Chapter 2

oh nakhrewaali

@oh_nakhrewaali

Chapter 2

Ram dressed and joined his family at the breakfast table. His heart pained as she saw Pihu and Priya at the end of the table. He wasn't sure how he felt about Priya, but Pihu deserved to be by his side, as his family.

"Pihu, why don't you sit next to Shubham uncle on my right?"

"That way, the table will be equal, isn't it Mr. Khadus? Nandini aunty and Miss Sood on one side and uncle and I on another, and you at the center."

"Yes!" Ram beamed.

As Pihu munched on the sandwich, Ram watched her. How had he missed it? She was his carbon copy, but with Priya's fierceness. He sighed as he pushed away the thought.

"So Pihu, don't you miss school?" He asked her, and she nodded.

"Miss Sood said that I'll have to miss school for a while till this adventure ends. But I want to go back and meet my friends. I also miss our teacher, she used to give me star stickers when I got full marks."

Ram's eyes welled up. He knew nothing about his kid, his blood.

"Well, since you are here for some more time, why don't we search for a private tutor for Pihu? That way, she won't miss out on her education, and it will help us maintain this..." He looked at Pihu and stopped, but everyone heard the unsaid "happy family drama"

"Mr. Kapoor, I don't want to burden you. It's not your job to worry about Pihu." Priya said and looked up, but Ram glared at her, daring her to continue. She didn't.

"Ram, should we worry about and finance her education? She isn't our own." Nandini whispered, mindful of hurting Pihu but loud enough for the parents of said child to hear.

"Mom, it will look weird if Pihu doesn't attend school. We are Kapoors. Surely we would consider educating our only child and giving her the best facilities out there?" Ram said, and Shubham nodded. Nandini studied him, trying to find cracks to manipulate, but there were none. But his logic did make sense, so she decided not to prod.

Nandini and Shubham were first to leave, and Pihu followed Tarun, who invited her into the kitchen in the guise of teaching her cooking, but everyone knew he would give her more cookies.

"Priya, she is your daughter before mine, but till you are here, I want to be her father. Whatever happens after that will be at fate's hand. Because honestly, I am tired to worry about it. But I want to be with my daughter, worry about her, pamper her till she is here. I will get Sandy to find her a few tutors, and you can interview them."

"We can interview them together if you like" Priya attempted, and he nodded, appreciating her gesture. He walked away and then turned to look at Priya. How had they even reached here?

------------------------------------------------------

"I will be straightforward with you Krish. I know the whole truth. About you and Priya, Pihu and Ishaan. Priya told me about Shivi's accident and Sandy about Pihu. But I don't understand why Priya lied about Pihu. She said that it was because she was scared that I'll take her away, but I don't buy it. Surely, Priya trusted me to take care of my child, irrespective of who the mother is or what she had done."

"So why bother calling me? Priya has told you everything, right? Or do you still don't trust your wife?"

"The last time I trusted my wife, she lied blatantly to my face, so forgive me for taking whatever she says with a pinch of salt." Ram retorted, and Krish nodded.

"Look, you won't believe us, and we don't blame you. You were manipulated since your childhood into believing your stepmother, and it's ok. But she is the one who told Priya to lie about Pihu's parentage. She convinced Priya that it wouldn't be flowers and sunshine for Pihu after Priya went to jail."

"Shut up!" Ram bellowed, but Krish remained unfazed. He simply shrugged and walked out of the cabin.

------------------------------------------------------

Ram was on his third glass when Brinda entered the cabin and pulled away the glass.

"It's 11 o'clock, are you stupid?"

Ram slurred as he relayed whatever Krish had told him. He was so confused and angry that he didn't know what to do, but then the sadness started seeping in when Brinda looked unsurprised as if she was convinced that Nandini Maa was capable of blackmailing Priya.

"You don't think Krish is being honest, do you?"

"Ram, that woman used her stepmom card like it was an Amazon gift voucher. She has been manipulating you for a long time and cannot accept it when she loses her control over you. I know it seems blasphemous that she would stoop to such a level, but I hope that we are wrong. Maybe Nandini aunty phrased in it such a way that Priya misinterpreted it."

