Episode 146 || Clear Statement

Christian knocked and walked into Lia’s room while the latter was standing near the window, looking outside. “How are you doing?” Christian asked.

Lia turned and briefly smiled. “I thought you forgot to visit me. Anyway, I am fine.”

“That’s great! I just asked the doctor. He said you are good to go home tomorrow.” Christian said and kept the bouquet of white roses near her bed.

“Do you have some time? I want to talk to you,” Lia asked softly, sauntering towards him while Christian glanced at his wristwatch.

“Sure!,” He said. Lia sat on the edge of the bed while Christian settles on the stool, waiting for her to continue.

“We had a great time together in the past,” Lia said softly and Christian nodded his head. “We were so perfect together, but I ruined everything. There was a time when you were ready to leave everything for me, but I sent you back. I was so stupid to not believe your capabilities. You said you can establish yourself and all you want is my support, but I selected an easier way.” Lia said, condemning her past actions. Christian opened her mouth to say something, but Lia continued.

“I am so sorry for pushing you away when all you wanted was to be with me.” She sobbed while Christian patted her shoulder. “I am sorry for asking you to marry someone else when we both were in love with each other,” She said as she remembered the day she suggested the idea of Contract Marriage.

FLASHBACK

“A Contract Marriage?” Christian asked, looking at her face through his widened eyes. “Are you mad?” He frowned. “It’s not even legal!”

“What mad? Contract Marriage is the perfect solution for the trap your grandpa has designed for you.” Lia answered.

“And what if he got to know about this?” Christian questioned Lia’s idea, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I will not tell him, and as far as I know, you and Danny will also keep your mouth shut. Then who is going to tell him?” Lia assured Christian. “But to make this plan successful, we have to convince this Indian girl and that might be difficult for us,” Lia added.

Christian nodded his head in approval but then threw his head back on the couch in frustration and yelled, “fuck, I already hate her so much, she is forcing me to do things I never wanted to do.”

“Trust me, you’re gonna thank me later for this idea,” Lia said, and started typing something on her mobile phone while Christian stared at her glowing face, which made him extremely uncomfortable. He was actually sad to see that Lia was comfortable with the idea of him being married to someone else.

Christian knew Lia’s father was a drug addict who used to beat her mother for money and sometimes injected drugs into her. Lia suffered all her childhood because of her abusive father and poverty. Their misery finally ended that day when her mother killed her father. It was later revealed during the judicial proceedings that she was mentally unstable.

Christian was aware that Lia wanted a lavish lifestyle, to marry a well-settled guy, so that she never has to face financial crisis again and Christian was ready to show her the world she has never seen before.

He believed he would change her views with his love. He believed his love will be enough to convince her he wouldn’t let anything harm her. But now, looking at her, all happy with the idea of the contract marriage, so that he does not leave the royal throne of Knight Group and crush her expensive dreams, broke something inside him.

He realised that one and half year relationship wasn’t enough to change her mind, and all she still thinks about is money. He knew his grandpa was right about Lia, but his stubborn nature believed that Lia will change for him.

“Lia,” Christian called and Lia hummed in response, maintaining her gaze on the mobile screen. “Do you love me?” He asked.

“Of course,” She said with a wide smile on her face, still focused on her mobile screen.

“So the idea of me getting married to someone else doesn’t bother you even a bit?” He asked and her smiled dropped as she averted her gaze from her mobile screen and looked at him.

“Of course it bothers me!!! But this is just a contract marriage. I know you’ll be mine in the end.” She exclaimed, her lips curved up while Christian chuckled.

“How can you be so sure about the future? Things can take a sudden flip.” He said.

Lia rolled her eyes, “Like you will fall in love with her and leave me forever?” She chuckled. “You love me and you’ll never do this to me. That Indian girl can never take my place in your heart.” She declared confidently.

“What if she makes her place in my heart?” Christian countered, leaving Lia flabbergasted.

“Then just know you never loved me.” Lia spat. “By the way, are you trying to put doubt in my mind?”

Christian stood up, “I am still not in the favour of this contract marriage, but looking at the way you are behaving, it appears you loved Christian Knight and not Christian.”

“Are they two different people? Come on, I love you, goddamn it, with or without Knight title. It’s just I care about how much hard work you have put in to become the CEO and I don’t want your jerk cousin to snatch everything from you.”

“Right, you care about me more than me. Anyway, I should go back home and prepare myself for My Indian Wife.” He said and walked out, slamming the door on her face.

FLASHBACK ENDS

“I was so wrong to push you away despite knowing how hard it will be for you to stay away from me.” Lia continued to sob while Christian looked at her state wordlessly.

“It’s all in the past,” Christian said and pursed his lips in a thin line while Lia held his hand.

“Chris, please give me a chance,” She said. “Please give me a chance to correct my actions. I want to be with you aga….” Before Lia could complete, Christian jerked his hand away and stood up.

“Looks like Tommy did really hit you hard in the head. Are you freaking crazy? We broke up if you remember and I’m married now.” He said in a high pitch.

