An SS on Ruhi's POV *Completed* - Page 5

"Please, I don't want you to be a part of this." She said to her father.

"But.."

"Please dad, try to understand, I want him to understand his fault in this, himself. Otherwise there is no other way in which I could convince him to re-think about how he wants to live life."

"You really want to do this? I know my son very well and he's gonna take lots of time to agree he's incorrect. It could take months, you really want to put yourself through this?"

"I'm not going to do anything; he's going to be the one who suffers. I've already strived to make him realize that I'm not going to talk to him no matter what happens...and if I just start being all friendly around him, he's just going to take twice as long from recovering."

"Wait, you're ignoring him? Why?"

She flicked him a seriously' face, he couldn't get it at first, but then his eyes and mouth widened in realization of his daughter's meanings.

"Ohh."

"He'll basically throw me out of the house if I start bothering him everyday telling him he's wrong and what not." She said chuckling at the thought of him literally throwing him out of his house.

"But, I don't know Ruhi, this is a very serious matter and you're really young to..."

"Don't you dare say this to mom, you promised me and you also keep boasting about how you've never broken a promise. I sure as hell can tell you that this is not the time to break that lifelong commitment."

"When did I say I actually make lifelong commitments."

"Dad." She whined pleading to him to not drag her mother in. Even though she knew he would never bring his Ruhi down by backing out from his promise, but there was always a sense of everything going to fall apart just by the wrong step. And the slip of her dad's tongue would be the first card to be removed from the tower. Inevitably everything would just topple over.

The thought for Adi wanting his sister beside him had perished, his mind was set on other things; some days after Ruhi coming to their home he noticed a sudden change in his mother's behaviour, obviously she was overjoyed that finally she came together with her daughter but he saw a difference in her feelings towards Ruhi. She didn't think of her as her daughter, but a guest, although she made her feel comfortable at her house she was also a little too friendly towards her. As if she were trying to get even with the bad things she did in the past, he thought "But she, she never did anything wrong, all she did was leave her husband but that wasn't something wrong. She just wanted to live her life." This continued for a few days and day by day, her possessive care towards Ruhi was just the fuel to the fire that was his thoughts.

One day, after returning home from college tired, he heard the soft giggles of his mother from the balcony, he crouched behind the sliding door behind her knowing that she would bolt back just at the sound of a foot step, he wanted to know the answers to her behaviour and this was the only way in which he would be at rest. There she stood, twirling strands of hair in her finger, sashaying through the tiny balcony space, he thought about the first thing that came into his mind, she used to do this same thing years back when she was with Ashok. He first started to doubt his own thoughts but when he heard more of the words spoken from her mouth, he started to fear her intentions. She was talking about abandoning her son, even though it wouldn't be actual abandoning considering he was an adult now but the thought that she would give up her son just for another man was frightening. He already went through so much in his childhood having to let go of his family; he shivered at the thought of what would happen to him if his thinking became reality.

He lay in his bed, his arm above his forehead; nothing could stay in his mind for long with the constant reminding of that day's events. He couldn't find a way out, even though he didn't confront his mother about her actions in the future he was sure that what he heard was the truth. Giving himself up for the thought that his own mother would get rid of him just for the satisfaction of herself, he stood with her through the daily stress she had to go through, the labeling of her as a cheat' towards her husband. And today she was ready to give up all those moments they shared just for more money. The first thing that came into his mind was to reason with her, to make her understand that what she was going to do was unacceptable, but, he could not handle it he had enough of his mother.

He didn't think twice when he bolted into his sister's room, but he was careful enough to not slam the door behind him. He didn't want to wake her up; she slept peacefully on the tiny bed in the middle of the even tinier room, he sighed as he realized that this peace on her face would be replaced with god knew what expression. He started to slightly shake her trying to be gentle, but he remembered the time when she slept through an entire cricket match in a stadium, she didn't wake up until her father gripped onto her shoulders and shook her vigorously. So, he did the same thing, she woke up with a pissed off mood, he couldn't blame her but now nothing could be more important than what he was about to tell her. She rubbed her eyes while she whined about the method he used to wake her up. He couldn't wait any longer; he spat out whatever he heard his mother say and stood up and clenched his fists in fright waiting for her reaction.

