Please Don't Leave Me - 323 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
Finally, Somya's birthday arrived. That evening when it was time to leave for her party, Somya was already in her gown, having had a manicure, with her hair and her makeup done from the salon.
Sanyukta had quickly put on a saree and did some quick makeup, having spent most of the day with Somya at the salon, and Randhir helped Raghav get ready.
They all met at the entrance of the house.
Raghav was wearing a small suit and looked like a carbon copy of Randhir (who also had a suit on), only just a younger version.
"Ready?" Sanyukta asked the three of them.
Somya was looking very beautiful in her pink gown. The salon lady had done too much makeup for Sanyukta's liking, but she had to admit her daughter was looking very grown up.
Somya stood taller than Sanyukta in her heels.
"I'm ready!" she replied, sounding excited.
"Ready!" Raghav agreed.
"Yes ma'am," Randhir teased.
"Let's go then," Sanyukta said authoritatively.
The family of four went in the car and drove to the banquet hall where Somya's party was booked. They were the first ones there and quickly made sure that the area was all set up.
"Sanyukta," Randhir said, but she was running to make sure the catering was ready.
"Not now," Sanyukta replied.
Randhir sighed and ran after her, grabbing her arm. He pulled her back and she glared at him.
"What?" she asked.
Randhir reached behind her blouse and hooked the top hook, his fingers brushing over her back, making her lose herself for a moment.
"It came off," he told her.
"Oh," she said, shaking herself out of it. "Okay, I'll check on the catering."
Randhir nodded and went back to speaking with the DJ.
Soon family and friends all poured in. Sanyukta's parents and Ankit entered the party, along with Ankit's second wife Sunanda, who was sporting a large baby bump. Vidhushi and Parth walked in with Shreya as well. Ishika also came in.
After all these years, Ishika remained unmarried. She claimed she hadn't found anyone who interested her, but Randhir knew that was a lie. There was definitely another reason, but he never found out what.
Somya's friends poured into the party as well, all excited to attend her sweet sixteen.
After everyone got snacks and sat down at their respective tables that had already been arranged, Sanyukta walked up to the stage with a microphone.
"Welcome to Somya's sweet sixteen," Sanyukta spoke into the microphone. "Thank you so much for coming out today to celebrate this special day with all of us."
Somya's friends started to cheer. Sanyukta smiled. Randhir frowned. What kind of friends did Somya have who were cheering while someone was talking?
"Enjoy the snacks. We will have a few dance performances in a little bit, where Somya herself will perform a number!" Sanyukta said sounding happy. "As parents, you can imagine how proud we are of her... but there will be a special allotment for speeches later on. After dinner, we will also serve cake and then open the dance floor!"
Randhir, who had been sitting with Raghav, Sanyukta, and Somya was now sitting alone. Sanyukta was up on the stage. Raghav had run to Parth's table where he was busy talking to Shreya. Somya had run off to sit with her friends.
"Really?" Randhir grumbled. "My own children ditched me for their friends?"
Sanyukta joined him at the table.
"Where are the kids?" she asked him.
"They went to sit with their friends," Randhir said sourly.
Sanyukta sighed.
"I guess it's just us then," she said.
"Yeah," Randhir replied grimly.
"Hey, you're saying that like it's a bad thing," she pointed out.
"It is," Randhir said. "Which kids choose friends over parents?"
"Kids... and teenagers," Sanyukta said with a smile, and then placed her hand on his thigh, before leaning towards him. "But I have a way to make you thank them for not being here."
Thankfully the tablecloth covered what they were doing, and Sanyukta's hand started doing magic, causing Randhir to immediately forget why he was upset in the first place.
"You're great," he murmured while she was working on him.
Sanyukta smiled.
"This doesn't come free," she teased. "I want it to be repayed tonight."
Randhir smiled back at her.
Repayment wasn't so bad sometimes.
Please Don't Leave Me - 324 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
As the party went on, their friends came to speak to them. Randhir and Ishika had their own conversation, while Sanyukta spoke to Vidhushi and Parth. Her parents weren't happy with Vidhushi, but now they could tolerate her because Ankit moved on and found someone else that he was happy with.
There were some dance performances by Somya's friend, and Somya herself did a number on a bollywood song that Sanyukta and Randhir were proud of. She didn't take dancing lessons but rather, she had learned it all herself and choreographed the entire routine too.
Finally, they cut the cake and the dance floor opened up. Sanyukta was sitting at the table with Randhir. All of Somya's friends were on the floor, dancing with her. Raghav and Shreya were also jumping around on the floor.
"That guy is dancing awfully close to her," Randhir pointed out at one good-looking guy in particular. "Who is he?"
