Link to P 11: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/suhani-si-ek-ladki/4522814/fiction-ssel-redone-p-11-sandis-birthday
Link to all parts: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/suhani-si-ek-ladki/4518239/ssel-redone-sandis-birthday-links-to-all-parts
Part 12
Yuvraj smiled back shyly and tentatively reached out to stroke her face. He half expected her to push him away, but she snuggled even closer. What did this mean? Was she grateful to him? Did she have feelings for him now? And what did he feel? He had convinced himself that he was getting over her, but ever since she had returned, that old magic exerted it's pull, even as he tried to resist it for fear of being hurt again.
"Suhani, we have to talk," he said.
But before he could start a discussion on where they were in terms of their relationship, there was a knock on the door. They looked at each other, then Suhani scuttled to the bathroom, while he hurriedly put on his pants and opened the door. Saurabh grinned wickedly at him, but didn't comment. "Yuvraj, Mukund has come and one of us has to go to the Registrar with him. You go, hmmm?"
"Sorry, I can't. There was a bit of an incident last night, and I've to take Suhani to the police station to sign the FIR. You go this time."
Saurabh was naturally curious, so Yuvraj explained the whole story. Saurabh told Ragini and soon everyone knew. They were sympathetic, horrified at what might have happened. Who knows what that psycho could have done--raped Suhani, knocked her out, carried her off. She was touched by their concern and related how Yuvraj had been her knight in shining armour.
When they reached the police station, they found Ankit had been allowed to go. His father had wrangled his release and assured the Inspector that he would ensure Ankit was never near Suhani again--he would send him out of the country. "It'll be better madame," said the Inspector, who had also pocketed a fat bribe. "It's hard to prove molestation, the opposing side would accuse you of leading him on or having an affair and say you drove him to it." Both Suhani and Yuvraj were angry, but this was how the system worked. "We should've signed the FIR yesterday and got a copy," Yuvraj said. "We can still file a report."
She wanted Ankit punished, but she had had an inkling he would get off. Wouldn't her father have done the same thing--bought his children's way out of trouble had they been arrested? "No, no point--if he's leaving the country, good riddance."
They returned home slightly deflated. He was disturbed that she had been so practical about the situation, had gotten over it so soon, no sign of the shivering, weeping girl of last night. She noticed his expression and told him, "You're angry I didn't file the report? It's no use, really. I don't want to be dragged through the muck for nothing."
"What about doing the right thing?"
"Doing the right thing for WHAT, Yuvraj? It'll get me nowhere. I know how these things work." She was irritated now. "Thank you for what you did, but it was my decision. Don't act all self-righteous."
"We have so little in common,'' he remarked sadly. "Our perspectives differ, our upbringing differs, our reactions differ."
"So what? Sameness is boring. You're such a stick-in-the-mud anyway.'' Though that was not quite true, she knew. And then she somehow suddenly understood what was bothering him. He had liked her needing him. He had liked being her protector. Closing the Ankit chapter seemed to end the reason she had needed him.
She went up to him and turned him towards her. "You're sneaky, Yuvraj." He looked at her startled. Nobody had ever accused him of being sneaky. She smiled at him. 'You snuck up on me, you devious man. You grew on me. I came back because I wanted to, not just because I had to get away from Ankit. Whenever mom suggested guys whom I should marry, I compared them to you . . . I guess I like you a whole lot more than I ever thought possible.''
"I like' you too," he said wryly. Those three little words would remain unspoken for now, but he knew her well enough to hear them behind her speech.
She smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek. He looked towards the open door, and she make a noise indicating exasperation and went and shut it, raising her eyebrows at him. "Actually," she said, "I think you . . ." But Yuvraj had found a way to shut Suhani up, so no more was said for the time being.
She thought later of how the geek she had resented being tied to turned out to be so much more. She knew she valued him more than she could let on, that along with liking, respect, and admiration for him, love had crept up on her.
As he looked at her beside him, he knew he had been fooling himself thinking he could get over her. He could've lived without her, sure, but now he had her, he knew that would not have really been living at all.
. . .
"I hate you Yuvraj, I really HATE you," she shouted, as he looked on harried and terrified at her distorted features screaming at him. She wrenched his hand and he grimaced as she shouted even louder. "I HATE YOU."
The sound of a baby's first cry brought tears to his eyes as the doctor handed the child to the nurse, smiling at Yuvraj as she told him, "It's a girl, Mr. Birla, and the next one is coming too..." Yuvraj prepared himself for another barrage of Suhani screaming, until his second daughter made her appearance in the world. Then, as he mopped Suhani's forehead, she sheepishly said, "Sorry, but it hurt like hell. Never again, Yuvraj. That's it, our family's complete."
"They're as beautiful as you. Thank you. Love you."
"And I the opposite of hate you," she said, as they both turned to meet their daughters.
*****
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
