f o r t y. a family of her own
Pranati was back at her house, the one she left behind or rather, was forced to leave behind years back. She was asked to sit, offered a glass of water which she politely declined and questioned about her and Jugnu's health to which she replied with a 'fine'.
Her mother had not spoken to her and neither did she want to.
Because her real mother was back in Mussoorie.
This was just a woman who birthed her and raised her until the age of 18, something she was thankful for but nothing beyond that.
Her father and brother seemed distant too, her sister wanted to interrupt the silence but couldn't. They seemed hesitant and awkward.
That was fine too. Pranati had an overwhelmingly extroverted Khurana family who stepped into being way too familiar to her.
For instance, it had been five minutes since she had reached the Mishra house and she gotten a call from Anisha asking if she reached, a text from Armaan wanting to know if she needed a chauffer to be picked and another from Maan asking her what kind of ice-cream she'd like for dessert.
She was added in all of their family chat groups and even in the core group where it was just she and the younger clan.
And her family, her daughter - she was way too perfect for Pranati to miss out on anything else.
"So, Chetna, how was your honeymoon?" Pranati asked, turning at her married sister who seemingly had a beautiful glow on her face. "You look so pretty, nazar na lage!"
Chetna threw her arms around Pranati, taking her by surprise. "I called you here to settle the matter."
"What matter?"
"We decided that you should shift back here with us, with mom and dad." Chetna said much to Pranati's surprise, and she got out of Chetna's hold. "Come on, dii, it's been eight years and this is your house!"
"We all agree to it." Prabhas, her brother replied from the corner of the room. "Let bygones be bygones and let's start afresh."
"Bygones?" Pranati chuckled, shaking her head with a sigh of dismay. "I appreciate this gesture, I really do." Pranati admired the brave step her family took for her, but they were eight years too late. "But, all I can do is thank you. I cannot accept this offer."
"But why?" Chetna added, troubled. "You deserve a better place, Jugnu deserves a better life."
"She is right, Pree." Archit who was a silent spectator raised his voice, "eight years were a long time, and now it's time to-"
"To forget about all of those eight years and come live here like nothing happened?" Pranati had a smile on her face, the smile of disbelief. "So that my kid and I get labelled as outcasts and shameless for the rest of our lives?"
Archit had no answer to that and neither did the rest of the Mishras.
"So you are going to go back to the Khuranas?" Her mother said when the silence became too overbearing, "even when that boy ruined your life?"
Pranati took a deep breath. It was a good thing she did not get Jugnu with her, because the girl would have been constantly fighting a battle with the social demons.
"Reyansh is Jugnu's father." Pranati looked at her mother, this time she did not care much about anyone. "And he is a good father. Sure, he left us when we needed him the most, but so did you all. The difference between you and him is simply that he stepped up when he saw us, and not turn around like you maa."
