(I think Mrunal suits a perfect description for Uttara. You may imagine anyone you want.)
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Mumma: Elixir residency. 3rd Floor at 8 o'clock. I will you see then, honey.
The text sat heavily on her phone. The weight of words was no less than the anticipation of seeing the dinner being unfolded with people who were supposed to be her safe place. Her first home - her parents. Her first protectors in this world but the very people who had their backs turned to her.
Now that her chauffeur maneuvered his way inside the luxurious resort, Uttara couldn't help but feel the anxiety peering at her from all those years. Those years of constant efforts she had put in order to salvage some of the remnants of the relationship she shared with the two people who were her everything until they backed out from being her anything.
She had almost bailed out on this impromptu dinner invite extended by her mother, yet the little hope of receiving some acceptance from them on what she has achieved made her dress up and drive here. Choosing a simple dress for the dinner, she kept her hair and makeup minimal seeing how her father detests pretense.
Irony, her mother loves it. She would never show a crack in her family to the world, while her father would walk out rather than create a scene. He was an aristocratic retired judge who had a lot more morals than the smiles his children owned.
Husband: I will be late, Tara but do wait for me.
Laughing at the insinuating threat in his 9-word text made her smile, almost wiping the traces of pain. However, it was gone as quickly as it came.
She felt the guilt course through her chest. Vidyut has scheduled surgeries and she may have intentionally omitted to inform him about her dinner plans with her parents. She feared the unsaid questions from him. What was she to tell him? How could she explain to him why her parents didn't want him to join, or why did they never contact her before in the last 6 months that they had lived in Pune?
It was already difficult to make excuses to the Chauhans at times for her parents. The elders of the family had never met in the entire duration of their marriage. They had only a phone call in between, nothing more seeing how her father had detached himself from the conversation leaving her mother to talk.
That was the last effort made by either of the parties. Further, Vidyut and Uttara's court marriage left no void for her parents' presence. Once married, Vidyut took Uttara to his family home for a formal announcement. He patiently answered every question thrown his way, handling the chaos that broke and refuted the need to get a full-fledged wedding once his family understood how obstinate his idea of this marriage was.
After a lot of many confrontations, clashes, and arguments, Vidyut Chauhan agreed to marry traditionally in a temple ceremony for the sake of his grandparents, which took place in a span of 2 days, no questions asked.
Her parents didn't bother, nor did they receive her invites when she consecutively tried reaching them for 48 hours straight. It was an official announcement later that her mother reached out, asking about the marriage and once she did not falsify the claim, Disha Sinha, the elite lady of south Delhi congratulated her and hung up.
All this time, Amitesh Sinha ignored the fact that he had another child. He had two sons, Utkarsh and Uday, and were proud of their achievements. For him, Uttara was a no-one.
Being a popular name, she felt painfully lost in a place filled with people.
It was damagingly heartbreaking how among the people who should be her safety cocoon, she had never felt more homeless.
It was a full-blown dinner party that her mother failed to inform her about. Her guests were around a hundred people who nursed flowing drinks and starters that were served by trained personnel. There was nothing simple, or family in here but a show for the world.
"Uttara, my child. I am so glad that you could make it." Her mother came towards her and Uttara felt a humorless chuckle escaping her lips.
"Mumma." She bit the word and let the woman hug her as if she was the only person she awaited. Something her mother was miming for every other guest she received. "I missed you."
"Me too, honey." She parted and cupped her face, taking in her face as if checking for her appearance appropriate for a party. "You look lovely."
"You didn't mention of this not being a close affair, Mumma." She watched regret passing through her eyes for a second.
"Today was your father's book launch event. I thought it would only be right for us to have a celebratory dinner." Not once did she apologize, neither did she take into account of small hope that was so mercilessly trampled by her. "Come, I want you to meet some friends of mine."
Like a trophy to show off, Uttara was dragged around being an object of another achievement. Another feather in her mother's cap who inaudibly showcased her superstar daughter among the elites and their contacts in Mumbai.
Uttara was clueless about how they had so many knowns in Mumbai, nor she wish to think about the possibility that would end up choking her. Her parents have made it loud and clear how she was not a part of their life, this party could be the final reminder.
Across the room, she could see her father mingling with the people, holding the intellectual conversations he so well led. Her feet stepped forward to move towards him when her arm was clutched in warning.
"Uttara." Her mother called cautiously, never her smiling faltering "I want you to meet Mrs. Gupta. She is..."
