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More than Kaveri I hope you would have added sanjays reaction too, or he just the driver now 🤣🤣
Pls he's so inconsequential I forgot he was even there lol pls 😭😭😭
Fan Creations
More than Kaveri I hope you would have added sanjays reaction too, or he just the driver now 🤣🤣
Pls he's so inconsequential I forgot he was even there lol pls 😭😭😭
Chapter Six
“Badi Maa, are you sure? Yahaan khaana hygienic toh hota haina?” Armaan made a face as the four of them sat down for dinner at a roadside eatery in the city.
“Okay, Mr. Hoity Toity,” Mishti snorted. “Itna munh mat banao. Yahaan itna achcha khaana milta hai ki tum apni ungliyaan chaat’te reh jaoge.”
“Haan, agar khaana nahi bhaya toh ungliyaan chaat kar hi pet bharna padega na!” Armaan commented. “Main aapse keh raha tha ki woh lakeside pe jo naya restaurant khula hai wahaan chalte hain. Pata nahi kyun aapko yahaan aana tha!”
“Yeh mera favourite spot hai, Jamai Sa!” Mishti answered and was rewarded with the widening of Armaan's grin. Whenever she or Abir jokingly referred to him as their son-in-law, Armaan's smile would rival the sun, while Abhira's blush, a rose.
“Khadoosmaan!” Abhira exclaimed, wanting to escape their teasing. “Tum itne nakhre mat dikhao aur chup-chaap baith jao yahaan. Samjhe?”
“Arre, lekin Abhira…” Armaan tried to defend himself but seeing as the other three had had no issues taking a seat, he gave up. He would never be able to win against them anyway. It was next to impossible to win an argument against one of them. But when all three of them were on the same side? Yeah, he wasn't winning.
Mishti ordered for everyone since she was the only one who knew what was good. As they waited for their food to arrive, Mishti said, “Mujhe kuch important baat karni hai.”
“Haan, boliye na, Badi Maa,” Abhira encouraged. “Kya baat karni hai aapko?”
“Main aur Abir Udaipur shift ho rahe hain,” she stated.
“Kya?!” Abhira exclaimed. Armaan wasn't overly surprised. The errand he'd gone with Abir the other day had been to read through the paperwork of a house and make sure everything was in order.
“Badi Maa… Yeh sab achanak kaise?” Abhira asked.
“Achanak nahi,” Abir replied. “Mishti aur maine bohot soch-samajhke yeh faisla liya hai.”
“Haan, Abhira,” Mishti agreed. “Yehi sahi hai.”
“Lekin kyun?” Abhira wondered.
“You silly girl!” Armaan rolled his eyes. “Padosi ke liye shift ho rahe hain. Of course they're doing it for you, Ira!”
“For… For me?” Abhira stammered. They would upend their entire lives, leaving behind their family… For her?
“Tere liye nahi karenge toh aur kiske liye karenge?” Mishti questioned. “Tu humaare saath Rajkot nahi aana chaahti toh theek hai, hum yahaan tere paas reh lenge. Okay?”
“Lekin, Badi Maa… Aise kaise? Aap… Aap dono yahaan kaise reh sakte hain?” Abhira fumbled.
“Kyun? Hum kyun nahi reh sakte? Yahaan koi law hai kya? Abir and Mishti not allowed?” Abir harrumphed.
“Bade Papa!” Abhira scolded. “Aapko har time mazaak hi soojhta hai. Lekin… Main aap dono ko aise baaki family se alag nahi rehne dungi!”
“Achcha, woh tujhe dikh gaya ki woh humaari family hai. Par, tujhe yeh nahi samajh aaya ki tu bhi humaari utni hi family hai jitne ki woh sab?” Mishti questioned.
“Meri wajah se aap dono sab se door rahe, yeh main nahi chaahti,” Abhira stated. “Logon ko lagta hai ki mujhe family ki value nahi pata, but sach mein family ki kya value hoti hai, woh mujh jaise anath se better aur koi nahi samajh sakta.”