She first looked at him in sheer confusion as to what did he just say in those few seconds, she put all the words that she could remember together, she showed mixed feelings for the sentence she just made up. Inside she had a soft smile on her face that finally her brother tried to make sense of his mother's actions and actually asked his sister for advice to handle it; but she also felt a sort of fear, earlier she couldn't go to the court and object to her mother being given the custody because she feared that her brother would do what he threatened to do, but now she felt the fear for her Adi bhaiya, he was raised by his mother only throughout his entire life even though now he knew her truth he wouldn't be able to adjust with her and her family. He knew his mother was wrong, but didn't think his father was right.

But what he spoke next completely changed her thoughts, "Can we move out? I don't want to live here anymore."

He said it almost in a whisper, as if he didn't want her to know that he accepted he was foolish in his decisions, for being a bad role model. She couldn't get his words at first but looking at his feared self she understood what he wanted to say but could not bring it to his voice. He continued

"I now know what I did was wrong, the pain I caused you was beyond bounds I just want to..."

"Of course we can move out! I know about the whereabouts you went through as a child. But...do you seriously move in with dad? Because...I don't know if that's a good decision you're making and also..."

"What do you mean it's not the right decision?"

"Look, I know you've stayed with your mother for really long..."

"That's old stuff." He said as she realised what he said and how much did he mean in just that mere phrase, she took a deep breath in lifting herself up from her crouching back and met his gaze as they widely smiled at each other knowing very well they were on the same page.

She continued.

" The way I treated you was also wrong, I didn't take a second glance at you after moving in to this house. As for moving out, yes we can but for me the case has to be re-issued and we have to also..."

"Oh god, you can just go to the court say that you don't want to live with your mother and they'll re-issue it, that's the same thing you did last time and they only listened to your statement."

She looked at him startled, her eyes wide open, why was he so eager to move out? Then she chuckled at the thought of her impatient brother, his age-old habit of wanting to talk first, a no-nonsense person just like her father, a wide grin showed itself on her lips as she thought of the similarity of the two most important men in her life; even if they didn't live together.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Huh yeah, I can do that but it will take some time before the first inquiry and also we don't know if our family will forgive you after they come to know why did I change my decision, because dad already knows and earlier he was constantly worried about me, after they know they might take us both back in but they won't treat us the same."

"Look, I know them, you know them they aren't such horrid people who won't forgive any person even after they've realized their mistake, they will definitely take us back in, trust me."

"Yeah you remember what happened the last time I trusted you right?" she said teasingly

The atmosphere was once again light, even though the window doors used to be open all day and fast winds would jolt in through the gap, the ambiance of the room was nothing but calm before, the petite room of hers was overflowing with innumerable imaginary tears, and she seemed to drown in them every time she set foot in the space.

The next day

It was a Saturday, she felt as if there was one instance of contentment occurring after another; she finally came into terms with her brother last night and today she would be able to see the glee in her father's face after she informed him of the conversation the two had. He was indeed enlightened at the fact that his son understood his faults and looked forward towards a new beginning. He immediately called his lawyer after the meeting with his daughter and arranged for the custody case to be renewed.

Shagun was now aware of the plans of her daughter and son, but she paid no heed to them, in fact she was actually relieved that they were going themselves, that she didn't have to have a 'talk' with them about how she would want to live her own life and telling them to so the same. But deep within her she sensed a pain to let go of them, not in giving up her children, but giving up her children to him. She felt possessive of everything her ex owned, but little did she know that keeping a bird in a cage is just going to make it more desperate to see the world and one fine day it would seize the opportunity to escape.

As the kids came in through the door with their numerous suitcases full of items, she stared at them in serenity, finally the reassurance was given that never would she be snatched away mercilessly from her Ru. Her daughter was just as much as satisfied with herself as her mother was, she smiled widely as she halted and stood with ease at the threshold of the living room; behind her was the view of her father and brother struggling to move the full suitcases belonging to the one in front of them. They didn't crib, neither did they sarcastically obliging her to move herself from the only entry, what they would most commonly do; after looking at the huge smile on her face, no one wanted this moment to end. She didn't have tears in her eyes; she wasn't that type of a person. She was strong, but would take the first hit if it was one of her close ones who stood against her in battle. The thought that the war was finally over, that no one won or lost, that they called peace from now on, was one which no one could interrupt.

