MAYA'S POV

The slap echoed across creating the most beautiful harmony Ive ever heard in my life. Dad, no, that man looked shocked to his core. His pupils dilated so wide than I even forgot that he had brown eyes. After the initial shock anger started bleeding into his features. His lips curved back and displayed gritted teeth I welcomed another slap but his hand never rose, he just stood there defeated, his only trump card lost in a seconds worth of anger. A small smile spread on my lips through the smile.

I understood one thing. At first I thought the pain spreading through my chest was because I thought this man was not my father. But now I realise that I was grieving, grieving me, my lost childhood, my entire life lost to the hands of an abuser who is in no way related to me. Not by blood, Not by heart. A wave of something I have never experienced for this man came over me. It was happiness.

As If seeing me smile physically pained him he hit his last strike " I never loved you" He spat. The room gasped. Adhi's hand crept towards me and squeezed in reassurance. This is my moment. Im gonna clap back so hard, for all those years of pain and suffering.

"You think I care? You think I fucking care about what you feel about me? You think im sad to know that youre not my father? IM FUCKING RELIEVED. To know that such an asshole is Not my father, I should celebrate actually." I say and all the blood from that man's face leach away. Im not done yet.

"Im sad sure, Im sad to think that I wasted all 25 years of my life suffering because of a random man, who is not even related to me. To think I endured all this pain because you needed release, you needed to let out your stress. BUY A STRESS BALL! or a punching bag. Dont manipulate a kid into thinking she's a disappointment for her father, when youre not even her father, You douchebag!" I scream at him.

All my family including adhi has a proud smirk on his face. I see Tara and Arjun standing at the back. Tara has tears in her eyes and an expression almost similar to pride on her face, and a little bit of anger because I ruined her Sangeeth. i get it babe, im sorry. I turn towards that man again.

"You do realise im gonna sue you right?" I say and I see him visibly tremble. To see that fear in his eyes, that exhilaration you have no idea. It was so much better than any drug.

"What?" my mom asked.

"Oh yeah mom. This man, your husband, he's a nobody to me, abused me for minimum ten years, pretending to be my father. You are aware that is an offence right? Or were you too stupid to figure it out? Did you think you'll never get caught? Thank god im not your daughter." I kept hitting at him until I saw him hang his head. a position I often found myself infront of him. A sick sort of pleasure flew through me, But there was something the last nail on his coffin.

"You ungrateful, little bitch, after all I did for you -" He began his venomous speech again.

"Mr. Ravichandran, may I remind you where youre standing right now? My room, My tharavadu. My mother's family, My family which in no way is related to you. So I suggest you watch your words. And also that house that you so proudly call yours was built with my money, the money you blackmailed out of me by guilt tripping me. So yeah that's my home too. I dont ever want to see you again. Tara is it okay if I uninvite him from your wedding?"

"With pleasure" Tara came over and said it herself " You are uninvited from my wedding. Any objections?" None spoke. It was decided, this man was not going to be in Tara's wedding.

The next second itself he stormed out of the room to god knows where, he stopped by the door waiting for my mom to follow as usual, but she just stood by my side grabbing my hand. My mother always. even though not related to me by blood, she has always been my mother. As if getting that mom will not follow him anymore, That man walked out of the room and my life forever. I hope.

I took a deep breath and sat down on the chair and dropped my face into my hands. Adhi immediately knelt at my feet "Babe..." One word that was enough for me drop into his chest and bask in his warmth.

I didnt care my family was here, they have watched a lot more than us hugging by now so what the hell. I pulled back and faced my family. I owe them an explanation. And I did, with every single detail. Then only I asked about the video. Fortunately only people with Instagram, Aka youngsters had seen the video and a few of the public. The video can be taken down immediately considering I knew who did it. The video was only seen by the younger side of the family, only those who had Instagram, and those dont care. And my family who saw it promised to keep it under the wraps. Jeevan uncle and varun led adhi outside and was talking to him. I was sure it was a father in law son in law talk as He was the only father I ever had.

But when a high pitched squeal erupted from next to me I instantly knew what it was for. Tara was jumping up and down pointing at the ring on my finger.

"Oh my god! Youre engaged? In between all this? How? When?" Tara squealed.

"What?" vivek, Varun, pooja, dhriti, Mahima and who all not everyone inside the room said in chorus. I could see Adhi turning to beet red as Jeevan uncle patted him on the shoulder in approval.

