Fan Creations
Chapter Eleven
The entire family was gathered at the entrance of the new house. The Rajvanshes and most of the Poddars watched with wide smiles as Mishti did Abhira's aarti. Once she was done, she stepped aside and Abir placed a wet slab of cement in front of Abhira.
“Heera, main chaahta hoon ki iss ghar mein tumhaara pehla kadam, hamesha ke liye capture kar loon. Isliye, please… Ispe hi chalke aana,” Abir requested.
Abhira grinned, offering her hands to Abir & Mishti. The couple looked at each other and smiled, grabbing one of her hands in each of their own. Holding on to her Badi Maa and Bade Papa, Abhira took her first steps into her new home, her eyes twinkling with unmistakable happiness. She pressed her feet in the slab, making sure to imprint her footprints properly, as the rest of the family showered her in flower petals.
“Abhira, ab tum isme pair rakhlo,” Shrey instructed as Ketan and him placed a thaal of water in front of her. She stepped into the plate, washing her feet.
“Welcome home!” The entire family cried, blasting party poppers. Abhira jumped at the sudden noise, losing her footing, but Armaan was there in a flash, holding her securely in his arms.
“Tum thoda dhyaan diya karo,” Armaan scolded gently. “Jab dekho girti-padti rehti ho! Abhi lag jaati na!”
“Sorry,” Abhira pouted, making Armaan shake his head fondly. He could never be mad at her for long.
“Ek naya ghar banaunga,
Jiski har baat hogi kamalon waali,
Uss ghar mein rahegi,
Ek ladki teen jawabon waali…” Abir breathed, smiling wide as tears slipped down his cheeks.
Mishti wrapped her arms around him, looking up, resting her chin on his heart. “Rakh bharosa pyaar par, hum woh pyaara sa ghar bana lenge,” she whispered softly. Abir pulled her into a tight hug.
“Baba! Aap har baat pe bohot emotional ho jaate ho!” Misha complained. “Ab humaari Abhira itne waqt baad ghar aayi hai toh uska welcome aise aansuon se thodi karenge! Come on!”
Abir laughed, backing out of the hug. He wiped Mishti's tears first and then his own as well. “Iss din ke liye maine bohot intezaar kiya hai, Tara. Tu nahi samjhegi.”
“Bade aaye nahi samjhegi! As if hum itne saalon se wait nahi kar rahe the!” Amish immediately came to his sister's defense. “Main aapko zara yaad dila doon ki jitna aap log iss din ke liye tarse hain, hum bhi utna hi tadpe hain. Toh aap dono akele hi saara rona ro loge toh humaare liye toh kuch bachega hi nahi!”
“Okay, okay!” Mishti intervened. “Ab no more rona and no more jhagda! Chalein?”
“Yes, Badi Maa!” Abhira exclaimed, taking her hand and tugging her inside.
They all walked into the living room which was decorated to the nines in balloons and streamers. A huge banner that read Welcome Home, Abhira was placed in the centre of the room. A scrumptious cake was placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
“Heera, sabse pehle diya jalayenge,” Mishti instructed, guiding Abhira to the temple. A beautiful idol of RadhaKrishn greeted them. Mishti showed Abhira where everything was kept and Abhira lit the diya. She stepped back, closing her eyes and praying, thanking every deity for giving her such a lovely family.
“O Kanha, ab toh murli ki,
Madhur sunaa do taan…” She sang, almost instinctively. Realizing what she was doing, she immediately stopped.
“O Kanha, ab toh murli ki,
Madhur sunaa do taan,” Mishti echoed, surprising her. Abhira turned back to Mishti who was giving her an encouraging smile.
“Badi Maa…” Abhira mumbled, on the verge of tears. Mishti stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Abhira. “It's okay,” Mishti whispered. “We'll sing together. For Akshu.”
Abhira nodded, smiling. “Together,” she agreed. Abhira and Mishti harmonized beautifully, singing the bhajan that was so close to both their hearts. Once they were done, Abhira gave the aarti to everyone. The entire family took the moment to hug Abhira and welcome her home.
“Waah, Abhira! Tu toh bohot achcha gaati hai,” Madhav commented. “Humein toh bilkul khabar hi nahi thi!”
Abhira smiled. “Thank you, Papa.”
“Itni surili awaaz hai teri,” Manoj added. “Ab mujhe bura lag raha hai ki itne mahine hum saath rahe aur humein kabhi sunn'ne ka mauka hi nahi mila.”
