I am trying to open my eyes but I felt my eyelids heavy. It is like someone is smashing my head. My whole body is aching. With difficulty I opened my eyes. I saw a white ceiling above me. Where am I? What happened to me? Then all the memories started to flood my mind. A gasp escaped from me.

"You are awake?" a husky voice asked. I turned my face to my right side. Vedant was standing there. He looks like he hadn't slept for days. There were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was tousled and his clothes were wrinkled. This is the first time I am seeing him this disoriented. He looked really tried. I saw Kavya sleeping on a chair near my bed. She has put her head on the side table. I tried to get up from the bed but I felt my body numb. Ved rushes to my side and helped me to a sitting position. "I can do it by myself." I said annoyingly. "No one said you can't. I was just concerned." He replied with a soft voice.

I scoffed at his response. "Oh. Yeah. You are very much concerned." I said sarcastically. He was about to reply something but I turned my head to look at Kavya. "She might be really tried. She haven't slept a bit yesterday night." He said again.

I sighed and looked up to him. "Why are you still here?"

"Do you really thought that I will leave my wife alone in a hospital like this?" he asked. I couldn't recognize the emotion in his face. Was it regret, concern or guilt? Whatever it is I don't care anymore. I stopped trusting everyone. Everything came hitting me. My eyes were filled with tears.

"Don't call me that. I am no one to you. It was a trap you made for me. You swapped the documents. Didn't you? You married me because you could get the shares. You are also like them. You used me for your favour. And you will throw me away when I am no longer needed. You are just like my father." I said and then only I realised what I said. The tears I was holding with difficulty automatically came out of my eyes.

"Father?!! I have no right to call him that." My breath was getting heavy. "Niharika. Relax. You don't have to think all that now. You have to get rest and recover soon. Just lay down the doctor will arrive soon." Ved said.

I looked at him. He looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "You knew." I asked unbelievably. He looked shocked. He didn't tell anything instead he looks away. "I am the only one who was unaware right." I scoffed. "How long you knew? TELL ME DAMIT!!" I screamed.

"It's. It's been a while." He closed his eyes and turned his head.

"About what are you people talking?" Kavya was still in sleepy mode. I was still looking at him.

"Unbelievable. Is that why you tricked me into this marriage? You knew that I don't have anybody having my back. I was an easy prey for you right." I am furious now. I stood from the bed and hit on his chest. "How could you do this to me? Didn't you feel guilty? You did this to me because I'm an orphan right. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU!!!" I screamed while hitting him.

He didn't stop me. He let me take out my full anger on him. I stopped after a while. I needed a support. I felt weak. I leaned into his chest. My grip on his shirt tightened. I cried my heart out. He gently rubbed my back. What was my sin? Why didn't anyone tell me about it? Why grandpa kept me in dark all these time? I cried even more. How would you feel when suddenly you come to know that everything you believed in your whole life was a lie?

"What are you guys talking about? I don't understand anything." I heard Kavya asking. "And what are you saying Hari? Why are you calling yourself an orphan?" She was confused.

I slowly loosed my grip on his shirt. I wiped my eyes and turned to see Kavya. "I think should give sometime to you both to catch up. I will go to the canteen and get us breakfast." Ved said. I didn't look at him. He walked out of the room.

Kavya came near me. "I think you need to freshen up first. We will talk after that." I nodded and she led me to the washroom. I sat on the bed after coming out of the washroom. Kavya was looking at me with so many questions in her eyes. I looked at her, I don't know how start. How to tell her that the people I thought were my parents are not really my parents. I am their niece.

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My legs were paining. I don't know how long I walked in the rain aimlessly. I was shivering now. I saw a nearby bus stop and walked under the roof covering an old bench. I sat on the bench and thought about everything that happened this day. I came to know that I am the beneficiary of half of the shares of Golden Tulips. And I became a pawn in my own father's sick game. I was sold to a monster by my father in order to get a hold of the shares. I was once in a marriage which almost ended my life and again I am married without my knowledge. How can I be this naive? How could I let everyone play with my life? Why didn't anyone tell me about the will? I needed answers. I sighed and got up from the bench.

********************

I pressed the door bell continuously. I was angry and sad at the same time. Lakshmi our house maid opened the door with a irritated face. Her expression changed when she saw that it was me. "Oh. Mam, It was you. I thought it was someone else. What happened to you? Why are you all socked wet?" She asked in wonder.

"Is father inside?" I asked her. "Yes. He came back some time before. I don't know what happened he was furious. He scolded everyone in the house." She said anxiously.

I walked into the house. I saw him sitting inside the home bar and was drinking. He looks like he was totally drunk. His secretary and mom were standing next to him with fear evident in their faces. They looked at me when I walked in. My mom looked at me worried and ran towards me. "Harika. What happened to you? Why are you all wet? Lakshmi get me a towel." She ordered the maid.

"What happened sweet heart? I heard you got married to that man. I know you won't do anything like that. Tell me." she asked me softly I was about to reply her when I heard my father's yelling.

"You?!! How dare you come here? You ruined everything. And you have the face to show up here?"

"I didn't know father. It was a trap. He told me he will transfer the shares to me. That is why I signed it. I didn't know that they swapped the papers. Please believe me." I pleaded.

"Believe you? You bitch!! You know everything right. It was you who made my father to make such a will. He didn't leave anything to me. Which father does such thing? It is your doing. You brain washed him." He screamed.

