"I want to talk to you," Tabinda said.
Ruhaan raised a brow in confusion but straightened his expression quickly. "Yes, what is it? I am listening."
"Can we sit and talk?" Tabinda looked around and mumbled. She seemed apprehensive to Ruhaan.
"Sure."
"Look, whatever happened to Aliyan, it wasn't Nisha's fault. You shouldn't make her feel guilty for it," Tabinda stated.
Ruhaan regarded her face for a while before shrugging. "I have no such intention. I know, of course, it isn't Nisha's fault. Aliyan is a kid and kids do get hurt while playing."
She sighed. "I just want you not to take her children away from her by accusing her of not being a good mother. She loves them very much. She can sacrifice her life for them."
"Aunt, what are you saying? Why would I snatch away kids from Nisha? I know she is a very good mother to them. It was just an accident and I know this fact." Ruhaan was seriously confused by whatever she was saying. She wasn't making any sense. Or perhaps she was thinking of him as such a low person who would blame Nisha for what happened to Aliyan.
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This night, Tabinda decided to stay as Nisha went back home. But no one knew why Nisha did this when her heart didn't want to stay a second away from her baby boy.
Tabinda had prayed for Aliyan's well-being the whole time yesterday. This accident made her realize how much she loved Aliyan. Despite not showing any likeness to him, her heart couldn't help but to get connected to her adorable, naughty grandson. She was missing his playfulness, liveliness, and the way he used to look so cute roaming everywhere when he learned to crawl.
"Aunt."
She came out of her thoughts at Ruhaan's voice. She looked up to find that tall, handsome young man offering her a cup of tea.
"The weather is getting colder. Have the tea. You will feel better," he explained.
Tabinda observed him closely before accepting the cup. He never for once talked defiantly with her. He always gave her respect. Although she could remember, not once did she answer his greeting.
"Listen." Ruhaan was about to leave when she called him. He turned around and faced her.
"Why aren't you giving divorce to my daughter? You got your money back and with this, technically your necessity with her should end. Or is it because of your kids? But I don't think a person like you should get bound to a woman just because of children. I mean, you can easily snatch them away from Nisha and she wouldn't be able to do anything." Tabinda brought up the problem rising in her mind since the time it all started.
Ruhaan smiled and sat next to her. "Love. Love is the thing that is binding me with your daughter. I attempted to fake something when it was real. I fell in love with Nisha the first glance I laid at her."
Tabinda had experienced so many circumstances. Her hair got white while this. The brightness she was seeing in Ruhaan's eyes right now was of sincerity and love. She knew it and ironically, she didn't try to defy herself this time.
"Why do you love her?" It was a weird question and as far as Tabinda thought, she shouldn't be asking Ruhaan this.
"Do love need any explanation, Aunt? It just happens on its own," Ruhaan reasoned.
Ruhaan watched as she got up from the bench and walked away. Today was the first time they had a civil talk. As two people interacting with each other just for the sake of a common person, they loved mutually. And Nisha was the one they both could die for.
He was still in his thoughts when his phone vibrated. He took it out from his pocket and his lips spread to form a smile.
"How is Aliyan?" Nisha asked as soon as her call got accepted.
"He is doing well," Ruhaan answered back.
"Did he take proper feed?" Another question from her side.
Ruhaan's lips spread as he took a sip of the coffee. Every time he found her being so caring for their children, made his heart got puffs of happiness and surge his love for her to sky heights.
Nisha had prepared a bottle for him before going home. She didn't want to leave him in such a state but some things needed to be done timely.
"Yes. He slept with a full stomach."
"Thank God," she whispered.
"You should sleep now. It's late already," Ruhaan told her.
Nisha exhaled and took a glance at her sleeping daughter. "I am unable to sleep. I am getting worried for Aliyan."
"Don't worry about him. He is perfectly alright." Ruhaan tried to assure her.
