~Mrs. Heer Vedh Singh Oberoi~

Heer had woken up on her time and she had been busy with all the house chores since then just like she has been doing for last six months

Reva and Aashrit couldn't wake up early as they had slept late last night and the last day's tiring events clawed over both of them causing them to sleep till late

It was almost half past eight in the morning and Heer was cleaning everything as everyone just had their breakfast

Today when Heer had woken up, she had a hope that when she will go out she will get to see her husband but the scenario was still the same

Somewhere in a corner of her heart she knew that he won't return and that's the exact reason she kept the condition that she will divorce him when he returns

Heer always had been a selfless girl and she knew what exactly would be her mother's situation after knowing about what she had gone through

Heer didn't want to bother her mother or sister, even Raj wouldn't have known if he didn't came to check on Heer suddenly

Heer wiped the large dining table with the utmost care and cleanly, she kept all the dirty dishes in the sink to wash later and started moping the vast living room

The smell of domestic phenyl filled in the living room as Heer moped the floor with her hands, the soft hands which she never even used to wipe a single table were now mopping the floor

Heer dipped the mop in the bucket filled with water and squeezing it she again started moping, it seemed that her hands were habitual of all this

The practised ease in her movements was the evident of her struggles in this mansion behind Vedh's back

Heer completed the task on hand and then she cleaned all the ornaments kept in the living room before going back in the kitchen to wash the tower of dirty dishes

~Mr. & Mrs. Vedh Singh Oberoi~

Vedh finally set his foot in India after several months, a sense of belonging rushed through him but his restlessness was doing no good to him

So in no time Vedh reached the Oberoi Mansion and as soon as the car stopped, Vedh opened the door and walked towards the main gate

The mansion was quiet just like Vedh left it but something had shifted and Vedh could feel it in the air

As soon as Vedh stepped inside the mansion, his eyes fell on Aashrit who was coming from kitchen, seeing him Vedh walked closer to him and only then did Aashrit notice Vedh

Aashrit's gaze filled with anger in an instance seeing Vedh and Vedh opened his mouth to apologize for leaving Heer like that

"Aashrit, I-"

But Vedh was cut off by Aashrit, who shushed him by keeping a finger on his lips and then Aashrit dragged Vedh towards kitchen forcefully by wrist

Vedh tried to speak, say something but before he could Aashrit pushed him in the kitchen where Heer was still washing the dirty dishes and Reva was crying looking at Heer from a distance

The scene in front was drastic, the girl Vedh left behind on their wedding night was no where, the girl he left was the owner of his house

But the girl he was seeing now was looking no where near an owner, her appearance was dirty like a local servant and she was doing dishes

Seeing Heer working like that, her saree torn at the end, her hair messy, Vedh's blood was boiling which was not good for those who did this to Heer

Vedh froze at his place, even forgot to breath, his eyes locked on her, his wife, Heer Vedh Singh Oberoi

Sensing a presence behind her Heer turned, her eyes first fell on Reva's crying figure but then her eyes fell on him, Vedh, her husband

The same husband she expected wouldn't come but he came, suddenly after six months he appeared and that too when she decided to divorce him

Heer turned off the tap unconsciously and her eyes locked with Vedh's, filling with unwanted tears

Seeing Heer looking behind at someone behind her Reva turned only to gasp brutally as there he was, Vedh Singh Oberoi, the person who ruined her best friend's life

But Vedh was not looking at anyone, not Reva, not Aashrit, his guilty orbs were fixed on Heer's empty tear filled eyes

The same eyes which once held spark were now matte, empty, blank and the spark he always wanted to see in her eyes was no where now

Heer's tears started falling wetting her cheeks as she let out a deep breath looking at Vedh like she had just gave up on everything

Heer's head began swirling, her vision started blurring and soon she fell on the floor, unconscious with no life left in her body

Even in unconsciousness Heer's tears were not stopping as if they just got another reason to cry, she could hear the faint sounds of people's call but she had no energy to reply and then the blackness swallowed her

Meanwhile Vedh's situation was not good seeing Heer unconscious like that, he ran to her immediately calling out only one name

"Pearl, pearl please open your eyes pearl don't do this please pearl"

His breath had become uneven as he called out to Heer with a nickname 'Pearl'.

