Chapter Eight
“Stunning,” Abhira whispered as she gazed at the photograph in front of her. A silhouette in red, gazing at the night sky from the balcony of a two storeyed home. It was clear that the photographer was in love with his muse. Which, Abhira knew was the absolute truth. After all, anyone who spent any time in their presence could tell how much Abir loved Mishti.
“It really is,” Armaan agreed, standing beside her, glued to her side. “She looks even more gorgeous. I didn't think it was possible.”
“Woh kehte haina, Bhaiya,” Krish added his two cents. “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Jisne bhi yeh photo kheechi hai, they must really love her from the bottom of their heart,” he echoed Abhira's earlier thoughts.
“Normal si photo hi toh hai! Aap sab kyun itna emotional ho rahe ho?” Aryan whined. “Aisa kya hi khaas hai isme?”
“Aryan, tu na… Rehne de. Tujhe toh bilkul romance ke baare mein kuch samajh hi nahi aata,” Charu commented. “Bachcha hai abhi tu.”
“Yeh aap log har waqt yehi bolke mujhe kyun sideline kar dete ho?” Aryan questioned. “Itna bhi chota nahi hoon main!”
“Toh chup kar aur photo dekh!” Kiara ordered. “Aur agar nahi dekhni toh jaake wahaan Maa aur Papa aur baaki sabke saath bore ho. Humein toh shaanti se exhibition ka mazaa lene de!”
Their little chorus gang was standing in front of one the photographs for the exhibit that had been put together by Asha Kiran to raise money for the school. Jaise Banjaare Ko Ghar was a collection of specially curated photos from Abir Rajvansh's personal album that he was willing to auction. Every photo was of his wife, though her face was visible in none of them. Abir had captured the feeling of home that had made its way into his heart because of Mishti in such a beautiful way that every silhouette made Abhira tear up. She wished to have as fulfilling a love as theirs.
Being one of the more influential families of the city, the Poddars had also received an invitation to the fundraiser, and the entire family had turned up on Kaveri's orders. She was still hoping to snag Abir Rajvansh as a client and wanted to use this exhibit as an opportunity. Especially knowing that Kunal Rajvansh would be in attendance as well, it would be like hitting two birds with one stone.
Too bad, Armaan had insisted on carting that girl along. She wasn't a part of Kaveri's family, never would be, but Abir Rajvansh seemed to have a soft spot for her grandson for some reason, and it had been imperative to bring Armaan along. So, she hadn't created a fuss when he'd informed the family that Abhira would be his date for the evening, even though she didn't like it one bit. Some sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, after all.
“Kya ho raha hai yahaan?” Madhav asked, joining the chorus gang, with Vidya and Kaveri in tow. “Main jabse dekh raha hoon, sabki aankhein yahin gadi hui hai.”
“Kuch nahi, Papa,” Abhira answered. “Bas yeh photo dekh rahe the. Kitni sundar hai, nahi?”
Madhav glanced at the photo and hummed in appreciation. “Pyaari toh bohot hai. Kitne pyaar se li hai, dekhke hi pata chalta hai.”
“Dekhke kya pata chalta hai?” Abir asked, joining the conversation.
Abhira launched herself into his waiting arms, uncaring of everyone around them. Kaveri was left shocked at the gesture. Even Armaan had been more respectful to Abir than this girl was, treating him so familiarly. Even worse, actually. None of her own family ever treated her this way. They were always very respectful, greeting her by touching her feet and seeking her blessings. Very rarely did they ever hug her, only when the occasion called for it. And here this girl was, clinging to a man who was old enough to be her grandfather, without a care in the world.
Oblivious to Kaveri's thoughts, Abir laughed, hugging Abhira tight, rocking her back and forth. “Heeraaaaa,” he sighed. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” Abhira whined, burrowing closer. She didn't know why. They'd seen each just a few hours ago, yet to her it felt like an eternity. Abir tugged her harder, pulling her flush against him.
“It's okay, Heera,” he murmured softly. “Yahin hoon main, tere paas.”