“Toh Chachu aap ab sunn lijiyega,” Abhira smiled. “Main wahaan nahi rehti iska yeh matlab thodi hai ki hum milenge bhi nahi!”
“Lekin, Bhabhi… Itna saara talent chupa kahaan rakha tha aapne?” Aryan asked.
Abhira chuckled. “Gaana toh mujhe bachpan se aata hai.”
“Aana bhi chaahiye,” Mishti commented. “Warna meri Akshu ki kya izzat reh jaati. Woh itni achchi singer thi toh uski beti bhi honi chahiye na!”
“Yeh baat toh aapki sahi hai,” Abhira agreed. “Mumma toh bachpan se mujhe sikha rahi hai. Jaise aapne aur Bade Papa ne sikhaaya Baadal Mamu ko aur unhone sikhaaya Ramya ko!”
“Toh matlab yeh singing ka talent aapki family hereditary hai?” Krish questioned.
“Haan, bilkul,” Mishti replied. “Taima ki wajah se. Unhe gaane ka bohot shauk tha.”
“Okay, okay! Bohot chit-chat ho gayi!” Abir exclaimed. “Time for cake!” His words were met with a loud cheer and everyone hurried back outside to the living room.
Abhira cut the cake, feeding the first bite to Mishti and then to Abir. Abir took the piece from her and Abhira opened her mouth, anticipating the bite, but instead, felt him smear it on her cheek. “Bade Papa!” She cried. Snatching the piece back from him, she rubbed it all over his face. Laughter echoed in the hall as everyone took turns smearing cake on each other. By the end of it, Abhira was unrecognizable, brown coating every inch of her face.
“Aap sabne saara cake waste kar diya,” she pouted. “Itna tasty hai,” she commented, rubbing her finger on her cheek and licking it. “Mujhe khana hai!”
“Tere liye pastry already side mein rakhi hai,” Mishti assured. “Baad mein kha lena.”
“You're the best, Badi Maa!” Mishti cheered, hugging Mishti's shoulders.
“Yeh saaf karlo ab,” Abir smiled, wiping Abhira's face with a wet cloth. Abhira tried to take the napkin from her but he refused, cleaning her face himself. Abhira grinned, unused to such doting. Yes, she could do everything herself and didn't need help, but it felt nice to have someone take care of her like this.
Armaan watched, happy to be a silent spectator in the midst of all the chaos. He knew that all Abhira wanted was to have a family of her own. Now that she'd found such a loving and caring one, every interaction filled his heart with glee. He'd seen Abhira laugh more in these past few days than in the entire time he'd known her. Badi Maa and Bade Papa had filled her life with so much love.
“Chalo, Heera,” Mishti stated, once the cake had been cleaned away. “Ab tumhe tumhaara room dikha dete hain.”
They all trudged upstairs, walking past the other rooms right to the one at the far end. Abhira opened the door and stepped inside, extremely excited and eager. Mishti switched on the lights and Abhira took a moment to look around. The walls were painted a soft yellow, like the rising sun. A huge canopy bed sat in the middle of the room. It was covered in a very cozy comforter, adorned with a few pillows and soft toys. A wood carved study table occupied one corner with a few bookshelves above it. The study table had already been set up with stacks of stationery, notebooks, and journals, along with a laptop. The other end of the room housed two cupboards and a dressing table that was already stocked.
It was one of the bigger rooms in the house, directly facing the street. The Poddar Mansion was clearly visible from the window which made Abhira grin. Of course, that's why they gave her this room. And, it was her lucky day, because the room right in the centre of her line of vision was Armaan's. Her Badi Maa & Bade Papa were so cute.
She walked to the other side of the room, opposite the window, which was littered with pictures. Pictures of her growing up, of her with Armaan, with the chorus gang, and even the few that she had with the Rajvansh family. They were all placed along the edges of a huge frame that sat in the middle of the wall, covered in velvet. She took a moment to admire the photos before looking questioningly at the covered frame.
“Remove it,” Abir encouraged gently.
Sensing the gravity of the moment, Abhira's hands trembled as she softly removed the cloth. When she looked back up, she gasped at the sight of her parents smiling down at her, her own laughter captured for the rest of time as she sat in between them.
“Yeh…” She trailed off, not knowing what to say.
“I know ki teri aur Abhinav ki saath mein koi photo nahi hai,” Abir explained. “Isliye… Yeh painting. I know that it's nowhere as good as the real thing, but I tried. I hope you like it.”
