Yun Hi Tu Mere Saath Rehna - An Abhimaan x Mishbir Fanfic (C48 : P22) - Page 18

Very good, glad Armaan is out of the firm, watch how Poddar firm goes down. The next step is for Armaan to move out.

Also, are we going to see the case or Naksh/Keerti with Goenka Interaction, it will be good to see the Singhanias family break Manish, especially Ruhi down. Ruhi should see how powerful Abhira maternal family is even though Keerti is related to Ruhi but Keerti will always choose Abhira.

Originally posted by: mumihp

Very good, glad Armaan is out of the firm, watch how Poddar firm goes down. The next step is for Armaan to move out.

Also, are we going to see the case or Naksh/Keerti with Goenka Interaction, it will be good to see the Singhanias family break Manish, especially Ruhi down. Ruhi should see how powerful Abhira maternal family is even though Keerti is related to Ruhi but Keerti will always choose Abhira.

Thank you! I'm still trying to figure out how to write face to face interactions between Singhanias and Goenkas. I want to show something cause otherwise introducing Singhanias would be wasteful but I haven't gotten it down yet. So might be some time before it happens once I finally find direction with that.

Subh Divali 🪔🙏🏽❤️

👏🏽 chapter 👏🏽🤩 finally getting the support

Kaveri 😅 looking forward for her downfall

Chapter Thirty Three

The morning sun cast a bright glow over Armaan's room, bathing it in golden light. Armaan woke with the sun, a skip in his step. It was finally here. His first official day at Asha Kiran. He was extremely excited about it. He had spent the past few days familiarizing himself with his new workplace. Hours had been spent in Abir & Mishti's glorious company, pouring over documents. They'd been extremely patient with him, explaining multiple things multiple times till Armaan felt like he understood what was happening. He had not realized that running an NGO meant so much legalise, but of course, he had never had to, before now.

Earlier, he'd felt his main job would be taking on cases to help the underprivileged who could not afford legal aid, or maybe, fight against greedy landlords who illegally occupied lands belonging to the NGO, but now he was realizing, his job actually was to ensure that the NGO would actually stay on top of everything. There were a million laws they needed to follow and a slight deviation in even one might be detrimental to their work. On top of that, he would be filing applications for grants and subsidies. He would also be in-charge of making sure that the place ran smoothly and all necessary labour laws were being followed. It was new and exciting. So many new avenues for him to explore and Armaan was extremely eager to start working.

Finally, today would be the day. He was so thrilled. Armaan took a thorough shower, wanting to start his day right. He spent way too long selecting his outfit for the day before he decided on a red blazer that he knew Abhira was partial to, pairing it with a white henley, and dark jeans. He debated for a bit before giving in and putting on the funky sneakers that Krish had gifted him a few months ago. He had not found an opportunity to wear them yet, but it seemed like a good day to wear them. The atmosphere at the NGO was nowhere as formal as the firm, wanting to make everyone who came there feel comfortable. Everyone dressed semi-casually and Armaan was glad to be rid of his stuffy suits.

He took too long setting his hair just right and then even more debating his perfume choices before settling on one that he'd gotten a few weeks ago on a shopping excursion with Abir. He'd wanted to buy new clothes to fit in at the NGO and Abir had been too happy to help. That had been an extremely fun day. They'd gotten all the essentials that Armaan would need and had then found time to buy things for Mishti & Abhira, after which they got food at Armaan's favourite restaurant. They'd also gone book shopping, but had instead ended up spending their entire time admiring the romance aisle that was full of Prajakta's books. They'd taken a bunch of photos and sent them to her, each one goofier than the last. A great day that Armaan would always remember fondly.

Once he was ready, Armaan practically skipped down the stairs, giddy with anticipation. Despite waking up early, he'd taken too long to get ready and by the time he left his room, the rest of the family was already seated for breakfast. Armaan walked to the dining table, shrugging off the sombre atmosphere that surrounded him.

Ever since he had announced his decision to leave the firm, there had been tension in the air whenever he was in the same space as Kaveri. It seemed like the entire family was anticipating an outburst from her at any given point and were bracing themselves for it. Armaan, too, had been waiting for it, but was instead focusing on taking it one day at a time.

Armaan noticed Krish's eyes stuck on his shoes and made a show of it, tapping his leg just so, alerting the boy. Krish looked up at him, tears shining in his eyes. Armaan grinned back and mouthed a quick thank you to his brother. He was rewarded with a brilliant smile which made Armaan's heart rest easier.

Krish couldn't help but rub his chest as he watched Armaan sit down to eat. He'd gotten those shoes with a lot of love, and while he had seen how appreciative Armaan was of them, had never seen his brother wear them again after that day when he'd bent down and pushed his feet into the shoes himself.

He knew they were a little too funky for his brother's sensibilities, but that was exactly why he'd gotten them. He had hoped that with those shoes, he would be able to add some colour to his brother's life. When he hadn't seen them on Armaan again, he had shrugged it off, thinking they really had been too much for Armaan. But, to see him wearing those this morning of all mornings, when he was about to start such an important chapter of his life left Krish reeling.

The significance of what Armaan was trying to say without actually saying anything wasn't lost on him. His brother was telling him in his own way that he loved Krish and just because things were changing in the family didn't mean that they were changing between the two of them. His Armaan Bhaiya still loved Krish just the same and was proud of him like he'd always been.

Oblivious to the little interaction between the two brothers, everyone else in the family continued with breakfast. Vidya moved to serve Armaan, but he saw her coming and turned his attention to Manisha. “Chachi Sa, I know aapke liye kaam badh jaayega, but aaj aap apni special waali cheese sevai banayengi mere liye? Please?”

Vidya stopped in her tracks at his request. Armaan had never asked for it, ever before. Vidya knew how much he loved it, yet he'd never made any request, always content to eat whatever the rest of the family was eating. And today, she had especially made Aloo Paratha, which was his favourite dish that she cooked.

“Armaan, Manisha ko pareshaan mat kar,” she said. “Dekh, aaj tera favourite aloo paratha bana hai.”

“Mujhe koi pareshaani nahi hogi, Jethani Sa,” Manisha replied. “Aur waise… Maine pehle hi bana diya tha, Armaan. Aaj tera pehla din haina! Aaj toh mera bachcha apna favourite naashta karke hi jaayega!”

“Thank you so much, Chachi Sa!” Armaan exclaimed, completely ignoring Vidya, breaking her heart. Something had changed in the past few days. Something that Vidya was not aware of, but it had made Armaan distance himself from her. He rarely ever talked to her, and when he did, there was always an extremely formal undercurrent to his tone. He didn't seek her out anymore, instead turning to Manisha whenever he needed something. She had tried asking him what was wrong but he'd shrugged her off stating he was busy. She could not fathom what was the reason for such a drastic change, especially when he was still the same Armaan with the rest of the family.

He laughed with the kids, hugged Manisha too often, and seemed to have an endless supply of smiles for Manoj, but when it came to her, he was stoic and unrelenting. She thought back to the past few days and couldn't think of anything that she had done which could cause him to withdraw from her like he had. Was he mad at her because Kaveri had given his position to Rohit? But, that had been out of her control. Yes, Vidya was absolutely ecstatic that Rohit was moving forward in his career, but she had not asked Kaveri to favour Rohit. Kaveri had done that on her own. After all, Vidya was her favoured daughter-in-law, so naturally, Rohit was the favoured grandchild. How could she explain this to Armaan in delicate terms without hurting him? She didn't really know. So, she kept quiet instead, letting Armaan behave this way. After all, it was a small price to pay in front of Rohit's achievement.

Manisha came back from the kitchen with Armaan's requested breakfast and started serving him, the clatter of the crockery breaking Vidya's reverie. She turned her focus back to Rohit, who she had been serving before Armaan sat down at the table.

Once Manisha had served Armaan, she insisted on feeding him the first bite. “For good luck,” she said, as she spooned some of the sevai, making sure to have a lot of cheese mixed in the bite. Once she was satisfied, she fed Armaan, who happily ate from her hand. “Thank you,” he murmured, overcome with emotion.

Manisha had always been an extremely doting aunt and Armaan could never have asked for more. She always knew how to make him feel special, feel loved, just as she had today, and for that, he was extremely grateful. He was still reeling from the words Vidya had said that fateful night when his entire life had changed.