"Nice to meet all of you." She chimed, sneaking out of the tight grasp, and stepping out of her mother's grasp. "Please excuse me, I have to greet my father."
She felt a hurried whisper and her mother's hand refraining from her for the second time.
"Wait. Look don't go to him." She pressed in a hurried whisper, almost begging.
Uttara smiled mirthlessly, "Why mother? Won't he be happy to see me here?"
"Uttara, you know how your father can be." She was agitated at the thought. "This is not the right time."
"He doesn't know that I am here, does he?" Uttara blinked the heat away from her eyes, arms hugging herself as if protecting her from the world.
"No, of course, that is not true." It was a lie, and she could see right through it.
"Then he would be expecting me to greet him."
Not waiting for another protest, she crossed the distance and stood behind the man who was once her superhero like she was his princess.
"Dada." She witnessed him freeze.
The men talking to him stopped, smiling politely towards her as she took a confident step inside the group. Her father never looked at her.
"Uttara Chauhan? How do you know each other?" A short-heighted bald man asked, staring surprisingly as if trying to match the similarities between them.
"My full name is Uttara Sinha Chauhan." She mentioned and watched her father's stoic face.
"She your daughter, Mr. Sinha?" Another of his guests wondered in surprise. "I thought you had only two sons, never your daughter was mentioned."
"She has been away from home for years now. Work keeps her busy." Disha stepped into the conversation, ending the silence. "Your glass is empty, Mr. Lakhani."
"We never knew that you were related to her." The same man gushed. "You are nominated for the national award for your last movie, Congratulations are in order."
"My daughter is a big fan of yours." Another man in the circle said. "You are lucky to have her as your daughter, Mr. Sinha."
"T-thank you." She stumbled on her words, eyes straying to the man who still refused to look at her.
"Have you been hiding your ties with her?" The question scratched at her heart. Did he consider her his anymore?
"There is no such thing, Gentlemen. We are proud of our daughter." Disha stirred the conversation away " The dinner buffet is open. Why don't we move there?"
Uttara swallowed, staring at the spaces to not let her face break the mask she had pulled. The men stared at them inquisitively but stayed mum, their eyes were questioning her existence at this point.
"Yes." Amitesh turned and held her eyes for a brief second and turned back to his guests, making her feel worthless of his attention. "We shouldn't keep the food waiting."
"Yes, Yes. This way please." Her mother smartly chased the crowd away, leaving her enough room for a suffocating silence to prevail.
She felt gazes on her but Uttara couldn't look up. At this point, she didn't remember her fame, her achievements, her career, or worse, her identity but the rejection from her parents. Unknowingly, they were hurting her in ways they didn't realize, or they did. It was all a payback they considered for her rebelling against the set expectations for her. Were those plans more important than her happiness?
"I told you not to make a scene." Her mother hissed, the disappointing stare burning her.
"I am sorry." She mumbled the words swallowing the hurt, it was better not to show her emotions to them when they were considered nothing.
"I only wanted you to have a chance to reconcile with your father, Uttu. Don't hurry. You have got a lot of time to corner him." She squeezed her arm reassuringly, and she felt none.
"Thank you." She plastered a fake smile. She acted for a living, this was nothing she couldn't pull off.
"Come. I got you a seat at the family table. You can meet your brothers too." Disha's words struck her in surprise. Was she not family anymore, or an outsider she would save a seat for? "They are here."
"Are they sitting with their wives and fiancées?" She gritted the words out.
"Of course, honey. Your sister-in-law, Sarita and Uday's fiancée, Geet is here too."
"Wow! Sounds lovely." She snorted mirthlessly, her jaw clenched. "Does they know you have a daughter?"
"Uttu" None of her excuses would work anymore.
"Do they, Mumma?"
"I mean...yes, I may have mentioned you." Disha Sinha was never a stammering mess, but she was today. "Come, they are waiting for us."
"They are waiting for you." She stated feeling the betrayal of her family in her veins. "And, I am not hungry, Mumma. Not anymore."
She walked out of the large doors, entered the elevator, and let the mask drop.
There was no audience, no performance. There was no one to fool or approve. No admiration to attain, nor any acceptance. There was no one to convince, no role to play as she let go.
She may have chosen acting for a living but she was not a shell of a person, she was a human with a heart that hurts. That pains.
"Leaving without dinner, are you?"
The clutch cluttered to the metal floor and her neck strained at the sudden whiplash. "Vidyut?"