He was dancing with Somya, twirling her around.
"I think his name is Akash," Sanyukta replied. "Somya talks fondly of him."
"But why is he so close to her?" Randhir asked, sounding disturbed.
"They're friends, so they'll obviously dance close together," Sanyukta said.
"No... this is too close," Randhir denied.
All of a sudden, they noticed Akash whisper something in Somya's ear and her eyes lit up. He walked away from the floor and disappeared out of the hall, perhaps to use the washroom.
"Good. He's gone," Randhir said, sounding happy.
A few minutes later, Somya snuck out of the hall too, causing both Randhir's and Sanyukta's suspicions to arise.
"Oh no," Sanyukta whispered, now having her own doubts.
"We have to find her," Randhir replied.
They both stood up and walked out of the hall together, to find out what their daughter was upto.
Could their suspicions be true? What was going on between Somya and Akash?
Please Don't Leave Me - 325 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
They walked out of the hall where the party was taking place to the entrance room. It was empty. Sanyukta frowned and started to head outside the building, when Randhir caught her arm.
"What if she's innocent and we follow her? Won't she get mad?" Randhir asked.
"We need to make sure our daughter is on the right track," Sanyukta replied, pulling her arm off his grip and opening the doors to go outside.
Randhir sighed and followed her, hoping that his daughter was not doing anything wrong.
What they saw outside made their eyes widen with shock.
Akash was hugging Somya.
Randhir gasped loudly. Sanyukta caught his arm and squeezed it tightly, trying to tell him to be quiet and not freak her out.
Somya heard though and she broke the hug, looking shocked that her parents had followed her out there.
"Mom? Dad?" Somya asked, sounding impatient.
"You have a boyfriend?" Randhir blurted out.
"What?" Somya gasped.
"Somya, be honest with us," Sanyukta said sternly.
Akash stood there numbly, like he was in a shock. Then all of a sudden he started to shake nervously.
"Mom what are you saying! Don't embarrass me," she begged.
Sanyukta took a deep breath, trying to think rationally, but Randhir was fuming beside her and he was stressing her out just with his quick breaths. She wanted to tell him to stop breathing, but perhaps that would sound too absurd.
"Okay, Somya, come inside," Sanyukta said.
"What?" Randhir asked, "No. We have to speak to both of them. This is unacceptable."
"Randhir, let me handle this," Sanyukta replied, turning to look at him.
"Sanyukta, I'm telling you, we have to stop this now. You don't know teenage boys. They don't have good intentions!" Randhir argued.
"Let's talk to Somya first!" Sanyukta told him. "Not all teenage boys -"
"Yes, all teenage boys. They have one thing in mind. I was a teenage boy too!" Randhir interrupted.
Somya groaned, feeling disgusted to hear her father talk about himself as a teenage boy.
"Dad please," she begged. "Akash is not my boyfriend! He's just a friend!"
"Why was he so close to you then?" Randhir asked.
"Akash, please go inside," Sanyukta told the boy.
Akash, looking scared, nodded and went inside.
"He just wished me happy birthday and gave me a hug," Somya cleared up. "I swear, he's a friend. He took me out here because there was too much commotion inside!"
"You left a few minutes after him," Sanyukta pointed out.
"You were spying on me?" Somya gasped.
"No, it's not -" she started, but Somya's eyes filled with tears. "Somya don't cry. You'll ruin your makeup and it's your birthday."
Somya's hands balled into fists.
"All you two do is blame me! You don't love me or trust me! You embarrassed me in front of Akash! I hate both of you!" she screamed and then stormed back inside the hall, wiping her tears angrily.
Sanyukta and Randhir looked at each other with shock. Their sixteen year old daughter just screamed that she hated them and sounded like she meant it.
Perhaps they caused more damage than was necessary.
Please Don't Leave Me - 326 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
After the birthday party, Somya was silent throughout the whole car ride. She ignored her parents. They wanted to apologize, but didn't want Raghav to get suspicious, so they kept quiet in the car as well.
It was only when they got home that Sanyukta tried to speak with her daughter, but Somya only locked herself in her room, ignoring her.
"She can't ignore us forever right?" she asked her husband in their room with a frown on her face. "I mean, we're her parents."
"Tomorrow she'll have to come out. We'll talk to her then," Randhir offered. "Don't stress."
Sanyukta nodded and started to take off her sari, feeling exhausted. It had been a long day. Randhir was undressing too, when he noticed her get down to her underwear. With a smile on his face, he removed the rest of his clothes and approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her.
"Randhir," she whispered breathlessly as she felt his naked body against hers.
He started to kiss her shoulder, making her shudder.
