Chapter 27: The Hunter’s Cottage

By the time the evening approached, Aditi had again lost her appetite. The little relief her sister had brought her had been replaced with anxious guilt. She still hadn't been able to talk to her Dadaji. She had tried again after lunch, then an hour later, then every hour after that. But first, he had stayed locked in his study, then in his room.

Chewing her lips, she stared out of Darsh's car as they zoomed through the winding hill paths. The damage was done, all she could do now was to somehow find a way to apologize and hope for his forgiveness.

"You don't seem very excited for the surprise," Darsh said glancing at her pale face.

Aditi stretched her lips in an obligatory smile. "Of course, I am excited."

He gave her a look and pursed his lips. "I told you not to overthink. Dadaji will come around, just give him some time."

Her smile faded as her fingers curled tightly in her lap. How much time would he need? She wished he would hurry; she wasn't used to Dadaji being upset with her for so long. It made her desperately lonely, the way she'd felt after her parent's demise.

"Relax. Everything will be fine." Darsh moved his left hand to cover her right. She felt herself calming.

Shaking her head, she stared at his hand, at her father's ring sitting proudly on its third finger. It must be fate. The moment her parents were snatched away, her Dadaji had stepped in to take their place. And now that her Dadaji was distancing himself from her, she'd got this man to fill in the void. Maybe it was a sign that she should put her insecurities away and accept him wholeheartedly. Not because she was trapped or forced, but because she needed him with the same desperation with which she needed her parents and her Dadaji.

Cradling his hand in her palms, she lifted it to her lips to place a gentle kiss. Darsh startled, then raised his eyebrow.

"And to what do I owe this honor?"

"For being there for me," Aditi smiled. "Thank you."

A fleeting something passed over his face before it broke into a reassuring smile.

"I'll always be there for you."

Aditi smiled. An inexplicable calm spread through her being as she leaned her head back. They were climbing up the hill through the green forest. She remembered another such journey when she was with him. It was similar, serene, safe, inexplicably happy. Sighing to herself, she thanked her stars. She was lucky to have met him when she did.

"May I ask you something?" she said after a while as she contemplated her future husband.

He glanced at her. "Sure."

"I was wondering. You use your mother's name...," she swallowed uneasily. It wasn't like she cared, hell, she didn't care and neither did her Dadaji. But it felt like it was the key to understanding him. That was the first thing that caught her eye when Dadaji told her about him. Darsh Karuna Rathore. The name stood out as uniquely as the man who owned it. It showed how much he was proud of his mother, and at the same time, it also hinted at something else.

Darsh shrugged. "It's because I don't know my father's name. My Ma was twenty when she went to a friend's party. Her drink was spiked. She doesn't remember anything after that, who it was or how many."

Aditi shuddered, her eyes threatening to tear up. His face was cool.

"Yeah, she didn't get rid of me. She should have, but she didn't. Women are such emotional fools sometimes. She left her parent's home and moved to Delhi with a friend. Today I am what I am because of her."

His tone was calm, unaffected as if it was someone else's life story. It was a mask, she could tell. After all, she too had used her disguises for years.

"I am sorry." She choked her apology out and went quiet. He shrugged and focussed on the road.

 

*****

 

Twenty minutes later, the car turned onto a mud path and trundled a few meters before jerking to a halt. Aditi squinted out in surprise. The Hunter's Cottage.

"You live here?" Stepping out of the car, she stared at the cottage. "I used to come here when I was little. It was a run-down place then, quite dilapidated. Kanta Chachi said it was haunted. She used to tell me scary stories to stop me from coming but..."

"But you came anyway?" Darsh smirked. Aditi huffed and walked on.

The place now looked quite different. The broken roof was fixed. A fresh brown coat of paint gleamed on the exterior walls as a brand-new decking surrounded the entire cottage.

"It's not spooky anymore," she said, sounding disappointed.

"No, not unless you count me as a ghost," Darsh chuckled as he held the door open for her. "Your Dadaji's estate manager has refurbished it to let it out to tourists."

Of course! Shaking her head, she removed her shoes and entered. Again, it hit her how much the place had changed. The main living area was divided into a large sitting room with an open-plan kitchenette. On one side, she could spy a large master bedroom. On the other side was a smaller guest room/utility room. A beautiful vase of fresh wildflowers sat on a windowsill, adding a splash of color. The whole place was squeaky clean. Aditi could see how her fiancé had spent his afternoon.

Her cheeks flushed. "So, is this my surprise?"

He came closer. "No. I want you to meet someone - my mother."

"Your... mother?" Aditi blinked.

Darsh pressed his lips. "Yes, my mother. I have told her about us. She'd wait for my call at seven, which is about in...," he glanced at his watch, "five minutes."

