Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of infidelity, parental loss, and emotional abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
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Tara stood by the bed, gently shaking him.
"Vikram, wake up. It's already 1 p.m. I'm heading downstairs. I'll have your lunch sent up to the room."
Half-asleep, Vikram murmured, "You should sleep too…"
Tara frowned. "Suhani will be home soon, and what will people think if they see me here?"
"What will they think?" Vikram's voice was still lazy. "That you're taking care of your husband."
"Vikram, please put your clothes on. Suhani could walk in any moment. I'm going downstairs now."
He was about to say something, but Tara cut him off.
"No, Vikram. I'm going downstairs."
A few minutes later, she left the room.
Not long after, the front door opened — Suhani was back from school.
"Didi, how's jiju? Is he feeling better? Can I go see him?" she asked eagerly.
"First, change out of your uniform," Tara replied. "Have lunch, then you can go."
"No, I'm going right now!" Suhani declared, already running upstairs.
Tara quickly called Vikram.
He answered on the first ring. "Yes?"
"Suhani's coming up," Tara said.
"Alright."
Upstairs, Suhani burst into the room.
"Jiju, do you still have a fever?" she asked breathlessly.
"A little," Vikram admitted.
She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "No, it's gone. The medicine worked."
"Have you had lunch?" Vikram asked.
"No."
"Alright, I'll have lunch sent up for both of us. We'll eat here together."
As she moved closer, Suhani noticed something. "Wait… what's this?" She gently touched the cut on his hand.
Vikram pulled his hand back slightly. "Something broke, and when I picked it up, I got a small cut." Then, clearly wanting to change the subject, he added, "Come on, let's have lunch. After that, I'll help you with your next exam subject."
---
In the living hall, Tara gave instructions to have lunch sent up for Vikram and Suhani.
Her thoughts shifted — I need to go see Dadi ji.
She walked to the dadi room and stepped inside.
"Tara," Dadi ji said warmly, "is Vikram alright?"
"Yes, he's perfectly fine," Tara replied. "But I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Go ahead," Dadi nodded.
" Tara said, hesitating. "If Grandfather comes back—"
"He's gone to meet a friend," Grandma interrupted gently. "He won't be back before evening."
Tara hesitated again, then finally decided to speak. "Grandma…she told her last night incident. I need to know the truth about what happened."
Grandma fell silent for a moment, as though weighing whether to answer. Then she began.
---
"Narayan and Sulekha were in college together. Both were toppers — Sulekha told me herself. They had a strong academic rivalry at first, but soon became friends. They were very different people. Narayan was quiet and reserved, while Sulekha loved talking and laughing. Slowly, that friendship turned into love.
But there was a problem — Sulekha was the daughter of Dhanjay Rai."
Tara's eyes widened. "Dhanjay Rai… of Rai & Rai Company?"
"Yes," Grandma nodded. "He's no longer in this world, but his sons are still around."
"Is that Vikram goes to meet them?" Tara asked.
"Very rarely," Grandma replied briefly.
"What happened next?" Tara urged.
---
"Sulekha's father was against their marriage — and why wouldn't he be? She was from such a wealthy family, and we only had a small shop. Narayan was a brilliant student, yes, but still…
But Sulekha left her home for him. She married Narayan and came from a grand mansion to live in our little two-room house. And yet… she never once complained.
They weren't just husband and wife — they were best friends. Eventually, Narayan decided to start the Suryavanshi Company. Sulekha, coming from a business family, had the vision and ideas to match his determination. She worked tirelessly by his side, and within two years, the company was profitable.
Then one day… we learned Sulekha was going to be a mother. Oh, Tara… even today, that memory makes me smile. Narayan insisted she avoid all work and stress. He handled the business himself, but still respected every decision she made.
And then the day came… Vikram was born. A tiny baby, glaring at everyone as if the world had wronged him already," Grandma said with a fond chuckle. "Our lives were filled with happiness. The company grew, and soon we moved into this mansion."
---
"Sulekha spent more time caring for Vikram and Narayan. Narayan was still working hard, but he knew she had sacrificed a great deal for the family.
When Vikram turned ten, he began asking for a little sister. We would all laugh. Sulekha, too, wished for another child.
At the time, Narayan was away frequently on business trips. Then Sulekha discovered she was pregnant again. Vikram was overjoyed, already naming his baby sister Ruhi. Sulekha decided to keep the news from Narayan — she wanted to surprise him.
