One Month Later
My hands automatically moved along the guitar strings as I sang the opening verse to Life is Beautiful as my client Arabella, a 40 year old heart patient,
for the day was interested in listening to my Hindi compilation. However even though the lyrics came out of my mouth as second nature, my mind was still occupied by the happenings of the past month.
It had been an entire month since Abhimanyu and I had returned from Los Angeles. A month since I had last seen my family. A month since Bade Papa's words pierced through my heart.
A month since Abhimanyu and I officially moved in together. A month since our life has been an absolute bliss.
Just as I finished the song, Arabella clapped for me. "Yay! The song is beautiful!"
"Thank you, I hope you enjoyed it." I replied back. I checked my watch to see it was around 4pm, perfect time for me to get home and get started on dinner.
"We sure did." Another familiar voice added, behind me.
I turned around and got up from my chair, recognizing the voice d and looked up to see Bade Papa entering the room while simultaneously clapping his hands with Abhimanyu behind him.
"Bade Papa?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. Then my eyes found Abhimanyu. "Abhi?"
"Akshu." Bade Papa called my name with a soft smile on his face.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, hesitantly.
But it was Abhimanyu who answered. "Bade Papa called me a week ago, asking whether he could come and observe you in your zone —your workplace. And I said of course —only if he was here to witness the independent girl you had become —and respect and value your professional commitments."
I nodded my head, too stunned to say anything so I said the only thing which my mouth would allow me — "Oh."
"After you left a month ago, every single day was a lesson to me. Maaji, Swarna, Kairav, Vansh stopped talking to me. And when they did, all they said was how unfair I was to you. They reminded me that you were like both your father and mother —how could I have forgotten? You are resilient, a hard worker —and so how would you not succeed?"
"Bade Papa?!" I questioned, my eyes going moist at the comparison with my parents —the strongest people I knew.
"Yes. Abhimanyu was right you know, in bid to upheaval my ego, to protect you, I was the one who failed. I failed you by leaving you alone —leaving you to fight the world alone which is exactly what I was trying to protect you from."
"Please don't say that." I ushered, feel terrible.
"No but now, seeing you treat your patients with your music and actually helping them cope with their illness —it's marvelous. I can't even put into words what I saw from the window as you were so engrossed in your music. But I saw the smile your music brought on the patients face. How even for a short time —it lessened their pain. That is commendable."
"Thank you." I answered, looking back behind Bade Papa at Abhimanyu —the man I loved, my real strength.
"Akshara is the best. Her music therapy is doing wonders for me —helping me." Arabella gave her personal client review from the patient bed behind me, making all of us laugh a little.
"Thank you. Now I know." Bade Papa accepted the compliment, quietly tapping my chin in fatherly adoration.
"You relax now Ms. Lancaster, we'll see you soon." Abhimanyu spoke next, as he ushered us out of her room.
"I'm so happy to see you!" I announced to Bade Papa as we walked to Abhimanyu's cabin, with one man walking on either side of me.
"I am too." He replied, contently.
"Are Mimi, Badi Maa doing okay?" I asked.
"Why don't you ask them yourself?"
"They are in New York?" I asked excitedly.
Bade Papa nodded his head. "Yes! We all came together. They're staying at the apartment we bought."
"You bought an apartment here?" Of course they did. I don't even know why I was getting shocked.
"We did. They are dying to meet you."
I turned to face Abhimanyu, "Abhi?" I asked for permission.
Abhimanyu nodded his head. "Of course! Go!"
I turned around to face Bade Papa, "Bade Papa, why don't you wait for me in the car? I have to discuss some patient notes with Abhimanyu. It won't take long and I'll meet you near the car afterwards."
"Okay. And Abhimanyu, we better see you there too. We'll be waiting." He commanded as he entered the elevator.
"Of course sir," Abhimanyu answered just as the elevator doors closed.
~*~
I turned around and hugged Abhimanyu the moment we entered his cabin. I rested my cheek against his beating heart as his arm tightened around me, pulling me in deeper into his embrace.
"I'm so so so happy!" I exclaim.
"I'm happy for you too! You deserve all the love and support." He replies kissing me on the forehead.
"I can't believe that after all this, my family —all of us are finals going to be together! Like I always wanted! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed, hugging Abhimanyu tighter before pressing my lips to his.
"I didn't do anything! In fact I was the one who had given up hope, remember?" He chucked, ever the simplest.
"On the contrary, you are the one who gave me hope! If you hadn't taken me to meet my family a month ago, confronted Bade Papa, none of this would have been possible! So you —you are the reason, the only reason I have my family back."
"I love you, you know that?" He stated simply, unable to find any other words.
"I do. And I love you too!" I answered back, as we engrossed ourselves in another soft, loving and intense kiss.
"You should go." He whispered against my lips.
"Na uh." I said, shaking my lips against his.
"Bade Papa is waiting." Abhimanyu replied back, unwilling to let me go.
My eyes opened wide. "Crap!" I exclaimed, pulling away from Abhimanyu. "I have to go!"
"Exactly what I've been saying!" He chuckled.
"Are you going to be joining us?"
"I'll see! I have a few more consultations and intern evaluations to finish up. But if I get a chance, I'll for sure love to join you all." He said with a bright hopeful smile.
"I'd love that too." I reply back, smiling at him before exiting his office.
~*~
"Mimi! Badi Mama! Bhaiyaa! Vansh Bhaiyaa!" I exclaimed as I ran into the penthouse suite Bade Papa had bought for them in New York City.
