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“Oh God,” Dad sighs in disbelief, attempting to process this truth while I turn my attention back to Meher.
“I understand this is shocking for you, Meher. Believe me, I was shocked as well when Krish discovered this information. I couldn’t imagine how you would react to this revelation.”
Krish returns to the house with Trisha.
“When did you find out about this?” Meher asks me stiffly.
“The day I proposed to you at the Josh pub with the ring. After you left with Vishnu, I received a message from Krish revealing that Vishnu is your father’s son.”
Meher shrugs off my grasp and steps back, her anger evident in her posture.
“You knew this all along, and yet you never thought it was important enough to tell me?” she argues, her voice filled with anger. “This was such a pivotal truth about my life, and you didn’t think it was worth sharing it with me?”
“I wanted to, but—” I begin to reach out to her, but she pushes me away forcefully.
“Don’t touch me!” she yells.
I don’t like this. I understand that she’s furious with me, but not being able to touch her is a rule I’m not willing to follow. While I’m contemplating how to overcome her resistance, her rage shifts towards Krish.
“You call yourself his best friend,” she accuses him, her frustration pouring out of her. “You undertake dangerous pursuits for him, unravel impossible information for him, but you can’t advise your friend to be honest with his life partner? Especially when it pertains to her life?”
Krish is speechless, as usual. It’s a familiar pattern. When Meher loses her temper and becomes frustrated, she doesn’t let anyone else get a word in. She’s not afraid to openly point out other people’s mistakes and express her disappointment, regardless of how close they are to her or her loved ones.
“Meher, dear,” Dad steps forward, trying to defuse the tension. “Vandita and Pratap were in love, but that was long before he married your mother. Pratap and Vandita were even planning to get married, but one day, Vandita suddenly left town without telling your father. He waited for her for years, but eventually, we lost all hope. That’s when Meera, your mother, entered his life and gave him a fresh start. Please don’t think that your father ever deceived your mother. He loved Meera more than anyone else.”
“Yet he didn’t think telling my mother about his past was necessary? And not just her; he didn’t even inform his own daughter that she had a brother. A brother who lived under the same roof as them for over a decade, protecting her and the family, yet no one had a clue about his true identity,” Meher questions. “Why are only men allowed to make such mistakes, to hide things from their loved ones, and still expect to be treated fairly?”
She makes a valid point. Just like the rest of us, Dad is left speechless and Meher turns her attention back to me.
“Just yesterday, you promised me there would be no more secrets, no more misunderstandings between us, and now look at this, Ayaan. You’ve hurt me again,” Meher accuses.
“Meher,” I attempt to approach her again, but she steps back and rushes towards our bedroom, her footsteps echoing the turmoil in my heart. I know I’ve messed up, and this time, a simple apology might not be enough to make things right. But I’m not going to sit back and let this issue keep us apart. I’m going to address this matter immediately.
I follow Meher into our bedroom and find her standing by the window, gazing at the garden. Her arms are folded across her chest, and she appears resolute, ready to pursue this argument again if necessary. Just like the Queen I affectionately call her, she won’t lower her guard until the King acknowledges his mistake. Frankly, I am okay with her fighting with me rather than her brooding in solitude over this new revelation. I’m about to approach her when I spot her purse on the recliner next to the window. It’s the same purse she took to Walia House today. But what instantly catches my eye is the shiny blue box lying beside her purse, similar to the one I received from Raghav yesterday. In an instant, I connect the dots and realise this is how Meher found out that Vishnu is her half-brother. Raghav’s gift box probably contained evidence of that. Damn hell! Whatever game Raghav is playing, he’s not doing it without a purpose. He targeted both Meher and me with secrets that had the potential to break us down. But we both refuse to surrender. If he thinks he can manipulate the King and the Queen with our father’s secrets, he is one step behind in knowing who he is really dealing with.
“Am I the only one who kept secrets again?” I ask, my eyes boring into her back. “Didn’t you also hide something from me?”
She turns around, glaring at me as if I’ve said something inconsequential.
“Yes, you, Meher,” I repeat, gesturing towards the empty blue gift box. “Yesterday evening, a stranger gave you the secrets about your father’s connection to Vishnu, and yet you didn’t think it was important for me to know?”
“That was just last night, Ayaan. I wasn’t hiding it from you for days like you did.”
“Days or hours, hiding a factishiding a fact.”
“Seriously?” she snaps. “Now you are going to argue with me because I chose to confront my father first before sharing it with you?”
I approach her and stop, sliding my hands into my pockets while keeping a steady and unwavering gaze. It’s imperative that she understands the gravity of this situation.
“Remember, I spoke of a lead last night. The person who gifted you this item is that lead. He is the one responsible for my father’s accident,” I disclose.
Meher’s eyes widen in surprise as soon as the words leave my lips.
“The issue isn’t about you delaying in telling me about this stranger,” I continue. “The issue is that you kept such a mysterious incident from me.”
She looks nervously at me, now understanding the magnitude of her mistake.
“Someone entered our wedding reception uninvited and handed you your father’s secrets. You should have informed me last night itself.”
