Neil was worried that he crossed a line. He waited with bated breath, worried about Abhimanyu's response but relaxed when he saw no anger there. He noticed that he had his brother's interest. For Abhimanyu, every word Neil spoke was like a balm soothing his aching heart. He couldn't help wanting more. Even he was tired of the pain. He looked at Neil for more and Neil didn't disappoint him. He spoke in an even tone which hid his agitation well.
"Unka trauma, unka dar sab maan lete hain. I will not question her actions jab woh Abhir ka sach chupane ki koshish kar rahi thi. Dar gayi thi na. I understand. Lekin jab sach pata chal hi gaya tha, tab toh apni galti maan leni chahiye thi na! Kya kya nahin kiya unhone us baat ko chupane ke chakkar mein, main wahan jaa bhi nahi raha. I am just talking about what she did after the truth was out in the open.
Isse zyada considerate nahi ho sakta main, jab unhone aapki feelings consider hi nahi kiya. Unhone aapko jaise treat kiya, aapki jagah koi aur hota toh pata nahi kya karta unke saath. Police complaint toh kamse kam karta hi. Apne kiya?" He looked at Abhimanyu for answer who just shook his head. Neil was happy with the response. He was so scared before. He was glad he trusted his instincts. It paid out at times to have good EI (Emotional Intelligence). He thought to himself.
He continued, "Exactly, aapne nahi kiya. Kuch nahi kiya apne. Tab bhi nahi jab woh keh rahi thi ki aap donon ka divorce hogaya tha by the time she discovered she was pregnant, isliye aapka apne hi bache pe koi haq nahi hai. How stupid was that phir bhi you did nothing. Woh baar baar use Abhir Sharma kehti rahi aap chup rahe.
Woh un Abhinav Sharma ko Abhir ka father kehti rahi aapke saamne, aap chup rahe. Aap Abhir ko apna naam dene ki zid bhi nahi kar rahe the. Aapko woh sazaa lag rahi thi aur aap Prayaschit keliye tayar hogaye. Aap galti ka prayashchit karne wale the jabki aapki galti thi hi nahi. Aap toh unki galti keliye bhi khud hi maafi maanglete. Mahaan hain na aap.
Aap co parent karna chahte the, woh nahi mani. Aur aap phirse jhuke. Kyunki aap nahi chahte the ki apka bacha apni maa se dur jaye, isliye custody lene ka kabhi khayal tak nahi aya aapke man mein. Aap unse apne hi bache ke saath thoda time spend karne ki permission maangte rahe, uskeliye taraste rahe but har mod pe aapka insult hi kia unhone aur unki mahaan family ne.
Unki insecurity itni bad gayi thi ki woh dekh nahi paye ki you were holding back so much. Aap kisiko takleef nahi dena chahte they. Aap Abhir ki zindagi mein sirf Docman banke hi sahi per ek important hissa bankar rehna chahte the. Uska acha future aur better health chahte the. Aap chahte the ki Roohi se uska bond ho, family ke saath usko thoda time mile. Which is absolutely fair.
All you requested them was to shift to Udaipur. Aapne promise kiya tha ki as long as they let Abhir bond with us, aap sach nahi bataoge Abhir ko. Aap apna haq chodne wale the Bhai...You were okay to just be there for him if he ever needed you. Aap uski health ko lekar koi risk nahi lena chahte the and you expected from them ki at least Abhir ki health ka toh dhyan rakhein. Kasauli ka climate uskeliye kitna risky ho sakta tha us waqt, hum sab jante the. It was a win win situation for them. Unhe utna compromise bhi manjoor nahi tha. She bloody chose to challenge you in court after committing a paternity fraud" Neil stopped as he ran out of breath.
"Abhinav ne use apna naam diya. Uski parvarish ki hai Neil" Abhimanyu chipped in immediately but in a low voice. Almost as if he knew he was being stupid. But Neil was ready to clarify all his doubts. Neil spoke with a hint of sarcasm,"Agreed Bhai. Thank god for his presence ki Akshara ji sahi salamat hai kyunki woh apne zid mein kuch bhi kar sakti hai. She forced you for a divorce on mutual agreement basis. Yaad hai na aapko kaise?" Neil looked at Abhimanyu and he nodded.
