Chapter 17

Part 16

She is your daughter' it was a miracle that she even survived. They were coming to meet you, but the plane crash messed everything up.'

Masi's words echoed in his head again and again. Once his PI had given him sufficient evidence that shilpa was indeed his daughter, he had gone to the first person who was likely to have the information he seeked, to smriti's Masi in Panchgani. She had told him everything he needed to know and although he wanted nothing more than to go and hug shilpa, he knew the timing was very critical.

He looked down at a photograph lying on his table, of smriti holding a tiny little baby, smiling into the camera. And just like that the decision was made for him. His daughter had waited long enough. It was time she met her father'

In the hall:

There were only a few guests for the mehendi ceremony, some close friends and relatives. The gang was sitting together with all the ladies on one side and guys on the other. Shilpa and muskaan were applying mehendi to riddhima. They were almost done with it.

"So, who's next?" shilpa asked looking around.

"You! " Muskaan replied. "I don't really like the smell of it once it dries off. And Nikki and Anji are almost done too."

"Okay. But jyada heavy mat lagana' Arre the mehendi's finished. I'll get some mehendi from aunty's room" saying this shilpa and muskaan left.

"Haan, but just tell me one thing.. " Muskaan asked once they were in the room "Who's name do I put in your mehendi? " Muskaan teased.

Shilpa blushed and lowered her eyes.

"Haye yu nazare jhukayegi toh Armaan kya koi bhi ladka flat ho jayega'" Muskaan whispered.

Shlipa's eyes jerked up. "How did you..?" and then realized her mistake.

Muskaan looked at riddhima who just enetered too. She grinned. Shilpa looked at ridz and sawing her smiling at her.

"You guys know?" she asked.

"Muskaan and I had our doubts. But now its officially confirmed." Ridz said.

"And you are okay with it." Shilpa asked doubtfully.

Ridz looked at shilpa and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I know that I haven't exactly been supportive of your relationship with armaan. But I know now that you are the best person for him. If anyone can handle his attitude and put him in his place its you. If there's anyone who can give him the love and stability he deserves, its you. What's more you deserve his trust and love. God knows you have earned it."

Shilpa was speechless. His love?? He loves me?? "He loves me?? You guys are mad!! I thought you guys are talking about how I feel about armaan. His feelings for me haven't changed!"

Muskaan and Ridz looked at each other in surprise. Muskaan turned to shilpa to correct her..

"Shilpa' haven't you----"

But she was interrupted by ridz shaking her head. Ridz looked at shilpa and realized she had ni idea how about armaan's feelings.

"Shilpa' Don't ever hide your emotions because of fear of rejection. If you have something to say, just say it, irrespective of the consequences. If you do, you'll always regret not telling that person about it." Ridz said.

The Mehendi ceremony was finally over. Shilpa was in her room, freshening up and getting ready for bed. Her mind went over the things ridz and muskaan told her again and again. Just then there was a knock on the door.

Itni raat ko kaun aa gaya?? She wondered.

She opened the door to the last person she expected to have come.

"Aap? Kya hua um-um- Dr. Shashank??" she stammered.

"Can I come in?" he said

Shilpa moved to allow him in. Sid entered after him wearing a somber expression and shilpa panicked.

"What's wrong Sir? Inti raat gaye, aap log yaha?? Riddhima di thik toh hai na? Aap log itni serious kyun hai?"

Shashank looked at her and the around the room. He saw the bedside table full of photo frames, the walls adorned with pictures of him, his family the entire gang. She had captured all the precious moments. He continued looking around the room when something caught his eyes and he couldn't move his eyes from that pic. He walked towards it and picked it up. It was a painting, the one of a house in the midst of a small lake. It was a house he knew very well, because he had helped build it. He turned around to face shilpa and saw some apprehension on her face.

"Did you paint this?" he asked.

Shilpa was puzzled and felt a trickle of fear. It was a painting dear to her heart. The only other thing she could call her own apart from a locket her mother had left for her. Sid looked at shashank in confusion. Why is he stalling? What's the painting got to do with anything?

"Its just a painting I got. I liked the view, the house so I bought it" Shilpa lied.

"Really? From where?" shshank pressed.

"I don't really remember.. It was a long time ago." She stalled.

"Do you know the painter or this house?"

"Umm' No, I am sorry' But I would definitely like to meet the painter of this house" shilpa smiled. "This is my dream house. And some day I plan a make that house' some day very soon'" shilpa turned around, to hide the tears that had welled in her eyes.

Shashank smiled, now sure that this was his daughter. He walked towards her

"Well' I can probably help you wid that Ms. Shilpa Gupta'" he lowered his voice at his last words.

Shilpa turned around. "You can? Really can'" shilpa's voice trailed and her eyes widened when she realized just what shashank had called her.

"Shi--- Shilpa G..G..Gupta?? I am sorry, but my name is Shilpa Malhotra'" shilpa stammered.

"But that's not what your birth certificate tells us shilpa??" sid interrupted.

Shilpa turned around to look at sid. "What?"

