Abhi POV:
I returned home after a tiring day, and because of the board meeting and other issues, I had more pending work than usual. As I was heading upstairs, Dad and Prem chachu asked me, "Abhi, where is Princess?" I asked, "What? How would I know? Isn't she at home?"
Adhya mom came and said she went out this afternoon, mentioning she would go to the foundation. I sighed as I tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. I was getting worried, and Dad said her battery might have died, so her phone was switched off.
I nodded and decided to call the manager at the foundation. She informed me that Adhya hadn't visited the foundation at all. Now, I was really worried, almost on the verge of breaking down. Dad said, "Abhi, go find her and get her home safe." I nodded and went outside. My brothers were coming back, and they told me they had searched many places with no success.
Now, I was not just worried, but also frustrated. Why couldn't she have just texted me about where she was going? I considered all the worst possible outcomes: What if she was kidnapped, or what if she met with an accident? Rohan bhai shook me to get my attention, and he said, "Think of the places where she might be, Abhi. Only you can find her." I nodded and said, "I'll get her home safe. Don't worry; stay here," as I got into my car.
I went to our favorite dhaba, visited our home, and went to our usual picnic spot, but there was no sign of Adhya. I sighed and sat on a bench in the park, my hands on my head, feeling powerless. I called my PA, Prakash, and told him to send the best tracking team because Adhya was missing. He almost screamed, asking, "What? But I spoke to her this afternoon."
Now that was weird. I almost screamed at Prakash, "Why the hell did you speak to her?" He replied, "Sir, mam said not to tell you, but I am telling you." I sternly told him, "You better tell me where she is." Prakash said where she went, I was angry and worried, 'Why did she go alone to a place that is dangerous, and why did she want to go to a maid's home?'
Prakash sent me her location, and I prepared to leave. Just as I was about to go, I received another call from an unknown number. I answered, my voice barely above a whisper due to exhaustion. I desperately wanted to be near her and ensure her safety. I heard her voice on the call, saying, "Maan."
Wait, is this Angel? And why is she calling from an unknown number? I had a thousand questions, but I screamed at her, "Where the hell are you? Send me your location now!" She just whispered, "Okay," and cut the call almost immediately.
The drive took two fucking hours, but when I finally reached the place, there she was—my Angel, sitting outside and chowing down on a plate of samosas. She was with this lady who looked to be around her 50s, and they were chatting, laughing like there's no tomorrow. All the tiredness, anger, and sadness went away- it was as if all those emotions had collectively decided to jump out of the car window and disappear.
When she noticed me, her eyes lit up, and she waved me over. I couldn't help but break into a smile as I approached. She embraced me with a hug and tightness that made me wonder if my bones needed a checkup afterward. I softly patted her back as she reluctantly let me go, her radiant smile refusing to fade.
Turning my attention to the lady, she exclaimed, "Oh my god, Abhi, you've grown up so much!" I looked at her, feeling a bit bewildered by her familiarity. "Do I know you?" I asked, unable to place her.
Adhya held onto my hand, saying, "It's a long story maan; I'll tell you later." Then, she turned to the lady and told her, "Rekha Maa, I'll visit you soon." After a warm hug, she gently pulled me towards the car.
Rekha Maa? I thought, perplexed. How had they become so tight within just a day? But that's Angel for you. If she likes someone, she treats them like family, calling them with relations as if they're part of our own blood. She once told me, "If we call them by their names, it's just a label. But if we call them with relations, it's a commitment to a genuine relationship."
With a sigh, I climbed into the car. Angel asked, "Maan, what about my car?" I didn't even look at her. I simply called one of the drivers and told him to pick up her car. Then, I started the engine and began to drive.
She asked very lightly, more like a whisper, "Maan, are you angry?" I didn't look at her. She completely turned in her seat, facing me. She pushed my hand with both her hands and said, "How about I buy an ice cream?" I still didn't budge.
She tried again, "How about I cook you dinner?" Nope, I wasn't going to fall for that. With her best puppy eyes, she said, "Then how about a kiss?" This was a little tempting, but I still refused to fall for it. So she turned again and said, "Okay, fine. Tomorrow, I'm going on a date. A guy asked me yesterday."
This triggered me as I scowled back, saying, "I dare you to go, angel." Her eyes flickered as she said, "You spoke to me," poking me. I responded, "No, I spoke to the window," looking at the window.
She chuckled and said, "Sorry, Maan. I didn't mean to worry you. I just went there for important work and lost track of time. When I noticed, my phone battery was dead. I'm really sorry." I sighed and pulled the car to a stop, cupping her cheek. I asked, "What's so important that you forgot to text me when you leave, huh?" She looked down and replied, "Maan, I'll tell you later."
I could sense something was wrong, but I didn't press further, saying, "Okay, fine, I'll let it slide this time. But if you don't text me next time, you know what the consequences are." She nodded.
