Family of Shaows

[sexonmind]

Chapter 16: Shadows of hope

It was a hectic day at Sunanda’s office. Papers were scattered across her desk, files piled high, and the sound of ringing phones filled the air. Sai entered her cabin, carrying a stack of documents for her to sign. Sunanda took the files, flipping through them swiftly, signing where needed.

As she reached the last file, she paused for a moment and looked up at Sai.

"How is Rani doing?" she asked, her tone filled with concern.

Sai, caught off guard by the question, hesitated before answering. "I... I haven’t talked to her, Madam."

Sunanda frowned. "Sai, how can you do this to Rani? She needs your support now more than ever. Her divorce case is really taking a toll on her, and she has even taken a leave from work."

Sai lowered his gaze, unsure how to respond.

Sunanda continued, "Rani needs her friends right now. You two are very close. She needs someone to stand by her. And Kishore… I still can’t believe he’s doing this to her. She’s such a good girl."

Sai took a deep breath and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, "Madam, this is not entirely Kishore’s fault."

Sunanda's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying, Sai?"

Sai hesitated again before finally speaking. "Madam… Rani was having an affair with Purushotham. That’s why Kishore filed for divorce."

Sunanda froze, the pen slipping from her fingers onto the desk. Shock washed over her face. "What?" she whispered, unable to believe what she had just heard.

Sai nodded solemnly. "I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Kishore caught them together. That’s when he decided to file for divorce."

Sunanda shook her head in disbelief. "No… This doesn’t make sense. Rani is not that kind of woman. I’ve known her for years. There must be some misunderstanding."

Sai sighed. "I wouldn’t say this if I wasn’t sure, Madam. I’ve seen them together. And if you don’t believe me, you should ask Purushotham yourself."

Sunanda leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The thought of Rani being involved with Purushotham was difficult to accept. She had always trusted Rani, believed in her sincerity. But if what Sai was saying was true, then everything she thought she knew about Rani was a lie.

She took a deep breath, trying to process it all. "Even if what you say is true, why did Kishore file for divorce now? Affairs happen, but marriages survive them too. Why now?"

Sai hesitated before answering. "Because he found out, Madam. He caught them together. He couldn’t take it anymore."

Sunanda’s heart sank. She had always thought of Purushotham as family, but if this was true, then he had betrayed her trust as well.

A heavy silence settled between them before Sunanda finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to talk to Purushotham."

The next day, Sunanda sat in the living room of the quarters, her mind clouded with thoughts. The weight of what Sai had told her was still heavy on her heart. She had spent the entire night thinking about it, debating whether she should confront Purushotham. But the more she thought, the clearer it became—she had to hear the truth from him.

She had called Purushotham in the morning, asking him to come over. Now, as she heard the sound of his bike stopping outside, she straightened her posture, preparing herself for the conversation ahead.

Purushotham walked in with a casual smile and greeted her. "Good morning, Aunty," he said respectfully. "How are you?"

Sunanda gave a small nod. "I’m fine, Purushotham. Please, sit."

Purushotham took a seat, looking a little anxious. "Aunty, I wanted to tell you something first. Aruna is not answering my calls either. I even spoke to her brother Venu, but he doesn't even know where she is. He only said that she is in Guntur. Do you know anything about this?"

Sunanda sighed. "It's okay, Purushotham. That’s not what I called you here for."

Purushotham frowned slightly, sensing a shift in her tone. "Then… what is it, Aunty?"

She took a deep breath, deciding to be direct. "I want to know the truth. Are you having an affair with Rani?"

For a moment, Purushotham said nothing. His eyes darted away, and he let out a deep sigh. When he looked back at Sunanda, there was no point in denying it.

"Aunty, I have always been honest with you," he said. "So, I am going to tell you the truth. Yes, I am having an affair with Rani."

Sunanda’s expression hardened, but she let him continue.

Sunanda clenched her jaw. "Purushotham, do you understand what you’re saying? Rani is a married woman! She has a husband, a life, a family. And now, because of you, her marriage is falling apart!"

Purushotham sighed. "I know, Aunty. And if you wish, I will try to mend things between them. I will try to get them back together. But I will not apologize."

Sunanda’s eyes widened. "What do you mean you won’t apologize? You have wronged Kishore. You have wronged Rani’s marriage!"

Purushotham shook his head. "No, Aunty. I will not apologize because I do not believe I did anything wrong."

Sunanda was shocked by his defiance. "How can you say that?" she demanded.

Purushotham leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "Aunty, let me tell you something you don’t know. Yes, I had an affair with Rani. But do you know why? Because I was in a bad place. I was heartbroken."

Sunanda looked confused. "Heartbroken?"

Purushotham nodded. "Yes, Aunty. Because of Aruna."

Sunanda’s anger faltered for a moment. "Aruna?"

Purushotham sighed again. "I never told you, but I loved Aruna. For a long time, I kept my feelings to myself. I never expressed them because I didn’t know how she would react. But one day, I finally gathered the courage and asked her to marry me."

Sunanda’s heart sank. "And she said no."

Purushotham gave a bitter smile. "Yes, she did. And she had every right to. She never promised me anything. She never led me on. But that rejection—it broke me, Aunty. I felt lost. And at that time, Rani was there. She understood me. She comforted me. And one thing led to another."

Sunanda shook her head. "That is no excuse, Purushotham. Heartbreak does not justify breaking someone else’s home."