He understood very well how she felt in that moment, like she wanted to jump out of her skin. He felt that way constantly, the need to be close to his little girl never leaving him alone. If it were up to him, Abhira would not spend a single moment away from him, but he knew that he had to respect her choices, even if they took her away from him.
“It's okay,” he repeated, kissing the top of her head. Abhira took a deep breath, the scent of Abir's perfume filling her senses, grounding her. Reluctantly, she pulled away.
“Good?” Abir asked, cupping her face. Abhira nodded, making Abir smile. He reached down to kiss her forehead. Armaan cleared his throat, breaking their moment. “Hum bhi hai yahaan, in case you've forgotten,” he stated.
Abir grinned, purposely taking the bait that Armaan had laid out. “Oh? Armaan Sa! Aapko kaise bhool sakte hain?”
Laughing, Abir gave Armaan a quick hug. “Itne lambe khambe jaise ho! Dekha tha maine, you're hard to miss you know. Lekin, Heera ke aage toh…”
“Aapko koi nahi dikhta,” Armaan finished for him. “Pata hai mujhe. Isliye aapko yaad dila raha tha!”
“Aye, Khadoosmaan! Tum jealous ho rahe ho kya?” Abhira asked. “Ab tum mere jitne awesome nahi ho yeh baat tumhe samajh aa jaani chahiye na! Kab tak iss baat ka dukh manate rahoge?”
Abir high-fived her for that remark, teasing a giggle out of her. “Right!” He agreed. “Heera's the best!”
“Baba! Aapne mumma ko dekha kya?” Amish entered the conversation.
“Baadal Mamu!” Abhira cried in delight, giving him a hug. “Aap bade hi dashing lag rahe ho!”
“Thank you,” Amish grinned. “Tu bhi badi pyaari lag rahi hai. Aur waise… Baadal mujhe sirf Baba aur Raj bulaate hain, but tere liye ek exception.”
“Lekin yeh kitna weird nickname hai,” Abhira pouted. “Baadal… Aap ghode ho kya?”
Amish chuckled. “Bachpan mein main bhi Baba se yehi poochta tha. Toh pata hai unhone kya kaha?”
“Kya?” Abhira wondered.
“Yehi, ki Mishti mera chaand hai, aur main uska aasmaan,” Abir smiled. “Aur humaare dono bachche… Baadal aur Tara.”
Abhira awwed, pulling Abir's cheek. “Aap sach mein bohot zyada cute ho!!”
“Woh toh main hoon,” Abir agreed.
“Babaaaaa!” Amish complained. “Mumma kahaan hai?”
“Yahin kahin hogi… Kahaan jaayegi?” Abir asked. “Maine bhi usse thode time se nahi dekha. Kuch arrangement dekh rahi hogi.”
Just then, the lights dimmed. A spotlight shone in the middle of the room. “Aap sab yahaan aaye, humaara saath dene, uske liye thank you,” Mishti said. “Iss school se bohot saare bachchon ki zindagi badal jaayegi. Aur yeh sab, aap sabki blessings ki wajah se hoga. So, thank you so much for being a part of this change and writing a better future for all of us.”
She stepped right into the spotlight as soft music started playing. Abir shook his head. He should've known. No exhibit of his was complete without a performance by Mishti. She always took immense pride in his work and this was her way of showing him how proud she was. Over the years, his little Tara, and on occasion, some of the other family members had also joined the performance. It was the highlight of his day.
Sure enough, Misha stepped out from behind Mishti, and a second later Raj did as well. “Woohooooo!!” Abir cheered. He fumbled for his phone for a second, opening the camera app and clicking a dozen pictures.
And then, much to everyone's surprise, Raj pulled Abhira into the performance as well, just as the other women in the family took their places. For a second, Abhira was stunned, unsure what to do next. Then, softly, Mishti held her hand and gave it a squeeze, passing her a reassuring smile, giving her a place right beside her. Abhira grinned, squeezing her hand back in gratitude. It took her a bit but she managed to follow everyone else and soon, she was matching their steps with every beat, dancing her heart out.