Yes, Pearl is no one else but Heer. All those pictures Vedh saw yesterday was Heer's, she was the small girl in all those photos

The girl Vedh's parents always desired for him, Heer was that. Heer had a previous connection with Oberoi family

~Vedh Singh Oberoi~

Vedh held Heer in his arms with care and scooped her up while Reva was also crying, trying to wake up Heer and she was so much devastated that she did not even realise what name Vedh used for Heer

Vedh turned around to take Heer to room and saw Aashrit standing with concerned face looking at Heer

"Aashrit, call the doctor please"

Vedh, the man who never had to say please, who never had to ask for permission was, the man who made even stones do his work with only his one glare was now standing there holding his wife in arms and saying please to his best friend

Vedh didn't stop even once, when Chhavi saw Heer hanging lifelessly in his arms, when Sudha ji's eyes widen seeing Heer like that and when any of them question, Vedh didn't stop

He carried Heer straight to his room without caring about anyone while everyone else just followed them

Aashrit called the doctor and then entered Vedh's room where Reva was still sobbing looking at Heer's unconscious figure

Vedh's concerned orbs didn't leave Heer when in no time doctor entered the scene, she checked Heer's heart rate, her vitals and then her blood pressure

"She is very weak"

Doctor finally let out those words after a long sigh, she kept all her equipment in her bag and taking out her notepad and pen she started writing something

"For now get her these medicines and please don't give her physical or mental stress for sometime otherwise her brain might give and she can go in coma"

The doctor said seriously, handing over the small slip of medications to Vedh while a concerned expressions crossed his face

His wife was both physically and mentally weak and he was guilty for it, the guilt crashed over him like a heavy stone crushing every dream he saw before landing here

Vedh forwarded the slip to Aashrit as doctor left and said

"Aashrit please ask the servant to get these medicines"

Saying this Vedh was about to sit beside Heer's body but what Aashrit said made him stop his movements

"There are no servants in this house"

Vedh's eyes shot up to Aashrit's face and then at Reva behind him who was still crying looking at Heer, Vedh frowned before he straightened up

"What?"

Vedh's confusion filled whisper snapped Reva out of her grief only for her to glare at Vedh, looking straight into his eyes with rebel and fire in her own

Reva today had done something no one ever dared to do till today

Vedh wasn't angry but he felt confused by the way Reva glared at him like he had done something even bigger than sin

Vedh still didn't know the whole thing!!

Reva then took steps towards Vedh, her glare never wavering from him and then Reva pulled Vedh out of the room, her grip was harsh but Vedh didn't resist

Aashrit didn't interrupt even because he knew whatever was ahead and whatever Reva was about to do further was beyond his control

Reva pulled out Vedh and made him stand in front still glaring with so much intensity to make Vedh, the ever dangerous businessman waver in his steps

Meanwhile Aashrit closed the door of the room so Heer's sleep doesn't get disturbed, his demeanor was calm and disappointed because this was not something he ever expected from Vedh

Aashrit closed his eyes taking in a sigh still turned towards the door of the room when a sharp sound made his eyes turn around

And what Aashrit saw was Reva taking ragged breaths and Vedh's head tilted towards right while his palm rested on his left cheek and then it struck him-

Reva had slapped Vedh

The slap was so hard as if Reva had put all her power at once, her red, tear filled and furious eyes still glared at Vedh and Aashrit's eyes widen before he moved forward to protect but Vedh didn't even move a finger

He was frozen on his place because this was the first time someone had raised a hand on him, not even his parents ever raised a hand on him

Suddenly Vedh's eyes filled with fury as he realised that Reva had slapped him so harshly that his face tilted

Vedh took a step forward, his eyes burning in anger as he growled glaring at Reva matching the intensity of her own glare

"HOW DARE YOU?!!"