It had broken him to know she thought so little of him. Every time she was near him, those words echoed in his head. Aapka beta. Only Madhav's son, never hers. In a rare act of self-preservation, Armaan had started keeping her at arm's length, not wanting to feel the bad feelings that accompanied Vidya's presence near him. He knew it had to hurt her, yet he couldn't help himself. At times he would get frustrated and mad at himself for caring so much about her despite everything that had happened.

In those times, Mishti had been his godsent. When Abir & Mishti had found out what happened, because Armaan had been unable to hide the ugly truth from them and had ended up telling them a few days after the fact, they had both immediately wanted to confront Vidya. They both were furious at her for saying what she had. Armaan had somehow stopped them from doing so. He didn't want to create any more drama in the house, tense as things were with his departure from the family firm. On top of that, he knew that once everyone found out, he would be expected to forgive and forget, as if those few words hadn't changed his entire life. He didn't want to do that. Yet, he still hadn't been able to find the courage to defy the family so openly. He knew that if he confronted them about this, it would end badly, and he perhaps wasn't ready for that yet. So, he kept his head down and turned his entire focus on his new job and spending as much time with Abhira as possible.

“Armaan, jaldi kar!” Manoj cajoled. “We have to reach by 9:30! Hum late ho jaayenge warna.”

“Haan, Chachu Sa,” Armaan replied, focusing on the food in front of him, forgetting about Vidya and her issues. Today was an important day and it deserved all his attention.

When he was done eating, he rushed out of the house along with Manisha, Manoj, Madhav, and the Chorus Gang, all of whom were extremely excited about his first day at work too. They had all insisted on coming with him and nothing he said had deterred them, especially after getting the go-ahead from Abir.

When they reached the NGO, Armaan wasn't surprised to see the Rajvansh clan already there, crowding the doorway. Armaan parked his car, shaking his head fondly at his family. They all were very easily excitable. Before he could open the door for himself, it was opened by Abhira, who grinned down at him, her eyes mirthful and mischievous. Armaan couldn't help but smile back. When she gave him her hand to take, he didn't waste a second in grabbing hold of it and stepping out of the car, entwining their fingers together as he did so.

“Good morning,” Abhira greeted, reaching up to place a lingering kiss on his cheek.

“Good morning,” Armaan smiled dopily, making their audience chuckle.

“Come on, let's go!” Abhira tugged him forward and Armaan helplessly followed, completely mesmerized by her as he often was.

Abhira came to a stop in front of the entryway where the rest of the family stood. Mishti stepped forward with a veneration plate, rotating it clockwise in front of Armaan, doing his aarti. When she was done, Abir fed Armaan some dahi-shakkar.

“Welcome, Armaan,” Kunal cheered. “It's good to finally have you on-board.”

“Thank you, Nanu,” Armaan grinned, finally stepping inside the office. He took a moment to take in his surroundings. The entire lobby was decorated with balloons and streamers. A festoon that said, “Welcome Aboard, Armaan!” hung right in the middle of the foyer.

“Yeh sab karne ki kya zaroorat thi?” Armaan asked. “This is too much.”

“Shut up! Kuch too much nahi hai. It's your first day!” Abhira exclaimed.

“Haan, Armaan,” Mishti agreed. “Aur waise… Yeh sab preparation Abhira ne ki hai. Tumse zyada woh excited hai!”

Armaan turned to Abhira, his eyes wide and his heart full. Abhira blushed under his intense gaze, shrugging. It wasn't a big deal. She just wanted to make the day special for Armaan. It was a new start for him and she knew how difficult it had been for him to reach where he was today. Defying his grandmother to work somewhere other than the family's firm was a big step. One that she had never thought he'd ever take.

Much as Armaan had been inclined towards it, Abhira had mentally prepared herself for him to reject the offer. He had always kept the family’s happiness above his own, and she didn't think this time would be any different. She was so proud of him for being selfish for once, for choosing what was best for him over what was better for the family. He deserved to work in a place where his talents were recognized and he was afforded the respect he commanded as a senior lawyer who was brilliant at his job. Poddar & Associates would never give him his due. Abhira knew that and she knew Armaan knew it too. Yet, he'd stuck by that place for so long only for the sake of his family. And now, he was doing something for himself. So, she wanted to show him just how proud she was of his decision. She also wanted to acknowledge that it was a tough choice for him to do what he had, and she was there for him whenever he needed support. The decorations were just a silly way for her to do that. She was, after all, her silly boy's silly girl.

Their large party finally made their way upstairs after everyone had clicked enough pictures to mark the momentous occasion and praised all of Abhira's arrangements. Abir directed them towards the floor where Armaan would sit. They passed a few desks on the way before arriving at the centre of the office space.

The Asha Kiran office was a far cry from Poddar & Associates with its open and airy floor plan, inviting & vibrant colour combinations for the walls & the desks, and the informal setting the whole setup exuded. Armaan already felt more comfortable standing there in the middle of the office than he ever had at the firm.

“Attention everyone!” Mishti called to the employees, making them abandon their work in favour of listening to her. “Thank you so much for being with us today! Aaj main aap sabko kisi khaas insaan se milwana chaahti hoon. I know ki hum sabki life maine hi zyada difficult banayi hai ab tak saare legal matters dekhne ke liye kisiko naa hire karke. And I know iss reason se aap sabko kaafi problems hui hai. For that, I'm sorry! But… Abse saari problems sorted, kyunki humne apna in-house legal department setup kar liya hai!”

Her announcement was met with cheers from all the employees. Mishti let them hoot for a bit before she quieted them down again. “Okay! Okay! I know hum sab iss decision se bohot khush hain… But ab please, apni company ke new CLO se milo… Mr. Armaan Poddar!”

Saying so, Mishti pushed Armaan centre-stage. Armaan fumbled for a second, taken aback by the sudden spotlight on him. He looked around the floor at all the happy faces - his family and even the employees, people who didn't even know him and yet were so excited for him - and took a deep breath. “Thank you so much!” He finally stated. “For this warm welcome. Main koshish karunga ki aap sabki tarah Asha Kiran ka ek important hissa bann'ne ka, aur aap sabke saath milke, logon ki zindagi aur behtar banane ka. Agar aap mein se kabhi bhi kisiko koi bhi help chahiye, whether legal or otherwise, meri office ke darwaze hamesha aapke liye khule rahenge. I hope all of us can work together to make this world a better place. Thank you!”

Armaan didn't think it was possible, but his little speech was met with louder cheers than before. Abir introduced him to a couple of employees with whom he would end up working with more than the others. By then, Hrishi and Misha arrived with a cake. “Aao, Armaan!” Misha exclaimed. “It's time to cut the cake. For a favourable start to this new phase of your career!”

Armaan teared up at her words, overwhelmed with the length that they had all gone to, to make this day so memorable for him. People said that you never forget your firsts, and his family had made sure that his first day at his office was the best day he could have ever imagined. He thanked Misha, hugging her tight, before turning to the cake.

Abhira placed a candle beside the cake and said, “I know generally wishes toh birthday pe maangte hain, but aisa koi rule thodi hai ki kabhi aur nahi maang sakte… Isliye, make a wish, blow the candle, and cut the cake!”

Armaan chuckled softly but did as she asked. He bent down to blow over the candle, but found that there was nothing he wished for at the moment. He was surrounded by the warmth of his family, with the love of his life by his side, and he was about to make a big stride in his career. He was happy, personally and professionally. So, what could he ask for? I wish that all of us stay so happy forever, he finally mumbled to himself and blew the candle. He cut the cake amidst more loud cheers. Once done, he fed the first piece to Mishti, then one to Abir, and to Abhira, before moving on to the rest of the family as well. Their impromptu cake ceremony done, Mishti led all of them to Armaan's cabin.

Armaan took a moment to admire his nameplate on the door. It simply said Armaan, painted on a wooden name plate. He knew that it was a policy that they followed to use only first names to make everyone more approachable, but it was deeper for Armaan. It was a sign that he was leaving behind the surname that had bogged him down all his life with the weight of expectations, both familial and nonfamilial. He was taking a step out in the world to see who he was outside that name, to be just Armaan instead of Armaan Poddar.

