46.
After their family moment. She decided to talk to Reyansh and sort out things.
So She made her way to her room. She was nervous.
She knew she had hurt Reyansh and he would be mad, and it didn't help with her nervousness.
Each step feels heavier than the last. As the room came into view, she took a deep breath before opening the door.
She entered the room and saw Reyansh working on his laptop, sitting on the bed, his back hitting the headboard. His hairs were still wet, showing that he had taken a shower.
He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with matching trousers. He was wearing glasses, and his eyes and mind were fixed on his work. His veiny hands were working on laptop like a pro.
Arya gulped hard looking at Reyansh who was not looking any less than a Greek God. Her eyes fell on his hands and traveled to his face.
Reyansh was now well aware of the intense gazing but didn't say anything. Arya shook her head, trying to distract her from not-so-holy thoughts.
She took slow steps towards the bed where Reyansh was sitting and stood beside the bed. But he didn't look at her.
"Ansh," She whispered. He hummed, still not looking. Making her feel bad.
"Ansh" She called again. Again he hummed.
"Why are you ignoring me?" She said with a hint of vulnerability. "I am not," He said.
"I know you are mad," She said. "I am," He said without looking. "Reyansh, Look at me." He looked.
"I am s-" she was cut off by the ringing of the phone. Reyansh took his phone and got up from bed. He attended the call, making his way out of the room, leaving Arya alone.
Arya, seeing him going away like that, tried to step towards him and called him, "Reya..Ahh," but her feet twisted, making her cry in pain. It was unbearable. Unaware of all this, Reyansh was still on the call in the hallway.
As the call ended, he was about to go back to the room, but He saw Aryan coming towards him.
"What are you going to do now?" Aryan asked.
"I have talked to Vihaan. He said Arya wanted to take action legally"
"If that's what she wants, we will do that.
" They walked from there, talking about what to do and how to do it.
__________
Arya, with great difficulty, sat on the bed.
Her foot was hurting with a slight moment.
Tears were falling from her eyes due to unbearable pain.
She clutched the bed sheet tight with her hands on her sides.
No one was there whom she could ask for help. And her phone was also not near her.
She was sitting when she heard a knock. Her back was facing the door, so she was unable to see who it was. But she sighed in relief that someone has come to whom she can ask help. She knew it was not Reyansh. Why would he knock to come into his own room?
She heard steps coming nearer. She can feel the person standing beside her. She looked up with a tearful gaze only to get frozen looking at the person.
"Aap?"
Another person looked at her to see her face soaked with tears.
"W-why are you crying?" The person asked.
"It hurts," She whispered.
"What hurts" other asked softly.
"My foot" She choked out. Other person looked at Her foot and then at her.
"What happened to your foot?"the other person asked, trying to cup her cheek, but she flinched, making the other retrieve her hand feeling guilty.
"Let me help you," she nodded. Other person helped her to half lie on bed adjusting the pillows behind her back. She cried in pain because of movement.
"It's fine, it's fine," Other consoled her.
"Where is first aid box"
"Side drawer" She pointed. She pulled out the first aid box and took the pain relief spray and sprayed on her right foot and then took the elastic bandage and moved to wrap around her foot but Arya tried to move her feet wincing in pain.
"No. Don't touch my foot" she said.
"I have caused you so much pain which i can't fix, at least let me fix this" Unable to say something Arya nodded.
Other person wrapped the bandage carefully around her foot. She took out a pain killer from the box and gave it to Arya with a glass of water which was on the side table.
Arya took it and gulped down the tablet with liquid. She kept the glass back and said.
"Thank You dadi," She said with a genuine smile. It was the first time she had seen concern in her eyes. She felt happy. Ashvini smiled at her but her smile didn't reach her eyes.
Ashvini got up and was about to take a step when she felt a slight pull on her hand.
"Don't go" She heard a low voice and turned to Arya who patted space beside her. She looked at her for a moment then went and sat beside her.
Arya shifted her head from the pillow to her lap and unknowingly Ashvini's hand started caressing her head. It reminds them of Arya's childhood.
When she was a little girl she always lay like this, keeping her head on her dadi's lap who would caress her head and tell her stories.
She was the only daughter of their family so in her childhood she was close to everyone but as time passed by everything started changing she started getting distant from them because of their thinking which she didn't like. And after that incident everything changed.
But still whenever she thinks about her childhood she realizes how everything has changed yet nothing. There were times when she happily sat with Ashvini who would caress her head while she talked about everything.
Now everything is the same but yet nothing. She is similarly Laying her head in her lap but there is an awkward silence Lingering in the air, both don't know how to start a conversation. How far they had come.
"Arya"
"Dadi" Both said at the same time. They looked at eachother with sad eyes.
"I am sorry beta" She said and Arya closed her eyes.
"I am sorry that because of me you have to go through all of this" She whispered. Arya shook her head still not opening her eyes.
"I am sorry we were not with you when you needed us the most. I was so blinded by my ego that I blamed you and because of this you got hurt again and again.
I have said so many hurtful things to you but you bear it all and never replied back to me. I am sorry that i forced you into a marriage you never wanted in first place"
It's strange isn't it that whenever we do wrong we say sorry like it will do everything. It will take back the words we have said like it will mend the hearts we have broken but it did not do anything still we say it.
