Loving the Sins

"Pick up... pick up... pick up the phone..." Anuradha was trying to get someone on the phone. For hours, she had been trying, yet the result remained the same.

Anuradha, Avantika and Vedant were in a temple where she had to get married to the man she chose. As per Avantika's wish or should it say force, she had agreed to marry when Rakshit and Aradhika visited her home. Apart from Anuradha, Rakshit and his two mothers were disheartened and even broken by her decision. She had selected a widower over her baby's father.

"Argh... where are you, Arpit?" Anuradha just wanted to throw her phone away in frustration. She had been calling her groom who was supposed to be here by the time.

Arpit was the first and last person crossed in her mind when a marriage talk arose. However, he had come with a marriage proposal to her many times, so she did not think twice to pick him as her groom. This marriage was not her choice, it was her need to escape from Rakshit.

It was a brave move from her side. Nobody expected that she would come to settle on a plan of action, not even Avantika. Though she did not heartily welcome the good call, she was happy for Anuradha at least she said yes to marriage.

"Did he pick up the phone?" Avantika asked when she saw the tension lines on Anuradha's face.

"No, he didn't pick up the phone." Anuradha shook her head. She started to regret her right move which turned into a blooper.

Vedant was sitting on a step, watching his mother and grandmother now and then. He did not get what was going on here. One thing was apparent, he had not to call someone 'Papa' other than the actual one.

"Why did he not take your call?" Avantika was also anxious when the bridegroom had not appeared yet. "Perchance, they are on their way." She concluded a possible answer for their mysterious disappearance.

"I don't know, Maa." Anuradha found herself in an embarrassed state as the people came to the temple staring at her. She had been standing in her bridal attire, waiting for her bridegroom for hours. She cursed herself for taking a misstep.

"Was it ringing?" Avantika asked.

"Yeah, but nobody takes it." Anuradha was not worried about her marriage. Honestly, she did not care whether it happened on time or not. Apparently she knew that she became a laughing stock. That was what all made her turn gray with worry.

"Try again." Avantika urged.

Anuradha dialled his number one more time. Her jaw clenched in embittered.

"What?" Avantika interrogated.

"Switched off." Anuradha huffed. She wanted nothing right at the moment, but hit the Arpit with something for killing her serenity.

"Switched off? Wasn't it ringing early?" Avantika inquired.

"Maybe he has done it purposely; we can't bother him further." Anuradha said in her low spirited tone.

"Does the bridegroom arrive?" Priest asked them. Anuradha shook her head in a negative impact.

"There's only three minutes left to end the Shubh Muhurt." The priest reminded them, taking a look at his wrist watch.

( Shubh muhurat- Auspicious time of the day. Based on the couple's horoscopes, the priest determines the most auspicious day to conduct the marriage.)

"What shall we do now, Anu?" Avantika did not expect her marriage would end up like this. Her worry and concern reflected in her tone. "Do one thing, I will go to check on him. At least we can know about the reason." She suggested.

"Maa, you don't have to go anywhere. I think he might change his decision to marry a mother of five years old son." Anuradha came to a conclusion.

"I don't think so. He seems like a nice guy. At the last moment he won't come to such a decision. In fact, he was the one who fixed the marriage date and venue. Then how could he walk out of the last moment? I am sure there will be a strong reason behind him not making it up here." Avantika was certain of Arpit's nature. She knew that he wouldn't leave a chance to get married to Anuradha when he actually got one, how did he leave it?

"Maa, let's go home? I should not have..." Anuradha's face turned gloomy like she had failed a battle. Courageously, she had made this decision. At the moment, she thought she should not have done it.

"Anu, it's okay beta. Maybe something happened which made him postpone the wedding." Avantika consoled her.

Suddenly a male voice interfered into their conversation.

"A groom is still available."

Anuradha and Avantika turned around and found Rakshit was sitting next to Vedant.

"Rakshit?" Anuradha's eyes widened.

They did not notice when he came and took a seat next to Vedant.

"I am always ready for you, Radha." He got on his feet along with Vedant who was holding his father's hand tightly. "There's still two minutes to end the shubh muhurat. Just a nod is enough from you, the next moment I will be your." He had a cocky smile on his lips.

"What is he doing here?" Anuradha snapped at her mother who was equally surprised to see him.

"Why are you bothering her? She doesn't know about it. You can ask me, Radha." He advanced towards her.

"I am not your Radha!"

"You are my Radha. By the way, you look gorgeous." He did not mind flirting with her before his mother.

"Yes you are papa's Radha. He calls you only Radha, so you are his Radha." Vedant too agreed with his father.

"Ved!" Anuradha shouted, causing him to hide behind his dearest papa.

"What are you doing here?" She shot the question as he suggested.

"I came to know that my baby's mamma is going to marry someone. I thought of congratulating the lucky guy who is going to own my Radha." He said adding a bit of dramatic essence.

"I am not yours!" Anuradha seethed.

"Of course you are mine! If the baby is mine, the baby's mamma is also mine." He knew that he was getting under her skin. It was really fun making her angry like back in their college days.

Anuradha whipped her head to her mother. She knew that talking with him only made her mad. "Did you tell him about the marriage?"

"I didn't say anything regarding your marriage. Why would I have to do that?" Avantika was innocent in the matter. It was someone else who gave him the news.

"I have my own source. You don't need to scare her." Rakshit said not disclosing the person's name.

After having a brief thought, Anuradha found the spy. "Ved..." Vedant looked up to Rakshit who blinked his eyes at him as if nothing to worry.

Vedant had stolen Rakshit's phone number from Avantika's diary and asked a neighbor to make a call. He was the little spy in her home.

"Now I understand why Arpit didn't come." Anuradha narrowed her eyes. "What have you done to him?"

"I did nothing to him." Rakshit acted like he was innocent in this case. He was anything but innocent.

"I know you must have done something to him or he would have come here." Anuradha argued. She was certain it was all his play.

"I swear I did nothing." He repeated.

"Maa, ask your so-called son what he has done to the poor man." Anuradha asked her help to make him reveal the truth.

"Tell me the truth, Rakshit. Did you?" Avantika asked, not wavering from her serious tone.

"I told him very politely to back off from the marriage or I would break his legs." He could hide nothing from his mother whose eyes became double in size after listening to him. How casually he said it.

"Did you think I would marry you after you stopped my marriage?" He did not reply to her, instead looking straight into her eyes.

"I would never marry you!" She swore, causing him to be shallow in the pain.

"I would never let you marry anyone either." He took his vow before God.

They were not aware of somebody's presence near them, keenly watching them. The person had also taken his vow to never let them unite.