Vedh growled at Reva and Aashrit immediately stood between both of them trying to protect Reva from Vedh's anger only to pushed aside by his own wife because she was far more angry than Vedh at this time

Aashrit didn't know this side of Reva when she is being protective and to his eyes this was as divine as the calm side of hers

"HOW DARE I? HOW DARE YOU MR. VEDH SINGH OBEROI, HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY HEER'S LIFE, HOW DARE YOU LEAVE HER LIKE THAT?"

Reva growled back, her voice louder than Vedh shaking the walls with just a few words as her shrill voice echoed through out the mansion

Till now Saanchi and Sudha ji also had came, their eyes wide as they saw two equally angry people arguing

"Who are you question me, huh? I married her-"

Vedh spoke, his voice lower than before but his anger was still touching cloud nine as the intensity of his glare was not even close to wavering

Before Vedh could complete his words, Reva cut him off, her voice still not lowered and the anger in her eyes was still the same

"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I AM SAYING, YOU HAVE MARRIED HER NOT HIRED HER AND SHE IS NOT SOME MAID"

Her words finally made way to Vedh's mind and his anger turned into confusion in a second, his frown deepened as he tried to understand what she had just said in her anger

"What? What do you mean by 'maid'?"

Vedh's voice was barely a whisper but considering the silence in the corridor, his voice was echoing along with Reva's heavy breaths

The intensity of Reva's anger lowered and she took in a deep breath trying to calm herself down a little bit, she opened her mouth to speak, to tell Vedh everything, to explain him but before her voice could come out another voice echoed

"I will tell you"

The voice came from behind Vedh opposite from Reva and Aashrit neither too loud nor too low but just enough mark its presence

Vedh immediately turned around only to see Raj Mehta, his brother in law standing with cold and blank expressions

His hands were buried in his pants' pockets as he stared expressionlessly at Vedh as if Vedh's presence didn't affect him at all whereas the truth was, it did

Raj took slow steps towards Vedh and standing just a few steps away, he tilted his head to see Vedh's left cheek which was still under the influence of Reva's hard slap, all red

A chuckle escaped Raj's lips as he calculated what might have happened and who might have done it, he had known Reva since childhood

Raj looked Vedh in eyes and whispered enough for everyone to hear

"I think Reva has done what I wanted to, alright it's fine"

Raj's smile was hollow, his eyes empty and the only emotion in them was pain for his sister and the culprit for her condition was standing in front of him

"My sister, your wife was treated like a maid behind your back, all the servants were fired because this house had got a daughter in law. Your family told her that if she didn't follow their orders then they will throw her out and that pure soul thinking about her family, she followed every order accepting her fate and you know what else your bua said to her....."

The tension in the lobby was palpable and it only increased as Raj took a pause, giving a moment to Vedh to acknowledge what he said because what he was about to say was heavier than any word he spoke till now

Even Raj himself hesitated, embarrassed to speak those words about his own sister, the sister he loved more than his life and she had to hear them

Meanwhile Vedh was just standing frozen in front as if he just saw some ghost, the reality hit him hard like Raj had just slapped him harder with words than Reva did with hand

For a moment Vedh couldn't process what Raj was saying but then he suddenly realised Raj's last words and he asked, for the first time his lips trembled

"Wh...what?"