Her husband stood in front of the lift entrance, dressed impeccably in a suit that he did not wear to the hospital in the morning, he looked fresh and showered. His unruly hair was an indication enough that he must have tried to set with less time in hand.
"Is the party over already?" He leisurely walked to her and pressed the same floor she had run out of.
"H-how do you know?" She asked.
"I was invited." He responded, the soft gaze took a quick once over her face to make sure if she was okay. That fluttered her heart and her lips tipped up. "Let's go and enjoy some dinner, shall we?"
"I don't want to." She whispered, recalling the past hour that she had spent among those people. "I can't."
"Now you won't leave me alone between the wolves, will you?" His free hand held hers, squeezing assurance and she leaned into his side.
"I didn't mean to hide this." She was guilty.
"You didn't." His eyes soften, and shaking his head he smiled for her. "I did not forget the lengths our parents can cause disappointment to us. Trust me, I understand."
"I am sorry." She tortured her lips to hold back her feelings.
His fingers squeezed hers. "You don't have to be."
The elevator chimed and she stepped outside, the anxiety crawling up but the intensity was reduced.
"How are you invited?" She looked up at him.
"Would you like to make a guess?" He tested.
"No."
"Then have a little patience, Tara." His smirk settled her nerves and she leaned in him as they made their way inside the threshold. Aiming for her mother, they stopped behind her.
"Good evening, Mrs. Sinha." He greeted, catching her attention.
"Good evening." Her face morphed into recognition a little quickly and her smile faltered. "Uttara, is he your...?"
"Hello, I am Vidyut Chauhan, her husband, and sorry, I am late." He filled her.
"Oh, yes. I am glad you could make it." Her eyes jumped between Uttara and Vidyut as she tried to make sense of the situation.
"I had to." Vidyut glanced her way and back at the woman who looked rattled. "But, you look displeased on my arrival."
"Of course, not." She schooled her face quickly pulling the smile she was carrying all night. "This way, the dinner is set to take place."
Feeling him nodding at her, she reluctantly followed her towards the dining area where multiple round tables were arranged. She stopped near a small group at the far end, where her family stood. Her brothers were surrounded by her father deep in a discussion. A pregnant woman dressed in an impeccably yellow saree stood at the left of Utkarsh. Another girl was near her younger sibling, looking straight out of college and timid.
Her smile turned genuine catching their eyes that took a double take on her arrival.
"Uttara. You are here?" Uday wondered in surprise, halfway crossing the distance when halted feeling multiple eyes on him, most prominent was their father who silently conveyed the message. He nodded at the silence and stood back, shooting her what she knew was a restricted polite smile.
"She is not alone," Disha warned her family and let Vidyut stand in their line of sight. "He is..."
"Dr. Chauhan." Utkarsh stood up and crossed the distance between them. "I thought you won't come."
Vidyut shook his hand. "I had a pressing case to deal with. The duration exceeded than planned or I wouldn't have let Uttara arrive alone."
"He is Dr. Vidyut Chauhan. A surgeon." Utkarsh filled in for the other occupants.
"And, Uttara's husband," Vidyut announced proudly silencing the group. "Thank you for the invite, Mr. Sinha. It is nice to meet her family after this long."
"You are welcome." Utkarsh's eyes landed on her for a second before he nodded grasping the additional piece of information. "Dad, you remember Justice Sethi's open heart surgery?"
Her father's face flickered with recognition and he nodded.
"It was led by Dr. Chauhan. The experts considered it was impossible for it to be successful due to his past illness but he made it possible." Utkarsh finished. "We met through Anuj Sethi when I went to visit his father last month. Then he presented his paper for the AIIMs Delhi and we met again. I had asked Anuj to extend our invite to him seeing he resides in Mumbai."
"You saved my friend's life, Dr. Chauhan. I will be forever grateful." Amitesh extended his hand and Vidyut shook.
"Vidyut is fine." He comforted her with a charming smile. "You are her father, please do not use my title. Also, Dr. Chauhan makes me feel old."
"We should take our seat." Disha ushered them all.
Uttara felt a pinch and turned towards the other tables away from her family.
"Sit, Uttu." She stopped Uttara with her hand on her arm, jutting her chin towards the 8-chair round table.
She glanced at Vidyut and he nodded. He shrugged out of his coat jacket, placing it around the empty chair -his chair. Pulling her chair for her.
"Settle down all of you so I could make introductions. We have new additions to our family." Disha rounded the table and occupied her chair near her husband. "She is Sarita, your Bhaiyu's wife."
