Chapter 16
Sixteen: Bonds of Love
Renuka Sanyal was standing outside Agarwal Mansion with her son Randhir and his love Sanyukta. Sanyukta was holding Randhir's hand tightly, her fingers laced between his, her heart racing. It wasn't only her heart that was racing, Randhir's was too, for Randhir was just as nervous as she was. He squeezed her hand with comfort, remembering how he had appproached Renuka Sanyal.
--
"Mom, I'm ready to forgive you," he had told her, "But... I need one favour from you." He knew what he was doing wasn't right. He was emotionally blackmailing his mother, but he had to do it for his love, he had to do it for Sanyuka's happiness. He promised himself that he would start life afresh with his mother and would hold no grudge for the past if she promised to support him.
"I'll do anything son," she whispered, and Randhir saw tears fall from her eyes.
He felt his own eyes sting with tears.
"I love her mom," he said to her, falling to his knees, and pressing the palms of his hands together. "I love her more than anything in this world. Please ask for her hand."
She fell to her own knees, held his shoulders before nodding and pulling him in a bone crushing hug.
"I'll do anything for your happiness," she told him, stroking the back of his head.
Randhir hugged her back, finally opening up to his mother, finally allowing her access to him.
The purest form of love was the one where you only wished for the other one to be happy - there was no selfishness. Just like Renuka Sanyal loved Randhir. And just like Randhir loved Sanyukta.
--
The door opened and Sanyukta's mother stood there. Upon seeing Sanyukta, who was holding Randhir's hand, wearing new clothes she had bought the day after she had run away (two weeks back), her eyes widened.
"You have no idea how much you shamed this family," her mother yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her in.
"Mom... please, let me explain," she whispered, tears falling from her eyes.
Randhir wanted to say something, but Renuka grabbed his hand, silently telling him that Sanyukta needed to hear all of this from her mother.
She looked at Randhir and Renuka and folded her hands together in front of them. "Thank you for finding her and bringing her home. I know she is a shameless, disgusting creature, but please forgive us... it was our upbringing," she said to them.
Randhir felt his heart break when her mother said those words.
"She isn't," he said, just as her mother was about to go inside.
She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "What?"
"She is absolutely beautiful," Randhir told her mother, "She regrets what she had done. She loves you truly."
Sanyukta pulled her arm away from her mom and rushed towards Randhir.
"Mom listen, I'm sorry! I know what I did was wrong... but I realized last minute and I couldn't let my life go down the drain. Mom... this is Randhir. Randhir Singh Shekhawat, Renuka Sanyal's son! You know Renuka, she owns a large chain of international companies!" Sanyukta said quickly, hoping that her mom would understand.
Sanyukta's mom's mouth opened when she heard Renuka's name.
"This is even worse," she said, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry you had the misfortune to meet my daughter."
"I like her," Renuka said with a smile towards Sanyukta's mom. "I actually wanted to speak to you about something if you have a moment. It would be ideal if your husband was here too."
"Yes... yes one minute," Anju, Sanyukta's mom, said.
She went inside and called Sanyukta's dad to the living room. The trio followed her.
"Sit... please sit," Anju said.
Randhir and Renuka took a seat while Sanyukta stayed standing.
As soon as her father and brother entered, they both ran towards her immediately. Gulping, she took a step back as her father raised his hand, about to slap her.
"We don't know you anymore!" he bellowed after giving her a tight slap, "We don't have a daughter! You brought shame to this house and only shame! From engineering to Parth to running away from your marriage, you are a disgrace!"
"Papa, please," she whispered, her tears escaping her eyes.
"This is Renuka Sanyal," Anju intervened, addressing her guests. "And this is her son Randhir."
Her father showed shock, her brother's mouth dropping open, clearly awestruck by who had come and visit them.
"Sorry Mrs. Sanyal," Sanyukta's father replied, clearly ashamed of what was going on. "I'm sorry you had to see everything that has happened here. We are very embarrassed to call this girl our daughter."
"Well Mr. Agarwal," Renuka said curtly, "You don't need to apologize. She is a blessing for me. I wanted to ask for her hand for my son Randhir."
Her father's jaw dropped open for the second shock of the day.
"Are you sure?" he asked her, trying to bring himself back to reality. "I mean... you know her history. She might just taint your name too."
Renuka sighed and leaned forward.
"Listen Mr. Agarwal," she told him, "I've gotten to know her well over a short period of time - when she has a passion, she will follow it with all her heart, and that's the most positive trait someone can have. And more importantly, she will keep my son happy... and he will treat her like a queen. I don't think you want anything else from your daughter, do you?"
"What if she runs away from her wedding again?" Anju said, clearly showing no sympathy for her daughter anymore.
"We'll take the chance," Renuka said with a nod.
"Okay then..." Sanyukta's father said, sounding stunned by what was happening. "We won't say no. If someone on the streets asked for her hand we wouldn't say no now, because she deserves only that, but you are Mrs. Renuka Sanyal, so we are in no position to deny."
Randhir felt his heart break as Sanyukta's father insulted her. He glanced at his mother, who seemed to understand him immediately.
"One more thing, Mr. Agarwal," Renuka said immediately. "I want you to forgive your daughter. I only want positive vibes from this alliance. If I hear that you haven't forgiven her, then I won't be happy."
