Chapter 48: 48

MAX'S POV

"Dhruv, please. Look this is the last one. Just finish your homework and then we would watch cartoons, okay?" I tried to bargain with him but drew being drew, he stubbornly shook his head and folded his arms over his chest.

"You make me study too much." He whined and stomped his feet. I smiled and pinched his cheeks.

"Uncle Max." He scowled in irritation and sat on the couch with a loud thump. Only Dhruv can keep me sane on this day. Today was the day when Zara had left me, six years back.

If it wasn't Dhruv then I don't even know how I would have lived with the pain. Every day I woke with only two thoughts one to make Dhruv happy and another to make that bastard Rehan suffer.

Today in the cemetery, I don't know why I behaved that way. Why should I care about Rehan when he had killed my sister? But why every year, he visit Zara's grave? He never wanted her in the first place than why?

"Mayra?" Dhruv's voice brought me back to reality and I looked at him confused. He just mouthed Mayra's name, don't he? I followed his gaze and my jaw dropped in shock. Both Mayra and Rehan stood there. Mayra held a void look and so was he. Dhruv ran to them and hugged Mayra's leg. She than pick him up in her arms and passed a small smile to him. Rehan was curiously watching them.

No. This couldn't happen. I couldn't let him know that who Dhruv was.

"What the fuck you are doing in my house?" I asked Rehan in particular but he didn't replied anything. All he did was to stare at Dhruv which only worsened my temper.

"Max I wanted to talk." Mayra said and I nodded hesitatingly.

I gestured her to follow me and after handing Dhruv to Rehan, she did so.

I was reluctant to leave Dhruv alone with Rehan but the expressions Mayra was reflecting, from them it was clear that there's something important.

As we reached my room. She sat on the bed and took a deep breath.

"I know everything." She spoke and it took few seconds for me to realize that what she actually meant. I sat next to her and stared in the blank space.

Rehan had told her about Zara which means he trusts her and the last time I checked, Mr. Rehan Malhotra never trusted anyone.

"So now you hate him, don't you? See, I had already told you that he's nothing but a fucking monster."

She bite her lips and searched something on my face. Part of me was happy that now she'll leave him and he would finally suffer in hell but the other part was anything but happy. I had always found my sister in Mayra and it felt bad that she was in love with someone who would never return her feeling. Rehan wasn't capable of loving someone. If only he had loved my sister, she might be alive today.

"What do you want him to feel? Which type of revenge do you want from him?" Her question took me by surprise but without thinking twice, I replied.

"I want him to feel my pain. Just like I had suffered the loss of my sister in the same way I want him to suffer living without that person about whom he cares most. I want him to feel the pain, the hurt, that empty feeling. Now that you would leave him, my revenge will automatically complete. He will suffer in agony, watching you leave him."

"I don't hate Rehan and also I am not going to leave him, no matter what will happen. Today I am here, not as his wife but as a human."

I clenched my jaw and tilted my face away from her. What the hell is wrong with this woman? How could he not hate him even after knowing the truth?

"Look at me Max." She said sternly.

"He will never love you, that sick murder was not capable of loving anyone." I spat.

"I know. I know that he will never be able to love me because Max we couldn't expect anyone to love when he's hating himself, when all his life he had seen only hatred." She countered back but this time it wasn't the Mayra whom I know. She was acting different, as if she had found something worth to fight for.

"You think that only you're the one who had felt the pain of his sister's death? No Max. It isn't like this. Rehan had also watched her little sister taking her last breath in front of him. You think that Rehan had not felt the pain? Guess what, you're again wrong. He had felt the pain of Zara's death. Zara was his friend, she was the mother of his child. I agree that he didn't loved her but that doesn't mean he had not suffered her death. Wake up Max, you only want to blame him for her death because you don't have enough strength to accept that her death was nothing but a suicide. And have you ever tried to think that what Rehan was going through?

He was your best friend, wasn't he? That man was suffering and the fact was that he had blamed himself for whatever had happened. You don't know a bit about him, he had already suffered more than you want him to be. Max, all these years you had Dhruv by your side to move on with your life but have you ever wondered that how he was living his days all alone? Even you had lied to him about his son being dead. Revenge, revenge, revenge? How much revenge do you want? Do you want him to be dead? Tell me? Will then you accept that Rehan was never at fault?

Rehan was physically and mentally abused, his family had never loved him, his sister died and the blame was all on the twelve year old, one room of his house was still full of pictures of your sister because he misses your sister just like you do. All the pain, guilt, regret, hurt he had been through was not enough, Max? Huh? What else do you want? He was drug addict just to cope up with the pain, he had nightmares, he had panic attacks, he was in depression, and he had trust issues. How much more a person can suffer?

Will you able to love someone, if you were in his shoes? Think about it and here is the letter, Zara's had written for you. I don't know why Rehan had not given you this earlier but anyway take it. If after all this you still think that it was Rehan's fault then I beg you to leave him alone and if you think that it wasn't then, don't you think that Dhruv wants his father."

She placed an envelope on the bed and without saying anything next, she walked away.

I stood there frozen, her words spinning in my head.

Physical abuse? His sister? Hatred? Depression? Panic attacks? Nightmares?

Fuck, what I had done? I grabbed envelop and took out the letter from it.

Dear Max,

Forgive me.

You were the brother, any girl could ever wish for. And I know you must be hating me right now for taking this step but Max, I don't even know how to live more. I was tired of always being unloved. First our parents who had never given us anything except money. They never cared that we needed their attention instead of their money. Then Rehan who wasn't able to love me. I felt like I was nothing but burden on him. I always craved for love Max, always. But nothing matters now, nothing. I know suicide is selfish but I want to escape from every pain.

Max, you were more than a brother to me, you were my best friend. Remember all the good old days we'd shared together? I will always be in your heart Max, our memories would always be in your heart. So never feel alone, okay?

Can you promise me something? Please never hate Rehan. Never. I know you very well, you will end up hating Rehan and blame him for my death. But Max, it was not his fault. He was your best friend, I know you care for him. So never let this care die and never hate him. Give him Dhruv, my child will always be there for his father. I am trusting you enough with Dhruv. Never break my trust and give my child to his father. I know Rehan will care for Dhruv more than his life.

And Max one more important thing. Stop your random flings, okay? At least find one girl who would love you. I don't want you to die single.

Goodbye Max, we'll re-meet in hell after many decades. Till then be happy and live your life.

Love,

Zara.

I folded the letter back and wiped the tears which were gathered in my eyes.

Zara. I had broken your trust. I was so much blind in hurting Rehan that I never realized that it wasn't his fault. I had kept Dhruv away from him.

But not now. I promise you Zara that I will fix everything.