One day, she went to the doctor for a checkup… and there, she saw Narayan. Not alone — with him was Sunanda, his personal assistant heavily pregnant.
Tara's breath caught.
"Yes," Grandma's voice grew heavy. "Narayan hadn't been on business trips. He'd been with Sunanda. And Sunanda was carrying his child.
That day… Sulekha's world collapsed. She had trusted Narayan above all else, and he had been the one to shatter it. Vikram saw her breaking down and cried endlessly.
When Narayan came home, Sulekha confronted him.
'Why? Why did you break my trust?' she demanded.
He said it had been a one-night mistake… and when he found out Sunanda was pregnant, he couldn't abandon her.
'One night? Or a hundred nights?' Sulekha shot back. 'The real issue is that, in that one night, you didn't think of me or Vikram even once.'
Narayan admitted his guilt, but still said, 'She has no one else… how can I leave her?'
Sulekha's voice trembled: 'I left my entire family for you. Who thought about me?'
Narayan had no answer. Then his phone rang — Sunanda was in labour. Without a moment's pause, he left for the hospital, even though Sulekha was unwell.
After he left, Sulekha collapsed. Vikram tried to help her, but we had to rush her to the hospital. We couldn't save her.
That same night, Prithvi was born.
This is why Vikram despises him so much."
---
"After Sulekha's death, Vikram stopped speaking. He barely ate. Narayan brought Sunanda into the house . she will take care of Vikram and Prithvi.' They married soon after.
But Sunanda was a cruel woman. Slowly, she began torturing Vikram. Your grandfather and I only found out much later. We warned her that if she harmed him again, she would be thrown out. From then on, I kept a close eye on him.
Narayan's health declined. Perhaps it was the guilt — it ate away at him. He lost interest in business. Vikram buried himself in studies, avoiding friends and outings. Meanwhile, Sunanda spoiled Prithvi completely.
Eventually, Vikram went abroad to study. When he returned, Suryavanshi Company and Narayan's health were both failing. Vikram threw himself into work — it was his mother's legacy, and he would not let it crumble.
A few years later, Narayan passed away.
Then Sunanda tried to fight us for property. By then, Vikram was strong enough to give her and Prithvi their legal share and send them away.
Prithvi still visited us sometimes. We thought maybe he had changed. But… I was wrong. Sunanda's influence had shaped him."
---
Tara sat there, silent, her chest tight with emotion.
"I should go now, Grandma," she finally said.
"Don't ever bring this up with Vikram," Grandma warned. "His anger… it can get out of control. And don't let him sense that you know everything."
Tara placed her hand over Grandma's. "I won't, I promise."
Then she quietly left the room.
Tara walked straight to her room, where Vikram and Suhani were once again seated with a book between them. Vikram was explaining something to her in the same patient way he had yesterday, and Suhani was listening with the same focused concentration, absorbing every word.
Tara paused in the doorway, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Vikram has endured so much, she thought. And I… I never truly understood him — not his silences, not his actions. I kept waiting for words instead of reading his heart.
Noticing her, Vikram looked up. "Tara, why are you standing there?"
Her eyes glistened faintly as she walked over and sat on the bed beside them. "Suhani, how many exams do you have left?"
"Tomorrow's the last one," Suhani replied. "After Sunday, I'll be leaving… I'll miss you all." Her tone softened with sadness.
Vikram smiled gently. "I'll miss you too. Remember, you told me that whenever I miss you, I can come to see you. And if you miss us, you have to come here."
Suhani nodded with a smile.
After a while, she closed her notebook. "It's already evening, and I've finished my chapters. I'll head downstairs." She slipped out of the room.
Once she left, Vikram glanced at Tara. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she said with a small nod.
"Good. I should get some office work done — otherwise, my stock prices might really crash," he teased, turning his attention to his laptop.
---
Later that night, after dinner…
Tara walked over to Vikram and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"Careful," he teased softly, "don't hug me so tightly… you know what might happen."
But then he paused, feeling the tremor in her shoulders. "Tara… are you crying? Why? Are you thinking about your father?"
She said nothing, her face pressed against him.
"Don't cry, please," Vikram whispered.
Still holding him, she murmured through her tears, "I love you. And I will never leave you."
"Why so emotional tonight?" he asked, brushing her hair back. "Even if you wanted to go, I wouldn't let you… Now, sleep."
He kissed the top of her head. "And I love you more than you love me."