ASHLOK FF - AT FIRST SIGHT Last Chapter - Page 59

In your arms i felt my life rescued

Never let go for I'd surly drown

let me show you how much your loved

Darling, This is our time don't back down

~*AnupamA*~

First she told him about her mother and father. How she became a single parent. How she struggled to bring her up in an unknown country without any friends or family to help.

Then she took a deep breath and he held her hand sensing her anxiousness. She first told him about how her mother met her step father and decided to get married.

"the day they got married I was very happy for my mother and happy that we will finally be a family. I was happy for my mother that she has someone to love her and take care of her. But that happiness was Like a curse...I was too young too naive to understand...I can't do it Shlok, I can't say what that monster did to me. I can't... Please don't make me go through it all over again...please I beg you...just please...just make it stop...

Shlok was hoping against hope that it's not that. He couldn't bare to think of his precious Astha...being so young, frightened and being violated. His heart broke into million pieces with just the thought. She covered her face and was breaking all over again.

He put his arms around her and held her as tightly as possible. This time for the first time she held him. She put her arms around him and held on to him as if her life depended on him.

"It's over, it's over my jaan, nobody's ever gonna hurt you ever. I promise you. I love you so much. I'm sorry for making you go through this again. Please forgive me"

She was wailing, he's never heard anybody cry the way she did. And he never wanted to see his precious Angel crying like that ever again. He just held her as close to him as possible. She too kept on trying to tighten the grip. She was completely plastered on to his chest. It was one soul two hearts beating to the same rhythm.

She tried to say something between the sobs. He just hushed her. Soothing her back and kissing her hair.

"I didn't know what he was doing to me was wrong. I didn't do anything to stop him. And even when I knew I didn't tell anybody or did anything about it. Not even my mother. Nobody knew. I was so scared of him, I let him take everything away from me Shlok. After I left home they were going to adopt a girl that's when I decided to tell my mother. Few days later she was brutally murdered by him and killed himself. I killed my mother, I was so alone Shlok. Only you and my mother knows about my shameful past. My own step father raped me Shlok. All most everyday for five years he raped me Shlok...he raped me..."

"I'm so sorry my jaan, I'm so sorry for what he did to you. I promise you I'll never hurt you. I'll never let anybody hurt you. I promise you with my life. It was not your fault. Everything that happened to you and your mother is not your fault. You were a kid. Please don't say that it's your fault. Do you hear me. It's not your fault. Look at me Astha!" Saying this he again held her face between his hands and made her look at him.

Asthas eyes were red, swollen and she could hardly open them. But she didn't look at him. As if she's ashamed to look at him in the eye. He said "Astha, please look at me"

"I'm so sorry Shlok..." Tears invaded her cheeks again. Shlok slowly leaned towards her and gently kissed her right tear filled eye and he tasted her pain...warm salty tears. He kissed the left eye. He trailed her tears with kisses. She still didn't open her eyes. He looked at her innocent tear stained face. He didn't know what to do to show her how much he really loved her.

The next instant they were sharing their first kiss. It was her first ever kiss. And she was born again that moment. Years of pain and loneliness was poured into that single act of passion, love. It was two lovers trying to ease and reassure each other their Love.

She broke the kiss and embraced him with all her might.

It felt like heaven for him. It was not lust...but pure love and Passion. He didn't want to forget that moment. Having her in his arms felt so right. He knew that's where she belongs.

She too felt her pain draining out of her. The fact that he was still there and holding and kissing her reassured Astha that his love is true and that he's gonna be there for her.

She slowly looked at him and held his face with her tiny hands. Looked straight into his deep dark eyes and said "Shlok Angnihotri I love you! I love you with all my heart. I love you for loving me." she told him and kissed his forehead.

After which she hid her face in his chest. He couldn't believe what he just said to him. It was the most wonderful feeling to finally hear her say it out loud. It was like music to his ears.

"Shlok, please don't be disappointed in me. Do you despise me? Do you still think I'm worthy of your unconditional love." She didn't look at him kept her face buried in his chest.

Shlok suddenly pulled her away from him and this time gave her a searing kiss filled with passion and bit of anger for what she asked him. Finally they had to brake their passion to get some air in their lungs. He asked her " what do you think? Did that answer your question or do you still need clarifying"

Astha blushed and hid her face I'm his chest. And managed to utter a very soft "no".

"Astha, if you don't mind me asking,if you didn't give birth to them how did you become their mother?"

Astha took a deep breath and looked at the pictures of her daughters hanging in the wall. And told Shlok how she found them abandoned near the hospital wrapped in a single blanket and put in a cardboard box. They were just few days old. There was no note. No way of finding who the parents are? And on being examined she found out the reason for being abandoned. Both the babies were hearing impaired. She had a immediate and instant connection with the girls. She was heart broken when she was informed that they'd be sent to separate orphanages. She told Shlok how she took it upon her self to adopt the babies without a second thought when all her friends and colleague urged her not to do so. Saying she's too young and being a single parent is lot of responsibilitis. But she knew in her heart that these two girls are meant to be hers. That she was meant to be their mother.

She made a formal request to adopt them. Her sound character and financial stability helped her to win her appeal. With the money her biological father had left for her in the trust fund she did the hearing aid implant surgery for both of them. And they have been the reason she lived. She told Shlok how she was very depressed with her mothers death and everything she had gone through was at brake point. She was actually contemplating suicide. So her daughters saved her. Rather than she saving them.

Shlok listened to everything she was saying to him. He was bursting with love, pride and admiration for his tiny gentle angel.

"Astha, when will I get to meet my future daughters? And do you think they'll like me?" Shlok asked her.

What he said caught her completely by surprise. She just hugged him again. And said "Yes, of course they'll love you. I love you so much Shlok. You have no idea what this means to me. To my girls. But Are you sure your parents will accept us. I don't want to come between you and your loving family. I will not be the reason you hurt your parents"

"Are you saying if my family doesn't approve of us then you'd leave me? Is that what you're saying? Can you live without me? Astha answer me" he questioned her.

She didn't answer him but just kept hugging him. Hoping and praying that she never have to live without him ever. But a renewed fear crept into her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know it's late. But I kept my word. Sorry didn't get time to reply to any of the comments. Will do it tomorrow. Now off to get some sleep. Jane, I gave not one but two kisses. Hope your happy. Sorry if I disappointed any of you with this update. I feel it's missing something. Let me know what you all thought. Thank you for the love. Means so much to me.

Chapter 20

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