Marham Dard Par - A MishBir FF (Chp 18 - Page 12) - Page 8

Originally posted by: Fauzi

Amazing ❤️ Abir and Mishti and Kunal.. Wish we could see this visualized... Your story has kept the essence of all three of them so intact and also at the same time shown the growth in their character over this separation...

I read the chapters 7-10 in one go and could feel the desperation in Abir to try to make Mishti believe he will not leave her again.. Kunal's happiness for his bhai.. And finally Mishnal... I So loved your portrayal of Kunal playing cupid for Abir and also how he has come to finally accept Mishti on his own accord...

You have such magic in your writing... So happy reading your story... Thank you so much for writing this..!!

Thank you so, so, so much! Reading this comment made me so very happy! I can't even express just how much! :D

It means a lot that you love this story so much! Thank you! <3

Chapter Eleven

“So, how was it?” Abir asked Kunal as they waited for their investor to show up. The meeting was at a poolside, which both Abir & Kunal found a little odd, but they were willing to give into the man’s idiosyncrasies if he would agree to collaborate with them for this project. Nishant M was very well known for this kind of stuff and Abir really wanted him to agree to this venture.

“It was good,” Kunal replied. “I gave her the stuff you gave me.”

“Did she like it?” Abir questioned, worried.

“I don’t know, Bhai. Usne mere saamne nahi dekha kya hai. Maybe she wanted some privacy,” Kunal answered, shrugging.

“Hmmmm,” Abir muttered half heartedly. Just then, his new phone pinged with a message. He eagerly reached for it and then scoffed internally. The Abir Rajvansh who once didn’t want even one phone was now carrying two. All because of his Angry Chorni. But then, he would do a lot more than owning two phones for her. He’d do anything for her.

Hi, Mr. Ajeeb Rajvansh! Thank you so much for the new phone! I love it! I won’t give this number to anyone else, I promise. It’ll be our little secret.

All the best for your meeting! Call me once you’re done. I’ll be waiting.

I love you!

Abir grinned wide. He’d sent a new phone for Mishti with Kunal today because he was pretty sure that his mother kept a track of his call records and location. He couldn’t let her know he was back together with Mishti. She’d tell Nanko everything and then kick him out of the house. He had to come up with a better plan to ease Nanko into the whole situation. He needed time for that. He couldn’t afford any mistakes now, especially not his mother finding out about what he was planning.

“Abir Rajvansh?” A voice called, making Abir look up. A medium built, good looking man, dressed impeccably in a designer suit was standing there with a huge smile on his face.

Abir stood up immediately. “Nishant?” He asked. When the man nodded, Abir immediately moved forward and offered his hand for a handshake.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Abir told him.

“Trust me, Abir, the pleasure is all mine,” Nishant replied.

“Yeh mera chota bhai hai… Kunal,” Abir introduced the two of them.

"Mr. Rajvansh," Nishant greeted Kunal, shaking his hand as well.

"So… Let's get down to business, shall we?" Kunal asked.

Nishant nodded and the three of them sat down.

"Look," Nishant said, "Let's just skip the formalities, okay? I'm very interested in this project and I really want to collaborate with you."

"Ummm… Wow. Are you sure? Tum… Sochne ke liye time le sakte ho," Abir told him.

"Nahi, mujhe time nahi chahiye. Actually… yahaan aane se pehle main decide karke hi aaya tha that we have to work together. Woh… Kya haina… Yeh project… Mere liye sirf project nahi hai. Yeh… Ek surprise hai… Kisi bohot special ke liye. She's going to love it, I'm sure," Nishant replied.

"Special?" Abir asked, smiling. "Girlfriend?"

Nishant laughed out loud. "Oh my god! No! Girlfriend? Ek din mein hi paagal ho jaunga main. No, no. She's my best friend… And business partner."

"Oh. So… Woh aayi nahi saath? I mean… Business deal hai toh…" Kunal asked.

"Woh maine hi usse thoda late bulaya hai… you know, to surprise her!” Nishant told them.

“Itne efforts le rahe ho surprise karne… koi toh khaas baat hogi,” Abir wondered out loud.

“Khaas baat toh hai… after all, she’s my best friend!” Nishant replied.

Abir shook his head. He was pretty sure that whoever this best friend was, Nishant had feelings for her, and was just in denial, or he himself hadn’t even realized that he had feelings for her yet. He remembered a time when he was behaving the same way when it came to Mishti. Thinking she was his best friend and nothing else, when in fact he was falling in love with her. It seemed to be the same thing for Nishant. And he might be wrong about this, but his own experience with the same thing made him believe that he wasn’t.

“Ahhh! There she is!” Nishant exclaimed, bringing Abir out of his musings. “MISS TEAPOT!” He called out loud, rushing to her. Kunal and Abir looked at each other and then turned to see Nishant hugging a girl.

“Gods! I missed you!” Nishant was saying. Abir smiled. He was starting to think he was right, after all. But then, a voice he knew better than his own, replied, “Agar tune meri baat maan li hoti aur mere saath hi aa gaya hota toh you wouldn’t have had to miss me.”

“That’s unfair! You know I had that meeting,” Nishant whined.

“Did you do me proud?” Mishti asked him.

“I did you so proud!” Nishant replied. “But… woh sab baatein baad mein. Chal. Tere liye ek surprise hai.”

“I thought tu hi mera surprise hai,” Mishti answered. “Tu nahi hai?”

“Nahhhh,” Nishant replied.

“OH! Thank god!! Agar tu hi mera surprise hota na… toh woh duniya ka sabse boring surprise hota… Mr. Nannu,” Mishti said.

“UGH! Don’t call me Nannu!” Nishant ordered.

“Then don’t call me Miss Teapot!” Mishti replied. “Jis din tu chod dega… uss din main bhi chod dungi.”

“You’re the worst. I hate you!” Nishant declared.

“As if I love you,” Mishti scoffed.

“Please! You love me the most," he replied.

"Absolutely incorrect," she told him.

"After your heart specialist," he continued. "Mujhe poora bolne toh de."

"Hmmmm… Still no," Mishti replied. "You're very low on that list, Mr. Maheshwari. Aur agar tunhaari harkatein nahi badli toh list se hi nikal jaoge!"

"But you're my best friend, yaar!" Nishant whined. "Meri koi importance wagerah hai ya nahi teri life mein?"

"Bilkul nahi hai! Tujhe kaise pata chala?" She asked. Nishant just rolled his eyes.

"Yeh sab bakwaas chod. Tere clients kahaan hai?" She asked. "Meeting hai bhi ya nahin?"

"Oh, yes! My clients!" Nishant exclaimed. "You're about to love me so much, Mishti Aggarwal. Be prepared."

Mishti just scoffed at him. He ignored that and took her hand in his, pulling her with him.

"Mishti… inse milo. Humaare new clients… Abir and Kunal Rajvansh," he introduced her to the boys. "And Abir, Kunal… This is my business partner… Mishti Aggarwal," he continued, wrapping an arm around Mishti's shoulder and pulling her into a side hug.

The three of them just looked at each other, completely dumbstruck and not knowing what to say.

"Tum log kuch bol kyu nahi rahe? Matlab… Koi problem hai kya? I thought you'd like this… Miss Teapot? Agar koi problem hai toh I can call this deal off," Nishant said.

"NAHI!" Abir & Mishti shouted together, making Nishant & Kunal spiral into laughter.

"I thought so!" Nishant exclaimed.

"So… I did good?" He asked Mishti. Not knowing what else to say, she just nodded.

"Anyway… Humaari taraf se Mishti project handle karegi… And I think that there shouldn't be much interference… so maybe Abir & Mishti can talk things over… Kyuki app Abir ne develop ki hai… Right?" Nishant questioned.

Kunal nodded furiously. "I agree. Completely. Bhai aur Mishti sab discuss kar lenge."

"Great!" Nishant exclaimed. "Let's leave them to discuss whatever it is they need to. Humein… Bina matlab ke kabab mein haddi nahi ban'na chahiye… Right?"

"Right," Kunal answered. "Chalo. Aap dono yeh sab discuss karke humein bata dena… Tab tak… Nishant and I can talk numbers?" He directed the last part at Nishant who nodded.

"Yeahbsolutely," Nishant agreed, and then pulled Kunal away from there, leaving Abir & Mishti alone.

Things just got a whole lot better, for both Mishti & Abir, and they couldn't be happier.

___________________________________

I'm sorry for not being able to update earlier, but I was super busy with a college fest and didn't get the time. To make up for it, I'll try to update again tomorrow. :)

I know there was no MishBir in this one either, but the next one will have loads of them, pakka! :D

Also, PSA : Nishant in this will be positive thru and thru. No unnecessary third angle. He's Mishti's best friend. That's it. If you recall, she even thinks of him as a brother as mentioned in earlier chapters. So, no worries on that front. :)

Please vote and comment and let me know how y'all like this one!

