Hi Guys! One more long long long OS! 😛😛 So this one has no more MU's (I am sick of them in KKB now) - This is six years post AbhiGya divorce (No the divorce didn't happen because of the MMS, they cleared that fell in love had a blissfully married life. But Aaliya plotted some more and this time she really did win. So, AbhiGya got separated! 🥱
PS - OS deals with no mention of Aaliya's plan - its the background of the plot!
On that note, Happy Reading! and do please me a lottt of comments! Love!😉😉
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"Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" screamed the little devil while he banged on the door with his tiny fists. Pragya smiled to hear her toofan express' back from school.
Sarla nani laughed from the other room, "Pragya, open the door fast or Aarav will break the door in excitement"
"Yes Ma, on my way"
"Arre my baby's back? How was your day baby?" asked Pragya adoringly.
"Mom it was sooo much fun mom! I had a lot of fun!"
"Honestly, his teacher seemed relieved to let him off at recess di" said Bulbul lovingly.
"Did you study too? Or was it all fun?" asked Pragya feigning strictness
"Both mom! In fact I taught them!" hooted Aarav excitedly.
Pragya smiled at her son and took him for freshening up before serving him snacks.
After her divorce with Abhi, she and her few months old son, had moved to UK. She wanted the quiet, and wanted to raise her son away from the ridiculing press. Her estranged father was settled in the UK and after seeing the horrible media ruckus around his daughter; he took it upon himself to bring her to his safety. Even though it wasn't easy, particularly for her mother, but seeing her daughters benefit in it, she had agreed. Pragya and Aarav were settled there, until two months back, when her father passed away. After him, Pragya's family didn't want them to stay back in UK alone. Besides the sordid affair of their divorce had died down in these six years. So she and Aarav had moved back to India a month back. Now things were finally settled after Aarav got admission in such a reputed school.
Aarav had been attending school for a week. Pragya was worried if he would be able to cope up with the cultural and methodological difference in teaching he would face. But to her surprise he was extremely happy with his school. True his behaviour always reminded her of Abhi - Aarav was Abhi's replica. He talked, smiled, laughed, joked and almost did everything else like Abhi. In fact sometimes he was as irritating and spontaneous as Abhi. Pragya would sigh sometimes. Abhi was gone but Abhi still remained in her life.
"Mom, my teacher wanted to meet you tomorrow at 11am"
Pragya was surprised. Was Aarav having trouble in coping up. "Why beta? Why does your teacher want to meet me?"
"I think ma'am wants to tell you how good I am, I taught the other kids today"
"And what did you teach them?"
"Mom, you know Bulbul masi bought me ice cream while coming back from school! Please ask her to pick me up always"
Pragya laughed, ever since she was back, Bulbul, Purvi, Ma and dadi were pampering Aarav and turning him into such a monkey. And with his inherent charm, she could see he was picking up on the trick of dodging questions smartly. Just they way he just dodged her now.
Her Aarav was one smart boy.
***
"Goodmorning Ma'am, this is my mother Ms. Pragya Arora"
Pragya went inside the room and sat down with her son, on the two chairs to the right of the teacher's desk.
To her left there were two more chairs. One was vacant and on the other was seated the cutest six year old girl Pragya had ever set her eyes on. She was sitting with her head bent low, she had two pony's and was wearing a pair of specs, that were a size big for her. She had a book in her hand and she was sitting there and reading it silently. Something about her reminded Pragya of her own childhood. She smiled.
"Kiarah, when is your father due?" asked the teacher sternly.
"Ma'am he will be here in a few minutes I think" she replied softly.
"In that case we will wait Ms. Arora" said the teacher.
Pragya realized this may take sometime. She understood this was going to be a complaint meeting, but she couldn't understand what could have called for this. But nonetheless she thought of informing the college authorities to cancel her lectures in the first half today. She excused herself and walked out to make the call.
In few minutes, Kiarah's dad arrived in the office and sat next to her.
The teacher requested him to wait for Aarav's mothers return.
"Don't worry supergirl! Dad's here, he will talk to your ma'am and fix this boy for good" whispered Abhi in his daughter's ear. Kiarah smiled in a shy way and put a bookmark in her book and then looked up at her dad and then looked at her worst enemy in the world - Aarav Arora.
Abhi often noticed Kiarah. She was unlike any six year old girl one could think of. When Aaliya bua gets her Barbie dolls to play with, Aaliya bua seems more excited than her to play, she infact treats her bua like the niece and plays with her to keep her happy. She is very close to his daadi. Every evening, even though she is six, she makes sure she remind Robin uncle and takes daadi's medicine herself to her badi daadi. She loved reading books, in fact when she was a toddler and she couldn't read, even then she would turn pages of books and just look at the pictures and get happy. She loved her father's company and whenever Abhi would be around, she would enthusiastically tell her dad about the new story she read, the things she learnt in school and the various subjects she found interesting. Kiarah was Pragya's replica thought Abhi - Pragya was gone but Pragya still remained in Abhi's life.
Abhi followed her gaze and saw the cutest six year old boy sitting on the other chair, stealing mischievous glances at him. He suddenly resisted the urge to laugh. No, he thought to himself. This little monkey was the cause of his angel's distress, he couldn't indulge him. Abhi raised an eyebrow and gave the boy an angry look. To his surprise, he laughed at him and returned the same expression to him. Then he turned around comfortably to wait for Abhi to make one more expression for him to mimic. It was a game for him. This time Abhi couldn't control his urge to smile - this boy was such an adorable monkey. Abhi noticed from the corner of his eyes that the boy couldn't sit still just like him, both were rocking their knees sitting. Then the boys attention fell on a mirror behind the teachers desk, and immediately he started ruffling his hair - Abhi laughed - the boy was so much like him - how was he to scold him?
