Hey!! Jnana here…. Thanks for the support guys… here’s the third part. This maybe boring but sorry its much required for nesam’s bond to build up.
——
Naina slept after her crying session in sam’s arms. After placing her in sam’s room, as she didn’t know where she usually sleeps, sam went to meet neil to discuss on this matter. She felt a strong connection with the little one. She just couldn’t see her unhappy. She was not a thing to be left uncared.
She peeped into each and every room upstairs and as she didn’t find him, she came to the room downstairs. There she saw him sitting on his bed. His head leaned to the headboard. His back, against it. his eyes closed. Brows furrowed. He was tensed. His fists balled, resting on his thighs. She had her gaze on him. Her legs walked to wards his right. She stood in front of him, her arms crossed across her chest. She cleared her throat snapping him from his reverie.
Neil blinked at her.
“why do you want her to go to a boarding school?”
“because she has to…” emotionless. He stood up and he stated.
“neil she’s too small.” Sam frowned.
“I know… and she won’t be going to her school anywhere around two- three months…”
“so?” she asked questioning his thoughts.
“I’m sending her to Mrs. Thomas, I’ve asked her to train her with a boarding school atmosphere so she can adjust to it.”
Sam shook her head dismissively. A sad smile covered her lips.
“you are punishing her neil… have you ever visited naina in those four months when she was with Mrs. Whatever…?”
“I used to visit her monthly once…. She was happy there….”
“really?” she asked her eyebrow furrowed. She was furious against him. The bruise on naina’s hip said her everything… how happy she was around. Her cries told everything…. Why is he blind to see that?
Neil turned away standing up. He knew, that was a perfect lie. Naina did ask him to take her home back every time he visited her. He would come up with some reason or he changed the topic.
“did you ever visit her in between?”
“no…. if I visit her frequently, things may get hard.”
“and its not the case now?” she was surprised.
“sam, she’ll be better there…. There will be no one at home to look after her.” Neil said after a pause as he ran his palm over his face.
“mark did offer to look after her, right?” she pointed.
“he did. But what if he’s out somewhere for days….” That was also a point to be noted.
“neil, you can appoint a nanny…” she suggested.
“and that would be no better…” he said obvious.
“but she can get some much required attention from you.”
“I will visit her whenever I can.”
“she doesn’t want to go neil…” sam tried again after a few moments of silence.
“she has to and she will…” he stood stern on his decision.
Sam was speechless. She didn’t want the child to leave away from family. She had known the pain of being ignored. She didn’t want naina to suffer the same. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second before she prepared herself to hurt neil with the words she was using…. She twisted and turned her fingers.
“neil…”
“hmmm” he hummed.
“is this because she is……. She…. She is not your… own daughter?”
“what?” he turned to her horrified by her statement.
“were you doing the same if she was your daughter?” her voice was rather confident in spite of his anger.
“sam, do you know what you are speaking?” he screamed at the top of his voice.
“do you know what you are doing?” she raised her voice too.
“look sam, enough now. she’s my daughter. I got to choose best for her. I’m doing the same. I’ll be happier if you don’t poke your nose into my personal stuffs.”
“neil?” she said unbelievingly.
“please…” he said shutting his eyes.
“sam…”
He wanted to continue further but she left deafening her ears. He ran his hands through his short thick curls.
———-
His POV
I just made this worst. Argh… why did I shout at sam? She was trying to point the things out. I was already tensed about naina. I didn’t know how am I going to convince her. But I am clear and stern on my decision. She has to go. No matter what. She has to learn to live on her own. And now, its the correct time. I couldn’t reason my decision. What if I die soon? Who will take care of her? That’s the reason she should be emotionally strong. She should be strong for her self-defence. I do love her. A lot. But that doesn’t mean that my love and care for her should weaken her.
My heart raced whenever I left her with Mrs. Thomas. It ached when she begged me to take her back home with me. even now, when she asked me not to send her back, I couldn’t help but get angry on myself for being rude to her. This little one was my world. I can never think of her not being my daughter. I had her in my arms when her parents died. I had promised them not to hurt her and to take care of her. But now I know I am hurting her, but that’s for a good reason. She will be strong.
I didn’t like what sam thought about me. I know, she knows less about my bond with naina. But she shouldn’t have spoken to me the way she did. It hurt me in heart when she pointed that naina is not my daughter. It hurt me when she didn’t trust me with naina. I just don’t know why, but I want her to trust me. I want her to have a good impression on me. I wouldn’t have cared if it was someone else. But sam, she was different from others. At least for me. maybe I like her. I want to be her friend. The first time when I saw her at her house, during arjun’s marriage, I wanted to befriend her. I tried too. She ignored me. that hurt. I didn’t know why, it hurt me when I sensed her love for arjun. maybe that’s a feeling you get when your friend is hurt. Friend? I wasn’t a friend of her then. Its just I met her.
I wanted to apologise to her after that knock out. Before I could she walked away. I hope she forgives me. I should apologise to her. Before that I want naina to accept my decision. I have no way other than forcing her.
