Chapter 22

Sid's cabin was filled with an eerie silence as he stared at the phone screen. He felt a chill ran down his spine as he looked intently at the images in phone. 

"How can you be sure that it's Aryan?" Sid managed to utter as he finally took his eyes off the images and stared at Jatin, who was sitting across him. 

"Even I wish it's not to be Aryan" Jatin responded as he retrieved his phone from Sid. "But, look at this.." he zoomed the image and shown to Sid. "That 'X' mark on wrist is Aryan's style of wounding people. I have seen him doing it years back". 

Sid again fell silent as he stared at the picture. The 'X' mark on the wrist of the person in the picture wasn't simply scribbled by pen or something. It was done by knife and the blood dripping out of it had made it look horrific. 

"Who is this person?" Sid asked, pointing at the person in the picture.

"Don't you know him?" Jatin was surprised while Sid nodded in negative. "That's strange" Jatin murmured, pensively.

"Well, he was given electric shocks due to which he has lost his mental stability and hence he's been admitted to the hospital. I just happened to overhear the conversation between two nurses about him and saw these pictures in their phone. I went to see him but he's not in conscious. I'm in the charge of his treatment now" Jatin informed. 

"Does Roli know about Aryan?" Sid was taken aback by Jatin's question. 

The answer was obvious to derive from Sid's silence. He didn't tell her. Not yet. In fact, he didn't have the courage to tell her about all the dark things related to him. 

"How can you not tell her about such a big issue?" Jatin wasn't sure how to react.

"I thought things will be fine after coming here" Sid spoke calmly. 

Jatin looked at Sid, sympathetically. He could understand what the latter was talking about. Even he himself thought that everything would be fine when Sid returned to India. But, it didn't. It only got worse and the proof was the person admitted to the hospital. The darkness was still clouded over Sid and wouldn't seem to leave easily.

"But, I'm really unable to understand why Aryan attacked him. As far as I know about Aryan, he won't go on attacking people unless he is triggered" Jatin said, thoughtfully. 

"To know the reason, we should first know about that person" Sid said, pointing at the picture.

"Okay, I will find out about him in hospital and send you the details. And you be careful. If you need any help, I'm always here for you" Jatin said while Sid nodded in acknowledgment. He knew his cousin, Jatin, would always be there to help him just like how he would be there for him. 

A little later Jatin left to hospital while Sid sat in his chair, unsettled as his heart enveloped with an uneasiness. The images he saw in Jatin's phone were popping up in his mind again and again, making him restless. 

~×~

At night, Roli, who was in deep sleep, frowned her eyebrows as her hand couldn't find Sid's arm. Sensing him not near her, she slowly opened her eyes only to find the bed empty. She sat up in bed, groggily and looked around the room but found him nowhere around. 

Worriedly, she got down and came out of the room as she called out for him "Sid". But, still received no response. While walking in the corridor, she found lights in the study room lit up.

The study room's door was ajar. Roli peered in and found Sid sat near the desk with laptop. With a sigh, she broke into the room and yelled at him "what the hell are you doing in this middle of the night?". 

Sid's head, hanging down and cupping in between his palms, shot up with a jerk and looked at her, shocked. 

"You didn't sleep yet?" Sid asked in surprise as Roli reached him.

"Are you mad, Sid? Who will do work at this time?" Roli stared at the laptop screen in disbelief, ignoring to answer his question.

"It's just.." Sid began but stopped by Roli.

"Look at yourself how tired you are. Is this the way to work?" Roli started lecturing him while he remained calm.

"Enough of working. Let's go to sleep" switching off the laptop, Roli turned to Sid and almost dragged him out, to their room. While he silently followed her without protesting. 

"Should I bring milk or juice? You look so tired" Roli asked with concern after reaching the room.

Sid smiled gently at her and pulled her back "I'm not tired and I don't want any juice. I only need you". 

"Fine. Then let's sleep. It's already too late" Roli said as she climbed onto the bed. 

"I said I need you" Sid wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her towards him as he sat beside her. 