Nice part and your end lines ensuring us about Nishanth being positive made me happy 😃

Awesome part again!

Loved it.

Do update soon. :) will be waiting eagerly.

Chapter Twelve

Once they were alone, Abir wasted no time in pulling Mishti in for a hug. "Good morning, Angry Chorni," he greeted, kissing the top of her head.

"Good morning," Mishti replied, snuggling in closer.

Abir pulled back and led Mishti to a table, pulling her chair out and helping her sit before sitting down himself.

"So…" Abir teased.

"So?" Mishti asked.

"Mrs. Aggarwal Rajvansh… My app. What do you think about it? Is it worthy enough an investment?" He questioned. Mishti blushed at her name. Mishti Aggarwal Rajvansh. It's what she'd wanted to be known as for so long. And now… It was happening, somewhat.

"I'll have to think about it," Mishti replied. "But… It does seem so on the surface."

Abir laughed. "I'll take it."

"Tumhaare paas koi aur option bhi nahi hai, Mr. Ajeeb Rajvansh," she replied.

"Waise… Yeh Nishant? Nannu? Uske welcome ki hi itni preparations ho rahi thi na? Janmashtami pe?" Abir asked Mishti.

"Haan. Uske hi welcome ki tayyari ho rahi thi. But phir kuch kaam aa gaya and he never got here. Idiot," she told him.

"Achcha. And ab yahaan kaise?" He probed further.

"Ab kya? I came back from London, toh he also decided to come. Actually… Yeh 2 mahine… London mein, main Nannu ke saath hi thi na. So, ab main waapas aa rahi thi toh I convinced him too, ki ab usse at least thode time ke liye ghar aana chahiye," Mishti explained.

"Really? Kyu?" Abir asked.

"Isme kyu ki kya baat hai, Abir? Woh itne saalon se London mein hai. The family really misses him! Hum sabko thoda waqt toh de sakta haina!" She exclaimed.

"Matlab… Tumne bhi usse miss kiya? Jabki tum uske saath hi rehti thi?" He questioned.

"Awwww!" Mishti cooed, finally getting it. "Tum na… jealous hote ho toh bade cute lagte ho!"

"Main koi jealous nahi hoon. Maine tumse pehle bhi kaha hai… Jiska naam Mr. Nannu ho na… Usse jealous hone ki zaroorat nahi hai mujhe!" Abir replied instantly.

"Good," Mishti replied. "Hona bhi nahi chahiye. Especially jab uski wajah se hum aaj saath hain."

Mishti wanted Abir to know just how instrumental Nishant had been in their reunion, because if not for him, Mishti might not have given Abir another chance after everything that had happened. He'd been the one to convince her that Abir deserved at least one opportunity to make things right.

"What do you mean uski wajah se saath hain?" Abir wondered.

"Woh Abir… Nannu… usne hi mujhe convince kiya… Ki mujhe tumhe… Humaare relationship ko ek aur chance dena chahiye," Mishti explained. "Tumhe pata haina… Sometimes I need a push to do something. Aur humaare case mein… that push was Nishant. Pehle toh… Tum the… Jabse tum meri life mein aaye ho… You've always been there to help me… To give me that push to do something. But jab tum nahi the toh Nannu ne woh kiya mere liye.

You know… Nannu and I have been really good friends since we were kids. Jab main Maheshwari House aayi thi… Tab mere aur Kuhu ke beech bohot issues the. Ab bhi hain… But uss waqt… Uss waqt yeh sab handle karna mujhe aata hi nahi tha because I was thrust into this new house… New family. Tab… Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ke alawa sabse zyada help mujhe Nannu ne ki thi. Woh mujhse thoda bada haina age mein. Toh when I came home… He was 16 then, aur usse shayad inn sab cheezon ki samajh zyada thi. Toh he really helped me adjust… And then, a couple years later… Usse bhi meri zaroorat padi thi and I'd stood for him, when no one else had. Isliye… In a way… Nannu and I… we understand each other on a very different level.

Nannu knows about my insecurities in a lot of depth. Usse bohot easily samajh aata hai ki mujhe kaunsi baat effect karegi, kis extent tak karegi, kaise karegi… Uska outcome kya hoga… Yeh sab woh bohot easily samajh jaata hai kyuki usne mujhe bachpan se dekha… Trying to fight my insecurities and issues.

Aur jab… Jab main London gayi thi… I won't lie, Abir. Uss waqt main bohot disturbed thi. I know ki tumne mujhe airport pe sab sach bata diya tha… But whatever had happened earlier… Main woh sab bilkul bhula nahi paa rahi thi. I so badly wanted to forgive you… But Bade Papa was so mad at you… I was so mad at you… Mujhe laga ki agar maine tumhe maaf kar diya toh it won't just be about me letting you get away with it… But it would also question everything Bade Papa has taught me… It would defy his expectations. He was so adamant ki main tumhaari shakal bhi nahi dekhu. In fact… Itne mahino mein… Unhone tumhe naam se bulana bhi band kar diya hai.

Ek taraf Bade Papa the… And on the other hand… Badi Maa. She was… she wasn't ready to admit that you meant all that. Unhe pata tha ki koi wajah hogi jiski wajah se tumne yeh sab kiya. Haan… Woh bhi tumse gussa thi… But she was missing her son so much. And I know… She was just praying for a miracle to undo all of this.

And then… I was… I wasn't sure of the future, Abir. Mujhe darr tha ki apni mom ki wajah se tumne mujhe ek baar chod diya toh tum phir bhi kar sakte ho. Mujhe darr tha ki tumne ek baar Kunal ko chose kiya toh tum phir bhi kar sakte ho. And I was… I was afraid that you really didn't trust me as much as you said. Aur jiss rishtey mein bharosa hi nahi… Woh kaisa rishta hota?

Inn sabke beech… I was so confused. Tumhe maaf karu ya nahi, tumse phir baat karu ya nahi. Tab… Tab Nannu was the one who understood me better than I did myself, or maybe I did, but I was too afraid to admit it.

I still remember. Just a few weeks before I came here… He sat me down. Aur usne mujhse sab kuch share kiya. What he felt about the situation… What he thought I should do about it, what he thought I'd regret. Usne sab bataya mujhe… And I agreed to all of it, because like always… He'd understood me so well.

Jabse main London mein thi… Dheere dheere maine usse sab kuch share kiya tha, Abir. Hum kaise mile, kaise dost bane, how I fell in love with you, humaare relationship ke baare mein… How we broke up, why we broke up… Usse sab pata tha. So, he was able to analyse the situation thoroughly.

Usne mujhe itne instances yaad dilaaye when you'd trusted me implicitly… Tumne mujhe tab trust kiya tha jab Bade Papa bhi mujhse sawaal pooch rahe the. Jab woh email waali baat uthi thi… you were the only one who'd trusted me. Jab party dates mein mix up hua tha… Tab bhi tumne mujhe trust kiya… Aur tu aur jab maine Kuhu ke najayaz hone wali baat karke sabko itna hurt kiya… Tumne mujhpe itna trust kiya ki tumne mujhe jaane se rok liya.

Aur… Aur uss waqt… Kuhu ki wajah se… I'd hurt you so much. Tum bas sun'na chaahte the ki main tumse pyaar karti hoon, aur main woh bhi nahi kar paayi.

Jiss tarah… Kuhu ke liye maine tumhe hurt kiya, uss tarah… Tumne mujhe Kunal ke liye hurt kiya. Haan uss waqt hum saath nahi the… Aur ab humaari engagement ho gayi thi… lekin maine tumhe hurt kiya tha, Abir. Phir bhi tumne mujhe ek chance diya.

Aur phir… Tum bhi toh insaan ho. You're allowed to make mistakes. Shayad main yeh baat hi bhool gayi thi. I'd put you on a pedestal. Tumhe yaad hai maine kaha tha… Agar tum kuch galat bhi karoge toh mujhe sahi hi lagega… I really believed that, Abir. Lekin phir uss din… That pedestal broke. And I think main yeh handle nahi kar paayi. Tumne Kunal ko leke pehle bhi galtiyaan ki hai, lekin iss baar… Iss baar uska effect seedhe humaare rishtey pe pada… Jo pehle kabhi nahi hua tha. Chaahe jo bhi problems aayi… We always had each other's backs. Aur iss baar… Iss baar aisa nahi hua, iss baat ko maan'na mere liye easy nahi tha.

