Chapter 51
The dinner table was set and the aroma of the rich spices was hovering in the air. Everyone was settled on their chairs, Advait opened the lid off the bowl and Abhishek's eyes twinkled in happiness.
"Chote bhature!!" Abhishek tone was pinched in joy.
Advait smiled fondly looking at his happy face but Kalyani made a disgusted face.
"Main ye tala hua khana nahi khaungi." She said disapprovingly shaking her head.
"Aapke liye banaya bhi nahi hai." Aditya quipped up.
Abhishek and Arush giggled lowly while Advait tried to control his smile.
Kalyani glared at Aditya but he was unfazed as he was not even looking at her.
"Aapke liye dusra khana banwa deta hoon mai." Advait said but Amrinder spoke up.
"Koi baat nahi Advait wo yahi kha legi waise bhi usey chole bhature pasand hai." Amrinder said earning himself a glare from his wife as he exposed her.
Advait fed Abhishek the first bite with his own hands and then they started eating silently but Aditya was continuously giving a side-eyed look to Kalyani. Advait noticed it and tapped his fingers in front of him on the table.
Aditya snapped his head at him and he gave him a warning look.
But Aditya leaned forward and whispered, "Ye kab jayengi yahan se?" He asked.
Advait shot him a look, "Aise nahi bolte, Adi."
But Aditya was not the one to stay quiet so he looked at the Kalyani with the sweetest smile he could put on his face, "Dadi..." He said, but Kalyani cut him off.
"Don't call me Dadi." She snapped.
Advait fisted his hands controlling his temper but Aditya spoke up while dramatically raising his hands, "'Kay, I want to ask you a question, Mrs. Malhotra."
Advait choked on his food coughing badly, Abhishek hurriedly passed him a glass of water and he gulped it down immediately.
He composed himself and glared at Aditya but he had already turned his face towards Kalyani who was looking at him through gritted teeth but he raised his brow.
"Pucho." She gritted.
"Aap yahan se kab jayengi?" He directly asked.
Her glared intensified, "Meri marzi mai kabhi bhi jaun mere bete ka ghar hai ye." She said rudely.
Advait clenched his jaw after listening to her as she was calling this house of her son. Advait had long before settled somewhere else but this house also has memories of his mother so he could never bring up himself to do this.
"Magar aapka beta to yahan nahi hai na to yahan kyun reh rahi hain?" Aditya retorted.
"Adi badon ki baatein hai ye sab." Amrinder spoke up gently.
Aditya rolled his eyes, "Offo dadu, I just asked you guys a simple question ki aap wapas kab jaa rahe hain isme bhi kya itna drama create karna." He said nonchalantly.
"Adi, chup chap khana khao apna." Advait said.
But Kalyani spoke up, "Mera jab mann karega mai tab jaungi tumhe jyada problem hai to tum chale jao."
"Mai kyun jaun mera to ghar hai apki tarah guest thodi na hoon." Aditya replied.
"To phir..." Kalyani was about to say when Advait said in between.
"Dadi aap bhi kya bacche se argue kar rahi hain." He said tired of the unnecessary argument.
She looked at him sharply, "Baccha hai ye? bacche aisi baatein kiya karte hain."
"Phir kaisi baate karte hain aap hi bata do." Aditya asked, feigning innocence.
"Aditya!" Advait fixed him with a glare.
"Mai yahan se kahi nahi jane wali tab tak to bilkul nahi jab tak mai jis kaam ke liye aayi hoon wo kaam nahi ho jata." She declared grabbing everyone's attention.
"Konsa kaam?" Arush mumbled with curiosity.
"Aag lagane ka kaam." Aditya muttered under his breath but shutted his mouth when Advait looked at him sharply.
"Mai chahti hoon Advait shaadi kar le."
She announced.
"Nooo!" Abhishek, Aditya and Arush three of them shouted in unison making everyone flinched but Advait was still sitting straight trying to digest her demand.
"Tum log kon hote ho mana karne wala, shaadi Advait ko karni hai." She said glaring at three of them.
"Exactly shaadi bhaiya ko karni hai to wo khud decide kar lenge aap unhe mat bataiye." Abhishek spoke up and Kalyani raised her brow surprisingly at his confidence.
