FF: Incomplete Life - Ch 21B on PG 76 & Note PG 78 - Page 23

Caught up on the last update. Time for Bani to fill-in "our memories" with her and Jai's memories. Nice update.

Waiting for Jai to return.

Sorry for the long wait, guys, I'm trying to finish up the update as quickly as I can. For now, enjoy this preview. 😊

"… I got everyone something…. Ma wanted some pearl earrings…. Dadi movies….. Aditya Jiju a digital camera …. Jigyasa, Anu, and Rano some dresses…. Ranveer and Saahil new iPods….."

His words linger for a moment and Bani nods her head while smiling softly to him.

"…. I'm glad….Everyone must be happy with their gifts."

Her smile fades, however, when she is caught locked into his intense gazing---his stormy gray eyes more powerful than she's ever seen them to be. She holds in her breath in anticipation.

"…. I got you something too….," he finally says in a husky tone. Blushing red, Bani fidgets to herself before refocusing her attention onto the wardrobe and fumbling for his nightwear.

"…. I told you---- I only wanted your safe return, that's all… I didn't want anything else…. ---Here are your clothes so you can change and go to sleep. You must be tired," she states hastily, trying to her best attempts to divert the topic. However, her husband does not go along with it. He neglects her outstretched hand that extends over his separate change of clothes.

"… Don't you want to see it?"

Finding herself speechless at this point, Bani remains in her spot dumbstruck with nothing to say. She is jolted out of her stupor, though, when she sees him walk away from her. Curiously she looks on at him and sees how he reaches for his suitcase and places it onto the mattress near an oblivious Yash, who continues to make his truck sounds.

He unzips it and reaches into it, rummaging through his things before he withdraws a velvet box. Looking back at her, he joins her side once again and presents it to her while his wife stares at it with wonder. He clasps it open and Bani is nearly blown away by what she sees.

The preview makes me eager to read the whole part. Jai thought about his wife & got something for her. Update plz.

Jai's back and he bought something for Bani..

Can't wait, update soon!!

Feeling so curious to know what he bought for his wife...Am guessing it's some piece of jewellery. Plz continue soon. Can't take the suspense too long.

Okay, seems like I had enough time to finish up the update today itself. Please excuse any mistakes, I'm posting this without going over it. And forgive me if you feel this update isn't satisfactory. I tried my best.

Chapter 13:

He walked out of the mechanical doors and into the darkness of the calm night. Loitering on the sidewalk for a moment, he searches around the lines of cars until he locates his driver step forward and with a tip of his hat smile at him.

"Welcome back, sir."

"Thank you, Rajesh."

Rajesh, without another exchange of words, immediately takes a hold of his employer's luggage and settles them inside the trunk of his car. As he seats himself into the back of the vehicle, Jai pulls out his blackberry and turns it on after having it off during the long flight from London to Mumbai. Instantly his cell phone buzzes to life with the many messages left for him when he was unreachable. He checks through them as his driver drives out from the airport and heading straight to the mansion.

On the way home, they found themselves jammed in the middle of traffic. Running his fingers through his hair, Jai curses himself for this inconvenience. All he wanted to do at this point was climb into his bed and sleep. But it seems some more time will have to pass till that happens.

He gazes outside his window, observing the small shops standing erect alongside the streets of this busy city. He watches disinterestedly at the flurry of people walking by during this cool evening until his attention is temporarily captivated by the sight of something that strikes him.

His steel eyes rest on the particular shop and its owner, who holds the object in his hand that had his direct notice. Jai looks on as the shopkeeper hands it over to his paying customers---two little boys who eye the item as if they had hit the jackpot. A smile tugs on the corners of his mouth as he makes the comparison, but it is overcome by a somber expression that unfolds on his handsome face as a thought crosses his mind.

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Bani had gotten out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair with a towel from taking a shower, when her eyes fell onto her son sitting on the bed with a wide smile---playing with a bulky truck in his hands. Confused, she sets the towel aside and approaches him, wondering where the yellow truck had suddenly come from. She cannot recall the toy being Yash's.

"Beta---yeh truck kahan se aya?" she questions him sweetly while patting down his jet black hair, taken after his father.

"Momma, wook!!! Tuck! Tuck! ----Vooooommmm!!!" Yash excitedly shows his mother his brand new truck, waving it in front of her high in the air.

