This is the second moment, I hope you like it...😊
"Kya baat ho sakti hain Premlata, itni ajeeb tareeke se usne baat ki mujhse…" Inder told his wife as he paced the length of his study. She watched him with mild amusement but didn't speak. He had just spoken to Prachi and Premlata was delighted to find that she and Milind were coming over with the children but Inder seemed to have latched onto the tone in which Prachi spoke to him and he was becoming very worried.
"Inder…" spoke Premlata calmly, "Usse aane tou dejiye…aap be waaje pareshaan ho rahe hain…" she advised and Inder remained quiet after that. Premlata smiled down at Inder as he placed himself in a chair and asked his wife to bring him some tea.
He didn't understand why he was nervous but Prachi had said in such a solemn way that she wished to speak with both Premlata and himself. Having both Prachi and Krish away from him had been a huge change in their lives at first, he constantly thought of them but when he saw that his grandchild and Prachi were both so very happy, his mind was somewhat at rest.
A few moments later Inder's silence was interrupted as the room to his study was unceremoniously opened by Krish. The boy stood by the door, looking up at Inder with a mischievous grin across his face. Inder opened his arms and Krish ran into them immediately and for a moment Inder completely forgotten that Prachi had come to meet them too. Once he had placed Krish back down, Inder was dragged into the living room.
Milind and Prachi sat on the couch and turned to find Inder watching them. Prachi saw her father wipe a stray tear away from his cheek and she ran to him. He enveloped her in an embrace and then took a step back to look at her, sighing slightly, he asked, "Kaisi hai meri Prachi?" Prachi replied that she was fine and Inder pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Both Inder and Prachi laughed as Premlata emerged from the kitchen and having witnessed the scene between father and daughter, said to Milind, "Beta…dekha tumne…jab yeh baap beti milte hain, tou mamma ko kaun yaad karta hain?"
Prachi made an apologetic face at her mother and went to embrace her mother also, "Kitni pyaari lag rahi hai tu…" Premlata remarked, staring at her daughter for a moment and saw Prachi blush and suppress a smile. Premlata looked towards her quizzically but Prachi went back to sit next to Milind.
Milind slipped his hand into Prachi's squeezed gently, she knew he was telling her that now was the time but they hadn't even spoken to the children yet and she wanted to do that it her own way. Prachi instructed Krish to take Shreya up to his old bedroom and play; the children didn't need much convincing, they sprang up out of their seats and rushed up the stairs.
Milind squeezed again and Prachi asked her mother to sit down as well. Taking a seat next to Inder, Premlata glanced at him anxiously, now she too wondered what the news could be. Prachi smiled nervously at her parents, she knew that the news would make them happy but the first time had been so full of despair and disappointment that she wanted to savour this moment. She wanted to capture every moment after she had told them that she was going to be a mother again. She had already spoken to Milind and she wanted to be the one to tell them.
Prachi opened her mouth to speak but before she could Inder interjected, "Prachi…Dubai mein kuch hua? Sab kuch theek tou haina?" and from the worry in his voice, Prachi knew that she shouldn't stall any longer, "Nahin pappa…sab kuch accha hain…actually pappa, mamma…ab sab bauhat hi accha hoga…"
Both her parents looked at her expectantly after the enigmatic statement and Prachi took a deep breath before starting, unbeknown to her, tears were beginning to form in her eyes, "Mamma, Pappa…main maa bane walli hoon…" Prachi said slowly, turning towards Milind and smiled brightly at him. He cupped her face and with the pad of his thumb, wiped the tear that escaped her eyes, shaking his head warningly. She laughed and turned back to her parents who had both stood up in surprise.
"Prachi!" Premlata exclaimed delightedly, bringing her daughter to her bosom and kissing the top of her head, "Tujhe yeh saari khushiyaan mubaarak ho meri bachi…" Both Prachi and Milind bent down to touch her parent's feet and take their ashirwaad. Inder placed his hand slowly over Prachi's head, wishing her all the happiness and then taking it away, he excused himself to his study.