They didn't have to ask her to move, she did that herself as she hurriedly ran towards her mother and flung her arms around her waist. Her mother's tears couldn't control themselves and fell on her daughter's long silky hair, trickling down her thick strands.

The feeling that finally her other half was safe and secure with her, in her arms was one which could never be put in words. Both refused to leave each other until her Chachu pulled her out of the ever so long hug and picked her up into his arms.

"Where did you leave us and go huh?" he said whilst wiping the now dry tears off his face.

"Yes, you didn't think even a little about us? Apni maa ke khushiyan ki hi padhi hai na." Her grandmother said in an enraged tone, but still sweetly.

"Now please, don't bring this up ever again, I've come back right that's enough for both me and all of you."

"But what you felt was nothing compared to what I did." He mother said

Indeed she was true, even though she never said anything about it, she wasn't at all happy about her daughter's sudden decision. The days after she left were a completely different type of suffering for her, and not only her, everyone. The days went by like a snail, the nights seemed so long. Everyone in the family was already agonized and on top was the daily torment they had to go through with just the feel that she would never return.

At first this uninvited thought crept into her mother's mind that she was just fooling with everyone, that she was just playing a harmless game of hide n' seek with everyone, that she was bound to return just a few minutes later in time for dinner. But alas, she never came, leaving her mother awaiting her presence by looking intently at the entrance of the house with an unused upside down plate kept across the table.

She would usually spend her nights crying herself to sleep and if that would also not work, which quite frankly never did she ended up gazing out the window, her eyes amongst the stars in search of her treasured daughter. The nights would seem to never give her the feeling of calmness, instead was left alone, with no one beside her. Even if someone tried to console her, she would brush them off with only the want of her Ru with her.

She would get angry at little things, even when they were so that there was no reason to be annoyed. But everyone knew her thinking as they were experiencing the same.

The mornings were not nearly as bright as they were, even if the adults and Ruhi herself thought it was no occasion to start your day with a smile, the day used to be the most interesting hour in the entire day's time, at least for the ones who were watching. Ruhi would scream at the top of her voice because her mother would forget to wake her up, at least what she thought she forgot in reality it was her mother who gave up after the countless efforts to wake her daughter from her eternity long of a slumber. This used to be the rooster's call', a final warning to those who didn't wake up even after setting the alarm. After that, all you could see were hurried figures moving about the tiny space of the common room. After an hour of constant moving in the drawing room space, everyone was finally sent to their respective destinations. Ishita would sigh in relief that the mayhem in the house just minutes ago was finally over, but then she would realize that she herself was to reach her clinic.

Now, it was different, the sound of her hoarse voice early in the morning started to feel like a melody to the ears of the family members. Without waking up to hear her annoyed voice was as if a big part of their years-long daily routines was just suddenly modified. The annoying sound of the alarm would sound twice as more annoying because it went off before hers did. Everyone woke up with unpleasant faces, never looked towards a new, fresh start of the day. Instead it was more of a dark, gloomy, murky surrounding. The powerful, bright sun rays that would come in through the window would be piercing the eyes which once would also pierce the eye but never added the feeling of despair to it and just make it even worse. Even though everybody would crib to go to work, they would always have a guarantee that with them leaving for the door named Purgatory' the others would also follow, but now their most wanted member had already blindly walked into the door and without looking first took a forward step and fell into an abyss.

Ishita also failed to do different from grieving for her child, with this everything would fall apart the second she started to do her daily chores, she wasn't even trying to do what she used to do just a few days ago. And no one even blamed her. At times someone would try to bring up the spirits in others, but would fail miserably by being neglected and given dangerous glares. No one wanted to recover, no one wanted to be happy again, it just felt...wrong. Recover, even if they would, they would have never felt completely free of the affliction.

But now, it was all done, what bad times had to go through went through. What good times were to come were to...come. But now the only thing that differed from the earlier times was that they knew that good, happy moments were to come, it was never able to predict what lied ahead of their shattered lives.

"All is Well...finally." She said in the most silent voice as she smiled whilst she was crushed in a group hug with her family.