—–
Her eyes closed. Her cheeks had stains of tears. There was a last drop that flowed to the side of her face. Her eyes weren’t peacefully closed. They fidgeted. Her hands near her head, fingers slightly curled. Her body shook momentarily due to her continuous crying. His heart clenched. he had never wished to see her cry. That little body on the large bed was his world. He slowly walked towards her petite body, and sat down. He leaned and kissed her forehead. Caressing her short hair, his big palm covered the side of her cheeks wiping the tear away.
“I’m sorry….” He said.
“I know; your dad is cruel. But please honey, understand him. He wants your happiness right. He will miss you even. But whenever you want to see me, I’ll come over. Please don’t hurt yourself. I can’t see you crying.” he stroked her cheeks with his thumb. A tear flowed down his eyes. He immediately wiped it.
She shuddered again. He palmed her face to cool her down.
“I love you….. so much….” He kissed her left cheek. He got up and forwarded to carry her when he noticed sam.
“sam, I’ll take her to my room.”
She remained silent.
“sam, I said…”
“my ears are sharp enough. I heard. Please do it fast.” Her voice stern. He knew he had hurt her.
“sam, I’m…”
“please neil, before I poke my nose again, go….” He stilled for a moment.
He turned to naina and took her in his arms. She flinched when he gripped her waist. He thought it to be a sob and rubbed her back. He stood near the door.
“I’m sorry sam…” he said and immediately left the room.
—-
He placed his hands next to him to get a grip on her. He gently rubbed his hand all over the bed. His eyes flew open when he didn’t find her. He got up quickly and searched every nook and corner of his room. When he didn’t find her he went out. He searched everywhere and but he couldn’t find a clue about her. An unknown fear covered his heart. He perspired. He ran to the main door but stopped listening her sweet voice from the dining hall. He breathed in relief. He ran over to see her having her breakfast with mark and sam. He went to her and engulfed her in a hug. Sam and mike just stared him. The child remained still and perplexed. He broke the hug gently when he realised, her, not reciprocating.
“you scared me…” he said. Naina looked straight into his eyes. She remained silent, emotionless.
“are you angry?”
“no, she’s not…” mark said gritting his teeth.
“how can she be anyway? Only you have the rights. You have the copyright of hurting others, is it?”
“mark…”
“no, sorry, for poking my nose in your personal stuff.”
Neil huffed. He saw sam who had her gaze on her plate.
“I didn’t mean to…”
“no its okay…” sam cut him off, her eyes everywhere but him.
He felt rejected. He was doing things for her good but these two weren’t understanding. He really didn’t mean to say things. His anger took over him at that time. He knew he couldn’t change the things or take his words back. It had already caused the damage. A pearl once broken, is broken forever.
“okay… mark I’ve filled the form. Just submit it…” he said. Other three shot him an unbelievable look. Sam shook her head showing her disapproval. Mark shot a disgusted look.
“I’ve decided and nothing or no one can change it.” he said sternly.
Naina freed herself from his grip and pushed him a little. Neil stood amused. she got on to the dining table and walked to mark and circled her arms around his neck when he got up. He carried her to the living room.
“don’t do something that may cause severe damage in your bond with her…” sam added before she left neil alone to think for himself.
—-
“your brother is a dumbass….”
Arjun laughed from her laptop screen.
“what did he do? wait where is our kiddoo?”
“he has sent her to the most emotionless person on the earth…”
“who?”
“some…. Yeah…. Mrs. Thomas. He wants to get naina admitted to a boarding school.”
“what?” arjun was shocked. He had seen neil taking utmost care of her. There was something wrong.
“you heard me right…. He has submitted the application form too…”
“why has he left kiddoo with that Mrs. Whatever?”
“it seems she trains her…”
“when did this happen?”
“a week back.”
“and you’re telling me now?”
“I’m just pissed off arjun…. I didn’t even call you people in this week. I’m trying to keep myself away from you just to not freak out…” she bit her tongue immediately.
“freak out what?” of course, he would catch her. He was her friend since childhood.
“aaa…. About… hmmm….. yeah… that he shouted… yeah… yeah… he shouted at me….” She stumbled with her words.
“whats wrong with you? why are you fumbling? Wait… what did he tell you?”
She breathed in relief. He let the topic go.
“that I shouldn’t poke MY NOSE IN HIS PERSONAL MATTER….” She yelled the last words as she found him walking across her room. He poked his head in. she immediately turned her gaze to the screen.
“he’s a waste of a human. Emotionless idiot…”
Neil smiled at her words. Finally, she spoke something about him. The past week was one horrible in his life. Neither her or mark spoke to him or about him when he was around. They had developed a good bond of which he was jealous. But his jealous remained unknown to himself.
Naina didn’t even turn back to wave him a bye after reaching Mrs. Thomas’. Neither did she speak to him before that. Her plead was the last he heard from her on the day he spoke about boarding school. Even though the kid had no knowledge about a boarding school, the name of the witch of her life feared her to hell.
Neil had tried making conversation with naina all his way to Mrs. Thomas. She would remain silent or just nod at his words. Her eyes never let a tear shed, but they remained moist. She didn’t even kiss him when he offered his cheeks for one. The child was too hurt to do anything.
