"Brunooo... Stand up... Stand up... OK don't..."
Chahat folded her hands in disappointment and looked at her new puppy.
"Bruno let's play... Let's play... Catch catch... Ball...??"
She looked at the puppy expecting a reply from him.
"Barbie doll...?? Do you like barbie doll...??"
"Milk...?? You are hungry...?? Mommmyyy dadddyyy..."
Chahat sat beside the puppy and called her parents.
"What happened baby...??" Meher came running and asked chahat.
"Bruno..."
"Talk to daddy about it..." said meher, poor she hates dogs and puppies.
"Daddd..." Chahat yelled this time.
"Lower down your volume chahat..." Meher told chahat strenly.
"Yes darling..." said abeer coming in the living room, all of his attention on his princess.
"He doesn't play with me... He just sits here all day... And I think he hates milk... Like I do... But he is very lazy... Boring..." complained chahat.
Abeer couldn't help but smile at chahat and her cuteness.
"Dad do something..." Chahat said but this time with moist eyes.
Abeer went to chahat and sat on his knees, taking chahat in his arms.
"What do you think... Why is he unhappy...??"
"He is unhappy...??" asked chahat.
"Who knows... But why is he not listening to you... Did you hurt him...??" asked abeer.
"No. Noo... I didn't..." Chahat replied nodding her head in negative.
Meher looked at the duo lovingly and then she crunched her nose when she looked at the puppy.
Abeer held chahat's hand and made her run her hand on the puppy's head lovingly. The puppy wagged his tail and chahat sqealed in happiness.
"He wants to be loved..." Abeer told chahat.
"Is he missing his mommy...??" Chahat asked looking at the puppy.
"He might be..." Abeer shrugged his shoulders.
Chahat sat beside the puppy and looked at him closely.
"You miss mommy... Don't you...??"
Meher was way too much proud of chahat that moment. Her daughter understood such emotions as well and was worried thinking that the puppy might be missing his mother.
"He misses his mommy... He is sad..." chahat told abeer sadly.
"Now what...??" Abeer asked.
"Let's take him back. He needs his mommy..." Chahat suggested and a tear rolled down her eye.
Meher joined the duo and abeer looked at her.
"Chahat I'm proud of you baby. The puppy needs his mother... Like you need me and I need you... The babies always needs their mother the most..." said meher.
"And daddy too... Right mommy...??" asked chahat.
"That's my girl..." Abeer said happily and pulled chahat in his arms again.
"Yes and now let's just go and return him... We don't want to separate him from his mother... Do we...??" said meher. Somewhere deep down she was happy thinking that the puppy will be gone now.
"Can we bring his mommy too...??? They will be happy then..." Chahat suggested the next minute.
"No ways... Get him out of my house now..." ordered meher.
Abeer giggled and signalled chahat to pick the puppy. It was time for the puppy to go back. They knew it. Chahat was happy that now the puppy will be with his mommy.
The moment they walked out meher sighed with relief. She has always hated dogs and honestly this wasn't hatred; it was fear. The only fear she still wasn't able to overcome. Shame on her. Meher sat at the dining table and looked at the courier that she received two days back. Having this pup was so annoying that she almost forgot about it. She opened the parcel and looked at its contents.
"We are back..." said chahat as meher opened the door for them.
"Meher... All OK...??" Abeer asked as he looked at meher. She didn't look fine., something was wrong and he was sure of it.
Meher nodded her head and stepped back so that abeer could enter. Abeer closed the door and looking at meher wondered the reason of her worry.
"You can always tell me what's wrong... And don't lie to me... Ever..." Abeer cupped meher's cheek and told her.
"What's worse abeer...?? Getting fooled or fooling someone...?? Breaking trust or getting your trust being broken by the one you thought would never do it...??" asked meher.
"What...?? Its worst... Not worse..." Chahat interrupted and said looking at meher.
"Go to your room baby..."
Abeer kept looking at meher unable to understand the hidden meaning behind her swords. Something was terribly wrong and he had no idea what exactly went wrong. Being clueless was the worst thing. At least according to him.
