The next morning the ladies were all setting the table for breakfast,
Sarla: " Preeta, where is your Di, she is normally first to be in the kitchen but today I haven't even seen her, she's okay na".
Preeta: " Haan MA woh we finished late last night maybe she's a bit tired.".
Just then they saw Abhi come down stairs.
Shristi : " Let's ask Jiju, Rockstar Jiju, where is Di, ma is worried she hasn't seen her favourite child yet". She giggled.
Abhi: " What, but Pragya was awake hours ago, where did she go".
Everyone stood tensed.
PRAGYA: " Here I am" Everyone turned to where her voice came from at once.
They saw Arjun, Siddharth and Pragya and when the trio moved they saw....
Sarla dropped the dish she was holding and rushed quickly to her husband.
SARLA: " yeh Tum ho na, koyi vehem nahi he".
She reached out to touch her husband whom she was seeing after many years.
Raghuveer: " Haan, it's me"
And he hugged her holding her tight expressing how much they both missed each other while all the children stood watching them I tears while some were confused.
Preeta and Shristi together: " Papa, lekin you were..." They could both complete the sentence they rushed to their parents and hugged their father.
Bulbul watched all this a bit confused she looked down a bit sad.
Raghuveer called out to her : " Hey Birdie what are you doing there , come let me hold my baby girl too".
Bulbul quickly rushed into his arms, she loved her husband and her Jijus but her father's arms brought a different kind of safety.
Rockstar:" Raghu beta , tum zinda he, lekin tumhara ma nai Mila kya. "
RA rushed to his mother taking her blessings then hugging her.
Sarla: " But what's going on, I thought ..."
Pragya: " Ma, we will tell you, let's go to the living hall".
They all left including the Luthra except Kareena who still didn't come down as yet.
As everyone settled.
Pragya began: " First let me introduce everyone. This is my Papa, Raghuveer Arora and Baba.
She went first to Disha and Rishabh " Yeh Disha ki husband, Rishabh Luthra" the two took his blessings .
Next Purbul:" Yeh Bulbul husband Purab Khanna, and my mere Bhai jese". Purab took his blessings.
Next was Preeran :" This is Karan Luthra, Preetas husband" Tkl took blessings.
Next Shrishmeer: " Sameer Luthra , Shristis husband ".
Next Krijun:" Aur ye tumhara one and only Bahu, Kritika " she took his blessings.
Roofing had already gone to handle an emergency.
Next she introduced Bani dadi, Rakhi and Mahesh and Abhis Daasi".
Last she said: " And Abhishek you have already met" abhi also took his blessings.
Rockstar Dadi: " Pragya Beta now tell me, if you knew that your Papa was alive why didn't you tell us".
Pragya:" Daadi, I didn't know, but I have been looking into it for a while, Baba didn't die he disappeared but I didn't know why till yesterday".
Sarla: " Disappeared lekin kyu".
Arjun: " Maasi to protect his family he left".
At just that moment Kareena walked in to find everyone gathered.
Raghuveer: " TUM, WHAT ARE YOY DOING NEAR MY FAMILY" .
Everyone was shocked and looked between the two while Kareena looked confused.
Kareena: " Bhai Saab kya Bola tum, I don't know you".
Raghuveer: " You are that monsters wife, Rahul Singh".
This shocked the Luthras as well as Kareena as she had left her husband when she was pregnant and never looked back.
Pragya knew she had to intervene
Pragya:" Baba, be calm, I will explain".
Pragya: " Rahul Singh fooled Kareena aunty into believing he was a good guy but he just wanted her for her name and money after her marriage she lived with him but slowly she learnt about his illegal activities, she feared for her life and by this time she was already pregnant so she ran away, faking her death she went back to her maternal home, shes not a threat to us, she's a victim."
Everyone in the room was silent and Kareena had tears rolling down her face she covered her face and sobbed she felt an arm around her and looked up to see Preeta holding her followed by Shristi and Disha.
Pragya continued: " Rahul Singh was a Mafia and very dangerous, years ago when Maa and Baba separated it was because he was a rival he wanted bribe money but Baba and Grandfather refused he made threats this is why our family separated and lived alternate Middle class lives. A few years ago Rahul found out that Baba live in Nasik with 2 daughters, the doctor lied that Baba was ill and so Preeshti was sent back to MA so they would be safe once Baba knew they were safe he disappeared".
Abhi: " Lekin woh Rahul Kaha hai".
Siddharth: " I killed him in an encounter two weeks ago".
Everyone was shocked, Kritika who had never even known her father's name till now was stunned that her father was evil.
Kareena: " Raghuveer Bhai, please forgive me, your children have been suffering for years at the hands of that man and I was no less of a villain please forgive me" she was on her knees in tears with her hands folded.
Raghuveer looked at his daughter who nodded and he stepped foward and picked Kareena up
Raghuveer: " Bhai khethe hai aap, so Behn aisa nai karte".
Everyone in the room smiled at this.
Rockstar Daadi: " Woh Hoga so Hoga, now my Son, daughter in law and grandchildren are all together.
Raghuveer: " Haan ma, just see all my girls are so grown, I'm going to be Dadu, I have 5 Son in laws and a Bahu".
Abhi: " Haan Baba lekin Mein favourite na".
Karan:" TUM favourite kyu, mein The Karun Luthra, I'm favourite".
Everyone slapped the foreheads.
Preeta : " You two self obsessed, why you only are favourite".
Shristi and Bulbul: " Haan Purab and Sameer sabse chota so they will be favourite".
Sarla: " Oh you all dramebaaz, Rishabh will be the favourite" .
Arjun: " Haan Haan lekin, Beta sabse Favourite ".
Kareena" Haan Beta tum sai ".
Raghuveer:" Oh my family I missed you all but no favourites just yet, he or she is still on his way, Pragya Beta how many months more for my grandchild".
Bulbul: " Offo Papa, Poti/ Pota on their way now you forget you children ".
Shristi: " Haan Papa Bulbul di is right we are the youngest that space is ours"..
Pragya: " Hare Bas , Baba 2 months are left, and don't worry we know you don't play favourites, now come let's go have breakfast, today my Baba will eat food made by ma".
As they all left the room, Rockstar Dadi and Sarla and the elders remained when Rockstar dadi said.
RDadi: " Raghu Beta, still we know who is favourite, your first baby, did you see, she has become so responsible"
Raghu: " Haan Ma, my Pragya, God give her all the joy, she took my place in this family and she has done it well".
Mahesh: " Mr Arora, you are right your Pragya is in a league of her own, she is an amazing child, but I have to say all the Arora children are, they stand united and fight together, you are very lucky".
Raghuveer: " Kya Mr Arora , Bhai khethe na".
Mahesh: " Haan Bhai chal".
They all went to join the children at the dining table.
*****
Sorry for the late update.