 

*****

 

Darsh watched as Aditi sat on his sofa, ramrod-straight, staring at his laptop screen. Her face flamed in embarrassment as she kept her fingers laced tightly in her lap. On the screen in front of her was his Ma, being her usual gentle self, trying to make small chat. Aditi answered whatever she could though her discomfort was evident.

Darsh smirked. This was the same place where Balwant Sharma had interrogated him the first time they met. Then he was in the same state as Aditi, although not as literally trembling as she was.

"You should have told me before. I would have put on something more appropriate!" - was her first reprimand.

Darsh had to reassure her she looked just fine. His Ma was used to seeing girls wearing all kinds of attires, Aditi's fluffy high-necked sweater and jeans were no big deal. If he was being honest, she looked cute, like a newborn baby swaddled in their warmest, cuddliest, coziest of jumpers. Her nose was red with cold, and her hair was mussed up from their ride. He felt like pinching her chubby cheeks but thought the better of it.

"But what will we talk about? What if she asks something and I answer wrong? She would think I'm a fool." - was her next terrible worry.

"This is not an exam, Aditi. You don't need to prepare answers in advance. Just be yourself. And I am here to help if you need me." He'd tried placating her again.

Even then, the girl hadn't stopped fretting. Next, she asked him the same question Rajeev had asked - "Why didn't his Ma attend their engagement?"

His answer too was the same - he didn't want to alarm his mother considering the risk with the Raisinghs. And also, at the time, he didn't trust Aditi to behave.

Her face had flamed further before she gave him an annoyed look and fell silent. He was amused, yet absurdly happy. He felt like pulling her in another hug for a snack or two but again curbed his urge.

Shaking his head, he got up to make his special ginger tea. He had done some food shopping that afternoon, getting some fresh supplies in preparation for tonight. A dish of pasta was currently in the oven, slowly baking itself to perfection. It smelt delicious; the whole cottage was full of a divine aroma of cream cheddar and herbs.

Ah! The things a man had to do to get his heart's desire! But then he had to admit he was enjoying it immensely.

Minutes later, he came out holding two mugs of hot, piping tea to find the two ladies chatting away happily. As expected, his Ma had worked her magic. Aditi had finally relaxed and was sitting on the sofa cross-legged with a pillow in her lap, regaling her stories of Aron, her racing, her clinic, and, naturally, her Dadaji. His Ma listened happily; she'd always complained his calls were too short, abrupt, to the point.

At last, when they were done, he said his goodbyes and cut the call. Aditi sat beside him, looking flushed with happiness.

"Your mother is really nice. She reminds me of my Ma."

"All mothers are the same," he smiled and handed her the tea before taking a place beside her. "But mine is special."

Aditi hummed, eying him unsurely. He readied himself for the questions that he knew would start coming.

"I understand why you didn't tell her about our engagement," she cleared her throat and placed her mug on the coffee table. "But now that she knows... shouldn't she be upset about it? You are her only son, after all."

He shook his head. Of course, his Ma was angry. Rather, furious was the better word. Darsh had never put his mother down for a violent person but now he knew better. The way she had lashed at him, he felt lucky he was in Palampur and not in Delhi facing her. But that was before he took the matters in his own hand and played his trump card. He told her his brother's vile truth. That was enough to remind his Ma of her own ghastly past, then everything fell in place. Her soft heart melted like butter on a hot pan, he didn't even need to remind her not to mention Vicki in front of Aditi.

Sighing slightly he raked his fingers through his hair. He knew he was being a despicable son, using his mother's past to forward his own agenda, but he was helpless. He needed this girl. He needed her in his life to fight his own demons. In return he'd help her heal, that was his deal, a gentleman's promise.

"Darsh?" Aditi watched him, holding her breath. "What did you tell her?"

"I have found the best way to convince my mother is to tell her the truth."

Aditi paled. "The truth?"

"Yes. I had to tell her the truth, to make her understand why I got engaged so suddenly..." Pursing his lips, he set his mug down. Aditi looked at him wide-eyed, her face flaming in shame.

"What did you tell her Darsh?" She asked holding her breath as if her life depended on it.

Darsh exhaled. Leaning forward he pulled her closer enveloping her in his arms. He had to set her heart at ease, tonight her healing would begin.

"That I fell in love. That I met a girl unlike any other, who captured my heart, my mind, my soul. And once I found her, it was impossible to let her go. I had to have her in my life, there was no other way. I couldn't go on living without her by my side."

Aditi watched in stunned silence. Her face slowly cleared of its clouds, breaking into a tender smile.

He bent down and planted a kiss on her cheek, his much-needed snack.

