An AarYa SS The Family part 2C page 11updated 12/26/17 - Page 2

SP "Sonia Ji, Maya calm down let us all discuss this; there is no needs to call each other nasty names we are all related here"

Mr Rajkumar "Suraj beta I may be old not blind and I have not loss my mind as yet; your Aarti bahu is my granddaughter my only son Vickram's child and her sons are my great grandsons my heirs. Just look at her and her eldest they are copies of my wife and son."

Maya "Where are her brothers? You so wanted grandsons and when I could not give your family them you and you wife insulted me in fact all did" and she looked directly at Sonia. Now you want the same illegitimate granddaughter you shunned. Why because she has sons. Where are her brothers and your sons Sonia yours and Dolly's? "

Aarti was carefully listening to their conversation thinking how her life changed in a few moments she has two older brothers, a dadaji, and buas two by the way the conversations were going plus cousins. And the most shocking Maya bua ji is her stepmother, and she was fighting to keep her and her sons away from her blood relatives. Aarti held tightly onto Yash for support while Vedant and Vedicka were sitting on a sofa comforting their younger siblings who were confused and frightened because the adults were arguing and talking about Ansh having to go with them.

"Maya my sons are working with their father in our family's business just like Dolly behan's son is working alongside his father and dadaji. They don't have the time to spare to help bauji with his business and therefore it was decided to sell and divide the money among all the grandkids but now that we have found Vickram bhai grandsons we want them back in their ancestral home. As far as Aarti brothers are concern they live aboard and refuse to have anything to do with us."

"Well I don't blame them you treated their mother as dirt never wanting to accept her as your bahabi and ma and bauji never accepting her as their bahu; she was not good enough but now you want her daughter and grandsons. You people made both my life and Radha's life hell she could not handle the shame and ridicule so she killed herself but I had my bhayia and Bhabhi for support."

Aarti mind was reeling with all this information she got up went forward and touched her elders feet they in turn smiled and blessed her she gestured for her kids to do the same "These are my kids my daughters Palak and Payel, my sons Ansh, Aayu, and Aayan. Where are my brothers I want to meet them."

Maya was angry and glaring at Aarti her self-talk what is wrong with Aarti bahu why is she showing these people respect they never accepted her mother nor cared enough to find out about her existence or it because she had heard about the inheritance.

Dadaji Rajkumar "You want to know only about your brothers not your bauji?"

Sonia "bauji it is natural she want to know about them; Aarti your eldest brother name is Akash he is a doctor living in Canada and Aaman your other brother is working for a company in New York in their marketing department they are both married with family of their own. Both of your brothers have refused to return to live in India or have anything to do with your father's wealth despite it is that same wealth which give them their education."

Maya sarcastic remark "they are smart you could not corrupt them now you want to take my babies and corrupt them I will never allow that"

SP "Maya shut up Aarti and her kids have a right to know her relatives; do you think I am going to hand over my children just so am I stupid"

"No Bhayia I don't think you are stupid but you are like a coconut a hard shell and soft interior my sassur will say a few words and melt your heart plus you love Aarti like your own daughter and if you feel this will make her happy to know her relatives you would allow them to take advantage of us"

"Maya how are we taking advantage Aarti is my niece bauji granddaughter"

"And all the years she was in an orphanage you did not know you had a niece then and after when she turned eighteen why did you not find her and keep her in her father's and grandfather's house?? Now today you see she resembles maji and has three sons and you suddenly want her and her sons!" Maya was livid

Aarti went to Maya "buaji calm down I am not going anywhere and neither are my sons I am just curious about them and have questions lots of them that I want answers too; this is a shock to me just as to the rest of the family. Relax nah buaji no one will break apart our family, I am sure we all can come to some form of understanding" and she looked at the guests who were smiling at her with admiration in their eyes.

Yash had enough he saw the confused frightened look on his children's face, bua looked like she was about to explode, bauji was angry because bua ji was crossing her limits and being outright disrespectful to her elders, who are guest in their house; plus she knew of Aarti's identity and did not inform us her family.

Yash "Bauji I want to speak now it is almost dinner time lets us all eat and speak of another topic maybe catch up on the village life or uncleji can tell us about his business, you all have not seen each other in thirty plus years. I am sure there is a lot to say; buaji they had a purpose for coming here today allow them to explain please"

"Maya Yash beta is correct we came here with a purpose and that is bauji and I wanted to apologise to you for all the bad we did to you while you were a part of our family"

"Yes bahu I am old now and alone; after your saas died some twenty years ago I continued to live for my business hoping one day that Vickram's sons would join me with his family and take over but that day never came. Instead both went away for education then work; they choose their own wives got married without informing me. But they kept in touched with their mother's relatives and support them."

