Manjha A String of Complicated Relations

Yash's Sad Tale

The next day, Yash Narayan Vashisht arrived. His father had opted to stay at a hotel outside the academy for his business while Yash had opted to stay at the Academy. He would not let this opportunity go by.

He was going to be around his Jaana, his Shambhavi, his little soldier, albeit she was not little anymore.

But by the time he had reached the Academy gates, he was a nervous mess. He was standing right outside the Academy looking around when his phone chimed with Aarti's message.

"It will be alright." -AYV.

After Shambhavi had run away that night Yash had looked back to see both Aarti and Raghav were not as remotely shocked as he was. They were sad but not shocked. That meant they already knew Shambhavi was there.

So, Yash had asked, no, he had begged Aarti for more information. Back in their room, Aarti, that sweet woman, had told him all that she knew. She told him about Adhya's wedding to a Squadron Leader and about Nitya's Admission to the medical college. She told him about Shmabhavi getting into IOTA and topping the midterm exams.

Yash had always known that Aarti was helping the girls, so that was one of the reasons why he was able to leave somewhat peacefully.

He had decided that night that if nothing then he would at least get to know his daughters from afar. He had immediately accepted the request from IOTA to teach a few lectures.

He told Aarti what he had done and told her when he would be going, and Aarti had for the first time in a long time, looked genuinely happy,

She had told him about the girls, what they liked, what they did. She had gone on and on about their accomplishments and accolades, and Yash himself had listened on with rapt attention and so much pride.

In all the years of their marriage, Yash and Aarti had never been comfortable or even civil. It was a marriage that was forced upon both of them but from that day something changed. They had become friends and that was because of the girls. Aarti loved those girls and Yash was more thankful than he could ever express to her. He knew he had to make up for all those years. He just did not know how.

He knew Shambhavi was aware of him going to the Academy. He knew that she would not be happy but he just wanted to see her as a grown woman, not as the little girl who would wear his uniform cap and pretend to be a soldier. He wanted to see her as a cadet of the Indian Army in her own uniform.

He went to meet Major Khan, a student of his and caught up with her. He slyly asked about the toppers of the senior batch and was pleased to hear that Shambhavi was one of Major Khan's favorite students, along with her best friends Anisha and Anant.

He wanted to tell her right there that Shambhavi was his daughter but he knew that would create problems for Shambhavi.

He then went to Aniket's office. He was in a lecture at the time so he just waited. Aarti had told him about Aniket and Shambhavi. Of all the men in this world Aniket was one Yash would have considered worthy of his daughter. He always thought that, whenever he saw Aniket, if his Shambhavi was with him then he would have considered him as a potential, prospective groom for her. But now when it might actually happen, he could find so many flaws in Aniket.

Yash knew that it was just a father's heart thinking that no one would be good enough for his daughter, and he knew it would be ultimately Shambhavi's decision. If she wanted to marry Aniket then he had no right to stop it.

He was glad that it was her decision, as he was glad that Adhya had married someone she chose for herself. He would be damned if let his daughters go through what he, Aarti, and Sakshi had gone through. The same went for Raghav.

While Raghav might feel that he was strict, he did not love his son any else than his daughters. He was trying hard to keep Raghav away from his father Narayan Vashisht even if they meant keeping him away from himself.

Yash might never show Raghav how proud he was of him but that was because whenever he looked at Raghav he thought of his daughters, and how he could not show his daughters how proud he was of them, or how they never got his love, and that always stopped Yash from freely loving Raghav. That is where he had wronged his son.

Yash thought about how he wronged everybody he had loved most in his life. He had wronged his daughters by sending them away, and he had wronged his son by keeping him at arm's length. He had wronged the love of his life, his Sakshi, by leaving her when he should not have, and he had wronged Aarti by not being able to love her.

He never wanted to do all this. He did not want to send Sakshi and the girls away. Only when Adhya's life had been threatened, did he take that step. He was going to bring them back, everything was set. But then his father had faked a heart attack and he had to leave urgently. And then one day he received divorce papers already signed by Sakshi. He could not understand then, he did not understand till date. He went to Mumbai and found that Sakshi and the girls were not in the house he had left them at.

He had not wanted to come back but he had to. He did not want to marry Aarti. She was barely 18 at the time, so young, so innocent but his damned father and his manipulative games! Had he not gotten married to Aarti then the girls' lives would have been threatened.

He had also played a game with his father. Only Aarti knew that he had faked an accident that showed Sakshi and the girls to be dead. That was the only way to get Narayan Raj Vashisht to back away from his daughters. He was going to protect them no matter what.

Even now he had to talk to Aniket about this; he had to tell him to look out for Shambhavi.

"I will always look out for Shambhavi, Sir," Aniket's voice cut through his thoughts.

He looked back to see Aniket's smiling face. "You were talking to yourself again, Yash Sir," Aniket said, coming to hug Yash.

After pleasantries were exchanged, they sat down. "So, are you actually meeting me and not trying to kill me?" Yash asked Aniket with humor in his voice.

"Yes, I was given permission, Sir. Although I had no idea that I would need permission, nonetheless I was given permission," Aniket replied with mock seriousness.

Yash laughed at Aniket's reply.

"My boy, you are always going to need permission from now on. That's what happens when you get a woman," Yash advised Aniket.

"So, you want me to look after Shambhavi but why will you be here for at least this week?" Aniket questioned.

"My father is here, Aniket, and I should not have to mention what this means. While she is safe inside the Academy, outside not so much. Although I have no concrete proof that he knows about the girls and my lie, I would not put it past him to figure it out. He has sources," Yash said in all seriousness.

Aniket understood and told him he would keep an eye out. They talked some more and Aniket told him what all he covered in his classes.

Yash also had few things in his mind for his classes, lessons that he wanted to teach not only to students but also to Shambhavi.

"Aniket, did you let Bhavi know that I will be teaching for a week?" Yash asked. He did not want her to be shocked by his sudden appearance.

"Yes, she knows. Aarti ma'am, or rather, Choti ma has already informed her," Aniket said.

Yash smiled at Aniket as Aniket went on about all that he had learned about Shambhavi in the days he had known her.

Yash vowed then and there that he would protect all his children. So, he asked Aniket for Nitya and Adhya's numbers. He had to do something about Narayan Vashisht, and he knew who would help him. It was time to overthrow his father.

Coming to his room, he dialed Aarti's phone, "Aarti I need you to go and meet the lawyer, yes our lawyer, and tell him...."