"Hain Beta, Mama sees… paar tumhe kahan se mila?" she proceeds in asking, wondering if it was gifted to him by one of his older cousins or his Aditya Phupha, who loved to spoil Yash with boy toys. "To make certain he grows up to be a man and doesn't end up playing with dolls," they'd always say. She'd simply rolls her eyes at them in return.

"Aur tum yahan aakele kyon ho? Dadi kahan hai?" she questions hastily on noticing that he had been here in the room by himself for so long. Her son, however, ignores her queries and simply gives her a goofy smile in return while continuing to point at his "tuck."

"Momma---myyy tuck! Papa gimmy…. Papa say Yashs tuck….aaalllll mine!" he expresses with glee while hugging his new truck against his chest. Bani seems stumped on hearing her son's words, not having expected this as an answer.

"Papa? Yash---- Papa gave you this truck?"

"Papa say Yash big boyyy….Papa gimmy tuck…," her son repeats with sparkling eyes.

"Yash---- Papa is here?" Bani inquires from the almost three-year old with delight slowly settling onto her fair face.

"Momma--- Papa tuck! Papa tuck!" he indicates to his toy---shoving it into his mother's face for her to see. Bani pushes it aside with a chuckle at her son's clear excitement. Her smile grows as her face becomes bright with pleasure on hearing her husband has come home, that too, on his previous planned time. She was told by him to expect him tomorrow.

"Yash let's go and see Papa," she suggests with a sparkle of her own in her honey brown eyes. Yash, however, doesn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as his mother regarding the proposed idea.

"I play….," he whines as an answer.

"Yashu, let's go meet Papa first and then play, okay?"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes. Yash, don't you want to say thank you to Papa? He got you such a big truck."

"I play….you go," he suggests instead and returns his attention onto his truck, rolling it across the mattress of the bed. Bani heaves a sigh and is about to gather his lost attention until she hears the opening of the bedroom door behind her. Looking over her shoulder, her gaze falls onto her haggard appearing husband who emerges through their door and shutting it after him. She springs up from the bed and stands onto her feet from his presence.

"Aap aagaye?" she breathlessly questions him, drawing his notice onto her. Dropping his hand from the back of his neck, which he had been rubbing since it had been aching due to his long flight, he nods his head in affirmative. He walks further inside and goes to stand by the dresser, removing his watch and placing it onto there.

"The conference ended earlier than I had expected to. So I took the first flight I could back home. Sorry for not informing you ahead of time," he adds his apologies at the end while glancing in her way. Bani blushes from his direct gaze on her---always finding herself unnerved when his penetrating stormy eyes rest onto her.

Seeing that he's in the act of removing his coat, Bani joins him at the dresser and takes it from him wordlessly. She heads over to his wardrobe and hangs it up while Jai begins in taking off his tie.

"It's okay…. I just wasn't expecting you……. How… How was London?" she asks shyly while casting him a look, leaning onto one of the wardrobe doors. She averts her eyes as she sees him beginning to unbutton the top buttons of his shirt, deciding to settle her attention onto her playing son while she turns pink in the face.

She catches the faint smile he throws her from the dresser when looking at her through the corner of her eye. "… It was cold," he comments. Seeing that her gaze is elsewhere, he follows it to their son. He then clears his throat.

"I… er… couldn't think of what else to get him. Boys his age usually are fascinated with big trucks so I thought I'd go ahead and get him one…."

"…. You made the right choice. He loves it."

"I'm glad…. I…. uh…"

Sensing his hesitance, Bani finally looks back to him and sees him rubbing the back of his neck again while approaching her in small steps.

"… I got everyone something…. Ma wanted some pearl earrings…. Dadi movies….. Aditya Jiju a digital camera …. Jigyasa, Anu, and Rano some dresses…. Ranveer and Saahil new iPods….."

His words linger for a moment and Bani nods her head while smiling softly to him.

"…. I'm glad….Everyone must be happy with their gifts."

Her smile fades, however, when she is caught locked into his intense gazing---his stormy gray eyes more powerful than she's ever seen them to be. She holds in her breath in anticipation.

"…. I got you something too….," he finally says in a husky tone. Blushing red, Bani fidgets to herself before refocusing her attention onto the wardrobe and fumbling for his nightwear.