"3 mahine mein divorce hua aur uske baad she was no where to be found. Sabne aapko blame kiya. God knows why. Akshara ji ko dar laga ki kahi unke gharwale unhe force na kare.... ki woh apse patch up karle, pregnancy ke bare mein jaan ne ke baad, toh woh wahan se bhi bhag gayi.
Woh nahi chahti thi ki Abhir ke bare mein aapko kabhi bhi kuch bhi pata chalein. Isliye itni jaldi thi divorce ki. May be she knew it all along. Apni zid pura karnekeliye, she was ready to do anything. Even marrying a rank stranger who saved her once to give the baby a father's name." Neil saw hurt flash on his brother's face. But he couldn't hold back anymore.
"Abhinav ne jaan bachayi toh use bacha gift kardo. Aur phir bache keliye shadi karlo. Yeh kaisa logic hain? Phir toh aapne jitni baar unki aur unki pariwaarwalon ki jaan bachayi, aapka toh mandir banwana chahiye the.
Aapse shaadi kyun todi? Unki sari harqatein sirf tab hi samajh mein aati agar aap ek psycho sadist ho jo aap clearly nahi ho. Aap ache pati nahi ho according to her, she divorced you. Unka apna choice hai. It's within her rights. I am no one to decide. But she had no business hiding Abhir's existence from you, from us and her family. You had all the right to know. Divorced or not. She absolutely had no right to hide Abhir and change his identity altogether" Neil's statements pierced through Abhimanyu's false pretenses and he almost choked while speaking.
"Shayad use laga ho ki main ek acha baap nahi banunga... isliye use Abhir ke liye Abhinav....shayad main baap banne layak hi nahi..." Abhimanyu shuddered. He couldn't even get himself to complete those sentences. He was busy believing them for years. Neil immediately hugged Abhimanyu as tears rolled down his Bhaiyya's cheeks.
He was in his son's arms who was trying his best to assure him that everything will be fine. He felt so protected that he didn't mind being vulnerable.
Neil pulled back when he felt him, slipping back into guilt and matched his eye line with Abhimanyu's and spoke with firmness, "You are the best father anyone can ask for. Let no Akshara Goenka make you believe otherwise. Abhir and Roohi are the luckiest kids on planet earth ki unko aapka naam mila. Trust me when I say this Bhai, you are a better father than a brother. I am proof enough. Mujhe fakr hai ki main Abhimanyu Birla ka bacha hoon"
As soon as the last word slipped from Neil's mouth, Abhimanyu was struck by the honesty in Neil's voice, his eyes reflecting the same, he finally broke down. He let his guilt wash away in the form of his tears. He howled and cried and let out his emotions which he kept hidden for so long. Neil sighed in relief. He knew that the Healing Has Begun. It will be a long excruciating process for sure but he promised himself to stand strong with his father like an ideal son. Come what may.
Abhimanyu was drained out by the end of it. Neil helped him to his room and laid him on the bed. He tucked him to sleep and stayed by his side in case he woke up suddenly. He wanted to be there to comfort him. Neil was feeling very light in his heart. He was home finally.
He was looking at a tear stricken, devastated Abhimanyu sleeping beside him and couldn't help asking himself if this was all so simple? All he needed to do was confront him and voila everything falls in place. But he knew deep down that things happen when God wills them to happen. His brother was God's favourite child and may be the God is finally done testing his favourite disciple. He prayed his imagination to transform into reality. He wished that for once, God blesses him with peace and happiness that he truly deserves. Neil dozed off.
Abhimanyu woke up at 5 just like everyday. His body clock didn't allow him to sleep beyond that. But he was very drained out when he slept, his throat went dry. He opened his eyes and was looking for the water jug when his eyes fell on Neil who was sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position. He wasn't prepared to sleep at all by the looks of it, but his body gave into the temptation.