After a moment, Abhira prompted him to push open the door, which Armaan did, shaking his head at her impatience. Armaan had never seen the inside of his office before, the entire family insisting that it was a gift for him from them and so he would only be able to see it on his first day at work. So, Armaan took a deep breath and closed his eyes before stepping into the cabin, only opening his eyes after he was firmly inside, Abhira’s hand clasped firmly in his.

Then, he took a moment to take in his new office. The walls were painted in a lovely shade of pale green. One wall was made completely out of windows, outside which was a balcony complete with a small sitting area. The wall opposite that was covered in massive blue curtains. His work table was right in the middle of the room, completely stocked with all essentials - a laptop, charger, phone, multiple journals, and a horde of other stationery. The wall directly behind the table housed his certificates and medals which he had happily provided to Shrey a few days ago.

“This is absolutely gorgeous,” Armaan commented. “Thank you so much. Main khud bhi itna achcha nahi soch pata jitna aap sabne iss cabin ko banaya hai.”

“You're welcome,” Mishti grinned, pushing him in the direction of his chair and making him sit on it. “This belongs to you. You deserve it.”

Armaan smiled brilliantly at that. “Thank you, Badi Maa.”

“Okay, guys! Bohot ho gayi masti, ab Armaan ko thoda time do. Let him settle in,” Kunal, ever the voice of reason, piped in. His words were met with a few protests, but Abir agreed with Kunal and herded the family outside after they'd all hugged Armaan & wished him luck, leaving Armaan alone with Abhira.

Once everyone was out, Armaan immediately pulled Abhira to him, making him fall into his lap. She shrieked, wrapping her arms around his neck for support as his arms wound around her waist, keeping her firmly in place. “Thank you, Ira,” he whispered softly. “Yeh din mere liye itna zyada special banane ke liye. Isse pehle, mere liye kabhi kisine aisa nahi kiya.”

“Ab toh aadat daal lo, Mr. Khadoosmaan,” Abhira laughed. “Aise surprises aapko aur bohot milenge.”

“I can't wait,” Armaan promised, capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

“So, first day jitters?” Abhira asked after they broke the kiss.

“Surprisingly no,” Armaan answered. “Main bas bohot zyada excited hoon. This truly feels like the start of a very good chapter of my life. I mean… Tum ho, Badi Maa hai, Bade Papa hai… Mujhe aur kya chahiye?”

“Armaan! Kabhi toh apni cheese li factory band kar diya karo!” Abhira laughed.

“Sorry, not possible,” Armaan protested. “Ab tumhe saari zindagi aise cheesy dialogues toh jhelne hi padenge! You don't have an option.”

“Tumhaare liye, woh bhi manzoor,” Abhira promised, making a sunny smile light up Armaan's entire face. He rested his head against her shoulder, breathing in the scent that was purely Abhira, the smell of home.

“I'll do well, right?” He asked her, a deep seated vulnerability making his voice shake. Abhira immediately hugged him tight. He'd always been made to feel like he was not enough by his family, in every aspect of his life. So, Abhira wasn't surprised that he felt like he would fail.

It was times like these where she was most grateful for her mother. Akshara had raised Abhira to be self-reliant and self-confident. She had raised Abhira to have the ability to tackle every problem head-on and never waiver in her belief in herself. Armaan's upbringing had been the exact opposite and it always revealed itself in such ways.

“You'll be absolutely splendid,” Abhira assured him. “Tum dekhna, tum bohot kam time mein yahaan adapt kar loge and you will become so important to this place ki tum ek din ki chutti loge na, toh yahaan toofaan aa jaayega.”

Armaan laughed at her words, so grateful to have her in his life. “I just don't want to disappoint Badi Maa and Bade Papa,” he admitted to her.

“Tum kabhi nahi kar sakte,” Abhira told him. “Tumhe pata haina… even if you run this place into the ground, Badi Maa & Bade Papa will still be proud of you if you try your best. Woh tumhaara koi test nahi le rahe, Armaan… Jisme tumhe pass hona hai.

Ups and downs are a part of life. Job pe bhi honge. But if… at the end of the day, you can tell yourself that you gave it your best… That's what matters. And that is all Badi Maa and Bade Papa want from you. Woh tumhe kabhi tumhaari galtiyon ke liye harshly judge nahi karenge, bas yeh expect karenge ki tum unse seekho aur life mein aage badho.

Badi Maa and Bade Papa love you a lot, Armaan. Woh kisi job ki wajah se tumse kabhi disappoint nahi honge. I promise you.”

Armaan nodded, not having words to respond to what she'd said. So instead, he tightened his arms around her and buried her face in her neck, nuzzling into it. Silently, he thanked God for sending Abhira for him.

waao wao waao what a update lovely

Chapter Thirty Four

Madhav's steps faltered as he made his way through the Rajvansh Villa's front lawn, giving him a pause. He took a moment to steady himself, breathing in deeply. After all, it was not everyday that a person found out that his daughter-in-law had accidentally killed her own mother when she was a child. Madhav was allowed to stumble now, wasn't he?

It had taken him a few weeks, but he had finally gotten his hands on the police report that had been filed for Aarohi Birla's death. After reading through it, he had realized why it had been buried the way it had by Abhimanyu Birla. The Birla family once commanded the respect of the entire city, but had faded from society in the past few years. When the incident had happened, they definitely had enough pull to hush the entire incident up. Even irrefutable proof in the form of the CCTV footage he had found in the evidence filing for the case was not enough to do a thing.

Madhav wouldn't say he didn't understand, because he did. Ruhi had barely been any older than 6 or 7 years when she had messed with her mother's car which had led to ending her life. It wasn't really Ruhi's fault. But it very definitely was not Akshara Sharma's fault. It had been an unfortunate accident, but an accident that had been caused by Ruhi, not by Abhira's mother. Yet, for so long, it had been Abhira's mother who had been blamed for it. She lost everything because of it. She'd never gotten justice, but now… Now, Madhav would make sure she did. It was too little, too late, but Madhav would make sure that no one would ever be able to call Akshara Sharma a murderer again.

Determined, he crossed the rest of the distance, stopping at the main door and ringing the doorbell. A moment later, he was greeted by Abir Rajvansh's ever smiling face. It eased his worries instantly. He didn't know what aura this man had, but something about him always made Madhav feel extremely comfortable.

“Hello, Madhav Ji!” Abir greeted him enthusiastically. “Aaiye na!”

Madhav returned his greeting and stepped inside the house, his eyes instinctively searching for Abhira. Truly, the daughter of his heart. He adored that child more than he ever thought himself capable of loving someone. Maybe, he saw Abhira's presence in his life as a chance to right all the wrongs he'd inadvertently heaped against Armaan. Maybe, he adored her so much because she reminded him of Shivani. He didn't know. What he did know was that Abhira was extremely important to him, just as much as his own children were. When it came to Ruhi, Madhav did like her and he was glad that his son was finally happy in his marriage, but for some reason, he had never been able to connect with Ruhi the way he had with Abhira.

Ruhi seemed like a nice enough girl when she wasn't trying to pick a fight with Abhira over every trivial issue, but maybe that was the entire problem. Madhav loved Abhira like his own and it rubbed him the wrong way that Ruhi disliked her so much. Perhaps, that was the reason why he treated Ruhi like his daughter-in-law, when he treated Abhira like his daughter.

“Aapki aankhein jisse dhoond rahi hai, woh yahaan nahi hai,” Abir chuckled softly. “Woh Armaan ke saath kahin bahaar gayi hai.”

Madhav was aware of that. It was precisely why he'd chosen this time to meet Mishti & Abir. He didn't know how to break the news to the kids and needed their guidance. Yet, for some reason, despite knowing she wasn't here, he couldn't help but look for Abhira.

“Mujhe pata hai,” Madhav laughed. “Lekin ab shayad aadat si pad gayi hai.”

“Kahiye, Madhav Ji… Kaise aana hua?” Abir asked. “Not that aap bina wajah yahaan nahi aa sakte. Aapki beti ka ghar hai. You're always welcome. Lekin, I feel aap aaj mere saath gappe maarne toh nahi hi aaye hain yahaan.”

