AarYa SS : Destined To Be Yours...Part 9-Pg 49 - Page 31

Part 9

"Dai maa, whats the matter? Its past 12.You haven't slept yet?"

"Yash, Payal is sick. She has high fever. "

Yash rushed into Payal's room and checked her temperature. Her forehead was burning. He could see tear stains upon her cheeks.

"Dai maa, call the doctor"

"I already have..Do you think I would wait for you to tell me?", she exclaimed in a reproachful tone.

"You know I didn't mean it that way", he wondered how many more he would hurt…and if anyone would understand him ever again.

"I know you didn't. But I hope you realize that its you who is responsible for her condition. "

"I am always responsible for every wrong thing happening around me Dai maa", he blurted out in frustration.

"No you are not. But you think you are. And that's the problem Yash. Do you realize you are pushing Payal into the same pit as Palak?"

That was enough. He knew he was to blame, but there was only so much a man could take. " Dai Maa, I know I have ruined everything….and I have always accepted it…but tell me, do you really think I am that stone-hearted to endure all your accusations? Yes, I have caused sadness to my girls……but what would you have me do? Marry again? Get Payal a mother? You think that's easy for me? You think it was easy accepting Palak's accusations? You think I don't care for my daughters?", he choked. Tears welled up in his eyes. He had reached his limit. He sat down on the floor with a moan, covering his face with his hands.

"I need to bring wet wraps for Payal. The doctor said he would be here within 45 minutes. He is away on another call. ".

With that Dai Maa left ,leaving the person she loved more than her life broken and shattered. She walked steadily into the kitchen and started getting the wraps ready. Almost unknown to herself, tears spilled out of her eyes.

Dai Maa , as she was fondly called by Yash and the rest of the Scindhias was in reality Arpita's Dai Maa. After her mother died when she had been a baby of 2 years, Arpita's father had hired a nanny for her. Soon, she became much more than that. Arpita called her "Dai Maa", but considered her as a mother, in every sense of the word. And for the

lady, Arpita was the whole world. She had no one else whom she could call her own and she showered all the love she could upon Arpita .When her wedding was fixed, Arpita's father decided to shift to America after the ceremony due to business. There was nothing to worry. Dai Maa would be well provided for. She would never have to work again in her life. He thought only about the financial needs though. However her emotions and loneliness had not gone unnoticed by Arpita. On her 24^th birthday, which was just a week ahead of the wedding, Yash had come to the house. Just as he was about to leave, Arpita suddenly made a demand.

" I want something else Yash"

With that gentle smile of his, he had raised an eyebrow in question.

Unaware of what was going on in her mind, Dai Maa had mockingly reprimanded Arpita. " He brought almost a truckload of gifts for you, what more do you want? You are getting too greedy Arpi.."

"I want something more precious than all those things……."

"What do you want Arpita?", came his calm reply. Dai Maa noticed that he was looking straight into Arpita's eyes….and for the first time, she felt someone else understood her girl as much as she did, or probably even more than that.

"I want Dai Maa Yash……I want her to stay with me………with Us…always"

Astonishment, joy and apprehension , in that order, engulfed Dai Maa. What if he said "No". It didn't matter that she would be alone. She would bear it. But she had seen so much love, such unwavering trust in Arpita's eyes for him that she was scared …..scared for her daughter,because she knew her Arpi would be heartbroken in case he failed to live up to the stature she had given him. And the very next moment, all fears disappeared, and what remained was an immense gratefulness to the Almighty for Yash had said " Of course". He made it sound so simple, so easy, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

While Arpita, caught up in the moment, ran and hugged him, Dai Maa had looked on at the young couple in front of her, with moist eyes. Her Arpi had found someone who deserved her. She thanked God again and again, not because he had been kind to her, but for bringing Yash into her daughter's life. And since then, she had loved Yash like a son. Of course, he had returned the affection with utmost sincerity.

No one dreamt of not having her in the house after Arpita was gone. She had become one of the Scindhias.

It had not taken her a minute to decide to move to London, when Yash announced his decision to the family. She couldn't leave him and Payal alone. Gayatri Ji and the entire family would be there for Palak.

And yet, today, she had deliberately been harsh with him. Though her motherly instincts yearned to take him in an embrace and comfort him when she saw him collapsing upon the floor, …..she had steeled herself and walked out of the room. It was time, she thought….time for him to face the truth….the truth that he was not to be blamed for Arpi's death. He had done all he could to save her, and it was not his fault that she died. She was afraid it was already too late, especially with regard to Palak. But she wouldn't let him and Payal lose each other. She wouldn't. That was a promise she made to herself, and to her lost daughter.