CHAPTER LXII
After 6 Months
It has been six months since my accident, yet I am still not capable of standing on my own feet. Even to walk, I need someone's support.
Despite learning the entire truth, Sita never left me. Perhaps she stays out of sympathy, because the love that once shone in her eyes seems to have disappeared somewhere along the way. She doesn't talk to me anymore. She simply takes care of me in silence.
But now, I can no longer bear Sita's silence.
That is why I have decided to set her free, from this unwanted person and this unwanted relationship. After all, our marriage was built on a contract; sooner or later, it was destined to come to an end.
My love could never hold Sita close, because my love was never meant to cage her-it was meant to give her wings and let her fly.
Sita could never love me back...
And with that, everything fell apart.
I still remember the day when Manav, RK, Rama, and I ran away from home and came to the UK.
We all lived in the house RK had bought. Since RK was a doctor, he found a job here very quickly. Soon after, RK and Manav got married. They were genuinely happy together, deeply in love, and it felt like they had finally found the life they had always dreamed of.
But every bright morning is eventually followed by a dark night.
And then that dark night arrived, the night that destroyed everything.
Rama's father had finally tracked her down and made his way to London. Somehow, he had even managed to find our address.
He came to our house with several goons.
At that time, Manav was going through the process of his gender transition and wasn't in a condition to even defend himself, let alone argue with anyone. Rama's father took advantage of that weakness.
Without mercy, he and his men brutally beat Manav.
I was upstairs in my room when I heard loud noises and shouting from downstairs. Alarmed, I rushed down.
The sight before me froze the blood in my veins.
Manav was lying on the floor.
His entire body was covered in blood.
"Manav Bro!" I screamed as I ran to him and fell to my knees beside him.
Before I could do anything, Rama's father looked at me and said coldly,
"Oh, Vaidehi... so you're here. Tell me where my daughter is, or I'll kill your brother right here."
Tears streamed down my face as I folded my hands before him.
"Uncle, please... please let me take Manav Bro to the hospital first. He's badly hurt. I beg you..."
I pleaded again and again, but he refused to listen.
It was as if he had been consumed by rage and bloodlust.
I had no choice left.
With trembling lips and a shattered heart, I told him where Rama was hiding.
The moment he got the address, he and his men rushed out to find her.
As soon as they left, I tried to take Manav to the hospital all by myself. At the same time, I called RK and told him everything that had happened.
But by then...
I had already made a terrible mistake.
I had given Rama's father her real location.
I told him exactly where she was hiding...
Without stopping to think about what he might do to her once he found her.
And that mistake was about to change all of our lives forever.
After getting Manav admitted to the hospital, RK immediately called the police.
But I couldn't wait for them to arrive.
Every second felt precious.
Without wasting another moment, I got into my car and drove off. Worried that something might happen to me, RK followed close behind.
As we sped through the streets, we suddenly spotted Rama's father again.
And this time, Rama was with him.
The moment I saw her, my heart sank.
Bruises covered her face. Fresh wounds and swollen marks were clearly visible, leaving no doubt about what had happened.
Her father had beaten her mercilessly.
I couldn't beg anymore.
I couldn't stand there and watch.
Something inside me snapped.
I grabbed a hockey stick from the car and marched straight toward them without thinking about the consequences.
"Let her go!" I shouted.
The goons burst into laughter.
"Look at this girl," one of them sneered. "She thinks she can take all of us on by herself."
They underestimated me because I was a woman.
And that was their biggest mistake.
At that time, my fighting skills were exceptionally good. One after another, the men fell to the ground. Their mocking smiles disappeared, replaced by cries of pain.
For a moment, it felt like I might actually save Rama.
But her father was far more cunning than the rest.
While I was distracted fighting his men, he quietly pulled out a gun.
When I turned around, the barrel was already pointed at me.
Everything seemed to slow down.
I saw his finger squeeze the trigger.
I heard the deafening sound of the gunshot.
The bullet was meant for me.
But before it could reach me, RK stepped in front of me.
"RK!" I screamed.
The bullet struck him instead.
His body staggered.
For a moment, time stood still.
Then he collapsed onto the ground.
Right before my eyes.
The man who had always protected us...
The man who had followed me because he was worried about my safety...
Had given his life to save mine.
And in that single moment...
RK died.
I stood there, completely frozen.
My mind had gone blank.
RK's lifeless body lay before me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move. It felt as though my soul had left my body. The sound of the gunshot still echoed in my ears, drowning out everything else.
Tears streamed down my face, but I couldn't even find the strength to cry out.
Meanwhile, Rama's father showed no remorse.
As if nothing had happened, he grabbed Rama by the arm and dragged her toward the car.
"Leave me!" Rama cried, struggling weakly through her tears.
But he ignored her.
I watched helplessly as he shoved her into the vehicle.
Rama looked back at me through the car window, her eyes filled with fear, pain, and desperation. It was as if she was silently begging me not to let her go.
But I couldn't move.
I couldn't think.
I couldn't do anything.
I could only stand there and watch as the car door slammed shut.
Moments later, the vehicle sped away, taking Rama with it and disappearing into the distance.
And I was left standing in the middle of the road...
Beside RK's dead body...
Broken, helpless, and completely numb.
And in that single moment, my brother Manav's entire world changed forever.
One gunshot didn't just take RK's life...
It shattered every dream my brother had ever built.
Even today, the weight of that guilt crushes me.
Sometimes, I can't help but wonder...
What if I had just waited for the police?
What if I had trusted them to do their job instead of rushing ahead on my own?
What if I hadn't let my emotions take control?
Maybe then, RK would still be alive today.
Maybe he would still be standing beside my brother, holding his hand through every hardship and every joy.
Maybe they would have continued building the beautiful life they had dreamed of together.
A life filled with love, laughter, and countless ordinary moments that now exist only as painful "what ifs."
Instead, my brother was left alone.
The person he loved most was taken from him because of a decision I made.
And no matter how many years pass, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for that.
Because if I had acted differently that day...
Perhaps RK and my brother would still be together today, living happily as the family they were always meant to be.
To be continue...