“Aap se aur Mishti Sa se kuch zaroori baat karni thi,” Madhav stated. “Akele mein.”

“Of course!” Abir immediately realized something was up. “Aap chaliye… Study mein baat kar lete hain. Main Mishti ko bhi bula leta hoon.”

Abir fired a quick message to Mishti asking her to meet him & Madhav in the study instantly as he guided Madhav up the stairs. They got there at the same time Mishti did.

Once they were seated, before either Abir or Madhav could say something, Mishti started talking. “Achcha hua, Madhav Ji… Aap aa gaye. Kuch dinon se koshish kar rahi hoon aapse baat karne ki, lekin ho nahi paa raha tha. Aaj aap khud yahaan aaye hain, toh bhagwaan ka sign samajhke, aapse saari baatein kar hi lungi.”

“Mishti,” Abir sighed, already knowing what she wanted to talk about. “Armaan ne mana kiya haina kuch bhi kehne se.”

“I don't care,” Mishti stated. A second later, she added, “No. I care. Of course, I care very much. Isliye yeh baat hona bohot zaroori hai, Abir. Itna sab hone ke baad bhi Armaan khud se pehle family ke baare mein soch raha hai, Madhav Ji aur Vidya Ji ke rishtey ke baare mein soch raha hai. That's not right. Agar woh apne liye nahi bolega, toh main bolungi. I won't stay quiet. Humne decide kiya tha na? That we will not repeat our family's mistakes? Abir… Armaan wohi kar raha hai jo itne saalon tak maine kiya, tumne kiya. Family mein sab theek rahe isliye khudki takleef kabhi share hi nahi ki. Lekin jis tarah hum ghut ke jeeye hain, mera beta waisi zindagi nahi jeeyega.”

“Mishti Sa… Aap khulke boliye na, baat kya hai? Armaan ko kaunsi baat itni pareshaan kar rahi hai? Mujhe pata hai ki kuch toh hua hai. Kayi baar maine usse poochne ki koshish ki par woh mujhe taal deta hai. Har baar bas yeh kehta hai ki nayi job ka stress hai, jaise settle ho jaayega toh sab theek ho jaayega. Lekin mujhe pata hai baat kuch aur hai,” Madhav opened up to the two of them.

He had tried asking Armaan numerous times in the past few days what was troubling him, only to be met with excuses. Madhav was disheartened, but knew that he had never been good enough a father for Armaan to open up to him and trust him with his worries. He was aware that Mishti & Abir were great parental figures, and knew they would handle it, for which he was glad. Maybe, it was cowardly of him to let it go so easily, but he also knew that the distance between him & Armaan would not be bridged easily. He was trying, but clearly, Armaan would need time to accept Madhav as a true parent. In the meanwhile, if he relied more on Abir as a father, Madhav was more than happy. Abir was probably the best father Madhav had ever met, and that included his own. He'd spent enough time in Abir & Mishti's company, and had closely seen how both Abhira & Armaan had flourished under their guidance to know that even at his best, Madhav might never be as good a parent as them. So, of course, it made him happy that his children had such excellent guardians to look out for them. However, if Mishti was voicing concerns, it had to be dire. She would have never said anything otherwise.

“Baat toh badi hai, Madhav Ji,” Mishti agreed. “Maine Armaan se kaha ki woh aapse iss baare mein baat kare, lekin woh ghar mein problems nahi create karna chaahta isliye chup hai. Dekhiye, main aapke ghar ke maamle mein nahi bolna chaahti. Mera haq nahi hai. Lekin, Armaan mera beta hai. Aur jab uski baat aati hai toh main samajhti hoon ki yeh sirf mera haq hi nahi, farz bhi hai ki main kuch bolu.”

“Aap bilkul keh sakti hain,” Madhav assured her. “Mujhe pata hai ki aap sirf Armaan ka bhala chaahti hain. Aapki kisi baat ka mujhe bilkul bura nahi lagega, isliye jo bhi pareshaani hai, aap khulke bata sakti hain.”

Eased by his assurance, Mishti launched into an explanation, telling Madhav what exactly Armaan had overheard that day outside his room and how it had affected him. She spared no details, telling Madhav about the panic attack and talking about how Armaan had been clingy with her after that. He would always need plenty of hugs whenever he saw her and always insisted on staying by her side whenever they were together. He ate only when she sat beside him and he would make sure to speak to her every night before bed.

Madhav fell back on his chair, numb. He didn't know what to feel, what to say. The fact that Armaan had overheard Vidya say such a callous thing broke his heart, but what was worse was that it wasn't even the first time she'd said it. Every time they fought, Armaan would become only his son. He was Vidya's only when she was happy with her husband. Of course, she never said this out loud to anyone else but him, still playing the doting mother in front of the rest of the family and Armaan, but Madhav had always noticed how she would become testy towards Armaan whenever they were in the middle of a spat.

Armaan adored Vidya dearly, so Madhav had always tried to shield him from this truth. When he was a kid, Madhav would keep Armaan distracted with various things, roping in Manisha and the kids for help to keep his son occupied. As he grew older, Armaan found himself too busy with studies and work to notice the subtle change and continued with his life, thinking only the best of his stepmother.

“Aisa pehli baar nahi hua hai,” Abir guessed, breaking the tense silence that had enveloped them since Mishti stopped speaking.

Madhav shook his head, ashamed and miserable. “Jab bhi mera aur Vidya ka jhagda hua hai, koi ann-bann hui hai, gusse mein usne ek baar nahi, hazaar baar jataya hai ki usne Armaan ko apna ke, mere bete ko Maa ka pyaar deke, kitna bada ehsaan kiya hai mujhpe. Armaan bohot pyaar karta hai Vidya se, hamesha se karta aaya hai. Woh yeh sach kabhi seh nahi paata ki itne saalon baad bhi Vidya poori tarah usse nahi apna paayi hai. Isliye maine hamesha koshish ki… Ki yeh sach usse pata na chale.

Main toh waise hi ek bohot bura baap hoon. Armaan ki Maa ke guzarne ke baad, mujhe uss ghum se ubharne mein hi itna samay lag gaya ki Armaan kab mujhse door hoke Vidya ke itne qareeb ho gaya mujhe pata hi nahi chala. Usse bohot attachment thi Vidya se shuru se hi. Shayad woh usme apni Maa ko dhoond raha tha. Isliye main bhi chup raha, bas yeh koshish rahi ki Vidya Armaan ko sachche dil se apna le. Par dekhiye na, itne saal ho gaye aur main nahi kar paaya. Shayad, yehi meri sabse badi haar hai. Main apne bete ko ek achchi Maa nahi de paaya.”

“Madhav Ji, I know it's not easy, but kuch toh karna padega na iss situation ka,” Abir stated gently. “Armaan deserves better.”

“He does,” Madhav readily agreed. “And he has it. Uske paas aap dono ho. Aapse better kaun ho sakta hai? Maine kaha nahi isse pehle, lekin maine hamesha se dekha hai ki aapne Armaan ko woh pyaar diya jo uska haq hai. Sirf aap dono ne nahi, aapki poori family ne Armaan ko khule dil se accept kiya. Armaan aur Abhira dono ko aapki wajah se ek caring aur supportive family mili hai. Jo woh dono deserve karte hain. Uske liye main saari zindagi bhi shukriya ada karu toh kam hai.”

“Hum hain, Madhav Ji,” Mishti agreed. “Aur hum Armaan ko kabhi akela nahi chodenge. Par iska yeh matlab nahi haina ki aapke ghar mein jo bhi ho raha hai woh nazar-andaaz kar diya jaaye. Dekhiye, Armaan aap sab se bohot pyaar karta hai. Haan, usse kuch shikayatein hain, jo bilkul jaayaz hai. Toh, aapko unhe address karna chahiye. You have to make things better.”

“I'll try,” Madhav promised. “Main Vidya se baat karunga. Aur Armaan se bhi.”

“That's great,” Abir cheered. “Hopefully kuch solution nikal aayega. Agar kuch nahi hua, toh hum phir dekhenge kya karna hai.”

Belatedly, he remembered that Madhav had come to talk to them about something important. “Madhav Ji, aapko kuch bohot zaroori baat karni thi na? Sab theek haina? Kya hua?”

