OS: It Must Have Been Love - Page 11

"Of course you do, love," Khushi said smiling quickly to mask her panic.

"Why doesn't he ever come home then?" Arav asked a small pout on his lips, his lips that were exactly like his fathers.

"Well he's busy working sweetheart, for you and me."

"He never calls," Arav accused.

"He does," Khsuhi heard herself say, not sure why she was lying, why she was defending Arnav, knowing only that she couldn't disappoint her son, "but he lives all the way in India and by the time he calls you're already in bed."

"Oh," Arav said frowning slightly as he processed that, "can he come and see my soccer game next Friday?" he asked excited.

"No sweetie," Khushi said, "but tell you what, we'll go see him in India this summer. Would you like that?"

"Yes, please," Arav said giving her a sweet sleepy smile. Khushi tucked him in, kissing his forehead again, caressing his hair till he fell in to a deep slumber, her own sleep leaving her as her heart raced at the inevitable. Arnav Singh Raizada would have to be told about his son, not because he had the right to know, but because Arav had the right to know his father.

- Very sweet attempt on a mother's part to not hurt her son by telling that his father does not call ever. It would have been sad and admirable if Arnav indeed had known about the child and had rejected him instead of being kept in the dark. However, while in a case of rejection, she could have put the entire blame on the father, in this case truth was twisted to save her own guilt for not telling the father that Aarav existed.

Now read the bold lines above. She thinks Arnav Singh Raizada did not have a right to know about Arav but he does have a right to know his father. On what basis that conclusion was drawn? Please explain.

"You don't know anything," he spat vehemently. "Look I don't care OK? Sheetal and I have gone through too much shit as it is and I won't let this ruin what we finally have."

"What?" Khushi asked confused. "You're going to deny your own son because it might affect your relationship with your wife?"

She just claimed before meeting his wife that he does not deserve to know his son. But the moment she met her, she is accusing him of denying her son because it will affect his relationship with his wife. Sounds like jealousy talking.

She walked past him and to the door, pulling it open and walking out quickly. She found Arav in the living room with what was supposed to be his family, his right, but no, she had done it alone before and she would do it alone again, she was his family and that was all he needed. - Oh now she remembers her son's right? Because now that Arnav is happily married and does not want anything to do with her or her son, she can't gloat over having denied his son for 8 years?

"It was nice meeting all of you but now we have to go," she motioned Arav to get up which he did, albeit a little reluctantly. Khushi said hasty goodbye's and marched Arav out of the house that was too large for people to be a family in and hailed a cab.

"Are we going to see my father now?" Arav asked.

You have no father! Khushi wanted to scream but that would be unfair to Arav, whose only fault was to be born. "No honey," she managed with as much calm as she could, "that was your father's friend and he told me that your father had left for America when we were leaving for India. Our planes must have crossed each other while we are up in the air."

BOLD: And whose fault is that?

"So he's there?! But why didn't he tell you?!" Arav said exasperated and highly disappointed.

"I guess we missed our emails," she explained, looking out the window to wipe a lone tear that she allowed herself, no more. - Which emails? The one she never sent? When Aarav grows up and starts asking if his father calls, why he never receives them or asks his address, what is she going to do? Put all the blame on absent Arnav saying he does not care about Aarav instead of telling him that she had been lying to him all these years? Again twisting the truth to suit her purpose.

My comments, even though harsh, were true as per the story. Truth does not always come sugar coated. Even if I was a single mother myself, that would have been my exact response. I'm not judging her based on who she is or her circumstances. I'm judging her based on her actions.

Now you all think Arnav is the bad guy for denying to be a father to Aarav. How can someone reject a child? My question is why would he want to be a father to a boy an ex-girlfriend drops on his life after 8 years? Why would he even think that the child is his? Why would you expect his wife who married him believing him to be a single childless man has to accept a child that neither of them knew existed in the first place?

If suddenly your ex drops with a child on your door, would you expect your spouse to accept that?

It's not fair for Aarav, but neither is it for Arnav and Sheetal. But then Aarav's circumstances were created by his own mother's penchant for hiding and molding the truth. So even though we say that children should not have to pay for their parents' mistakes, but the harsh reality is that they often do pay for them.