"We have reached," Arjun's voice brought me back into present and I realised I was right as well as wrong. Arjun and Amaya were tied together but destiny outshined our bond and it broke us apart!

Doesn't matter...we weren't meant to be a perfect match and now this fact doesn't even bother me like it used to.

He gave the keys to one of the drivers of my house and he took the charge of parking his car. Meanwhile, I checked myself twice from top to bottom in one of the black opaque glass window not realising that I maybe visible completely from inside.

I didn't want them to give another opportunity to comment on my dressing sense, which they have done a million times before. Okay, that's a little exaggerated but yes, they have commented on my dress a lot of times.

"Done checking yourself out?" I saw Arjun throwing glares at me...not the deadly ones but 'are you really doing this?' kind of looks.

I didn't respond to him but followed him into the house and oh my god...the house was filled with all the familiar faces I swear I never wanted to see in my entire life.

I stood at the threshold of my house and saw the 'busy' people, stopping all their work in midway and look at me as if they had just had an alien invasion by the most dangerous alien of the universe.

Lol! Look at their expressions. I so wish Kabir and Meera and all my friends out there in Paris were here.

I gave a half, nervous smile to them only to get back a few 'hello beta' and 'when did you come back' from all the aunties who once dreamed to get their sons of no use hitched with me.

My eyes roamed all over the room and trust me, I didn't really know who I was actually wanting to see. Anyways, my eyes landed on a little girl who was wearing specs and a little A-line yellow frock with frills on the top. She looked like four or five because even my children are of the same height and are six years old. She was sitting on the couch laced just below the family photograph. She passed a small smile to me while I returned a full fledged one but then a lady came and picked her up in her arms and took her inside. I couldn't see her face but yes, she had long hair and was wearing an ochre coloured suit.

"Amaya," came the voice of my mother from nowhere. I turned around with a jerk and soon it hit me that everyone was here and I had to touch her feet. I quickly did that, knowing she wouldn't ever care to bless me but still...I did my job!

In a dramatic tone, she pulled me up by taking to my arms and gave me a bone crushing hug. I felt suffocated but I had to act and I did that...I smiled and showed how close we were and shit. While hugging me she whispered into my ears, "Amaya, everyone is here. From your dad's side and Disha's mother's side. Behave..."

Though my blood had started boiling at 100ºC, I tried to act as cool as possible. The moment our hugging was done, I realised everyone was now busy in their own chores and I felt a little better after seeing this. I hoped to see Arjun when I turn around and please don't ask anything because I don't know why I thought he would be staying by my side but he wasn't there. Ofcourse, it's his day...his special day and I can't help it.

I walked towards the main living room and started touching the feet of all my relatives, close or far, some of whom I hardly know. I then moved towards the couch area where all the buas ( father's sisters), badi maa ( father's brother's wife) and a Disha's mausi (mother's sisters) and mamas (mother's brother) were seated. Disha's mother i.e my badi maa gave me a nasty look, eyeing me from top to bottom in utmost disgust whereas my buas seemed to have just noticed a big difference in me as their eyes were wide open and they didn't seem to look much affected with my arrival. They were neither happy nor upset. Disha's aunts and uncles were again a little rude in greeting me and I don't give a shit to them.

How can they forget what I did for their family? How can they forget that I was the one who saved their drowning reputation? They should be grateful to me rather than giving me those trashy glares.

Such mean and selfish people!

I totally ignored them and moved inside the house, only to find my mother coming on my way and blocking the way.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I want to meet papa. Where's he?" I enquired with a straight face.

She laughed bitterly and said, "You want to see him? Okay, but before you do that, let me tell you that he doesn't want to look at your face. He hates you,"

What? That's next to impossible. My dad can go against me but he can never hate me...like never.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, my eyes were brimming with tears that threatened to fall any moment.

"Because you brought shame to our family. Your dad is a man with dignity and you were his pride but you ruined it and now it's totally your choice if you want to meet him or not because I don't want a drama to happen in the middle of such an auspicious day," she said it in a go and it gave me a tough time controlling my tears especially when she said that 'I was his pride'. It really hurt me...I know he loved me the most.

I dropped the idea of meeting him but I had decided I would see him once before I go back.

"He wouldn't see me during the wedding functions?" I enquired as a matter of fact.

"He won't...he will join us only in the most important events." She answered.

"Why so?" I asked back.

"Why do you care to know so much about him? You mind your own business," she taunted.

"Really? I was doing that only till that stupid stunt of yours brought me here...back to my own past life. You could have easily sent the divorce papers to Paris...but no. You wanted to hurt me and-" I was trying to vent my emotions out but one of the buas came and interrupted us.

"We need your help. Disha is having a problem with her hair,"

I rolled my eyes as my mother followed my bua upstairs and I restlessly headed towards the pool side to just sit and stay alone. Away from everyone...that crowd, that noise...it all happened before and it pained to see the same thing happening again...during the same time and same place.

I was standing near the pool, working on my phone when I heard a voice.

"Hi Amaya di," Is it Diya?