"…. I told you---- I only wanted your safe return, that's all… I didn't want anything else…. ---H-here are your clothes so you can change and go to sleep. You must be tired," she states hastily, trying to her best attempts to divert the topic. However, her husband does not go along with it. He neglects her outstretched hand that extends over his separate change of clothes.

"… Don't you want to see it?"

Finding herself speechless at this point, Bani remains in her spot dumbstruck with nothing to say. She is jolted out of her stupor, though, when she sees him walk away from her. Curiously she looks on at him and sees how he reaches for his suitcase and places it onto the mattress near an oblivious Yash, who continues to make his truck sounds.

He unzips it and reaches into it, rummaging through his things before he withdraws a velvet box. Looking back at her, he joins her side once again and presents it to her while his wife stares at it with wonder. He clasps it open and Bani is nearly blown away by what she sees. Her eyes instantly meet his, which look back at her.

"Aap…. Aap---," she begins in stammering, having nothing to say.

"I didn't know what to get you at first…. But then I saw this and… … It reminded me of you," he softly states. Seeing that she is still quiet, he continues. "I couldn't come back with nothing to give to you… no matter what you said; I had to get you something…"

She stares into his eyes once again for a long silent moment before turning her back around. She pushes her hair to one side and with a look over her shoulder she says, "Could you put it on for me?"

He removes it from the box and brings it around her slowly, settling it around her bare neck. Once he clasps it, she turns back around and traces the beautiful sapphire pendant that now gleams under their bedroom light. She can't restrain the pleased smile that grows on her lips.

"It's beautiful….. Thank you."

She watches how his eyes linger onto her upper chest---admiring how the piece of jewelry flatteringly hangs around her creamy neck---before looking over to her once more. For a silent moment they stare at one another until they are jolted out of it by another one of Yash's truck sounds. Awkwardly, Jai switches his gaze and runs his fingers through his hair before a sudden expression crosses his face and he looks back to her.

"I have something else too…."

Surprised on hearing this, Bani completely removes her attention from her pendant---her tracing fingers coming to a stop.

"Ji?...... You—you shouldn't have. This is enough---really."

She is further taken aback to see an enigmatic look unfold on his face accompanied by a shrug as he brushes her aside and searches through the wardrobe for the coat his wife had just hanged. Reaching into the pockets of it, he withdraws another item out.

"Chokolaattt!!!!" Yash screams in cheer once spotting the dairy milk chocolate bar in his father's hands. Immediately he tosses his truck off to the side and climbs off the bed, running to Jai with his stubby little legs. He tugs on his trousers once having approached him and his mother.

"I want it chokolat! I want it! I want it!" he demands aggressively while taking a fist full of Jai's pants and pulling on them. Jai painstakingly meets his wife's eyes before she erupts into a fit of giggles seconds later from the plea and desperation in her son and the bewildered look on her husband's face. They both appeared so comical at that moment that Bani couldn't help but laugh at father and son.

"….Er….Yash…. boys your age shouldn't be eating chocolate. It will rot your teeth…. This is for your mother," Jai states uneasily while casting a look to Bani, who flushes from his expressed words----embarrassed yet pleased that he had thought of her enough to bring her favorite candy, a tradition that used to be carried out for years before her sister's death and neglected thereafter.

"Momma, pweeeaaasseeee. I want it chokolat!" Yash turns to her with his wide eyes that have his mother melt within seconds. She bends down to his level and takes a hold of his arms.

"Only if Yash promises mommy that he will be a good boy and brush his teeth before going to bed. Will you do that for me?"

Yash eagerly nods his head. Bani looks at Jai, who shakes his head.

"I should have known better than to take it out in front of him," he comments more to himself than to her. Bani smiles.

"He will have just one piece." Taking it from him, Bani opens the chocolate bar and breaking off a piece hands it over to her son who gobbles it up right away. She folds it closed, hides it behind her back, and looks to him sternly.

"Now remember our deal. Yash has to brush teeth now. Okay?"

"Okay," he chirps with a grin before running back to the bed to play with his truck.

"Yash, now. No more playing. Play tomorrow. It's bedtime."

"Awwwww," Yash whines before slipping off the mattress and stomping over to the bathroom where his mini stool was awaiting for him at the sink.