"Bhaiya shaadi nahi karenge." Arush said clutching Advait's shirt tightly in his hand.
"Haan koi shaadi vaadi nahi hogi aapko jyada shok hai to aap apni shaadi kar lo." Aditya replied.
This time Amrinder choked on his food, he picked up the glass of water and gulped it down.
"Adi, Enough now." Advait warned.
"Par bhaiya..." Aditya was about to say when Advait cut him off sharply.
"If I hear a one more word from your mouth now, you'll not like me." He warned him, making him look down silently.
"Dadi ye baat hum dinner ke baad karte hain." Advait told her.
The brothers changed a nervous look with each other, nobody spoke in the rest of the dinner.
~________________________________________~
Advait had settled down on the couch while Kalyani and Amrinder was sitting in front of him on the other couch. The room was filled with uncomfortable and heavy silence.
Amrinder cleared his throat, "Advait, we want you to marry."
"Tum life me settle ho chuke ho, tumhari umar bhi bilkul sahi hai ab tumhe shaadi kar leni chahiye." He said.
Advait didn't interrupt him, he was just listening to him silently.
"Har cheez ki ek sahi umar hoti hai aur wo kaam usi umar par ho to accha hota hai." Kalyani added.
They both looked at him waiting for any reply from him.
He was in deep thinking as if weighing their options.
The face of Shreya came in front of his eyes but he immediately brushed it off when the faces of his little brother's came in front of his eyes who were not ready to share him, who needed him the most. He was again ready to sacrifice his life for them.
"Mai abhi shaadi nahi kar sakta." He declared.
"Par kyun?" Kalyani furrowed his brows.
"Bacche abhi chote hain unhe meri sabse jyada jarurat hai, Mai kisi aur ko apni priority nahi bana sakta." He replied calmly.
"Bacche bacche bacche puri zindagi kharab kar li hai tumne apni in bacchon ke piche, aur wo bacche jo tumhare sage bhi nahi hai." She raised her voice.
"Aapko jo kehna hai kahiye but they are my kids, my priority and I'll do everything to keep them happy." Advait replied clenching his jaw.
He stood up, "I don't want anymore discussion on this topic." He left the room angrily.
~________________________________________~
Abhishek was sitting anxiously on the bed, dangling his feet down. He was constantly tapping his foot on the floor. Aditya was nervously pacing back and forth in the room while Arush was chewing on his fingers.
"Bhaiya ne agar haa kar diya to?" Aditya asked horrified halting his movements.
Abhishek started tapping his foot with more speed. Arush stood up on the couch, "Bilkul nahi mai bhaiya ko shaadi nahi karne dunga mai unko chupa dunga." He said with determination.
Abhishek and Aditya both ignored his rubbish talk and looked at each other with a mix of fear and concern.
"Bhaiya ki shaadi ho gayi to phir wo humse bilkul pyar nahi karenge." Arush mumbled, his eyes started getting teary.
Abhishek sighed and headed to his side, he sat down beside him taking him in his embrace.
Aditya said dramatically, "Just think agar bhaiya ki hone wali wife vamp nikli to just like..."
But Arush said in between, "Bua?"
"Nahi re, she's a bitch." Aditya said casually but quickly realized that he just abused in front of Arush. Abhishek glared at him dangerously.
"Bad word. I'll tell bhaiya." Arush said up.
Aditya quickly cupped his cheeks with a nervous smile, "No Aru, I said witch. She's a witch, Chudail." He tried to manipulate him but Arush shook his head defiantly.
"No, you said B-I-T-C-H." He said crossing his arms over his chest.
"I said witch, W-I-T-C-H. Agar mujh par trust nahi hai to bhai se puch le." Aditya looked at Abhishek with pleading eyes.
Abhishek glared at him but took his side, "He's right, Aru. He said witch." He said and Arush looked down confused doubting his hearing ability.
"Dekha tu bhi na kuch bhi sunta hai." Aditya said lightly flicking his head.
"Waise logo ko wahi sunai deta hai jo unke dimag me chal raha ho iska matlab tere dimag me ye bad word chal raha tha, bataun mai bhaiya ko?" Aditya teased with a smirk.
Arush widened his eyes and shook his head scaredly, "Nahi nahi." He pleaded.
