This is a longer part. A very special one. Quite a challenging one for me to write.
I would need a lot of feedback on this because it will help me in shaping the plot ahead.
There are a few questions at the end of this part like always. But please make sure that you drop in your opinions there. It is my earnest request to my silent readers as well.
I wouldn't have stressed much if it wasn't that important for me. Kindly oblige.
Unless I get a decent idea about what's going in my reader's mind, I can't write or post further.
Happy Reading!
Manisha Krishna
In The Living Room, Birla House:
When Abhir didn't get a response from his disturbed father, he BANGED the glass table, that was far from everyone, with force and it broke into pieces. His hand was bleeding and that got Abhimanyu out of his haze.
"ABHIR" All three of them shouted at him.
"Don't worry. This doesn't hurt much. But being the reason for MY FATHER not moving on hurts. A lot."
Abhimanyu reached for Abhir who was amidst glass pieces in a heartbeat while Roohi stopped crying and went to call the staff. The shock sobered her up. Neil got the first aid kid. Abhir, however refused to listen to Abhimanyu and come out of the glass mess carefully.
Abhimanyu was worried that Abhir might get hurt even more if he didn't come out now. He grabbed Abhir's hand that has its palm bleeding to guide him out, but Abhir struggled against it. He was just not in a state to listen to anything, but the palm needed immediate attention.
"Abhir! Jo bhi baat hain, hum sort karlenge. Just come out of there Bacha!" Abhimanyu tried coaxing Abhir, but Abhir didn't respond. Abhimanyu was getting worried seeing the injury.
"Come out of there. NOW!" Abhir didn't budge.
Don't test my patience, ABHIR! He tried again but got no response.
THAPPAD padega abhi...... GET OUT OF THERE!"
Abhimanyu screamed angrily but there was no use. When Abhir didn't budge even after trying multiple times, Abhimanyu placed a TIGHT SLAP on his cheek to snap him out of it. That wasn't a light slap from any angle and Abhir did feel the impact.
He froze for a brief moment allowing Abhimanyu some time to guide him away from the broken glass pieces. He made Abhir sit and immediately started dressing the wound. But Abhir was back to his senses almost immediately and he was being very difficult.
"Abhir! Please dressing karale. Uske baad teri marzi. Please Bacha." Neil pleaded.
Roohi, by then got the house help there who started cleaning the glass shards from everywhere. She rushed to Abhir immediately and the way the wound was bleeding, worried her.
"Please Bhai! Let Poppy help you. Baad mein gussa karle." Roohi requested as well. But Abhir was having none of it and he wasn't cooperating with Abhimanyu.
That was it. Abhimanyu's patience snapped.
"Sit straight Abhir and give me your hand. I need to check if any glass shard got stuck in there. So, follow my instructions and cooperate."
Abhimanyu's voice was cold and that sent a chill down Abhir's spine. No matter how angry he was, he wasn't immune to that tone. Even though that didn't let him back answer, he didn't comply either.
"Main dobara nahi bolunga ABHIR. Ab seedha ek aur THAPPAD padega.....NAKHRE kiye toh."
Abhimanyu threatened him with a raised hand that looked ready to slap, to make Abhir see that the slap wasn't far away. He pulled his palm closer after pushing Abhir to sit back straight.
"CHUP CHAP BAITHO...... AUR JO BOLA HAIN WOH KARO." His voice was very stern. It compelled obedience and Abhir just let him go through with the process.
Abhimanyu saw a small piece stuck in his palm and tried to calm himself. It was never easy to attend to or treat one's own kids. Their pain makes everything unbearable for the parent and treating them in that state is definitely challenging.
"Choti si piece stuck hain yahan. Baki kahi pe kuch nahi hain. Main ise nikal dunga. 5 second bhi nahi lagenge. Okay?" He explained softly to Abhir who gave no response.
Abhimanyu sighed and instructed Neil to hold on to Abhir and he did. He carefully tried taking the piece out as gently and as swiftly as possible, but Abhir flinched and pulled back at the end moment.
"Abhir! Agar abhi nahi nikala toh septic ho jayega. You have to hold on. Neil ko pakdo and don't pull back. Just 5 seconds and everything will be over. Hmmm!"
Abhimanyu tried to convince him and he was glad that Abhir decided to hold on to Neil. He successfully removed the piece and Abhir screamed loudly. Abhimanyu placed the instrument away and pulled Abhir into a HUG. A tight one.
He caressed his back and tried to soothe him. He pulled back and proceeded to dress the wound. He was almost done when Abhir pulled back.
"Main karlunga yeh. Thank you" He replied haughtily.
Abhimanyu just grabbed his hand again and did the needful without caring for Abhir's words. Abhir didn't like that even a bit as he was still angry, but he didn't dare to pull back again.