Rising back to her full height, Bani meets her husband's quiet eyes and she runs her fingers along the wrapper of the chocolate bar, fumbling for words.

"…. Thank you. You shouldn't have bothered."

"I….uh… your welcome. I just saw it and bought it out of impulse….. You still like them, don't you?" he asks, appearing sheepish for the first time since she has known him.

"Yes, it's been awhile since I've eaten one of these though."

Together they slip into silence as they realize the deeper meaning behind her words….meaning she hadn't had one of these since the time of her sister's death.

"I… I should go and check if he brushes his teeth….," she says uneasily, breaking the strong lull between them. Jai nods his head. "Yes, you should."

"Should I reheat dinner for you?" she adds after a second thought.

"No thanks, I'm good. I just need to change and get some sleep."

Bani nods her head understandingly--- knowing that he wants privacy to change in the room---and leaves toward the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

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He walks forward into the darkness cautiously in small steps, not knowing where he was going. All around is pitch black surrounding him that never seems to end. He just knows that he has to get out of here some way or another----his feet carry him further on. That is until he halts on hearing a distant sound. Listening in closer, he realizes it is a voice.

"….Jai…." she calls out to him. Struck to his spot, he remains still for a long moment before racing forward, running after the person who continues to summon for him. His heart beats fast and the drumming of it fills his ears. He doesn't know where it is he is being led to, but he knows he has to find her.

The more he runs, the more he begins to think that there is no escape for this god forsaken place. Until he sees a blinding light beaming from a distance and feels hope rushing into him. His legs sprint faster as he catches the familiar figure of a woman---her vision blurry, but still there.

"Ananya," he yells for her attention. Slowly, he watches as her body turns around in order to face him….

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Bani was woken up in the middle of the night by the groaning of her husband. Worriedly she turned on her lamp light and looked to him, seeing him thrashing back and forth in his place and his face a sickly white. His now sweaty shirt clanged onto him like a second layer of skin and beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. Jumping out of the comforter, she reaches to his side of the bed and kneels down beside him.

"Jai…. Jai…. Jai," she calls for him while placing her palms on each side of his face. That is when she realizes he is burning with fever. Beyond worried now, she takes a fist full of his shirt and shakes him out of whatever is gnawing at him.

"Jai---Jai, wake up! Wake up, please, wake up!" From her near shouts, she watches his eyelids fly open and his gray eyes peering right up at her. She remains still in her actions and looks on at him wearily as his eyes wander around his surroundings before landing on her once again. He brings a hand to his forehead and wipes away the sweat. The exhaustion on his face begins to settle.

"…..Bani," he breathes. She brings her hand forward and begins to smooth out the strands of hair that stick against his sweaty forehead.

"I woke up because you were moving around so much in your sleep…. Were you having a bad dream?"

Jai heaves a sigh as he settles his head back into his pillow and ignorant to the fact that his wife continues to smooth out his hair---her eyes full with worry and concern at this point. Hearing no reply to her question, Bani continues on.

"You are burning up too….," she states quietly after placing the back of her hand to his forehead. "You have a fever. I will just go and get you some medicine."

As Bani moves to leave, she is held back by his hand taking a grasp of her arm.

"Don't…. I'll be fine. It's nothing. It'll be gone by morning."

Bani bites on her lower lip while examining him silently. Perhaps she shouldn't bother with it. He is a doctor so he knows. But then again, despite being a doctor he is known for neglecting his health.

"At least have some water."

Seeing him nod after a moment to her suggestion, Bani takes a hold of a glass and pitcher resting on the night stand nearby and hands him the water. He drinks it all down and hands her back the empty glass.

"You are sure that you are fine? I will just be back with the medicines if you want me to…."

"No, I'm okay…..Don't hassle yourself…. I just need some sleep."

Seeing the disbelief present on her face and her unwillingness to move, Jai directs his gaze onto her.

"Believe me, I am fine."

Lowering her eyes, she nods and returns to her side of the bed. Switching off the lamp light, she hears the shifting of her husband's body and stares at his back faced toward her. She takes a grip onto her pendant and moves it back and forth along the chain, wondering what nightmare he had that struck him in this way.