Ram blinked in surprise as she placed a comforting arm on his shoulder. It wasn't comforting at all.

------------------------------------------------------

Ram walked into the bedroom to find Pihu and Priya coloring. In another universe, this is how he wanted to come back home. His wife and daughter playing, and him just watching from the sidelines.

"No, Miss Sood, the rose is supposed to be blue."

"How can a rose be blue?"

"Dip it in ink, and it's blue!" Pihu shrugged, and Ram burst out laughing. The two looked at him and Pihu, happy to find someone agreeing with her logic, started laughing.

"Pihu, can I talk to your Miss Sood for a second."

"You guys keep pushing me out!" She whined but walked away.

"Did you drink? Mr. Kapoor, I don't want you anywhere near my child when you have consumed alcohol!"

"I know, and I am sorry. I just... Did you speak to Krish?"

"Yes, he told me that you know about Mrs. Kapoor, but you won't believe us, so what's the point?"

"I don't want to believe you, but I guess I don't care anymore. I don't care who did what and who said what. I just know that I have a daughter, and she wants me in her life. And I want your permission to be in her life."

"But that means we can't leave?" Priya whispered.

"I don't want you to leave. Stay, please." He whispered and held her hands. Priya sniffled and bit back her tears, but Ram started sobbing. He fell to the ground, and Priya hugged him.

------------------------------------------------------

"I meant it," Ram said to Priya, who was cooking. Priya looked at him in surprise. She had spent the whole day avoiding him. She was scared that once the hangover died, he would realize what he said and would backtrack on his words.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said. She didn't want to be hurt. She wanted to trust Ram, but their relationship was based on many things, not trust.

"I was the one who was drunk, not you," Ram replied. He walked up to her and held her hand.

"Priya, I was being serious. I know I was drunk, but I want you to stay, as my wife. I still hate you for keeping my child away from me, but no, I don't want to be with you just for Pihu. Despite everything that happened, I cannot imagine my life without you." Ram said with tears in her eyes, begging her to understand what he was saying.

"We'll figure it out, Priya, you have your complaints, and I have mine, but we can give Pihu the happy family she deserves. We can give each other the happy family we deserve. Unless you don't love me anymore, and that's ok if you don't."

"What if I don't love you?"

"Then we can officially separate and apply for Pihu's joint custody." He said after a few seconds, his heart breaking. Priya stared at him and then looked away.

"I am tired, Mr. Kapoor. Every time we are together, things are messy, but I love you. And I love Pihu. She has never been this happy, and separating from you will break her heart and mine too."

Priya said, and Ram smiled as he pulled her in a hug. They were ok, they will be ok. They finally had each other.

------------------------------------------------------

3 weeks later

Pihu and Ram had come closer than ever. They were inseparable. The home minister was just an excuse for Priya and Pihu to stay in the house, and Ram had even forgotten about him, he was happy with his daughter and his wife.

He and Priya were in a grey zone. Ram had decided to let go of his anger. He didn't want Pihu to have to witness the tension between them anymore. Plus, he had come to fall in love with her again. Now that the lies weren't blinding him anymore, he saw her as he had always seen her, his wife.

"Marriage vows renewal, that seems cool!" Sandy said on the call and looked up to ensure that she was in Shubham's hearing range.

"I know, imagine Ram Jiju and Priya Di renewing their vows, would be so cool naa... Inayat, come on, just because they are in love doesn't mean they cannot renew their vows. Unless even you believe that we are lying about their relationship. But congrats on the ceremony. I will surely be there. Bye."

She smirked when Shubham took off to give Ram an idea to get the minister off their back. Aditya, Ram, and Brinda agreed to the idea without much convincing, but Shubham didn't worry about it. 

Brinda shrieked in excitement and hugged Aditya.

"It's not real, Brinda," Ram said, but he had a smile on his face. He was happy thinking of the ceremony. Finally, a fresh start for him and his family, his real family.

