turning, declined the servant’s offer, then walked toward her room.

She locked herself in her room, took her guitar out from the bag, and sat on the sofa, starting to play it. The melody of the guitar calmed her. It was her father’s guitar, and now it represented his memory.

Her father gave her (gifted her) his guitar when she was way too small.

At 3:30 p.m. ~

Vikrant was looking through the medicine reports when he rang the bell, and his assistant entered.

Arun, “Yes, sir, do you need anything?”

Vikrant, looking through the papers, “Hmm... Ishita’s past file.”

Arun, hesitating, “Sir, it’s not ready right now. I will surely give you the file tomorrow.”

Vikrant, giving a cold stare, “I don’t like those who delay work. What if I delay your salary? Tomorrow is the deadline, and afterward, you know what I mean.”

Arun, gulping in fear, “Sure, sir, I will give the file to you by tomorrow. May I leave now, sir?”

Vikrant nodded.

Arun, in his mind, “Lagta hai aaj sir ka mood accha nahi hai.”

(“Looks like Sir is in a bad mood today.”)

Vikrant, “Pata nahi aisa kaunsa raaz hai jo ye ladki mujhse chhupa rahi hai…” then he pauses, and with a slight smirk thinks,

(“I don’t know what kind of secret this girl is hiding from me…But what kind of secret could there be that Vikrant Malhotra can’t uncover?”)

After some time ~

Vikrant sat in his car and drove towards the hospital 🏥. After an hour, he reached.

He walked straight towards Dr. Mehata’s cabin.

He opened the door.

Dr. Mehata greeted him.

“Good evening, Mr. Malhotra.”

Vikrant, “Good evening. Medicine ke report ke baare mein kuch baatein karni hain.”

(“Good evening. I need to talk about the medicine report.”)

Dr. Mehata, “Yes, yes, please have a seat.”

They both sat.

Dr. Mehata, “Ji batayiye, aapko kya jaana hai?”

(“Yes, what are your questions?”)

Vikrant, “Ye medicine past trauma, depression, ya past visions ke wajah se le jati hai, right?”

(“This medicine is taken due to past trauma, depression, or past visions, right?”)

Dr. Mehata, “Yes sir.”

Vikrant, “Does it cause changes in the patient’s behavior when they are suffering?”

Dr. Mehata, “The patient is afraid to do the task that reminds them of the trauma. They are scared of those things that caused the trauma. To reduce it people take this medicine. Yah, it sometimes change the behaviour of that person.”

And he asked a lot of questions.

After one hour ~

Dr. Mehta said, “To help with recovery, it’s important to keep that person happy. They tend to heal better that way.”

Vikrant replied, “Hmm… alright, doctor. If I have any more queries, I’ll call you.”

Dr. Mehta nodded, “Anytime, Mr. Malhotra.”

Then Vikrant left the hospital.

Vikrant, “To sach to tumne chupaya hai Ishita, per kyu, kyu le rahi ho tum trauma ke medicines? Tumne mujhe pehle kyo nahi bataya apni condition ke baare mein? Aakhir kya chupaa rahi ho aisa mujhse?”

(“So, you’ve been hiding the truth, Ishita, but why? Why are you taking depression medication? Why didn’t you tell me about your condition earlier? What are you hiding from me?”)

He fumed inwardly.

8:00 p.m. ~

Vikrant reached home after two hours ⌚. His house is quite far from his company.

He entered his villa, and a servant took his coat and bag.

He walked straight towards his room. As he opened the door, he saw Ishita lying on the sofa, hugging her guitar.

He gently took the guitar from her, placed it in the bag, and then lifted her in his arms, carefully laying her on the bed and tucking her in. He did it so smoothly that she didn’t wake up.

Vikrant, “Shayad aaj thoda zyada rude behave kar diya. Mera phool murjhaya hua lag raha hai.”

(“Maybe I behaved a bit too rudely today. My flower seems to have wilted.”)

While looking at her, he thought, with a light smile on his face, “Ise sofa hi pasand hai. Bed pe sona pasand he nahi hai.”

(“She likes the sofa more. She doesn’t like sleeping on the bed.”)

He then started removing his clothes. As he took off his shirt and belt and was going into the bathroom, his phone rang, waking Ishita up. Vikrant glanced at her and then picked up the phone from the table beside the bed.

It was Arun.

Vikrant picked up the phone.

“Hmm... bolo, call kyun kiya?” Vikrant said in a rude voice.

(“Hmm... tell, why did you call?”)

He said rudely as Ishita woke up.

Arun, “Sir, kuch bahut important pata chala hai.”

(“Sir, I’ve found out something very important.”)

Ishita stood up and walked towards him, but he turned away.

