Kaun Kiska ✔️

three: Schemer

Raman
Raman sat in the passenger seat, next to Mihir who was driving. From time to time he glanced in the rear vision mirror to look at his son, who was sitting in the backseat between Mihika and Shagun.

He sighed as he thought over the events of the past few days.

He had been very angry with Adi after the false accusation he had made against Ishita. But more than Adi, he had blamed himself. He knew that somewhere, in the cold war that the relationship between Shagun and he had turned into, they had both failed their son.

Ruhi had been just six months old when Shagun left, and even though she had grown up devoid of the love of both her parents, she had had a loving family, grandparents who adored her, a chachu and two buas who spoilt her and an entire colony that loved her as their own.

But Adi ... Adi had been five years old when the split happened , old enough to understand, old enough to be forced to chose a side, old enough to be affected by the insecurity of not knowing where he belonged. He, Raman, had been forced out of his sons life by a court order, and Shagun had sent him to boarding school.

He thought back to his own childhood, secure in the unquestioned love of his parents and siblings, and choked back a tear as he thought again of how love had eluded his son.

He glanced in the mirror again, and watched as Adi slid his hand into Shaguns. Shagun held on to her sons hand tightly, and gave him a wavering smile. Raman watched as Adi put his head on his mothers shoulder, and saw her caress his head.

Raman sighed again.

Whatever he thought of Shagun, whatever her indifference to Ruhi spoke about her as a mother and a human being, there was no denying that she loved Adi and that Adi loved her. He would have to move very carefully, act with a great deal of thought and care when deciding what to do next.

He knew that whatever he had felt for Shagun in the past was long over. Whether it had been love, a youthful infatuation, lust or dependence, it was a thing of the past, and it was no longer something that Raman cared to analyse. However, their past had consequences for his present, because their past had produced the two children who, along with Ishita, were the loves of his life.

And for Adi, for his son, Shagun was his world, the only constant in his young life. So for Adi, Raman needed to make sure that Shagun was settled, that she was happy.

Adi's words came back to him, echoing in his ears, drowning out the noise of the Delhi traffic "Please take us home papa ... take US home...take us HOME ... home...home..."

Ishita and Ruhi's faces came unbidden before his eyes. He heard his own voice saying "Wait up for me, I'll be home soon... Home soon... home soon"

The car glided to a stop. They were at Mihir's building. Raman took a deep breath and opened his door.

Twenty minutes Later
Shagun
Shagun Arora was a fighter. She would not let this destroy her. Ashok could not do this to her. She would not be the laughing stock of Delhi. She would fight this. She would fight him. She would win. She would triumph.

She paced furiously around the bedroom she occupied in Mihir's flat. They had arrived here some twenty minutes ago and she had excused herself, telling everyone that she needed to change.

Mihika had offered to help her, but Shagun had impatiently brushed her aside.

"Adi, beta, you stay with papa. Mein abhi aati hoon" (Adi, you stay with papa, son. I'll be back soon) she had gently removed her sons clinging hands from her, had handed him over to Raman and had marched into her room.