Vedh finally gathered the courage to ask this after knowing what his wife had to endure behind him and all just because he left her

"That evil lady said that you left her because she...she was...because she wasn't able to satisfy you"

While saying those words, Raj's words shook and his eyes filled with tears upon thinking how his betu, his little sister even heard these things

Guilt crashed on Vedh as he got to know the accusations she had to bear just because of him, only if he had told her or anyone before leaving

A single tear escaped Raj's eye and wiping it harshly Raj said, furious but still maintaining the calm

"I want to talk to you.....alone"

Vedh looked up at Raj, his silent guilt clearly visible in those ocean blue and he slowly, almost hesitantly nodded before gesturing Raj to follow towards his study

Both the men disappeared behind the closed door of Vedh's study and Reva's knees finally gave up, she sighed and again her tears started falling because of crying continuously her weakness took over and she started to fall

Before she could meet the floor, Aashrit caught her in his arms and she pressed herself more into his chest, wetting his shirt once again with her tears

Then Aashrit silently took her to their room as she needed rest for sometime

VEDH'S POV:

Evening time

I sat on the large sofa facing the main door of Oberoi mansion, my and my pearl's house. The same house that lady who calls herself my aunt, she ruined it

I was furious no wonder but my anger was not only limited to her it was for myself as well because it was me who left, it was me who left her alone, it was me who gave that lady the chance to do what she did

And right now I was waiting for her only, my aunt

Raj was sitting to my right side while Aashrit was on my left side both equally furious, Reva was resting while my wife was still not conscious maybe because she got rest after so much time

The conversation with Raj was still ringing in my head but I refused his words to take over my mind because right now I needed to clear trash from our house

After few minutes, Sumitra Khurana entered the house talking on a call and smiling, that dam smile of hers

She didn't deserve it after what all she did to my pearl in my absence and now her smile was triggering me from inside

Then her eyes fell on me and then.........her smile vanished while my lips curved in a smirk, an invisible one

Her hands trembled as she hang up her phone abruptly and gulped almost as if she had an idea of what she had done

"Ve...Vedh, you here? why did you- I mean when did you come?"

Her voice was shaky, shocked because she hadn't expected me to be here and her stuttering proved that she was the culprit

"Why did you do all that?"

I asked without wasting another moment and coming straight to the point and her eyes widen in terror before she asked

"Wh..what?"

She stumbled on her words but she still had the audacity to ask me what

"The things you did to my wife"

My anger was rising with each passing moment but I did not raise my voice, I still considered to ask her why but her next words made me regret my decision

"See Vedh, that girl...you don't deserve a girl like her, you deserve someone worthy of you and that middle class, whatever I did with her, she deserved that-"

She was still about to continue but I cut her off abruptly, shouting this time as I had enough of all this nonsense about my pearl, my wife

"JUST SHUT UP"

I felt everyone present in the room flinch for a moment, chachi, Smita and even Aashrit but Raj didn't, I knew it

"Enough of your nonsense, that girl is my wife, my love, she is HEER VEDH SINGH OBEROI"

I said, angrily and I could feel the fear seep into my 'aunt's' veins because my anger was not something often seen

My breaths were uneven because of the high anger and the adrenaline rush in my whole body but I knew just one thing, that she is my wife, the owner of everything I had, she was the owner of Oberoi Empire, the SYSO Empire, Fuck she owned me

Then I suddenly turned to Chachi whose face was all marked by tears till now, her silent sobs coming out like guilt and I walked to her

"Even you didn't stop this assault, you were so excited to bring Heer home as your daughter in law then why? why didn't you stop her?"

My voice was low and it turned into a whisper till the end, I was not angry at chachi I was disappointed at her because she was the most excited one at my wedding

Chachi, trembling because of crying started shaking in fear but then she opened her mouth and spoke, her words shocked me even more

"Vedh, your bua said that if I tried to interfere then she would also throw me out like Heer and even your chacha ji wasn't here that's why I had to obey her so at least I and Heer could have a shelter to live"

My eyes were wide open I don't if I forgot to blink or too shocked to blink and then I again turned to her, my bua, Raj wasn't wrong when he called her evil

She was still there, eyes wide and for once I expected an explanation from her but I was utterly wrong because that wretched woman started laughed

"You thought I would apologize didn't you?"