Because he knew for a fact that his father wasn't giving him empty threats and he didn't want to be on the receiving end again. Neil observed the interaction, and he could clearly see how Abhir was following his father's instructions even in anger. That warmed his heart.
Roohi hugged Abhir. She pulled back and started hitting him softly, "Kyun kiya aise? Kitna dar gayi main. Don't do that Abhir. Mujhe acha nahi lagta yeh sab."
She expressed her discomfort and hurt regarding everything that transpired. Neil whacked Abhir's head and chided him,
"Kya sawar hogaya tha tujh pe? Jo tu ne kiya kitna dangerous ho sakta tha pata hain? Apne aap ko chot kaise lagwaliya tu ne? Kyun ki aisi stupidity? You idiot!"
Neil's tone had an edge to it and Abhir looked down. Roohi and Neil, both could see Abhimanyu's expression. It was very neutral, and his focus was only on Abhir. They knew that these both had to speak it out.
So, Roohi and Neil decided to give them some time with each other and sneaked out of there. The servants were long gone after clearing out everything. It was only Abhimanyu and Abhir in the living room, facing each other.
As soon as Neil walked out with Roohi, Abhir wanted to follow them, but his feet didn't cooperate. He tried to look into his father's eyes but looked away when he saw pain and hurt more than anger in those eyes.
Abhimanyu got up to get him a painkiller, but Abhir assumed that his father was walking away from him. He held on to Abhimanyu's hand while he continued to look down.
Abhimanyu turned to see Abhir staring at the floor but his grip on his hand told him that his presence was needed. He sat back and looked at Abhir with a hope that he would speak but there was only silence for some time.
"BAHUT DARD ho raha hain?" Abhimanyu started the conversation. Abhir looked up and nodded.
"Main pain killer lata hoon" said Abhimanyu. But Abhir shook his head vehemently.
"Dard badh jayega. Pain killer lelo. Phir baat karengey." Abhimanyu's voice was heavy, and he was definitely holding back his tears.
"Mujhe abhi baat karni hain. Pain killer main baad mein lelunga." Abhir spoke finally making his father heave a sigh of momentary relief.
"Bolo kya baat karni hain?" Abhimanyu asked And Abhir stiffened. He didn't know how to say it. So, he didn't put much thought into it and spoke his heart out.
"Aap please unka side lena band kar do. Mereliye kar rahe ho toh bilkul mat karo. Aap jitna apna pain chupaoge, woh meri nazar mein utni choti hoti jayengi.
Aap hi ne sikhaya hain na, sahi aur galat mein se sahi choose karna hamesha. Baki saare factors secondary hote hain. Toh aap sach, sach boliye. Do you think woh sahi hain?"Abhir looked into his eyes and questioned him.
"Don't tell me aap decide nahi kar paa rahe ho. Because you can. Agar unki jagah kisi aur ne wahi harqat kisi aur ke saath kiya hota toh aapka kya reaction hota?........
Main bataun? Aisa definitely nahi hota." Abhir's voice reached Abhimanyu and he looked up with tears in his eyes.
"Aap kab tak apne aap ko PUNISH karte rahoge? Kab tak reasons dhoondhte rahoge to soften her blows and SUGERCOAT them?
Aap bhool rahe ho Papa........that....... I KNOW HER. I lived with her for a long time.
Haan! Thode time keliye maine aapki narrative ko sach maan liya tha kyunki aapne poori baat nahi batayi. You didn't give me the raw truth. Per ab aur nahi.
Agar woh meri Di ki MOM nahi ho sakti..........aur kyunki woh apne aap ko Di ki mom nahi maanti, unhe aise hurt kar sakti hain....... toh aisi mom mujhe nahi chahiye Papa.
Please DON'T FORCE ME TO RESPECT HER. Let her earn that respect through her deeds. PLEASE!" Abhir pleaded with Abhimanyu and Abhimanyu was overwhelmed with emotions.
"Papa! Aaj tak aapne kabhi bhi mujhse, unke bare kuch bhi negatively nahi kaha. Agar phir bhi main unko nahi pasand kar raha hoon... then it has nothing to do with you. It's on her.
Agar mere dil mein unkeliye gussa hain, hate hain toh I have my reasons for that. It's up to her to make it up to me. You can't do that for her Papa. You aren't bound to. Stop taking everything on yourself."
Abhir poured his heart out. Abhimanyu was touched beyond measure. Every word was a realization and that had a worry attached to it, that tagged along. Abhimanyu looked at his injured son, cupped his face and said,
"Itna BADA kab hogaya mera Bacha?" Abhir held the palm that was caressing his face and kissed it in response.
