Family of Shaows

[sexonmind]

Chapter 17 part 3

Few minutes later as Vani and Babu lay down naked on the bed, she turned to him with a thoughtful expression and said, "Babu, I have to admit, you are amazing. I can see why Aruna loves you so much."

Babu smirked slightly but then shook his head. "If you think Aruna is with me just because I’m good in bed, then you don’t know her at all."

Vani raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Yes, we do make passionate love," Babu admitted, "but that’s only a small part of our relationship. You see, we’ve only been together for four months, but the depth of our bond is limitless. We enjoy each other’s company in a way that goes beyond attraction."

He leaned back, staring at the distant skyline. "Our bedroom isn’t just for the primal act of sex. It’s a place where we play like kids, where we tell each other stories, where we make plans and dream together—even if we know most of them might never come true." He glanced at Vani. "With Aruna, I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not. And she doesn’t have to either. In our world, we can just be—without judgment, without pretense."

Vani listened in silence, taking in his words. For the first time, she saw their relationship not just as something forbidden, but as something deeply intimate—something only they could understand.

Vani sighed, setting her hair. She looked at Babu with a hint of guilt in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Babu. I should have tried to understand you both before jumping to conclusions. I judged you unfairly, and I acted out without even talking to you first.”

Babu tilted his head slightly, studying her. “Do you regret seducing me now?”

Vani chuckled softly, shaking her head. “No, not at all. It was fun. It was amazing. Something I’ll remember fondly for the rest of my life.” She paused for a moment before adding, “But please, don’t tell Aruna. I don’t want to cause any trouble between you two.”

Babu nodded, offering her a small smile. “I won’t.”

The next morning, Vani packed her bags and got ready to leave. Before stepping out, she hugged both Aruna and Babu warmly, her eyes filled with affection. “Take care of each other,” she said, squeezing Aruna’s hands. “And be happy.”

Aruna smiled, unaware of the secret between them. “You too, Akka.”

With one last glance at them, Vani walked away, carrying with her a newfound understanding—and a memory that would always remain with her.

One day Aruna’s phone rang, It was an unknown number. Her heart pounded as she gripped her phone. The voice on the other end had been clear—Venu was arrested. Without a moment’s hesitation, she and Babu packed a few essentials and rushed to Hyderabad. The entire journey was a blur of worry and unanswered questions.

As soon as they arrived, Aruna wasted no time in heading to the security officer station. The sight of Venu sitting behind bars sent a chill down her spine. His face was drawn with exhaustion, and there was a visible cut on his forehead.

“Anna!” Aruna called out as she approached the bars.

Venu exhaled heavily, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Aruna… I don’t even know how this happened.”

Aruna and Babu listened intently as Venu explained.

“I found out that Rachana took money from her father to invest in our business and lied to me about it. When I confronted her, we had a huge fight. In a moment of rage, I threw the glass I was holding. I didn’t mean for it to hit her—it ricocheted off the wall and struck her on the head. She got injured.” His voice was filled with regret.

Aruna gasped. “Oh my God. Is she okay?”

“I took her to the hospital immediately. But then her father and brother came. They abused me, called me all sorts of things, and took her home. I thought that was it—I thought things would settle down after she recovered. But then the security officer came and arrested me.”

Babu frowned. “What charges are they pressing?”

Venu let out a bitter laugh. “Not just assault charges. They’ve filed a domestic violence case against me.”

Aruna clenched her fists. “We need to get you out of here. Don’t worry, Anna. We’ll handle this.”

Babu nodded. “First, we need a good lawyer. This isn’t just a misunderstanding anymore. Her family is out for blood.”

Aruna took a deep breath, trying to suppress the rising panic within her. She had to stay strong. For Venu. For their family.

Without wasting a second, Aruna pulled out her phone and dialed Ratna Kumar. The call connected, and she spoke urgently.

"Ratna Kumar garu, this is Aruna. My brother Venu has been arrested on assault and domestic violence charges. We need your help to get him out on bail as soon as possible."

Ratna Kumar listened carefully before responding in his calm, measured tone. "I understand, Aruna. I need the details—where is he being held? What exactly are the charges? And do you have any evidence to prove his innocence?"

Aruna quickly relayed everything Venu had told her. "It was an accident. He didn’t mean to hurt her. Her family is pressing charges out of anger."