Abhira hugged him, crying. “I love it, Bade Papa,” she promised. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Isse achcha koi present nahi ho sakta. It's so beautiful. Thank you so much! I love you!”
“I love you, Heera,” Abir replied.
Abhira had never felt as loved before. The lengths to which Abir had gone for her had touched her deeply. He had actually taken the time to paint a portrait for her, just so that she would have a picture with her father. The effort he'd put in had left her speechless. She knew it must have taken him a while to paint it, given the startling resemblance of the portrait. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought it was actually a photograph and not a painting. The only time someone had done something so special for her had been when Armaan had edited her mother into her graduation photo.
The lengths to which her Badi Maa and Bade Papa were going to show her just how much they loved her left her breathless. They moved cities for her, brought a new house to live with her, gave her a welcome like she'd never imagined, and gave her this piece of her childhood back - a photo with both her parents. Such an inconsequential thing that everyone took for granted, but she understood how dear it was. She was truly the luckiest girl in the world. She had a family that loved her immensely, an extremely doting boyfriend, and a promising career ahead. The Abhira of even a year ago would have never thought such a life would be possible for her. Back then, before Armaan had come into her life and turned it upside down, it had been just Abhira and her Mumma, and that's how Abhira had imagined the rest of her life would look like.
But these past few months had taught her so much. There had been a lot of ups and downs in this time. She lost her mom, she was thrust into this new life with a family who treated her like an outsider, and a husband who was quick to find faults in everything she did. But, she also fell in love with said husband for his kindness, and he somehow fell in love with her too. And since then, he had been nothing but supportive and encouraging. She found a family that adored her for who she was. She found a set of parents in Madhav & Vidya, and another in Abir & Mishti. She became a lawyer and fulfilled her mother's dream. She found so much love and happiness despite the constant throes of sadness that life threw at her. And, she was proud of herself for battling the bad, because now, here she was, wrapped up in all things good. The journey had been extremely difficult, but now that Abhira was here, standing in her room, staring at her parents, wrapped up in the loving embrace of her family in the warm comfort of home… She wouldn't trade it for the world.
________
I know it's a relatively shorter chapter but I didn't know what else to add to this lol so this is all you get! But isliye iss baar update thoda jaldi ho gaya.
See y'all next time! :)
I love it. Good that Ab has people who love and adore her. She deserves it
Chapter Twelve
“Kya baat hai, Badi Maa?” Abhira asked. “Aaj achanak sab ghar se bahar? Aapko kuch baat karni hai kya?” Mishti sighed. Abhira was just too smart for her own good. Of course, she'd been able to deduce that something was going on.
It had been a couple of days since Abhira had moved in with them. Time seemed to be slipping away like sand from the palm of her hands in Abhira's presence. They'd spent the last two days merry making and having fun, everyone in the family having taken an extended leave to spend time with the newest member of their little world.
But, Manish Goenka's shadow loomed in the background like a warning sign for Mishti. She had spoken to Abir about it and both of them had agreed that it would be better to tell Abhira the full story as soon as possible. They weren't sure if Akshara had been comfortable sharing everything from her past with her daughter. And, it did make sense. After all, Akshu's past had been littered with trauma and heartache at every turn, betrayal weaving itself into her life like her most loyal companion.
However, it wouldn't do good to keep Abhira in the dark. She deserved to know the truth. These kinds of things could never be buried forever and Mishti didn't want Abhira to discover it from somewhere else. She trusted them and it was their job as her guardians to be honest with her. Hence why, Mishti had asked everyone to leave the house for the evening, so that her & Abir could speak to Abhira in private. She didn't think that Abhira would be comfortable being so vulnerable in front of the entire family, no matter how much they all adored each other. She didn't trust them enough yet. They were family, but they were also practically strangers. So, she'd sent the family out and invited Armaan over for dinner, knowing that Abhira would need him after learning the truth.
“Tum kitni impatient ho, Ira!” Armaan laughed. “Dinner karle pehle?”
Armaan understood very well that whatever they wanted to talk about was serious. Both Abir & Mishti had been extremely fidgety since he'd gotten there, and for some reason, Abir wasn't talking a mile a minute. Even Mishti seemed to be lost in thought. All those were sure signs that they wanted to talk about something big. But, Armaan desperately clung on to the facade of normalcy they were trying to build, for however long it might last. He was afraid that this new revelation would only hurt Abhira and he wanted to protect her from it.