“Abhira!” Abir exclaimed, raising his voice for the first time in front of Abhira. Both Abhira and Armaan were taken aback by it. “Aaj keh diya hai, aaj ke baad kabhi yeh mat kehna. Tere Badi Maa aur Bade Papa abhi zinda hai, samjhi?”
Realizing that she'd hurt them both, Abhira immediately apologized. “I'm sorry,” she said, holding her ears. “Mera woh matlab nahi tha. Of course, aap dono ke rehte main kabhi akeli nahi hoon. Par, aap samajhiye na! Main nahi chaahti ki meri wajah se aap dono ko yeh sacrifice karna pade.”
“Aur jo hum chaahte hain uska kya?” Mishti questioned. “Agar hum yahaan rehna chaahe toh?”
“Badi Maa,” Abhira sighed. “Aap meri wajah se hi yahaan rehna chaahti hain na… agar main nahi milti toh aap yahaan rukte kya?”
“Jo baat hui nahi uske baare mein kya sochna?” Abir prompted. “Jo hai, uspe focus kar. Aur baat yeh hai, ki tu yahaan hai. Main aur Mishti, tere saath rehna chaahte hain, Heera. Humein mauka nahi degi kya… Tere saath waqt bitaane ka, tujhe aur achche se jaan'ne ka, samajhne ka? Tujhe woh saara pyaar dene ka, jispe tera haq hai, jo hum itne saalon se chaah kar bhi tujhe nahi de paaye? Hum tujhe bigaadne chaahte hain, teri har khwaish, har zid poori karna chaahte hain. Humein nahi karne degi?”
Abhira didn't have anything to say to that, because she wanted the future Abir had just painted for them. It was selfish, but she did want that. She wanted to bask in the love of a family, be spoilt rotten, and feel the assurance of having parents. Her mother had raised her with a lot of love, but she had been a single parent. That meant that she needed to work long hours to keep food on the table. Abhira was proud of her mother for being able to manage both work and their home so well, but that had also meant that she'd had to grow up quickly. By the time she was 14, Abhira had already taken up all the kitchen duties, by 16 all the grocery shopping, and by 18 she was making sure all the bills were paid on time. Even before that, she had always tried to help her mother around the house, had tried to be as little of a nuisance as possible. She'd never gotten too much time to be a carefree kid. Now, it seemed like Abir and Mishti wanted to give her just that. How could she say no?
But how could she say yes? There was no question of leaving Udaipur. She couldn't leave Armaan behind, even for a few months. Which meant that Abir & Mishti would have to make the move. They'd have to leave their entire life behind - their work, their friends, the family they already had. How could she upturn their lives for her own selfish benefit, no matter how much she wanted it?
“Dekh,” Mishti finally said, understanding her dilemma. “Agar tujhe aisa lag raha hai ki main aur Abir yahaan rahenge toh tujhe crowd karenge, tujh pe rok-tok lagayenge, toh aisa kuch nahi hai. We will let you live your life the way you want. Hum tujhse teri zindagi nahi cheen'na chaahte, Abhira. Bas teri zindagi ka ek hissa ban'na chaahte hain.
But, jaisa tu chaahegi waisa hi hoga. Mera aur Abir ka bohot mann hai ki hum yahaan iss sheher mein rahein, tere saath. Lekin, agar tu nahi chaahti toh hum waapas Rajkot chale jaayenge.”
“Mishti!” Abir cried, outraged. “Yeh tum kya keh rahi ho?”
“Abir, main baat kar rahi hoon na,” Mishti soothed. “Humne decide kiya tha na… Ki hum Abhira ko kisi cheez ke liye force nahi karenge. Toh nahi karenge.”
Turning to Abhira, Mishti continued. “Aur bhi bohot options hain. Agar main aur Abir yahaan rahe, toh hum chaahte hain ki tu bhi humaare saath rahe, Poddar Mansion ke outhouse mein nahi. Lekin, agar tujhe wahaan se shift nahi hona, toh hum adjust kar lenge. We can live in the same city without living in the same house.