Armaan looked at her, awed. He didn't know when was the last time he'd seen her laugh so bright, have so much fun in a group of people. Abir, sensing his emotions, wrapped an arm around his shoulder - a silent display of support. Later, Armaan would never be able to say what prompted him to do it, and maybe, he would be embarrassed about it for the rest of his life, but in that moment, he couldn't help it. He leaned to rest his head on Abir's shoulder. Abir looked down at him, surprised, but Armaan was engrossed in the performance, in Abhira and her infectious laughter. Wordlessly, Abir tightened his hold, in turn resting his head on Armaan's.
Abir knew that Armaan hadn't really ever felt the love of a father. Yes, Madhav and him were repairing their relationship now, but the past could not be changed. The hurt Madhav had caused could not be erased so easily. Right then, Abir vowed to be for Armaan what Bade Papa had been for him. He would never let Armaan feel the absence of a father.
The performance ended on a high note, to thundering applause. Abir watched, completely smitten, as Mishti turned to Abhira first, hugging her tight. And then, as everyone else crowded around them, a mish-mash of arms and legs and loud laughter.
“You were brilliant,” Mishti praised Abhira. “Sorry, maine tujhe pehle se nahi bataya. Woh, actually… Raj ka idea tha ki hum sab tujhe surprise karein.”
Abhira turned to Raj, tears shining in her eyes. “Thank you,” she choked, cuddling close to her sister.
Abir went to them, stars in his eyes, stopping to thank each one of them with a hug and a kiss. Abhira's hug may have lasted a touch longer, but no one commented on it. “Thank you so much, Angry Chorni,” he murmured softly, resting his forehead on hers. “I think this was the best performance so far.”
Mishti grinned, pushing to her tiptoes, placing a lingering kiss on his cheek. “You're welcome, Ajeeb Rajvansh,” she grinned. Everyone cooed at the sight, especially Abhira, who was overwhelmed. Every time she saw the way Abir & Mishti together, she felt so grateful to be able to witness a love like theirs. They had the utmost respect for each other and it showed in every action of theirs. They were always so appreciative and open in their affection that sometimes she felt like a voyeur seeing them together. She wished that when Armaan and her had lived a whole life together, they would still love and appreciate each other like that.
“Welcome, everyone!” Amayra announced, breaking the moment. “Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence on this wonderful occasion. Hum sab aaj yahaan isliye ikhatta hue hain, kyunki hum sab aane waale kal ko behtar banana chaahte hain. But, aane waale kal se pehle… Aaj ke kuch shabd sunn lene chahiye, nahi? Please welcome, Mr. Abir Rajvansh!”
“Thank you, Baby Bro!” Abir grinned. To the crowd, he addressed, “Thoda repetitive ho raha hai, lekin I want to thank you all for being here tonight. Aap sabki presence humaare liye, aur humse se zyada, unn hazaron bachchon ke liye bohot maayne rakhti hai.
Jab maine Asha Kiran shuru kiya tha, hum sirf 3 log, ek kamre mein kaam karte the. Aaj, Asha Kiran ke offices poore desh mein hain, and we have more than 20,000 volunteers helping us. Yeh bohot badi baat hai mere liye. Maine kabhi nahi socha tha ki kisi din mere iss chote sapne ko itni badi udaan milegi. Yeh udaan, meri wife Mishti ki wajah se hai. Usne apna sab kuch iss NGO ko diya hai, aur aaj iss makaam par laaya hai ki main aaj aap sabke saamne apna sar garv se ooncha karke khada ho saku.
Itne saalon mein, humne kayi orphanages banaye, kayi old age homes shuru kiye, aur aise kayi aur schools bhi start kiye. Lekin, yeh wali school, thodi special hai. Isliye, kyunki hum kaafi waqt se yahaan school banana chaahte the, but school ki zameen ke saath issues chal rahe the. Aaj, hum ek nayi shuruaat kar paaye hain, sirf aur ek sirf ek insaan ki wajah se… Mr. Armaan Poddar.”