“Yes! Let's eat!” Abir cried, trying his best to appear cheerful. “Waise aaj maine Heera ke favourite wale noodles banaye hain!”
“Sach, Bade Papa?” Abhira exclaimed. “Thank you!! Mujhe mere noodles ki badi yaad aa rahi thi!”
“Woh toh kuch bhi nahi hai,” Abir laughed. “Dessert mein woh tere favourite spot se paan-kulfi bhi hai!”
“Bade Papa… Aap iski saari aadatein bigaad rahe ho!” Armaan whined as Abhira clucked in delight. “Aapka kya hai? Aap toh sir pe chadha doge isse… Phir zindagi bhar sambhaalna toh mujhe hi haina! Kaise uthaunga iske nakhre?”
“Armaan… Agar tum iske nakhre nahi utha sakte na, toh theek hai,” Mishti parried. “Tum yeh sab shaadi ke sapne dekhna chod do. Main aur Abir hi Heera ke saare nakhre utha lenge zindagi bhar.
Tumhe pata hai jab Abir mere Badi Maa aur Bade Papa se baat karne aaya tha toh usne kya kaha tha? He said that woh mujhe itna pyaar dega ki main zidd karna seekh jaungi. Aur tum yahaan baithe aisa keh rahe ho! Poora time iss Ajeeb Rajvansh se itni baatein karte ho, yeh sab bhi seekh lo! Aage jaake tumhaare hi kaam aayega.”
“Arreee, Badi Maa! Aap toh serious ho gayi,” Armaan cried. “Main toh bas mazaak kar raha tha. Aapki beti ka har nakhra saraankhon par! I promise, main bhi Abhira se hamesha itna pyaar karunga ki uski har zidd uske kehne se pehle hi poori ho jaaye!”
“Awwww,” Abhira cooed. “Aur kya kaha tha Bade Papa ne?”
“Matlab maine jo kaha uski koi value nahi hai,” Armaan snorted. “Itni pyaari baat ki maine! Kam se kam acknowledge toh kardo!”
“Armaan, tum aise cheesy dialogue roz aise maarte ho jaise tumhe koi uske paise de raha hai,” Abhira rolled her eyes. “Lekin Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ki love story ke baare mein roz-roz sunn'ne nahi milta!”
Mishti laughed, making Abhira look back at her. “Aap hasna band kijiye aur aage ki story sunaiye! Aur kya kaha tha Bade Papa ne Bade Nanu se?”
“What were the exact words?” Mishti pretended to think, as if they weren't imprinted in her very soul. She would never ever forget that day as long as she lived. “Yes… Main mehlon aur ameeri waale vaade toh nahi kar sakta, lekin itna vaada zaroor kar sakta hoon ki main Mishti ko itna pyaar doonga… Ki woh zidd karna seekh jaayegi. Choti-moti ladaiyaan karna seekh jaayegi. Kyunki usse kabhi mere kahin chale jaane ka darr nahi hoga.”
“That is so beautiful,” Abhira breathed. “I'm sure iske baad toh Bade Nanu turant maan gaye honge!”
“Arree kahaan!” Abir moaned. “Itni easily thodi maan jaate! After all, Mishti toh Badi Maa aur Bade Papa dono ki favourite thi. Tumhe pata hai… Shaurya Uncle aur Taima se bhi zyada Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ne hamesha Mishti se pyaar kiya. Itni asaani se apne dil ke tukde ke boyfriend ko thodi accept kar lete woh!”
“Toh phir?” Abhira asked.
“Poori class lagi meri,” Abir recalled. “Bade Papa ne itne sawaal pooche ki kya batau! Phir bhi mujhe laga shayad nahi maanenge. But, Mishti thehri unki favourite… Uska dil bhi toh nahi dukha sakte the na. Isliye maan gaye!”
“Shut up, Abir!” Mishti scolded immediately. “Tumhe pata hai ki Bade Papa ne hamesha tumhe beta hi maana hai.”
“Mishti… Main bas mazaak…” Abir tried to defend himself.
“Tumhe pata hai aisa mazaak mujhe pasand nahi hai,” Mishti stated. “Stop it.”
“Okay, okay!” Abir acquiesced. “Bhau violent chokri che!”
Mishti just grinned in reply.
“Dekho, Armaan! Seekho kuch tum Bade Papa se. Tumhe toh ek ice-cream khilaana bhi nakhre lagte hain!” Abhira complained, pouting adorably. “Matlab, maine kaunsa sona-chandi maang liya kisise?”