Abhimanyu carefully adjusted him on the bed and covered him with a comforter. He gently put his palm through his hair and very softly caressed his face. This boy right here was his son. He not only saw through his facade but managed to breach it. He tried to push him to confront his fears when he was being so cowardly about it.
He reached for the water and soon as he gulped, he knew he was going to have a bad couple of days with a hoarse throat. He kept looking at Neil and a smile made way to his face. A real, happy, genuine smile without much effort. He felt lighter having let out some of his anguish. But he was more worried that he was stressing Neil a bit too much. He didn't want to put Neil through so much of emotional turmoil. He knew the extent of damage he did to his heart which might take forever to Heal.
He wanted to safeguard Neil from all that pain. His son gave him the push he needed. He rattled him enough to make him realize that he needed to tend to those wounds and it is high time he healed. He understood that he has a lovely family and they deserved every bit of him. His hurt was as much theirs as his. He can't share hurt now. Can he?
So he will get rid of it slowly it steadily. No baggage was worth carrying, no part of him was worth aching, not at the expense of his son's happiness.
It was time to take control. He wouldn't let Neil fret anymore. Neil wants him to heal and he will but on his own terms. Neil has no business seeing him break down every time he spoke about his past. Neil was still a kid to him and he had enough issues in hand. He had a successful business to run. Abhimanyu will not add himself to that.
The Healing will happen in the right way under expert guidance. So he made up his mind to consult a counsellor. Abhimanyu was never shy of taking help. He being a doctor, always advocated therapy because he knew how important mental health is. He even attended counselling with Abhir after he won his custody. He realized it would be very difficult for Abhir to move on from what he has been put through and did the needful.
He joined Abhir in order to deal with his own insecurities regarding Abhir. Abhir's doctor suggested them to take counselling sessions together and he obliged. It worked wonders for them. He always knew whom to reach out to in need. It was just that he wasn't strong enough to even address those issues or even think about them, let alone resolving them. He shut himself out without tending and hence he never thought of therapy before. But Neil gave him the strength to work on himself and initiate the process of Healing.
He will do that for himself but mostly for Neil. Neil's breakdown unnerved him. Knowing that Neil suffered so much silently instead of asking for help or confronting, just like him, hit him hard. He knew he had to lead by example because his children may take the same path one day just like Neil did. He can't take risks and definitely can't afford Roohi or Abhir travelling down the same road. The thought itself terrified him.
Neil moved in his sleep which caught Abhimanyu's attention. He was murmuring something. Abhimanyu went closer to try and comprehend his words but what he heard stunned him. "Aap best ho Bhai. Bestest Dad" Neil was repeating those words again and again. After a good 2 minutes he stopped mumbling and went back to sleep. Abhimanyu was overwhelmed. He had tears in his eyes.
He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his brother....no his son was trying so hard to assure him of his capability as a father. He got reminded of the times when he used to do the same for Manjari. She often needed assurances from him after being continuously put down by HarshVardhan. He tried his best to help her feel better and it did work. But now, he could see his child doing the same for him.
Neil was so much like him in certain things that he couldn't help recollecting fondly. Neil was in the true sense, his first born. Now that they managed to bridge a lot of gap, there is no stopping him from demanding to know everything about Neil. He could finally not worry about Neil being in a potential trouble because he will know what the hell he has been doing right from the horse's mouth. He was confident that now he can make Neil speak.
He needs to deal with that first to get it out of the way and he needs Neil to know that, be it good, bad, ugly, he will take it. Only after accepting your actions can Healing start. Abhimanyu understood that Neil wasn't doing things for fun, he has been hurting too and misguided hurt can often land you in a soup. He knew he had to accept Neil's actions first and only then he would be able to help Neil realize and then deal with the guilt that was bound to follow. With so many things to work on, on his plate and rejuvenated determination, Abhimanyu left for his jog because he needed to let some steam out.