As the antics continued, Pragya entered the room.
"Sorry Mrs. Fernandes, it was an important call I needed to make"
"That's okay Ms. Arora, please meet Mr. Abhishek Prem Mehra, more commonly known as rocktar Abhi - Kiarah's father"
***
When they looked at each other, their jaw dropped. They were seeing each other after six years. The last time they saw each other, it was their ugliest memory. Pragya was in the hospital, she had just given birth to her twins a week back. It was after their divorce. But in those nine months of pregnancy, Abhi had claimed the child at birth and after a unique verdict, on that day, Abhi was given the legal custody of anyone of her twins. Pragya had to make the choice - She had to give off one of her baby to Abhi forever. One of her precious gems were to be brought up in the Mehra house amongst people like Abhi and Aaliya. She looked at her babies. She saw in the last one week her son was the weaker amongst the two, he kept crying and he needed more nursing. She looked at her daughter in her lap, sleeping in peace. She kissed her on the forehead and whispered in her ears, "Mamma is sorry baby, but you're the older sister nah? Be strong, I know they can't tar you. Go with papa, but remember mamma loves you".
As Pragya passed her baby daughter to Abhi, a single tear escaped. She vowed she wouldn't cry ever again. The only way to live life after losing her, was to forget that she ever had her.
Abhi looked from Pragya to Aarav - now it made sense, the ruffling of hair, the knee jerking, the spontaneity - all made sense. He remembered his last memory with this son. Before leaving with Kiarah, he had bent over to his son - "Beta, I am sorry, but remember papa loves you" He dropped a single tear, and decided to never shed another. The only to survive this loss was by forgetting about his existence.
The teacher cleared his throat as all of them looked at her.
"Ms. Arora, Mr. Mehra had a complain against Aarav. I just thought this shouldn't be dealt with in the usual way, since the circumstances are different" she eyed both Pragya and Abhi to show that she knew their story. "I think I will give you two the room to sort the complaint and the issue out. If you could excuse me" then she left.
Both Abhi and Pragya stared at each other and Abhi forgot about his complaint. They only broke from the trance when Aarav spoke.
"Oi chashmish, you went and complained to your daddy? Haha silly chashmish"
Pragya and Abhi flinched at the word chashmish'. It was the same old story only characters were new thought Pragya. Yesterday Abhi called her chashmish and today her son called his sister that.
"Papa see nah, this is the boy who wrote all those on my face"
Abhi still didn't know what to say.
"Arre I wrote so that others could learn you silly chashmish! You were my volteer" laughed a mischevious Aarav.
"Volunteer not volteer" rectified Pragya out of sheer habit. Then she seemed to come to her senses. She looked at Kiarah.
"Beta what is you name?"
"Kiarah Mehra"
Pragya couldn't control her tears today. All those tears she didn't shed for the last six years, seemed to rebel against her today, seeing her baby angel. She hugged Kiarah and cried her eyes out. Kiarah just hugged this auntie back in surprise and felt hot tears coming from her eyes. This auntie was so nice, unlike her son - that Aarav.
Aarav on the other side was shocked to see his mother in tears. "Mom, sorry mom! I was only bugging this chashmish! I did nothing...just labelled her eyes, nose and ears and lips with a pen on her face, so that others knew what was what. Nothing really. I told her to wash her face after that, it would go. Sorry mom. Please don't cry. Oi chashmish, stop making my mom cry!"
Abhi found his voice at last. He bent down to look at his junior duplicate.
"Beta, what is your name?"
"Aarav! Uncle please ask Kiarah to not make mamma cry. I will say sorry to her"
Abhi just hugged a perplexed Aarav and after a long while felt whole again.
"Mumma are you hurt mumma? Why are you crying?" Aarav kept asking over Abhi's shoulder.
"Papa you came to scold him na?" Abhi heard Kiarah's soft voice over Pragya'a sobs.
Abhi got up softly and held Pragya's shoulder. "Chashmish control yourself" he said softly. To his surprise, Kiarah lauhed like she never did before. "See Aarav! You called me chashmish and my dad called you mom chashmish" and Aarav pouted cutely in anger! "Then my mom also gets to label your dad's face with permanent ink huh"
Both Abhi and Pragya laughed at this
They got both children together and explained that good kids shouldn't fight. They should be friends. Both children repelled at the idea! They had better friends than each other. It was Abhi who dropped the idea then.
"Hmm, it seems that both of you have better friends, but I think none of you have brothers or sisters right kids?" and both Abhi and Pragya's heart ached to see their ignorance.
"Well then from today, Kiarah, consider Aarav your brother, and rockstar, consider chashmish your sister - that way none of you will fight and both together can take on anyone right?" Both kids liked the idea.
"Children, from today, you both are each other's responsibility." Added Pragya tearfully.
Then both Abhi and Pragya hugged their children tight and both kids loved the completeness they felt within themselves. It was new to both, for Kiarah never felt a mother's warmth and Aarav never felt a father's strong arm around him.
***
As both children holding hand ran out of the teacher's office, blissfully happy at the new relation they made, Abhi turned to Pragya.
"When I said, chashmish and rockstar, when together can take on anyone, I meant it."
"It's too late"
"It's never to late to forgive, forget, let go and begin afresh"
"The children are old enough to question"
"And for them we will answer. Did you not see how perfect we were when all four of us hugged? I can forget everything from the past just for that"
"Maybe for the children we could try, I cant imagine living w
ithout both of them anymore"
"Neither can I. Both are ours, and more importantly, they need each other too"
"It's been a long journey Abhi"
"And we have finally reached the destination haven't we?"
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