When abeer stood there numb and clueless, meher smiled at him. Abeer found it even more strange when meher smiled at him. The stop_faking_it kind of smile.
"Spill the beans. I want to hear your version of the story..." said meher crossing her arms against her chest.
"Can you gimme a minute and explain me what's it exactly about...?? And why are you in abeer ki bajao mode...??? The puppy is gone. You don't have to get all mad over me... chahat wanted it yaar..."
"Can we not talk about chahat for once...??? Its about you and me..." replied meher.
"Us... Its about us... Ohh... Tell me..." said abeer walking towards the sofa. Its better to sit when you know its a long discussion that will follow..
"Someone sent a gift for you and me... Actually only for me..."
Meher picked up the parcel and threw it at the sofa. Abeer shook his head and picked the parcel.
"Open it fast baby..."
Abeer looked at meher from the corner of his eye and opened the parcel.
"This..." Abeer whispered.
"Yes this... You have been lying to me all the time. For what...?? 5 years...??" said meher coldly.
"I can explain..."
"You have to explain darling... Im not letting you off the hook... And Im not that immature and stupid to pack my stuff and leave. Its my house, my family, and my daughter we are talking about..."
"I never wanted to lie to you..."
"I don't want to know it... I just want to know why didn't your conscience force you to tell me the truth... Aren't you tired of feeding me up with lies...?? Are you that spineless...?? You claimed to love me. Is this how you love...?? Aren't you man enough to say it in front of me...?? Your so called father has to send this to me, to remind me what I'm trying to forget... Like really...??"
Abeer looked at meher with shock written on his face and confusion in his eyes.
"Speak up now Mr. Rockstar... Cat got your tongue..." Meher raised her eye brow at him.
"Meher I... I love you yaar. You forgot everything and you loved me and you know I love you too... Toh pyaar mein toh... Jung mein bhi... Pyaar aur Jung mein... Sab fair hota hai..."
"Stop your bickering... I heard your "I'm the man" conversation with your dearest father. Now when were you planning to tell it to me. On our 25th marriage anniversary or at 50th...???"
"Mummy ji made me swear on her. I couldn't tell you the truth..."
"I'm not buying that shit..." Meher replied.
"I didn't want to lose you. You would have left me... Again..."
"You left me... Accept it now at least..."
"OK... I left you... Wait... You remember it...??"
"I remember every bit of it Mr. Malhotra... And was trying to move past it until this parcel came. Showing me the divorce papers and such stuff. What is your family's problem by the way...???"
"Huh...??"
"Why in the hell did I ever fell for you...?? Abeer Malhotra I love you... Even after whatever you did... I loved you... And even now... After all the things you did... I still love you..."
"I love you too..." Abeer replied smiling at meher.
"Stop smiling... Dont show me your teeth else i will be tempted to punch you hard... Anyways Aren't you going to apologise or do I have to do the entire melodrama... Shouting on you, blaming you, packing my stuff, taking chahat with me, you running behind me, and then apologising... Why not skip it and you apologise straightaway...???"
"Meher tum theek ho na...?? Koi screw kahin gir toh nahi gya... I mean... Tum itni shanti se... I mean..."
"We have a kid... I dont want her to listen it... Plus I was always the mature one amongst us..."
"Would you really have taken chahat away...?? Away from me...??" Abeer asked looking deep in thought.
"I can't believe it... You are worried about me taking chahat away... You stay with chahat, I'm going... To my house..."
Meher went to her room upstairs and abeer followed her.
"Arrey I'm worried about you leaving me... Sachi..."
"Yeahhh... Anything else...??" Meher asked and threw a cushion at abeer.
"I love you so much... You don't even know how much... You basically have no idea... My love is deep like an ocean..."
"Don't throw these compositions of yours at me... I have heard better... You.. You could have told me everything... You thought I would have left you... All my life I wanted a second chance with us and now when I have it, I will throw it away. Yes I can still accuse you... I have that much of right... In fact I have every single right on you... You pinhead, you liar, you... You..."