She huffed and nodded. "Where is my mother?"
Whatever it was, she couldn't stop herself from asking about her. Her mother was her whole universe. And she loved her dearly.
"She is with Aliyan," Ruhaan said.
Nisha's heart skipped a beat at this information. The affection and care of her child overpowered the love she had for her mother.
"Please go to Aliyan. He isn't very familiar with Ammi. You can handle him well if he cries." From her side, she tried her best not to show her apprehension.
"Okay, I'll go to him. But you should sleep now. You haven't slept for two days," he instructed her and disconnected the call.
Nisha closed her eyes and put her head on the headrest of the bed. Why everything just kept on getting so complicated for her?
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Nisha wasn't able to sleep for the whole night. She was getting anxious for Aliyan. She didn't know how her son would be doing. That was the reason she called Ruhaan many times to ask about Aliyan's well-being. She didn't want to leave the hospital but she had to pack her and the children's important things.
Nisha had decided to move into her grandmother's house for a few months till Aliyan would need her for feeding. She finally came to a point where she speculated Aliyan's well-being and Tabinda's mental state would get compromised if they kept on living in the same house. She chose to give Aliyan to Ruhaan. He was very much attached to his Daddy and Ruhaan could take care of him along with their grandmother.
After half an hour, Ruhaan and Tabinda came with Aliyan. Nisha took him in her arms and kissed his cheeks while tears made their way through her eyes finding a big bandage around his head.
Coming back into the room, she dressed Eshal up and picked up the suitcase. Everyone looked at her in confusion. But the way color drained from Tabinda's face showed she somehow knew what her daughter was going to do.
Nisha reached Rutba Begum. "Dadi Jaan, I want to stay with you for a few months." She glanced at Ruhaan who was looking at her without blinking. "I have decided I will give Aliyan to Ruhaan. But I need to delay everything for a while till Aliyan needs me. After that, he will stay with Ruhaan and you. I will just meet him at some place."
"Nisha, what are you saying?" Rutba Begum narrowed her eyes.
Tabinda clenched her jaw and grabbed Nisha's arm so that she could face him. "Are you doing this because you're thinking I am a threat to Aliyan because of what happened to him? Nisha, how should I make you understand that I didn't do it on purpose? He just crawled and fell when I wasn't around."
Nisha wiped her cheek. "When did I say you did it on purpose? But you can't deny that you don't like Aliyan. You didn't find him that special to take care of him. And I am not blaming you. You have every right. His grandfather and father hurt you and I can understand you. I know it's difficult for you since he got you reminded of the person who hurt you." She swallowed a bulk of tears before continuing. "I have given this thing a lot of thought and this seems the most logical. I don't want to hurt you anymore. I did it enough. I am sorry for everything, Ammi. But please give me a margin as a mother of Aliyan. I won't bring him in front of you ever."
Everyone was perplexed at this dump of weird information. Was Tabinda wasn't happy with Nisha's children? Was she the reason for what happened to him? Ruhaan looked at the crying old woman with a clenched jaw. Did she hate his little son because he was his father?
"Nisha, why are you doing this? I don't hate him. He is my grandson as well. Whatever happened was just an accident. Yes, I never showed any care for him because...because I got to remember my past looking at him," she screamed in between hiccups.
Ruhaan's veins were about to burst due to resentment. Whatever happened, it was done by his father and him. What was the fault of his son in it?
"But that doesn't mean I hate him. I love him as his grandmother," Tabinda was sobbing now.
"Ammi, I know you don't hate him. But you don't like him either. And whatever is going to happen is better for all of us," Nisha said.
Rutba Begum and Ruhaan were just standing there silent. Ruhaan's fingers though were curled into a fist due to anger.
"You are misunderstanding me. Don't punish yourself by forcing your child to live away from you," Tabinda murmured.
Nisha gave a broken smile. "What punishment? Ruhaan will take care of him. And there's Dadi too. I will meet him too."
