MAYRA'S POV
"Once there was a young couple who were madly in love in spite of the fact that boy's family hated his girlfriend because she was not up to their standard. They were forced to break apart but still their love somehow survived. Soon that girl was pregnant and it was blessing for both of them. But Mayra life isn't a fairy tale that everything will turn out good in the end. The boy's family was very rich and famous, they had somehow accepted his relationship but when they found out that he was going to become a father, they were not sure about that. They said if that boy will become father at such age than he for sure gets distracted and fail to run his inherited company. Then his family put an option in front of him either he terminate his girlfriend's unborn or end his relationship with her. So instead of opting any option, the couple decided to give birth to their child and then they'll give to orphanage in a hope that one day they'll get their child back from that orphanage." Mrs. Saxena narrated a story to me.
I stood their awkwardly, confused that why she was telling me all this?
I knitted my eyebrows and looked in her eyes to find them moistened. Her face was holding regret and pain. The way her eye flickered several times, it took no long for me to realize that whatever she said was her own story.
That means the article I've read about them searching for their daughter was true. I sucked for breath and thought that how much hard it was for both of them to send their child to orphanage.
Orphanage.
A sudden chill rushed over my spine and the memory of my childhood came to my eyes.
"Do you want to know sweetie that why I told you that story?" She asked lovingly and passed a small smile to her husband.
Yes, please.
"That was my story. Our story of my husband and me" She answered her question and I nodded.
"I guessed that." I whispered.
"But you didn't guess that our daughter whom we had given to orphanage was..." Now Mr. Saxena said and wrapped an arm around her wife's shoulder.
"You. Yes Mayra you are our daughter." She said and suddenly my body froze.
"WHAT?" I almost yelled in shock and then their words registered in my mind.
Their daughter?
I pressed my eyes closed and for once thought that this was actually a dream. I must be dreaming.
"Ever wondered that how you got admission into best college in abroad? It was not scholarship but us who wanted to provide you with best education. Have you ever thought that why no one had ever adopted such a cute child like you from your orphanage? It was only because we were waiting for that day when we'll come and claim you as our daughter." He said.
I blinked twice and just stared at them.
"I have family." I muttered under my breath not believing the words which I heard.
Even the family word sensed so unfamiliar to my tongue. At this moment, I didn’t felt any emotion. I had no idea what exactly to feel?
Since the day I've gained consciousness, the only thing I ever wished was to get a family and feel the beautiful feeling. But today when someone is actually saying that I am their daughter which means I do have family then my mind is continuously warning me that I should not feel anything because who knows this might be only dream and when I'll wake up, everything will be disappeared.
Tears rolled down my cheeks making me realize that this all was actually happening. I slowly touched the wet sensation of salty tears, my breath gets hitched up.
My parents. My family. I wasn't orphan.
"R-Really? Y-You are my mother?"
I asked, looking at her and shifted my eyes to look at Mr. Saxena. "A-And you are my father?"
They both nodded with a big smile but still I stood there.
"W-why now? Why haven't you told me this earlier?" I asked clenching the fists on my side to calm down my rapid breath.
"We are sorry sweetie. We know that because of us you've suffered a lot. But-But my daughter forgive us." She said in between her tears and that time without wasting a single second, I rushed into her arms.
Those loving arms for which I've craved since my childhood.
“Mrs. Saxena, no need to apologize. I can understand your situation." I added with a soft smile.
They both might have sent me to orphanage but how can I ignore the fact that it was the only way to save both their relationship and me?
"Please, call me as your mother." She said and I nodded.
"Okay then Mom?" I exhaled a deep breath.
"Dad." I tested those words on my tongue and it felt so strange yet so comfortable.
"Welcome to family my little princess."
Mr...Err Dad said whilst stepping closer and placing a small kiss on my forehead. I smiled in bliss, forgetting everything else but this beautiful reality that I do have a family.
"Come lets head home. I am so excited to spend my time with my daughter. Jesus! Come let's go." Mom chirped in a sing song voice and laughed.
I looked at them all over again and a bright smile founds its way through my lips. Isn't life showering extra surprises to me these days?
First blessing me with a husband like Rehan then actually giving me my family.
Rehan?
And then suddenly it clicked that what happened here. Rehan was angry. He was not himself. And the way he said I tricked him. What was all that? Maybe that's why he called me Mayra Saxena because he had somehow found that I am their daughter but then why was he angry?
Is it because he lost his project? But then why would he behave like that to me? It wasn't my fault. Was it?
"Wait." I said in a blank tone and licked my lips before asking them.
"Is there something more? Something which you both want to share?"
Dad arched up his eyebrows and shared a look with Mom. After a moment of silence, there was small sound of someone's sigh which I guess was no one's other than that of Dad.
"For now just know that your husband wasn’t very pleased to know that you are our daughter. You see, I never liked that man. He's something I wish I had warned you about." He said and twitched the corner of his lips in bitterness at the mention of Rehan.