She asked still laughing like evil but she was right, I had expected apology from her because she is somewhere my father's sister

"So listen my dear nephew I did all that because you insulted me in front of everyone and why, for that middle class girl"

I sighed hearing the venom in her voice and I remembered that day, our engagement day when she had dared to criticize my wife in front of everyone

She was taking revenge from my wife for what I said to her

I closed my eyes remembering the condition she had made of my wife, she was both mentally and physically weak because of this witch lady

"Get out"

I said, my words barely above a whisper but enough to reach her eardrums

"Wh..what?"

She asked, her expressions turning the ones of shock as she grasped my words because she hadn't expected me to say this

"I said get out of Heer's house"

I repeated my words now louder and clearer, I intentionally said 'Out of Heer's house' because she had to know her place, she had to know what Heer really means to me and what is her position in my life

Her eyes widen for a moment but she eventually walked towards the door, her steps heavy with embarrassment and insult

She reached the main door and stopped before glancing back once as if giving a warning but I didn't take it anymore and walked to her myself

As soon as bua stepped out of the house, I didn't wait and closed the door right away, intentionally insulting her but it was still less than what she did with my wife

Leaning a little against the door, I let out a sigh to calm the storm raging in me but then suddenly a low voice echoed from behind us

"Aashrit...."

I turned around slowly, it was Reva's voice and I wonder how come her loud piercing and sharp voice suddenly turned so low, I remember that slap of hers because it still stings

"Heer is awake"

She told, Aashrit only nodded, he was disappointed with me and I knew it as he had not talked to me properly since I came back

Raj was the first one to move and then I walked after Reva but just as I also started to rush just to see her once and talk to her, my wife

Pov ends

~Mr. & Mrs. Vedh Singh Oberoi~

Vedh wanted to apologize for every mistake so he ran towards their bedroom but then suddenly a sharp, tight grip clutched his hand pulling him back and Vedh stopped in his tracks

He looked back at Aashrit holding his hand and opened his mouth to speak something but Aashrit's eyes darted to Reva and Raj walking towards their bedroom

As Reva and Raj disappeared from their sight Aashrit finally turned to Vedh and whispered, as if he spoke even a little louder then the walls might listen

"I am happy that you realised your love....."

His words lingered in the tensed air between the two men from the earlier events. Aashrit said he is happy but there was no visible happiness in his expressions

Vedh frowned softly at Aashrit's words and he even wanted to tell him that Heer is Pearl not some stranger and he had always loved her but before he could Aashrit's next words came out

".....but it's too late Vedh"

Vedh's frown deepened as he grasped those words, what does he mean by 'late'. Vedh was back everything was just as okay just his apology was left and he will make efforts to get it

Maybe Aashrit understood the question behind his frown that's why he immediately said, but what he said Vedh wished he hadn't because those sucked out every fiber of breath out of him

"Heer is going to divorce you"

His breaths stopped the moment those words left Aashrit's mouth and Vedh glanced towards their room where she is right now

Vedh again looked at Aashrit whose expressions hadn't changed even for a moment that means what he said was true

The second Vedh realised Aashrit wasn't lying or joking, he ran towards their room, towards her because right now she was the one who could break all this tension

Vedh ran and ran breathlessly until his feet were finally inside the room, in front of her and he didn't wait, he immediately knelt beside the bed near her and asked

"Pearl, tell them you are not leaving me"

He uttered, this was the first time he was speaking to her maybe properly speaking and these were the first words he said to her

Today she wasn't looking at floor or anywhere else but at him, in his eyes, her those honey brown eyes he always wanted to admire were now looking at him but because of pain

Meanwhile Heer who had just woken up from unconsciousness, when she heard those words, her eyes filled with the pain of those five and a half month and her eyes immediately went to her brother silently asking if he had told Vedh

Raj standing casually behind Vedh, seeing Heer's questioning gaze shrugged his shoulders replying he doesn't know how Vedh got to know

Just then Aashrit entered the room and Heer's eyes darted to him suddenly knowing who might have told Vedh about all this

Heer sighed, her face fell from tiredness and now all this, she was done. This was not something she wanted for herself, First the marriage and then this divorce

One thing was clear that whatever happened, Heer knew it's logical now as she looked into Vedh's eyes, filled with love and she wanted to give him a chance, she wanted to give them a chance

Heer didn't want to divorce Vedh!