Armaan sucked in a sharp breath at the proclamation. He hadn't expected it. For his contribution to be appreciated so openly. It had never happened before. Dadi Sa had always praised him for a job well done, but had never acknowledged him so publicly, for she didn't believe he deserved it. He had only been doing his job. So what if he was good at it? It was expected out of him. No one gave anyone any laurels for doing what they were supposed to do. Yet, here he was, being thanked so profusely for just that… Doing his job.
He had always known that being the best at everything was expected of him. Whether it be sports or studies at school, being a gold medalist at college, or the best lawyer at the family firm. He had gotten to be a part of this family as a favour, and he needed to repay that favour by doing things they could be proud of. He had to be the golden boy - the best son, grandson, and elder brother, and also, the best at his work. He had always strived to achieve more and more and more in a bid to appease his family, to be on the receiving end of one smile from his Dadi Sa.
But, never in all his years, had he ever felt so loved and respected as he did right now. He teared up at the adulation he was receiving, unable to keep his emotions in check. He felt as if he would float away. And then, he felt Abhira wrap her arms around his waist, pushing herself into his side, grounding him. His arms shot out to wrap around her slim figure, finding home.
“Thank you so much, Armaan,” Abir continued. “Tum nahi hote, toh aaj hum bhi yahaan nahi hote. Jo tumne humaare liye kiya hai, uske liye thank you bohot chota word hai, but mere paas koi aur word hai nahi, isliye mujhe yehi use karna pad raha hai.
Itne saalon se hum sab koshish kar rahe the ki yeh zameen humein mil jaaye, aur yahaan woh school bane jo yeh bachche deserve karte hain. Humne bohot lawyers aur officers ko approach kiya, lekin kuch nahi hua. Jo case court mein dus saalon se chal raha tha, tumne usse kuch hafton mein jita diya. Hum bohot lucky hai ki tum humein mile.
I know maine aur Mishti ne tumhe bohot pareshaan kiya. Jhoothi identity use ki, apni jagah volunteers ke through kaam karwaya, aur phir finally, tumse milne ke baad I'm sure din-raat humne tumhaari naak mein dum kar rakha tha. But you came through for us.
Waise kehte hain ki family mein koi thank you nahi hota, but main phir bhi kehna chaahta hoon, kyunki jab dil se kisi ke shukraguzar ho, toh keh dena chahiye. Isse rishta aur gehra ho jaata hai, aisa Mishti kehti hai. Kyunki jab hum sachche dil se kuch kehte hain, toh dil ko baat samajh aa jaata hai… Aur pyaar aur badh jaata hai. Isliye, phir se, dil se, thank you, Armaan.
Aur waise maine ab bohot zyada bol diya hai toh main aap sab ko aur bore nahi karunga… But Mishti wants to say something. So… Mrs. Agarwal Rajvansh, all yours.”
Saying so, Abir walked off, straight to Armaan who immediately wrapped him in a tight hug. “Thank you, Bade Papa,” he choked. “Aaj aapne mujhe jitni izzat di hai, utni kisi ne nahi di. Mujhe nahi pata tha ki koi mere liye itna feel kar sakta hai. Thank you.”
Abir smiled, kissing his forehead. “You deserve even more, Armaan. I promise, main koshish karunga ki tumhe woh sab mile, jo tum deserve karte ho.”
“Thoda emotional ho gaya na?” Mishti laughed, as she took Abir's place in front of the crowd. “But aap sab chinta mat kijiye, aap sabko aur emotional karne main yahaan hoon, yahaan hoon, yahaaan!
Waise, Abir ne ek baat sahi kahi ki yeh school bohot special hai. Hum yahaan bohot time se school chaahte the… Woh isliye, kyunki Udaipur woh jagah hai jahaan mera bachpan beeta. Maine sheher toh saalon pehle hi chod diya tha, but yeh sheher hi mujhe nahi chod raha. Iss sheher ke liye main hamesha kuch karna chaahti thi, yahaan ke logon ke liye, jo kisi zamaane mein mere apne hua karte the.