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His fever was not gone in the morning, but wasn't as severe as it had been at night. But he would not admit this to her, Bani knew. He avoided her scrutiny since early morning and her suggestions for him to take some medicine before going off to work. He had been in his study, collecting some files, when she let herself in. Hearing a brisk knock on the door, Jai turned around and saw his wife standing at the doorway with a glass of juice and bottle of medicine in her hands. He shuts the file in his hand.

"I brought you juice and medicine. I have also complained to mummyji about you so you have no choice but to take them now or else you will have her on your case."

"That was completely unnecessary," he says with annoyance of having his mother's likely ranting awarded to him soon.

"It was completely called for. You are only going to get worse if you don't do something about your fever….. Can't you stay home for the day and rest some more? You can always go to work tomorrow."

"No, I have to go. I've got surgeries scheduled for today."

"Well, take this before going. You're a doctor---you should know that health comes first. Besides, you wouldn't want to spread whatever it is that you have to everyone else in the hospital," she states with a winning smile. He throws her an exasperated look before conceding defeat and taking them from her. He pops in a pill and takes it down with a few sips of the juice. As he sips on the juice, his eyes fall onto the pendant he had gifted still wrapped around his wife's neck.

"Now am I free to go, Sergeant Bani?" he questions dryly once setting the glass aside onto the table behind him. Bani nods her head gingerly while stepping aside to let him pass. He takes a hold of his files before walking out of the study room, leaving his wife behind with an amused smile lingering on her lips.

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As the next couple weeks go by, Bani finds herself in a whirlpool of decisions to make for her son's third birthday party coming up the following week. It was decided unanimously to make a big bash of Yash's birthday and invite everyone the Walias were associated with. His first birthday hadn't been celebrated since it was Ananya's first death anniversary, which everyone felt it was right not to hold any sort of celebration in remembrance to her. His second had been a quiet family affair and now they felt it would only be right to have a huge celebration for the baby of the house. And the task mostly fell onto his mother, who was hassled with what to do as she never had organized such an event before in her life. But with the guidance of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, she managed to pull through.

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"Momma, bawooons!!!" Yash points out to all the many balloons present on the ground floor of the mansion----his face depicting the clear excitement he was experiencing at that moment. "I want it, I want it, I want it!" Bani struggles to keep him steady in her arms as she climbs off the last step of the stairs and blends in with the rest of people attending the party held for her son. Just minutes before she had completed the most difficult task of the party and that was dressing up her son for the occasion in a specially designed tux that made him seem cuter than ever.

"You want a balloon, huh?" Aditya questions once Bani arrives with Yash in tow, catching onto his last words. Yash nods his head. Bringing out his hand from his back, Aditya presents a blue balloon to his nephew and chuckles as Yash hastily snatches it from him.

"Arre, no thank you? Where are you manners, son?"

"Say thank you to your Phupha, Yash," Bani orders. Yash looks to Aditya with gleaming eyes and flashes him a silly smile. "Thanks Poopa!" Aditya smiles and ruffles the boy's hair fondly.

"Mommy! It's a baby!" Yash exclaims loudly while directing a finger at a one-year old girl, who follows after the crowd of kids running around with separate balloons in their hands. Together Aditya and Bani laugh.

"Yes, sweetie, it's a baby. Do you want to go play with her?" Yash immediately nods his head and runs out from his mother's arms once she lowers him down to the floor. Bani gazes after him as he joins the baby girl and other of his friends with his balloon trailing off behind him.

"Come on Bani, let's go and join everyone else." Bani allows herself to be led towards her family who all comment on how beautiful she looked and how well she organized the party. She simply beamed from their compliments. She was then introduced to many of the Walia's close friends in order to be familiarized with them all since it would be a first time in awhile that the Walias are hosting an event, hence, she hadn't been presented as the new daughter-in-law despite the well known fact in the community of Jai's second marriage.

"You have such a beautiful daughter-in-law, Mrs. Walia," a woman named Mrs. Sharma comments with a wide smile. Krishna's face brightens on hearing this compliment. "I am very lucky to have her and my son is even luckier."

"Well of course he is----he has gotten such a beautiful and young wife. ---Oh, beta, would you mind showing me that necklace you are wearing?" Mrs. Sharma directs her sole attention onto Bani, who gives a hesitant smile from the woman's close observance of her. She picks up the sapphire pendant given to her by Jai and presents it to her.