“Kahaan main itne bade-bade vaadein kar raha hoon, ki main tumhaari har zidd poori karunga lekin tumhe toh apni ice-cream ke aage kuch dikhta hi nahi hai!” Armaan grumbled.
“Of course,” Abhira shrugged. “Ice-cream se important kuch bhi nahi!”
“Main bhi nahi?” Armaan asked.
“Khadoosmaan, just because I said I love you iska yeh matlab nahi ki tum khudko itni importance do, okay?” Abhira teased. “Yeh koi poochne ki baat hai kya? Obviously, ice-cream is more important than you!”
Abir & Mishti cracked up at that while Armaan gawked at Abhira, feeling absolutely betrayed. “Tum… Tum… Tum…” Armaan fumbled, not even knowing what to say.
“Main, main, main kya?” Abhira laughed. “It's okay, vakeel sahab. Aap 2-3 din sochne ka time le lijiye aur phir apni daleel court mein pesh kariyega!”
Mishti smiled, admiring the two of them and enjoying their banter. She watched as Armaan fed Abhira the noodles, joking with her and making her laugh. She couldn't help but chuckle as he stole the first bite of her ice-cream and then gave her the whole of his own to appease her when she pretended to be mad at him for eating her kulfi.
The two of them were finally happy together after facing so many obstacles along the way. She felt guilty about what she was about to do, not wanting to disturb the wholesome contentment that they had found in each other. She didn't know when she started crying. It was only when Abir reached out to wipe her tears that she realized what was happening. Abir held her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, dropping a quick kiss to her temple. “She deserves to know,” he whispered softly.
“I know,” Mishti agreed. “It just hurts. And it will hurt her even worse.”
“We're here for her,” Abir reminded her. “Every step of the way. And so is Armaan. Hum milke sambhaal lenge, Chaand. Humne hamesha se hi sambhaala haina?”
Mishti nodded, unable to help the smile. Her husband didn't call her Chaand often outside of the poetry he wrote about her, but every time he did, it reminded her of the love he carried for her in his heart, and the faith he had in her. She knew he'd be there with her, and between them and her Abhira's Armaan, they would make sure that Abhira didn't feel the sting of betrayal as sharply.
“Abhira… Ab jo baat main tujhe bataani waali hoon, it's going to be difficult for you, beta,” Mishti warned. They were all sitting in the lawn after dinner and Mishti was finally going to tell Abhira everything, Abir a calm and comforting presence by her side. “Par tera yeh sab jaan'na bohot important hai.”
“Kya baat hai, Badi Maa?” Abhira asked, instantly alert.
“Tujhe Akshu ke past ke baare mein kya pata hai?” Mishti asked gently.
“Mujhe toh kuch nahi pata, Badi Maa,” Abhira mumbled, saddened by the fact. “Mumma ne mujhe kabhi kuch nahi bataya. Papa ke baare mein bhi unhone mujhe bohot baad mein bataya tha aur woh bhi tab jab maine bohot zidd ki thi. She told me that Papa was the best man she knew. Woh dono ek doosre se bohot pyaar karte the. Aur Mumma kehti thi ki agar Papa hote toh woh duniya mein mujhe sabse zyada pyaar karte.”
“Well, she was right about that,” Mishti smiled. “Abhinav was the best. Usne Akshu ko hamesha itna pyaar diya. Aur Abhir ko itna jitna shayad koi aur nahi de paata.”
“Abhir?” Abhira questioned. “Woh kaun hai, Badi Maa?”
“Tera bada bhai,” Mishti whispered softly. “He's your big brother, Abhira.”
“What?!” Abhira exclaimed, shocked. “Ba— bada… Bada Bhai? I… Mujhe… I never knew. Mu— mumma ne… Unhone ka— kab— kabhi aisa ku…ch nahi kaha. Aa— aap mazaak kar rahe ho na, Badi Maa?”
“Shhh,” Mishti soothed, hugging Abhira. “I know it's difficult for you to hear, Heera. But it's true. Tera ek bada bhai tha. Abhir.”
“Tha?” Abhira echoed. “Aap aisa kyun bol rahe ho? Woh kahaan hai? Mujhe unse milna hai, Badi Maa!” Turning to Abir, she added, “Bade Papa! Please… Aap mujhe milwayenge na Abhir Bhai se? Please!”