When we returned home, Adhya was immediately pulled into a hug by Dad. He had always favored Adhya over me since we were kids. I admit, I was a little jealous at first, but now I'm just happy that at least someone fills the void left by Mom.
Everyone was so worried about Adhya disappearing. Her brothers all pulled her into a group hug, and she assured them, "I'm fine, everyone. I just went to my friend's house," lying for some reason. She never lied to us, so I gave her a curious look, and she responded with a pleading gaze that said, "Maan, please cooperate." I nodded slightly.
Rohan spoke up, "Next time, please inform one of us, Princess." She nodded and apologized to everyone. However, Adhya's mom came in, shouting, "I knew you lied to me! Since when did you learn to lie?" Adhya looked scared and replied, "Maa, I just felt like going to Sravani's house, that's all."
Her mom insisted, "Then why did you lie to me?" Adhya explained, "If I told the truth, would you have allowed me, Maa? You never let me go out, you never let me follow my dreams. I've always wanted to make you proud. The whole world is reading my books, and the whole family is proud of me, but I've always wanted your approval. You know how hard it was. You were kind to me when we were kids, but why did you become so strict, Maa? You're good to all my brothers, but not to me. What did I do to deserve this? Haven't I always been a good girl?" Adhya burst out, venting all her pent-up emotions.
She never talked to me about it, but I knew she had been storing these feelings inside. She went on, "Abhi didn't have Mom, so you always cared for him. But what about me? I feel like I don't have a mom." Adhya's mom slapped her, saying, "How dare you speak to me that way."
Wait, what just happened did someone slap my angel, I rushed to Angel's side, my heart pounding as I noticed the red finger marks on her cheek. My blood boiled with anger as Adhya fought back tears, restraining me from taking any hasty actions. She whispered, "Maan, it's fine."
But the tension in the room was palpable. Rohan bhai shouted, "Maa, what did you just do?" Surya chachu chimed in, saying, "How dare you slap my princess." My dad's face was a storm of anger, though he remained silent. All my brothers shared the same sentiment, their fury evident.
Adhya's mom, her eyes reflecting regret, seemed to realize the gravity of her actions, but that didn't change the fact that she had slapped the princess of our family—my Angel. I couldn't contain my outrage as I shouted, "MAA!"
She looked terrified as I approached her, but Adhya held my hand, her voice gentle but resolute. "Maan, she's my mom. Leave it. She has every right to slap me."
I gently removed her hand and looked at her mom. I spoke in a loud and cold voice, "I understand she's your mother, Angel, but that doesn't give her the right to treat you however she wants. She needs to realize that what she did today is wrong."
My tone grew more severe as I continued, "You slapped my queen. You raised your hand against my girl, someone I wouldn't even dare to raise my voice at."
She moved back a bit, stammering, "Abhi, it's not what it looks like."
I growled, my anger seething, "Oh, I know exactly what it looks like."
Surya chachu stepped in between and calmly said, "Abhi, I will take care of this. Please." I glanced at Adhya, then back at him, and finally, with a sigh, I relented, saying, "You better not repeat this."
With that, I picked up Adhya and carried her to our room. I gently placed her on a bean bag in the balcony, and I knelt in front of her. She clung to me tightly as I held her close, her tears flowing freely. I rubbed her back, providing comfort, and my heart ached at the sight of her crying.
After a while, she pulled back slightly and looked into my eyes. "Maan, will we ever fight like this?" she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
I shook my head and assured her, "No, we won't."
She pressed further, "You'll never get mad at me, no matter what I do?"
I reaffirmed, "No, I won't."
She confided, "At first, I thought that my mom and I would get along."
I sighed and cupped her face, looking into her eyes. "Angel, she is only a small part of your life. I am your whole world. So don't cry for anyone else again. I will never make you cry."
A faint smile crept onto her face, and she remarked, "You're having a very sweet mouth these days."
I teased, "How do you know? Do you want to taste it?"
She playfully punched me, and her smile grew. There she was—my Angel, smiling as she always did.
She nestled against me, hugging me close as she listened to my heartbeat. In that moment, I realized that I would anything do for her, absolutely anything, just to see her smile. I was ready to reenact every romantic scene from every Shahrukh Khan movie I'd ever seen, take her shopping until we maxed out my credit card to find the perfect dress that would light up her face.
Soft snores filled the room, and I looked down to find her sleeping peacefully in my arms. Carefully, I placed her on the bed, but her hands remained fisted around my shirt, as if she couldn't bear to let me go. I attempted to move, but her grip tightened, so I sat beside her.
Her face was stained with tears, and I gently rubbed my fingers across her cheek, hoping to ease away the sorrow she had endured till now. It was in moments like these that I realized how deeply I cherished her and was willing to protect her from any harm that might come her way.
When i was in pain, she became my pain killer, so when she is in distress I must become her comforter.
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