"Nice to meet you, Bhabhi." Uttara took in the admiration and praise her mother held for her daughters-in-law.
Disha shot a smile to Sarita that she had always reserved for Uttara, filled with love and warmth. She rounded and squeezed the other girl's shoulder. "And she is Geet. Uday's fiancée. She is Mr. Lakhani's daughter and a medical student."
"Nice to meet you. I am so happy for you both." She nodded at Sarita who grinned back.
"Can you believe I am going to be a grandmother soon?" Her mother gushed keeping the table alive. "It seems like yesterday I had three kids running around and now you will be starting your own family."
"Hello, Bhaiyu. Uday." Uttara smiled in a greeting to her brothers.
"Mom didn't mention you were going to be here." Utkarsh, the always unbothered sibling, nodded at her in greeting. "I thought you would be busy and refuse the invite."
"I never refused any invites." Uttara met her brother's accusations head-on. "You didn't bother reaching me is one reason I never made it to any of the events, like your wedding."
"Can we not forget the past?" Disha, the peace maker interjected.
"That is a two-way path, Mrs. Sinha," Vidyut commented. "You ask for what you are ready to give."
"Vidyut. Don't." She shook her head.
"Can you not fight your own battles?" Amitesh questioned, his eyes holding hers for the first time in the night.
"I c-can, Dada." She admitted.
"Then I see no need for your husband to meddle in this conversation." He concluded and Vidyut smirked to himself.
"He was only..." She started but stopped seeing the servers. Gulping her words, she sighed feeling his fingers close around hers.
The servers placed the first course of the meal and the silence took over. It wasn't new for the Sinha's to have a quiet meal, but never this it was laced with underlined deplorable reticence.
Unable to take a bite, she kept her head down and stared at her food. It was a blatantly put-together dish by a renowned chef seeing it was selected by her mother.
"Why are you not eating, Uttu?" Her mother asked and all eyes flew to her.
She flushed in embarrassment and mumbled, "I am." Taking her cutlery, she played around with the starters and ate only after earning a glare from Vidyut.
Soon it was replaced with the main course. It was a platter that looked delicious to others but for Uttara, she couldn't make herself look at the well-dressed spinach-broken lasagna.
Vidyut clicked his tongue in silent disagreement making her smile.
"Uttara hates spinach, Mumma." Utkarsh pointed abruptly, loudly for all that shocked him too, if his wide eyes were an indication. "I am sorry. Please ignore it."
"She does," Uday murmured from the sides. "I wonder how this complaint box is so silent."
"Oh sorry, honey. It slipped my mind." Her mother was quick to rescue her.
"Parents." Vidyut gritted under his breath but stopped feeling her glare at him.
"It is fine." She brushed it with a fake smile.
"It is not." Vidyut deadpanned while gesturing for the server to order another. A plate with no spinach. She kept her eyes on the food that was delivered for her.
"Did I not teach you to keep your chin up?" The gruff voice addressed her and her head straightened almost immediately. With wide eyes, she nodded fervently towards her father who looked at the two with calculating eyes.
"You did." She mumbled meeting his gaze.
"I will never forget the choices you made." He stated and her heart jumped to her throat. "But you are still my daughter and nothing could change that fact."
Uttara almost sobbed as the fear of rejection evaporated from her.
"I-I am sorry. I know I have hurt y-you." She tried to stop her voice from breaking, but it was late as a single tear rolled down her face.
"We will talk about this later. For now, eat." He jutted his chin to her plate. "You look as if your husband is starving you."
"I am not. I would never." Vidyut scowled, offended.
"How would I know?" Amitesh shrugged and turned back to his plate. "Let me see her eating then."
Smiling at their banter, she took her fork and had her first full bite of this dinner much for Vidyut and her father's relief.
What turned out to be once suffocating silence was replaced by small conversations or should say interrogations between her husband and her brothers. All asking simple questions that he would answer with confidence and politeness that shocked her. Vidyut Chauhan was never the people pleaser, it was always her who would carry conversations between the crowd but this time, he was filling her shoes till she gained her lost confidence back.
The dinner quickly came to an end and they took a small break before the dessert, meanwhile, her father stood up from his seat.
"Dr. Chauhan, can we have a minute?" He commanded and none could say no to him when he acted like the judge he was.
Her breath hitch and she stared wide-eyed between them. "But, Dada..."
"Sure." He cut her off and passed her a nod that said that he had it all handled. She watched the two men cross the room and stand at the sides, talking like two diplomats who said more than the words they let out.