Madhav was instantly alert, remembering the true purpose of his visit. “Kya hua hai?” Abir pressed.

“Sab theek hai ya nahi, yeh toh mujhe bhi samajh nahi aa raha,” Madhav said. “Lekin, yeh baat hai toh bohot badi. Aur bachchon se related hai. Unhe jaan'ne ka haq hai. Par main himmat nahi kar paaya unhe seedhe bataane ki. Isliye, aapko bata raha hoon. Hopefully, aap dono ke paas koi solution hoga.”

“Aisi kya baat hai?” Mishti questioned.

Madhav pushed forth the police report he wanted to show them. “Aarohi Ji ke death ke waqt jo investigation hui thi, uski report finally mujhe mil gayi. Kaafi mushkil tha, actually. It was buried under a lot of red tape. Pehle toh mujhe samajh hi nahi aaya ki ek accident ki file itni zyada kyun dabaayi jaa rahi hai, but jab mujhe finally file mili, tab samajh aaya yeh sab kyun hua tha.”

Abir's hand shook as he picked the file up. He opened it, making sure that Mishti could read through it with him. When they realized what had happened, they were both flabbergasted. Thunderstruck, almost in sync, they both looked back up at Madhav, who nodded. “Haan. Yeh sab sahi hai. Accident Ruhi ki wajah se hua tha. Evidence mein mujhe CCTV footage bhi mili, jiske basis pe case close kiya gaya tha. It was a very unfortunate accident isliye Ruhi ko kabhi remand home le jaane ki baat nahi hui, but I guess the family was worried about her, isliye Akshara Ji ne blame apne upar le liya jabki unhone toh Aarohi Ji ko bachaane ki koshish ki thi.”

“Aap— aapke paas footage hai?” Mishti asked shakily.

Madhav nodded. “Main saath lekar aaya hoon. I have watched it. Aap dono bhi dekh sakte hain.”

He handed a flash drive to Abir and he hastily powered up his laptop, attaching the drive and opening the video. He held Mishti in his arms as the two of them watched Ruhi undo the hand brakes and Akshu rushing behind the car, trying to stop it. They both squeezed each other tight as they saw how Akshu tried her best to stop the car, how she called out to Aarohi to step aside, but Aarohi, too engrossed in a phone call, didn't listen. Mishti's grip on Abir was mercilessly hard as the car collided with Aarohi, hitting her, ending her life. It was absolutely crystal clear. Akshara was not to blame for the accident. If anything, she was the only one who had tried to stop it.

“Abhira deserves to know,” Mishti declared a few moments later.

“She does,” Abir agreed. “Woh hamesha se itni sure thi ki Akshu ki bilkul bhi galti nahi thi. She had utmost faith. Uska bharosa sahi tha.”

“Uska bharosa bilkul sahi tha,” Madhav nodded. “Lekin, iss baat se usse bhi dhakka toh lagega na. When she realizes ki itne saal uski Mumma ko ek aisi galti ki sazaa mili jo unki thi bhi nahi. Akshara Ji ka ghar, parivaar sab choot gaya. Abhira kabhi apni family se nahi mili. Isliye kyunki Manish Ji aur Ruhi ko lagta tha ki Akshara Ji ne Aarohi Ji ki jaan li hai. Ab jab unhe sach pata chalega, toh woh kya karenge?”

“Frankly, that's not my problem,” Mishti stated. “Manish Uncle ko sab pata karne ki koshish karni chahiye thi. He knew Akshu better than anyone else. Unhone kaise soch liya li Akshu galti se bhi Aarohi ko chot pohoncha sakti hai. Akshu ki zabaan nahi thakti thi Aaru-Aaru karne se. Aarohi ne hamesha usse nafrat ki, lekin Akshu ne uss nafrat ke badle pyaar hi lutaya apni choti behen par. Manish Uncle knew this. Phir bhi ek pal mein Akshu ko gunehgaar maan liya. I expected better from him.”

“Ghar mein bhi bohot tamasha hoga,” Madhav added. “Mujhe nahi lagta ki Ruhi iss baat ko achche se handle kar paayegi. Mujhe darr hai ki phir Ruhi ki haalat ka zimmedaar Abhira ko mana jaayega. Sab yehi kahenge ki itne saalon puraani baat usne chedke yeh sab gadbad kardi. Jabki Abhira ki koi galti nahi hai. Par uss ghar mein toh sabko bas mauka chahiye Abhira pe ungli uthaane ka.”

“Aap uss baat ki chinta mat kariye, Madhav Ji,” Abir said. “Koi Abhira ke khilaaf ek shabd nahi bol paayega yeh meri guarantee hai. Agar kisine koshish bhi ki, toh main hoon apni beti ke saath. Mujhe pata hai woh sab aapke parivaar wale hain isliye shayad aap unhe openly oppose na kar paaye, but mujhe koi problem nahi hogi. Aur waise bhi, meri priority sirf aur sirf Heera hai. Aur koi nahi.”

“Aap bulaiye Abhira ko aur usse sab bata dijiye,” Mishti told Madhav. “Peeche main aur Abir hain. Aur Armaan bhi hai. Hum sab milke Abhira ko sambhaal lenge.”

“Agar aapko lagta hai ki yeh sahi hai, toh main kal hi Abhira ko sab bata dunga,” Madhav promised. “Lekin akele nahi. Armaan ko bhi sab pata hona zaroori hai. Aur… Meri himmat nahi hogi yeh baat akele karne. Agar aap ko koi aitraaz na ho, hum teeno milke bataye? Abhira ko aap dono se better koi nahi sambhaal paayega. Uss waqt jab Goenkas ka sach bahaar aaya tha tab bhi aapne hi sambhala tha. Main bas nahi chaahta ki iss sab mein Abhira ko kuch ho. Woh aap dono ke saath sabse zyada safe feel karti hai.”

“Of course,” Abir agreed readily. “Hum sab milke batayenge.”

“Thank you,” Madhav smiled, feeling relieved. He knew that a storm was brewing, one that would shake the entire foundation of their house, but knowing his kids were well cared for put all his worries at ease. The rest, he would handle however he could.

Finally! The truth of accident is out.

Thank you for the update. Waiting to see Dance academy case unfold and Poddar's shock on realising that famous Lawyer Krish Singhania is Abhira's relative

Chapter Thirty Five

“Abhira… Kahaan leke jaa rahi ho mujhe?” Armaan asked, toying with the cloth she'd tied around his eyes, making Abhira giggle.

“Nope!” She exclaimed. “It's a surprise, Khadoosmaan. Tumhe wait karna padega!”

“Main kabse wait hi kar raha hoon,” Armaan pouted. “Ab aur nahi ho raha.”

“Oho, mere Jaldimaan!” Abhira chuckled at her own nickname as she turned their car into the street she had been aiming for. “Bas pohonch gaye!”

She parked the car and hastily got out, opening the door for Armaan and helping him out as well. “Waise generally kisi bhi relationship mein ek ladka apni girlfriend ke liye yeh sab karta hai,” Armaan laughed as Abhira guided him to their destination.

“Aisa koi rule hai kya?” Abhira asked. “Mujhe agar tumhe surprise dena ho toh main kyun naa doon? Waah! Yeh badhiya hai. Saari waah-waahi tumhe chahiye? Ki dekho, Abhira ka boyfriend kitna achcha hai. Usse itne surprises deta hai. No way! Mujhe bhi appreciation milna chahiye!”

“Toh woh toh main tumhe roz deta hoon na!” Armaan exclaimed. “Tum world ki best se bhi zyada best wali wife ho. Woh title jeetne tumhe yeh surprise wagerah dene ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

“So cheesy, meri cheese ki factory!” Abhira mocked. “But ab maine itni mehnat ki hai toh lelo na surprise. Please!”

“Fine,” Armaan sighed, as if accepting a surprise from her was the biggest chore of his life. Abhira giggled at his dramatics. She had never expected her grumpy husband to be such a lively boyfriend, but he always surprised her. Since he'd realized he was in love with her, Abhira had seen a completely different side of him which she had never anticipated would exist. But perhaps, it was the security of their relationship, and the belief he had in her, knowing she would never leave, that had given him the courage to behave this way - like a demanding, petulant child, throwing tantrums whenever he didn't get his way. It made Abhira's heart burst with joy that Armaan trusted her so much.

