Chapter 214 - Trust Me...

|Innaya|

I closed my eyes as tears of humiliation fell from them endlessly. My nails dug deep in my palms as the overwhelming feeling of terror and losing everything washed over me. 

Ayesha's mother had that kind of photos in her hand. The photos in her hands that have already destroyed my life, would only tarnish my reputation. That was the highest level of humiliation and degradation anyone could ever face. 

They were inhumane, heartless, and vicious. Tarnishing my reputation with the photos of my non-existent affair was not enough for them that they went to this length. Did they not wish for me to live?

How did I not realize? I was not safe in my house.

What Eshan must be thinking about me? I had lost all my face. I was not worthy of him anymore. Once those photos got out there on the internet, everything would be over for me. How could I drag Eshan's reputation in the mud? 

They won with this sickening scheme. 

I was left with no other option. I had to leave Eshan for his own good. 

It seemed as if God wanted to punish me for my crimes in my past life. Happiness was never written in my life. With shaking legs, I pulled myself up with great difficulty. At the moment, my mind was blank. That image swirled in my head, making me breathless. 

I needed to leave. I wanted to run. Just as I stood up, my tears obstructed my vision, and I did not know where I turned to. A wave of dizziness hit me. I twisted my ankle twisted, and I fell over.

I did not scream. I did not make a sound. Maybe, my head would receive a blow once I fall down, and I could forget the whole incident. I stopped resisting and wished I could somehow end everything with this. 

However, a pair of warm hands held my shoulders, breaking my fall.

Why? Let me. Why he had to hold me? He should just leave me on my own.

I could not face him… How could I?

"I-I…" Words refused to come out of my mouth, and I ended up sobbing. My whole body trembled. What was I supposed to do?

I heard him sigh before he pulled me to his chest, hiding me entirely in his embrace. At this time, his action made me feel guiltier for ruining his life because of me. Had he not married me, nothing would have gone wrong in his life. My hands remained by my side. How could I hold him? He would become filthy because of my touch. I had no more right to destroy him.

His mother was right. I would only disgrace him before the world. He was better off without me.

I struggled to get away from him. I had to leave. No, I could not ruin him anymore… I had to leave.

"Shh… calm down. Trust me," he whispered in my ear, restraining all my efforts.

Trust him? I did not believe myself. I wished to cry out louder. How could 

despite being women themselves, they stoop to such level? 

"It's fake, we don't have any hidden camera in our house. Trust me," Eshan again whispered in my ear, rubbing my back, squeezing my shoulder.

Fake? Stunned, I forgot to cry. I stiffened, and my mind repeated his words on a loop. As if my sinking body unexpectedly found the shore, I felt as if I was being saved. I never doubted Eshan's words. He would never lie to me. I recollected that image once again in my head, and I now understood why he was so sure.

I had only concentrated on the face of the woman in the picture, but I forgot to notice the most important detail. The scar on the back… It was not there. How could those pictures be mine? They weren't…

"You still want to hold onto such a characterless woman? You sure are magnanimous," Ayesha's mother interrupted, bringing me back to the present situation. 

Eshan pressed my head in his chest, protecting me from those malicious women. I did not mind being in his arms once I realized that things were not simple anymore. This conspiracy ran deeper than I had thought. 

I left Eshan to handle things. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his waist all the way to his back, holding him tightly. He was the pillar of the strength on which I could lean upon. 

"Evading someone's privacy, spying, threatening, cyberbullying, character assassination— do you know how many years you'll spend behind the bars?" Eshan asked.

They should understand the consequences of their actions. It was not a fit of simple jealousy anymore, rather it was the deep plot. In the eyes of law, they were criminals. They should get punished for their crimes. 

"Prerna, how did you teach your son? He can't even differentiate what's good for him. What a waste of your efforts and energy for all the years," Ayesha's mother spat distastefully. "He wants to frighten me. Discipline him well, otherwise don't blame me for taking actions."

How could someone be so thick-skinned? She lied blatantly, slandered me, almost destroyed my life, and yet she acted righteously. Any other man would have by now fallen in their traps. Eshan did not. 

Ayesha jumped in, giving her unrequired opinion. "Eshan, why are you so stubborn? You've clearly seen her true face, why don't you believe us? Mom and aunty are doing this for your own good."

"Disgusting. Do you know any shame? Women like you are the reason that females in our society suffer," Eshan snapped at them. 

"You should lecture your wife. She doesn't know how to keep her legs closed," she replied. It looked like she got her courage back because of her mother's presence. She seemed to have forgotten the slap. I didn't mind to remind her again. I was grateful that I could not see them. They should just get out of our house. 

They wanted to break my home, break my marriage. I had never seen such disgusting people after my father. They surpassed my father in cruelty. 

"Really? You think you can bring photoshopped images here and break my home?" Eshan asked.

"Just because you have decided to turn a blind eye to the truth, doesn't change the truth," Ayesha's mother said.

I could feel Eshan's rage. "Right. I'll show you the consequence of messing with my bottom line. Inspector, arrest them," Eshan called out loudly.

Inspector?

When did he call for the inspector? 

What would happen if others see those photos?

We knew that they were photoshopped, others would not. They would only assume that the photos were real. 

No. 

I could not let them see.

***

***

What we see is not always right

What we hear is not always the truth

Sometimes, we need to trust our instincts

And, listen to the voice of our heart in the times of darkness

Only then we can see the truth!