"Do you blame them you never accepted their mother despite the fact that she was Vickram's first wife; I am the wife you choose from your class for your son but Radha was the one he loved and she loved him, maybe that is why god did not allow me to have Vickram's child because he was only meant to be with Radha."

Aarti self-talk my parent's names are Vickram and Radha I was born in xyz village Maya buaji is my stepmother; I have two older brothers note to self will find them and get to know them. Aarti was helping Vidhi and Paridhi serve dinner.

Yash's self- talk buaji won't be happy until badi uncle ji drops from a heart attack or may be bauji will get one first from embarrassment from buaji behaviour, and ma she is not saying anything I wonder if it is because the knowledge that Aarti is not a poor casteless orphan is too much for her to digest or the fact that they want to claim my sons.my

Yash "So uncle ji auntie ji where do you live it must be nice there?'

"Beta my family's home is in qrs village both my older and younger brother lives there, they maintain the farmlands and our factory there but I moved to Delhi about twenty five years ago I own a chain of supermarkets and my three sons manage our business. Bauji lives with us now and we have a manager to oversee his lands and mills. I believe we purchase vegetables and other produces from your family's farm"

SP "Oh I see you are the one who owns pqrs supermarkets around the Delhi area our farm manager is the one who conducts business with your company"

"Yes Suraj ji we have been doing business together despite never having met face to face and now my sons do all the work."

"Well then your problem is solved your sons and grandsons can continue to manage bauji estate and mills" said Buaji continuing "You don't need Aarti's sons"

SP "Maya I have had enough of your behaviour it is not time for your night prays Aarti beta I need a strong cup of tea and pain medications and I am sure our guest could use some coffee"

Maya was even more angry her brother dismissed her for these people she got up nosily like a child throwing a tantrum and left to her room.

After dinner the kids went into Ansh's room to discuss it had been an eventful day first those prejudice people who wanted Vedant as their son in law; now finding out that mama has relatives and dadi buaji is mama's step mother.

Ansh was pacing back and forth thinking about his mama what will she do now, he knows how much it hurts her being an orphan; how much she wanted to be a part of a family as a child, why it is so important for her to make sure that he and his siblings have the love of two parents with their grandparents with uncles, aunts and cousins.

Both he and his sisters have seen their mama cry silently in her room or in a quite corner in the house when both dadiji and bua dadiji yelled at her throughout the years calling both their mama and Ansh mean names. Palak had asked one day why don't mama answer them back and she said the younger ones must always obey and respect the elders, even if they are wrong we must try our best for them to realise their mistake themselves. This made the kids fiercely protective of their mama and would sometimes play pranks on both their dadiji just to get justice for their mama.

Ansh kept remembering the shocked expression of their guest when they saw that their mama's resemblance to her dadiji and he look like his nanaji. What is even more shocking Bua dadiji is ready to fight for them she is mama's stepmother and always scolded them now she is even disobeying dadaji for them.

"Bhayia stop walking like that you will wear out the tiles" said Payel trying to divert he nhayia's attention "or the sole of your slippers"

"Bhayia we know you are worried we all are" said Palak "But mama and papa would not allow anyone to separate us"

"My babies sisters I am not worried about anybody separating us because that will never happen. What is bothering me is that bua dadiji knew or suspected about mama's parents and she said nothing but continued to taunt mama and encourage dadiji to continue taunting mama. Yet today she is arguing that we are her family her children, her grandchildren. I don't know if what she is saying is true or she just wants to get back at her in laws because she don't like them. Or maybe she don't want mama to know her brothers and relatives even after knowing how important knowing them is for mama.

Aayu asked "bhayia how can mama have brothers, a bua ji and a dadaji when she told us that she is an orphan and grew up in an orphanage"

Aayan said "Yeah I thought orphanages are for children without a mama and papa or family; how are they mama's family where were they all this time?"

Ansh came and hugged his two younger brothers sitting with them on either side of him" My baby bros I know it is confusing but from what I understand our nanaji and nani ji died when mama was a baby and mama was placed in an orphanage."

Aayan asked "Does that mean if our mama and papa dies we will be placed in an orphanage too"

"No that will never happen" said Prateek accompanied by Paridhi entering into the room "You are our children the five of you are our babies too; we are more than just your chachu and chachi we are you chote papa and chote mama don't you ever forget that" and they hugged all the kids close to them.

Paridhi said "My babies are worried and confused well even we too are shocked and confused but with time we will all learn the truth okay. So don't be frightened no one will separate you all from us or your mama and Ansh bhayia from us okay. Your papa and dadaji will never allow that"

"Chachi where is mama and papa?" asked Aayu

"They are speaking with the elders they will come and kiss you goodnight in a while okay but we are here to make sure you are all okay and get ready for bed my loves" said Paridhi smiling reassuringly at them.