Finally standing in front of their destination, Abhira undid Armaan's blindfold. It took Armaan a moment to adjust to the light, but when he looked, he found himself standing in a familiar street, in front of a very familiar house. “Hum yahaan kyun aaye hain?” He wondered. “Not that I'm complaining. Iss jagah se meri kaafi achchi yaadein judi hain.”

Abhira smiled, reaching up to cup Armaan's face in her hands. “Yeh jagah bohot zyada special hai, Armaan. Sirf hum dono ke liye hi nahi, but Papa aur Maa ke liye bhi. Toh I thought, humein yahaan aana chahiye.”

“M— Maa?” Armaan stuttered. “Tum kya keh rahi ho?” He knew when she said Maa, she was referring to his birth mother.

“Haan, Armaan,” Abhira nodded. “Yeh ghar Maa ka hai. Yahaan unki bohot yaadein hain jo Papa ne aaj tak sambhaal kar rakhi hain. Sirf tumhaare liye. Mujhe laga shayad tumhe yahaan aake achcha lage. Lekin, agar tum abhi ready nahi ho, toh we can come some other time. Main yeh topic phir nahi chedungi jab tak tum tayyaar na ho.”

That day while they were sitting in the lawn, before their first kiss, Armaan had vocally lamented the lack of connection between him and his mother. He didn't have memories of her, didn't have any tangible reminders of her either. The Poddars had tried their best to remove her from existence, but Madhav had made a sanctuary away from the fetters of that house. It was Armaan's true legacy and he had every right to it. Yet, Abhira also realized how complicated the relationships in the Poddar family were. Interwoven with secrets and betrayal, it was not easy to break free from the restraints that had been placed upon you as a child, that had only grown stronger the older you grew. But, she wanted Armaan to know he always had an option.

“Kya hum aaj dekh sakte hain?” Armaan asked softly. Abhira could see how much strength it took for him to ask such a simple question, and her heart broke all over again. With every new vulnerability that Armaan expressed in front of her, Abhira's disdain for Kaveri grew. The way she'd deprived Armaan of the most basic joys of life, had deprived Armaan of his own mother made Abhira want to commit grave acts of violence. Her Silly Boy deserved so much better.

“Tum jab chaho tab hum dekh sakte hain,” she assured him.

“Tum bas… Mera haath mat chodna,” Armaan pleaded.

“Never,” Abhira vowed. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tight before entwining their fingers together.

Abhira handed Armaan the keys to the house and waited patiently as he struggled with the lock. When she saw that his hands were shaking so badly that he wasn't even able to find the hole for the key, she reached out, steadying him. Her hand gently guiding his, she helped him put the key in and turn it around till they heard the tell-tale click of the lock coming undone. Abhira removed the lock and undid the latch, but it was Armaan who pushed open the doors of the house.

For a moment, they both stood there, outside the house, staring at it. It was when Abhira nudged him that Armaan remembered himself. His grip on Abhira's hand grew tighter as he took his first step inside, Abhira completely in sync with his movements. They both entered the house together and Abhira reached out, turning on the lights, bathing the living room in a soft glow. As Armaan took in his surroundings properly, Abhira shut the main door firmly.

“Yeh… Maa… Maa ka ghar?” Armaan asked softly, just to confirm. It seemed too surreal that he was standing here. The same place that his mother had stood at, countless times perhaps. She must've sat on this very sofa, ate at the same dining table, and slept in that bed. She'd lived her life here. Once upon a time, he must've lived here, too.

“Aur tumhaara,” Abhira whispered gently. “Papa tumhe apne saath Poddar Mansion leke gaye uske pehle tum bhi yahin rehte the.”

Armaan's knees gave out at her words and he crumpled to the floor. Abhira rushed to him, sitting down beside him and taking him in her arms. Armaan clung on to her tightly, her grip on him tethering him to reality, reminding him that she was always there.

“It's going to be okay,” she kept telling him and Armaan zeroed in on her words, willing them to be true. If Abhira said it, it had to be so, for she never lied, and especially not to him.

Sometime later, when Armaan had calmed down, his eyes started wandering again, this time stopping at the faded red footprints on the floor. He looked at them, confused. Abhira followed his gaze and then smiled sheepishly when she realized what he was staring at.

“Jab Papa mujhe yahaan pehli baar leke aaye the, mujhse galti se paint ka dibba gir gaya tha. Aur phir…” She trailed off, shrugging. That was explanation enough.

Armaan's eyes lit up at her words. “Yeh tumhaare hain?” He asked her, almost in awe.

Abhira nodded. “Maine saaf karne ki bohot koshish ki, but isse zyada nahi kar paayi.”

“Good,” Armaan breathed. “Good. Yeh hamesha yahin rehne chahiye. Iss ghar mein, tumhaare pehle kadam. After all, yeh toh tumhaara asli sasural hai. Toh, grihapravesh ke nishaan hamesha rehne chahiye.”

Overwhelmed by his words, Abhira hugged him again. Armaan's arms wrapped around her and he pulled her into his lap, holding her close. “Sach, Ira. Iss jagah mujhe itni shaanti mil rahi hai. Ghar wali aisi feeling mujhe kabhi Poddar Mansion mein nahi aayi. Shayad Maa ka saaya ab bhi yahaan hain. Unka aashirwaad hai. Haina?”

“Bilkul hai,” Abhira agreed. “Maa aaj kitni khush hogi, Armaan. Unka beta itne saalon baad ghar waapas aaya hai. Aajke din ko, bohot achche se celebrate karenge. Okay?”

Armaan murmured a soft agreement. Delighted, Abhira stood up, pulling Armaan along. She guided him to Madhav's room, and asked him to sit on the bed. She opened the almirah and retrieved a box from there, the very one which stored all of Shivani's most treasured memories. Madhav had told her about it when he'd given her the keys, requesting her to make sure that Armaan saw everything that he'd been saving for his son.

She presented the box to Armaan with a flourish. “Papa keh rahe the ki isme Maa ki sabse keemti yaadein hain. Papa ne sab bohot sambhaalke rakha hai, taaki tum yeh sab dekh pao.”

“Itne saalon tak?” Armaan asked, moved by the gesture.

Abhira smiled. “Papa kabse tumhe sab dikhana chaahte the. But I think he was waiting for you to ask. Woh koi aisi cheez nahi karna chaahte the jisse tumhaara dil dukhe.”

Armaan couldn't help the guilt that clouded his heart at her words. His father had been waiting for years, perhaps, hoping that one day, Armaan would remember the woman who brought him into this world and loved him till her last breath. However, so busy in being Vidya's son, wanting her and Kaveri's approval, Armaan had never asked. He'd wanted to, so many times. On various occasions, Armaan had almost done so, as well. But, every time, the thought of hurting Vidya stopped him short. He never realized when shielding his mother from heartache had become the reason for not just his pain, but also his father's. Armaan was used to ignoring the hurt heaped on him, but to realize that his actions had pained his father too, was a heart-breaking realization. Why did he never think of it sooner? Why did it never occur to him that depriving himself of his mother hurt not just him, but also his father, the man who had loved his mother so much that he had defied the family to marry her?

“Maine Papa ko bohot hurt kiya haina, Abhira?” He asked out loud. “Maa se doori banake, sirf khudko nahi, unhe bhi bohot dukh diya hai. Pata nahi kabse Papa mujhe unke baare mein batana chaahte honge, par main sunn'ne hi tayyaar nahi tha. Hamesha sirf ek aurat ko apni Maa ki jagah di. Jabse hosh sambhaala hai, sabse yeh kaha ki main Vidya Poddar ka beta hoon. Lekin, kabhi yeh nahi kaha ki Shivani Poddar meri Maa hai. Maa aur Papa dono ke saath galat kiya na maine?”

“Tum aisa mat socho,” Abhira replied, pulling him into an embrace. Armaan hid his face in her neck, finding the warmth he was craving. “You were just a kid, Armaan. Jo bado ne tumhe sikhaya, tumne wohi seekha. Uss ghar mein kisine kabhi Maa ko woh respect nahi di, uss ghar ki bahu ka, Papa ki wife ka darja nahi diya. Wahaan sab hamesha yeh jatate hain ki Papa ki kabhi Maa se shaadi hi nahi hui thi.