But… Nishant made me realize all this. He made me see that you can make a mistake too. Matter yeh nahi karta ki tumne jhooth bola… Matter yeh karta hai ki you had the courage to accept your mistake and tell me ki tumne jhooth bola… Aur kyu bola. I know uss din airport pe aake mujhe sab kuch batana easy decision nahi raha hoga because you must've been so worried about Kunal. But tumne phir bhi kiya. I respect that.

Aur phir… Main bhi toh kabhi apni life tumhaare alawa kisi aur ke saath imagine nahi kar sakti.

Lekin… Mujhe yeh sab baatein realize hi nahi hoti agar Nannu ne mujhe samjhaaya nahi hota… Mujhse baat nahi ki hoti, mujhe yeh nahi dikhaya hota ki meri problem yeh nahi thi mujhe lagta hai tum mujhe trust nahi karte, but yeh hai ki main iss baat se insecure hoon ki tumne mujhe yeh baat nahi batayi toh shayad aage bhi tum kuch chupao, aur phir mujhe chodke chale jao. Mujhe yeh nahi samajh aata ki your moment of weakness was just that. A moment of weakness. Not your lack of trust in me. Mujhe yeh nahi samajh nahi aata ki main bas iss darr se ki kahin main Bade Papa ko disappoint na kardu, apni khushiyaan qurbaan karke unhe aur disappoint karungi kyuki unke liye toh meri khushi hi sabse zyada important hai.

So… Yes, Mr. Ajeeb Rajvansh. Hum aaj saath hain… Kyuki Nannu hai," she finished.

Abir was just looking at Mishti, unable to form words. He didn't know what to think, what to say. To find out that someone who he'd never even met, and before today, had harboured the tiniest amount of jealousy towards (Abir could admit to himself that he'd been jealous of Nannu since that day when he'd seen Mishti prepare a bouquet to welcome him) had been the catalyst behind Mishti's decision to give them another chance.

"So, tumhaare yeh Mr. Nannu toh kaafi smart hain," he joked, trying to lighten up the situation.

"Abirrrrrr," Mishti whined.

"I'm just joking," he conceded. "But really, ab I'm thankful for him. Ab mujhe usse sirf iss baat ke liye thank nahi karna ki inn do mahino mein usne tumhaara khayal rakha, tumhe support kiya, but iske liye bhi kyuki usne hi tumhe mujhe ek aur chance dene convince kiya. Matlab… aajse toh woh mera favourite Maheshwari hai."

"Hawwww! Aur main?" She asked him, scandalized.

"Tum toh Aggarwal ho na," came his immediate reply.

"Nice save," she commented.

"But… Really, Mishti. I'm so glad that you had him. Jo bhi hua uske baad… At least koi toh tha jo tumhe support kar raha tha… Tumhe samajhne ki koshish kar raha tha. Tum… Tum bohot lucky ho… Tumhe itni understanding family mili hai jo tumhaari itni care karti hai, tumhaari fikr karti hai," he told her.

Abir couldn't help but see the stark contrast in Mishti's family and his. While they'd all tried to make the break up easier for her and supported her as best as they could, his family had forgotten all about Mishti in seconds and hadn't even cared to question Abir on breaking up with the girl he was about to marry. They hadn't thought that he might be suffering because of it. They hadn't thought of how this decision would affect him at all.

At times… Abir really wondered if anyone in his family understood him at all. He didn't think so, especially not after the two months he'd just had. Badi Maa and Bade Papa, who'd known him for such a short time understood him better than the people he'd been living with for years. And that really hurt him. He did everything for his family, and in return, they couldn't even provide him with a little understanding.

"Abir," Mishti said, bringing him out of his thoughts. She kept her hand on his on the table before continuing. "I promise… Bohot jald… Meri family phir tumhaari family bhi bann jaayegi. And I know… Ki Bade Papa ka gussa bhi jaldi shaant ho jaayega. Jiss tarah tumne unhe ek baar humaare liye manaya tha… Tum phir manaa loge.

Mujhe pata hai ki… Rajvansh House mein… Tumhaari family mein… Hamesha issues rahe hain. Meri family mein bhi rahe hain. Har family mein hote hain. Yeh koi unique baat nahi hai. Lekin kabhi - kabhi… Yeh saari problems itni gehri hoti hain ki unka asar har rishtey pe ho jaata… Kabhi - kabhi hum unhe hi samajh nahi paate jinhe hum sabse zyada pyaar karte hain. Ab dekho… 2 mahine pehle… Uss din… Na tum samajh paaye ki agar tumne mujhse sach kaha hota toh main tumhaara saath deti… Aur na main samajh paayi ki tumne jo kuch bhi kaha, you didn't mean it. Lekin iska yeh matlab toh nahi haina ki hum ek doosre se pyaar nahi karte?

Uss tarah… Shayad ho sakta hai ki tumhaari family tumhe achche se nahi samajhti, but woh sab tumse pyaar karte hain, Abir. Aur main… Main unke liye excuses nahi de rahi. I'm sure… jiss tarah tum unhe samajhte ho, unhe support karte ho… Tumhaari bhi kuch expectations hongi ki tumhaari family bhi tumhaare liye yeh sab kare… aur unhe karna bhi chahiye, farz hai unka.

Lekin… Ek baat batao… Kunal ne tumse kayi baar poocha na… Ki kya tum sach mein mujhe bhool chuke ho? Toh tumne har baar usse haan kaha, right?"

Abir nodded. He had always said that. Whenever Kunal had tried to talk about it, he'd always changed the subject, or just told Kunal that he'd moved on and so Kunal should too. That he (Kunal) shouldn't keep wondering what happened between him (Abir) and Mishti because that chapter of his life was done.

"Toh phir? Tum… Tum kyu sochte ho woh nahi samajhta? Woh samajhta hai, Abir. Isliye woh tumse baar - baar yeh sawaal poochta tha.

Aur pata hai… Jab hum nahi chaahte ki jinn logon se hum pyaar karte hain woh dukhi ho… Toh hum jaan boojhke, unke dukh ko undekha kar dete hain… Kyuki humein lagta hai ki agar woh khush hain, toh woh sach mein khush honge. Yeh illusion kabhi - kabhi logon ke liye zaroori hoti hai… To cope. Shayad tumhaari family ne bhi yehi kiya ho?" She asked.

"Aur agar aisa nahi hua toh?" He questioned, vulnerable and scared. He so badly wanted to believe her words, but he didn't know how. He didn't want to build expectations again, only to have them quashed. He wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Toh… Toh main hoon na. I promise, Abir… Main tumhe hamesha samajhne ki koshish karungi. Tumhe apni baat kehne dungi, aur agar… Mujhe aisa lagega ki tum mujhse kuch chupa rahe ho, toh main tumhe tab tak pareshaan karti rahoongi jab tak tum mujhe bata nahi dete ki sach kya hai," she told him. "I'll always try my best, Abir."

He smiled at her and hugged her tight. "I promise too, Mishti. Main apne best se bhi zyada dunga tumhe. I promise ki main tumhe hamesha support karunga."

"Ab kuch kaam ki baat bhi kar lein?" Mishti joked, pulling away. "Ya app ka idea drop?"

Abir laughed and agreed. They spent the next hour talking about the venture and just what they expected out of it. Unsurprisingly, they both had very similar views about what they wanted to do with app, who they thought their target audience was, and how they wanted to go about launching the app and marketing it. Once they were both satisfied and felt that they had a good blueprint of exactly how everything would happen, they decided to end the meeting.

"Jaana toh nahi chaahta… But abhi hum risk nahi le sakte. Agar Maa ko zara sa bhi shak hua toh pata nahi kya hoga," Abir told her.

"I know, Abir. Aur… Bade Papa ko bhi toh mujhe jawab dena padega. Agar hum zyada waqt bahar rahe toh woh sawaal karenge aur main unse bilkul jhooth nahi bolna chahti," Mishti added.

"So… Let's go," he said, taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together. Abir called Kunal and told him to meet them in the parking lot on the way.

The two of them walked there extremely slowly, wanting to steal a few more moments together. Just before they were going to enter the lot, Abir whispered, "I love you, Angry Chorni."

Mishti smiled widely. Turning to him, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek and said, "Ajeeb Rajvansh, I love you, too."

When they walked inside, Nishant & Kunal were already there. They seemed to have gotten along well, if their joking demeanors were anything to go by. Nishant noticed them first.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. "I seriously thought tum dono ab waapas hi nahi aaoge," he lamented.

"Maine toh aisa hi socha tha," Mishti replied. "Tere saath jo nahi rehna mujhe! But Abir convinced me."

