Page 23 of The Royal Beast & His Queen

Both the mother-son sat in uncomfortable silence for a while. None spoke a word, Amruta is afraid of her son leaving the room if she opens her mouth while Abhyansh is hesitant on how to start a conversation, it's been years since he had spoken to his mother except for answering her in monosyllables that too once in a blue moon. He is not sure about how to frame a sentence, how does a son ask his mother if his father abuses her ?

When he is thinking all this, his phone pops up with his wife's message, that brought relief at the same time worry to him. Relief at how his wife understood him so well and worry thinking how could he hide things from her, things that could hurt her if she reads him like an open book ?

"Just ask whatever you have in your head, anyways you are not good at putting filters to that mouth, Actually sorry, it always stays in a filter called 'silent'. Remove the filter at least for today Mr. Husband",Isha's text read. A small smile formed on his face but he soon covered it.

He knew she was trying to lighten up his mood at the same time trying to take off his hesitation so that he could start a conversation with his mother and it worked perfectly.

"From when is this going on ?", Abhyansh asked, he is going to follow the 'direct approach', like his wife said, he is very bad at putting filters while speaking anyways as she said.

His mother is startled with his cold tone and the question that left his mouth...

"This...This is the firs...", Amruta started but is cut off by her son sternly...

"You better not lie to me, you won't like the consequences...", he said and tears fell from her eyes out of fear, what if her son kills her husband?

"I...It n..e...", Amruta fumbled

"Don't fumble", Abhyansh spoke coldly making his mother gasp...

"It never stopped", Amruta completed her sentence trying hard not to fumble, her one sentence brought the BEAST out of him...

"Why the hell didn't you tell me about it ?", Abhyansh asked banging on the table in front of him... The porcelain glass cracked to his force but he hardly cared.

"I couldn't tell you... I deserved it", Amruta said and Abhyansh closed his eyes trying to control his temper... His mother didn't deserve it, she didn't deserve the abuse she received, and even thinking that she faced this abuse for more than 3 decades is piercing his heart. He would want this fate for no woman in this world and here his own mother has been suffering from it.

He knew his mother couldn't come to him or tell him how his father treated her after how he broke his ties with her. Even when he was in good terms with his mother, she never shared how his father abused her verbally, but her mother hugged him a minute extra every time that happened as she used to find solace in her heart, her elder son near her gave her enough strength to deal with things but when the mother-son fall apart, Amruta lost her only safe haven.

Abhyansh never knew his father abused his mother physically too. He thought after he ordered the whole family not to talk about it, he expected his father to follow his orders considering how scared Pratap was of him but he was terribly wrong there. He should have known that his cunning father would take advantage of his wife's soft nature and continue to abuse her knowing she wouldn't spill the beans ever.

Abhyansh's heart clenched thinking how much his mother suffered all these years, if his wife wouldn't have witnessed itwith her own eyes, he didn't know how long this would have continued and the thought itself made him furious.

"You didn't deserve it...", Abhyansh said, he needed to assure his mother, it was the right thing to do, that's what his beliefs said, he might not forgive his mother but he never forgot his responsibility as a son, he made sure that his parents stay in good health, he took care of their security and all physical needs. He always knew there are a lot of problems in his parents' marriage but he never cared enough or loved them that much to involve in their matters, he would have if he knew what his mother was going through...

Amruta's eyes welled up hearing her son's assurance. 'I do deserve all the pain I got for hurting you' Amruta wanted to say but no words came out...

"Tell me everything", Abhyansh asked his mother... Amruta panicked, What is he asking about ? No, she can't tell how his father abused her verbally and sometimes physically... Pratap slapped Amruta whenever she defended her elder son... "I'm still waiting and you know I absolutely hate it", Abhyansh said in his cold tone that sent shivers to Amruta in fear.

"He...He slapped me, it wasn't often, just sometimes...", She quickly defended her husband afraid of her son's fury...

"And ?", Abhyansh asked calmly, but she knew this is calm before storm...

"He taunts me about th... that", she said and he understood what she was trying to say. So his father still taunts her about Chirag Rathore...

Abhyansh stood up, she thought he was leaving, she didn't want him to but she could do nothing... She is about to stand up when Abhyansh signed her to sit and she did. He walked towards her instead of the exit and held her chin examining her cheek. Looking at the finger prints and the swollen cheek of his mother, he felt like ripping his father apart but he maintained his calm. He needs to respect his wife's punishment especially when he was the one who gave her power, and moreover he knew his father must be dying in shame at how a woman, that too his daughter-in-law punished him. No physical pain can match the amount of mental pain his father might be having now considering how chauvinistic he is, so Abhyansh decided to hurt him more on the wound his wife already gave him instead of giving him a new wound. Well he would do that as well but it's saved for later.

He made plans on how to torture his father just after his wife's punishment ends.

"Keep applying the ointment", he said looking at the ointment laying on the sidetable which his wife might have put there, he is sure. "I'll make sure he wouldn't raise his hand on you again, if I have to chop his arms off for that, I would do it gladly", he said taking a step away from his mother. "One last thing... I hate having such a weak mother who couldn't defend herself", he said and walked to the door...

Amruta wasn't hurt, instead it's the total opposite, she is on cloud nine with her son's behavior, and she knew his last statement was to make sure that she gets stronger if she knows he is disappointed.

"Abhyansh...", she called stopping him in his tracks... "I won't let him hit me anymore, I promise you", Amruta said to assure her son so that he won't worry for her...

"I don't trust neither you nor your promises anymore...", Abhyansh said bitterly and with that one sentence she understood how much hatred and bitterness she filled in him with the one step she took. She wanted to explain her side of the story, she knew if not today she wouldn't get another opportunity.

"Abhyansh... It's not like that, please hear me out once... I beg you", she said running to him holding his palm but he jerked it.

"Don't talk about past...", he said sternly

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