If you have read any of my previous stories, you will know I have a slight problem, and that is I never know when to stop. I was doing this as a three shot, but now that I've done three parts, I haven't been able to finish what I wanted to do. So I am turning this into a longer story, and it will end when it will end.
Now, I like to follow the actual storyline pretty closely, but I have decided that:
1. I cannot stomach Raman going to Ashok's wedding after the molestation of Ishita, so for this story, only Ishita going to jail because of Adi happened, and not the Bachelor Party scene.
2. I am going to write what is palatable to me, so even if the story on reel is going some other way, my story will take it's own course, so there.
3. I don't like Mani so he doesn't exist in this story so far, but if I find a use for him, I will pull him out of the kaal kothri ( or something like that) I am currently keeping him in.
The part below is short, because this is simply to round off Part 3. Part 4 when it happens will be longer. I only wrote this because I had half an hour to kill while waiting in my doctors clinic, but life gets busy again tomorrow š
Part 3B
Raman
Raman sat in the passenger seat, next to Mihir who was driving. From time to time he glanced in the rear vision mirror to see his son, who was sitting in the backseat between Mihika and Shagun.
He sighed as he thought over the events of the past few days.
He had been very angry with Adi after the false accusation he had made against Ishita. But more than Adi, he had blamed himself. He knew that somewhere in the problems that existed between Shagun and him, they had both failed their son.
Ruhi had been just six months old when Shagun left, and even though she had grown up devoid of the love of both her parents, she had had a loving family, grandparents who adored her, a chachu and bua who spoilt her and an entire colony that loved her as their own.
But Adi ... Adi had been five years old when the split happened , old enough to understand, old enough to be forced to chose a side, old enough to be affected by the insecurity of not knowing where he belonged. He, Raman, had been forced out of his sons life by a court order, and Shagun had sent him to boarding school.
He thought back to his own childhood, secure in the unquestioned love of his parents and siblings, and choked back a tear as he thought again of how love had eluded his son.
He glanced in the mirror again, and watched as Adi slid his hand into Shaguns. Shagun held on to her sons hand tightly, and gave him a wavering smile. Raman watched as Adi put his head on his mothers shoulder, and saw her caress his head.
Raman sighed again.
Whatever he thought of Shagun, whatever her indifference to Ruhi spoke about her as a mother and a human being, there was no denying that she loved Adi and that Adi loved her. He would have to move very carefully, act with a great deal of thought when deciding what to do next.
He knew that whatever he had felt for Shagun in the past was long over. Whether it had been love, a youthful infatuation, lust or dependence, it was a thing of the past, and it was no longer something that Raman cared to analyse. However, their past had consequences for his today, because their past had produced the two children who, along with Ishita, were the loves of his life.
And for Adi, for his son, Shagun was his world, the only constant in his young life. So for Adi, Raman needed to make sure that Shagun was settled, that she was happy.
Adi's words came back to him, echoing in his ears, drowning out the noise of the Delhi traffic "please take us home papa ... take US home...take us HOME ... home...home..."
Ishita and Ruhi's faces came unbidden before his eyes. He heard his own voice saying "wait up for me, I'll be home soon... Home soon... home soon"
The car glided to a stop. They were at Mihir's building. Raman took a deep breath and opened his door.
Shagun
Shagun Arora was a fighter. She would not let this destroy her. Ashok could not do this to her. She would not be the laughing stock of Delhi. She would fight this. She would fight him. She would win. She would triumph.
Shagun was pacing in the bedroom she occupied in Mihir's flat. They had arrived here some twenty minutes ago and she had excused herself, telling everyone that she needed to change.
Mihika had offered to help her, but Shagun had impatiently brushed her aside.
"Adi, beta, you stay with papa. Mein abhi aati hoon" she had gently removed her sons clinging hands from her, had handed him over to Raman and had marched into her room.
Once inside her room though, she had thrown herself on the bed, fighting back the angry tears that pricked her eyes, composing herself, before she looked for the suitcases she had packed only this morning, in anticipation of moving back into Ashok's house again. "Correction" she told herself. "Not just Ashok"s house, my house too."
She had changed now, and now she was furiously thinking , thinking of how to turn the situation around, how to emerge victorious out of this mess. She knew she held a trump card that would shake Ashok to the core - well, there was no better time to use it, was there?
She walked up to the dresser, skilfully reapplying her make up to hide the ravaged look in her eyes. "You will win Shagun" she told herself again, as she walked out to the living room.
Adi
Adi looked sullenly at his father. He hated that Raman Bhalla, hated him for the grief he must have given to his mom, that had made his mom leave her marriage, hated that horrible wife of his, hated him, hated him, hated him.
But mom had told him to go to that man, mom had told him to ask him to take them home, and he would always do what his mother asked him to. After all, she was all he had - they only had each other, everyone else were liars and losers.
That Ashok for instance, he had overheard him that day when he had been talking to that disgusting brother of his, talking about dumping his mom. But he had tried to ignore it, had tried to ignore his voice, had hoped his mom would finally be that mans wife, so she could stay in the style that she should.
It was only until he grew up after all, then he would take care of his mom, he would make sure she had everything she wanted in the world, then she wouldn't need anyone of these guys.
"Adi, beta, tum bhi ja kar change kar lo" that man was speaking. Adi stood up. Better to go than to sit here with him after all, "Adi" his father continued " beta, don't worry too much. Sab kuch theek ho jayega"
"Papa is right Adi" his moms voice cut in above his fathers's. "Go and change and go to bed. Tumne dinner kar liya tha na, function mein. Mein kuch der mei aati hoon tumhare paas."
Adi stared at his mother for a long moment then turned towards his room.
"Say goodnight to papa, Adi" his mother stopped him.
Adi turned around and forced his face to smile. "Goodnight papa" he said.
CID
Web Series
12