Nishant made a face and turned to Abir, saying, "Thanks, Abir! Warna yeh ladki… Isse toh bilkul meri kadar nahi hai!"

Abir smiled at him and stepped forward to envelope him in a hug. Nishant was taken aback and looked at Mishti in confusion but she just nodded her head in assurance and Nishant returned the hug too.

"Thanks tumhe mujhe nahi… Mujhe tumhe kehna chahiye, Nishant," Abir murmured. "Thank you… For everything. Tum… Tum samajh bhi nahi sakte tumne mere liye kya kiya hai."

"Abir… Maine kuch nahi kiya hai. Bas… Apni best friend ka saath diya," Nishant replied. "Yeh toh mera farz hai. Please… tum thanks mat bolo. I was happy to help in anyway. And I'm glad… Ki ab sab better hai."

Abir nodded in understanding.

Wanting to lighten the mood, Kunal said, "But seriously… Aap logon ne kitna time lagaya! Mujhe toh laga aap hum dono ko bhool gaye!"

Mishti's cackle and the twinkle in her eye immediately alerted Kunal that this was the wrong thing to say and his fears were proved right when in the next second, she said, "Main tumhe bhool jaun… yeh ho nahi sakta. Aur tum mujhe bhool jao… yeh main hone nahi doongi."

"Why? No… Seriously. Why? Is this… Is this going to become a thing?" He asked. "Because if it is… I want out. Right now."

"Yes… It's a thing now," Mishti replied. "But you don't get an out. No backsies."

"I hate you!" He declared. Abir was about to reprimand Kunal for that, but hearing Mishti's laugh at it, and the light tone of Kunal's voice made him realize that his younger brother had just been joking and didn't actually mean it.

"We've been over this already, Kunal. You don't!" She replied.

"I do. I really do. From the bottom of my heart," Kunal said. "Tum itni annoying ho!"

"Tum kam annoying ho kya?" She immediately questioned him.

"Please! I'm an angel," he replied. "Mujhse kaun annoy hoga?"

"Nanko," Abir stepped in, "Kuhu poora din tujhse annoyed hi rehti hai."

"Haan… Toh Bhai inn dono behno mein hi problem haina. Inhe hi aisa lagta hai. Aur kisiko toh nahi lagta," Kunal said.

"I agree," Nishant jumped in. "KungFu aur Miss Teapot… Dono mein kuch toh gadbad hai."

"Oyyeee! Tum dono meri Mishti aur meri Bro ki buraayi karna band karo. Problem na… tum dono mein hai kyuki tumhe unme problem lagti hai!" Abir was quick to defend them.

However, Mishti didn't hear anything further because Abir had said meri mishti. He'd called her his. And nothing was more beautiful than those words coming out of his mouth. Whatever might happen down the line… she had her Ajeeb Rajvansh, and she'd face it head on, with him by her side.

___________________________

So, there you have it! I tried to focus a lot on MishBir, but MishNal and NishBir just found their way in, cause I love them so much. :p

Hope y'all liked it!

Absolutely liked the bondings... still a long way to go.

Chapter Thirteen

Nishant stopped the car outside the marketplace and got out. Turning to Mishti, he questioned, "Ab mujhe yahaan kyu leke aayi hai?"

"Stupid! Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ki anniversary ke liye kuch present lena haina!" Mishti reminded him.

"Main kisi present se kam hoon kya?" He asked cheekily.

"Nannuuuuu! Please. Bohot bura joke tha. Tere sense of humour ko kya ho gaya hai, yaar?" She cribbed.

"2 mahino se tere saath reh raha hoon na… Isliye mera sense of humour bhi aisa ho gaya hai!" Came the prompt reply.

"Haha, very funny! Tu saara din bas bakwaas hi kar sakta haina? Aur kuch try kiya kabhi?" She questioned.

"Woh kya haina Ms. Teapot… Sab tere heart specialist ki tarah shayar, poet nahi ho sakte na," he told her, causing Mishti to blush.

"Ohooo! Kitna zyada sharma rahi hai! Hayyyeeee!" He teased.

"Nannuuuu!!" Mishti whined, smacking his arm.

"Aye, Ms. Teapot… Tu khush haina?" He asked her.

Mishti just nodded. Nishant immediately pulled her into a hug and said, "Then I'm glad. I'm glad ki Abir bhi tujhse tera wala pyaar hi karta hai. Karta haina?"

"Kabhi kabhi toh mujhe lagta hai ki woh mujhse mujhse bhi zyada pyaar karta hai. I mean… Usne mujhse tab pyaar kiya jab main bhi khudse pyaar nahi karti thi. Usne toh mujhe sikhaya hai that I'm worth it, ki mujhe bhi khudse utna pyaar karna chahiye jitna woh mujhse karta hai… Agar Abir nahi hota na… Shayad main itni confident nahi ban paati," Mishti replied.

"Woh sab toh theek hai… Lekin tu usse keh dena… Agar usne phir se meri best friend ko hurt kiya toh main usse chodunga nahi. Okay?" He said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay!" She agreed. "Ab kuch shopping kar lein?"

"Lead the way, mademoiselle!" Nishant declared.

They shopped for a while and bought a few presents for Badi Maa and Bade Papa. Then, they made their way home.

"Nannu, bilkul awaaz mat karna. Okay?" She instructed him as she helped him climb the side of the house into the balcony of her room. He would be staying there, hidden, till midnight, and then surprise the family on Badi Maa & Badi Papa's anniversary.

"Miss Teapot, tu seriously aise ghar se bahar jaati thi?" He asked, struggling to climb up.

"Haan! Bohot baar. Come on, Nannu! You can do it!" She encouraged, pushing him up. After a scuffle, Nannu was finally inside the balcony, no thanks to Mishti. Once she was sure that he was safe, she walked around the house and entered through the main door.

"Arre! Mishti! Aa gayi, beta?" Badi Maa welcomed her with a hug. "Kaisi thi meeting?"

"Bohot achchi thi, Badi Maa," Mishti replied with a huge smile.

"Arreeeee waah! Aaj toh meri gudiya rani ki aankhein badi chamak rahi hain! Kya khaas baat hai?" Badi Maa asked, making Mishti sit beside her on the sofa.

"Aisa… Aisa kuch nahi hai, Badi Maa," Mishti replied, blushing. "Bas… Itne dinon baad ghar waapas aakar bohot achcha lag raha hai."

And… She wasn't even lying. It was good to be back home. With Abir. Because he was her home in the true sense of the word, just as she suspected she was his. These two months without him hadn't made any sense, but now that they were back together, everything was great. She'd make sure that this time… Nothing tore them apart.

"Mujhe bhi bohot achcha lag raha hai," Badi Maa told her. "Pata hai, Mishti… Tu yahaan nahi thi toh aisa lag raha tha iss ghar mein jaan hi nahi hai. Lekin dekh… Ab tu waapas aa gayi hai toh sab kitna achcha lag raha hai jaise ghar ki raunak waapas aa gayi ho."

Mishti smiled and hugged Badi Maa. She'd missed Badi Maa so much. All the continuous phone calls and care packages she'd sent, full of Mishti's favourite food, hadn't helped as much as one hug from her did.

"Mishti… Ek baat poochu?" Badi Maa asked hesitantly.

"Aapko kabse poochne ki zaroorat padne lagi? Badi Maa aap jaanti haina… Aap mujhse kabhi bhi kuch bhi pooch sakti hain," Mishti assured her.

"Haan, meri bachchi. Jaanti hoon. Lekin baat hi aisi hai…" Badi Maa trailed off.

"Aap kahiye na, Badi Maa," Mishti insisted. "Duniya mein aisi koi baat nahi hai jo aap mujhse nahi kari sakti."

Taking a deep breath, Badi Maa asked the question she'd been wanting to since the second Mishti had come back. "Mishti… Tune… Abir… Abir ke… Abir ke baare mein kuch socha? Kuch baat… Koi baat hui teri usse? Usne… Usne tujhe kuch… Kya kuch bataya? Kuch baat ki?"

Ever since the day Abir had unceremoniously broken up with Mishti in front of both their families, Badi Maa had suspected that something was amiss. She wasn't ready to believe that Abir didn't love Mishti anymore, or that he didn't trust her. The Abir she knew trusted Mishti even when no one did. He believed her over his own family, his own brother who he loved like a son. Something definitely had to have happened for him to behave the way he did.