Aditya smirked at Abhishek who was looking at him with a no nonsense look, "Chal tu itna keh raha hai to nahi batata, khush."
Advait entered the room, his gaze swept over three of them. Arush quickly hugged him catching him off guard, Advait picked him up in his arms.
"Kya hua, baccha?" He asked lovingly.
"Aap shaadi mat karna." Arush replied with trembling voice.
Advait sighed in relief that it was only about his marriage, "Don't worry bhaiya shaadi nahi kar rahe hm." He told him.
"Pakka na?" Abhishek asked equally scared.
Advait ruffled his hair, "Pakka beta, tum log meri shaadi ki baat sun kar itna dar kyun gaye?" He asked.
"Because we don't want to share you with anyone." Aditya replied huffing.
Advait chuckled and sat down on the bed taking Arush on his lap, he gestured to Abhishek and Aditya to come closer and they obeyed.
"You don't have to worry about all this, tum log humesha meri priority rahoge, rahi baat shaadi ki to wo to mai abhi nahi karne wala." He replied and their bodies eased up in relaxation.
"Aap kabhi shaadi nahi karenge?" Abhishek asked genuinely.
"Nahi." He replied with a small smile.
Their faces turned into full blown smiles and they lunged forward taking him in a tight hug. Advait smiled having the feeling of hugging his whole world in his arms.
Advait went to his study to do his office work while Abhishek and the other two troublemakers were still in the room. Arush was engrossed in video games while Abhishek was thinking something when Aditya bumped his shoulder into his.
"Kya soch rahe hain?" Aditya asked wiggling his brows.
"Hume bhaiya ko shaadi karne dena chahiye." Abhishek said after thinking for a moment.
Aditya looked at him incredulously, "Aapko shaadi attend karni hai? " He asked.
"I'm serious, Adi." He replied and Aditya's expression turned serious and concerned.
"He is again sacrificing his happiness for us." Abhishek said.
Aditya thought for a while, "You're right, bhai but..." His tone grew serious, "But what if he started loving her more than us?" He asked.
"Har insaan ka sabki life me apna ek place hota hai, wo unki wife hongi bhaiya unse pyar karenge hi wo unki priority bhi hongi par iska matlab ye nahi hai ki bhaiya hume bhool jayenge, we're his kids. Wo humesha humse pyar karenge. No matter what happens." Abhishek made him understand.
"But what if she hates us?"
"Or what if she turns out to be a vamp just like we do watch in the T.V. serials." He dramatically added.
Abhishek sighed in exaggeration, "Aise nahi hota hai Adi aur phir hum aise hi kisi se bhaiya ki shaadi thodi na hone denge pehle unhe dekhenge unse milenge baate karke janenge tab jaa kar agar wo humare saare test me pass hongi to hum bhaiya ki shaadi unse karwa denge." He replied.
"Good idea, to ab hum bhaiya ke liye ladki dundhenge." Aditya said excitedly.
Abhishek calmed him down, "Haan haan but bhaiya ko bina bataye unhe nahi pata lagna chahiye ki hum unke liye ladki dundh rahe hain." He said.
"Okayy!!" Aditya replied.
"Kya pata nahi lagna chahiye bhaiya ko?" A voice came from the behind and they both turned their faces.
Arush was standing there placing his both hands on his waist and looking at them suspiciously.
Abhishek and Aditya both exchanged an understanding look. Aditya whispered to Abhishek, "Iss bhaiya ke chammach ko pata chal gaya na to turant jaa kar unhe bata dega."
Abhishek nodded his head, "Sahi kaha isey humare plan se out rakhte hain."
"Ye kya ghusur pusur kar rahe ho aap dono mujhe bhi batao." Arush said glaring at them with a big pout glued to his face.
They both laughed dramatically, "Kuch nahi hum to bas tere birthday ki planning kar rahe the." Aditya said.
Abhishek agreed, "Right."
Arush narrowed his eyes, "Mera birthday to seven months baad hai." He replied.
They both looked at each other before laughing again, "To kya hua hum tere birthday par grand celebration karenge na to grand celebration ke liye to bohot pehle se planning karni padti hai." Abhishek made up the story.
Arush studied both of them, he still looked at them suspiciously but nodded his head nonetheless making both of them sighed in relief.
~________________________________________~