"How lovely it is! Where did you get it?"

"My son had given it to her as a gift. It is lovely, isn't it? It cost far too much as well," Krishna chirps happily and engages into a superficial conversation with Mrs. Sharma, who Bani was beginning to despite along with the many other acquaintances of the Walias. All they ever thought of was riches and nothing else.

Bani moves her pendant along the chain of her necklace while distantly listening to their conversation when in reality her thoughts were revolving around Jai. He knew about the decision to hold a party this year and she even had reminded him many times. Why hasn't he come yet? The time to cut the cake is approaching soon.

She was, however, temporarily distracted from these thoughts as Saahil approached her for a dance which she couldn't refuse. As the next few minutes or so are spent on dancing with every male member of her family, Bani found herself disheartened as the announcement of the cake ceremony was made by Jigyasa since Jai still hadn't arrived.

As they begin to assemble bringing the cake out, Bani discreetly moves off to the side and decides to pay on last phone call in order to see where Jai is.

"Hey Mami, come on. It's time to cut the cake," Ranveer calls out for her before she can even place a call. Startled, she looks behind her to see Ranveer joining her with Rano following closely behind. She throws him a forced smile.

"I'll be there in a minute, Ranveer. I just need to make a call---"

"Oh no you don't, Di. It's your son's birthday----Yash comes first. Your phone call can wait till later," Rano intervenes while taking a hold of Bani's hand and leading her back over to the center of the hall.

"But---…," Bani tries to say but only to be startled by the feel of Ranveer's hands taking a grip of her upper arms and pushing her lightly forward. "No excuses, the birthday boy is demanding for his mother," he informs her. Bani allows herself to be taken toward the rest of their family, in the center of attention, and takes Yash into her arms as he opens his arms wide for her to do so. Placing him onto her hip, she holds onto him tight and tries to direct her sole attention onto this one moment, but could not help looking over to the front entrance---waiting for her husband's arrival.

"Come on Bhabhi---Yash is eager to cut the cake," Jigyasa calls for her sister-in-law's attention who has strangely become quiet and distant despite being amongst her own. Bani is rattled out of her trance and smiles faintly.

"Yash, blow out the candles like this!" Anu says while initiating a blow from her own mouth. Yash giggles at his cousin's funny looking face. "Come on, Yashu, like this---" Saahil encourages while heaving a blow himself to demonstrate to the little boy. Yash simply laughs further.

"Bani puttar, you show him na? Poor boy is confused," Dadi chirps with a giggle of her own following with everyone else's laughter around them. "Bani, blow the candles with him," Krishna advises to her daughter-in-law who nods her head. Steering her gaze off the front doors, Bani smiles affectionately at her son and directs his attention onto the burning candles. She prods him to blow along with her and together they blow out the candles. Applause is heard all around along with cheering. In unison family and friends sing "Happy Birthday" to the happy looking toddler.

Bani takes the knife that Aditya passes in her way and from the prompting of everyone, Bani takes Yash's little hand into hers and guides him into cutting a piece of the cake---earning more claps from everyone.

As Bani watched her family feeding Yash tiny bits of the cake and taking pictures together with big smiles, she felt a hollowness creep inside of her. She longed to have her family complete---with her husband in it. Again her eyes land on the open doors…..

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She stared into the enlarged picture of her beautiful sister hanging up on the wall with a bright orange garland bordering the edges of the frame….her eyes sparkling and her mouth formed into a humorous grin. She didn't know for how long she stood before there in the dimness of the now quiet house, but it was when she heard the unlocking of the front doors and the footsteps that followed afterward that she finally turned around…..

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Jai stepped into the house half past midnight and dropped his jingling keys into the pocket of his trousers. He closed the door after himself and treaded into the dim, silent house---briefly taking in the decorations hanging around for the party that ended some hours ago….

Usually Bani greeted him at the door, but seeing that she wasn't there to do so, he assumes that she must have gone to sleep---most likely tired from the party. He carelessly throws his briefcase onto the couch in the living room, deciding that he will set to the task of preparing food for himself, until he stills in his spot once his eyes focus on the petite figure of his wife, standing only a few feet away from him. He's speechless seeing her there, half hidden in the shadows, having not expected her. It takes him a moment to gather his voice.