She was no fool. She very well suspected who was behind Abir's sudden change of heart, but with the way Abir cut off from them, she wasn't able to ask him what exactly was going on. She'd seen Abir around town once or twice in these months apart, and it had broken her heart. The man she was watching, even from afar, was a far cry from her son. His hunched shoulders, his defeated stance, those aviators, the missing smile, the lack of his long tresses… all pointed to the fact that he was just as heartbroken over the separation as Mishti was. To others, the hair might not have been a big deal, but Badi Maa knew that Abir loved his hair. She also knew that he knew how much Mishti loved them. That's the reason he'd cut them off. Because Mishti loved his long hair no matter how much she teased him about getting a haircut. It hurt her so much to see that Abir was so broken up over what had happened that something like his hair, something that he'd loved so much once upon a time, had become something he couldn't stand, so much so, that he felt getting rid of it was easier.

She'd always harbored hope that once Mishti came back, her and Abir would sit and talk, and eventually sort things out. It had been a full 2 days since Mishti was back, and she refused to believe that Abir wasn't aware of this yet, especially knowing that Kuhu and Kunal knew. There was just no way he didn't know. She was hoping he'd made contact.

Mishti, on the other hand, was in a fix. She knew that Badi Maa wanted to know what had happened just as badly as she'd wanted to. She also knew that Badi Maa hoped that after the truth came out, things would settle and her and Abir would be a couple again. Badi Maa was, perhaps, the only person who supported the MishBir relationship right now. But, Mishti didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lie to Badi Maa, but she also knew that this secret was Abir's to tell and she also knew that Abir would think of this as an excuse to his behaviour, and he would never make excuses for himself. She also wasn't sure if she should reveal that they were talking.

She was in a complete fix, not knowing whether to say something or not, but was thankfully saved by Varsha getting there.

"Yeh dekh, Mishti! Aaj maine tera favourite gajar ka halwa banaya hai!" She said, sitting beside Mishti and offering her a bowl of the halwa.

Mishti grinned and hugged Varsha. "Thank you so much, Aunty!! Wahaan maine aap sabke haath ka khana bohot miss kiya!" Mishti said.

"Hum sabne bhi tujhe bohot miss kiya! But ab tu aa gayi haina… ab sab theek hai," Varsha replied. Mishti grinned in reply.

She attacked the halwa with fervor, but then realized that Nannu might be in the room, waiting for her, and probably a little hungry as well.

"Aunty, halwa bohot achcha bana hai. Main toh ek bowl aur lungi," she announced, moving to the kitchen and refilling her bowl with more halwa. She came back out and stated, "But ab main thodi tired hoon, toh bachaa hua room mein hi khaungi."

"Haan, beta. Jaa thoda aaraam karle. Aur halwa chahiye hoga toh bata dena… Tere kamre mein hi bhijwa doongi," Badi Maa stated.

"Jee, Badi Maa!" Mishti exclaimed, running up the stairs.

"Mishti sach mein kitni khush lag rahi haina," Badi Maa commented as her and Varsha watched her rush up to her room.

"Haan, Maa. Bohot zyada. Nannu ne Mishti ka itne achche se khayal rakha, aur uski wajah se dekho… Aaj humaari Mishti phirse hasna seekh chuki hai. Jo bhi hua uske baad toh main darr gayi thi ki shayad ab… Shayad ab Mishti kabhi khushi nahi rahegi… Abir ke chodne ka usse itna bada sadma laga… Lekin London jaana uske liye sabse sahi faisla tha," Varsha replied.

Mishti looked around before opening the door to her room slightly, and entered through a small gap after making sure Nannu wasn't anywhere near the door. Once she was inside, she immediately closed the door and locked it.

"Nannu?" She whisper shouted. "Nannu?"

"Thank god! Finally tu aa hi gayi. Did you forget that I was waiting for you upstairs?" He pouted.

Mishti snorted and showed him the bowl she'd gotten for him. "Tere liye yeh laa rahi thi. Isliye late ho gaya. But… Tujhe nahi chahiye toh main waapas rakhke aa jaati hoon."

"No way!" Nannu exclaimed, all but snatching the bowl from her hand and digging into the halwa. "Mmmmm… this is so delicious!"

Mishti and Nannu spent the rest of the day watching movies and merrymaking in her room, with Mishti bringing all her meals upstairs, stating that she was too tired to sit at the dining table. Thankfully, no one argued, knowing that she'd had a long journey just the day prior and had then spent the entire day outside the house. So, they let her be, especially because all of them wanted her to be able to enjoy Badi Maa and Bade Papa's anniversary party the next day.

Mishti and Abir kept in touch throughout the day and she kept him thoroughly entertained with Nishant's antics, sharing lots of videos and voice notes with him. Abir cherished every single one of them and rewatched each on loop till a new video came in and he repeated the entire process with that one. Kunal just sat by quietly, watching his elder brother bask in his happiness. It had been so very long since he'd seen Abir smile like that.

"I'm so glad ki aapke aur Mishti ke beech ab sab kuch theek ho raha hai, bhai!" Kunal told him. "Itne mahino baad aaj aap itne khush lag rahe hain."

Abir grinned. "Haan, Nanko. Mishti ne mujhe ek aur chance diya… jo kuch hua uske baad mujhe laga tha ki shayad woh mujhe kabhi maaf nahi karegi. Lekin phir bhi… Usne kiya. Bas, ab mujhe usse yakeen dilaana hai ki jo galti maine ek baar ki hai, woh main dobara nahi karunga."

"Bhai… I'm sure ki Mishti aap pe waapad bohot jaldi trust karne lagegi. Woh aapko bohot achche se jaanti hai. Aur aapse itna pyaar bhi toh karti hai. She'll completely forgive you in no time. Mujhe aap pe poora bharosa hai. Aap sab kuch sahi kar denge," Kunal replied.

Abir just nodded, not knowing what else to say. His Nanko had grown up so much in these few months. He understood Abir so well now, he'd formed a tentative truce with Mishti, and he was even giving his relationship with Kuhu a chance. Abir had been surprised when Kunal had called off the divorce, but Kunal had explained to him that he felt really guilty about using Kuhu as a pawn in his nefarious schemes and she didn't deserve that. So, he would try to accept her and build a life with her. As far as Abir knew, and had observed, it had been really difficult for Kunal to do that because he didn't see Kuhu as anything but a friend, and while he still maintained a distance from her, he genuinely was trying to get to a place where he would be comfortable with the idea of her being his wife.

Kunal helped Abir around the office till late at night, and just a few minutes before midnight, left for home where he was picking up Kuhu so that they could drive to the Maheshwari House together, wanting to surprise Badi Maa and Bade Papa for their anniversary.

Abir couldn't help but feel the pinch of it all. If everything had been the way it was supposed to, he'd have been there, too, probably more excited and involved in the whole process than anyone else present, even Mishti. But things were such that he couldn't even make a phone call to wish the two people he loved and respected like his parents, much less be a part of their celebration. Still, he couldn't let the occasion pass by without doing something about it, so he sent a couple presents along with Kunal.

Kunal parked his car outside the Maheshwari House, and him and Kuhu waited outside for a few minutes, ringing the doorbell promptly at midnight.

"Kuhu? Kunal?!" Jasmeet greeted once she opened the door, pulling both of them inside the house. "Bilkul sahi waqt pe aaye ho!"

Badi Maa and Bade Papa were in the living room, surrounded by the rest of the family. Kunal and Kuhu wished them with big hugs and smiles. And then, Kunal asked, "Mishti kahaan hai? Dikhayi nahi de rahi?"

She'd been missing from the celebration, which shocked Kunal, seeing as she'd been so excited about it when they'd met in the morning.

"So gayi hai, shayad. Itna lamba safar tha na. Aaj saara din apne room mein hi thi. Kaafi thank gayi hai," Varsha replied.

"Hashtag not done," Kuhu butt in. "Aaj Dadi aur Dadu ki 50th anniversary hai aur woh so rahi hai? No way. Main abhi jagaa ke aati hoon!"

But, before she could move even an inch, the lights went out, surprising everybody.

"Badi Maa aur Bade Papa ki anniversary pe main na rahoon? Aisa ho hi nahi sakta. Kuhu ki language mein kahein toh hashtag no way!" Mishti's voice floated around the house. "Happy Anniversary, Badi Maa, Bade Papa. Thank you… Duniya ke best parents ban'ne ke liye. Mujhe itna pyaar dene ke liye. Mujhe support karne ke liye. Mujhe itna strong banane ke liye.

Aap dono ne, aur iss family ne mujhe bohot kuch diya hai. Aur isliye… Aaj, main bhi aap sabko kuch dena chaahti hoon. Aap sabke support ke bina main aaj aisi nahi hoti. Thank you!"

The lights came back on, and the Maheshwaris were all surprised to see Mishti standing there with Nishant. Nishant, who hadn't been home in almost a decade. He was here. And Mishti had brought him back home. Badi Maa, and Bade Papa, couldn't think of a better present.

