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PART SEVEN
Bihaan followed Thapki to the kitchen,
"Hi Maa! How was your visit to the temple? Anything interesting happen? "
He picked up a piece of carrot from the counter where Thapki had been dicing them and put it in his mouth.
"No nothing interesting. Just a plain boring visit to the temple to atone for my sins. Anyway where did you go? I thought you and Thapki were just going to get the rest of the supplies? "
" Yes we did but when I got back I decided to go see a man about a job. I have a family to look after now."
Bihaan looked at Thapki and Thapki looked back at him.
It was a husband and wife moment, they were obviously sharing something privy to them alone.
Vasundhra felt like a gooseberry but remembered her task just in time.
"Oh, that's interesting. Thapki was just telling me she has just been offered her old job back. "
Thapki looked at her mother in law with surprise.
She had just as good as told her that she wanted to tell and talk to Bihaan about it herself.
"Oh no, is it a secret? I am sorry we were just discussing it. I didn't think you were the type to keep secrets from your husband.
" Don't mind me and my big mouth. "
Having planted the seed of Thapki keeping secrets from her husband Vasundhra turned away pretending innocence whilst washing her hands in the sink.
"Dhruv called? You got offered your old job back? "
It was a bit of a subdued enquiry from Bihaan.
"Haan, the call just came a few minutes ago but it wasn't from Dhruv. It was the Human Resources Manager. I was gonna tell you later. "
She looked at Vasundhra a bit miffed with her.
Vasundhra jumped in again,
"You know what I think, I think she should take it. This is just my advice you don't have to take it.
"I mean it's between husband and wife but as I am also your mother I think she should take it. Well, just until Bihaan gets a job."
She added the last statement as if Bihaan getting a job would take a miracle.
Bihaan ignored it and looked at his wife,
"Would you like to work? "
Once again Vasundhra felt as if they were communicating on a wavelength she couldn't pretend to be on so she put in her two pence worth again
"Two good things can come out of this. Firstly we could maintain a roof over our heads" she waved her arms at the roof in indication, then
"Secondly, I know my bahu is very persistent. If she is working there she will find a way to bring Dhruv and I closer again. Reestablishing Maa and Beta's rishtey."
Thapki honestly hadn't even considered taking the job.
Firstly , because she had full faith in Bihaan and knew no matter what he would always provide her with a roof over her head.
Their days in the tabela were testament to that.
Secondly, she couldn't see how she could work day in day out with Dhruv Sir anymore.
She had come to the conclusion that she hadn't known Dhruv Sir as much as she thought she did.
Her thinking and his were not as in sync as much as she had originally thought.
Else how could he treat his mother so badly and approve of her getting chucked out of the house like that.
Vasundhra's act of betrayal had affected both Dhruv and Thapki but whereas Thapki forgave Dhruv had been so hard in his refusal to forgive.
Thapki thanked her lucky stars that had got her married to this big lump of a husband that she was looking at now.
In thinking so she realised maybe it wasn't so much her lucky stars as the third person in the room.
Vasundhra albeit inadvertently, had given her the best thing to ever happen to her.
Maybe she owed her by bringing her closer to her son again.
She turned her eyes to Bihaan.
Bihaan read every emotion communicated by her eyes and understood her completely.
He didn't have such a big ego that he would never allow his wife to work
Besides he felt obliged to repair the Maa/Beta relationship too.
He felt so guilty that he had stolen his brother's love, he couldn't bear being the cause of mother and son's continued separation either.
He nodded his head at his wife.
She came closer and took his big hand in hers.
How she loved this man.
She didn't even have to say anything and he understood what she wanted to say.
They both now turned to Maa who had been looking out of the window morosely.
"Maa, Thapki will take the job so she can rebuild your relationship with Dhruv again. "
Vasundhra felt so awful as they hugged her.
They were only thinking of her and here she was stabbing them in the back.
Thapki then picked up the phone and called the Human Resources Manager and accepted the job.
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