Virat opened the album excitedly. The first picture he saw made his cheeks flush. It was a picture of MS holding an infant Virat against his shoulder.
Next picture was a 1 year old Virat walking with Mahi holding his fingers. There was another one where he looked 1.5 year old, he was playing with a ball with his Mahi bhai.
"Who clicked these pics mumma? " Virat asked Meera.
"Your very talented mother" Meera spoke gleefully. She had photography as her side flick in her college days, where she mostly did nature photography, when Virat and Mahi came in her life they were the subject of all her pictures. She clicked them with love, she didn't know these pictures will become her solace in the storm in coming years.
"I can't tell you how much I love you for this" Virat squeaked, taking her in a tight side-hug. Meera's eyes misted, she never thought a moment like this would come, when they all would be sitting together reminiscing the memories.
Flashback:
Meera was absolutely clueless, in this one month she had tried her best to win over the boys but hardly got any success. She understood the elder boy's apprehensions but that didn't make her feel any better. He hadn't even looked at her properly, she didn't know how to reach him.
She heard the younger child's cries, when she reached there she could see Mahi trying to coax him to calm down but the child was going red with crying so much.
"Give him to me please, just once" Meera requested.
"He has fever, that's why he is crying so much. I was just going to call the doctor" Mahi told her, still holding him over his shoulder.
Meera went over and checked his forehead, he had fever and it felt very warm. "We need to take him to hospital Mahi, we need to get some tests done before starting any medications"
Mahi agreed immediately. Meera drove the car and took them to the hospital. She made both of them sit on the sofa in doctor's cabin. She was an intern there. Mahi was grateful for once, she was probably not the witch he was thinking she was.
The doctor talked to them for a few minutes before Mahi saw Meera coming in with a needle. Virat too saw it and hid his face in Mahi's chest immediately. Mahi wrapped his arms around his back, comforting him all he could.
Meera sighed, this was not going to be easy. She had to take his blood sample for testing and she could see how scared Virat was already. If she thought she had a 1% chance with the boy, that too was gone.
She pestered Mahi to give her his hand but Virat just held him tighter. He was crying profusely, Mahi tried to coax but in vain. She gently took his hand but he jerked it away, the little boy was in no mood to get an injection.
"Virat, it won't pain bachcha" Meera pestered again. Virat just wrapped his hands around Mahi's neck.
The doctor on duty just smiled and said "Ye tumse nahi hoga, let me handle it"
Meera was grateful, it was indeed not her cup of tea. Virat's tears were making her weak. The doctor got up from her chair and took the tray from her.
"Cheeku bachcha see" Mahi made him look at her to distract him from the doctor, "she is pretty, no? "
Meera's features softened, even if it was to coax Virat, it meant a lot to her. Virat looked at her, she hid the needle behind her back immediately.
"Virat cooed something in his gibberish voice as he took her hair strand in his hand" Meera could hardly hold back her tears. She had dreamt of this moment for so long. It was her decision to marry a father of two boys and she would have probably regretted if the boys didn't accept her, now she was getting some hope.
Somehow Virat found her hair strands and the buttons of her kurta very attractive. The doctor carefully drew out his blood when he was busy playing with her hair. Before Virat could notice, she hid the needle from his eyes, little boy was feeling the pain but was absolutely confused how it happened. Meera kissed his forehead lovingly , a pretty smile formed on Virat's lips. Meera's day was made.
Next day, Mahi was taking leave from school to take care of Virat. Meera didn't want that, the boy himself was very young to take care of another child, plus his own studies were important. She was hesitating to ask Mahi to leave Virat to her, but she knew she had to do it.
"Mahi, I'll take care of Virat. Tumhe chhutti lene ki jarurat nahi hai beta" She tried negotiating with Mahi.
Mahi looked at her pointedly. "Aapko hospital nahi jana? "
Meera sighed. She was an intern, she hardly got any leaves and she knew she can't get a leave today but another option could work. "Jana hai, but I'll take him to hospital with me. My current postings are in pediatrics ward only, waha baaki bachcho ke sath he might go well"
Mahi was still hesitant, Meera tried once again, "Please trust me on this Mahi, you might not have accepted me as your mother but for me you both are my children."