Meher picked up a vase and was about to throw it at abeer, who was at the opposite side of the bed.
"Don't throw it Meher. Its a classic antique piece..." Abeer stopped meher.
Meher looked at the vase and carefully kept it back. It was an antique piece and she was adamant to buy it. Paying a good amount of money for that vase. Well, what were they earning for. To put it in the bank.
Meher saw a faint smile on abeer's face and picked up the lamp placed on the corner table.
"Do you want to kill me or what...?? Keep that down baby. Pati se jhagda karna hai toh karo... Pati ko maarne ki planning to mat karo... Marr gya toh tumhe jail ho jaegi..." said abeer.
Meher paused and a tear rolled down her eye. She went to abeer and looked straight into his eyes.
"Meher..."
"Don't ever say it again... You are struck with me forever... Marne ki baat dubara ki toh main marr jaungi... Dekh Lena..."
Meher held his collar and pulled him close.
"Darr lagta hai na... Lagta hai na zindagi ke mayne mitt jaege... Dil toot ta hai na... Saanse rukk jaati hai na..." Abeer asked softly.
Meher nodded her head in agreement, hands shivering and eyes teary.
"I felt the same. Looking at you and fearing if I lost you forever. Your lifeless form breaking me already broken heart. Fearing it would be broken beyond repair with the pieces which will never be put back together. I realised what you meant for me... Zindagi nahi jaroorat nahi thi tum... Tum toh zindagi thi... All day I prayed to god... Either return you to me or kill me if god forbid anything happened to you... I couldn't sleep at nights thinking what if you never woke up the next morning... I used to look at your form and think of the best time of my life. The time when I was lucky enough that we belonged to each other. I threw it away meher. I destroyed us. It ate me up all day. Maa and bua they blamed me for it. I was to be blamed... Yes... But they did shut me out. I had no way to reach out to you. I was dying meher and so were you as the doctors said. I couldn't accept and my heart hoped for a miracle. And it happened. You woke up and you know the rest. I wanted you back but not by hiding the truth. I also couldn't risk your life too, so I accepted life as it came. Bahut pyaar karta hoon tumse... Pehle se kahin jyada... Bahut jyada..."
"I love you too... And I would have done the same... Wouldn't I have come to you, if you wanted me the most...?? I would have... forgetting and leaving everything behind. Because you matter the most. I love you so much abeer... I could never hate you... But I hated myself for not being able to stop loving you. You were always on my mind then. Now promise me you will never let anything happen to us..."
"I promise..."
Meher threw herself in Abeer's arms and he hugged her protectively and possessively.
"And you still have to apologise..." Meher whispered against his chest.
"I will do it tonight... "
Meher playfully slapped his arm and giggled.
"No one loves me now..."
They broke the hug and looked at chahat who was on the verge on crying.
"Why are you saying that...?? I toh love you more than this meher.." Abeer picked up chahat in his arms and kissed her cheek.
"Pakka...?? I also love you more than meher... I mean mommy..." Chahat replied and hugged abeer.
"You two... I'm standing here only... At least don't say it at my face..." Meher said keeping her hands on her waist.
"I love you... Sabse jyadaa..." Abeer mouthed to meher.
"Chal jhootha..." saying this meher walked out of the room, leaving the father daughter duo alone.
Meher sat near the window and closed her eyes. It was way too exhausting for her. She was right when she called suman just after opening that parcel. Her life shattered officially when she saw those divorce papers and the newspaper articles spreading the news of her going around with abeer and the copy of the salary cheque she signed as abeer's boss. Those flashes were haunting her from days and she has been ignoring them thinking how will she ask abeer about it. He would only end up taking stress and worry about her. And somewhere within, she was scared to know the truth. What if the truth destroyed them a and most of all she was scared thinking about its effect on chahat. Suman explained meher whatever she could and made meher promise her that she will ask abeer about it. She will talk to him before taking any major step. After it, those lost memories came running back to her. But soon those painful memories were replaced by the precious memories they created in the last 5 years. She realised that nothing was more important than their present, their happiness, their marriage and their daughter. She was ready to forgot those 8 years. Leaving that dreadful past behind to welcome their bright and happy future.
