2.6 Father and Son
Even as he watched his son slowly open his eyes, he felt a small part of his heart that he didn't even realize was knotted, unclench. Because really ever since he could remember, he had never been the best father to his son.
And he truly had never regretted it more than he did that day.
Maybe if he had been a better father, his son would not have forced himself to grow up so much so soon.
Maybe if he had been more involved in his son's growth or even his life, it would have been him and not his brother that his son would look up to.
However worse than all of these 'maybes' and the late epiphanies was realizing just how fruitless all these maybes were right now.
Because Shivaay had grown up. And much like him, he too had made his own choices. And in some ways he truly couldn't help but feel an aching pride in his son. As a son and a brother he truly was idealistic in every way.
And seeing Shivaay take care of his entire family (and the way he continued doing it without once asking anything for himself) only highlighted the many flaws in both him and his older brother who he surprisingly noted also looked more lost and worried then he had seen in the last three decades.
It was almost ironic that all of these changes - both on an individual level as well as on deeper inter-relationships' level were actually brought about by a simple girl with no surname.
Being a religious man, Shakti Singh Oberoi could never disrespect the sanctity of marriage. So really the moment the initial shock had worn off that his son had actually married Annika instead of Tia, he knew that it was most likely some form of divine intervention - however outdated that might sound to the more 'progressive' members of his family.
Of course that didn't really stop him from questioning the ethics of how his son had gone about getting Annika to agree to the wedding. But years of experience working with a ruthless businessman like Tej Singh Oberoi had taught him one important lesson - some things were better left unknown.
So he had unwillingly let it slide, but had decided to try and work with what he had been given instead.
And that's when his mind had wandered back to all his interactions with Annika.
If truth were to be told, it was almost two months ago that Shakti had been won over by Annika. He really didn't know the exact moment when he had felt that there was something incredibly special about the girl - but if he would have had to guess then he would probably talk about the day she had smilingly walked up to him and handed him the warm cup of herbal tea which he had been unsuccessfully asking for almost an hour but hadn't been served.
The bright smiling eyes and the underlying love that she had poured into doing something so mundane had touched his heart in an unexpected manner. Of course two weeks later when she had so selflessly and almost dutifully helped him and his brother by solving the clue for the fake suicide had only firmed his belief more that she was an extremely special girl that had been sent to their home for some extremely significant reason.
So of course when his mother had asked him to help Annika by becoming the guarantor for the loan that she was applying for he had immediately jumped at the chance.
However, it looked like his god knew what he was doing because this simple girl who had touched his heart seemed to have been tied to his son by destiny.
He had noticed the friction between his son and her of course.
Everyone had. In fact you would have to be seriously blind to NOT notice the way the two affected one another. But fascinatingly it was his son that seemed to be much more affected.
Being completely honest, Shakti had had lost all faith in having any chance that his son would take any interest in anything other than business deals or soaring on even higher heights than his uncle, Tej Singh Oberoi. So he had all but surrendered to knowing that just like Tej, Shivaay too would never know anything about destiny or spirituality.
Of course spirituality in a much deeper sense than the nonsense that Tia Kapoor paraded around about.
But that was really neither here nor there.
So when Annika sparred with Shivaay and he indulged her in an almost childlike innocence, a small hope had started glimmering inside him.
Maybe it really wasn't all that late after all.
Maybe Pinky and his naive little Shivaay was still inside there somewhere and all he needed to come out was a gentle push.
He let that thought settle in for a second. Because really Annika was anything but a gentle push'... Hadn't he heard an extremely frustrated Shivaay often call her more a hurricane or a storm rather than a gentle push'?
With the hope burning brighter than ever, he silently thanked his god for the second chance.
A second chance to become a better father
A second chance at showering his son with the love that he deserved
A second chance to help his son find himself
A second chance to gather his family - this time with an incredibly special addition - an incredibly beautiful daughter-in-law
And with that hope Shakti squeezed his son's hand comfortingly as he sat down on the chair next to his bed
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Udne Ki Aasha
