Chapter 116 - 115

Anand and Bhagya got worried and wanted to search for Shreya right away. But when they went back to the dinner table, they saw that Charan was nowhere in sight. They guessed he must have gone behind Shreya and signed in relief.

Then they apologized to everyone present… especially Charan's family for the whole fiasco. Thankfully they seemed to not have taken it to heart. The whole festive atmosphere was disrupted just like that. Nobody really had the stomach to continue the dinner. So they wrapped things up and went back in. Even the kids seemed to have sensed the change in atmosphere and remained relatively quiet.

Bhagya prepared a glass of warm milk for the kids just in case. Slowly people started dispersing after that. Even Anand and Bhagya left. They had a function to attend early the next morning and the venue was on the other side of the city. It was a very long drive from here. So they did not have any choice but to leave. But they gave clear instructions to maid there to take care when Shreya and Charan returned. They also informed Charan of the details. Akira also left with her grandparents quite reluctantly.

Charan, on the other hand, followed the vague dark shadow through the dense trees. He really hoped Shreya knew where she was going or else they both were really screwed.

But Shreya was completely out of it. She was not really conscious but her feet knew exactly where she was going. After all, she had been through this path at least a million times before. In her stupor, she did not even realize she was being followed. She just went wherever her feet took her and they came to a standstill only when she reached the all so familiar clearing. There was a lake amidst all the forestry surrounding the manor. Adithya was very particular to keep the forest and the lake intact. He cleared only that portion of the plot that was absolutely necessary for the building.

Shreya sat down on the edge of the pond where there was a wooden platform present. She bunched her knees in front of her and hugged them tightly and tears tumbled down her eyes without her accord.

Charan, on the other hand, lost track of Shreya and wandered searching for her. The darkness of the night wasn't helping either. Thankfully he wasn't so far out… he clearly heard her weeping sound through the woods and followed the noise back to the source. And when he reached the clearing, his heart clenched painfully.

The full moon reflected perfectly into the lake. Shreya was sitting there at the edge of it like a ragged doll crying her eyes out in a heartwrenching way. Her agony is clear from the way she clutched on to her chest so tightly and kept saying, "Sorry… I'm so sorry…" in a desperate voice to people who weren't even there.

Charan was not really a violent person but when he saw Shreya like this, he really wished to drill a few hundred holes into the stupid woman's brains for saying something so freaking stupid and mean. He knew not being there for her parents was her biggest scar and he hated the fact that someone poked into them so carelessly.

In all the time he had known Shreya, she had never cried before. Not once. And especially not like this. So he was clueless about how to handle her. After letting out a sigh, he approached her with heavy steps. Smaller branches cracked under his feet and sound echoed through the dense forest quite clearly.

When Shreya heard rustling sound around her, she quickly wiped away her tears and looked around and her eyes landing on Charan's worried eyes. She composed herself best she could and stood up and asked, "What are you doing here??" Her voice was extremely raspy from crying. And her eyes red and puffed up.

Charan did not say anything. He knew he can't really say anything that could make things right. So he just went near her and brought her into his embrace. He did not even know if he was doing this for her or for himself. But at her moment he felt this intense need to be near her. He buried her head into his chests and held on to her tightly.

Shreya just stood there like a statue for a minute. But then when she felt his warmth and his scent wash over her, the little compose she had mustered with the sudden intrusion went back down into the gutter. She circled her own arms around his torso as tears started spiling all over again. But it was quieter. She did not wail like before but it was no less anguished.

Charan bent down slightly and whispered sweet nothings into her ears in hope of comforting her a bit. But all that came out of Shreya's mouth were endless apologies in between her whimpers. She kept saying, "Sorry… I am sorry... I am so sorry…"

It completely shattered his heart to hear her and see her like this. But no matter what he said, she neither heard him and nor stopped. She just held onto him as if her life depended on it and drowned him in her tears. After a while, she had a hard time standing straight. Charan hoisted her on his h.i.p.s and then sat down at the platform.

Now Shreya soaked his necks instead of his shirt. That was the only this that changed. Charan patiently patted on her back and let her be. He felt it was better if she let everything out this time around. He knew she had been bottling up all the guilt and pain behind that composed businesswoman face for years now. And now that the dam had broken, there was no stopping until she lets everything out.

After what felt like absolute forever, Shreya calmed down and the water work also stopped. But with that, exhaustion came and her eyes dropped shut on their own accords no matter how much she tried to fight them.