Vikrant, “Kya?”

(“What?”)

Arun, “Aapki wife ke baare mein hai.”

(“It’s about your wife.”)

Ishita hugged him from behind.

Vikrant, “Kal batana.”

(“Tell me tomorrow.”)

He cut the call and turned towards her. She hugged him tightly but firmly. Vikrant gently moved her hand and went inside the bathroom.

Ishita stood frozen.

“Lagta hai zyada gussa hai. Mana na to padega. Par ab is teekhi mirchi ko kaise manau.”

(“Looks like he’s really angry. I’ll have to make him happy. But how do I calm this chili now?”)

She took his clothes out from the cupboard and put them on the bed and went to bring water for him and something sweet for him.

After a while, Vikrant came out from the bathroom. He saw the clothes on the bed but didn’t wear them and took other clothes from the cupboard and wore them.

Just trying to show his anger.

When Ishita came into the room and saw he wasn’t wearing those clothes she took out, she felt bad. She placed the tray on the table and started folding his clothes and kept them inside the cupboard.

Vikrant went downstairs and sat at the dinner table.

A servant, “Malik, khana nikal du?”

(“Malik, should I bring your food?”)

Vikrant, “Nahi, abhi nahi.”

(“No, not yet.”)

Ishita came out of the room and saw that Vikrant was sitting at the dinner table and was talking to the servant. She felt bad and went inside.

She slipped into the bed and while covering her whole body in the blanket, she started crying.

“Kha lo, thoos thoos ke kha lo. Ek toh pure din se bhuki hoon kyunki ye khana nahi kha ke gaye the. Lekin dekho toh mere bina hi khana khane baith gaye...”

(“Eat, eat till you’re full. I’ve been hungry the whole day because he didn’t eat before leaving. But see he sat down to eat without me...” )

{She is childish guys. Yarr aabhi bacchi he to hai!!}

Vikrant, after waiting for 15 minutes, told the servant to call Ishita downstairs.

The servant went to call Ishita but when she saw her sleeping 💤, she came downstairs.

“Malik, Bahu rani so rahi hai.”

(“Malik, Bahu rani is sleeping.”)

Vikrant, “Kya so rahi hai?”

(“What She’s sleeping?”)

He stood and walked towards his room.

He saw Ishita covering herself in the blanket.

He called her, “Ishita, khana nahi khana kya?”

(“Ishita, aren’t you going to eat?”)

She didn’t respond.

No movements.

“Deekho toh, mere bina hi khana kha ke aa gaye,” she thought.

(“Look, he has come back after eating without me.”)

He removed the blanket. Ishita, still hiding her face.

Vikrant, “Ab kya hua? Khana nahi khana?”

(“What happened now? Aren't you going to eat?”)

She shook her head, no.

Vikrant asked, “Kyu?”

("Why?")

But then a sound came from her stomach.

Vikrant, “Lagta hai kisi ko bahut tez se bhook lagi hai.”

(“Looks like someone is really hungry.”)

She didn’t respond.

Vikrant, “Toh tum aise nahi mano gi?”

(“So, you won’t listen like this?”)

He lifted her in his arms and took her downstairs.

Vikrant said while coming downstairs, “Main tumhara aadhe ghante se neeche intazar kar raha hoon aur tum so rahi ho, chalo ab chup-chaap khana kha lo.”

(“I’ve been waiting for you downstairs for almost half an hour, and you are sleeping. Now, come on, eat quietly.”)

Then he sat on the chair while he made Ishita sat on his lap.

But she was still hiding her face in his shirt.

Vikrant took a bite near her.

“Ishu, scene create mat karo aur mujhe majboor mat karo tumhe mouth-to-mouth feed karne ke liye.”

(“Ishu, don’t create a scene and don’t make me force you to feed you mouth-to-mouth.”)

Ishita looked at him with teary, red eyes. She opened her mouth 👄. And Vikrant fed her. Then he took a tissue and wiped her tears.

“Chalo, yeh kharus maan toh gaye.” she thought 💭.

(“Well, at least this grumpy person finally agreed.”)

As Vikrant fed her the last bite and the food on the plate was finished, she wrote “sorry” on his bulky chest, to which he replied, “Tumhara sorry mujhe satisfy nahi karega, mujhe kuch aur chahiye.”

("Your sorry won't satisfy me, Ishu. I want something else.)

Then he took her with him into his room, put her on the bed, and locked the door.

“Aaj nahi rookungi aapko, mujhe apne trauma ko overcome karna hoga, varna meri swarg se zindagi nark ban jaayegi,” she thought.

(“I won’t resist today. I need to overcome my trauma, otherwise my life will turn into hell from paradise.”)

Naina.writz ~

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