Sunanda sat stiffly in her chair, her hands gripping the arms of it as she processed Purushotham’s confession. Her eyes were hard, filled with disappointment and anger, but Purushotham remained calm. He knew he had to make her understand his side of the story.

"Aunty," Purushotham continued, his voice steady but sincere. "I may have had my reasons for getting close to Rani. But she also became very close to me. And I’m not going to lie and say it was a one-time mistake. We had an affair, and we have been together a few times."

Sunanda exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Purushotham, do you even hear yourself? You’re talking about this like it’s some normal situation. Rani is a married woman. Do you understand the consequences of what you’ve done?"

Purushotham looked her in the eye. "Yes, Aunty, I do. And I take full responsibility for it. But let’s not pretend that Rani’s marriage was perfect before I came into the picture. If things were right between Kishore and Rani, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place."

Sunanda frowned. "So you’re blaming Kishore now?"

Purushotham sighed. "No, I’m not blaming anyone. I’m just saying that the cracks in their marriage were already there. Rani needed something—something she wasn’t getting from Kishore. And I needed someone too. We bonded over that. It wasn’t just about physical attraction, Aunty. Rani needed emotional support, and so did I."

Sunanda looked at him, her gaze sharp. "And you think what you two had was love?"

Purushotham gave a small, sad smile. "I don’t know if it was love, Aunty. But I do know it wasn’t just meaningless. We were two people who were heartbroken. I was dealing with Aruna rejecting me, and Rani… she was dealing with something in her marriage. We found comfort in each other."

Sunanda leaned forward, her voice low but firm. "Purushotham, finding comfort in someone does not justify breaking a home. You are not a child. You should have known better."

Purushotham’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he sighed and nodded. "I know, Aunty. And I will try to fix things. But I won’t apologize for what I felt. And I won’t pretend that Rani didn’t feel the same way."

Sunanda studied him for a long moment before speaking again. "Then tell me, Purushotham, if this wasn’t just a mistake—what do you want to do now?"

Purushotham looked down for a moment, lost in thought, before finally meeting her gaze. "I don’t know, Aunty. But I know one thing—I will not run away from this. I will face whatever happens next."

Sunanda sighed, feeling both frustrated and exhausted. "I just hope you understand, Purushotham—sometimes, no matter how much you try to fix things, some damage is irreversible."

Purushotham nodded. "I know, Aunty. But I have to try."

With that, he got up, gave her a respectful nod, and walked out, leaving Sunanda to wonder if any of this could ever truly be mended.

Sunanda and Anand had been seeing each other for a while now—casual dinners, evening walks, moments filled with laughter. For the first time in years, Sunanda felt a sense of companionship outside of work and family. Anand was kind, easygoing, and respectful of her space.

That night, they returned from another dinner, walking towards her quarters in a relaxed mood. But as they neared the entrance, Sunanda’s steps faltered. A familiar figure stood waiting in the dimly lit corridor. Dr. Prakash.

Her breath caught in her throat. Anand followed her gaze and straightened slightly, sensing the tension.

Prakash’s face was unreadable, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her.

Sunanda hesitated for a moment before speaking. “It’s late. Let’s not stand outside like this. Please come in.”

Prakash didn’t move at first, his eyes briefly flicking to Anand. Then, with a short nod, he stepped inside. Anand followed, though the sudden shift in atmosphere made him uncomfortable.

Once inside, Sunanda closed the door and turned to face them.

Prakash finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. “Are you two dating?”

There was a beat of silence before Sunanda answered. “Yes.”

Prakash exhaled, shaking his head slightly. “And when were you planning to tell me?”

Sunanda crossed her arms. “You were always busy, Prakash. You never gave me any reason to think this would go anywhere.”

Prakash let out a short laugh, devoid of humor. “Busy? That’s the excuse?” He looked at her intently. “Sunanda, you never asked me what I wanted. You just assumed I wouldn’t be able to commit because of my responsibilities.”

Anand shifted uncomfortably. “Sunanda is free to date whoever she wants,” he said cautiously.

Prakash nodded. “Of course, she is. But not while she’s dating me at the same time.” His voice hardened. “Sunanda, you cannot date two people at once.”

Anand blinked, caught off guard. His gaze snapped to Sunanda. “Wait—what?”

Sunanda opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.

Prakash looked directly at Anand. “You didn’t know, did you?”

Anand took a step back, his face tightening. “Sunanda?” His voice was quieter now, laced with disbelief.

Sunanda felt the weight of both their stares. “It’s not like that,” she said hurriedly. “Prakash and I—” She hesitated. “We were never really together. Not officially.”

Prakash shook his head. “Not officially? Sunanda, you knew how I felt. And I thought I knew how you felt too. But instead of talking to me, instead of giving me a chance, you just moved on.”

Anand ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to be part of this.” His voice was tight, his frustration evident. “I thought you were done with your past, Sunanda. I thought we were starting something new. But this?” He shook his head. “I don’t do complicated.”

Sunanda’s heart sank. “Anand—”

But he was already stepping back towards the door. “I think it’s best if I leave.”

Without another word, he walked out, closing the door behind him.

Sunanda turned back to Prakash, but his expression had shifted. The anger was gone, replaced by something quieter—disappointment.

“I waited, Sunanda,” he said, his voice low. “But I guess I waited too long.”

And just like that, he turned and left too, leaving her standing alone in the dimly lit room, the silence pressing in around her.

Continued in the next part….