Her eyes misted and Mahi gave up on his stubbornness. "Thik hai, but you'll call me if he doesn't take medicines. Ye bohot rota hai dawai lete time. "
Meera gladly agreed. She had known very early that Mahi would always come first for Virat and she had no grudges with that. Mahi came back with Virat's medicines and started explaining the doses and timings. Meera smiled, the boy probably forgot that she was a doctor herself.
Over the next 4-5 days, her bond with both Virat and Mahi got a lot better. Virat was their common link to talk, they would discuss about his medications, his meals, his antics and everything Virat did. MS was grateful for the support, handling Virat alone wasn't easy while attending school.
Meera was happy. Virat was recovering but she was still taking him with her to the hospital because she didn't want to leave him alone at the house with housekeepers. That helped forge a bond between them quite easier. His face would lit up everytime she came to him taking a break from her duties. He was the cutest child she had ever seen, no wonder the whole staff was so fond of him.
Meera looked at the next photo. "This was the first time he called me mumma" She told the family.
"Is there a story behind this? " Rishabh asked.
Meera smiled, there is indeed a story, something that she would cherish for lifetime.
MS smiled as he remembered how he had tried to protect Virat from her, he had made it his mission to not even let her have a sight of little Virat. Those were the apprehensions of a 12 year old boy, who had lost his mother and was scared of a step-mother mistreating them. He didn't know that an angel was stepping into their lives, but no matter what he couldn't help but feel guilty about this.
During her break, she had come to feed Virat who was playing with his toys in doctor's duty room alone. As soon as he saw her, he ran to hug her legs, demanding to be lifted up. Meera lifted him up in her lap while she sat on one of the chairs. Virat whined again, he did not want to sit, he wanted to go out and roam, he was apparently getting bored in that room.
"Bahal jaana hai" Virat spoke in his gibberish voice.
"No bachcha, pahle tujhe khana khana hai" Meera replied as she held a struggling Virat.
"Mum- mumma" Virat cried again. Meera went numb as she heard this. Was Virat indeed calling her mumma? He hadn't called her that for the past two months.
"Mumma bahal" Virat cried again, indicating towards the door. This time she was sure he was calling her only. She smiled widely as she got up to take him out on a walk. She did not have the heart to deny his cute request.
Flashback ends.
Sakshi hugged Meera closer as she stopped telling her story. She had grown a new found respect for her mother-in-law. No woman would go make these many efforts to bond with another woman's children. They had indeed found their angel but destiny had other plans.
"When did Mahi bhai started calling you mumma then? Was he calling you mumma from the start or? " Virat asked. He wanted the details, he was the one in the house who knew the least and that bothered him.
"On Mother's Day" Meera told, "Your very un-expressive brother had brought a gift-card for me"
For Meera, that moment meant everything. Even more than Virat, Mahi's acceptance mattered because Mahi was that age where he understood things and he knew what he was doing. She remembered the moment very fondly, she was just boiling water for herself in the kitchen after coming back from the shift when Mahi entered with slow steps.
Flashback:
"Haan mahi" Meera turned as she sensed his footsteps.
"Wo aapko kuchh dena tha" Mahi told her. She could clearly see the nervousness in his voice, which was usually not there.
"Haan" Meera encouraged him to go ahead. The boy was hiding something behind his back.
"Wo ye" He handed an envelope in her hand.
"Kya hai ye? " Meera asked.
"Aap kholke dekh lijiye" Mahi replied.
Meera opened the envelope immediately. There was a beautiful card inside. "Kholu? " She asked Mahi. Mahi nodded his head excitedly.
Meera carassed the card as she read through the contents, this was a Mother's Day wish, something she never thought she would get, from Mahi nontheless.
"Happy mother's day mumma" Mahi spoke as she finished reading. She pulled him into a hug immediately. This was officially the best moment of her life.
"I'm sorry if I misbehaved with you earlier, I didn't mean it, I was just-" Mahi started to apologise but was cut by Meera, "shh-, I understand what was going on in your mind, it's okay. And you never misbehaved"
"But I did hurt you" Mahi spoke again.
"You didn't. Stop feeling guilty" Meera chided.
"I promise I'll not give you any chance of complaint from now on. I cannot tell you how thankful Cheeku and I are to you for coming into our lives" Mahi said, his voice dripping with honesty and sincerity. Meera could do nothing but hold him tighter.
Will write Mahi's childhood story, as promised in the next chapter. This was getting longer, so I stopped writing.
See y'all in the next chapter.