"And on that note, I have another surprise for you."

 

***** 

Aditi walked in a daze, Darsh’s words humming in her ears like sweet temple bells chiming in a soft breeze. A sublime serenity filled her heart to the brim, she didn't remember the last time she felt so utterly blissful, cherished, and content.

Perhaps it was when she laid in her Ma's lap listening to her dulcet tunes. Or perhaps it was when she played in the cave pool with her Dad. Or it could be in her dreams when she relived those moments to her heart's content.

Tonight, though, it felt like she had a new memory to cherish, with this man, who had just confessed his love for her. His words sounded as sweet a melody of her Ma's music, as true as her father's heartfelt laughter.

Walking with him in a sweet trance she kept gazing at his proud figure. In her mind, her parents beamed proudly and patted her back.

"Here we are!" Darsh's voice broke her trance. She looked around, suddenly aware of her surroundings.

They were in the guest room. It was empty except for a large table in the center. On the table, sat a model of a three-storied building - a large, white, sprawling structure surrounded by lush greenery.

Aditi went closer, her eyes widening in surprise. It was beautiful.

"This is...your hospital," she said after a while, her face falling into a chasm. Her lips quivered, the edges of her eyes turned moist. It was her broken dream, her broken promise to her mother. It caused a dent in her fulfillment, she realized she had no reason to be that happy.

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"It's nice. People will love it." She forced a smile and stepped back. Turning around she was about to leave when he held her arm.

"You are missing something. Look closer."

Draping an arm around her back, he pointed her to a side, to one of the side buildings that looked like a self-contained unit. It had its own separate entrance. There was a little park outside with a small play area and benches to sit. A couple of tiny ambulances were parked near an entrance marked as Accidents and Emergencies.

Aditi squinted through her tears, then frowned. "Wait! That looks like..."

"Your hospital. It's a charitable wing adjoining the main building. It can act as a separate unit by itself. I got this done by the same architect you'd spoken to earlier. He knew what you wanted, plus I have added some of my own bits."

A hard lump threatened to choke her throat as she stared. She noticed a few more details - A little statue in the park with a happy couple with a small girl. A plaque on the entrance with 'Meera Sharma Hospital' engraved on it.

"I know it's not much," he said looking at her. "You wanted it to be a separate hospital and wanted to do it yourself. But as Dadaji has ruled it out, I thought I'd give it a go."

Something shifted inside her, her heart swelling with emotion like a cloud about to burst. Swaying in a daze she looked at him - the man she'd taken forever to trust, the man she'd been so unfair to. The man who'd stood by her through thick and thin, the man she was too blind to see was... the love of her life.

He was a blessing in disguise that she had taken too long to realize. Her tears rolled as she lurched at him, clinging to him for dear life. It was time she amended her mistake. It was time she let go of her past. This man was worth it, this man and no other.

*****

Darsh sat on the sofa with Aditi sniffling in his arms. It was the second time today that he was consoling her. The second time today that he had made her cry before applying the magical balm of his sympathy.

Humphing to himself he leaned back and pulled her closer to his chest. It was necessary to purge her of her pain. It was all necessary to win her trust, or how else was he supposed to heal her?

"Aditi... are you okay?" he brushed her hair off her hot face to have a good look. It was red, wet with tears, yet she looked inexplicably calm and determined.

"I love you Darsh," she mouthed the words with calm conviction.

Darsh stilled. There was a time once when he'd yearned to hear those words, although from a different girl. She was not as beautiful, nor as rich, but she was his first love, his only love. Now they sounded hollow, meaningless. They fell on his stone heart like drops of rainwater before sliding down into the mud.

But this was good going - day 16 of his visit, and he was already here. The bastard in him rejoiced that he was closer to his destination than ever before. The honest man in him rejoiced that the girl wronged by his brother had finally found the courage to move on. And the primordial male inside him shivered in excitement - her confession was a step closer to her total submission. It meant she was healing. It meant she was ready for the next step, or at least she would soon be, with a little help.

"Good for you." He feigned a disinterested reply.

Aditi stiffened. It took her a while to process his response. Then she sat up glaring at him in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I said, it's good for you that you love me. It's quite convenient. Generally, it is considered beneficial for young women to be in love with their husbands. It just makes their life easier, won't you agree?"

She looked lost for words as her face flamed in agitation. Her fists clenched, he wondered if the cat was about to pounce on him.

"You know how arrogant you are, Mr. Khanna? Not just arrogant, but irritating, obnoxious, insufferable!! " She paused looking for more suitable adjectives. He smirked.

"You know there are men who'd give their right arm to hear those words from me, right?" She continued flaring up. "You should consider yourself lucky that I chose you, you should count your blessings, thank your lucky stars!"