But, apni tasalli ke liye, jo ghar humne liya hai, woh Poddar Mansion ke bilkul saamne wala hai. Toh hum jab chaahe aa-jaa sakte hain. Aur Armaan bhi jab chaahe humse milne aa sakta hai. I promise, tum dono ke milne mein ek bhi restriction nahi hoga.”
“Aapne ghar already le liya hai?!” Abhira exclaimed.
“Haan,” Abir stated. “Woh jo maroon wala hai Poddar Mansion ke saamne, jo tu uss din dikha rahi thi, woh wala.”
A house had recently gone on sale on the same street that Armaan lived. Abhira had always been a little in love with it. The previous owners had been on cordial terms with the Poddars, so she'd been to that house once for something or the other. She'd adored the tastefully done living room and huge lawn in the backyard. Mostly, she loved that it wasn't anywhere as ostentatious as the other houses on the street. It was perhaps the smallest of the lot, and was earthy in stark contrast to the glitz of the other houses.
When she'd first seen the for sale sign the day she'd moved into the outhouse with Papa, Abhira had felt wistful, wishing that she had the money to purchase it. If she sold the resort, she'd probably be able to do it too, but she was too attached to that last memory of her mother to let go of it yet.
The thought of living in that house should have filled her with joy, and to a certain extent, it did. Yet, she felt too overwhelmed with all of it. Someone buying a house for her. And not just any house. A house that she loved. Just so that they could spend time with her. It seemed impossible that there was someone out there who could love her so much.
“I know it's overwhelming,” Mishti conceded, probably reading her mind. “But humein koi jaldi nahi hai. Tujhe jitna time lena hai, lele. Aur jo tu chaahegi waisa hi hoga. Yeh mat sochna ki humne ghar tujhpe kisi tarah ka pressure daalne liye hai. Agar tu nahi chaahegi ki hum yahaan rahe, we'll sell the house or rent it. So, don't worry about that,” she lied smoothly. That house was never going to be sold, so long as Abhira lived in the Poddar Mansion. It would be there for whenever they needed it, so that they could see Abhira at the drop of a hat, whenever she wanted it.
“I'll think about it,” Abhira promised, halting the discussion for the moment.
— — —
“Abhira, mujhe toh tumhaara shift hona hi sahi lagta hai,” Armaan cajoled her as they sat on the couch in the outhouse.
Abhira groaned. Of course he thought that. She wasn't the least bit surprised. “Aise munh mat banao!” Armaan exclaimed. “It makes the most sense.”
“Kya sense hai iss baat ka?” Abhira questioned.
“Allow me to elaborate, milord,” Armaan answered cheekily, drawing a chuckle from Abhira as well.
“Permission granted,” she sniffed haughtily.
“Toh, sabse pehli baat… Woh ghar, muwakkil Abhira Sharma ke Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ke liye, unke naam pe hi liya hai.
Doosri baat, woh ghar muwakkil ke pati ke ghar ke bilkul saamne hai. Iska matlab yeh hai ki woh dono jab chaahe mil sakte hain. Muwakkil ke Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ne yeh vaada bhi kiya hai ki milne par koi rok-tok nahi hogi.
Teesri baat, iss waqt muwakkil jahaan reh rahi hain… Woh ghar unke standards ke hisaab se sahi nahi hai. Wahaan bohot machhar hain, AC nahi hai, aur fridge bhi achche se kaam nahi karta. Naye ghar mein saari facilities hongi.
Chauthi baat, muwakkil ki makaan maalik, yaani ki Mrs. Kaveri Poddar, ki muwakkil ke saath iss waqt banti nahi hain. Woh muwakkil par pehle bhi taane kas chuki hain kyunki muwakkil ne unka outhouse occupy kar rakha hai.