I was fuming now. How dare he blame me when he was one who did wrong? "And which father does such thing to his daughter? You got me married to a monster so that you can have the shares. When you already know that he was abusive. How could you do this to me? And you were again trying to do the same. You asked me again to marry him. It was always money you gave importance. I was just a pawn in your games. You are a money minded hypocrite." I too shouted with all my voice.

"How dare you raise your voice against me? Is this what I get for raising you? I was the one who worked day and night for the hotel. And my own father didn't consider me as an heir. He gave all his fortunes to his granddaughters. That too all shares of hotel he gave to you. How would you feel when something so dear to you was taken from you? Something which you worked your entire life and it is slipping through your hands. Did you think that I will simply sit and watch? You were always a hurdle in my way. You should have died that night in that car accident. You should have died with your parents. But you came back alive, to make my life miserable. Go and die somewhere. Get out now." He was screaming.

But I couldn't hear anything more. I was stuck at the sentence he said earlier. I should have died with my parents. What does he mean? My parents? Then who are they? Who am I? Is there more to the story? What am I missing now? I looked at my mother. She was covering her mouth with her hands and she was having a shocked expression. "Mom. What is he saying? My parents? Am I not your daughter?" she looked panicked. She was shaking her head in no. "It's nothing Harika. He is drunk. He doesn't know what he is saying. Mr. Nayik, please take him to his room." She told. Mr. Nayik immediately took him to his room.

I saw Lakshmi and Ananti standing shocked. Lakshmi was holding the towel. My mom hurried towards her and took the towel from her. "Come here let's dry your hair. Then go and change into something warm." She told and was about put the towel on my head. But I held her hand before she could do it. "Mom. Tell me the truth. What does he mean by that?" I asked. She sighed and turned to leave. But I tightened my hold on her hands and turned towards me. "Mom. Please." I begged. I am so done with the secrets. I want to know everything about me now.

She sighed. Her eyes were filled with tears. "You are not our biological daughter. You are daughter of Nakul's elder brother Nikhil and his wife Ila. You were just one year old when you all met with an accident. Your both parents died in that accident. But you escaped with minor injuries. I and Nakul were just married that time. So your grandpa asked us to take care of you as our daughter." She looked at me with tear filled eyes. I left her hand and took a step back. I am an orphan. The people whom I thought as my deceased relatives were my parents. And those who I believed as my parents are my uncle and aunt. The little sister whom I cared as my own is my cousin sister. I feel difficulty to breath. I was suffocating. I need some space. I turned around and ran out of the house into the rain. I didn't give ears to the frantic calls behind me. I needed some breathing space. And the only place I could remember was Kavya's home. I don't know how I reached there. The last thing I remember before losing my consciousness was me hugging Kavya.

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Kavya pulled me away from her and wiped my tears. "It's Okay. Everything will be alright. I know you are a strong girl and you will fight it." She said.

"Fight it? How? Did you forget that I'm married again? It's been one month. And I myself didn't know that until yesterday. How could a person use a woman like that? And now what should I do? Going through a divorce? Again? I don't know what to do now?" She wiped my tears again. That's when I heard the door opening and Vedant entering with a small polythene bag.

He came inside silently and put the cover on the side table. "I had breakfast from the canteen. You both can have yours. I will wait outside." He was about to go out when the doctor came inside. He gave us all a pleasant smile and came near me.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked. "Better."I replied.

He checked me once again and turned to Vedant. "Your wife is fine now. The fever is down but she is very weak. She needs rest for some days. She will be alright then. For now you can take her home." He said with a smile.

"Thank you doctor." Ved said. And the doctor left. "You told him that I am your wife?" I asked him. "Yes." He answered coolly while unwrapping our breakfast. "Yes?!! How dare you?" I was getting angry. "Why? It is true that you are my wife now. Isn't it?" he asked casually. "Excuse me. You tricked me into this marriage. This marriage is against my will. So don't call me as your wife again." I gritted my teeth.

He sighed and turned. He came closer to the bed. Keeping his hands on the bed he bend down to my eye level and looked straight into them. "I don't care whether it is tricked or whether it is with your concern or without your concern. As long as we are married, YOU ARE MY WIFE. Make it register in your tiny brain Niha." He said poking a finger on my forehead. My mouth fell open. Did he just give me a nick name? I scoffed in irritation.

We both turned our head when we heard a laugh. Kavya was holding a plate of paratha. She was laughing with a piece of paratha in her mouth. We both looked at her in confusion. "What?!!" we both asked unison. "You both were fighting like you were married for a long time." She said trying to stop her laugh and started eating again. We both looked each other and looked away instantly.

He passed me a bowl and spoon. I opened and saw oats porridge. "Ewww. I don't want this." I said pushing the bowl away. "Why?" He asked confused. "I don't like oats. I want parathas." I said with a frown. "You are just recovering from fever so light food is better for your stomach. Once you are alright you can have whatever you want." He said firmly.

"And why should I listen to you? Who are you to order me? I want paratha and I will eat it." I said persistently and turned around to take the paratha. But he holds me by my hand and turned me to face him. "You will not eat it until you are fully recovered. I told you that you can have whatever you want when you are fully recovered. Now open your mouth." He said while holding a spoon full of porridge in front of my mouth. I gritted my teeth and turned my face and tried to get out of his hold.

"Please." I turned and looked at him amused. Did he plead with me? "Please. Just a little. I promise I will buy you enough parathas when you get healthy again." I could see the sincerity in his eyes. He is really worried about me, isn't it? My mouth opened without my concern and he fed me with his hands. I could sense that Kavya was smiling looking at us.