Roli looked up at him in surprise as she didn't get what he meant. But, once her eyes met with his piercing ones, she could see the desire sparkling in it. 

"W-what?" Roli stammered as she found him nearing to her face. All of her rebellious side had disappeared in an instant and she looked like a shy girl before him. 

"Don't you like it?" Sid seemed to be enjoying to see her blushing, so he leaned more on to her and eventually laying down on the bed with her petite figure beneath his strong one. 

"I-I'm sleepy" Roli managed to utter and quickly turned to side, closed her eyes tightly, evading his gaze. 

Sid chuckled at her antics and lay down beside her, pulling her in to his arms by her waist.

"I'm leaving you just for now" Sid whispered in her ears and kissed her hairs. 

Roli smiled within but didn't turn to his side and continued to close her eyes with her lips slightly curled up. While Sid's heart was finally at ease after having her in his embrace. Hugging her tightly from behind, he let go of all his worries and drifted in to sleep.

The following morning, Sid was in hall with his laptop, working on something as he waited for Roli to come to have breakfast together. Just then, a servant reached there, following by a woman. 

Sid, who looked up from laptop, was surprised to find his mother. "Mom!" He got up and looked at her, in surprise, though he still looked calm. 

"You are not coming to see me. Alteast I should come, right?" Sujata spoke as she walked near him. "What do you think, after fighting with your dad and leaving home, you don't have any relationship with us?". 

"That's what dad had told, right? To cut all the ties" Sid replied, indifferently.

"From when you're following your dad's orders?" Sujata said in disbelief before adding further "well, he said that in a fit of anger that you are opposing him. He really didn't mean it".

"Really?" Sid responded, sarcastically. 

"I don't know what to do with you both" Sujata shook her head in despair when her attention caught up on the person standing behind Sid.

"Is she Roli?" Sujata asked, looking at Roli, who happened to reach the hall a while ago. 

Sid turned around and beckoned at Roli, who came near him with calm expression.

"Your daughter-in-law" Sid introduced Roli to Sujata, who were meeting eachother for the first time and wrapped his arms around Roli's shoulder.

"Now don't tell me that you are married already" Sujata said as a joke, but when she heard what Sid said next, she froze.

"Yes, we are" Sid was as usual calm when he said. "We are legally married".

Sujata looked stunned while Roli glared at Sid through the corner of her eyes as she was reminded of how he made her sign those damn papers.

"You are really unbelievable sometimes" Sujata sighed as she couldn't come up with words to describe her son's actions. 

Sujata then turned her attention to Roli "my son had left a lot for you. I hope you won't let him or his love down and will always keep him happy". 

Roli was taken aback at her words. She couldn't comprehend what she meant, clearly. But, still nodded her head in agreement. 

Sid didn't want to get on to that topic so he spoke "Mom, you must be tired with the journey. Go take rest".

"Arrange the guest room" he ordered to the servants, who immediately moved her luggage to one of the guest rooms. 

After Sujata left to take rest, Sid turned to Roli, who was looking at him with complex emotions. 

"You fought with your dad and left home?" Roli spoke up, finally. She happened to overhear the conversation just now when she entered the hall. She didn't know Sid had left his home as he never mentioned about it to her till now. 

"It's nothing. Leave it" Sid said as he didn't want her to know the reason behind it. Obviously, it was her.

"How can you just leave your home and cut all the ties with your parents?" Roli was still stuck to the topic. Having faced a broken family of her own, she really didn't want Sid to face the same. 

"It's not like I have no relationship with them. It's just a difference between me and my dad. You don't worry about it" Sid said, patiently, cupping her face. 

"Then talk to your dad and settle the differences soon. We should not let the relationships slip out of our hands just because of ego or some silly reasons" Roli said with a deep meaning. 

"Wow! Roli, I really didn't know that you're good at giving speech" Sid giggled, mostly to divert her mind. By seeing her pale face he knew she was thinking about her family and how it was broken. 

"I'm serious here and you're joking" Roli slapped his arm, forgetting other things. While Sid smiled as got succeeded in diverting her mind and bringing her back to herself.