"Please don't say sorry about My marriage. It is the best thing you have done for me. Because of you i have the best husband in the world. Best family in the world"
"I am happy that let it be unknowingly but i did something good for you"
"But what I did to you all these years is something I can never forgive myself for. I was so bad to you"
"I will try to forgive you and you try to forgive yourself" Arya said smiling and hugged her waist.
"You are so kind, beta so forgivable," Ashvini said, still caressing her head. She was feeling light hearted now. Their attention shifted to the door where another person had entered.
He came towards them and was about to.say something but was cut off by Arya.
"Please dadu don't say sorry I have heard enough today," She said.
Partab Singh smiled at her antics. "If I didn't say sorry, how would I ask for forgiveness?" he asked in a soft tone.
"Just don't repeat your actions and give me a hug and I will forgive you" She grinned. Partab smiled at her and hugged her. Arya's smile widened. It was her dream to hug her father and grandfather but she never got a chance to fulfill her dream.
He sat down beside her and asked.
"What happened to your foot"
"Nothing just get twisted"
"You should be careful" She nodded with a smile. They fall into easy conversation. Remembering Arya's childhood moments, smiling teasing and laughing.
Reva Reyaan Arav and Vihaan were passing by the hallway when they heard noises coming from the room. Curiosity took over them. They looked at eachother and raised their eyebrows and then shook their heads.
They peeked through the door only to get shocked looking at the scene where Arya was laying, her head in her dadi's lap. On the other side sat Partab who was pouting?
They looked at eachother and again at them. Vihaan flinched hard by hand on his shoulder. He looked behind to see Avni and divya standing there.
He nudged Reyaan by the elbow who also looked behind, he nudged Reva and she did the same with Arav. They were now standing in line.
"What were you doing?" Avni asked.
"We heard voices and just looked."
"You know na you shouldn't do this" Divya said.
"It was her idea" Arav pointed at Reva she looked at her betrayed but passed the blame to his brother. "No it was he"
Reyaan looked at her in disbelief but pointed at Vihaan. And now all eyes were on Vihaan.
He gave three of them 'you are gone' look who looked away. He was about to say something when they heard another laugh.
Avni and Divya looked at each other and then through the slightly opened door looked inside.
They heard a voice. "What are you all doing here?" Naveen asked Arjun to come towards them.
"They are eavesdropping," Vihaan said, pointing at ladies with a smirk. They then realized their position and stood straight.
"Uhh we were just seeing" ladies said nervously and the youngsters tried to control their laughter.
"What's so interesting?" Arjun said.
"See by yourself," Avni said, moving aside, giving them space. They moved to stand there when the door suddenly opened revealing pratab.
"What are you doing?" He asked looking at all of them who laughed nervously and tried to think of an excuse.
"We were just passing and heard voices so we stood by," Vihaan said. partab nodded and said. "We were just talking."
"What about" Arav said going in and all others also went.
Their eyes fall on Arya particularly on their bandaged foot. All said at the same time.
"What happened?" She flinched at the sudden voice and after seeing all of them she tried to sit up.
"No no beta don't sit up" Naveen said.
"It's just a minor sprain," She said. They nodded.
" By the way .." Arav said all turned to him.
"We saw you were pouting, why is that?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Yes, yes, tell us," Reva joined.
"They were teaming up against me " He said pointing at Arya and Ashvini who looked offended.
Naveen and divya were shocked to see this side of their maa papa. It was the total opposite of how they behaved, they were pouting, teasing and what not. Avni and Arjun were also shocked to see this. They all took their seats wherever they found they knew it was going to be fun.
While the younger ones cooed at them. "We are in your team don't pout" Arav and Reyaan joined Partab. While Reva and Vihaan went to Ashvini and Arya "we are in their team"
"But why are you making teams?" Avni said.
"We don't know," Arav said, shrugging.
"What?" Divya said in disbelief. Which turned into laughter. They all laughed at their silliness.
Ashvini Avni and divya were sitting on the bed Arya was laying her head on Ashivinii's lap. Partab Arjun and Naveen pulled out chairs and sat on them. Reyaan and Arav sat on the bed where they found a place. Vihaan put his head on Avni's lap. While Reva pouted.
"Bhai get up i want to lay on maa's lap"
"No, I am not going anywhere," He said, taking his tongue out.
"Get up," She said, pulling him.
"You can lay here," Divya said to her. She paused on her actions and looked at her. Divya nodded telling her to come. She went and hesitantly put her head on divya's lap who started caressing her hairs.
"Thankyou for taking care of our daughters Arjun and Avni beta. Which Responsibility we couldn't fulfill you fulfilled it. She is lucky to have in laws like you." Ashvini said with sincerity.
"She is not only your daughter Aunty. She is our daughter also." Avni said.
"And we are lucky to have daughters like her and Reva," Arjun said, not letting Reva feel left out. Arya and Reva smiled at them.
"Where is Reyansh Maa?" Arya asked. "And Aryan," Reva added.
"They were in the garden talking about God knows what" Divya replied to them.
"They left me out," Vihaan said dramatically. making others laugh.
"Maa when they came scold them that they can't abandon me like this" Vihaan said like a child. Avni nodded, laughing.
They fall into easy talk. Their husbands were talking about business and all filling each other with the latest news. Ladies into their talks about anything and everything because with ladies there is not only one topic.
Younger people were more interested in ladies' talks than their fathers, which were boring.
Room was filled with talks and laughter.
It was looking like they had met after a long time.
Which they have but yesterday they were not as easy with each other like today there was a thin line of tension between them but today it was removed like all they needed was a talk and now they all are good.