"Oooh that Is a stunning ring," Ammuma cooed "I would say I told you so, but you already knew it".

We were actually brought together by her, her idea to send us to manny's place, Now I wonder whether this was her grand plan all along. I narrow my eyes at amumma and she winks back. The engagement joy was so big that vivek actually forgot about our fight and hugged me. He could never stay mad at me he loved me too much, and me him. Arjun came to me and planted a kiss on my forehead and said " Now you are my sister in all ways".

"Enough about us, we have a mehndi to plan. And I have some unfinished business. That video needs to be taken down. So Tara go and get your beauty sleep. Adhi and Arjun come with me."

I led them towards the outhouse I need to slap someone.

ADHI'S POV

Maya's stern steps didnt stop till we stopped In front of Greeshma's door. That girl was out of line, way..... out of line. This was not only personal but was vile and vicious but I need to figure out how she got that video, how Khushi got to her. I need to.

Maya didnt even bother to knock as she pushed open the double door to the room. There she was curled up in the bed frantically typing at her laptop. I could say maya is a vampire as she literally flew across the room and slapped the shit of greeshma. And she deserved every bit of it. A sixteen year old shouldn't be allowed to behave like this and face no consequence.

"You fucking bitch! How dare you do that to me? ignore me, But to the person whom you claim to love? To your own cousin? How evil are you?" Maya screamed.

Greeshma began to tremble "I didnt do a..anything"

That was my breaking point. All the anger I mustered up to this point burst out of me and I yelled at the top of my lungs "DONT FUCKING LIE! You better answer my question or ill tell the whole family that you did this. Your father must be so proud"

"Please" Greeshma pleaded. " This women sent me this video and said to post and agreed that I will have you. I just... I wanted to be with you Adhi, I-"

"How many time do I have to tell you? I dont like you like that. You are my sister. This is the women I love, That im gonna marry" I pointed to maya "You cant change that no matter how much you try"

Greeshma burst into tears and ran to hug me but arjun pushed her back " Greeshu how did that women know about you?"

"She found me through inst-" Her phone rang "Its her! its Khushi"

"Attend it and put it on speaker, and dont you dare tell them we're here" maya said.

Greeshma attends the call and the voice that haunts my nightmares comes out of the phone.

"hey girl, everything go well?" Khushi spoke.

"Hii Taniya, how are you?" Maya says and Khushi's voice stops. After a few seconds she chuckles.

"you figured it out didnt you? smart girl. I know the kid was a mistake. Jeeth and this kid both of them Naïve. Waste of time" She says as if they are mere pawns of her game.

I snatch the phone from them and scream "Listen here you motherfucking bitch! If you dare to interfere in my life again, I swear to god I will burn you to the ground"

"Adhi.." she says dreamily "oh I missed your voice. Baby no matter what you do ill never let you be with another women"

"How did you know about greeshma?" I ask.

"Oh it was easy I searched through your brother's Instagram and saw the engagement photos, Although seeing maya shocked me, what even more interested me is that I saw a girl with puppy eyes set on you. I knew instantly. Maya nothing personal, its just what is mine must be mine" Khushi chuckles

"Yeah, Tell that to the cops when they find this voice recording." Maya says

"what?" The playfulness from her voice now gone.

"You blackmailed a minor to engage in pornographic business. You have a history of bullying and drug use. So that's enough proof plus this voice recording will be more than enough to put you behind bars. You can keep my ex father company" maya says and I really wasn't expecting that.

"You dont have the guts" Khushi bluffs.

"try me bitch!" Maya slams the phone down and breaks it on the ground. She smashes the laptop on the ground as well and then turns on greeshma. "Im leaving you alone because you are a kid. All this feelings you now feel is a perk of your age, it will pass when you grow older you'll understand the gravity of what you did".

We leave the room and Arjun leave us alone. I look at my fiancée. She looks tired and drained from all the stress and crying. I pulled her into my arms for a tight hug and I instantly feel the tension releasing from her body. I press a kiss to her neck and whisper "See you tomorrow future Mrs. Adithya Sankar."

"See you tomorrow Mr. Adithya Sankar" maya pulls me in for a kiss and I walk her back to her room.

Arjun runs from the corridor holding a tv remote panting intensively. "Oh god, what now arjun?"

"Dude the news, it says lockdown is going to lift!"