"I cannot hear you. I can only hear the wedding bells," Brinda said and hugged him.

Someone knocked on the door, and Vikrant stepped in. The tension in the room increased, and Vikrant was smart enough to realize it. In the past three weeks, his friends were a bit distant from him, but he didn't bother much, because he was still in his honeymoon phase.

"Shubham was talking about some marriage vow renewal?" He asked.

"Yeah, Sandy's friend gave us the idea. We could have a pretend ceremony, without any media, but leak the pictures. It will keep the minister at bay for some more time, and that wife of his." Brinda shuddered thinking of Kanika. "Plus, it will keep Vedika at bay," Aditya added.

"Unless you don't think Ram and Priya should come together?" Brinda egged him.

"I mean, I know Ram hates her for what she did, but as long as he is ok." Vikrant looked at Ram, who shrugged. He knew that if he tried to push the matter, Ram might snap. He and Sara had tried to get Priya to move out of the Kapoor house and had failed, but it was not worth risking Ram's temper.

"I'll help with the ceremony." He said to Brinda, who gave him a tight smile.

------------------------------------------------------

"Are you insane?" Nandini shrieked at Shubham.

"Mom, relax. Bhai is just faking it, like always."

"Remember when Ram had done his first interview with Priya, you were the one who said that they looked like they were in love? And they weren't then. Now they are. The more we push them closer, the more it will mess things up for us."

"What things, Mom?" Ram asked and entered with Priya. He was ready to ask the questions now. 

"Nothing, Ram. It's just that we don't want you to be heartbroken again. She cheated on you! She had a child with another man." Nandini said, and her eyes pooled with tears. Priya clenched her fist, but Ram held her hand.

"No Maa, Pihu is my daughter. I have DNA results to prove it." He passed her the paper that he had guarded with his life. Nandini gasped in shock as she read through it while Shubham just looked at his elder brother in shock.

"How did you find out?" Nandini asked without thinking.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, when did you find out? And Priya, how dare you keep me away from my grandchild. First, you snatched Ram's sister, and now his daughter?"

"She didn't kill Shivi too, Maa. It was Ishaan. He pushed her accidentally. But you knew this. You found it out four weeks ago, didn't you?" Ram asked calmly.

"What? Mom, is that true?" Shubham looked at his mother

"What? No! You think I would let go of Shivi's murderer?"

"You didn't have issues using her death to manipulate Ram," Shubham snapped. Ideally, he should trust his mother, but in his thirty-five years, he may have not understood business, but he had picked his mother's tells when she lied. 

"Shubham! That's not the way to talk to your mother! And how dare you accuse me of manipulating Ram. He is the only thing that's keeping me sane right now!" Nandini yelled at her son.

"Did you, or did you not know about Ishaan, Mom?" Shubham asked instead. His eyes were narrowed. She winced, but Shubham didn't let go.

"Mom, you have used me, but at least don't lie to Shubham," Ram said. At this point, Ram was convinced that Nandini was lying about everything. He was trying to use reverse psychology to get to her. Nandini turned to look at him. Her eyes landed on Priya, and she lost it.

"You! It's all because of you! You ruined my life, Priya Sood! I have never hated anyone more than I have hated you. Look what you did, my sons are against me because of you. It's because of you that I have to use my daughter's death to control Ram. It's because of you that I had to lie to Shubham about everything. I was never like this, but you made me into a blackmailing, cold-hearted woman."

She yelled. The two men looked at her in horror. The truth was out, even though it wasn't spelled out. 

"Mom...what?" Shubham tried to speak but failed.

"She used us all Shubham, including you," Ram replied instead. His heart was broken, but he couldn't fall apart, not yet. His brother needed him.

"Yeah, I should have known. After all, she manipulated Shivi into hating Ishaan and the Soods. Why does it surprise me that she would use me too? Ram Bhai, the reason why Shivi and Ishaan fought was none other than Mom and me." Shubham looked at his brother with tears in his eyes. He had been a horrible brother to Shivi when she was alive. He wanted to be a better brother in her death.

