Chapter 9 :
The Reunion
Abhi realised that now, he had no escape. He had to face the ghosts of his past some day, so why not today. He slowly got out of the car. "Listen, i'll be at the cafe around the corner. Let me know once you're done." She said to him. She waited at the gate till he walked in and then drove off to the cafe.
Abhi stood by the door for a couple of minutes. It had been two whole years since he came here. Rather, it had been two years since he left the place with Tanu. "Dammn!" He cursed himself. "How could i have been so stupid!" He contemplated going in. He still feared facing dadi. All his guilt came back and he wanted to run away. "I can't do this.. Im not going in" he thought. He turned around to walk out when he heard dadi. He turned around and saw the feeble form of dadi sitting on the couch, a photo in her hand.
"Abhi.. Mera baccha.. How are you son? I miss you so much! I know, bacche, that you must be alone. I know you must be guilty. I saw the news about you and Tanu. I knew this would come someday. That is why i never wanted you to be married to her. Purab told me you were not fine. I wanted to come and see you. I wanted to hug you but he told me not to. He said you would come. Come back, my child. I'm old. I'm weak. I need my baccha. Aaliya misses you too." She said caressing a picture of Abhi she held. Aaliya walked in with a glass of water in hand. She wrapped her arm around dadi and wiped her tear. "Dadi, don't do this to yourself. Bhai will come back. I know he will. And Purab says so too right? We just have to wait for him." She said. He felt all the more guilty. Dadi was in such a state because of him. And wait, she and Aaliya kept a tab on him through Purab too? Maybe Pragya was right. They're family. Dadi could never be mad at him. Aaliya could never hate him. Tears ran down his face and he decided to end their misery. He decided to walk in.
"Dadi" he whispered going into the house. Dadi and Aaliya turned to the door to see a teary Abhi, looking at them with guilt and shame. He slowly came ahead towards dadi who by now was up from the couch and walking towards Abhi. He quietly came and stood in front of her.
Dadi couldn't believe her stars. She had just hoped wished and prayed that her Abhi return home. She wanted to see him, hug him and wipe off his tears. Dadi slowly lifted her hand to his face and caressed his cheeks. He looked weak and lost. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Abhi.. Mera baccha.." She whispered back.
The baby in Abhi couldn't hold back anymore. He hugged his dadi back, tightly, as though she would vanish if he left her. He let himself absorb the feeling of being safe and loved engulf him and cried. He then saw Aaliya standing a bit away, in tears looking at her two most beloved people. He looked at her and extended his hand towards her. "Chotti" he called out.
Aaliya had been dying to hear her brother call her 'Chotti' again. It sounded wonderful to her. It had been their special nickname. Only her brother was allowed to call her that. Yeah, maybe another special person was allowed too. Aaliya had been waiting and hoping that her brother would come back. That their happy family would be back. She missed those fun filled days when they would be teasing each other and playing pranks on one another. She rushed into her brothers arms and hugged him tight.
Abhi felt happy. He felt content. Just then, he felt a sharp punch on his chest. And then another. "How dare you.. How dare you leave us and go, bhai! Didn't you think of what would happen to me? To dadi? " Aaliya said and punched him again. "Ouch!" He yelled. "Al.. Chotti please stop.. Ouch! It hurts!" He said in an attempt to block another punch. "That's exactly whet I'm intending to do, bhai" aaliya said rolling her eyes.
He then took her hand in his and held dadi's hand too. Leading them to the couch, he made the, sit next to each other. He knelt down before them, holding his ears. "Dadi, chotti, I've been a jerk. Im an idiot. Im a fool to not see the intention of that woman. I was a fool to not see the concern you had for me. Ive been stupid enough to believe i can survive without the two of you. I was mad to let you away from me. I made a mistake when i married Tanu, but, I committed a sin the day i stepped out of this house."
"Chotti, I'm sorry bacche. I'm sorry i ignored my responsibility as an elder brother. You had to grow up sooner than the others because of my. I'm sorry you had to take over all the responsibilities i should have fulfilled. I'm sorry I didn't fulfil the promise I made to ma and papa that i would take care of you." He said holding her hand close to his heart.