Manjari, who was waiting for Abhimanyu to return, saw him enter the house and there was a different sort of swing in his step. A smile creeped on to her face unknowingly. She hugged him for longer than usual, just trying to figure what was so different about today. Abhimanyu enjoyed the extra attention a bit too much to complain and he stayed in the embrace until Manjari pulled out.
"Kya baat hai Abhi! Aaj kuch alag alag se lag rahe ho? Bahu toh nahi lanewala hai na...agar hain toh bas jaanle ki meri haan hai pehle se hi" she spoke in a teasing tone.
Abhimanyu made a face and spoke, "Maa! Subah subah yeh topic kyun? Mood acha hai mera aaj!"
Manjari pulled his cheeks, "Mood acha hai isliye toh mauke pe chauka marne ki koshish ki" and tried to ruffle his hair also but Abhimanyu darted away, "Baal nahi"
They shared a laugh and Abhimanyu left to wake Abhir up. He was feeling so light after so long that he was enjoying every second of the feeling. On his way up, he banged into Harshvardhan, who was standing there reading something from the newspaper. "I am sorry. Lagi toh nahi aapko?" Abhimanyu caught Harsh to avoid the fall and enquired with concern. Harsh, on the other hand was just happy to share a moment with his son.
"Kuch nahi hua hai. I am fine. It's ok." He tried to not make things awkward. Abhimanyu gave a tight lipped smile and moved ahead. He thought better, came back and asked,
"Dad! Aapse kuch baat karni thi. Aap abhi free ho?" Harsh was over the moon. He carefully composed himself and said,
"Haan bilkul! Bolo kya baat karni hai?"
Abhimanyu thought for a second. He wasn't prepared for it. He didn't know if he should be discussing such a topic so casually. But he just did what he felt like. His heart was allowing him to be impulsive for a change.
"Actually! Main aapse request karna chahta tha ki aap Birla Hospitals ki CEO ki post take up karein. Wahan ek bahut trusted aur experienced person ki zarurat hai and I am wasting too much time and energy in business related matters. Bahar se CEO la sakte hai but mujhe aur Rohan ko laga ki ek baar aapse pooch lein. Agar aapko koi aur better alternative suggest karna hai toh bhi theek hain. No pressure," Abhimanyu said everything in one go.
Shock would be an understatement for what Harsh was feeling. He couldn't believe his ears that he heard Abhimanyu asking him to take CEO's post. Abhimanyu was waiting for a response but Harsh looked spooked. Abhimanyu waved his hand in front of Harsh's face and Harsh was back to earth in no time.
"It will be my honour Abhimanyu. Apne bete ki mehnat ko kisi aur ke haath saumpana mujhe bhi nahi pasand. Jab tak main hun, mein yeh responsibility loonga. You do what you are best at. Yeh business ke kaam mujhpe chod do." Harsh replied in an even tone which hid his desperation successfully.
Abhimanyu sighed in relief. He didn't know what to expect from such an impromptu conversation but he was happy with the outcome. Before he could thank Harsh spoke again. "Meri bhi ek request hain tumse" Abhimanyu tried to read Harsh's face. Their deals never ended well. Memories came back to haunt him but he wanted to listen first and then decide.
"Abhimanyu! Meri suggestion hain ki hum donon kal se saath mein jog pe jaye. Kabhi zarurat pade toh kaam ki baatein bhi hojayengi aur time waste bhi nahi hoga. Hum logon ke saamne cheezein na discuss karein toh misunderstandings aur miscommunication ka scope bhi kam hoga. It will make our life easy. It's just a request. I don't mean to intrude." Harsh spat out nervously.
He knew he was walking on thin ice but he had to try once. Abhimanyu's demeanor somehow didn't intimidate him today. "I don't think that should be a problem. Main sharp 5 ko nikal jata hoon. Will that be fine with you kyunki main apna routine change nahi kar sakta." Abhimanyu spoke pretty normally. Harsh nodded because he was out of words. He was too stunned to even accept the reality.