I ran up and hugged each and every single member, embracing them tightly.
"Akshu?!" They all said in unison, in absolute happiness.
"I missed you all soo much." I yelled, trying not to cry.
"We missed you too." The all replied, taking turns hugging me.
"And I missed you the most, Bade Papa!" I allow myself to finally confess, giving Bade Papa a bear hug.
"And I missed you my child. I missed you very much. I hope you're able to forgive me."
"Please don't say that Bade Papa. There is nothing to forgive." I say earnestly.
"Abhimanyu is a nice guy." Bade Papa informs me.
"He is." I agree.
"And he loves you a lot."
"He does. More than I could've ever asked for." I say, thinking back to the time of how Abhimanyu and I met —at Phoenix. A job that had given me everything. A job that I was soon going to have to say goodbye to.
"I'm very happy for you two."
"We —we are very happy for you two." Badi Mama announced, walking up to Bade Papa and me alongside Mimi, Kairav and Vansh bhaiyaa.
"Thank you. Thank you, thank you!" I reply, overcome with emotions.
"Chalo chalo, don't cry now. Aren't you hungry?" Mimi asked, making light of the situation.
I nodded my head, wiping away my tears. "Very. I'm starving."
"Where is Abhi?" Mimi asked me.
"He's busy. He says he'll come later." I answer.
"Oh." Mimi replied, disappointedly.
"Mimi! You aren't as happy for me coming as you look disappointed for Abhi not being here!" I scold her, feigning hurt.
Mimi rolled her eyes. "Dramebaaz shaitaan kahin ki."
"Now let's go! I'm hungry!" I say, pulling them all towards the kitchen. Their granddaughter was home after a long time. She deserved to be pampered.
~*~
"No Mimi, please! I'm full!" Abhimanyu claimed, denying Mimi's nth try at trying to feed Abhimanyu desert.
"Mimi, you know Abhi doesn't like eating desert." I explain, trying to save him.
Abhimanyu nodded his head. "Yes, Mimi. On your request I already overstuffed myself at dinner and then ate a plate of homemade desert. Now I don't have any room left."
"Are! Aise kaise nahin? You have to!" She forced.
Abhimanyu looked at me, pleading with his eyes to save him. "Mimi, please. Don't force him. Nahin toh he won't ever come to see you again."
"Then I'll go and see him. Simple. Ek bite Abhi. It's homemade ice cream." Mimi gave him her best puppy dog eyed helpless face.
Abhimanyu looked at me, then at Mimi before gulping and taking a bite of the ice cream, unwillingly from Mimi's hands whilst I tried to stifle in my laughter.
"Hmmm, soo yummy!" He complimented, his face accurately portraying the deliciousness of the ice cream.
"Like it? Now you have to finish the entire bowl!" Mimi commanded, forcefully handing him over the bowl of ice cream.
Abhimanyu looked at me like a deer caught in the headlights and I just shook my head, helplessly.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Abhimanyu growled once Mimi had left.
"You being pampered? Being loved? Yes, very much." I replied.
Abhimanyu was about to snap back at me when he looked around the dining table to see the loud, chaos the Goenka's brought to the table. We were a lively, messy bunch and I wouldn't have us any other way.
I watched live as the expression on Abhimanyu's face changed from that of slight annoyance to happiness.
"Thank you." He whispered, looking back at me.
"For?" I asked, furrowing my brows even though I knew his answer.
"For giving me the family I never had." He answered, softly, his voice trembling.
"Our family." I added softly, nodding my head.
"Our family." He followed, nodding his head too.
~*~
"Okay, it's 1am, time for me to go." Abhimanyu announced, getting up from the ground where we had just played cards.
"Go?! Why don't you just say here?" Bade Papa asked.
"I would but I have to be at work at 6, and I don't want to disturb any of you."
"Nonsense! You won't be a disturbance at all." Mimi, the newest fan of Dr. Birla chastised.
"I'd love to stay but it's just easier for me this way Mimi. But I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Please Mimi? Bade Papa?"
Bade Papa nodded his head. "It's okay, I understand. Go. We'll see you when you're done work."
"Thank you! Mimi?" He asked, looking for Mimi's approval.
"Promise to come back tomorrow?"
"Promise! And I have a day off the next day. So I'll be staying then!" I admired my boyfriend as he delicately handled Mimi. He was going to make an amazing father one day.
Just as Abhimanyu began to leave, I got up and started to follow him.
"Akshu?! Aren't you going to be staying the night?" Badi Mama called out to me, making Abhimanyu and I pause in our steps.
Abhimanyu turned around to face me. "Yeah, Akshara. Aren't you going to be staying? You can, you know."
And spend a night away from him? Never. "No. I'll come home with you."
"But..."
Did he not know I couldn't sleep without him? That I needed him right next to me? Feel him right next to me?
"I'm coming home with you." I announced adamantly.
Abhimanyu looked at me, reading the determination in my eyes before nodding his head. "Okay. Let's go."
I turned around to face the rest of my family members. "Goodnight everyone. We'll see you tomorrow."
They exchanged glances amongst themselves before Bade Papa finally broke the silence. "Good night."
"We better see you both tomorrow, okay?!" Mimi commanded.
I nodded my head. "Yes. Yes, you will." I agreed.
And just like that, Abhimanyu and I waved everyone goodbye as we walked hand-in-hand towards our home.
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One chapter to go! Hope you all liked this chapter! Let me know in the comments!