“Contract Marriage!!!” She screeched, “That is about to end in less than a month and then you’ll be free. Why can’t we get back?” She wailed, while Christian was at a loss for words and searched for something on his mobile phone.

“Have you seen this message?” He showed her their breakup message. “You are right, we should break up because now I want to give a fair chance to this marriage, and I am glad that we are on the same page. I do not hold any grudges against you. It’s all my doing. I was wrong, but now I will give everything a fresh start. Thank you for understanding me, Lia, and I wish you all the best for the future. Goodbye.” Christian read the message loud and clear.

“Christian, I love you. Can’t you forgive me just this time? I know you are resentful. That’s why you are acting like this but…” She walks forward to touch him, but he flinched away.

“I love Mishka.” Christian declared.

“Then why you came running to see in the middle of the night when the doctor called you? Why are you still paying my mother’s medical fee? Why did you advise me indirectly to break up with Tommy when I stopped by your office to thank you?” She shrieked loudly.

Christian furrowed his brows. “I am sorry for showing humanity!! Fuck,” He shouted loudly and rubbed his face with his palm. Lia stood rooted to her place with a complicated expression on her face.

“Look, you misunderstood my actions. I came because I know you don’t have a family. I advised you to break up with Tommy because his beating was visible on your skin and the last thing I want for you is to not end up like your mother. Where was love in this?” Christian asked. “And about paying your mother’s medical fee. I promised her I’ll do everything in my capacity to bring her out of those four walls and you know I take my promises seriously,”

“What about those promises you made to me?” Lia asked, tears streaming down her cheek while Christian took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Lia, take a rest, okay? You are not in a position to understand anything,” Christian said and made her sit on the bed.

“Just say you love me for once. I need to hear that.” She continued to sob.

“I love you… But as a good friend. I’ll be always there for you whenever you need me.” Christian assured her. “Take a rest and we’ll talk later. I need to go home.” Christian and turned to leave, but she held his sleeves to stop him.

“Please don’t go, Christian. I need you.” Lia said, and now Christian was irritated with her actions as she tried to hug him again.

“Lia, you know what? I actually forgot to visit you. It was my wife who reminded me to come and see you. Now, does this make you clear your position in my life?” He jerked away from her grasp.

“See you later!” He said and left her ward while Lia’s lips trembled as she shut her eyes.

***

The nurses entered Vera’s room when she pressed the switch again. The nurse smiled and then left the ward.

“I am sorry, but I just can’t believe my fingers are moving.” Vera gave an apologetic look at the nurse. She was thrilled to use her fingers, pressing the switch again and again since the time she realised her fingers were actually working after seventeen years.

She kept on pressing the switches now and then to check if her fingers were still moving again. “I wish Christian, Mishka, and Eric come soon. Finally, I could feel touching them. I hope Luke informed Christian. God, this is so exciting.” She said inwardly. Happy tears streamed down her cheek and disappeared on the pillow.

“Time to check if my fingers are still moving.” Her twinkling eyes moved to the switch, and she pressed it again successfully.

A bell rang in Dr Ken’s cabin, and both Luke and Ken burst into laughing. “Your wife is torturing my staff since morning.”

Luke laughed. “She still can’t believe her fingers are actually alive now.”

“But Ken, when she will come back? I dying to see her like before!” Luke said.

“Luke, it’s a paralysis. I can’t confirm anything, but studying similar cases, and Vera’s latest reports, shows she is recuperating. Continuous physical and mental exercises are helping her, plus her cheerful mood these days is also the reason!” Dr Ken said, and a wide smile stretched on Luke’s lips as they heard another bell sound.

“Seems like Vera is unstoppable now,” Dr Ken said.

***

Eric was playing with Daniel in the garden while Mishka was sitting on the wooden chair, selecting a school for him in the nearby area. She opened the online form of a school and started filling out the information.

Name: Eric Knight

Father’s Name: Christian Knight.

Mother’s name: Mish

Her fingers stopped as Agatha’s memories popped up in the back of her mind and she deleted her name, filling Agatha’s name.

Daniel approached Mishka, picking an apple from the fruit basket. “Mishka, could you please cut this for me?” He asked, and his voice broke Mishka’s trance.

“Yeah, sure,” Mishka took the apple from him, keeping her mobile phone aside, and picked the Knife from the fruit basket to cut an apple. “Can you get a plate?” She asked, and Daniel nodded, running inside the house.

Mishka shook her head and started cutting the apple, but Jessica’s curse started ringing in her head. She looked at Eric, who was playing with the ball at a distance, totally unaware of her gaze on him.

“Will Eric ever forgive me if he would get to know his mother died because of me? He is going to hate me with every inch of his skin. I snatched so many things from everyone. Eric lost Agatha, Jake lost his chance to have a beautiful life. My stupidity killed my child. Do I deserve to live?” Mishka’s mind clouded with never-ending questions. She stared at Eric and then looked down at the apple she was holding to cut.

But she put the sharp edge of the knife on her wrist.