Bound by Vows novel Chapter 52

Payal's POV

Next morning when i opened my eyes, i was cladded in his arms. My hands around his torso with head on his chest.

He looks like an innocent baby while sleeping but once he wakes up he is my Arrogant Duggu Khurana...

What? My??? Cheesy much!!!

I untangled myself from him and looked at the ceiling while thinking.

I don't know how i will face everyone after last night...I never thought that papaji would be like this...sorry to say but he lost all respect from my eyes.

But am I misjudging him? Maybe there is much more to it? Maybe Kabir doesn't know whole truth... otherwise, why would mummy take his side knowing he cheated her.

"What are you thinking early in the morning?" my thoughts interrupted with his voice.

"Nothing much...just random thoughts," i said.

"Care to share..." He asked narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know how...i mean it will be awkward for me to go downstairs..." I shared my concern.

He hovers over me looking in my eyes.

"It will not be... I will be there with you. And even if I am not, I know you'll manage. And this is our own family, why to feel awkward..." He said.

"Hmm... and i...think papaji..." I hesitated to say further.

"Don't talk about him..." He said rolling out of bed.

"But i thin-" he stopped me in mid.

"Don't spoil my mood in the early morning..." He said while i shut my mouth.

Today's Breakfast was quite awkward. Nobody said a single word.

"Kunal bhai, is there any issue with my face?" Divi said gathering everyone's attention to her.

"Huhh!!! N...no divi" Kunal said.

"Then why are you staring me..." She asked.

"Hmm, nothing..." He said probably embarrassed with this.

Definitely it must be hard for him to digest this fact...

"If you have your eyes on my food, then i am telling you that i am not giving you that," divi said making everyone smile slightly.

"Kunal complete your breakfast soon. We are getting late for office" Kabir said with a hidden warning to him.

Soon everyone finished their breakfast and I got time to have a word with mummy.

I have taken leave from college for a few days. So, it will be my leisure day.

"Mummy?" I called her when she was about to walk out of the living room.

"Yes Payal, you need anything?" She asked.

"No mummy, actually I came to say sorry" I apologized

"Its okay Payal, i am not angry with you. I just felt little disappointed as you never discussed these things with me even after we share such a good bond" She said

"I am sorry for this. It's not that I wanted to hide anything from you. It's just that I never gave it much thought. But now I feel I was wrong earlier" I said...

"That's fine. We can't change the past. But I expect that in the future, you will not hide anything with me. At least the things which you can discuss with me" She said.

"Yes, I promise," I said with a smile.

"Mummy, can I ask you something if you don't mind?" I said with hesitation as I am not sure whether I should ask her or not.

"Yes," She said with a smile.

"I...I don't know how to put it in words. But I will ask whatever is in my mind" I paused while she encouraged me with a nod.

"How could you easily forgive papaji? I mean I cannot imagine the same situation with me. I will never forgive Kabir for such acts. How could Papaji do this to you? He's disgust-" I stopped in mid as I realised about whom I am talking and with whom.

She smiled but a sad one.

"Noone can imagine my situation. How did I felt? How I still feel seeing his illegitimate daughter roaming in front of my eyes. But I never had any hard feelings for Divya. In fact, I love her dearly like my own daughter. That girl has no mistake in it. When your papaji bought her home I didn't know her being his own daughter. I got attached to the baby and later he revealed the truth. I was shattered but definitely, how could my love convert into hate for her with one truth. It was not in me to hate her" She said with tears.

I admire her for this. No wife would accept her husband's daughter from another woman.

"You are a brave woman, mummy. I admire you for accepting Divya in your life" I said holding her hand.

"I am not brave. I just accepted that harsh truth. But the thing is Kabir misunderstands his father. This is not the truth which he thinks. The fact is he is always been angry with his father. When he turned 21, his father gave him the responsibility for his company and he was not happy with his father's decision. Later, his father arranged his marriage with his friend's daughter Sanjana. Kabir again got upset with him but lastly accepted that too. And I don't know how come Kabir thought that his father cheated me. It was not the case" She explained.

And I realised one thing mine and Kabir's life is very similar. Both our fathers are very bossy who impose their decisions on children.

"What truth are you talking about mummy?" I asked her curiously. I was right there is much more to the story.

"When Kabir was young hardly 6-7 years old, we were not that rich. We only had a small company. But your papaji worked day and night to raise the company to another level. He had a secretary, Divya's biological mother that time working for him. I didn't use to like her. But what can i do? She was good at her work, so there was no reason to fire her. Once they went for a meeting outstation" She paused while I was trying to absorb the truth.

"When he came back from his trip, he was changed. He started ignoring me, our fight increased without any reason. One day I confronted him, he accepted that he slept with his secretary in his drunken state. I was devasted by the news. I planned to divorce him. But then thinking about my children, I dropped the idea. Still, I was not ready to share a roof with him, so I left his house and stayed in a rented home with Kabir and Kunal. Those were the difficult days of my life." She continued.

I was shocked by this. But definitely papaji is at fault. Drunk or not, a mistake is a mistake.

"One day I met his secretary, and she accepted in front of me that she spiked his drink as she was attracted to him and wanted to have a night with him. Still, I didn't forgive him. He used to visit me and begged me to forgive him. But I was adamant in my decision. I stayed away from him for 4 months. But then my babies used to miss his father and I was not cruel enough to snatch their father from them. So, I returned to his home and our relationship was not as before." she said.

"Then one day he bought Divya with him. Of course, I was not sure about the story he made but then I didn't expect her to be his own. After 1 year, he told me the truth. He told me that he was aware of her pregnancy and refused to accept the child. But that lady after delivering the child left her at the orphanage. And he bought her home as it was not him to see his own blood in an orphanage. I was once again shattered by the truth." she said while I hugged her as she was crying by now.

"Then why didn't you tell the whole truth to Kabir yesterday?" I asked her.

"Because i...i really didn't know how to say all these things to my son." She said.

Hmm...i can imagine it would be difficult for her to say these things. But kabir should know whole truth as he is misunderstanding everything. I won't say papa is not at fault. He is definitely.