Agar tumne unke behaviour se seekha hai, toh galti tumhaari nahi, unki hai. They should have done better. Maa ki yaad iss tarah mitaane ka unhe koi haq nahi tha. Lekin, woh kitna bhi chaahe, sach nahi badal sakte, Armaan. Aur sach yeh hai ki tum Madhav Poddar aur Shivani Poddar ke bete ho. Hamesha rahoge, chaahe koi kuch bhi kahe, kuch bhi soche.

Kahin na kahin, isme Papa ki bhi galti hai. Woh bade the, samajhdaar the. Jab unhone dekha ki tumhaari zindagi se Maa ki existence ko mitaane ki koshish ki jaa rahi hai, unhe kuch kehna chahiye tha… Tumhaare aur Maa ke liye stand lena chahiye tha. Unhone nahi liya, isliye sabki himmat aur badh gayi.

But ab kuch galat nahi hoga, okay? Ek baar sabne Maa ke saath bohot galat kiya hai, par ab hum aisa nahi hone denge. Right?”

“Right,” Armaan whispered, nodding. “Main Maa ko unke haq ki izzat dilwaunga. I'll be the son she deserves.”

“Oh, Armaan. You already are, meri jaan,” Abhira murmured softly, kissing his hair. “Maa loved you more than anyone else in the world. Unka pyaar paane, tumhe koi test nahi pass karna. You don't have earn her love, don't have to become worthy to deserve it. Unka pyaar hamesha tumhaare saath hai.

Tumhe pata hai, woh wahaan… Upar se hamesha tumhe dekhti hain. I know she's so proud of you. Unka chota sa Maani itna bada ho gaya hai. He's the best son, best brother, best husband. He's kind and compassionate. He's so full of love for everyone, and he's excelling in his career. Kisi bhi Mumma ko isse zyada kya hi chahiye hoga? Yeh dekhke unhe kitna achcha lagta hoga ki tum kitne achche insaan ho.

Aur ab toh wahaan unke saath Mumma bhi haina. I'm sure woh dono ab tak best friends bann chuke honge, jaise tum mere best friend bann gaye ho. Woh dono har waqt humein dekhte honge aur bhagwaan ji se duas maangte honge ki unke bachche ek saath bohot happy rahe forever ke liye. Kyunki achche parents sirf yeh chaahte hain ki unke kids ko duniya ki har khushi mile.”

“Shayad tum sahi keh rahi ho,” Armaan mumbled. “Par mujhe kuch karna hai ki mujhe bhi yeh lage ki woh mujhe dekhke proud hain. Maine aaj tak bohot galtiyaan ki hai, Abhira. Kabhi-kabhi mujhe lagta hai ki unn galtiyon ka ghada zyada bhara hua hai. Maa jab dekhti hongi, unhe kaisa lagta hoga ki unka beta apni wife ke saath kitni buri tarah behave karta hai, apne Papa ke saath itni doori banaaye rakhta hai. Jo bhi ho, woh yeh sab toh nahi chaahti hongi na?”

“Armaan, tumne past mein bohot mistakes ki hain. Main tumhe achcha feel karaane yeh baat kabhi nahi juthlaungi. Lekin, important yeh hai ki tumne unn mistakes se seekha. You paid for those mistakes, and you did everything to make things better.

Dekho, ek waqt hum dono ki relationship aisi thi ki tumne mujhe kaha tha ki main tumhe apni shakal bhi na dikhau, aur aaj agar hum ek ghante ek-doosre ko nahi dekhte toh bhi hum itni bechain ho jaate hain. Aur, tumhaari aur Papa ki relationship bhi toh ab pehle se better ho rahi haina. Time lagega lekin mujhe pata hai ki tum aur Papa apne saare differences sort kar loge, jaise hum dono ne kiye hain.

Aur yeh dekhke ki unke bete ko apni galti maan'na aur usse sudhaarna aata hai, Maa sabse zyada khush hogi. Armaan, koi insaan perfect nahi hota. Tum bhi nahi ho. But tum ek achche insaan zaroor ho, jo sabse zyada important hai. So, I'm sure… Maa tumse naraaz nahi hain. Woh khush hain. Okay?”

Armaan nodded pitifully. “Tum hamesha sab kuch theek kar deti ho, pata hai tumhe? Tum mere saath hoti hona, toh mujhe lagta hai ki main duniya se lad sakta hoon. Aur tum nahi hoti toh khud se aankhein milaane ki himmat bhi nahi hoti meri, Ira. You're everything to me.”

“And you're everything to me,” Abhira promised. “Chalo, ab… Maa kabse tumse milne wait kar rahi hain. Yeh box kholo, aur dekho ki Papa kya dena chaahte hain tumhe.”

Armaan sniffled, reaching up to wipe his tears, but Abhira beat him to it, gently running her palm across his cheek, catching all of them. Armaan smiled at her gratefully, doing the same for her. Then, he opened the box.

On top was a photograph. A beautiful woman, who could only be Shivani, was sitting in a hospital bed, a joyful smile on her face. Madhav sat beside her. In her arms was nestled a bundle, who must've been Armaan. While Shivani had eyes for no one but her son, Madhav's eyes were stuck on her, a lightness to his features that Armaan had never seen in all the time he'd known his father. Tentatively, he reached up, his fingers caressing those smiles as tears filled his eyes. They'd been so happy, he thought to himself. His parents were clearly overjoyed about his arrival. Everything in their demeanour screamed an abundance of love and joy.

“Tum bilkul Maa ki tarah dikhte ho, Armaan,” Abhira commented softly.

“Sach?” Armaan asked with child-like wonder.

Abhira nodded. “Bilkul unke jaisi smile hai tumhaari. Aur tumhaare right cheek pe dimple bhi waisa hi hai. Aur tumhaari nose dekho… Just like hers. Aur, ab finally mujhe pata chal hi gaya ki tumhaari yeh beautiful green eyes bhi tumhe unse hi mili hain!”

He grinned brilliantly at the observation, reaching up to place a lingering kiss on Abhira's forehead before turning back to the picture. “Maa aur Papa ek saath bohot khush the na?”

“Of course,” Abhira agreed. “Dekho na, kitni badi smiles hain dono ke face pe. Tum teeno ek saath bohot khush the.”

Armaan carefully placed the picture aside, looking into the box, eager to unravel more of his mother. A smaller box was kept inside and Armaan opened it, seeing various pieces of jewellery lovingly placed in it. He came upon a pair of rings, each one inscribed with the same date. Perhaps, they'd been his parents' engagement rings. They both looked well loved and Armaan pictured them both wearing the rings, day in and day out, fidgeting with it, rolling it around their fingers, as he himself was used to doing, even looking at the ring like lovesick fools when they missed each other.

The box also housed a pair of bangles. Looking at them sparked vague memories for Armaan. He was pretty sure his mother had worn them regularly. He thought that maybe she'd promised to bequeath them to his wife jokingly, but he couldn't be sure that his mind wasn't conjuring up false memories. Deciding to ask Madhav about it later, he kept the bangles and rings back in, closing the box.

He found the tattered copy of a novel next. Clearly, it had been read too many times if the jagged and torn edges were anything to go by. He flipped it open, to find some scribbles.

To Madhu,
So you can read it to me and the baby before bed every night and we have pleasant dreams.
Love, Shivu.

Armaan huffed a laugh at the nicknames his parents had for each other. He couldn't picture his 6ft tall police officer father answering to such a feminine name, but perhaps, he was more like his father than he'd ever imagined, both of them absolutely helpless in the face of the women they both loved so dearly.

“Maa ne toh Papa ka bohot hi cute nickname rakha tha,” Abhira chuckled lowly, in tandem with Armaan's thoughts even now. Armaan leaned in to kiss her cheek as a form of agreement.

“Yeh main rakh loon, Armaan?” Abhira asked him, making him look at her in confusion.

Answering his wordless question, Abhira said, “Kisi din humein bhi zaroorat padegi na. Taaki tum yeh padhke mujhe aur humaare baby ko achche se sulao.”