Paanchvi, aue sabse important baat. Muwakkil ke Badi Maa aur Bade Papa unse bohot pyaar karte hain, aur uske saath waqt guzaarna chaahte hain. Meri maane toh, Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ki rai bilkul sahi hai ki unhe muwakkil ke saath zyada waqt nahi mila. Aur ab kuch mahino mein muwakkil ki shaadi ho jaayegi. Usse pehle, Badi Maa aur Bade Papa, apni bachchi ke saath kuch yaadein sanjona chaahte hain. Aur humein unhe yeh karne dena chahiye. Woh dono Abhira Sharma ko bohot khush rakhenge. Itna ki shayad koi aur nahi rakh paayega. Aur aisi khushi, duniya mein sab deserve karte hain, lekin meri Abhira sabse zyada deserve karti hai!”
Abhira had tears in her eyes by the end of Armaan's little speech. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Armaan pulled her closer, hauling her onto his lap. Abhira dug her face into his neck, inhaling deeply, the scent of home. After a few minutes, she whispered, “Advocate Poddar, aapki sabhi daleele bilkul sahi hai, lekin court yeh bhi batana chahegi ki muwakkil ki khushi ke liye, Badi Maa aur Bade Papa apni khushi sacrifice kar rahe hain. Aur court ko yeh baat bilkul manzoor nahi hai.”
“Kya sacrifice?” Armaan questioned, pushing her back to look her in the eye. “Kya sacrifice kar rahe hain woh? Woh kuch sacrifice nahi kar rahe, Abhira. Woh toh sirf apni khushiyaan dugni karne ki koshish kar rahe hain. Tumhe kya lagta hai? Tumhaare saath time spend karna koi sazaa hai kya? Arree… Mujhse pucho. Tumhaare saath bitaaya hua har ek pal, kisi blessing se kam nahi hai.
Koi kuch sacrifice kar raha haina, toh woh tum ho. Hamesha ki tarah, tum apni khushiyon ke baare mein nahi, doosro ke baare mein soch rahi ho. But… Tum samajh nahi rahi ho, Abhira. Tumhe lagta hai ki yahaan shift hone se Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ka parivaar se saath choot jaayega. Tumhe lagta hai ki unke gharwale tumhe napasand karenge, kyunki tumne unn dono ko baaki sabse door kar diya.
Lekin, yeh sab kuch bhi sach nahi hai. Yeh sab sochke, tum sirf Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ka nahi, sabka dil dukha rahi ho. Woh dono chaahte hain ki woh tumhaare saath rahe. Koi unhe force nahi kar raha. Yeh decision unhone apni marzi se liya hai. Aur Abhira, woh umr aur tajurbe, dono mein humse kayi zyada bade hain. Apna achcha-bura woh khud soch sakte hain. They're not kids. They don't need you to make any decisions for them.
Aur kya tumhe sach mein aisa lagta hai ki baaki ki Rajvansh family tumse nafrat karegi? Jab Badi Maa aur Bade Papa tumse itna pyaar karte hain, toh woh sab kyun nahi karenge? Tum unki bhi kuch lagti ho. Ajnabee nahi ho tum. Unki family ka part ho.
Ek baat batao mujhe… Itne saal kya sirf Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ne tumhe aur Akshara Ma'am ko dhoonda hai, kisi aur ne nahi?”
Abhira sighed. “Baaki sab gharwalon ne bhi unki bohot help ki hai,” she grudgingly agreed. And from what she knew, they had. Every single person in the family had somehow contributed to the search. And if what Badi Maa and Bade Papa were saying was true, were really excited to meet her too. Badi Maa hadn't wanted to overwhelm her too much so she had kept them at bay, but apparently, since the moment they'd found out about her, the entire family had been chomping at the bit to see her.
“Badi Maa keh rahi thi woh sab mujhse milne ke liye bohot excited hain. Aur agar unka bas chalta toh woh 2-3 din pehle hi aa gaye hote, but woh bas wait kar rahe hain ki thodi yahaan cheezein settle ho jaayein,” she admitted to Armaan.
“Toh tum sirf Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ko nahi, apni poori family ko underestimate kar rahi ho,” Armaan told her. “Abhira, Bade Papa ne bohot armaano se yeh ghar khareeda hai. Usme unke saath rehne se inkaar karke tum unka dil tod dogi.”