There was screaming and crying and hugging and kissing and a lot of laughter. The Maheshwaris hadn't been so happy in a long time. A few miles away, Abir Rajvansh sat in the privacy of his room, watching the family welcome their son home with a wide smile on his face, and tears in his eyes. Someday, that would be him, too. Someday, Badi Maa and Bade Papa would forgive him, and welcome him back into the one family he felt like he truly belonged to. Someday, he vowed to himself, before cutting Kunal's video call and turning in for the night.

__________________

So, hope y'all liked this one! I know there wasn't much of MishBir here, but Badi Maa needed a say too. The upcoming chapters will be a lot more interesting, so stay tuned!

How I wish that one day was today... now.

Nice!!

Chapter Fourteen

"I don't know, Abir," Mishti said. "Badi Maa tumhaare baare mein pooch rahi thi kal. Kal toh kisi tarah yeh baat tal gayi… But main Badi Maa aur Bade Papa se jhooth nahi bolna chahti, unse kuch chupana bhi nahi chahti. Aur phir… tumhe yaad haina pichli baar kya hua tha? Unhe humaare bataane se pehle pata chale isse achcha toh yeh hai ki hum khud hi bata de, right?"

Abir and Mishti were on the phone, talking about the midnight festivities that had transpired for Badi Maa and Bade Papa's anniversary, and the topic had then moved on to Mishti telling him about her conversation with Badi Maa.

"I know, Mishti," Abir replied. "Main unse chupana nahi chaahta… lekin jo hua uske baad… Main kaise unhe face karu? Such tall promises I'd made… But I couldn't fulfill even one. I don't even know ki main kis munh se unke saamne aau. I don't deserve them. I don't deserve you."

"Abir!" Mishti reprimanded. "Kuch bhi kehte ho. I know ki jo hua woh nahi hona chahiye tha. But you made a mistake. Aur galtiyaan toh sabse hoti haina? Iska yeh matlab nahi ki tum yeh socho that you don't deserve this. Abir… We deserve each other, okay? Aur tum please itna tension mat lo. I know Bade Papa abhi naraaz hai, but he loves you like his own. Haan, shayad unhe manana thoda mushkil hoga… Lekin mujhe apne Ajeeb Rajvansh pe poora bharosa hai. Jis tarah last time tumne unhe humaare liye manaya tha… Iss baar bhi mana loge."

"Are you sure?" Abir asked. "Woh maan jaayenge na?"

"Haan, Abir. Woh maan jaayenge. Kyuki Bade Papa ke liye… Savse zyada matter yeh karta hai ki unke bachche khush ho. Aur main… Sirf tumhaare saath khush rehti hoon," she told him.

Abir flashed back to the moment that Bade Papa had told him he'd teach Mishti to be happy without depending on others… and find her own happiness within herself. He wanted that for Mishti… and even himself. Both of them had come to such a stage in life when their happiness depended on other people… And that wasn't really healthy. He'd find a way to make it happen. They both would be happy on their own, without needing anyone else. Not even each other. A relationship was meant to be a source of happiness in your life, not all of it. And somehow, he'd teach himself, and Mishti, to learn that. That it was necessary that they have a happy relationship, but it was also necessary to find happiness within yourself, without needing anyone else to be the source of it. You could be your own happy place. And that's what mattered most.

"Abir…" Mishti whispered. "Kya soch rahe ho?"

"Kuch… Kuch nahi. Bas… aise hi," Abir replied. "Tum kuch keh rahi thi."

"Abir… I really think humein Badi Maa aur Bade Papa se bohot jald baat kar leni chahiye. Main nahi chaahti ki unhe yeh sab phir kahin aur se pata chale," she told him. "Aur… Main unhe batana chaahti hoon, Abir. Because I'm proud of the fact that we're together again. I'm proud that our relationship is strong enough to have weathered this storm."

"Me too, Angry Chorni. Me too," he answered. "Theek hai… Main kuch sochta hoon. Thoda waqt dogi mujhe?"

"Meri toh saari zindagi hi tumhaari hai," she said.

"I love you," Abir told her, not knowing what else to say to that. A couple tears had fallen from his eyes at her declaration, and he wiped them quickly, as if she could see him, then chuckled at himself for doing it.

"I love you, too," Mishti replied.

They said their goodbyes and ended the call after that. Abir sat, deep in thought. Badi Maa and Bade Papa had loved him more than his own parents ever had. With them, he'd found the trust, respect, love, and admiration that was supposed to be the most integral part of a relationship between a child and his parents. The day he'd broken up with Mishti, he knew that he'd broken their trust too. Bade Papa's words from the market still echoed in his ears to remind him of what a failure he had been.

It was why he was never able to muster up the courage to go up to them and apologize for everything. After Mishti, they were the ones who deserved his apology the most. He should be on his knees in front of them, begging and pleading for a second chance to make things right… But he didn't even have the strength to face them.

He was ashamed of his actions, but he was also so, so, so scared. He was scared to look into the eyes that had once looked at him with nothing but love and trust, and find in them hatred and anger. He'd lived with his parents treating him loathesomely already. He wouldn't be able to handle it if Badi Maa and Bade Papa did that to him too, even though he deserved their ire far more than he ever deserved to be a pawn in his parents' nefarious schemes.

But, he knew that as much as he was scared, he needed to have a talk with them, to apologize, and ask for a second chance, if they could find it in themselves give him one. And, he had to, for Mishti. He'd already given that girl enough tears to last a lifetime. There was no way she was crying even one, especially because of him, and his cowardice. He'd fallen weak once, and he'd disappointed her so badly, but he would never do it again, ever, no matter what the cost.

With that resolve in mind, he decided he'd go talk to Badi Maa and Bade Papa in a few hours. Perhaps, this anniversary, they’d give him a present by giving him another chance. With shaking hands, he opened his old phone and texted Badi Maa, asking if he could come see her.

Badi Maa’s phone beeped once again and she sighed, thinking it was another message wishing her a happy anniversary. Annoyed, she opened her messages, wanting to send a quick thank you and being done with it, but was surprised to see Abir’s name flash on her phone. Abir had never tried to make contact after the break up almost 2 months ago, so she was surprised that he was texting her now. She assumed that it was just out of common courtesy, a message to wish his sister - in - law’s grandmother, yet she was happy that he’d initiated conversation again. Maybe, in time, she’d be able to get to the bottom of the entire break up business. She quickly opened the chat, and was even more surprised to see that Abir was requesting to meet her and Bade Papa.

“Shaurya ke bauji!” She immediately called out, seeking her husband.

“Kya hua, Shaurya ki Maa?” He asked her, walking into the living room.

“Mujhe aapse kuch zaroori baat karni hai,” she told him. “Chaliye.”

Saying so, she pulled him into their room and shut the door, locking it. It was absolutely imperative for her that they not be disturbed for the duration of this conversation.

“Shaurya ki Maa… yeh aap kya kar rahi hain? Kya baat hai?” Bade Papa questioned, worried.

Wordlessly, she handed him her phone. He read the text and looked at her in surprise. “Yeh kya hai?” He asked.

“Abir humse milna chahta hai,” she told him. “Usse kuch baat karni hai.”

“Lekin hum ab koi baat nahi karna chahte. Jo kuch bhi baatein thi, do mahine pehle ho chuki hain,” Bade Papa replied.

“Shaurya ke Bauji… ho sakta hai… ho sakta hai ki woh maafi maangna chaahta ho? Ho sakta hai usse apni galti ka ehsaas ho. Ek baar toh hum usse baat kar sakte haina?” She asked him.

“Ab inn sab cheezon ke liye bohot dair (late) ho chuki hai, Shaurya ki Maa. Hum ab Abir ko kabhi maaf nahi kar paayenge. Usne humaari beti ka dil toda hai. Itne vaade karke… ek bhi nahi nibha paaya. Uski wajah se Mishti ko bohot dukh hua hai. Aise insaan ki hum shakal bhi dekhna nahi chahte,” Bade Papa answered.

“Kya aapko sach mein lagta hai ki Abir aisa kuch kar sakta hai?” Badi Maa questioned.

And there in, lay the crux of the situation. As much as he wanted to hate Abir, Bade Papa couldn’t… because he himself didn’t believe that Abir would ever do something to hurt Mishti off his own volition. The same boy who’d come to their house, confident and straightforward, the one who’d told him that Mishti would never have to fear him leaving, the one who stood up for Mishti time and again, who was ready to leave his family for her… That boy wouldn’t hurt Mishti. Not without reason. He knew that. He understood that. And yet, he couldn’t seem to find it in himself to forgive Abir for what he’d done. Not yet anyway. Looking at Abir’s face would only remind him of Mishti’s screams from the day she’d gone to London… Her sobs, her cries, her pleas. They all haunted all of his worst nightmares. They were sounds he’d not heard for years. He never wanted to hear them again. Abir had done that. How was he supposed to forgive it?