I turned to around to find my guess that came out to be correct. A smile appeared on my face and I felt like there was someone who felt okay with my arrival.

"Hey Diya," I replied but the response I received was overwhelming.

She hugged me tight and even before I could say anything, she started crying. Like literally, she was crying with tears. I tried but tears were far from my reach. It seemed difficult to cry for someone who hasn't been that close to you after all.

Are those crocodile ones?
I doubt! Though she is the sister of a witch, I know she can never be an evil witch...

She broke the hug and wiped her tears apologising for her break down. I patted her back as she took a seat on the recliner. I too seated on the recliner beside hers.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked as I looked towards the glass door that led us to the house.

"Isn't the puja taking place inside?" I asked, adding to the point.

"Yes...but don't you know people in there don't like me much," she confessed.

What??? People not liking Diya? The most beautiful girl of the entire family?

"Are you crazy? Do you even know what you are saying? You are so beautiful...why wouldn't they like you?" I asked.

"Beautiful? Are you serious? How's beauty and liking related?" She asked, giving me a questioning yet confused look.

"It is...I mean they never liked me because I am not tall and pretty like you sisters so..." I know I sounded like a moron but that's how I have spent my entire childhood consoling myself saying I wasn't as pretty and smart as Disha and Diya and that's why they don't quite like me...even mom didn't like me much and she used to say that straight on my face.

She burst into fits of laughter but then controlled them and said, "You don't realise but you are my ideal. I follow you like anything. You are my inspiration and you are very very beautiful...inside out," she said and I saw that honesty in her eyes. She meant what she said. I didn't feel like cross checking her words. She has always been the honesty one.

"Thank you Diya but that's too much for me to handle," I said.

She chuckled and said, "You don't know how strong you are..."

Maybe I am...but you don't know the broken me.

I felt my eyes planning to attack my cheeks with it's waterworks again and before that could happen, I jumped back to why Diya was sitting alone.

"Yes, so why do they dislike you?" I asked.

"Hmm...they dislike me because of a sin I had committed in their eyes," she said. It sounded like a riddle and I hate riddles.

"I didn't get you," I said.

"Our condition is the same Amy di," she replied, her face suddenly lost all it's colours.

"Expl-"

"Mumma..." came running the same little girl I had seen while I had entered the house. The moment I heard 'mumma' from her mouth, my mind went numb. She was also wearing an ochre coloured suit and she has very long hair.

Diya is a mother to a child? Oh my god she is soo adorable.

"Diya..." I was awestruck.

"Yes, my baby," she addressed her cute little girl with a smile while she placed her on her lap.

"What's her name?" I asked, looked at those beautiful eyes she had hidden behind her specs.

"Tell mausi your name baby," Diya said as she kissed her cheeks.

They look so cute together...

"Ellie," my niece as I can call her, spoke in her childlike voice...her tone low and careful.

"Ellie you are so cute," I said as I forwarded my arms to take her into my lap. She hopped onto my lap and our eyes met. An instant connection established between us and I could feel that she was liking me.

"So Ellie, how old are you?" I asked as I caressed her soft dark brown hair. She has inherited her mother's haircolour. I love them.

"Four," she replied instantly.

"When did you get married Diya?" I asked, a little shocked because Diya is just twenty four.

"Twenty," she replied.

What? Is that a trend to get the girls of our house married at nineteen and twenty?

"You loved him?" I enquired thinking it must have been mutual.

"We were great friends...though it was an arranged marriage," she replied.

"Why so young?" I asked not being able to interpret anything.

"The moment you left a lot of things happened...it's a long story," she said.

"I want to hear it," I replied because ultimately I had time and only time till I am here I Delhi.

She smiled sadly and asked, "It will hurt you a little, is that okay?"

"I have an old habit of mending my own broken heart many times," I replied with a painful smile.

She seemed to look dull and worn out with even the thought of telling me the whole story but I really wanted to know and I knew sharing what's in her mind would relieve her and I asked her to speak.

"Ellie baby...go find your dad," Diya said and Ellie disappeared soon after.

"It was the same night you left..."

"Madam, the puja has begun," a female servant called us. Diya stopped and asked me to come along with her.

The puja had started and Disha and Arjun were seated together. I felt emotionless at that point of time. I didn't feel like joining them though it was their time of joy. Diya seemed unhappy too and she gave me looks and gestured me to go to a private place where we could talk.

Honestly, I also wanted to go and so I went I inside one of the rooms.
The faces of Disha and Arjun flashed before my eyes and I felt terrible. I just wanted to Rip Disha but that wasn't possible and I knew it.

____________________________________

Hello everyone. I updated the  new chapter...okay, I didn't go into the details of the chapter, is that fine? I don't want a Hindi tv serial to be written over here so I concentrated more on the story and Amaya's feelings rather than putting in pointless puja details.

So did you like the chapter?
What do you think might have happened after Amaya left?  Are Diya's gestures and love for Amaya just an act or reality?

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Make me reach 50 votes again. I will try to give you an update as early as possible.

Love you guys...see you soon with an update. Till then, comment, vote and please please do share the book if you like it.