“Mujhe yeh homebreaker wale tag se bohot darr lagta hai, Armaan,” Abhira expressed. “Dadi Sa bhi toh isliye hi humaare rishtey ke liye nahi maan rahi na, kyunki unhe lagta hai ki main family aur uski values achche se nahi samajhti. Agar baaki sab bhi aisa sochne lagenge, toh main kahaan jaungi?”
“Toh main hoon na tumhaare paas,” Armaan promised. “Main kahaan tumhe chodke jaa raha hoon? Aur tum yeh sab baaton ki tension lena chodo. Dadi Sa bohot jald humaare rishtey ke liye haan kar dengi. Aur mujhe poora yaqeen hai ki baaki saari family, yeh Udaipur shift hone wale decision se naraaz nahi honge.”
“I love you,” Abhira murmured, kissing his neck. It sent a shiver down Armaan's spine and his hold on her waist tightened. “Tum nahi hote toh main kya karti?”
“Tumhaara kya hota? Tum toh hamesha hi Hulk ki Mameri Behen hi rehti! Haan, main bhi shayad hamesha sach wala Khadoosmaan rehta,” Armaan confessed. “Isliye, achcha hai ki hum dono mile. At least, mere liye.”
Abhira giggled. “Oh, by the way,” Armaan added casually, running his hand down her back. “I love you too.” Saying so, he bent and kissed her cheek, nuzzling his nose against her face. It made Abhira grin widely and she hugged him tighter.
They may not have come to a conclusion about the house yet, but with Armaan by her side, Abhira knew that she'd be able to make the right decision. And, she had all the time in the world to get there.
Chapter Seven
“Abhira, jaldi karo! Humein late ho raha hai! Badi Maa ne kaha tha ki 7 baje tak pohonch jaana. 6:30 toh already baj gaye! Tum sach mein bohot time lagaati ho!!” Armaan called as he waited for Abhira to emerge from her room. “Tum na humaari shaadi ke time dedh mahine nahi do mahine pehle hi parlour chale jaana please. Tab jaake tum mandap pe time pe pohonchogi.”
“Ho gaya, Khadoosmaan!” Abhira called back, walking out. “Tum har waqt aise suli pe kyun chadhe rehte ho? Hum time pe pohonch jaayenge!”
However, Armaan wasn't paying attention to anything she was saying. He was mesmerized by how beautiful she looked. She looked like an angel descended from heaven in her pink attire. He didn't have words to express just how beautiful she looked.
“Chalo, chalte hain,” Abhira said, coming to a stop in front of him. When Armaan didn't respond, she snapped her fingers in front of him, bringing him out of his daze. “Armaan! Chalein?”
Wordlessly, Armaan reached for her, pulling Abhira into his arms. He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin. “Gorgeous,” he murmured, making her blush.
“Yeh pooja wagerah mein jaana zaruri hai kya?” He asked. “Tum ek kaam karo… Bade Papa ko phone karke mana kardo ki aaj hum nahi aa paayenge.”
“Armaan!” Abhira whacked his arm. “Aaj school ki foundation ceremony hai. Hum miss nahi kar sakte. Aur especially tum toh bilkul nahi! Yeh ceremony sirf tumhaari wajah se hi ho rahi hai. How can you not go?”
“Meri wajah se nahi, Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ki wajah se,” Armaan corrected gently. “Unka NGO hai. They're doing all this.”
“Zameen toh tumne dilwayi na. Agar tum case nahi jeet’te toh yeh sab kaise hota?” Abhira argued. “Mujhe pata hai tum bohot humble ho, lekin itna bhi nahi hona chahiye. Itne achche lawyer ho tum… One of the best in the city. And I'm glad ki tumhe iss baat ka ghamand nahi hai, but thoda garv toh kiya karo!”
“Tum ho na uske liye,” Armaan laughed. “Hum dono ke liye enough hai utna garv. Isse zyada kiya na… Toh ego bann jaayega!”
“Ab agar mera boyfriend itna smart hai toh thoda ego toh bannta hai,” was Abhira's cheeky reply. “Lekin… Tumhaara nahi mera. Kyunki main tumse zyada smart hoon!”