“Abhira… I'm sorry,” Mishti apologized. “Abhir… He's… Beta, woh ab… Woh ab iss duniya mein… He's… He's not… With us anymore. Bohot saalon pehle hi woh…”
“No!” Abhira screamed, pushing Mishti away. “Aap— aap jhooth bol rahe ho! Badi Maa, I love you lekin yeh bohot bhadda mazaak hai! I expected better from you!”
“Ira!” Armaan steadied her as she stumbled. “It's okay, meri jaan. Shhhh.” He pulled her into his arms and Abhira clung onto him tightly, crying into his chest.
“Heera… Hum tujhe dukh nahi pohonchana chaahte,” Abir promised. “I'm sorry. Humein shayad yeh baatein tumse nahi karni chaahiye thi. It's okay. Hum…. Hum ab iss baare mein koi baat nahi karenge.”
“Abir, abhi tumne hi kaha tha na… Abhira deserves to know,” Mishti disagreed.
“Iss tarah nahi, Mishti,” Abir replied. “Uski haalat dekho tum. As always, you were right. Humein yeh topic chedna hi nahi chaahiye tha.”
Armaan, who was listening to their conversation with half an ear, whispered, “Dard toh hoga hi, phir chaahe baat abhi ho yaa baad mein. Lekin, apni family ke baare mein jaan'na toh Ira ka haq haina?”
To Abhira, he said, “Ira, kya tum… Nahi jaan'na chaahti? Ki tumhaari family kaun hai? Tumhaari Mumma ki family kaun hai? Kaun hai woh jisse Akshara Ma'am apne aakhri palon mein yaad kar rahi thi?”
Abhira nodded, still in tears. She did want to know. She wanted to know about her brother. And about her father. She wanted to know more about her entire family. She had always wanted to know, but her mother had never talked about it. Not wanting to hurt her mother, Abhira had learnt not to pry.
It did hurt to know the truth. Just one little fact and she was on the verge of a breakdown. Now, she understood why her mother had never talked about it with Abhira. Her mother was trying to protect her from the harsh reality of their lives. But, she was strong. Stronger than her mother gave her credit for. Strong enough to know the truth and live with it.
“Mujhe… Mujhe sab kuch jaan'na hai. Mumma ke baare mein. Maine hamesha unse poocha, magar unhone mujhe kabhi kuch nahi bataya. But I want to know where I come from.”
She pulled out of his embrace. “I'm sorry, Badi Maa,” she said, hugging Mishti. “Mujhe aapse aise baat nahi karni chaahiye thi.” Mishti would never hurt her willingly. She did know that. Mishti was one of the few people in the world who Abhira could trust, who she had faith in. She would not let her faith lose so easily.
“Tera haq hai, Heera,” Mishti replied, kissing her forehead. “I'm sorry, Gudiya. Mujhe iss tarah se shuruaat nahi karni chaahiye thi.”
“Badi Maa… Bhai ko… Unhe kya… Woh kaise?” Abhira fumbled, trying to form words but failing desperately.
“Idhar aa,” Mishti made Abhira sit down. “Baith. Main… Shuru se shuru karti hoon.”
And then, Mishti launched into Akshara's story. How she lost her mother when she was but a baby and her father married someone else a year later. How her father passed away in a plane crash and how her step-mother passed away while trying to save her. How her step-sister, Aarohi, blamed her for her mother's death and hated her for most of her life. She spoke about how Akshara's grandparents chose the easy way out, sending Akshara to a boarding school and then college out of the city, just so that peace could be maintained in the family. They never tried to correct Aarohi's insolence, letting her run wild in the name of love. She had lost her parents, after all. No matter that Akshara had also lost her parents.
Mishti told Abhira about the circumstances in which Akshara met her first husband, Abhimanyu, and how they fell in the span of a couple of days. How Aarohi fell for him too, and how Akshara had to fight for her love. She spoke about the toxic family Akshara ended up marrying into and how she was thrown out of the house after a miscarriage and blamed for the death of her brother-in-law.
“Itna sab hua Mumma ke saath?” Abhira sobbed. “Itni badi family thi unke saath… Her own family and her husband's family. Kisine unka support nahi kiya?”
Mishti shook her head sadly. She hugged Abhira, rocking her back and forth, trying to comfort her. But, of course… It was a futile attempt. Akshara had lived a very traumatic life and anyone would have felt a sting at it. And Abhira was her daughter who loved her mother more than anyone else in the world.