"Dad won't eat him. He is a vegetarian," Uday commented, exchanging his seat, and taking the one near her. "I was meaning to do this for a while."
"What?" She was halfway frowning when he pinched her cheeks and pulled them. She shrieked immediately. "Uday! Leave me"
"Why, motu?" He challenged using the nickname. "I am sure you missed it too."
Uttara smacked him loudly, earning a few eyes that turned smiling seeing the siblings having their time.
"You are not children anymore." Utkarsh chastised.
"Right. You are getting a child soon. You have grown old, Bhaiyu." Uday, the troublemaker chimed.
"Look who is talking." She rolled her eyes. "You are engaged yourself."
"As if you did not go marry the first man you met." He retorted.
"He wasn't the first man." She filled in her sibling "But the most handsome one? Absolutely."
"Have some shame." Uday taunted. "You are with your family."
"But he is good-looking." Geet gushed, her eyes never refusing to look away from the two men who stood talking god knows what. "And a surgeon. The best combination to exist."
"Geet! You are engaged." Uday hissed horrified.
Sarita laughed. "He looks no less than a celebrity. It is only fair for him to get these starry eyes."
"I don't like your husband," Uday claimed, face scrounging in distaste.
Utkarsh rolled his eyes. "Stop you all. Guests think you have gone crazy."
"Does he treat you well?" Her mother asked silencing the table.
"Yes" She nodded her head and glanced at them. They were shaking hands and his eyes caught hers. "He treats me like his everything."
"He should. I wouldn't have settled for anything less for you." The warmth of Utkarsh's words settled in her heart and she smiled at him.
"I have missed all of you." She glanced around the table earning nods and smiles.
"No didn't," Uday claimed. "Not once you came back home, did you grow up overnight that you didn't want any of us?"
"I am sorry."
"And what should I do with this sorry? Collect them to invest in a mutual fund?" Uday taunted.
"He is right." Utkarsh assessed. "Dad was angry only for like a week. If you had come back sooner, you would have known but you didn't and then you stay away for years and suddenly show up in headlines for getting married to a rich doctor. He was in Amsterdam for a research paper and ended up canceling his entire schedule for that day and was ready to fly back to India. He was so mad at you."
"If only he didn't have connections, he would have come barging into your home and dragged you back to ours. He made calls and got Vidyut's entire life in a few pages in mere hours. After he was convinced that you did not marry just anyone, he calmed and made Mom connect with you."
"I-I tried calling everyone before my marriage. Mom, you never picked up my call." Uttara recalled.
"Honey, I am sorry." Disha's lips tipped down. "We were traveling around the States and the time difference made it impossible for me to get back to you."
Was this enough as an explanation for her? No, but Uttara would be holding any strings she got.
"Your father and I really love you, honey." Her mom assured and she shot her a smile.
"They seem to be coming back" Uday saw Vidyut coming in their direction and occupied his seat back.
Her husband had his blank face pulled back as he took his seat near her, taking her palm in his.
"What did you two talk?" She asked. Her brothers were curious as well.
"Can't tell you. Top secret." He smirked at her fallen smile and her lips turned into a pout.
"Please?"
He shook his head, grinning as he leaned closer to her ears. "Stop making that face. Do you want me to kiss you?"
She pushed him away and looked around, others having their gaze narrowed at the couple. She flushed at the attention. "W-what is in the desert?"
"Here she goes again." Uday snorted, "Bhukkar!"
"Dada." Like an old habit, she called for her survivor. Each time her brothers ganged up on her, she would find solace in her father's arms.
"Uday." His father shot a warning look and her younger brother scowled.
"You have always backed her, Dada. It's not fair." Uday retorted and Uttara glared at him.
"You have had the chance of taking him to your team for the last 10 years. You failed, not my problem." She stated, poking her tongue out and hiding herself in Vidyut's shoulder.
"He hasn't been himself in these years," Utkarsh commented from the sidelines.
Uttara glanced at her elder brother. "What do you m-mean?"
"Kids." Amitesh interrupted with his commanding tone. "Your dessert is here."
"Finally." Her mother smiled with a mist in her eyes. Uttara felt her eyes tearing as well, she may have made her mother a villain but she was the one who was left in the middle of this feud. Alone and responsible for managing the two sides.
"Don't cry or your father will shoot me," Vidyut mumbled, wiping her under her eyes.
"Did he make you cry?" He asked from the front, a sudden gentleness that she remembers from her childhood.
"Of course not," Vidyut answered immediately. Was he afraid?
