Arvind Verma wanted to wait for his daughter to leave before he dealt with his wife. She had come home after quite some time. He wanted it to be pleasant for her, merely controlling the urge to beat the truth out of his wife.
He found it better to see his wife hurt rather than his daughter. He loved his daughter dearly, who seemed distressed to him at the moment. If she wasn’t willing to let him help her directly, he would do so indirectly.
Keerthi wondered how a person could be so different to two people. He was a great father, picking that something was wrong after conversing for just under a minute with her, but a horrible husband, as she thought of all times he had hurt her mother.
She made a quick call to her mother in law, letting Sakshi know of her plans.
The Vermas had a busy dinner, each of them updating the other of their lives. Though it was quite late, Keerthi was reluctant to leave, she didn’t want her mother to cry quietly on her own, she wanted to be with her.
Keerthi was sure her father would do something, as she saw him give a sharp look to his mother multiple times during the dinner. She badly wanted to request him not to hurt her mom, but the few times she did, her father only ended up hurting her mother worse. So, she usually kept her mouth shut, just silently cried with her mother.
She wanted to try this time, though. If her father had stopped himself from hitting her mother because she was there, he would listen to her, surely?
“It’s getting late Keerthi. We should leave”, Arvind said,”It won’t be nice if you go home too late. You could just stay the night if you want to , otherwise.”
Keerthi was tempted at the offer. Yes. She could do that.
“Yea-“, she opened her mouth to agree with her father when he spoke.
“Actually no. Don’t stay tonight. I don’t want your in laws to think you have come here because Vikram isn’t in the city. It won’t set a good impression. You can stay home some other time”, Arvind advised.
“But.. but they won’t mind”, Keerthi protested, though she knew her father was partly right.
It would look like she didn’t like staying there in her husband’s absence. Though she wondered if her in laws were so narrow minded, it was a possibility. They barely knew about her. It was easy to judge someone you didn’t know.
But she didn’t really care.
Her mother was her first priority. She didn’t mind if her in laws thought ill about her.
“No beta”, Amritha patted her daughter’s hand,”It’s better you go. Come home sometime later.”
Keerthi looked at her mother with tear filled eyes.
Deep down , Amritha knew why her daughter wanted to stay, the thought making her sad. Though she wanted her daughter next to her, having missed her so much, she didn’t want to jeopardize Keerthi’s relation with her in laws.
Elders were old minded.
Well, compared to the younger generation.
Keerthi’s heart broke at her mother’s sad smile, tears making her eyes as she hugged her tight. She prayed her father didn’t hit her mother today.
Arvind’s doubts were cleared when he saw his daughter shed tears in her mother’s arms.
Something was definitely up with her.
He narrowed his gaze at his wife, thinking of ways to make her speak out after his daughter left. His wife was an adamant person, speaking out only what she intends to.
Amritha hugged her daughter, kissing her hair, as she let her go.
Arvind gave his wife a hard look as he walked behind his daughter. His daughter cried, but never so much. She looked gloomy. He pondered on the thought if his decision to get her married to Vikram was a mistake. He had the fierce urge to protect her.
Keerthi was unaware of the thoughts in her father’s mind, only thinking of her mother.
“Is Vikram treating you fine?”, Arvind queried.
Keerthi stiffened at her father’s question as she stared at him wide eyed.
“Ye.. Yeah”, she stuttered.
She wasn’t exactly lying. Vikram was treating her alright. They just had a row.
Arvind sighed, clenching his jaw. He wanted to scream at her daughter to tell her what’s wrong. He didn’t like abusing his wife everytime he had to find out his daughter’s problem. He just found it a necessity.
“Is work alright?”, he prodded.
“Yeah. It’s fine”, Keerthi answered.
Keerthi took a deep breath gathering much needed courage to tell her father something when they reached the gates of Rathore house.
“Goodnight”, Arvind patted his daughter’s shoulder, frowning when he saw her walk to his side of the car.
“Da.. Dad”, Keerthi took in a deep breath,”Y.. You won’t say anything to mom, will you?, She finished quietly as she looked down, standing next to his car door. She knew her father understood what she meant by ‘Saying anything to her mother.’
Arvind clenched his jaw at his daughter’s words, he had every plan to thrash his wife tonight, to find out what was bothering his daughter. He was sure his wife knew. Keerthi shared everything with her mother.
“Get inside the house Keerthi”, Arvind glanced at his daughter.
“Pl.. Please”, She pleaded, looking at her father. She didn’t want her father to hurt his mother in her absence, especially since her mother won’t breath a word about it.
Arvind softly shut the door as he got out of the car. He hated that his daughter looked so scared of him. He did everything for her. He lived for his daughter.
Keerthi stiffened when her father stood in front of her.
“Will you tell me what’s troubling you?”, Arvind wiped his daughter’s tears gently, as he asked his daughter one last time. He wouldn’t have to sock his wife if his daughter just told him what’s bothering her. Though he was used to hurting his wife, he hated to see tears in his daughter’s eyes.
Keerthi wondered how her father picked at her mood, did she look so miserable? The argument with her husband was at the back of her mind. She barely gave him a thought the last few hours.
“Dad.. th.. that”, Keerthi was having trouble talking, her eyes welled up , her voice breaking as she tried to speak past the lump in her throat.
“What’s the matter Sweetheart?”, Arvind was getting more and more worried, as he pulled his daughter into a hug.