Prachi was surprised by Inder's reaction and looked at her mother for some sort of explanation but Premlata was much in the dark as she was. Prachi looked at Milind in disappointment and her shoulders slumped in dejection. This was not what she was expecting she had wanted this moment to be perfect, to see pride in her father's eyes but not this.
Premlata made a move to go after Inder but Milind stopped her and instead motioned with his head for Prachi to go. Prachi shook her head and looked down, resisting the urge to cry. Milind took her hand and walked her towards the study. Once outside the door, he knocked and opened it slightly, pushing Prachi inside. Milind did not know why Inder behaved so but he felt as though it was something that only Prachi would be able to understand. Milind's stomach turned seeing the look of sadness on Prachi's face but he also knew how much Inder loved his daughter and he would not have acted thus without a valid reason. Milind waited outside the door for a moment but then made his way back into the living room once he heard the door close with a click.
Prachi's eyes bored into Inder's back but he dared not turn and it was up to Prachi to approach him. He stood facing the window and Prachi thought she heard a gasp escape from her father. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder and immediately Inder's head drooped down and he let out a sob. Prachi walked around to face him and found her father clutching his hand to his chest and though he tried to hurriedly wipe his tears away, she had seen them nonetheless.
Prachi's own eyes filled to the brim and threatened to spill over; when she pulled away his hand and uncurled it, they did. In his palm lay the security tag from the hospital when Krish was born and Prachi looked down at it curiously. She looked down at the writing, it was somewhat faded but she could make out the words. The tag claimed Krish as Inder Shah's child and Prachi wondered why her father had held on to it.
"Yeh mujhe tumhe bauhat pehle deh dena chahiye tha Prachi…lekin aisa laga ke, tum dono ka thodha sa hisa mere paas reh gaya hain…" Inder said to his daughter. Prachi chocked back more tears as her father spoke and placed her head against his shoulder. "Prachi…apne pappa ko glata mat samajna beta, bas dil bhar aaya tha…" And Prachi quickly shook her head, instantly forgetting that she was even upset with him.
"Pappa…" Prachi attempted but Inder held up his hand, "Nahin Prachi…bolne deh aaj mujhe…tujse mein khabhie nahin ke paaya ke mujhe tujpe kitna naaz hain meri bachi…jis tarah se tune apni zindagi sambhali hain…apne bete ko…" Inder gulped, taking a pause to compose himself, "Krish ko kaise parvarish di…beta, mujhe garv hain ke tum meri beti ho…"
"Pappa…please, aapne aur mamma ne bhi…" Prachi said through her tears and again Inder spoke in between, "Prachi…" he said, folding his hands in a prayer towards her, "jis haath se maine tumhe maara tha aur jis mou se maine tumse baat karna chod diya tha…aaj unhi se mein tumse maafi maang ta hoon…humne tumse apne bacha ka haq cheena tha Prachi, aur tune bhi hamare liye deh diya…woh pal wapas tou nahin aa sakta lekin beta jou khushi tune aaj sunai haina…usse sun ke lagta hain, ke tu mujhe maaf kar paayi gi…"
Prachi was finally allowed to speak, "Kya main samajti nahin pappa, aur aap ki baat ki maafi maang rahe hain…aaj agar aapki beti ki zindagi mein itni khushiyaan hain, tou aap bhi is ki wajah ho…" Prachi handed him back the tag and closed his fist, "Mujhse zyaad, hamesha Krish par haq aap ka rahega...agar who mera ek ansh hain, tou aapka bhi dil ka ek hisa haina…"
Prachi's hand went absentmindedly to her belly and she stoked it gently, "Pappa…jou dil mein tha, who in aansoono ke saath beh gaya…" said wiped her father's face carefully, "Ab iss nayi khushi ka swagaat hume muskuraa ke karna hain…" She ordered and Inder bestowed it upon her.
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