Heer wanted to announce to tell everyone, to tell Vedh that she doesn't want this divorce and she even opened her mouth to speak but just then her own voice came ringing in her head

'...Once he comes back I will divorce him and I promise'

She had promised to divorce him, those were her own words which trapped her but she had said those things because she thought Vedh wouldn't come back and now he was back......at the wrong time

Heer's eyes filled with unshed tears as she closed her parted lips without uttering a single word and looked at Vedh's hopeful eyes

Waiting for her to speak, to tell all of them that she wasn't leaving him but she said nothing which compelled Vedh to speak again

"Tell them Pearl that you're not divorcing me"

His words trembled as he whispered, the small nickname rolling off his tongue smoothly, divinely but Heer was too hurt to notice what he called her

Heer's mind was ringing with only one sentence, her promise to divorce Vedh and no matter how much she wanted but she couldn't back off

She knew that even though Vedh wasn't involved in what happened with her, he still had made a mistake and now it was very late to fix it

Heer's tears kept flowing as she finally gathered her voice and whispered to the waiting Vedh

"Singh Saab....."

Vedh heard her, he heard every breath of her and the way she called him by his middle name but this situation was not something he wanted, he hadn't imagined his 'Pearl' crying like this

Vedh straightened up like encouraging her to speak, say the words he was dying to hear, to break all the dreams of everyone to separate them but what came didn't satisfy him

".....it's too late"

Her words were low, tired and shaking but they reached his ears making him panic at the moment, his face turned pale and his eyes filling with shattered hopes

They both were so lost into each other that they didn't see Raj and Reva's eyes on them while Aashrit wasn't in the room

Both Heer and Vedh stared into each other's eyes, the tear filled honey brown eyes pleaded to the shattered ocean blue ones to let go

Seeing them staring into each other's eyes like that Raj moved, his lips parting to interrupt but then a heavy palm landed on his shoulder stopping him

Aashrit forwarded a brown envelop towards Raj who took the envelop with a frown before glancing at Aashrit who just gave an assuring nod

That small gesture told Raj that the envelop was of DIVORCE PAPERS.

Raj sighed and then walked forward towards Heer while Aashrit's palm slipped of his shoulder softly before Reva glanced at Aashrit and he gave her a reassuring blink, enough to ease her frown

Raj kept the envelop on Heer's lap taking both their attention as they both frowned in unison, staring blankly at envelop before Vedh picked up slowly

He opened it with practiced ease and took out the papers what words written on it caught his breath in his throat and froze

The complaint for divorce of Mrs. Heer Singh Oberoi wife of Mr. Vedh Singh Oberoi.......

Vedh's eyes didn't even go to the next words after that like for his everything had stilled while looking at Vedh's expressions Heer frowned softly

She took the papers from his hands and the moment she saw the papers, her eyes widen and snapped to Raj then Vedh

"Please tell me Pearl, tell me this is all a lie, I will believe"

Vedh begged, his voice not above the sound of breaths but Heer heard it and she dared to look into his eyes once again

The man she feared, the intimidating man she was married, the one who spoke of authority with his heavy aura was now nowhere

In place of him was the man kneeling in front of her, helplessly begging her not to go, the man who seemed not to take even a breath without her

In front of her was another version of her husband who was pleading with his eyes, pleading not to leave him

Heer finally mustered up her courage and spoke helplessly, letting her words linger in the heavy and tensed air

"I promised bhai"