“Achcha? Woh kaise?” Armaan questioned.
“Itna smart boyfriend pataaya maine… Toh main hui na tumse zyada smart?” She asked rhetorically.
“Tumse baaton mein jitna bilkul impossible hai,” Armaan commented.
“I know, I know. Main extremely cool hoon, pyaari jaise phool hoon, karti balki rule hoon,” Abhira sang. “Ab chalooooooo!!”
Finally, the couple left for the ceremony. Abir & Mishti had decided to do an intimate ceremony to lay the foundation of the school. There had already been too many delays with the opening of it already due to the land dispute. Now that they finally had the land back, they had decided to expedite the whole thing so that the school could open asap.
Abhira was looking forward to the ceremony. She'd never been to one before and her excitement was visible. She'd been jumping around the house for a day, chattering on & on about how everything would be awesome. Armaan could only grin in response. Seeing her so excited was always a treat for him to watch. She found happiness in the simplest of things and it always surprised him.
When they reached, Abhira impatiently tugged Armaan inside, talking a mile a minute. “Ahhh, finally!” Abir exclaimed, pulling them both into hugs. “Bas tum dono ka hi wait ho raha tha. Chalo!”
“Sorry, Bade Papa,” Armaan apologized. “Lekin late na hum Abhira ki wajah se hue hain. Usse ready hone mein kuch zyada hi time lagta hai!”
“Achcha? Aur jo tum idhar-udhar ki faltu baatein kar rahe the uska kya?” Abhira fired. Turning to Abir, she added, “Bade Papa yeh Khadoosmaan bilkul jhooth bol raha hai. Aap iski baaton pe believe mat kariye!”
Before Armaan could form a retort, Abir cut them off. “Chup. Bilkul chup! Har waqt bas ladaayi karwa lo dono se. Ab koi nahi bolega. Hum pooja ke liye late ho rahe hain!”
As they walked towards the holy fire, Abir confessed. “Heera… Tu baad mein surprise na ho jaaye isliye tujhe abhi se bata raha hoon. Baaki ki family bhi aa gayi hai, beta. Main aur Mishti actually thoda aur time dena chaahte the tujhe lekin jab unhe pata chala ki hum ab school ki sthapna pooja kar rahe hain toh hum unhe rok nahi paaye.”
“Oh?” Abhira breathed.
“But tu bilkul tension mat le! Sab tujhse aur Armaan se milne bohot excited hain! They've been eagerly waiting. Sab bohot khush honge tujhe dekhke!” Abir promised.
Abhira wasn't so sure but kept her doubts to herself. Because why would they want to meet the person who Abir & Mishti were ready to leave them for? They might not hate her, because hate was too big an emotion, but that did not mean that they would welcome her with open arms.
“Arre, aa gaye tum dono!” Mishti cried, also hugging them both. “Bohot wait karwaya but chalo ab!”
Mishti took both their hands and pulled them forward, making them sit in front of the holy fire. “Badi Maa, aap kya kar rahi hain?” Abhira asked.
“Aaj ki pooja tum dono karoge, Heera,” Mishti explained. “Aur school ki neev bhi tum dono hi rakhoge.”
“Badi Maa, hum kaise…” Armaan questioned.
“Tum toh chup hi raho,” Mishti ordered. “All this is happening because of you. Of course, tum hi pooja mein baithoge.” To Abhira she said, “Aur Heera, tu bhi baithegi. Tu bhi iss parivaar ka hissa hai. Aur tera haq hai yeh pooja karna.”
“Badi Maa…” Abhira tried to say something, but wasn't able to. “Main kuch nahi sunungi,” Mishti declared. “Pooja yaa toh tum dono ke haathon hogi, ya nahi hogi. Kya karna hai tum aapas mein decide karke humein bata do.”