He cried for himself every night. He missed her. He missed speaking to mark, sam. Maybe its been only a week, after her arrival. But he missed her. He shielded himself and his emotions from both of them.
He turned his way to his room and sam continued her conversation with arjun.
“sam, please speak to him. He is not a person who shows his emotions off. He is reserved with respect to his emotions. If you speak to him, he’ll listen to you….”
“why will he listen to me?” sam asked curious….
“he will… that’s what matters… there’s something… he’s hiding…”
“he asked me to..”
“stay out of this… I know, do you want naina to suffer because of your ego?” sam frowned.
“shut up. Its not about my ego. I’ll speak to him…” he smirked.
“good… go now…”
“okay…” she said shutting it at his face.
——-
“neil…” she placed her palm on his shoulder.
Neil shot his head up which he had laid on his study table. His tear stains were visible.
“were you crying?” she asked him immediately cupping his cheeks. She was hurt seeing the pain in his eyes.
“no… I…”
“dare you lie…”
He immediately got up and hugged her tight. she reciprocated. she felt her shoulders wet.
“I’m sorry….” He mumbled.
“its okay…” she said breaking the hug.
She wiped the newly formed tears.
“you are a grown up adult. When you are hurt to this level for being ignored, how would naina feel? At her age, she needs to spend more and more time with her parents. This is the time where she develops bonds. I don’t know what you have in your mind…” he stopped her.
“sam…. Even I don’t want her to be hurt. But I want her to be strong. She should be strong with her emotions. I know now, I’m there for her. But what if I die soon? She should be able to manage right. I don’t want her to breakdown. She should have her own self defence. She will be safe there….” She trailed him off.
“wait… speaking about her safety, did you notice the bruise on her waist? What was that?”
“bruise?” neil asked shocked. He had no clue about her bruise.
“you didn’t notice? Wait… she said that witch would beat her. Neil… do you really think she is safe?” sam asked worried.
Neil gasped. He didn’t know. One of his employee had suggested her. He didn’t know her personally. At once he felt shame about himself. He didn’t even think twice. He ran his long fingers through his hair. He gripped some tight. he was frustrated. That person had told him that the lady was strict. How did he forget it? his eyes shed angry tears. He shivered in anger.
“neil…. Neil… calm down please….” sam said fearing the growing tension.
“we will visit her today?” sam said unsure of his reply.
He nodded.
“you will not inform her about us going there.”
He nodded again.
“get ready, we’ll soon go…”
She said and walked out.
————
“eat this.” A lady pushed a plate forward on the dining table.
Naina, who sat at the other side of the table slowly pulled it towards her.
“I want you to finish this in 10 minutes…. I’ll be back by then.” She said and turned around walking away.
Naina sat there eating the tasteless bread that was in the plate.
“daayan…” she scolded under her breath.
She was about to keep the last bite in her mouth, when the witch entered.
“didn’t I ask you to finish this by the time I come.” She yelled.
Naina shivered.
“sorry, Mrs. Thomas.” She said as she swallowed.
“now, clean up…” she said and sat on the chair nearby.
Naina slowly slid down. She slipped and fell on her knees. Her knees hurt. Mrs. Thomas kept watching her.
“get up and clean…” she said doing her nails.
Naina slowly got up sobbing. Her hands shook as she took the plate in her hands. Her legs were limp. She walked to the kitchen and slowly raised her foot to reach the sink. Her leg trembled and she fell down with the plate which broke into pieces.
Mrs. Thomas ran into the kitchen.
“what the hell did you do?” she yelled gritting her teeth.
“I…. i….i’m ….i’m sorry….” She said sobbing hard.
“shut up….” She yelled again.
She pulled naina by her arms gripping it tighter.
“aaahhh…” naina yelled in pain.
“don’t shout…” the witch yelled.
“how dare you break the plate?” she said raising her hand.
There was an immediate snatch. Neil pulled naina to him glaring at this witch.
“sir…” she said surprised, shocked.
Naina’s sobs were hard. Neil lifted her up in his arms. She immediately circled her arms around his neck in fear. He closed his eyes feeling his daughter’s soft touch. Sam who just came realised the situation.
“sir, I was just…”
“I don’t want any explanation. Its just I can look after my daughter better than you do. so I will take her with me.” he said and walked away.
Sam stood there glaring at her.
“sam….” Neil yelled.
“coming…” she yelled back.
Sam slapped her twice on either cheek before leaving.
“witch…” she yelled at her and walked out.
Mrs. Thomas was of course, shocked.
——————————-
“sam, can you drive?” neil asked.
“I want to hold her…” he said kissing the top of her head.
“sure neil…” sam said and walked over to the driver seat after caressing her hair.
Naina’s sobs were still same.
“sshhh…. I’ve got you…. its okay…”
Neil whispered frequently rubbing her back.
“I don’t want her…” naina said after a few minutes.
Her sobs declined.
“she’s a hitch….” Neil smiled. She was getting back to herself slowly.
“its witch, dear…”
“wittcchhh”
“yeah… that’s it….”
————–
That’s it… thank you for reading…. Please give me your reviews….