"Yes, of course we will on your insistence," Sanyukta's dad replied quickly, "I mean... for you, anything Mrs. Sanyal."
Randhir could see Sanyukta's eyes light up when her father said that and he felt a huge weight being lifted off his heart immediately.
"So you can have your daughter back until the wedding," Renuka said sweetly. "We will meet with the pandit tomorrow for the marriage preparations."
Sanyukta's parent's looked at Renuka, awe-struck by what was happening, never expecting any of it.
Randhir noticed Renuka smile at Sanyukta warmly and he knew that it wasn't only him who would be getting his mother's love this time, Sanyukta would receive it equally.
"You have no idea how much you shamed this family," her mother yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her in.
"Mom... please, let me explain," she whispered, tears falling from her eyes.
Randhir wanted to say something, but Renuka grabbed his hand, silently telling him that Sanyukta needed to hear all of this from her mother.
She looked at Randhir and Renuka and folded her hands together in front of them. "Thank you for finding her and bringing her home. I know she is a shameless, disgusting creature, but please forgive us... it was our upbringing," she said to them.
Randhir felt his heart break when her mother said those words.
"She isn't," he said, just as her mother was about to go inside.
She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "What?"
"She is absolutely beautiful," Randhir told her mother, "She regrets what she had done. She loves you truly."
Sanyukta pulled her arm away from her mom and rushed towards Randhir.
"Mom listen, I'm sorry! I know what I did was wrong... but I realized last minute and I couldn't let my life go down the drain. Mom... this is Randhir. Randhir Singh Shekhawat, Renuka Sanyal's son! You know Renuka, she owns a large chain of international companies!" Sanyukta said quickly, hoping that her mom would understand.
Sanyukta's mom's mouth opened when she heard Renuka's name.
"This is even worse," she said, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry you had the misfortune to meet my daughter."
"I like her," Renuka said with a smile towards Sanyukta's mom. "I actually wanted to speak to you about something if you have a moment. It would be ideal if your husband was here too."
"Yes... yes one minute," Anju, Sanyukta's mom, said.
She went inside and called Sanyukta's dad to the living room. The trio followed her.
"Sit... please sit," Anju said.
Randhir and Renuka took a seat while Sanyukta stayed standing.
As soon as her father and brother entered, they both ran towards her immediately. Gulping, she took a step back as her father raised his hand, about to slap her.
"We don't know you anymore!" he bellowed after giving her a tight slap, "We don't have a daughter! You brought shame to this house and only shame! From engineering to Parth to running away from your marriage, you are a disgrace!"
"Papa, please," she whispered, her tears escaping her eyes.
"This is Renuka Sanyal," Anju intervened, addressing her guests. "And this is her son Randhir."
Her father showed shock, her brother's mouth dropping open, clearly awestruck by who had come and visit them.
"Sorry Mrs. Sanyal," Sanyukta's father replied, clearly ashamed of what was going on. "I'm sorry you had to see everything that has happened here. We are very embarrassed to call this girl our daughter."
"Well Mr. Agarwal," Renuka said curtly, "You don't need to apologize. She is a blessing for me. I wanted to ask for her hand for my son Randhir."
Her father's jaw dropped open for the second shock of the day.
"Are you sure?" he asked her, trying to bring himself back to reality. "I mean... you know her history. She might just taint your name too."
Renuka sighed and leaned forward.
"Listen Mr. Agarwal," she told him, "I've gotten to know her well over a short period of time - when she has a passion, she will follow it with all her heart, and that's the most positive trait someone can have. And more importantly, she will keep my son happy... and he will treat her like a queen. I don't think you want anything else from your daughter, do you?"
"What if she runs away from her wedding again?" Anju said, clearly showing no sympathy for her daughter anymore.
"We'll take the chance," Renuka said with a nod.
"Okay then..." Sanyukta's father said, sounding stunned by what was happening. "We won't say no. If someone on the streets asked for her hand we wouldn't say no now, because she deserves only that, but you are Mrs. Renuka Sanyal, so we are in no position to deny."
Randhir felt his heart break as Sanyukta's father insulted her. He glanced at his mother, who seemed to understand him immediately.
"One more thing, Mr. Agarwal," Renuka said immediately. "I want you to forgive your daughter. I only want positive vibes from this alliance. If I hear that you haven't forgiven her, then I won't be happy."
"Yes, of course we will on your insistence," Sanyukta's dad replied quickly, "I mean... for you, anything Mrs. Sanyal."
Randhir could see Sanyukta's eyes light up when her father said that and he felt a huge weight being lifted off his heart immediately.
"So you can have your daughter back until the wedding," Renuka said sweetly. "We will meet with the pandit tomorrow for the marriage preparations."
Sanyukta's parent's looked at Renuka, awe-struck by what was happening, never expecting any of it.
Randhir noticed Renuka smile at Sanyukta warmly and he knew that it wasn't only him who would be getting his mother's love this time, Sanyukta would receive it equally.
--
One more chapter left and then this story will come to a close. Don't forget to leave your comments. 😛 Thanks for all your lovely comments by the way, I love all of you for reading this fic!
One more chapter left and then this story will come to a close. Don't forget to leave your comments. 😛 Thanks for all your lovely comments by the way, I love all of you for reading this fic!
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