"Reh paoge apni Mumma ki sach ke saath aur unkeliye itni kadwi feelings ke saath?" He probed and Abhir said nothing. He didn't want to lie.
"Bade ho bhi gaye tab bhi itna asaan nahi hota hain Bacha. Kafi takleef hogi. Main bas aapko us takleef se bachane ki koshish kar raha tha aur kuch nahi.
I didn't want you to have a troubled childhood than what you have already experienced. I was being a protective father.
Aapko CONFUSE karne ka ya CHEAT karne ka koi intention nahin tha mera. You have to TRUST me on this."
Abhir cut him off, held his hand in his other palm and said, "Kya bol rahe ho PAPA?" Abhimanyu looked away. He knew what Abhir meant by that.
"I TRUST YOU THE MOST. Aap sabse BEST ho. Isliye jab aap cheezein selectively batate hain toh mujhe acha nahi lagta hain. That's not you.
You take things HEAD ON and you stick to the truth come what may. Aap confused kabhi nahi hote ho when it's about siding with what's right. I admire the clarity you have.
Unkeliye...... aap apne ways kyun change kar rahe ho? Is she that important?" Abhir's words moved Abhimanyu and he promptly responded.
"NO. SHE IS NOT. ALL OF YOU ARE." He said honestly without a second thought.
"Baat khatam phir. I am now, speaking for everyone in the family.......None of us want you to change yourself Papa......... BE YOU.
WE LOVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR. Don't complicate things, just to whitewash her image." Abhir expressed his feelings point blank.
Hearing that, Abhimanyu was overwhelmed by emotion,
"I am sorry Beta. Mujhe laga main aapko trauma se bacha raha hoon. Maine aisa bilkul nahi socha ki I am compromising with my honesty and letting you all down. I am really sorry."
Abhimanyu heartfully apologized. Abhir snuggled closer to Abhimanyu and Abhimanyu pulled him closer. Now that he put his point across and his father accepted it, he wasn't angry anymore. More than that, he needed his Papa close after a confrontation like that.
Coming to Abhimanyu, for a brief moment, he felt like he had failed his son unintentionally when Abhir refused to let him close. But this closeness, right now, initiated from Abhir's end, soothed him a lot.
He realized that in a bid to protect his kids, he had confused them or hurt them with his changed behaviour.
His self-doubt and second guessing made him take a step back from Neil. His guilt of keeping Abhir away from his mother never let him come clean to Abhir about Akshara.
He definitely didn't want Abhir to go through the TRAUMA he has experienced as a child. Detesting a parent you once loved whole heartedly, can be heart breaking for the parent on the receiving end, but it is traumatizing for the child and he was a prime example for that.
But he foolishly discredited his presence and his importance in his children's life in that process. They really love him to bits to be able to put up with all his flaws and still continue to love him so freely.
They have never given him a chance to doubt his stature in their lives and it's time he engrained that thought in his system once and for all. He couldn't take any longer to accept the fact because his kids left him with no option.
Their love forced him to act on it immediately and he would.
Abhir didn't show any signs of pulling out from his embrace. So, he let him be while his mind just recalled all the conversations he had over the last couple of days. He had been a mess and rather confused. He even reached out to his therapist, and she advised him to turn to his family, seek their company and suggestions whenever he felt like he was getting lost in a maze.
He didn't understand what exactly she meant by that but now he does. All the confusion, the fear, the insecurity and the anxiety were gone with one single confrontation. Neil always helped him be in check, but Abhir just cleared his mind and any confusion that was there.
He really underestimated his kids and their wisdom and felt like a fool to consider himself the most mature one out there. Clearly, in some cases, he wasn't, and he had absolutely no qualms accepting it.
Now that Abhir gave himself license to think about Akshara without a baggage, he will have to sit back and revaluate everything he thought previously. If there was absolutely nothing to fear like Abhir assured, he wouldn't hold back the truth anymore.
He was aware of the fact that he might waver in between because healing is never a linear process. But he was also sure that his family has his back, and they are very capable to hold him and bring him back to where he is supposed to be.
Abhimanyu needed to trust his family to take care of him and rely on their judgement in these matters where he knows he operates with either a bias or a trauma.
He needs to REINVENT himself all over again and with his family on his side, he was ready to do anything that is required of him.
He was all set to take life and its challenges - HEAD ON!!
What's your take on Abhir's reaction?
Was his anger over the top?
Or is it natural for teenagers to resort to such acts once in a while?
Do you agree with Abhir's stance on Akshara?
Do you agree with Abhimanyu's reasoning and his fears?
Do you think Abhimanyu is finally free from all the negative thoughts and assumptions he has about himself?
Do you think Abhimanyu has finally understood where he stands in his kids' life?
Where will life take Birlas'?
Well! Let's wait and see.