But, he also knew that something huge must have happened for Abir to take that step, and as much as he loved Mishti, he’d taken to Abir like a son too. And he wanted to give his son a chance to make up for what he’d done, to know the reason behind him taking such a drastic step.

“Shaurya ke Bauji… bas ek mauka. Please. Ek mauka toh de sakte haina hum usse? Apni baat rakhne ka… maafi maangne ka. Please?” Badi Maa literally pleaded in front of him.

“Shaurya ki Maa… hum…” He trailed off. Not knowing what else to say, he just nodded his head. He needed this too.

Badi Maa replied to Abir in affirmative, thanking god a million times for this opportunity.

Abir literally jumped when he saw the notification on his phone. He’d been pacing for almost half an hour… worried out of his mind about what would happen. At this point, the same phone he’d run away from for so long seemed to be his lifeline. He just needed one chance from Badi Maa & Bade Papa to make things right, and he wasn’t above begging and/or grovelling to make it happen. He wasn’t above doing anything.

But, thankfully, it hadn’t come to that. Yet. Badi Maa had agreed to see him. He thanked his lucky stars for it. He immediately replied to her, requesting an audience outside the house because he really did not want to involve any other family member in this at the moment. Badi Maa agreed to see him at the NGO, and promised to bring Bade Papa and even Mishti along.

Finally… something was happening right for once, Abir thought. He’d talk to Badi Maa & Bade Papa and apologize… try to ask for one more chance to make things right between them, to win their trust back, and to win their love back. Not wanting to waste any more time, he got dressed and rushed out of the house, his stomach buzzing in excitement.

He reached the NGO a good half hour before the agreed time, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He puttered around for a while, too nervous to sit still, and tidied the place. He ordered some food and drinks for everyone in case they got hungry, and then paced around, waiting for them to arrive. His phone rung, distracting him for a second. He saw that Kunal was calling him and answered quickly, thankful for the interruption.

“Bhai, kahaan ho aap?” Kunal asked him.

“Main NGO aaya hoon, Nanko!” Abir answered. “Badi Maa aur Bade Papa mujhse milne ke liye tayyar ho gaye hain!” He exclaimed.

“WOW! That’s great news, Bhai! I’m sure ab sab theek ho jaayega,” Kunal replied.

“I hope so. Mujhe bohot nervousness ho rahi hai,” Abir told him.

“Bhai, aap bilkul tension mat lo. I trust you. I’m sure aap sab sambhal loge. Lekin agar phir bhi aapko koi help chahiye ho, toh please aap mujhe call kar lena. Main turant aa jaunga,” Kunal said.

“Tu office chodke yahaan aayega?” Abir asked, flabbergasted.

“Bhai, yeh office ka kaam aapki khushi se zyada important toh nahi haina… aap bas ek phone kar dena. Aapka Nanko turant haazir hoga,” Kunal replied.

“I love you, Nanko!” Abir told him, getting emotional.

“Itna bhi senti hone ki zaroorat nahi hai! Aur I love you, too!” Kunal answered.

Just then, Abir heard the crunch of the gravel under tires. “Nanko, shayad woh log aa gaye hain! Main baad mein baat karta hoon!”

“Okay, bhai! All the best!” Kunal wished him before hanging up.

Abir straightened himself up and opened the door for the three most important people in his life… His parents, and the love of his life, hoping that this time, he'd be able to do what he hadn't the last time and be the man they all deserved.

He saw Badi Maa and Bade Papa walking up the walkway, flanking Mishti on either side, and instinctively, he dropped his head, unable to look them in the eye after what he'd done.

"Tha… Thank… Thank you… Fo… For coming," he stuttered, guiding them inside.

Mishti tried to catch his eye, but Abir continued looking down, his gaze never leaving the floor, which made her think that maybe talking Abir into this hadn't been the best idea. He was clearly terrified of what would happen, but still… he was doing this. She wasn't naive enough to think all of this was just for her, because she knew that Abir did feel guilty for hurting her parents as much as he did her, and so this was just as much for them, and even for himself, as it was for her, but still, it made her feel guilty for pushing him into something he might have not been ready for.

Trying to give him some assurance, she caught hold of his hand and gave it an affirming squeeze, causing him to look up. She passed him a quick smile, trying to convey she was always there when he needed her, and he managed to return it too.

Everyone made themselves comfortable on the chairs and Bade Papa turned to Abir, looking at him expectantly.

"Kahiye, Mr. Rajvansh. Kyu bulaya hai aapne humein yahaan?" He asked Abir.

The way Bade Papa addressed Abir hurt him, but he knew he deserved it too, after everything that had happened. Bade Papa had loved him like a son, and Abir had betrayed him by breaking his daughter's heart, and his wife's heart, and even his heart.

"Itna sab hone ke baad… Kis munh se aapke saamne aau… Yeh bhi nahi jaanta… Isliye, itne waqt aaya nahi… Lekin… bohot late ho jaaye, aur aap kabhi meri shakal bhi nahi dekhna chaahe, uske pehle aapse baat karna chaahta tha. Toh aaj… Kisi tarah himmat karke… Maine baat karli," Abir began.

"Main jaanta hoon… Jo kuch 2 mahine pehle hua woh nahi hona chahiye tha. Sab meri galti hai. Mujhe pata hai maine aapko, aapke parivaar ko, aur khaskar Mishti ko… Bohot zyada hurt kiya hai.

Jab main aapse mere aur Mishti ke baare mein baat karne aaya tha… tab maine aapse bohot vaade kiye the… yeh bhi kaha tha ki Mishti ko kabhi darr nahi hoga ki main usse chodke chala jaunga, lekin main chala gaya. Maine yeh vaada kiya tha ki main hamesha Mishti ka saath doonga, but maine nahi diya. Maine yeh kaha tha ki ek rishta sirf woh sambhal sakte hain jo do log uss rishtey mein bandhe hote hain, aur main sambhaal nahi paaya.

Maine sabse jhooth bhi kaha. Yeh kaha ki main Mishti se pyaar nahi karta jabki uske alawa main kisi aur ke saath apni zindagi bitaane ke baare mein soch bhi nahi sakta. Maine Mishti se kaha ki woh toote hue ghar se aayi hai toh woh mere ghar ko jodke nahi rakh paayegi… Jabki… Main apne ghar mein, apni family ke saath rehne laga hoon, toh woh sirf uski wajah se.

Maine uss din aap sabko… Mishti ko… Humaare rishtey ko… Sabke saamne bohot buri tarah humiliate kiya… mujhe aisa karne ka bilkul haq nahi tha. Aur… itna sab hone ke baad bhi… jab Mishti mujhse milne aayi toh maine uske saath bohot buri tarah behave kiya.

Itna sab kehne aur karne ke baad… mujhe pata hai ki aap sab mujhe pasand nahi karte… Shayad mujhse nafrat bhi karte honge…" Abir trailed off, hiccupping. It broke his heart to say it all out loud. His list of sins was too long, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to repent them fully. But more than that, it hurt him to think that the only people in his life who had shown him what it felt like to be loved by a parent hated him now. A few tears fell out of his eyes at that thought, and he quickly wiped them off.

Badi Maa wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull him in for a hug, seeing him like that. He was in so much pain and she wished to take it all away, but she couldn't. Not yet.

“Yeh sab hone ke baad bhi…” he started talking again after taking a few deep breaths. “Aap… aap yahaan aaye… uske liye thank you. Agar main aapki jagah hota toh shayad main yeh kabhi nahi karta, jo aapne mere liye kiya hai.

Lekin… jo bhi hua uske baad… main aapse sorry nahi keh sakta… kyuki… kyuki maine jo kiya hai uske liye sorry bohot chota word hai. Main maafi maangke aapko sharminda nahi karna chaahta, kyuki maine jo kiya hai woh maafi ke laayak nahi hai mujhe pata hai. Aur aap… aap itne achche hain ki mujhe pata hai ki agar maine maafi maangi, toh aap shayad mujhe maaf kar bhi denge, aaj nahi toh shayad kuch time baad… but main woh maafi bhi abhi deserve nahi karta.

Toh, main bilkul bhi sorry bolke apni galti ko chota nahi karna chahta, aur yeh bhi nahi chahta ki aap kisi pressure mein aake mujhe maaf kar bhi de. Isliye main sorry nahi bolunga, jabki mujhe hazaron baar bolna chahiye. Uske liye I’m sorry.