Armaan caught hold of Abhira's hand and squeezed her fingers. When she looked at him, he gestured towards the fire, asking her to sit. He didn't want the ceremony to not happen because of them. And, if Badi Maa and Bade Papa were doing this, it was only because they felt that they had that haq on Abhira and him, that they truly thought of the two of them as family. He wouldn't disrespect them by refusing to perform the rites when they had given him such immense respect.
Not giving Abhira a chance to refuse, he sat down in front of the priest. Sighing, Abhira did too. Abir whistled loudly when they did. “Pandit Ji, pooja shuru kijiye,” he instructed. “Aaj ki shuruaat bohot shubh hai. Meri Heera aur uska Armaan pehli baar Asha Kiran ki pooja mein baithe hain. Toh aaj ka shagun ekdum achcha hai.”
Mishti & Abir sat beside them for the entire ceremony, guiding them through everything, while the rest of the family and NGO workers surrounded the space around them. As the chanting reached its peak with all the attendees repeating after the priest, Abhira felt peace settle in every bone of her body.
After the pooja was done, Abhira took the shovel and made the first crack in the mud, with Armaan holding on to her. After, Armaan placed the first brick in the small hole Abhira had dug. Then, they distributed prasad among everyone, Abir & Mishti taking the opportunity to introduce them to the rest of the family.
They all had a slew of hugs and kisses for Abhira, most of them tearing up as they embraced her tight, and greeting Armaan warmly, welcoming him into the family. There was Kunal, who Mishti explained was also their grandfather, being married to Abhira's Naira Nani's cousin. Kunal's daughter, Amayra, and her husband, Rahul, along with their twins - Shrey and Shreya. It was Abhira's Kuhu Nani who had passed away almost two decades ago, the reason why Badi Maa and Bade Papa hadn't been around when her mother had separated from her family. Shreya was engaged to a cute man named Mayank. Shrey had a girlfriend, Vedika, who was also in attendance. Apparently, Shrey would get married only after his sister did. Abhira found it very cute.
Ketki and her husband, Viren, were Abir's Mamu's daughter & son-in-law, but looking at them, no one would have guessed. It was clear that as the only girl in their generation, Ketki was doted upon by her brothers. They still treated her like a baby despite her having a son, Ketan, who was a few years older than Abhira.
Atul, the Bollywood superstar, and his wife, Anjali, who Abhira could admit having a small crush on, did leave her starstruck, but they greeted her as if they'd known her for ages. She had always assumed that such famous celebrities would have airs about themselves, but if they did, she did not see it. Their daughter, Dhriti, was just as nice. She was a few years younger than Abhira, which was surprising to her, but apparently Atul had been the last of the siblings to get married later in life, settling down only at 35. Dhriti was clearly the baby of the family and everyone adored her. Abhira could see why, she was extremely cute and reminded her so much of Aryan. She made a mental note to introduce them at some point because she had a feeling that they'd be the best of friends.
Abir & Mishti's kids - Amish, who was married to Mehr. They had a son & a daughter - Hrishi and Ramya. Misha, who was a single mom to her daughter, Rajshree, named after Mishti's Badi Maa, who had passed only a couple months before the baby came into the world, though everyone lovingly called her Raj. Hrishi was married to Prajakta, a beautiful woman who had immediately made Abhira feel at ease. She had a feeling that after her Badi Maa and Bade Papa, Prajakta Bhabhi would be the one she's closest to. Ramya and Raj were both single, as close as sisters could be, and had immediately brought Abhira into their fold as well, as if she had always been there.
“So, how do you like all of them?” Mishti asked Abhira as the four of them made their way back home.
“Badi Maa… Kya woh sab mujhse sach mein itna pyaar karte hain?” Abhira questioned, still overwhelmed with how the family had welcomed her so openly. And they had extended a similar welcome to Armaan as well. It seemed so surreal that such a large group of people could collectively love her so dearly despite not even knowing her. It seemed impossible that they had all been waiting for her for so long, had prayed for her to be a part of their life. How could she be so important to them?
“Woh log sach mein tujhse bohot, bohot, bohot pyaar karte hain,” Mishti assured. “They've waited for so long for you and they've loved you for every minute of that time.”