Ratna Kumar sighed. "These kinds of cases can get messy, especially when emotions run high. But don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can. I’ll file for his bail immediately. Meet me at my office in one hour."

Aruna felt a small sense of relief. "Thank you so much, I willl be there."

As she ended the call, she turned to Babu. "I need to go to court. Ratna Kumar is working on the bail. We have to be prepared for anything."

Babu nodded. "Let’s do whatever it takes to get Venu out of this mess."

She looked at Babu with a serious expression.

"Babu, I need you to stay out of this for now. You know how complicated things can get, and I don’t want to deal with unnecessary questions—especially about why we’re together. It’s best if you stay somewhere else while I handle this."

Babu hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure? I want to be there for you."

"I know," Aruna said, squeezing his hand. "But right now, the focus needs to be on getting Venu out. If people see us together, it might create distractions we don’t need. Please, just trust me on this."

Babu sighed, but he knew she was right. "Alright. I’ll go to Jean’s place. Keep me updated."

"I will," Aruna assured him.

Babu grabbed his phone and stepped out, heading toward Jean’s apartment. Meanwhile, Aruna took a deep breath, gathered her composure, and set off to meet Ratna Kumar at his office . The battle to free Venu had begun.

When Babu reached Jean 's house, they greeted each other warmly, catching up on life over tea. But soon, Jean casually mentioned something that caught Babu completely off guard.

"Did you hear?" Jean asked. "Gita is getting married to Sai."

Babu felt his heart skip a beat. "What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jean nodded. "Yeah, the wedding is in a few weeks. Sai has a great job now, and it seems like a good match. People are saying Sunanda Ma'am had a hand in this."

Babu sat there, trying to process the news. Gita—the girl he had shared so much with—was moving on. And with Sai, of all people. A strange mix of emotions stirred inside him—guilt, surprise, and something he couldn’t quite name.

Jean noticed Babu’s silence. "You okay, man?"

Babu forced a smile. "Yeah… just unexpected news, that’s all."

But deep down, he knew this revelation would linger with him for a long time.

Babu stood outside Gita’s house, his heart pounding in his chest. He had come straight from Jean’s place after hearing the news of her engagement to Sai. He hadn’t planned this visit, but his legs carried him here before his mind could catch up. He needed answers.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. After a few moments, Gita opened it, surprise flashing across her face.

"Babu…?" she said, hesitant.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice steady but firm.

She glanced behind her, then stepped aside, letting him in. The living room felt smaller than he remembered, the walls closing in on him as he faced her.

"I heard you’re getting married," he started, getting straight to the point.

Gita sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Not married. We’re just getting engaged."

Babu let out a bitter chuckle. "We were also getting engaged, Gita," he reminded her. "You told me you weren’t ready for marriage, and I respected that. But now, suddenly, you’re getting engaged to Sai?"

Gita looked away for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. "Sai has promised to wait for me," she said finally. "Even three years if necessary. He understands that I want to build my career first."

Babu’s jaw tightened. "And you think I wouldn’t have done the same?" he asked. "I would have waited for you, Gita. Not just three years—however long you needed."

She let out a small sigh, then looked him in the eyes. "Babu, this is all nonsense," she said, her voice firm. "I don’t want to lie to you anymore. I didn’t want to marry you because you are jobless. You’ve wasted your time, and your life is going nowhere."

Babu took a step back, as if physically hit by her words. "That’s not fair," he muttered. "You know my situation—I was figuring things out, working on myself—"

"And I don’t have the luxury to wait while you figure things out," she interrupted. "Sai is not like that. He has a great job now, and I feel my life and future are secure with him."

Babu’s hands clenched at his sides. "So… it was always about money and security for you?"

"It’s about stability," she corrected, unfazed by his reaction. "After I finish my engineering, I’ll get a private job and start earning. With Sai in a top government position, we will have security. Our life will be easy because he will have power."

Babu let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "So that’s it? You never really loved me?"

Gita sighed, exasperated. "Love is not enough, Babu," she said. "You might think it is, but in the real world, it isn’t. I need a future I can count on."

A heavy silence fell between them. Babu looked at her, searching for any sign of hesitation, any flicker of guilt. But there was none.

"Goodbye, Babu," Gita said finally, her voice softer but resolute.

Babu swallowed hard, nodding slowly. Without another word, he turned and walked out, leaving behind the woman he once thought he knew.

Continued in part 4……