"Really Aditi! Now, who's being arrogant here?" He cocked a mocking eyebrow. "And you are doing me no favor. I deserve it after all that I did for you."

"Oh, be quiet!" She waved him away. "You know I could have had anyone, right? I could have pointed my finger at a random man and he would be at my feet. Vivaan waited his whole life, there were boys in my college, club patrons, young men in Dadaji's circle... "

Her next words were drowned in a squeal of surprise as he pulled her closer and shut her up. His lips claimed hers with such ferocity she forgot to breathe. Moments passed as he took his fill. This time he was rough, claiming, and demanding. She had no choice but to cling to him and wait for this tempest to pass.

Her head swirled, she was in the middle of a whirlwind that lashed her senseless yet supported her in its swirls. Currents of electricity jolted her core, it felt like she was being swept off her feet and hurled into a hurricane.

"Darsh..." she somehow managed to breathe out when he gave her a respite.

He tilted his head back, his dark eyes boring into her.

"Don't ever say those words again. You will never look at another man, do you understand? You are mine, you will stay mine. No one can change that, not even you!"

She looked at him askance, her breath uneven, her cheeks flaming red. He was just wondering if it was blush or anger when he felt a stab of pain in his chest.

"Well then, you need to behave!" Aditi ground her teeth digging her nails in his chest. "When someone says 'I love you', you are supposed to say it back and not be rude to them! You should be grateful, you should be thankful... " With every incensed word, she tried to wriggle away out of his grip but he didn't budge an inch.

"It's too little, too late."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He tilted his head looking at her coldly. "I mean your confession is a bit too late, Princess. It's old news, I already know it just as I know everything else about you."

"Then why not just say it?" She looked at him in confusion. "You said so much before, you gave such a long speech!"

He shrugged. "Because I don't want to. I waited for you to say it, I ran after you, I begged you, beseeched you, still you didn't budge. My sincerest efforts were nothing to you. You always doubted, always tried to get rid of me. And now that you love me, you suddenly expect me to reciprocate? How fair is that?"

Her face fell as if the wind was knocked out of her. Darsh smirked.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know I should have trusted you earlier, but.." She looked up biting her lip. Her fingers curled to grab at his shirt. "But I do love you...truly! Maybe I always have but didn't know. And then I didn't have the courage." She swallowed as her eyes filled again. Unbeknownst to him, his eye turned tender.

"And I am grateful," she blinked through her tears. "I am grateful for whatever you did for me and I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time."

Darsh watched mesmerized. Such innocence, such vulnerability. Such honesty of feelings, and tenderness! It was priceless, he'd cherish it forever. But for now, he had an agenda. He had a goal to achieve, he couldn't let it out of his sight.

"Please...forgive me?"

He humphed and jerked his head to the kitchen. "Let's eat. I'm getting hungry."

*****

They ate in silence. Aditi kept sniffling, her expression altering between regret, doubt, and annoyance. She kept stealing glances at him but he focused on his food. He was quite hungry, and the pasta was delicious.

A clatter of cutlery made him look up. She was done.

"I want to go home."

He frowned. "You haven't finished even half of it. Eat."

"I don't want it. I don't like cheddar."

"Since when?"

"Since now!" She snapped and got up to wear her shoes. "Drop me home now. It's getting late."

"Stop being a kid Aditi. Eat your food. We have plenty of time."

"No. I don't want to spend my evening with a grumpy grouch!"

"I am not grumpy; you are being childish!"

"I am not, you are! You are holding a grudge, you won't even say three simple words to your fiancée, how childish is that?"

He went closer and stared at her, his arms gently encircling her waist. Her body stiffened as if she was stealing against him.

"Is it important?"

Her lips quivered as her eyes darted to his, then she looked away.

"Yes."

"How much?"

She gave him an exasperated look, her eyes threatening to pool again.

"It is important for me! And if you are too full of yourself to say it..."

He sighed and tightened his grip. "You have to earn those words as I did, Princess. Make it up to me and I'll think about it."

She frowned. "Meaning?"

He stared at her, his light fingers tracing her jawline. She shivered.

"How about a dessert? I can think about it if I like it."

He could hear her thudding heart even through her thick jumpers. She looked pale, her breath quickened and beads of sweat appeared on her face.

Yet her lips looked parched as if in need of succor. The solemn determination on her face was back soon enough.

Smiling to himself, he bent down and nuzzled against her sweet face, then raised himself to rest his brow on hers.

"Do you trust me?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed, then shook her head in a tiny nod.

"Yes."

He smiled. "Thank you, Princess. Now let me take care of you."

 

***** *****

 

 

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