“But… Woh sab mera kabse wait kar rahe hain… Agar maine sabko disappoint kar diya toh?” Abhira wondered out loud.
“Tumne aaj tak kisiko disappoint kiya hai jo ab karogi?” Armaan cut in, not liking how Abhira was underestimating herself.
“Aisa nahi hai, Armaan,” Abhira said. “I'm not perfect. Maine bohot baar logon ko disappoint kiya hai. In fact, I'm surprised ki tum yeh keh rahe ho. I think I've disappointed you the most.”
“Iraaa,” Armaan sighed. “All that was in the past. Main hi tumhe achche se samajh nahi paaya tha, isliye main dekh nahi paaya ki tumne har faisla sirf meri yaa family ki bhalayi ke liye liya. Haan, tumhaare tareeke thode tedhe aur weird the, but they always yielded results. Main hi galat sochta raha.”
“Par maine itni baar Dadi Sa ko bhi toh disappoint kiya hai,” Abhira countered. “Isliye woh humaari shaadi ke liye nahi maan rahi na.”
“Heera, aisa mat socho,” Abir scolded, a little stern. “You haven't disappointed anybody. Kaveri Ji tumhaari shaadi ke liye nahi maan rahi woh tumhaari galti nahi hai. That's something else, jiske baare mein hum baat karenge.
But… I promise, tum family mein kabhi kisiko disappoint nahi karogi. They all love you the way you are, and woh hamesha tumse waise hi pyaar karenge. Kyunki, Mishti aur maine sabko yehi sikhaya hai. Unn par na sahi toh apne Badi Maa aur Bade Papa pe hi bharosa karlo. We won't let you down.”
Mishti concurred. As she had grown up, this is one thing that she had realized that her Badi Maa & Bade Papa had done wrong. They loved her immensely, of that there was never any doubt. But, they never taught anyone else to love her like that. The other members of the Maheshwari family had only accepted her as a reluctant responsibility, someone they couldn't wash their hands off, no matter how much they wanted to, because the elders of the house had adopted her. It was why they never wasted a single moment to deem her an outsider. She was a part of the family if she did something that benefitted them, but otherwise, she was no one to them. Worse, she was a liability, a punching bag, someone to conveniently place the blame on. A role, she had come to realize, that both Armaan & Abhira were fulfilling in the Poddar family as well.
But, she did not make the same mistakes. Her & Abir had cultivated an environment of acceptance in the family, where relationships from the heart mattered more than blood ever could. They had adopted Raj into the family, when she had been but a baby, barely even 10 days old, and had lost her parents in a tragic accident. Raj had been given every right in the family, the way Ramya had. And now, Abhira would too.
Abhira nodded wordlessly. Whatever they said, she knew it would take her some time to truly believe that they all loved her unconditionally, just the way she was. Even Armaan had taken a while to fall for her. Why would anyone else be any different? She wouldn't say that out loud though because she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but it would be a bit before she could trust them the way she trusted Abir & Mishti. Her Badi Maa and Bade Papa were notable exceptions. Something about them had made her instantly at ease with them. She didn't think she'd feel that way with anyone else ever. They were just a little special and she liked it that way. For now, she was just looking forward to getting to know all the new family she'd suddenly gained. Hopefully, things would work out in her favour this time.
My heart breaks for Abhira and her self doubt. But its valid. Its best for her self preservation too if she takes time to get to know everyone and builds bonds with all.
Originally posted by: Pinecone
My heart breaks for Abhira and her self doubt. But its valid. Its best for her self preservation too if she takes time to get to know everyone and builds bonds with all.
Yes, exactly! She's been burnt too much by the Poddar family to jump into new relationships head on. But, the Rajvansh family is warm affectionate towards her, so she will also return that affection, even if she's wary that it might be taken away at the start. But, with time she'll realize they're here to stay and will start to trust them implicitly.
Hope KP gets a taste of her own medicine in spades … it’s so heartbreaking to see Abhira’s self doubt .. please update soon!
Oh Abir & Mishti will give it back to her tenfold don't worry!!
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