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Forced Goodbyes

Seeing Ridhima in such a delicate condition made Karan's blood boil. She used to look so delicate before but now in just a few weeks, she has become more frail.

While hugging her he could feel her bones under her skin. No matter how comforting it felt to hold her in his arms , it bothered him how much weight she has lost.

The light in her eyes had dimmed tenfold. She looked as if she has been dragged through hell.

It would have satisfied Karan more if he could kill those bastards with his bare hands. He would have, if the police hadn't reached them sooner.
Now everyone one who has ever hurt her was behind the bars, their fathers included. All the property under their names had also been sealed and they no longer could lay a hand on Ridhima or him.

Feeling Ridhima's tears seep into his shirt while she cried , broke his heart, and at the same time relieved him. Her tears were proof that she missed him, cared for him and in his absence, she had been worried about him. The idea of him being dead broke her.

He wondered if it was a sadistic thing to find pleasure in your lover's tears , when they cried for you?

As he watched her sleep in their room, on their bed, he realised that he has been the one who hurt her the most, who has betrayed her trust, it was, infact, because of him that she was in this condition.

"Never again" he makes a promise to her , in the silent room, the walls, the bed, the silence itself being witness to his earnest promise. A promise he will keep until the day he dies.

If she still wants to stay with him, after forgiving him for all that he has done, he will cherish her, love her and make her happy till the very end.

Walking closer to the bed, he sits beside his wife, gripping her hand into his, he examined her from top to toe, seeing all the bruises, and the bones peeking from under her skin. It made him furious that those bastards are safely locked up behind bars, because he would like to talk to them with his fists, very brutally.

"Karan?"  Ridhima murmurs in her sleep.

He hums out his response to his sleeping wife, holding her hand while he sits next to her. 

Karan's sleep breaks with the feeling of someone's fingers caressing his face. At first he goes rigid, but soon realisation hits  that it might be Ridhima , since the last thing he remembers before dozing off is that he stretched next to her pulling her closer.

He relaxed and stayed still, pretending to be asleep, while she caressed his face.

"I know you are awake."

He still pretends to act as if he is sleeping.

"No need to pretend. I know I woke you up when I touched you"

Karan still didn't respond to her. Internally chuckling.

"Be that way, I am going to the kitchen to eat something. I am starving."

He feels the spot next to him get vacant, no sooner has Ridhima had gotten up to leave the bed, Karan shot out his hand and pulled her over him.

The brunt of her weight on him another reminder that Ridhima has not only lost a few days of her life him but also a lot of weight.

"Morning beautiful" he says with a smirk.

" Now you are awake?" She mocks, rolling her eyes, but making no move to get up.

Raising his head to peck her lips - once , twice , thrice. On the fourth turn Ridhima follows his head down and the chaste kiss turns not so chaste.

Breaking the kiss takes all his will power and he wants to continue but his wife is hungry.

Ridhima murmurs her disagreement when Karan gets up from bed in one swift motion, leaving her alone on the bed.

"Your trusted chef is here ma'am. " Karan says, standing by the kitchen counter.

"As if I would trust you with anything kitchen related."

"Oh but today you have to. So what do you want for breakfast? Thai, Continental, italian-"

"Sandwich would do."

"Sandwich, it is then."

"Karan"
"Hmm.."

"Why was Varun the one who saved me? And who were the people with him? They looked very ...... professional."

"I wanted to be the one who brought you back but Varun and Armaan we're afraid I would something I'll regret later, so they didn't let me come. And those people with him were his agency's men"

"Agency?"

"Yes. He owns a few agencies here and there. One of them is a chain of highly skilled bodyguards."

"Oh.."

"Are you alright?"

"I am not sure. I am still getting used to the reality that you are alive and well. I had a hard time believing that you are gone, and now I am happy but even a good shock is a shock." Tears fill her eyes and Karan feels like a douchebag for making her cry again.

Karan walks over to her chair and sitting down on his knees in front of her, so that he can look into her eyes he tells her  "Ridhima, I am sorry that you had to go through all this , and I promise you that you will never have to go through that ever again. Please don't cry."
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Thank you for reading.

It has been a very long journey, to think like Ridhima and Karan. Thank you everyone for being so patient.
I will soon post an epilogue. And Karan and Ridhima's chapter would be closed for Good.