After 3 years.
"I hate him... I don't want him now... Let's be what we used to be..."
"Chahat... Mind your language..." Meher told chahat.
"She hates me mumma..."
Meher looked at her prince, her junior abeer. Aarav.
"She doesn't hate you... You must have done something aaru... What did you do...???" Meher wiped aarav's tears and made him look at her.
"Nothing... She shouts at me..." He replied and hugged meher.
"You love him more. He tore the project I made and now he is acting all innocent..." Chahat accused meher and aarav.
"Aarav... Say sorry..." Meher separated aarav from her and ordered him.
"I didn't do anything... Mummmaa..."
Meher closed her eyes tiredly and wondered why was she so adamant on having another baby. Abeer was right when he said they don't need to have a second baby. And now having aarav... Well he is such a nautanki... And who is to be blamed, her husband, Abeer
Malhotra.
"Mom it will be fun trust me..." said abeer as he entered the room with madhvi.
"Dad..." Chahat called abeer.
Aarav looked at abeer from the corner of his eyes and ran to him.
"Papa..." He hugged abeer's leg and continued crying.
Abeer looked at meher and she shook her head in annoyance.
"Kya hua hai mere baby ko...??" Abeer asked aarav and he made a puppy face.
Madhvi looked at aarav and smiled at the antics of her grand son.
"She called me a mistake..." Aarav said as abeer picked him in his arms.
"Who...??" asked meher.
"Didi... She said aarav is a mistake..." Aarav replied looking at abeer and meher turn by turn.
"Did you chahat...??" Meher asked chahat in disbelief.
Abeer and madhvi looked at each other and giggled. Chahat smiled at them while Meher glared.
"Abeer... Say something to her..." Meher told abeer.
"Put me down... No one loves me... Aarav is a mistake..." said aarav and abeer put him down. And continued while tugging at madhvi's dupatta "Daadi take me home... Your home..."
"Aarav listen to mumma..."
Aarav turned and looked at meher.
"You are not a mistake baby... Your daddy is..." said meher shooting deadly glares at abeer.
"What...?? You called me a mistake... Yeh mistake na hui hoti toh tum kya karti baby..." Abeer said pointing at himself.
"Meri zindagi mein chain aur sukoon hota abeer... Arrgghh... I'm tired of this drama all day..." said meher.
"He tore my project dad and then he cries... Such a drama king..." complained chahat.
"And she called me mistake. Always fights with me. I love only daadi, naani and tunnu maamu..." said aarav.
"He also doesn't like bua ji..." Abeer commented and laughed.
"Hey bhagwan... Kis gunaah ki saza de raha hai mujhe... Kya galti ho gyi mujhse..." meher sighed in frustration.
"Shut up all of you... It's lunch time. No more discussion now..." Madhvi ordered and went outside the room.
Chahat and aarav quietly left the room.
Abeer kneeled on the floor and held meher's hand.
"I'm sorry on their behalf..."
Meher looked at abeer and tried not to smile at him, for he looked so cute while apologising.
"Its ok..." said meher.
"Waise apna aarav bahut talented hai... Nahi...??" Abeer asked meher.
"Haan... Tumhari carbon copy jo hai..."
"That's why you love him so much... Chamcha hai tumhara woh..." said abeer.
"I love him more than I love you... Sabse jyada... And its mumma's boy. Just like you are..." Meher smirked.
"I'm only yours mumma..." Abeer said in a baby like voice.
"Haaye mera beta... Aaja..."
And they hugged each other.
Life was never a bed of roses, neither will it ever be. But it becomes worthwhile and easy when you have a loving family. Being loved by the people you love is priceless. Mehbeer reunited when destiny gave them a second chance and they grabbed it. Not all people get second chances in love, but the ones who get are very special... Way too special... And so is their love story...
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