She hugged her tightly. Her mother was everything to her. And Nisha could do anything for her. Especially after hurting her with her actions, she couldn't think of giving more misery to her. And if this included her leaving her baby and crashing her contract with Ruhaan, she didn't care.
Breaking the hug, Nisha turned towards Rutba Begum. In all this while, she never laid a single glance at Ruhaan. It was just grandmother's house where she would be living not his.
"Dadi, take me with you."
Her tone was so firm that Rutba Begum couldn't object. She wasn't just a young innocent girl right now whom she could coax or persuade to make her understand. She was a mother and a devoted daughter too who wanted the best for her two dearest relationships.
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He always wanted for her to come back to his house but it would happen in such circumstances, Ruhaan never thought. Their relationship was still uncertain but everything could still change. He had to show her that he could become a loving husband and an ideal father for her children. He could change her mind.
Ruhaan tilted the front mirror of the car and peeked at her reflection through it. She was looking out of the window. Aliyan was in her lap, sobbing sometimes due to pain whom she was consoling by saying sweet words. Ruhaan was loving her soft and melodious voice. Eshal was sitting in her walker beside Nisha. They were on their way to Sufiyan's mansion; Ruhaan was driving, Rutba Begum was in the passenger seat, and Nisha and the kids were in the back.
Nisha caught him staring at her but quickly looked away when she found immense love in his blue eyes.
Even after getting to know the truth, Ruhaan didn't get angry at either her mother or her. She was dreading it. He could have questioned her high claims that how careless of a mother she was. Or else he could have confronted Tabinda for risking his son's life but he didn't do that. She didn't want to bring this in front of him but it couldn't have remained hidden from him if she wanted peace of both her baby boy and mother.
She was coming back to his house but what if Ruhaan would associate any hope from her? But she would make it clear to him that she was only doing it for Aliyan's and her mother's sake.
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She got out of the car and blankly looked at the huge white mansion. When she came here for the first time, she was so weak and on the verge of losing everything but now she had her children with her. Her biggest strength.
Ruhaan picked up the whimpering Aliyan from her and took him outside to divert his mind away from his injury. She had Eshal in her arms. Ruhaan was still handling Aliyan far better than she. She saw how instantly he stopped crying in his embrace and started sucking his thumb. And it just reassured them that her decision wasn't wrong.
She walked inside and everything played in her mind like a film; when she entered the house as Ruhaan's bride. Despite the severity of her situation, she was relieved that her husband was the same guy who claimed to love her. And then how she overheard him and left this place.
Nisha shook her head. What was the benefit of remembering all those things? Nothing could be changed now.
"Why don't you lay the children in their room? I think they are sleepy and you--" Rutba Begum trailed off. She was well aware that Nisha didn't come here as Ruhaan's wife. She was here as Aliyan's mother whom she was going to give him forever.
She was shocked over the fact that Tabinda disliked Aliyan just because he looked like Ruhaan. She was disappointed in her if she had to be honest. And it was frightening to her how the doing of the parents was affecting the children as well. First, it affected Nisha and Ruhaan, and now their kids.
She decided to talk to Tabinda about this. She still couldn't believe Tabinda would hurt her grandson. There was definitely something else. And she wouldn't allow this to happen. They already suffered so much.
Despite wanting this marriage to work, when she got to know that Nisha just wanted a separation, she didn't intervene since she promised her that she would support her. But now it was a different thing. Nisha and her mother's bond shouldn't get messed up. And Aliyan needed Nisha more than Ruhaan when he was still young. This would affect the poor baby ultimately.
"I will also stay in the kids' room. Just guide me where it is," she said.
Rutba Begum called a maid quickly. "Show Nisha the room which Ruhaan got set for the kids and Nisha, beta come for the dinner later on."
Nisha's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Ruhaan already arranged a separate room for the kids.
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Salam?/Hi guys!
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