6. The Truth

RAJVEER

I needed someone to take care of my son. He misses his mother and there is no way that someone can fill up the void that he will have in his life. But he can't cry over his mother for days and years. He needs to move on in his life. He is merely ten and he can't keep on crying about his mother for long.

"I am hiring you as a caregiver for my son."

I ordered Diya. I have noticed her enough in a day to appoint her to that position. She will be good. She is bubbly and whatever I have noticed, she is caring as well. She can take care of Ved nicely and make him feel happy.

Since she wants to pursue her education, she will be good and studies and that's why she can help her in his studies as well.  And so, she will be a perfect caretaker for my son.

"Ca...caretaker?" She replied in a trembling voice. 

I noticed her expressions, and it felt like she didn't expect the fact that I have a son.

"What? Do you have any problem?" I raise my eyebrows as I stare at her.

"No, actually..." She paused and I felt like she wanted to say something.

"Speak up," I rolled my eyes at her.

"Actually, I didn't think that you have a son," she responded as she looked in another direction. 

I could notice that she felt embarrassed while saying that. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I am a forty-year-old man, Diya. What did you think? I wouldn't have children?" I sighed.

"Sorry, sir," she responded like she didn't want to face me.

"Hey, kid. Look at me," I tell her.

I don't know why, I didn't like her avoiding eye contact with me. I kinda liked her unfiltered gaze. 

Thankfully, she heard my orders and looked at me.

"So, tell me? Will you take the job? Or you want to continue your work in that club?" I straight away asked her.

She looked at me as she gulped her saliva. I could read her expressions. Dealing with people has given me a talent that I can read anyone's expressions and I can clearly say that she wasn't comfortable with my son but from her experience at the club last night, she didn't want to work there as well.

I was getting impatient, and that's why I walked towards her and held her arms tightly and pulled her close. I could notice her getting tightened with this abrupt strategy of mine but I didn't care.

"Listen to me carefully, Diya. I love my son way too much, and he is not doing well after losing his mother. He cries and searches for his mother every time. He is being left alone, and I don't want him to feel alone. I want him to move on, to play, be happy, study and do whatever a normal kid does in his life and that's why, he needs a caretaker and I want you to be that," I tell her.

As I looked deep into her eyes, her brown orbs affected me in a different way. I felt like I was being pulled towards her. The innocence in her eyes, it attracted me. 

No, no, no! I know this attraction, this is wrong, so so so wrong.

I immediately left her arms and took a couple of steps backwards. I looked at her as she was staring at me shamelessly. I moved my eyes away from her and looked in a different direction just to divert my mind.

"Okay. I will be working as a caretaker for your son," she responded in a weak whisper.

"Okay. Ahmed will tell you my address. Reach there till 4:00 pm," I told her and got into my car.

I immediately turned on the ignition and turned around my car and drove away from there.

What was the spark that I felt when I went near her?

DIYA

I took the address from Ahmed uncle and walked towards my home. I was having mixed feelings and there were a lot of things going through my head. I was confused.

I couldn't remove the image from my mind when Mr Rajveer Raichand held my arms and pulled me closer. I crossed my arms and touched my arms where he held me. I couldn't take out the image from my mind when his dark eyes peered at me. There was something at that moment, some kind of spark. Something different, but why did it happen?

Rajveer Raichand has a son, he loves his son, which means he loved his wife as well. If he is devoted to his son and wife in that way, there is no way that, that gaze meant something to him.

I immediately went to Nikita's house and borrowed a pair of her clothes and returned home so that maa doesn't think that I was lying. She would hate me if she considers me a liar.

As I entered the house, my eyes fell on maa who was looking at me angrily. 

"You said me it's going to take ten minutes, and you took half an hour," she scoffed.

"I'm sorry," I responded, lowering my gaze. 

"You're going out of hand. I don't know what kind of ruckus you're about to bring in our lives," she taunted me or I can say, she humiliated me.

"Maa," I sobbed.

"Shut up. Get back to the kitchen and prepare lunch. I am leaving," she ordered me.

"I will leave for work by 3:00 pm today and will be back by ten," I informed maa and walked straight towards the kitchen.

I now know one thing, I will have to be strong and take up a stand for myself. Enough is enough, once I stand on my feet, I won't let anyone humiliate me.