Too overwhelmed by her words, Armaan couldn't do anything but pull her into his arms as he kissed the breath out of her. They'd never talked about kids before. Armaan knew he wanted them, and was pretty sure Abhira did too, given just how attached she was to the kids at the orphanage they frequented, but she'd never said anything so concrete about them having a child before.

“Not that I'm complaining,” Abhira gasped when they parted, “but what's up?”

“Tumhe bachche chahiye?” Armaan asked.

“Yeh kaisa sawaal hai? Of course, I want kids! What about me has ever given the indication ki main Maa nahi bann'na chaahti?” Abhira questioned in response.

“We've never talked about it,” Armaan shrugged. “Mujhe yeh toh nahi laga tha that you never want kids, but confirm karna better haina.”

“You're right,” Abhira agreed. “Toh suno! Yes, I want kids, but zyada nahi. We will be woh hum do, humaare do type couple. Two is the maximum. If we decide we don't want another, that's fine, but I don't want more than two. Kyunki phir humaara attention kisi bachche ko achche se nahi milega.

Aur… I want to wait a bit before we start our family, Khadoosmaan. Hum shaadi abhi karein ya kuch time baad, I want to settle in my career before I have a baby. And I mean, I'm only 23. Toh abhi bohot time hai. Hum araam se kamse kam 5-6 saal toh bina kisi medical complication ke ruk sakte hai. And even later, aajkal toh auratein mid-30s mein bhi safely babies deliver karti hain. So there's no need to worry.”

“Of course,” Armaan readily agreed. “Abhi tumhaara career sabse zyada important hai. As long as we're both on the same page of wanting kids some day, I'm good.

Main bhi abhi ready nahi hoon. Abhi toh maine NGO join kiya hai. I want to spend some time there, get to know my job better. Mujhe tumhaare saath bhi akele aur time chahiye, just the two of us. And I want us to spend more time with family too.

Aur sach kahoon toh, Poddar Mansion mein iss waqt jo haalat hai… I don't want my child to grow up like I did. Mera koi bhi bachcha yeh nahi sochega ki uski family ne usse accept karke koi ehsaan kiya hai, Ira. But sadly, mujhe nahi lagta ki iss waqt aisa kuch hoga. Jaise sabne hamesha mujhe yaad dilaya ki main sautela hoon, kya pata woh humaare baby ke saath bhi aisa hi karenge. We will have to make a lot of changes before we have a baby. And those changes will take time. Mujhe bhi koi jaldi nahi hai.”

Abhira nodded. “You're right. Koi jaldi nahi hai.”

It hurt to even think of their child being raised the way Armaan was. Just the mere thought of her child feeling like they weren't enough for a second made her want to hit the person responsible. She would never be able to handle the constant othering that her & Armaan had faced in that family being heaped on their child as well. Their children would know nothing but love & joy.

“Okay!” She got them back on track. “Babies baad mein aayenge toh unke baare mein baat bhi baad mein hogi. Abhi main focus is Maa! Chalo dekho, aur kya hai iss box mein?”

Obediently, Armaan looked in the box again, this time removing a scroll. He unfurled it to see his mother's graduation degree. She had graduated with honours from her LLM programme. Armaan hadn't even known that she'd also been a lawyer. He read the name of her alma mater, and was grateful to know that he had attended the same college as her. His father had been the one to suggest it. Till this exact moment, Armaan used to think that it was only because his institute was the best in the city. Only now, was he realizing that perhaps, his father hadn't been thinking that at all. He'd chosen that college only so that Armaan could have this flimsy connection to his mother, even if he didn't know it then.

He set it aside, determined to have it framed and displayed. He didn't know where yet, but he would find the perfect spot for it and keep this piece of her alive. She wasn't just his mother or his father's wife. She was a woman with her own individuality and identity. He would make sure to remember her so.

The last items in the box were a saree and a photo album. Armaan ran his fingers through the saree, feeling the silky fabric under his fingertips. It was beautiful, deep red with a golden border and zardosi work. A saree fit for a wedding. Had she worn this when she married his father? Armaan would have to ask Madhav.

Finally, he opened the photo album and carefully looked through each picture - a mish-mash of his parents' memories. Lots of photos with people he didn't recognize, but his parents seemed to adore them if their bright smiles and twinkling eyes were any indication. Pictures of their life together. His father, down on one knee in front of his mother. Their wedding, where his mother had worn that saree. Them outside this very house, arms wrapped around each other, unmistakable joy etched on their faces. A series of shots of his mother in this house - on the sofa with her head thrown back in laughter, enjoying a cup of tea by the window as it rained, sat on the dressing table, fastening her earrings, lying in bed reading a book, on the dining table as she worked, surrounded by a lot of papers. Similarly, candid shots of his father - as he poured himself coffee in the kitchen, reading the morning newspaper on the dining table, yelling at the television in the middle of a cricket match, sound asleep on the sofa in an uncomfortable position, too huge to fit in it, with his legs dangling off the edge.

As he flipped pages, more and more pictures greeted him, telling him that his parents had lived a happy life together. When he reached the phase that documented his mother's pregnancy, his breath hitched at the look on her face. He didn't think he'd seen her look happier than she did in the photo in front of him - cradling her stomach protectively, a small bump visible. Pictures upon pictures of her ever growing belly with that constant smile on her face, interspersed with the wide grin on his father's as he doted on his wife.

And then, there were pictures of them with a baby, with him. The three of them looked so happy together. The little child in these photos was clearly loved and adored by his parents. The little child in these photos was so very happy. He seemingly had everything that an adult Armaan thought was unachievable before his Badi Maa and Bade Papa had given it to him without him having to ask.

It was such a startling realization to know how much his parents loved him. It was there in every photo, clear as day. Armaan was always wrapped in protective arms in every snap, his face bright with laughter. His parents looking at him as if he was their entire world. They were holding him so close, as if he was the most precious thing in the world. Perhaps, to them, he was.

Looking at those photos, at the love he had once received, his heart broke for the child he'd become after his mother passed away. Thrust into a new family without any notice, still mourning the loss of his mother, and then that of his father as well. His father, who seemingly had adored him more than life itself, but had loved his mother more, and had been unable to cope with her death enough to be there for his son.

Armaan had spent the better part of his life secretly resenting his father. Armaan had been a child when his mother had died and in that time, more than anyone else, he'd needed his father to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. But Madhav had been too busy drowning in his own grief to understand Armaan's. That was something that Armaan thought he'd never be able to forget, but as he watched Abhira coo at a picture of him and his mother huddled under a blanket fort as they showed off their milk moustaches, he finally understood his father better than he ever had before.

Just the thought of Abhira leaving him made Armaan's breath catch. What he didn't think he would be able to handle even in his worst nightmares had become the reality of his father's life. Armaan didn't think he would function for a single day after Abhira but his father had somehow managed to live a whole life after his mother passed. Maybe, just maybe, his father was stronger than Armaan gave him credit for.

At that thought, Armaan felt a visceral need to give his father a tight hug. Turning to Abhira, he murmured, “Can we go? Mujhe Papa se milna hai.”

Abhira looked at him, an understanding smile gracing her face. “Of course,” she whispered. “Let's go.”

She took a moment to carefully place everything back in the box and seal it properly. She moved to keep it back inside where she'd gotten it from, but Armaan held her hand, stopping her. “Maa aur unki yaadein kahin band nahi rahengi, Ira,” he stated, steadfast and sure. “Woh meri Maa hai. And I'm proud to be her son. Unki har yaad pe mera haq hai. Ab main yeh kabhi khudse alag nahi karunga.”

Nodding, Abhira passed the box to him and Armaan held it carefully. Abhira reached up and kissed him softly. “I'm so proud of you, my silly boy!”

Slowly, silently, they made their way back to the car and Abhira drove them back home where Armaan found himself getting emotional in his father's embrace, yet at the same time, strangely at peace. As his father's arms locked around his and Abhira's backs, holding on to them tight, Armaan felt, probably for the first time in a long time, that his father loved him just as much as he had before his mother had left them behind. And that was the greatest reward of it all.

this is SO beautifully written that it made me super emotional!

I have extra love for the chapters that deal with Armaan or Abhira's feelings and just the 2 of them :)

Thank you for this.