Aaj jab yeh school finally ban'ne jaa raha hai, main shayad nahi express kar sakti ki main kitni khush hoon. Aaj, mera saalon puraana sapna poora hone jaa raha hai. Aur aaj, peeche mudke main dekhti hoon, uss 12 saal ki Mishti ko, jisne Udaipur yeh samajhke chod diya ki woh ab kabhi yahaan waapas nahi aayegi, toh mujhe dukh nahi, sirf khushi hoti hai uss journey pe. Itne utaar-chadhaav ke baad, hum aaj yahaan khade hain. And I'm really proud of us for that.
Toh, iss khushi ke mauke pe… Main yeh school unke naam karna chaahti hoon, jinhone mujhe pehli baar sikhaaya ki maa kya hoti hai. Waise, kehne ko toh woh meri Taima thi, lekin meri maa se zyada pyaar unhone mujhe diya, mujhe paala, posa, bada kiya. But… Woh kehte haina, ki bhagwaanji apne paas jaldi sirf achche logon ko hi bula lete hai, kyunki unhe bhi itne pyaare kisi shaks ke saath waqt bitaana hota hai? Main bohot choti thi, jab meri Taima humein chodke chali gayi. I was barely a teenager. Phir, kayi saal, maine zindagi unke bina jeena seekhne mein nikaal diye.
Lekin, main ek secret batau? Main na… Kanha Ji ki favourite hoon. Isliye… Unhone mujhe meri Akshu di. Jaise main Taima ki beti nahi thi, Akshu bhi meri beti nahi thi. Lekin, woh meri beti se kam bhi nahi thi. Usne mujhe bohot pyaar diya. Maasi maa kehti thi mujhe, aur jab woh gale se lagaati thi toh aisa lagta tha ki duniya mein koi gham mujhe choo bhi nahi paayega. But, woh bhi mujhe chodkar chali gayi… Par ek jeene ki wajah de gayi. Yeh school… Jo main meri Taima aur meri Akshu ke naam karne wali hoon.
Akshara Ucchh Vidyalaya, ek higher secondary school hoga, jahaan bachche 12th tak padh paayenge… For no fee. Hum unhe mid-day meal scheme ka part banayenge… Aur yeh bhi koshish karenge ki scholarships ke through woh sab aur bhi higher education continue kar sake - phir woh chaahe India mein ho ya abroad. We will offer classes in all three streams - arts, science, and commerce.
Itne saare bachchon ke itne saare khwabon ko poora karne, humein aapki help chahiye. Isliye, please… Aap jitna donate kar sakte hain, utna kijiye. Aaj aapki ek donation se kisi bachche ki zindagi sawar jaayegi. Thank you!”
Mishti hadn't even properly walked out of the crowd when she found her arms full of a crying Abhira. “Bas… Bas… Shh. Heera,” Mishti soothed. “Tu ro kyun rahi hai.”
“Mumm— mumma ki yaa— yaad aa rahi hai,” Abhira sobbed.
“Mujhe bhi,” Mishti admitted. “But… Akshu yahaan hoti na toh usse bilkul achcha nahi lagta ki hum aise sad hain.”
“Mumma mujhe chodke kyun chali gayi, Badi Maa? Aap unse kahiye na ki woh waapas aa jaaye. Please!” Abhira all but wailed. “Mujhe unke saath rehna hai. Mujhe unhe Armaan ke baare mein bataana, aapke baare mein bataana hai. Mujhe unhe bataana hai ki maine unki wish poori kardi… Ki main finally lawyer bann gayi. Main unke saath sab share karna chaahti hoon!”
Mishti choked back a sob. “I know. Main bhi yehi chaahti hoon, Gudiya Rani. But… Akshu humaare saath hi hai. Humaare dil mein. Aur woh har waqt humein dekh rahi hai. Iss pal mein bhi usne humaara saath nahi choda hai, aur naa hi woh kabhi chodegi. I promise, Heera. Akshu ka pyaar tere saath hi rahega. Hamesha, hamesha, hamesha.”
Abir and Armaan joined the fold, their arms wordlessly going around the two women, a promise that they were not alone. Mishti heaved in Abir's hold, burying her face in his chest, just as Abhira did in Armaan's. The four of them stood there, remembering the one woman who tied them all together in an unbreakable bond of love and thanked their lucky stars to have known her.
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