~28~
Mukku stood in front of his door looking at the big lock glaring at her. So he had really left. Though her lips had uttered otherwise, deep in her heart, she had wished he would come and see her. She had even prepared a short speech she meant to give him to refuse him when he came and asked to be a part of her life again. She clicked her tongue and slightly caressed the lock when she heard someone clearing their throat. She turned to look at him standing, his hands folded and leaning against the wall.
"Hello..."
She dropped the lock and turned to leave when he caught her elbow.
"You came this far... won't you come in once?"
She nodded in negative.
"For old times sake? A few minutes and that's all... I promise I won't ask you anything more than that..."
She took in a deep breath and considered his words. He was right. A few minutes won't matter.
"10 minutes... that's all..."
He did a short jig and opened the door.
"Welcome back..."
She said nothing and entered in.
"Sit... let me get something to drink..."
"No wait... I came to talk..."
He looked at her fiddling with her fingers and said.
"It was not your fault.... don't blame yourself for that... I am sorry I was not there by your side when it happened... I should have but I wasn't."
"Still...."
"Please... don't..."
She said nothing. He reached out and took her hand in his.
"Shall we...?"
She nodded and just like he used to, he made her walk to the sofa and sit. He sat beside her and looked at her not leaving her hand.
"Aarav..."
"I am here..."
She squeezed his hand and let the tears flow. His eyes filled up too and they mourned together in silence for their little angel. As their tears stopped, she looked around and then back at him
"Aarav... Sweetheart?"
"She passed away last year..."
"Sorry, sorry... I didn't know..."
He nodded in negative.
"It's okay..."
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.
"I am here... you don't have to pretend that it's ok..."
He felt his heart flood with warmth and he smiled through his tears. His Mukku was back.
"I miss her... so much... it hurts..."
She nodded through her tears.
"When she was there... I had someone... now... I am truly an orphan... all alone in the world."
She pulled back remembering that those were the exact words she had said years ago. She wiped his tears.
"You are not... we are here for you... I am here for you..."
He smiled at her as she repeated the words his 15 year old self had told to her.
"Thank You..."
She nodded and got up to leave.
"You are leaving?"
"I have been here past the promised 10 minutes..."
"But.."
His longing eyes struck her. Time to say her short speech but she felt her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. So, instead of the prepared speech, she mumbled
"I am not yet ready, Aarav..."
"Some other time, maybe?"
She shut her eyes and drew in a sharp breath.
"Maybe... but I can't promise..."
"I will wait..."
She said nothing but as she walked out of the door, she heard his voice again.
"I am going for the international tournament. Won't you wish me luck as before...?"
She stopped but didn't turn around for fear of betraying herself.
"All the best, Aarav... Go get the cup... I know you can..."
And left him.
***
Anu opened the door to see her daughter standing and fidgeting with her fingers.
"Mummy..."
"Pakhi... why are you here...?"
"I went to the academy, you were not there so I called GK and he said, you were staying here today. So I came here..."
Anu quickly took her hand in hers and made her sit in the couch, sitting beside her, she asked
"What is it, beta? Anything wrong?"
"Everything is wrong, Mummy... and its all because of you..."
"Me? What did I do?"
"You left me... you left all of us..."
"Pakhi... how would I stay there? You know that we are divorced..."
"Yes, but I miss you, Mummy..."
She gently rubbed her hair and gave a open kiss.
"You can always come here, child. I will talk to your father..."
"But you have other priorities now... Papa said that when I asked him..."
"You are the most important one..."
"You are lying."
"Pakhi..."
"I didn't believe it when Kavya told me... but then I saw with my own eyes... the way you behaved with that Mukku during the Christmas party... you fed her, danced with her... you did everything you used to do with me..."
"Pakhi... I would do the same with Samar and Toshu too..."
"Exactly... that's because we are your kids... why should she get the privileges that belong to us?"
"Because she is my kid too..."
Pakhi looked taken aback.
"Pakhi, you are old enough to understand that some bonds are not by blood. I didn't give birth to Mukku but she is just as much my child as you are.. and you... how often have you remembered me? Have you ever prayed for me? How easily you replaced me with Kavya? But Mukku... she held on to my memory for 26 years, praying for me, hoping that someday I would come, never once thought of replacing me... now that she has met me... doesn't she deserve some extra love for all the times she missed me?"
"But..."
"Listen, you are my daughter and you will always be that. I would love you and care for you but just like I won't give up Samar for you or you for Toshu... I won't give Mukku up for anyone... am I clear?"
"You are impossible, Mummy. Papa was right, you have changed a lot..."
"Your Papa is always right and I am always wrong... when will you ever learn to see things the way they are?"
"You talk too much in riddles... can't you see how much I miss you?"
When she didn't respond, Pakhi threw her a around her and hugged her tight.
"Mummy... please come back home, let's be a family once more... even Papa misses you... he won't shout at you or get angry again... he said that..."
She gently released herself.
"This is my home now not the Shah house. You can come here whenever you want but I won't come back there... now that you know it... I want you to make it clear to your father who sent you to bring me back there for reasons I am yet to figure out..."
"But..."
"Do you want to stay over for dinner or you want to go back...?"
"I wanted to take you home for dinner..."
"I am not coming. I will call Samar and ask him to pick you up. This conversation is over."
***
"Pakhi..."
"Papa, Mummy didn't come back... I tried..."
Vanraj opened his mouth to speak but seeing Samar's furious eyes on him, he changed his mind. He simply patted her back. After few more complaints about how her mother didn't love her just like he had told her, Pakhi left the room and Vanraj turned to leave when Samar spoke.
"Mr. Shah, I am warning you, this is the last time you use my sister to hurt Mummy... dare you do it again... I will smash your face... father or no father."
As Samar left, he looked thoughtful. He had carefully planned and put words in his daughter's mouth. Words that he knew would devastate her in this state, yet she had not come. Maybe there was some change. Oh well... the Mukku plan atleast worked. Now he had to think of ways to become the boss soon and chuck the useless girl out. He had successfully managed to isolate her from the family by bringing Aarav and planting those papers, it won't be that difficult to isolate her from work.
***
Precap: Anuj and Samar talk.
A/N: Based on your responses and some discussions I had, I am planning to update two parts per day. Saturdays will have three updates and no update on Sundays. This way the story will be complete soon yet will give some time to imagine what will happen next.
A/N 2: Again here don't shoot down Pakhi pleaseđ... Pakhi is a human, most importantly a teenager. An adolescent child. You will learn more of her in the upcoming chapters.
PS: Since I am updating quickly, I know many people may miss the updates and might read multiple chapters together. Whenever you read, be it 3 or 4 chapters together or one by one, do drop a comment with your views on each chapter. It's highly encouraging to know how you enjoyed each chapter.
Tu Juliet Jaat Di
Cricket