Aur main… main apne behaviour ki koi wajah bhi nahi dena chahta. Haan, uss waqt kuch aisa hua tha jiski wajah se mujhe yeh karna sahi laga… lekin reason jo bhi raha ho, maine galti ki hai, aur main apni galti ka koi excuse ya justification nahi dena chahta.

Ab… I’m sure aap yehi soch rahe honge ki agar main maafi bhi nahi maanga chahta aur koi safaai bhi nahi dena chahta… toh maine aapko yahaan kyu bulaya hai? Toh… maine aapko yahaan ek bohot khaas wajah se bulaya hai.

Main… main jaanta hoon ki aaj aapki anniversary hai, lekin phir bhi… main aap se… aap dono se, aur… aur Mishti se bhi… kuch maangna chahta hoon. Mujhe pata hai ki ab mera aapse koi bhi expectation rakhne ka, aapse kuch maangne ka koi haq nahi hai, lekin… lekin main phir bhi maangna chahta hoon… aur agar aap denge… toh mujhe bohot khushi hogi.”

“Ky… Kya… Kya chahiye aapko, Abir?” Bade Papa asked in a soft whisper. He always knew that Abir was a responsible person who never shied away from his mistakes, and today, hearing Abir admit to everything, and tell them he understood the magnitude of his mistake, and even him refraining from making excuses about himself made Bade Papa proud of the man in front of him. It reiterated the fact that Bade Papa had not been wrong in judging Abir and that Abir was still the same person who Bade Papa had started to think of as a son. It also didn’t escape his notice that even though Abir didn’t tell them why he’d broken up with Mishti, he had admitted to the fact that something had happened which had made him take that drastic step. In the light of all this, Bade Papa was willing to be a little lenient with Abir. He did, after all, think of Abir as a son, and parents could never be too mad at their kids for long. Kids always make mistakes, and there are times when they disappoint their parents, just like Abir had, but that did not mean that any parent stopped loving their kid, just like Bade Papa didn’t. He was rightfully angry at Abir, and disappointed in him for a reason, but Abir was his son, and Bade Papa still did love him like one.

Abir looked up for the first time on hearing Bade Papa’s voice. This was the first time that he’d called Abir by his name since that fateful day 2 months ago. Abir hadn’t even realized it but he had been longing for Bade Papa to do that for a while now. His shone with more tears, and yet, there was a brilliant smile on his face, because his father had just called him by his name for the first time in 2 months. Abir wanted to freeze the moment and bask in it forever. This single moment gave him more hope than he’d harboured in 2 months.

“Boliye… kya chahiye aapko?” Bade Papa asked again.

“Ma… Mau… e… Ek aur ma… Ek aur mauka chahta hoon,” Abir replied. “Mujhe pata hai ki ab aap sab mujhpe bharosa nahi karte… kyuki maine hi woh bharosa toda hai… lekin aap sabka bharosa phirse jeetna chahta hoon, aap sabka pyaar phirse jeetna chahta hoon. Aur woh karne ke liye… sirf ek mauka chahta hoon.

Mujhe pata hai ki maine ek bohot badi cheez maang li hai… isliye, aap please… waqt lekar soch lijiye, aur phir mujhe bataiyega. Main intezaar kar lunga.”

Hearing those words sealed the deal for Bade Papa. He didn’t need to wait to bestow upon Abir what he was asking for. In all these months, Bade Papa might not have said it out loud, but deep inside a corner of his heart, he’d also harboured hope that whatever had happened that day had been a mistake and that someday soon, Abir would come back and ask for a chance to make it alright. Now, here he was, with Abir in front of him, asking him for that very chance he’d wanted to give him for so long. Bade Papa didn’t need to think or ponder. He just needed to act.

“Abir… pichle kuch mahino mein jo kuch bhi hua, woh… nahi hona chahiye tha, aapne sahi kaha. Lekin, jo ho gaya hum usse badal nahi sakte. Yeh bhi sach hai ki hum mein se kisine kabhi yeh umeed nahi ki thi ki jo hua woh hoga… aur aapne yeh baat bhi sahi kahi ki ab shayad hum aap par utna bharosa nahi karte jitna hum pehle karte the.

Humne aapko apna beta maana tha, Abir… aur humne kabhi nahi socha tha ki humaara beta humaara bharosa, aur humaara dil todega. Lekin… aapne woh kiya. Woh aapki galti thi,” Bade Papa said.

Abir immediately looked down again, ashamed at his behaviour. He was shaking in his boots listening to Bade Papa talk. He knew he’d made a lot of mistakes, but hearing Bade Papa state that he’d broken their trust and their heart was too much for him to handle.

“Lekin… Aap bhi toh insaan hain. Aur galtiyaan insaano se hi hoti hai. Aapse bhi hui. Achchi baat yeh hai ki aapne apni galti maani. Aur aap usse sudhaarna chahte hain. Galti maan’na aur usse sudhaarne ki chah rakhna… yeh karne ki himmat sab mein nahi hoti, Abir. Par aap mein hai. Yeh dekhkar humein bohot achcha laga.

Aur… aapko beta maana hai humne. Bachche agar galti karein, toh maa baap ka farz hota hai unhe maaf karna. Haan, aapki galti bohot badi hai, isliye maaf karne mein humein shayad thoda waqt lage… lekin maafi maangkar aap humein aapko maaf karne pe majboor nahi karte.

Aapne humein niraash bhi kiya hai, lekin aaj humein yahaan bulakar, humse baat karke, humein phirse umeed di hai, ki shayad sab sahi ho jaayega.

Isliye… humein sochne ki zaroorat nahi hai, Abir. Hum aapko ek mauka zaroor denge, apni galti sudhaarne ka,” Bade Papa declared.

Abir was openly crying now, tears falling continuously from his eyes without a hint of stopping despite him wiping them away constantly. Badi Maa, unable to stop herself, stepped forward and wiped his tears with her pallu, making Abir cry harder. He immediately wrapped himself around her, sobbing into her shoulder. Badi Maa hugged him back and shushed him gently, trying to get him to stop. As she ran her hand up and down his back in an effort to calm him, Abir felt like he was finally with his mother for the first time in years. He’d never felt this sort of affection for Badi Maa ever. She’d always been more his mom than Meenakshi Rajvansh had ever been, and yet, he’d never been more grateful for her than he was in that moment.

Once he was calm enough, he pulled back and Badi Maa finally wiped his tears completely off his face. “Thank you,” he whispered reverently, wiping her tears in return, causing Badi Maa to smile.

Turning to Bade Papa, he said, “Main iss waqt koi vaada nahi karunga, kyuki mujhe pata hai ki aap yakeen nahi karenge, lekin aapne jo mauka diya hai, main usse jaane nahi doonga. Thank you. Thank you so much!”

Bade Papa smiled and ran a hand over Abir’s head as a silent blessing. “Hum jaante hain,” he said. And he did. Bade Papa was sure that this time, Abir wouldn’t disappoint any of them. He would never repeat the same mistake twice. Ever.

“Tum keh rahe the na… ki anniversary humaari hai, aur maang tum kuch rahe ho?” Badi Maa asked him, to which he nodded. “Lekin… tumne humein aaj humaara beta waapas kar diya, Abir. Thank you!”

Abir hugged her one more time and then it was time for the Maheshwaris to leave. Abir walked them out, his eyes constantly on Mishti, who couldn’t look away from him if she tried. She’d never expected Abir to agree to talk to Badi Maa and Bade Papa so soon, and for their conversation to go so well either, but she shouldn’t have been. Her Ajeeb Rajvansh could do anything. And she was sure that he’d win over her parents soon, just like he had before. After all, they loved him too.

Abir helped all of them into the car, and his fingers lingered in Mishti’s for a few seconds, squeezing before he let her go. He stood outside, watching them drive away with a huge smile on his face. He couldn’t believe it had gone so well with Badi Maa & Bade Papa. They’d agreed to give him a second chance. Life couldn’t get better than this, could it?

Just then, his phone beeped with an incoming message. He opened it to see that Mishti had texted him.

Thank you, Ajeeb Rajvansh. Tum sach mein meri story ke prince charming ho jo meri har wish poori kar dete ho! I love you!! <3

He was wrong. Life could get better. And it would.

____________________

Phewwww! This one is LONG! I hope it makes up for not updating last weekend!

I had midterms and couldn't update because of that. But, a lengthy chapter this week as compensation. :)

Hope y'all enjoyed this one! :D

Vote and comment, please! <3

Oh my god! What an emotional roller coaster update it was!! Abir is finally finding his home. Loved reading every bit of it.