I frowned a little and if I say that I felt displeased then it wouldn’t be wrong. He shouldn’t have to be bitter towards Rehan. He has no idea about him.
"Ah, from your sour look, I can bet that you must be mentally hating me right now. But child the way your husband had behaved with you today. I have doubts that your marriage with him wasn’t all roses." He added now sounding more caring.
I passed him an assuring smile then took a deep breath before clearing his doubt. "You are also married dad, you must have known this fact till now that no marriages are completely roses, they do have thorns but that doesn't mean I am not happy in fact I am glad that I've found a husband like Rehan. And about his earlier behavior then maybe he was in unpleasant mood because he lost that project. You couldn't judge him like this."
"See, how much our daughter has grown up. She talks so much sensibly, unlike you." Mom said to dad and slapped him playfully across his shoulder, making me laugh.
I flushed slightly and spot dad chuckling with a shook of his head.
"Okay. Okay. As you say. And about the project. I am happily ready to transfer that project to Rehan after all from now on my company is yours to run." I didn't found any suitable words to reply so instead of saying anything, I just once again pulled both of them in a tight hug, reminding myself that this wasn’t any dream. This all was actually happening.
***
After spending whole day with Mom and Dad mostly talking about everything and nothing. I was extremely curious to know their love story and pleaded them to tell me. Today was just like a magic; a dream so beautiful. All those love, affection, care that I've craved for so long has today came true.
We had a lunch together. No one just three of us. We laughed, joked, everything which a normal family does. That feeling of emptiness about my parents was filed today with new found love. It felt like I know them from ages.
I do have family!
"Mam. We have reached your destination." Driver's voice brought me out of my trance and after passing a polite smile to him, I stepped out of the car. Running my finger through my forehead, I licked my lips in hesitation.
Maybe Rehan was inside. I thought and the flashbacks of what happened in the morning, started covering the back of my mind.
Why was he angry in the morning? Once again I asked the same question to myself for about infinite times.
I haven't heard a bit about him since the time he stormed out of his cabin in the morning and now it's almost midnight. I was so much engrossed with my parents that I almost forgot about him.
Does that makes me selfish?
I know I should have stayed with Rehan at that moment maybe due to loss of the project, he was upset and it was my responsibility to lift up his mood but instead of doing anything, I went to my parents’ house to spend some time with them.
Maybe it was heat of the moment, I was so excited to actually know how it really feels to be with my parents. And now I do feel guilty for not going after Rehan. I should have thought that Rehan was my first priority and will always be because deep inside I know that he needs me.
I shook my head as everything in my mind started buzzing louder. I exhaled a deep breath and walked inside his house, finally entering our bedroom. I quickly glanced around only to found that the room was empty; there was no any sign of Rehan.
Something in me irked to know that he was not here. I can tolerate his anger but not his silent. Because silent is more scary at least anger hides the hint about mistake, it gives us a chance to rectify the wrong but silent is painful.
Suddenly a loud crashing sound of something, echoed in whole room making me gasped in shock. I blinked twice to register that few noises were still coming. Without thinking much I rushed out of the room and looked around only to sense that the sound was coming from downstairs.
Please. Please god don't, just don't make my instinct true.
My heart started thumping louder and the sweat beads formed over my temple. Nervousness went to its peak level.
No. Stop Mayra.
Maybe that sound was of something else. And how could you be so sure that it was something related to Rehan?
Gulping down my saliva, I walked downstairs. Now there was complete silence. Nothing in particular to be heard. I turned around only to find a faint shadow of someone leaning to the wall and it didn't taken rocket science for me to know that the shadow was no other than that of Rehan.
A sudden shiver danced over my spine giving me all short of foreign feeling of scariness. Like the aura of him was not usual. Something was dark and unusual.
I neglected every voices of my head and took a step closer to him, and somehow managed to turn on the light. Then I slowly let my eyes to land upon him. And the second my eyes caught a glimpse of him, every single nerve in my body froze.
The person standing in front was not my Rehan. No. He couldn't be my Rehan. Because this person was reflecting nothing but danger from his expressions. His hair were all messed up.
There were no any shine in his brown orbs instead they were holding brutality. His face was locked up in a hard expression with jaw clenched and nose flattered. Rage was about to find its way through his hard expression. His eyes were fixed on me, more like he was staring at me. Everything around me stilled in awful silence.
"So you do have guts to come in front of me after everything?" He stated breaking the silence, making my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
After everything?
Huh?
After watching my confused face, his lips twitched distastefully. More fire burns into his eyes.
"THE FUCK, JUST DROP THIS SICK ACT." He yelled through greeted teeth in a hollow blank voice.
I flinched at his harsh tone and frowned.
"W-what h-happened Rehan?" I stammered whilst still recovering from the shock of his harsh tone.
He looked at me again and without saying anything, he started taking steps towards me. With his each step, I found a new fear rising inside me clearly indicating from his dark look that something was wrong.