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This OS is dedicated to Shraddha, as her belated Birthday Gift ❤️ Happy Birthday Shraddha 🤗
"Enough! I'm done being in this relationship!"
"How can you say that? What about our children?"
"Don't you dare blackmail me with the kids!"
"I'm not blackmailing you, but please, don't walk away. What will they go through to know that their father..."
"I don't care! I am fed-up being with you..."
"Tej, please listen..."
"No, you listen! I just wanted a son to be the heir of Oberoi Inc. Not because I was keen on becoming a father. Of what use are the three kids now? Because, naturally, Shivaay is going to be an heir!"
"Tej, please don't say that! Om, Rudra and Prinku are our children. They love you... Please don't snatch the Papa they love, from them..."
"I've made my decision, Jhanvi. I am divorcing you! I am marrying Swetlana. You can keep the kids or take them with you; I don't really care!"
"But Tej..."
*crash*
The crystal vase lay shattered on the floor.
In the adjacent room, a boy of eight years sat under the bed, covering his ears, muffling his sobs, trying hard to mute the sounds coming from the next room. Three year old Rudra sat on top of the bed, playing with his airplane toys, while a six month old Prinku lay in the cradle, crying. The noises got louder, the crashes got fiercer, and followed by that, the boy heard the noise of repetitive slaps. With the sound of each slap, the little boy winced; hiccupping between cries, silently pleading his father to stop torturing his mother.
"Papa... mat maro Mumma ko..." he pleaded between his cries in broken whispers, bending between his knees and covering his ears with his palms. The noises continued; the beatings continued. Until it all fell silent. Minutes later, the door flung open and from under the bed, he saw a pair of feet at the door. It was his father. He could hear the heavy footsteps walking towards him. "Omkara!" his father's voice boomed. Rudra began sobbing at that harsh intensity of his father's tone, while Prinku's wails grew louder. Before he knew what was happening, Tej knelt down, reached for his shoulder and dragged him out from under the bed.
Omkara shivered in fear when he saw his father almost taking a demonic form. Holding both his shoulders, Tej held the boy and gave him a good shake, "Your mother is dead to me, get that? Now you choose, whether you want to stay with her, or with me and your new mother!" Saying this, he pushed the boy away and walked out.
The way he was pushed, Omkara fell on the floor, but supported himself from hurting his head against the wall. Only when he sat up, did he notice his mother sitting numbly on the floor in the dark corner of the room. She looked bruised; her lip was cut, her cheekbone had turned blue; her hair was in a disarray, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Omkara sat where he was, and stared at the almost-lifeless image of his mother, staring into blank space. In sometime, his Choti Maa and his Daadi came running to her, helped her stand up and took her to the room. "Oh my mata," Choti Maa said, "Omkara, zara Prinku ko toh chup kara..." she said while going out, holding Jhanvi by her hand.
Omkara stared at the cradle as he stood up from where he was seated. Walking to where his sister lay, he looked at her. She'd turned red from all the crying. His little baby sister looked terrified. He looked around; there was no one but him, with his little siblings. Wiping his own tears, he carried Prinku in his arms, and held the feeding bottle against her mouth; She whimpered, but suckled on the feeder anyway.
Swaddling her, Om looked at Rudra who looked frightened with all the happenings that took place. "O Bhaiyya..." he whispered, and Omkara held his arm out, calling him close. Rudra quickly ran into his arm and hugged him. "Did Papa hurt Mummy?" he asked his older brother innocently, in a shaky tone. Om didn't have an answer; what could an eight year old answer to a three year old?
"Rudy, go and play..." he said in a soft yet firm voice, fearing that he would break down. "But you did not answer me, O Bhaiyya?" he said innocently. Om looked at Rudy, "I don't have an answer to your questions, Rudy. Now, go..." he said. Rudy sat back on the bed, with a sad pout. Omkara looked down at Prinku who smiled, unaware of the storm that just happened. He looked at her, and then looked at Rudy, who was back to playing, "I won't let any shadows of pain come over you... I promise..." he mentally promised them, looking at the two.
"Jhanvi!" "Jethani ji!" two voices shrieked from the next room. Om placed Prinku back in the cradle, and glared at Rudy when he almost rose from the bed to follow him. "Stay there, Rudy!" he ordered and ran out, after locking the door behind him. As he stood by the threshold of the next room, the sight shook the ground below his feet. There lay Jhanvi, with her wrist cut, with streams of blood oozing out her hand, with Daadi and Choti Maa trying to bandage the cut, and his Chote Papa calling for a doctor. "Om..." Jhanvi said in a groggy voice, before slipping into unconsciousness.
***
Omkara woke up with a start, with beads of sweat drenching his face and dampening his hair. His throat was parched, and picking up the glass of cold water, he gulped it down. Wiping his sweat away with the edge of his sleeve, he turned to look at the space next to him; his wife sleeping peacefully. The ray of hope who had managed to dispel all the darkness that surrounded him. The petite woman who brought about sweetness in his life. With a smile of relief, he placed his hand on her swollen belly; his baby was thirty six weeks now and was due to arrive soon. He felt the slight kick against his palm, and saw the frown on his wife's face. "Hush..." he whispered, bending low to her belly, "We don't want to wake Mumma up..." The kick was felt again, this time, much softer.
Placing a soft kiss on her belly, he whispered, "I have been rude to your mother so many times in the past for which I am terribly sorry, but today, there's one thing I promise you. I'm going to love her so much, and I'm never going to stop trying to keep her smiling. I know how it feels when the man you call as Dad doesn't respect your mom, leave alone loving her. You will never get to experience that, ever. I promise to love you both, and protect you from everything. Any trouble will have to go through me to reach you; and I promise, it will never be able to get to you two. And I will try my best to be the Dad to you, that my father wasn't to me. I promise, I will never bring a tear in your eye, and I'll bring you all the happiness in the world, and..."
He felt Gauri stirring as she slowly shifted her position. He stilled, not wanting her to catch him talking to her belly, yet again, even if she found it adorable. One he heard her soft snores, he caressed her belly and said, "I can't wait to hold you in my arms. Come soon, already!" Placing yet another soft kiss, he snuggled close to his wife and hugged her, spooning her, without moving his hand away from her belly. "So jaiye, Omkara ji..." she muttered in her sleep, and he could only smile. With a soft kiss at her temple, he pulled the blanket over both of them, and drifted to sleep after thanking the stars for bringing her into his life, and for making him feel proud with the blessing of being a Dad to a baby girl, soon!
***
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Don't forget to wish Shraddha 😳