"We are equally to be blamed for Shivi's death as Ishaan."

"That's not true! I didn't kill Shivi. The Soods did!" Nandini yelled, but everyone ignored her.

Priya looked at her husband. She had never seen a more broken man. Her heart pained to see the unshed tears, so she reached out to hold his hand, but he dashed out. She looked at Shubham and then followed her husband.

He walked into Pihu's room. Pihu was napping. He fell at her bedside and cried. Priya entered and hugged him. He didn't push her away, nor did he hug her back.

------------------------------------------------------

The next few days in the Kapoor mansion were the bleakest, probably just as much as they had been after Shivi's death. Everyone, except Pihu, was like living zombies. Ram didn't receive any calls from Vikrant. But he reached out to Ishaan and told him that it was difficult for him to forgive him, but he would try. He reached out to the other Soods and told them that the only relationship he wanted with them from now on was in-laws and that they had hurt him beyond their comprehension.

Shubham had locked himself in the room and would only join them for dinners, but wouldn't touch his food. They hadn't even seen Nandini.

Priya tried to be normal, for Pihu's sake. 

"Tarun, tell everyone to be in the living room in the next five minutes. And by that, I mean everyone, except Pihu." 

Nandini refused to step out, but the small hope that she could try to manipulate Ram made her walk down. She glared at Priya and walked to Ram, but he raised his hand, stopping her.

"I have earned all this for my family, and I had always thought that I would distribute our property equally between Shivi, Shubham, and...you" He looked at Nandini and then looked away, immediately.

"But then, Priya came along, and I realized that I took my friends for granted, and I had to secure their futures too. But I spoke to them, and I spoke to Priya. We don't want any of this anymore. I will announce Shubham as the CEO of Kapoor Industries and step aside. Priya and I are shifting to the US. I have got a job in a multinational company. We will be starting afresh. I don't think you care what happens to the three of us, but I thought you should know. Aditya and Brinda are moving to Pune, and I don't know about Vikrant, but if he stays, you'll have someone to help you." He nodded at Shubham.

"Bhai, no! This is your hard work. And I am sorry that my greed blinded me, but I always thought we'd do business together, as equals, and not like this."

"Sorry, Shubham, but everything around me feels tainted now. Tainted with betrayal." He said and nodded at Priya. The two left the room, and Shubham looked at his mother, who started laughing. He got confused and tried to stop her, but she wouldn't. The final blow of insanity seemed to have hit her.

------------------------------------------------------

"Hi, Pihu!" Sandy smiled at her thirteen-year-old niece via the camera. Life had changed so much in the last eight years. She had switched companies, but Vikrant had stayed back to help Shubham. Ishaan had officially broken ties with his mother but never told them why. She was now a maasi to Ishaan, Pihu, Veda and Sara-Vikrant's three Labradors and a bua of sorts to Aditya and Brinda's adopted son. Akshay had finally reached out to them and now knew the whole truth. That was enough for him to start to move on and he was seeing his co-star. Kunal was still in London, now the owner of his own start-up company.

"Maasi, I am convinced that if Mom and Dad keep giving each other surprise dates every third day, I will have another sibling," Pihu shuddered, and Sandy smiled. Pihu didn't have to know this, but that was the exact reason why Priya had asked Ram on a date, to announce her second pregnancy.

"Don't you want another sibling? I mean, with Ishaan, Nihaal, and Veda, you must be used to siblings?" She tried to make Pihu see the brighter side.

"But they are cousins and so far away. I rarely see them. This would be a real baby, and babies are gross!" Sandy laughed.

"Who is it, babes?" Jiya asked and looked at her girlfriend's niece.

"Hey, Pihu. Why do you look like you just ate wasabi?" Jiya asked Pihu.

"Hi, Maasi. I am thinking about what will happen if Mom gets pregnant again."

"Isn't she, though?" Jiya asked in confusion and looked at Sandy, and Pihu started whining. Sandy looked at her confused girlfriend and then at her whining niece. Priya was going to have a hell of a day after she came home from the date.