“Aur Papa?” Abhira asked innocently. “Mumma said ki Papa world ke best husband the. Woh thodi Mumma ko ghar se nikaalte.”
Mishti smiled, finally finding that ray of hope in Akshara's life. She launched into a new tale… Of kindness and patience, acceptance and love. She told Abhira about how Akshara met Abhinav the very day she left her husband's house after the divorce. How Abhinav looked after her when they found out she was still carrying one of the twins.
“Main aur Abir bhi jaate rehte the,” Mishti told Abhira. “Jaise time milta tha. Jab Akshu labour mein thi, we were on a remote project, toh humein 3-4 din baad pata chala aur hum turant hi Kasauli chale gaye. Abhir was such a cute baby. Hamesha itna khush-khush rehta tha. Tumhe yaad hai, Abir? I was his favourite!”
“Oh. Please!” Abir scoffed. “I was his favourite! Woh toh bas tumhaara mann rakhne Akshu ne kaha tha, that you're his favourite. But sach mein toh main hi tha!”
“Please! Woh sabse badi smile meri godh mein hi deta tha,” Mishti argued. “Aur hum jab bhi Kasauli jaate the, he would always jump into my arms first!”
Abir rolled his eyes. “Whatever! Par raat ko sote time kahaaniyaan aur lori toh usse mujhse hi sunn'ni hoti thi na! Aur khaana bhi woh mere haathon se hi khaata tha!”
“Bhai kitne lucky hain,” Abhira commented. “Aap dono unse kitna pyaar karte ho. Aur unke paas toh Mumma Papa bhi the!”
“Abhir itna pyaara baccha tha,” Abir continued. “Hum sab usse bohot pyaar karte the. Lekin, I think Abhinav se zyada koi nahi. He was Abhinav's entire life. Uski hi nahi… Akshu ki bhi. Unn teeno ki apni duniya thi, pyaar waali. They were so happy together. Phir, kuch saalon baad unki zindagi mein Abhir ke biological father waapas aa gaye and things got complicated. He wanted custody. Uske baad sab galat hota gaya. Abhir ki health bohot kharab ho gayi and he had to undergo complicated surgery to get better. Woh isse ubhra bhi nahi tha ki Abhinav ki death ho gayi.
Uske baad… Akshu aur Abhir dono toot gaye. Abhinav was their entire world. Unn dono ko bohot sadma laga uske jaane ka. For Abhir's sake, Akshara was going to marry his father jab usse pata chala she's pregnant with you. And her family… Unhone.. They…” Abir trailed off, unable to continue.
“Unhone aisa kya kiya, Bade Papa?” Armaan asked, terrified of the answer. He had an inkling, of course. Akshara Ma'am was about to remarry her first husband when she found out she was pregnant with her deceased husband's child. There could have been only one thing that her family would have demanded of her in such a situation.
“They wanted her to abort,” Mishti croaked. Abhira gasped, stumbling into Armaan’s arms. He held her close, anchoring her to the present, and also reminding himself that she was there. Akshara Ma'am's family hadn't been successful. Abhira was right here, in front of him, in his arms. Where she would always be.
“Phir unhe kisne convince kiya ki…” Abhira asked fearfully, afraid to know the answer, but also wanting to know the truth.
Mishti told her about how it was Aarohi who came to Akshara’s rescue, along with Abhimanyu. But then, Aarohi passed away in a freak accident, and Akshara was once again blamed for it. It was then that she was ousted from her home and her family at the insistence of her niece who wanted nothing to do with her mother's murderer. Abhir & Abhimanyu had followed her, only to unexpectedly be caught in a landslide.
“Humein bhi kuch saalon pehle pata chala,” Mishti confessed. “Hum Akshu ko dhoond rahe the and the trail led us to Ranikhet. Shayad wahaan par hi Akshu aur Abhimanyu apni marriage register karne waale the, but before they could… uss landslide mein… bas, uske baad se Akshu ka koi clue nahi mila. Itna dhoondha. Har jagah. Udaipur, Kasauli, Ranikhet… Mumbai, Delhi, aur pata nahi kahaan-kahaan. We tried so hard, Heera. Par Akshu ka shayad hum sab par se bharosa toot gaya tha. Isliye usne humein kabhi pata chalne nahi diya ki woh kahaan hai.”
“Itna sab kuch… Mumma ne akele kaise… How did she go through all this?” Abhira wondered out loud, tears continuously falling from her eyes. “Pata hai… Mujhe hamesha se ek badi family chahiye thi. Mumma aur main ek saath khush the, but mujhe hamesha aisa lagta tha ki humaari bhi badi family hoti toh sab kitna achcha hota.
