Mohit's POV
" The other man was my partner... "
" Partner?? In business? How can that be possible? " Viraj asked.
" In bed... We were in a relationship earlier. " I said looking at Maya and Srusti.
Srusti was almost stoned, her face lost its colour.
" WHAT?? Are you out of your mind?? drunk?? " Maya said and was shocked.
" No, I am sane... I had a sexual relationship with him. But I fell in love with Srusti and I cut all ties with him so, he wanted to harm her. " I said.
" So that girl... Whatever she said was right?? Maya came in front of me.
" Yeah !! But not all of it. "
" What?? You married Srusti to cover up it all?? " She asked me. I nodded and she slapped me hard.
" How dare you?? You ruined her life... Who permitted you to do that?? You lied to her?? You lied to us?? How dare you? " She asked me questions one after the other and kept slapping me with every question.
I kept standing there receiving her wrath.
" You are gay?? Why did you marry her?? What do you mean that you love Srusti now?? " Viraj asked angrily, catching my collar. I had never seen him like this.
Sahil tried to get me out of Viraj's grip but I told him not to. He had a right to beat me if he wanted. He was my family just like Maya.
" No, I am not gay. I am bisexual, have been in a relationship with both men and women. I was in a relationship with Robin for the last few years. " I said and he punched me very hard.
" You duped her?? Did you tell her all about it?? Why did she agree to marry you? Did you include her in your plan?? " Maya asked.
" No, she didn't know anything at all. I had saved her from an accident. She had run away from her sister's house to save herself from that filthy man and bumped into my car. I brought her to my place. As she had nowhere to go, I let her stay in my house and when I came to know that mom and dadi were in the hospital, I asked her to help me. " I said, everyone was listening. There was pin-drop silence.
" She never wanted to be a part of it. She cried out of guilt many times as she was in love with every member of my family. But I persuaded her every time that she was not cheating them. She was trying to help me in saving their lives. She just helped me in saving mom and Dadi's life. She didn't want to tell a single lie. In fact, I felt guilty every time she said she felt guilty as she did not want to lie to any of you. But I could not tell our parents and dadi. They would have died then and there. " I told them.
" Why couldn't you tell me or Viraj??" Maya asked.
" I was scared you would hate me. You supported mom and dadi... "
" That was because I wanted you to get settled. I am your older sister, you didn't even tell me?? "
" I am sorry... " I said.
" Sorry?? That's all?? What did you do to Srusti?? You didn't even bother to tell Srusti that you had a different sexual orientation. " Viraj said and punched me again.
" I know, what I did was wrong. I should have told her. But she was so innocent that I got scared that she might refuse to help me. I thought that she might get scared of my sexual orientation. She was too naive to understand all that. And at that time it was supposed to be a marriage on paper only. She agreed to help me by marrying me. It was supposed to be only on paper. But you arranged traditional marriage too. Somehow it sparked something in me. I really fell for her.
" You were still in a relationship with another man and you didn't bother to tell her?? " Viraj was like a raging bull.
" No, I had not officially broken up with him. But I got over that well before I married Srusti. I had not even met him at least for eight months before I got married. I got married to her to save mom and Dadi, but I really fell for her innocence, kindness and her whole personality even before we got married. I cut all my ties with him before I started my journey with her. I love her, Viraj. Trust me. "
" Don't ever say that again. I did the Kanyadaan in your wedding. So I am her elder brother. I am taking her to my home with me. She would not live with a liar like you. "
" No, Viraj!! Please don't do that. I love her... I swear... I love her. Please don't do it. Maya, please tell him. "
" Don't expect anything from me. I asked you many times if you were marrying her just to prove your point that whatever that girl said was wrong, I would not let her marry you. How could you assume things on your own?? How could you decide her life?? She trusted you and helped you, though her conscience didn't allow her... and you hid such important information from her. "
" I thought she would not understand... You are very progressive and open-minded, still, you are reacting like this. "
" I am reacting like that because you lied to all of us. If you had come to us with your situation, we would have understood and would have found a solution. Trust me, we would have understood. It's your life and it's your preference. I would have understood you, Mohit. "
" I expected that from you and that day I was coming to tell everything to you but you called up and said that mum and dadi were in ICU because that girl said that I was more interested in men. You shouted at me like anything. I wanted to tell you at that time but I could not... I got scared. "
" I know, that our family is very old fashioned and I wanted you to settle down. I would have felt bad that you are not living a happy normal married life like us but I would have understood you. I would have tried to help you, but you never bother to tell me I am not angry because you are bisexual and you have a different sexual orientation. That's entirely your choice as it is your life. it's your life you can live the way you want I have no right to say anything over it, but I am angry because you didn't bother to tell that innocent girl anything about all this she had a right to know you didn't even bother about her feelings. "
" Yeah, but we didn't have feelings involved at that time. "
" You didn't even think that she might fall in love with you, could you reciprocate her feelings?? What if she had fallen in love with someone else while she was still married to you?? What would have you done?? Bind her in a loveless marriage?? Why did you punish her like that?? Who gave you the right??"
" I know... I preferred men over women so I didn't know I could fall for her. I told her that I would not fall for her and If she ever falls in love with anyone, she can tell me. I would let her go her way after a quick divorce. "
" Great!! Now just think that she is in love with someone else. As I would send you the divorce paper sign them quickly for a quick divorce. " Viraj said.
" No !! " I shouted.
" Yes!!! I won't let her stay with you. You do not deserve her. "
" Viraj... I know, I made a mistake but you can't do this to me. Please I love her now. "
" So, it's all about you... You didn't want her then... You want her now... What about her??? "
" She loves me too. She said she loves me... Ask Sahil... Ask Srusti !! "
" Yes, she said... " Sahil was saying...but Maya interrupted him.
" You just shut up, Sahil !! By the way, did you also have a relationship with Mohit?? I thought he loved Manu but now I think he might have loved you. Is it the case?? " Maya asked him shocking him.