Chapter 62: Chapter 62

Aaru's phone rang. All three of them looked at the phone screen. Aaru's face brightened seeing the name and picture on the screen, while the brother's face darkened.

It was a picture of Aaru hugging an older woman.

And it was written on the screen..

Momma calling!!!

Before Aaru could attend the call, she heard the sound of a flower vase falling down and breaking into million little pieces.

She got startled and looked up and saw a furious Arman pulling at his hair in anger.

“Armaan bhai..” She called out and he raised his hand asking her to stop.

“For a second, I actually forgot that you are the daughter of that characterless woman” Armaan said with disgust.

Aaru lost it hearing those words.

“Shut up, bhai. Shut up!” Aaru screamed, shocking both the brothers.

“Not a word against my momma. I will not tolerate it” Aaru said angrily, pointing her fingers at Armaan and Aadesh.

“If you can’t bear a word against her, get out of here” Armaan was not one to give up.

“I didn’t come here to stay here permanently, Mr Verma. I came here only because I couldn’t stay and watch my momma yearn for her sons anymore..” Aaru said and Armaan scoffed.

“Yearn for her sons? Really, Aaradhya Ahuja? The woman who left her husband and sons for a richer man. She is yearning for her sons? You want us to believe that?” Armaan asked sarcastically.

“Richer man? My father is a middle class man, Mr Verma. My father is a psychiatrist who works in a small clinic in the outskirts of Mumbai. We live in a single storeyed house. And my momma is very happy in that household. The only thing that she lacked is her two sons” Aaru said.

Armaan and Aadesh frowned.

“And you know what the most important part is? Mrs Durga Verma was my father’s patient when he first met her.” Aaru said and Armaan and Aadesh stared at her in horror.

“What bullsh*t?” Armaan yelled and Aaru let out a sarcastic laugh.

“A victim of domestic violence by her mother in law. A victim of an ignorant husband, who married her out of impulse seeing her beauty and left her to his mother’s mercy while he was busy building a business empire” Aaru said sarcastically.

“Stop making up stories.” Aadesh snapped at her.

“I know you people won’t believe me. But you would believe Jhanvi Malhotra, right? Your best friend Inder Malhotra’s mother.” Aaru asked and Armaan frowned.

“What does this have to do with Jhanvi aunty?” Armaan asked.

“Call her here. Ask her for the truth. The truth she tried to tell you a million times over the past years. The truth you never bothered to hear.” Aaru said.

Armaan could feel his heartbeat picking up its pace.

He remembered the multiple conversations Jhanvi aunty tried to have with him, bringing up his mother’s name. Every single time, he walked out of there.

Armaan stood there, his mind swirling with a mix of emotions. Aaru's words had struck a chord within him, planting a seed of doubt that he couldn't ignore any longer. Reluctantly, he reached for his phone and dialed Jhanvi's number, hoping she would agree to meet them.

A short while later, Jhanvi arrived at the house, a concerned look on her face. She had been trying to convey something important to Armaan for years, something he had always avoided. As she greeted Aaru, Aadesh and Armaan, she could sense the tension in the room.

"You mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something," Jhanvi said, her voice gentle yet filled with urgency.

Armaan took a deep breath, mustering the courage to confront the truth that had been eluding him for so long.

"Yes, Jhanvi aunty," he began, his voice trembling slightly.

"Aaru told me something about my mother, something that contradicts what I have believed for years. Can you please tell me the truth?" Armaan asked.

Jhanvi nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the moment.

“What do you want to know, Armaan?” Jhanvi asked.

“Was my mother a victim of domestic violence?” Armaan asked and he could feel his heart in his throat.

Jhanvi took a deep breath before responding to his queries.

“She was, Armaan.” Jhanvi said and Armaan and Aadesh felt their heart breaking for a moment.

“What exactly happened? Our father was so deeply in love with her. A love that made him go off the rails when she cheated on him and left us for someone else.” The words came out of Armaan was a cry for the truth.

“Durga didn’t cheat on your father, Armaan. It was your grandmother who cheated you all out of a happy family.” Jhanvi said.

“Please tell us everything, Jhanvi aunty. I am going mad hearing all this.” Aadesh pleaded.

“My husband and your father were business partners. Acharya Verma was a workaholic business man. He thought of nothing but business. And it was a shock for us when he confessed that he fell in love with a village belle when he went for a land deal in a nearby village. The man who thought of nothing but business, fell in love.” Jhanvi said and all three of them stared at her, wanting to know more.

“Durga only had an ageing grandmother. Her parents passed away when she was young. The older woman was only too happy to marry her off to Acharya when he took the proposal. Soon after the wedding, the older woman passed away too.” Jhanvi said.

“What happened after that?” Aadesh asked.

“Amaravathi Verma, your grandmother only cared about society and social status. She wanted Acharya to get married to her friend’s daughter. Acharya who always was an obedient son, for the first time in his life refused her demand. He made it clear that there would be no other woman in his life other than Durga..” Jhanvi said and Aaru frowned.

From what she have known, the man didn’t love her mother enough. But here it is another story.

“And?” Armaan asked.

“And Amaravathi Verma hated Durga for that. She made Durga’s life a hell..”