Mumma loved me the most. Lekin, woh single parent thi. Isliye hum dono ko ek doosre ke saath time hamesha sacrifice karna pada. Mumma had to work to keep us afloat. Isliye main almost poora din ghar pe akele hi rehti thi. Mujhe lagta tha… Agar meri family mein Mumma ke alawa koi aur hota… Toh main itni akeli nahi hoti. Koi hota, mera khayal rakhne, mere saath khelne, mera homework karaane, mujhe support karne.
Lekin, Mumma ke paas toh itni badi family thi. Phir bhi… Jab Mumma ko sabse zyada zaroorat thi, tab unhone Mumma ko akela chod diya. Mumma ne itna kuch face kiya and she had no one to turn to. Kisika support nahi tha unhe, koi nahi tha unke saath… Jiske saath woh baithke do pal gham ya khushi baant le.
Badi Maa… Kya family aisi hoti hai? Agar aisi hoti hai, toh mujhe koi family nahi chaahiye!”
“Nahi, nahi,” Mishti immediately hugged Abhira tightly. “Family aisi bilkul nahi hoti, Gudiya Rani. Family woh hoti hai jo aapse sabse zyada pyaar karti hai, jo har sukh aur dukh mein saath deti hai. Family woh hoti hai jo aapki life hamesha khushiyon se bhar deti hai.
Family woh hoti hai jo hum hain. Jo tu humaare liye hai aur hum tere liye. Family woh hoti hai jo Armaan hai tere liye. Har kadam pe tera saath dena wala, tujhe support karna wala, tujhe himmat dene wala, teri khushi mein jo tujhse bhi zyada khush ho jaata hai, aur tere gham mein tujhse bhi zyada aansu bahaata hai.
Jo Akshu ke saath hua… Woh bohot galat hua. Aisa nahi hona chahiye tha. But, Abhira… Har family waisi nahi hoti. Har family mein itna dard nahi hota. I promise you, jo Akshu ke saath hua, main tere saath kabhi nahi hone dungi. Main Akshu ko protect nahi kar paayi, but I promise main tujhe woh sab kabhi nahi face karne dungi. I promise, you will always find me in your corner, chaahe kuch bhi ho jaaye. Do you trust me?”
Abhira looked at Mishti, saw the sincerity in her eyes, heard the desperation in her voice, and nodded, albeit reluctantly. No matter what, her Badi Maa had not given Abhira any reason to doubt her. She would not hold Mishti accountable for someone else's mistakes.
“Thank you!” Abir exclaimed. “Thank you so much, Heera. Tune jo humpe bharosa kiya hai, I promise hum usse kabhi tootne nahi denge. We will always try our best.”
“I know,” Abhira mumbled in reply. “Aap dono mujhe kabhi jaan-boojhke hurt nahi karenge.”
It was true. Abhira wasn't sure about a lot of things in her life, but this, she was sure of. They wouldn't hurt her, not if they could help it. They hadn't lied to her yet, and she had no reason to believe they were lying now. And because they were so honest, there was one thing she needed to know.
“Badi Maa… Mumma ke Bade Papa… Woh kaun the?” Abhira asked.
Mishti looked up at Abir. She didn't know how she would tell Abhira. Her little girl was immensely fond of the man responsible for so many of Akshu's miseries. Already, Mishti had broken Abhira's heart a hundred times over tonight. She didn't have the strength to do it one more time.
Abir, as always, understood her predicament. He held Mishti’s hand firmly in his own and turned to Abhira, whispering the name that would change the entire course of Abhira's life. “Manish Goenka.”
I would hope that Abhira is a bit upset at Akshara too. She hid all this for too long. Yes maybe she could not tell her everything but at least some of it she could have. And the whole aspect of marrying Abhimanyu again after Abhinavs death seems like an insult to his memory. I hope she cuts off from MG for good. I hope Armaan is able to support her as she deals with this information overload.
Good update 👍 happy abhira has other family than that looser goenkas
| topics | author | replies | views | reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| olsen_124 | 41 | 11.3k | ||
| olsen_124 | 50 | 9.8k | ||
| BUSH146 | 31 | 4.7k | ||
| Sajini235 | 76 | 12.1k | ||
| bajarbattu | 4 | 707 |
¹
comment:
p_commentcount