Jaipur
"Papa" Raina ran up to her father and hugged him tightly by his legs, "Dress me up, I need to go to school"
Karan picked up his princess and pecked her forehead "Princess, everything is ready" he winked and showed her the ironed uniform.
Raina knew that her Papa wasn't a morning person and it normally takes him half an hour to iron her clothes which always make her late to school.
He got her ready in the uniform and combed her hair "Ouch" she squealed as he combed a tangled hair.
Flashback:
The fairy lights had dimmed and relatives who had come to attend Vishal's Mehendi function had started leaving and Kunal and Karan had escorted them all.
After making sure all the relatives had left, Karan went to Naina's room only to see her worriedly sitting in front of the mirror.
"Naina, what are you up to?" he laughed.
"Please Karan!" she made a face.
"Ok baba, what's the matter?" he went next to her.
She looked at the comb and then pointed to her Mehendi applied hands "I can't sleep with a messy hair"
Karan burst out laughing leaving Naina to roll her eyes, "KARAN!"
"Fine, I'll help you" he managed to say between his hysterics.
He took the comb and started untangling the locks of hair "Ouch" Naina squealed.
"Sorry, does it hurt?" he asked her slowly and she shook her head slightly.
He then carefully removed the tangled using his fingers and then again combed her hair "does it hurt now?"
"No," she smiled brightly and Karan placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Papa"
Silence.
"Papa"
Karan's reverie was broken when Raina shook him, "Papa, it hurts" she droned and he mumbled a sorry.
He removed the tangles using his fingers and combed her hair again, "does it hurt now, princess?" he asked Raina.
"No, papa best" she replied in her child-like tone and hugged him.
Quickly they headed downstairs and had a hurried breakfast and rushed for school, coz, like every time, Raina was late.
Karan dropped her in the school and left after he made sure that she had reached the class.
He knew he wasn't a perfect father. He could never drop her on time nor pick her on time. He did fail in a lot of things, but he hadn't left her, unlike her mother!
He knew Raina did miss her mother's presence, a mother's love and care. She was just a two-year-old kid when her mother decided to walk away not even bothering to think twice how it would affect Raina. He held no love for the woman who had caused him and his little princess only misery to dwell on!
Back in Chauhan house, Meghna was preparing lunch along with Nirmala.
Things had changed a lot since the past 4 years, Meghna had given up her job, Kunal had ended his conversations with his father, and by the time Nand Kishore had started realising his mistake, it was late. The only relation now he had in that house was that of a Grandfather to Raina, none except Raina and Nirmala acknowledges his presence.
"more of chili powder, beta" Nirmala said.
They were so engrossed in cooking that Meghna didn't realise her phone ringing.
Meghna rushed to wash her hands and pick the call when she saw the caller ID, Mama.
"Ha Mama, how are you?" she spoke cheerfully.
"Gudiya, this is Vishal" she could sense panic in his voice.
"Vishal Bhaiyya, is everything alright?"
There was silence from the other end, and this just increased Meghna's concern "Bhaiyya, please say something, is everything alright?
"Gudiya, don't panic and listen to me carefully, ok?"
"Bhaiyya, you're scaring me now, where's Mama and why are you calling from her phone?"
"Gudiya, bua met with an accident while coming back today. She's admitted to the ICU, please be here urgently,"
The phone slipped from Meghna's hands and tears started flowing, Nirmala who was unaware of everything stood there taken aback.
"Meghna," Nirmala shook her.
"Mama" was all she uttered and hugged Nirmala tightly.
~
Everybody had crowded near the ICU of the hospital, walking from left to right impatiently.
Kunal has been trying to console Meghna, who had turned numb from all the crying. It was almost midnight, and yet, Sharda's condition made no progress increasing Meghna's worry. Raina was fast asleep in Karan's shoulders, Dadaji and NK had left to Sharda's Bundi house, while Nirmala decided to stay back along with Kunal, Meghna and Karan.
"Gudiya, don't you think we need to inform Cheeku about this?" Vishal asked her. Tears welled up in Meghna's eyes hearing Naina's name and she looked at Karan who sat in a corner holding Raina.
She shook her head negatively, "You have your reasons Gudiya, but she has the same right over Bua as you have and we can't hide this from her," Vishal tried to make her understand.
"But,"
"We can't hide this especially when Bua still talks to her every day, she needs to know," Vishal says and gives her Shard'a phone.
Flashback:
Thunder and rain had showered the land, and nothing was a mess compared to Karan. Three bottles down, Karan had lost all his senses to think right, all he could think was Naina walking away.
Suddenly baby Raina started crying, Karan looked at her helplessly and tried picking her up from the cradle, but due to the alcohol he had consumed, he was scared and just looked at the crying baby.
"Karan," Meghna came up to Karan's room hearing Raina's cries.
She picked up the crying baby and rocked her back to sleep, "she's fast asleep," Meghna carefully placed the baby in the cradle, "if at all she wakes up in the middle of the night just give her the milk," she pointed towards the milk bottle and Karan nodded absent-mindedly and walked towards the balcony.
"Karan," she placed a hand on his shoulder.
His bloodshot eyes had all the replies she wanted, and she found herself more helpless. "Whatever happened..." Karan cut her off
"wasn't supposed to happen. How could Naina leave? How can she just walk away leaving me and Raina alone?" his voice was vulnerable yet angry.
"Naina has her reason and.."
"her reasons? What's a bigger reason than leaving our 2-year child? Has she become so selfish that she forgot to think about Raina, at least once? ONCE?"
"I don't have words to support her, but nor do I have anything to say about what she had been going through, and you know it Karan" Meghna tried calming him down, but this got him angrier.
"Is this the solution? I know, I have been a jerk to not know what she has been going through but she could have told me. Leaving us wasn't the solution!" Karan angrily kicked the teapot stand and it shattered to pieces.
"Karan please, Raina is sleeping," Meghna shushed him.
"I have to be quite, okay. Tell me one thing Bhabhi, what is Raina's future? What..."
"I'm here Karan, for her. Everyone is here. Me, Maa, Mama, everybody. And she has you. Isn't that more than enough? I know how important is mother's love, but that is not possible now, right?" Karan silently sat on the bed.
"You need to realise that you have more responsibilities now, you have to be her mother as well as her father," a lone tear escaped her eyes.
"I promise to be by her side always, Karan and so will Kunal." She patted his back and started leaving.
"Bhabhi, I want a promise from you," Karan opened the fourth bottle while Meghna looked on.
"You will never contact Naina, never again." His eyes pleaded though it broke her from inside for Raina she agreed.
"I promise." She took the beer bottle from him and threw it in the dustbin and left the room.
"What have you decided?" Nirmala asked her.
She looked at the contact "Cheeku" and tears rolled down her face, "Meghna, you can't hide this from her for a long time." Kunal consoled her.
Gulping the lump that had formed in her throat she dialled the contact.
"Mama," Naina spoke after a few seconds and all the courage that Meghna had built up broke into pieces.
~
How was the chapter? Did all like it? Do like and post your valuable comments.
How will Naina react after talking to Meghna after 4 long years?
And, also more flashback scenes coming up, so stay tuned. Btw, are you enjoying the flashback scenes?
I'm planning to write the next chapter from Naina's POV, do comment if you want so or else, I will continue in third person's POV.
Also, yesterday's episode, OMG. NaiRan conversation was the highlight!
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