"I have to return the favour," he whispered.
Sanyukta smiled and turned around to face him. She leaned towards him and kissed him lovingly.
"I'm tired," she replied, breaking the kiss. "Return it tomorrow."
"Yeah because you're too tired for your husband now," Randhir pointed out with a frown.
"Emotional blackmail huh?" she teased, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "Okay fine... but make it quick."
Randhir grinned and buried his face in her neck to make her forget that time even existed.
The next day, Somya didn't come out of her room until it was lunch time. When she finally stormed downstairs to have lunch, she saw Sanyukta in the kitchen and turned her back to her mom to storm the other way.
"Somya that's enough," Sanyukta said, walking up to her daughter. "You can't ignore us."
"You embarrassed me!" Somya argued.
"We're sorry. We know it was wrong... next time we'll pull you to the side and talk to you," Sanyukta told her daughter softly.
"Whatever," Somya retorted, rolling her eyes. "My own parents are my enemies!"
"Somya," Sanyukta said in a pleading tone. "I told you I'm sorry. Now come and have lunch. You skipped breakfast too."
"I'm not hungry!" she said stubbornly, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I made your favourite - shahi paneer," Sanyukta said with a smile.
Somya's eyes lit up but she forced herself to keep frowning.
"If you insist, fine!" she said, sounding grumpy, and then she took her seat at the table.
Later that night, Somya called Akash.
"We're so lucky we didn't get caught yesterday," Somya said into the phone, sounding relieved.
Randhir and Sanyukta both seemed to have forgotten teenage manipulation techniques. They were parents now, so the skills they themselves used when they were young, were long erased from memory.
Please Don't Leave Me - 327 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
Two weeks later, Sanyukta was making a chocolate milkshake for Raghav, when she felt nauseated. She quickly finished making the milkshake and had him drink it before she went to her room to lie down.
Something was happening with her, but she didn't know what it was. Randhir entered the room, looking concerned.
"Raghav said you aren't feeling well," Randhir said, sitting on the bed next to her and placing a hand on her forehead.
"I felt like I would throw up at any moment, so I came here to lie down," she answered.
Randhir caressed her forehead gently and pecked her on the lips.
"Somya caught the cold last week. Maybe that's why," Randhir told her.
"I don't know... I hope so," she whispered, closing her eyes.
The next day she went to visit the doctor because she had her suspicions that it wasn't just the beginning of a flu, but rather she was afraid that she was pregnant. After all, her and Randhir had a lot of unprotected sex in the last few months and she hadn't gotten her period in a long time.
The doctor confirmed to her that she was almost eight weeks pregnant and at her age, it could cause a lot of complications for both her and the baby.
"Shit," Sanyukta whispered, sounding fearful. "Oh no. How am I going to tell Randhir?"
When she went home, she strategized ways to tell him, but there was no way to tell him other than to just do it. After he arrived home and was changing out of his work clothes, she gulped.
"Randhir I have to tell you something," Sanyukta said.
"Mhmm?" he asked, sliding on sweatpants.
She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his shirtless body.
"I'm pregnant," she told him right away. "The doctor said because of my age there can be complications for the baby and for me... and the doctor advised me to abort. What should I do?"
Randhir's arms wrapped around her to comfort her, but he was too shocked to respond.
Please Don't Leave Me - 328 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
Randhir was hugging her reassuringly, but he didn't know what to say. Sanyukta was pregnant? She was thirty nine. At her age, there would be so many complications and it was very risky for her and the child too.
"I really don't know what to do," Sanyukta whispered.
Randhir broke the embrace and cupped her cheeks. He kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes.
"I don't know what to say," he admitted. "I don't want you to risk your health."
"I can't get rid of the baby," Sanyukta told him.
"Okay then. There is nothing to discuss," Randhir told her. "We will continue with the pregnancy and hope everything goes well."
Sanyukta nodded slowly.
"Somya? Raghav? How will our kids react Randhir? Somya will be angry," Sanyukta said.
"Yeah, she will be..." Randhir admitted. "But it isn't our fault."
"Actually it is. It's your fault!" Sanyukta accused, glaring at him. "I told you that it's better for us to use protection, but you were so overconfident!"
"Hey, you could have taken pills!" Randhir argued.
"Do you think I have time to remember to take pills?" Sanyukta snapped.
Randhir took a deep breath and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Okay, let's not fight. Let's prepare for what we need to do," Randhir told her. "First, we have to tell Somya."
"Right... we have to tell her," Sanyukta mumbled, feeling nervous.
How would Somya react to the news of her mother getting pregnant?