"Look for yourself'" sid handed her the documents. Once she finished looking through them, she closed her eyes. She knew was eventually going to come. But that didn't mean she was ready for it. She had practised what she had to say so many times but nothing prepared her for this confrontation. Never ad she envisaged tellingnher family the rtuth like this. She opened her eyes, reday to see accusation and anger in shashank's eyes, but instead saw love, guilt and an intense longing in his eyes. She blinked and before any of them could stop themselves shilpa launched herself into shashank's arms and shashank held her tightly to him, as if to protect his little girl from all the hurt in the world. She sobbed heavily and sid let himself out to give the father and his long lost daughter a private moment.

Shilpa sobbed heavily, all her bottled up emotions now pouring out. And she did not hold back this time. She wanted to cherish this moment forever. She was finally with her father. Shashank consoled her, knowing that she needed this time'. She looked at him and smiled but soon her her smiled faded into an expression of fear.

"How did you find out D---" shilpa stopped short. She was still a lil unsure of his feelings for her yet.

"Dad'" shashank said.

Shilpa smiled and completed her sentence.. "Dad?"

"Well, I realized you weren't going to come clean so I decided to take a first step. I had my doubts about it after your suspension fiasco' but sid confirmed my doubts'" and shashank told her sid's phone incident.

"Why didnt you tell me shilpa? Did you not trust your dad at all?" shashank asked her, his voice reflecting immense pain.

Shilpa looked at him, unable to formulate an immediate response to his question. "After the accident mom had to undergo a ceasarian immediately. After the operation, she was in a state of unconsciousness for months. I was in the hospital's infant care for that duration. A lot of people had died in the accident and with only a few survivors, the hospital guys mixed up heir identities. I guess that's why the families were some how misinformed and you were mistakenly told that ma's dead. About 8 months after the accident mom gained consciousness but it was too late. You were already married to sister Padma and had adopted Riddhima di. So, mom decided you were better off without us ---"

"But she had no right making that decision all by herself!!! " Shashank was furious. "She had no right to keep me away from herself and my child' When you grew up, did you never ask about your dad?? Weren't you atleast curious about me??" shashank asked, deeply hurt.

"Did ridz or anjali di ever mention a bittoo from panchgani orphanage?"

"Yes! She was their best---" he stopped, a question is his eyes.

"That was me. I was always near you all, my family. Soon after my 5^th birthday I found out that mom has been diagnosed with a tumor. That's when she told me about everyone, all of you. The summer after that is the first time I saw you guys and met my sisters and dad'." Shilpa confessed. "But I didn't know you all then and I certainly couldn't impose' so I waited for the right time to come.."

"You waited for the right time for 17 years' I am so sorry honey. Its all my fault!"

"No! Please don't blame yourself. You didn't know!!"

Just then a knock stopped shashank from saying anything further. Sid entered the room.

"Arre baap beti ki baatein ho gayi ho toh kya main kuch bolu??" he tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Not by a long shot. I have 22 years to make up for!!" shashank looked at shilpa and smiled.

"I was thinking, we should tell riddhima and anjali about it'" sid said.

While shashank nodded shilpa at once said no.

"Its her wedding in three days. I can't do that to her. Please can we wait until after the wedding? I don't know how she will react and I don't want to ruin her wedding for her."

"But-- "

"No please' I know I have to tell her someday but please not now."

"But shilpa she already loves you like a sister." Sid tries reasoning with shilpa.

"There's a lot of difference between being like a sister and being a sister sid. I have waited my entire life for this. What's a few more days?"

Shanshank and sid sighed and finally gave in.

---

Shilpa was in the garden, thinking about what had happened the day before. She still couldn't believe that shashank had figured the truth out. She was so happy that he had accepted her. The rest of the gang had gone shopping. She had just finished watering the plants when she heard a voice say

"Coffee??"

"Sid! Hi! You didn't go fo shopping?"

"Nah! Its damn boring anyways!!"

"But you are the groom! Its your wedding!!"

"Duh?? So??"

Shilpa smiled.

"So what were you thinking about? About what happened yesterday or were you smiling thinking about your lover boy?"

Shilpa looked at him surprised. "Lover boy?"

"Yup! Don't think I haven't noticed whats going on between the two of you'" sid teased.

"Sid! There's nothing going on between armaan and me!!"

"Who said anything about armaan??" sid smirked.

Shilpa realized what she said and started to deny it, but thought the better of it. She sighed. Apparently the entire gang knew about her feelings for him. She dogded the question saying

"I was thinking about dad. It feels so good to say that, finally after so many years of waiting and longing. I was always so scared that he wont accept me or berate me and eventually come to detest me. I am so lucky to have him and the rest of my family. I am so lucky to have all of you as my friend. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve it?"

"You deserve this and much more! " sid said vehemently.

"Thanks sid' for being there, so supporting me in my decision to not tell ridz or anyone about it yet. Riddhima is lucky to have you." Shilpa said and gave him a friendly hug.

"And armaan is lucky to have you. You should tell him how you feel shilpa' you never know which surprise waiting for you. Life's too short for doubts honey' don't ever fear rejection'"

Shilpa looked up at that and recalled riddhima's words. I will take this leap. You are right Sid.

Precap:

arsh cute moments and siddhimma sangeet...

So that's it guys!! lemme know how it was?? please comment and silent readers hit the like button. til then

Adios