RAJVEER

It was almost four and I was impatiently waiting for Diya to arrive. I was sitting on the couch, near to the entry gate, so that I would be the one to receive her, not someone else.

To be honest, I was a bit scared. How will maa react when he sees her and will Ved be able to adjust with her? I was immersed in my thoughts when one of my workers came in front of me.

"Sir, there is a girl, she is telling that she wants to meet you," he informed me.

"Yes. Send her in," I ordered him and he nodded and went away.

Within the next few moments, I see her entering the house and at that moment, I felt lost in her. She is indeed beautiful, her fluffy cheeks which are slightly pinkish, long wavy hairs, tied in a sleek ponytail, those attractive brown eyes and slightly pinkish lips. 

And after that, her peering gaze, that sinks deep into my soul, that's something so different. Something that I have never experienced, and to be honest, it attracts me even when it shouldn't.

"Sir," she mumbled as she stood right in front of me.

"Yeah wait," I responded to her and ordered my worker who was standing beside her to call maa.

Within a few minutes, maa arrived in front of us.

"Yes, Raj. You called me?" She at first looked at me and then confusingly looked at Diya.

I stood up and walked towards her.

"Maa, she is Diya. She will be taking care of Ved," I inform her.

"What do you mean by taking care?" She questioned me.

"Ved doesn't have his mother anymore, but he needs someone at this age, who will take care of him, spend time with him and help him grow up. Someone who will raise her," I tell maa.

"And you think that a girl in her teenage would be able to do that?" She scoffed as she stared at Diya.

"Maa, she is an adult," I retorted.

"What's your age, girl?" Maa ignored my words and turned towards Diya.

"Eighteen," she obediently responded but I could sense the fear instilled in her.

"Teen," my mother turned towards me and I rolled my eyes, "teenager," she smirked.

"So what maa?" I rolled my eyes. 

I have no idea why Maa is reacting in such a way. Her behaviour is frustrating.

"So, the thing is. Ved doesn't need a caretaker. He needs a mother," Maa shouted.

I immediately understood what Maa meant, and that made my blood boil in anger.

"Even if Ved needs a mother, I don't need a wife. What am I? A bait? Ten years ago, I married Leena at your words and then, what happened? I never loved her, she died and I can't even avenge her death, because I never felt for her. I didn't have a glimpse of anger or remorse in me when she died. And now, you're saying me to marry once again?" I shouted at her.

"I am your mother, Raj. I have complete rights to make decisions about your life," she retorted back.

"I am not a ten-year-old kid. I have a ten-year-old son, so I know what to do in my life. And I am not going to marry once more against my will. I am not going to destroy my life once more," I responded.

"A wife won't destroy your life, Rajveer," she shouted.

"Yes, but he will, after killing my second wife," I rolled my eyes at her.

Why doesn't she understand? I don't want to marry someone I don't love. I spent ten years of my life with Leena in a loveless marriage and those ten years were like hell. There was just one good thing that happened in our marriage and that's Ved. That's it. 

And the next thing, he won't let a girl that enters my life live.

"Diya, follow me," I spoke, ignoring my mother's words and walked away from there.

I could hear Diya's footsteps following me.

"So, tell me. How will you take care of Ved?" I asked her as we walked towards Ved's room.

"First of all, I will be his friend so that he opens up to me. And then, slowly I will make him smile and laugh while helping him grow and get better. Trust me, sir, I am good with kids, I will be his good friend," she responded with stern confidence.

Confidence is something that she lacks, but I felt good about the way that she spoke. It made me understand that she does have some qualities in her, she just has to explore them.

"Sir, I have a question," I hear her voice as we reach in front of Ved's room. 

My footsteps paused and I turned towards her.

"Yeah? Ask?" 

"No, sorry. Leave it. The question is too personal," she responded as she tried to shrug it off.

This behaviour pissed me off. If she didn't want to ask the question, then why the hell did she say that she has a question?

"Spit. Fast," I ordered her as I glared at her.

I sensed her getting scared with my gaze, but I didn't want to scare her.

"What...whatever you said to...to your mother... about that you... You don't love....love your dead...dead wife..."

"Yes. That's true. I didn't love Leena," I responded to her incomplete query.

I knew she wanted to ask this, but she was too scared to ask and my doubt was cleared when I heard her stammering voice and that's why I gave a straight answer. Me not loving Leena is no secret.

And that's when a voice somehow worried me.

"Papa!"