"Cool! Rohan aapko sari details dedega, team toh aap hi ki choice ki hai. Shouldn't be much of a hassle. And I will wait for you for 5 mins tomorrow before I start. And Dad! Thank you!" He rushed to Abhir's room ending the conversation.
Harsh recovered and headed towards Manjari to share his happiness with her. She would be so elated just like him. They have been waiting for the day from forever now. Manjari wanted him to try taking baby steps but Harsh wanted to give Abhimanyu as much as he needed. After seeing Abhimanyu with the kids, he realized what Abhimanyu lost. He would never be able to bring himself to forgive his own mistakes. He couldn't expect that from Abhimanyu. At least now, he will have some involvement in his son's life. He wouldn't want anything more than that.
Once Abhimanyu entered Abhir's room, he relaxed. He had done something he never thought he would. He initially planned to meet Harsh in his home office and discuss the issue with him. But here, he just randomly sought him out and directly requested him. He gave his reasons but the matter deserved a detailed, in-depth discussion. He knew that Harsh would agree. He came across as a changed man and he knew he valued family.
What he didn't expect was how smoothly the talk went on. He even obliged to Harsh's request. Everything looked so unproblematic that Abhimanyu found it hard to digest. Nothing had ever come easy with Harsh, it was a pain to deal with him. Even with good intentions, Harsh could rile up Abhimanyu. It was so easy for Harsh to trigger Abhimanyu because their shared past was so traumatizing.
Harsh's realization, his efforts earned him the status of family member and the situation with the kids made Abhimanyu resort to call him Dad. The word Papa had too much trauma attached to it. so he refrained from using that term. That arrangement was convenient and neither attempted to rattle it. Abhimanyu wanted nothing more to do with Harsh and maintained a respectful distance while Harsh was too scared to ruin the equation.
Now that situation once again forced Abhimanyu to take a step and express his trust on Harsh, it gave Harsh an opportunity to make some space for himself in Abhimanyu's heart. "The change looked too good to be true but it was worth giving a shot," thought Abhimanyu.
Abhir's smile brought back Abhimanyu's focus to Abhir. He gently took Abhir in his arms and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Uth jao bacha! Papa already late hogaye aaj. Wake up!" Abhir returned the hug and held on for sometime. Abhimanyu waited for him to pull out first and he did.
He caressed Abhir's face and said, "Aap work out keliye ready hojao. Chachu ko aaj Papa uthadenge."
Abhir, with a frown, "Kyun Papa? Main uthadunga na...!" Abhimanyu chuckled. He understood why Abhir didn't want him to wake Neil up.
"Mr.Chachu ke chamche! Nahin dantunga aapke pyaare Chachu ko. Tension mat lo." Abhir smiled. His father knows him so well and he was super happy about it.
"Abhir! Aap jao aur start karo. I will try to join asap...Haan! Only functional. Mere bina aap weight training bilkul nahi karoge. Am I clear?" Abhimanyu spoke the last line with an edge to his tone. Abhir nodded. He was disappointed but he knew there was no use arguing. Abhimanyu placed a kiss on his forehead again and left.
He went down to collect Neil's juice and proceeded to wake up his bigger baby. He kept checking his phone to see if Roohi responded to his Good morning message but didn't receive any yet. He entered his room only to see Neil sleeping sprawled all over his bed with a smiley face. Neil looked happy and Abhimanyu's face had a happy smile looking at him and just then, a message popped.
Roohi - (Good morning Poppy. Miss You. See you at College. Aap aaoge na Abhir ko drop karne? Mujhe aapse milna hai before classes), Abhimanyu replied - (Ofcourse! Now get ready quickly and see you soon baby). Abhimanyu's smile widened. That was such a wonderful way to start the process of healing. A happy family with smiles on their faces has to be the best motivation, Abhimanyu reckoned mentally.
Will this help turn a new leaf in the lives of Birlas?
Will Abhimanyu manage to hold on to his resolve?
Will Neil be in trouble with Abhimanyu now that he has no reason and no where to hide?
Will life throw in another hurdle in Abhimanyu's way?
Well, let's wait and see.