"Bani---I thought you went to sleep?" he asks, slightly confused by the expression on her face---one that he isn't able to pinpoint. He takes in her intense eyes, stiff form, and the thinning of her lips set into a line and knows that something is wrong. He also notices that she hasn't changed out of her clothes---still adorning a rich red colored saree draped fittingly around her slim body.

"You didn't come….," he hears her abrupt statement and is taken aback by the bleakness of her voice. However, it gets rid of his earlier confusion as he finally sees sense in her behavior.

"… It was your son's birthday and you didn't bother to come," she continues in a hollow tone. Jai suddenly finds himself feeling guilty, though, tries to cover it. He clears his throat.

"---I-I got caught up in work and there was no way out of it. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to attend the party."

She steps out from the shadows, giving him clear view of her. He becomes stumped on seeing tears brimming in her honey brown eyes.

"…. I called the hospital…. They told me you left two hours ago…"

Jai takes in a breath as he becomes trapped into his own lie. He feels himself become stifled with the look in her questioning eyes and dejection clear on her fair face. He wasn't expecting to come home to this….

"….Bani, I don't want to talk about this. All you have to know is that I couldn't come to the party."

He says firmly after a long moment of silence passes between them. He averts looking into her pained eyes and makes a movement to go past her. He is, though, denied passage to leave once Bani steps into his way---her eyes seeking his.

"Why weren't you able to come? What was so much more important than your own son's birthday?"

"Bani, please---…," he begins saying in a strangled tone as he sees a tear trickling down her cheek. "I don't want to do this…"

"You will have to---You will have to, that too, right now. I want an answer to my question…Why didn't you come?" she demands---her voice wobbling. Stubbornly Jai looks the other way, avoiding her stare. He doesn't look back until he feels her grab onto a fistful of his shirt.

"Do you know how I felt? ---Seeing my son celebrating his birthday with his whole family present with the exception of his own father?" Bani whispers. Jai stares at her, unable to look away as he becomes transfixed by the pained look on her features.

"It made me feel miserable inside…realizing that my son has never gotten his father's affections and may never will because he is too self-absorbed with himself to pay his son any attention…" she finishes with tears now streaming down her welling eyes.

Jai's throat suddenly runs dry and he finds himself speechless once more. Hearing these words from his wife's mouth brought an effective impact on him---it made him feel guilty as hell.

"…Where were you?" she starts off once again in asking about his whereabouts, tugging on his shirt. He doesn't look away, meeting her gaze as he answers slowly, "….. I went off."

"And you didn't think to come home right away to your family?" she asks him out of disbelief. Jai brushes her hands away from him, suddenly becoming angry as to how she is making him seem like some sort of jacka**.

"No, …. I didn't," he answers coldly. Seeing her mouth open, Jai cuts her off before she can say anything else. "Bani, don't start this with me. It'll be best for you if you just let it alone."

Giving her a hard stare, he again makes an attempt to leave, but is held back by the haste grip of his arm by his wife. She steps back and peers at him closely.

"You aren't running away from this, Jai. This has been going on for too long… three years…. It's about time that we talk about this," she states with finality. Jai looks at her with flared eyes and shoves off her hand.

"…. I'm glad that you remember how long it has been…. But have you forgotten what exactly happened three years ago---right on this day?" he says, turning the tables around onto her. Bani seems bewildered by his accusation.

"…O-of course I do…. How could you possibly think that I'd forget?" she replies hoarsely. "She was my sister…"

"As was she my wife. ---Then how could you possibly think that I'd come home and celebrate on the day my wife died?"

Bani is blown away by the harshness of his words and tries her best to blink away the tears stinging in her eyes.

"How can you think like that?--- We were here celebrating your son's birth and you are accusing me of celebrating my own sister's death?" she demands incredulously.

"I am not accusing you of any such thing. I just can't believe my own family would go ahead and have a celebration on Ananya's death anniversary. She was a part of this very family, but it seems they have forgotten all about her. ----And you, Bani, I expected for you to at least understand….." he begins to blame, taking a firm hold of her arm and pulling her toward him.