"You better not." Justice Sinha delivered a threat.
"I won't, sir." He cleared his throat. He hushed his tone for her ears only. "You sure he wasn't into mafia or something?"
"Nope." She grinned. "But he sure has some connections here and there."
"That's relieving." Vidyut shot her a saccharine smile.
Once the dinner came to an end, the guests started to bid farewell while Uttara stood in search of a moment alone with her father. She may have heard him declare how he wouldn't forgive her, yet she had to apologize to him.
And she got the perfect opportunity.
Detangling herself from Vidyut, she gestured towards her father standing at the other side with a man who was all set to leave.
"I will be back."
"You do." He smiled in encouragement.
She was quick to approach him and watched the man taking his leave.
"Dada." She called for his attention.
Amitesh hummed, not letting his eyes stay on her. He found the empty hall rather interesting.
"Will you stay angry with me?" She asked biting her lower lip to not let herself break.
"I am not angry." He stated.
"But you won't look at me. I know you won't forgive me but please don't hate me." She let out. "I didn't mean to d-disrespect you, ever. I have always tried to make you proud. I know you wanted me to pursue academics instead of acting, but I swear I tried. I tried giving me a hundred percent in my studies but acting is m-my passion. I did not drop out of college. I did both. I worked hard. I did, yet I couldn't leave my passion. Acting makes me happy. Please f-forgive me, Dada."
"I have always wanted the best for my kids."
"I know and I w-would never doubt that. But I wasn't in love with anything but acting. Cameras and scripts make me feel satisfied. They make me live and enjoy what I do. Like w-writing gives you a motive to wake up each day, acting does that to m-me. I am g-good in w-what I do, Dada. R-really, I am."
Her shoulders must have shaken in the silent whimper that she felt him holding her and pulling her to his chest. She felt his protective embrace and she sobbed, feeling all the lost time and affection in her bones. Each day she willed herself to wake up and choose between her family and career.
She still did.
She always kept Vidyut above her career, not making a mistake she had made all those years ago.
"I am sorry, Dada. I am really sorry." She whimpered in his hold.
"My daughter cannot be this weak." He mumbled, chastising her yet she couldn't help but feel him consoling her in his own way. "I taught her to be a strong woman."
"Your d-daughter was all alone. She lost her strength when she lost you. You were her strength. She is weak without you." She let out, holding onto his waist, and not parting.
"Why? Is that husband of yours not good to you?" The begrudging gritting of his teeth made her smile.
"He is. But he is not you." She said leaning back. Amitesh shook his head in disappointment and passed her a handkerchief.
His eyes narrowed. "So, all these tears are because of me?"
"Not entirely" She smiled at his frown, wiping her under eyes to stop further waterworks "Some because of Mumma."
"Understandable." He sighed making her giggle.
"She wouldn't let me come to you early." She whined to her father. "She kept introducing me to people I didn't want to meet. Also, she didn't tell me it was a party. Look how simple I look in comparison to her over-the-top Kanjivaram saree. She looked so pretty and didn't tell me that I should dress up. You know I would have looked prettier than her."
"You haven't grown up, have you?" A voice joined the duo, she snapped towards the direction to find her two brothers standing. Uday scoffed. "I thought you stopped being that little complaint box after you got married."
"You are just jealous that Dada loves me more." Her claim was answered by a dramatic huff.
"I am going to tell Mumma everything you said just now." Uday gritted, smirking.
"Always the little snitch." Utkarsh rolled his eyes.
"Bhai, you too?" He stared at his brother with betrayal in his eyes. "Wow. You are choosing your favorite now."
"You kids are a headache." Amitesh shook his head dejectedly.
"Right Dad! Wish you would have used protection..." Uday's words trailed as the realization dawned on him. "No! I-I said n-nothing."
Uttara burst out laughing, Utkarsh bit his chuckle while Amitesh Sinha glared at his thirdborn.
"You, Uday Sinha will be sleeping in the dog house today."
With her content smile, Uttara was waiting in the parking lot. The dinner had brought in a lot many changes in her. A night with her family reflected how many wrongs she had held in her mind all these years.
Only if she had walked to them earlier, all of this would be a different story.
Although she wished to go back in time, she wasn't complaining about the reality she lived now. Her life was no less than a dream, a beautiful daydream that she was living. She had a loving partner, supporting in-laws. She was on her way to reconciling with her family and had a career others were envious of.
She had everything.
Almost everything if only Rocky Makhija didn't exist in her perfect world.
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