"Dadi, I'm sorry.. I'm sorry that i wasn't here when you needed me. I'm sorry I wasn't around to take you to your doctors. I'm sorry i wasn't here to massage your feet when you were in pain. I'm sorry I didn't fulfil my responsibilities as your son. You spent the whole of your life taking care of me and Aaliya. I'm sorry i backed out when it was my turn." He said, crying now. Dadi and Aaliya were in tears too.
"Enough.. Enough my child.. Im just glad that you came back. I want nothing more. You and Aaliya matter the most to me. Now that i have both my children with me, I'm happy. Yes, i was hurt. But its all gone, now that you're back. I'm not angry anymore, neither is Aaliya. We love you, son and we are just glad that you are back. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is that you learn from them and never repeat them again." Dadi said. "I'm sorry dadi. I truly am!" Abhi said laying his head on dadi's lap, Aaliya's hand still clutched to his heart. They sat absorbing the oneness for a while.
"Okay now.. Enough rona dhona.. I'm just glad that you got your brains back, bhai. Waise, knowing you, who convinced you to come back? I'm sure it's not your idea. You must have been sitting there in guilt. So who was it? Purab or Bulbul? Or was it both?" Aaliya asked. Abhi got up and wiped his tears. He chuckled and sat on the couch across dadi and Aaliya. "Neither of them!" He chuckled simultaneously messaging Pragya to come home. "Can't be, bhai. Don't tell me you came back on your own!" Aaliys asked surprised. "Of course Not!" Abhi exclaimed. "You'll know who that is soon enough. But before that, I'm starving!" Abhi said holding his stomach. Dadi and Aaliya laughed at his cuteness and asked Robin to make something for them.
"So bhai, tell us na.. Who managed to knock some sense into your brain? I would really want to meet that person." Aaliya asked again. "It's a tough job, to make you see sense when you have decided on something." Abhi smiled at his sister, shaking his head.
"Surprise Surprise!! Guess who's back!" Pragya squealed from the door. Aaliya and dadi looked around on hearing a familiar voice. The one they hadn't heard in years. The one they had missed so dearly. Pragya stood at the door, grinning from ear to ear looking at the expression on dadi and Aaliya 's faces. They stared at her in shock as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. "What? Why are you guys staring at me? Im actually here!" Pragya said coming in. Almost instantly, Aaliya got up and rushed towards Pragya, throwing her arms around her. Pragya stumbled a bit and moved a couple of steps behind to absorb the sudden weight on her. "Whoa! Easy, Aalu!" She exclaimed.
Aaliya stepped back a couple of seconds later and admired Pragya head to toe. "Wow di! You look different! And very pretty!" She exclaimed. "Thanks Aaliya! You're not quite the Aalu i saw last either!" She chuckled. "Where did you go gayab di? We missed you so much!" Aaliya said sadly. "Doesn't matter, Aalu.. Now that I'm back, I don't intend on going back, ever!" Pragya smiled at her. She then walked towards dadi, who was standing by the couch with a smile. God had been really merciful today that all her loved ones were before her, under the same roof. Pragya bowed down to take dadi 's blessings, who in turn pulled her into an embrace. Pragya was overwhelmed. She had felt the motherly affection after so long. She was tired of being the responsible one. She wanted to feel protected and loved too. Yes, Bulbul loved her, so did Purab, but they were like her kids for her. She couldn't let down her guard before them. That one moment in dadi's arms was bliss for her.
Soon, the four settled on the couch with pakora and chai as Abhi narrated all that happened since the day he saw Pragya at the marines. At the end of the story, everyone just thanked God that Pragya was back. "I should have known, bhai. It's always been only Pragya di who has managed to do this. No one else can make you see sense except her. Right from your college days." Aaliya exclaimed putting her arm around Pragya. "Yes.. Only my Pragya can deal with this bevakoof." Dadi added. Abhi sulked and pouted while the three womeen burst out laughing.
Abhi looked at them with pride and happiness. The three women that meant the world to him were with him at the moment. Life couldn't get better, he thought.
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Bade Achche Lagte Hain Naya Season