"I have understood you the most for the past two years of our marriage together! Don't you dare accuse me of being anything else but understanding….. I have left you to yourself just like you wanted…. I gave you space and time to deal with Ananya Di's death…. I knew how you were shattered with her death….. It nearly killed you because you loved her so much….. I also knew that it was going to take a long time before you moved on with your life….but Jai—that time has been long overdue. Three years of grieving is enough…. --- I've had it…. I've had it with you neglecting your own son and family….. You have become so absorbed with your own misery that you are blocking out all the ones who care deeply for you… You have estranged yourself from everyone you know…. Your mother….your sister….your best friend….your nephews and niece….and especially your son….who you haven't taken the time to get to know."

Jai breathes heavily and his grip on his wife's arm grows tighter as her powerful words circle around in his head. Her own eyes ignite with a flame of its own.

"The very son who you dumped right away without looking at him even once….The very son who calls you papa only in name since he doesn't realize the emotional essence of having a father…..Is this what you call being a father, Jai? ----Giving him toys time to time and resuming to neglect him? You hardly know anything about him except for the fact that he is biologically your son….You are not fit to call yourself his father….."

Shaken by her bitter words, Jai releases her arm at once and feels a haze take over him.

"…. This isn't why I married you, Jai…. so you are free to dump your son into someone else's care…. I married you because I wanted to create a loving environment for Yash---to let him enjoy the feeling of having the love of a father and mother in his life …. Two parents, Jai,… not one," she whispers to him---observing closely as the steely look that once adorned his face now growing soft as her words start to have the desired effect on him.

"I let you deprive him of that because you weren't ready…. But I won't let you deprive him of that anymore….My son is going to get his father's love," she says, growing an edge to her tone that draws her husband's direct attention onto her.

A stilling silence returns between them and Bani takes this to her advantage to wipe away the dampness of her tears from her cheeks. Once she clears her face and takes in a breath to calm herself, she determinedly meets his gaze once more.

"Jai…. God may have taken away from you…..but he has also given in return…. and that's Yash…."

Saying that, she gives him one last lingering look before turning on her heels and rushing away toward the stairs, leaving her husband behind to dwell in the aftermath of what had just occurred….

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He slumped into his working chair after pouring himself a drink from the mini bar in his study. Bani had moved it in here from their room saying that she didn't want any alcohol near their son now that he was getting older. Jai leaned his head against the back of his chair as he shut his eyes and placed a hand to his forehead.

He cannot deny anything his wife had said even if he wanted to. Simply because everything she had spoken to him was the absolute truth. A bitter truth he did not want to hear, but the truth nonetheless. Perhaps he is an a**… he's been a horrible son, brother, friend, uncle, father, but most importantly husband. Bani is right---she has been the most understanding and had given him time to heal in his own time. She waited for till he would be ready again---not rushing him like how the others did.

The irony of it all is that he had moved on for quite some time now. Not completely, but he has been getting himself there day by day. He no longer thought of Ananya constantly as he used to or stared at her picture for hours of a day, tormenting himself over memories of her. He has been healing---his dead wife now pushed to the farthest whelms of his mind until he thinks of her time to time in his solitude. He felt immense guilt, though, thinking that he was soon forgetting about her altogether. The woman who was the most important person in his life once upon a time was now insignificant. He couldn't bear the idea and mentally tortured himself for it---deliberately making sure to never forget her.

He had been in a rather strange mood today---fully aware that it was now his wife's third death anniversary. Instead of slipping into depression and downing himself with scotch to wash away his woes, he was reflective over his times with her. And for the first time he found himself not feeling regret or any longing. He felt at ease---as if he had finally come into terms with his loss….accepted that she was gone and will always be gone. It had been at the solitude at the beach, where he had escaped to right from the hospital, that he realized this. Ananya is a closed chapter in his life---a chapter that he hung onto for all this time until now.

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Please leave comments, good or bad. 😊

HEY DIL

Dil, powerful update.

Finally Jai realize his life with Ananya is a close chapter.

Because after three years, Bani and Yash deserve better.

Good Bani told him like it is. But what will she do to bring

Jai and Yash closer.

Story going great, continue soon. Take care.

wow 3 years is a long time
cont soon like real soon!!!!!!!!

Wonderful update... Jai and Bani need to move on with their lives. Jai has realised it. Hopefully, he will soon accept Bani as his wife in true sense.