Please Don't Leave Me - 329 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
They waited a few weeks to tell Somya, but finally, they told her when Sanyukta was finishing her first trimester. She was twelve weeks pregnant at the time.
Randhir and Sanyukta sat Somya down on the couch in the living room. Sanyukta looked down, feeling embarrassed to say it.
"What?" Somya asked, looking from her dad to her mom. "What's happening? Why did you say you needed to talk to me?"
Sanyukta gulped and looked up at her daughter. She was sitting next to Somya and Randhir was beside her.
"Somya..." Sanyukta said, "It's really important."
"What?" she asked impatiently.
"I'm... well you... well we..." Sanyukta started, fumbling on her words.
"Your mom is pregnant and you will be an older sister... again," Randhir then said.
Sanyukta looked down again as Somya watched with utter shock.
"Say something," Randhir urged, taking in his daughter's shocked expression.
"Please tell me you're joking," Somya begged.
"We're not," Sanyukta whispered.
"Are you serious?" Somya asked, standing up angrily.
Sanyukta knew that Somya was going to react this way, and she had the right to. After all, she was sixteen. She wasn't a little kid, where getting siblings was normal.
She stood up with Somya and placed her hand on her shoulder.
"This is all that was left!" Somya said angrily. "Great!"
"Somya don't be mad," Sanyukta said softly.
"Why shouldn't I be mad? This is downright embarrassing! What do you think my friends will gossip about? My messed up family!" Somya screamed.
"Somya that's enough!" Randhir then said, walking up to her. "Sometimes it happens!"
"It shouldn't have happened!" she screamed, tears filling her eyes now. "If you two just didn't have sex, this wouldn't happen!"
"Okay that's it Somya," Sanyukta said strictly. "You can't talk to us in that way!"
"I will talk to you in that way! Nobody else has kids when they're fourty! It's not normal! God! This is horrible!" Somya said, tears falling down her cheeks. "I can't believe this!"
"Somya!" Sanyukta screamed, now angry at her daughter. "You can't prepare sometimes! You are thrown into unexpected circumstances! This is life! Get used to it! Things won't always go your way!"
"I am so angry!" Somya screamed back. "I wish I never was born to you and dad! The most embarrassing parents -"
Sanyukta angrily raised her hand and slapped Somya across her cheek hard.
Somya's eyes widened with even more shock.
Her mom had never slapped her before.
Sanyukta's eyes filled with tears now and she stormed away from her daughter, disgusted with herself that she had to do that, but at the same time, upset that she had raised Somya to be this way.
Where had she gone wrong in raising Somya?
Please Don't Leave Me - 331 (#PDLM)
Doc: https://www.facebook.com/notes/stories-by-saffi/229163090790359
Sanyukta was sitting on her bed, with her hand on her belly, when Somya nervously walked in. One look at her daughter and Sanyukta knew right away that she had come to apologize.
"Sit down," Sanyukta said softly.
Somya sat next to her and looked at her mom's belly, which was still flat. It was impossible to tell that she was pregnant.
"Sorry," she said, looking down.
"It's okay," Sanyukta replied. "I'm sorry too for hitting you."
Somya just nodded and there was a few seconds of silence before the teenager burst into tears.
She threw her arms around her mom and hugged her tightly, catching Sanyukta off guard.
"Mommy don't get hurt please," Somya begged. "I can't lose you... don't get hurt."
Sanyukta smiled and caressed her daughter's hair.
"Somya, sweetheart, nothing will happen to me," she said soothingly. "Don't worry."
"B - but daddy said that you could die," Somya sobbed.
Sanyukta frowned, not agreeing with Randhir on this matter. He shouldn't have said that to Somya.
"I won't die," Sanyukta answered.
"Promise?" Somya asked, hiccuping.
"I promise," Sanyukta replied, smiling and remembering to the times where Somya was small and she would cling on to her like this and force her to make promises just like this one.
"Good," Somya said and let go of her mom.
Sanyukta reached forward and wiped her daughter's tears.
"I love you too much to leave you and go," Sanyukta told her daughter. "Don't ever be scared. Okay?"
"Okay," she said, and sniffled, then she broke out into a smile. "I want a sister! Then we can irritate Raghu together!"
Sanyukta laughed.
It would be very fortunate for her if she even gave birth to a healthy baby.
--
Hey everyone! I know all of you aren't on my Facebook group, so you haven't read a lot of my stories, nor are you able to read PDLM as soon as it comes out... I created an app called Saffi Live. It's for Android only for now, but it'll come for iOS too soon.
You can read ALL of my stories here (more than half of them aren't posted on India Forums). Also, you can read parts of PDLM as soon as it is posted on here too. :)
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