Narrator's POV
Aayan and Ved were driving towards Singhal's residence to give Sameer the file and also Ved had to discuss few things with him about their joint project..
'Why can't you guys meet in some cafe and discuss...?' Aayan asked while driving the car
Ved sighed.. 'Trust me Aayan... I tried... But Sameer is not well, and we need to start with the 1st module of the project, and also I couldn't deny to the repeated requests from your mother....'
Aayan clenched the steering wheel...
Ved noticed this...
'But don't you worry, it won't take more than half n hour... I have prepared the proposal in such a way, that, I just need to explain to him for about 10 mins, rest he can take care by himself... ' Ved said nervously
'How will I face her man, I didn't see her after Nitaara's wedding... ' Aayan said, looking at the road
'Listen you don't have to come, if you are so uncomfortable... I will tell badi mummy that you were not well... ' Ved said
'I am not leaving you alone with Prateek and Yash Singhal....' Aayan said with disgusted look on his face
'Prateek Singhal is out of town, so I only have to deal with Yash... ' Ved said
'I know that scoundrel, he won't let you work peacefully... ' Aayan said angrily
'Thanks for doing this bro... ' Ved says smiling
'Yeah... ' was all Aayan could say, he took a deep breath..
He was very nervous to see his mother after 2 years, it was not the same nervousness he felt when he met Jai, it was different....
If he was just angry with Jai, he was scornfully angry with his mother
Because none of them answered his questions properly when he was young, although whenever Aayan needed Jai, he was always there no matter what, but Priyanka distanced herself from her kids as she was always occupied with the responsibility of her new kids..
Aayan vowed himself, to never ever call her or try to contact her when he was 14...
Even on Nitaara's wedding, he kept his distance from her by keeping himself preoccupied with the work
But today after 2 and a half years, he was going to see her...
They stopped in front of a huge mansion and the guard opened the gate for them
Aayan drove their SUV inside the bungalow and halted in front of the entrance, where his mother and Sameer were waiting for them smiling, and Aayan held the steering tightly, taking a deep breath
Just think about the good times you spent with Bade Papa, when you see them
He remembered Ananya's words
'Time to test your theory Ananya... ' Aayan muttered
'What...?' Ved asked
'Nothing...' Aayan said getting down from the car...
Priyanka was dressed in a royal blue saree over a full sleeve blue sweater, with an expensive kashmiri shawl wrapped on her left shoulder, diamond studs in her ears and a diamond necklace, her greying hairs were tied into a neat bun...
She looked very different from what Aayan was used to see her
She comes forward and hugs Aayan
'Welcome my son, I am seeing you after 2 years, see how weak you have become... ' She said with tears in her eyes
Aayan was not affected by her tears, because he knew she was being fake, she hardly cared about him or his sister
'Hello Maa... ' Aayan says without any emotion in his voice, like he is greeting some client
'Welcome back brother... ' Sameer smiles and hugs him, but Aayan doesn't reciprocate...
Sameer sighs and leaves him and turns to Ved
'Thanks for coming Mr. Thapar... ' he shook hands with Ved
'How is your health Mr. Singhal...?' Ved asks
'It's better now... ' Sameer says, but then sneezes, looking at his condition you can actually say that he was sick
'Sameer always gets sick during winter, he can't bear the cold...' Priyanka said patting Sameer's shoulders
'Thank you for bringing him here Ved... ' Priyanka said hugging Ved
'Welcome Badi mumm... *stops in between* sorry... Aunty.... ' Ved smiles
'Come let's go inside... ' Priyanka holds their hands drags them along with her
They enter the huge living room of the mansion, Priyanka makes them sit on the sofa and orders the servants to get the snacks
Aayan was controlling his anger, and it was quite evident from his face
Yes ! He was not happy after seeing his mother...
Ved saw this, and got worried, that if Aayan loses his temper, it would be extremely hard to control him
'Actually we have to be somewhere, so can we discuss this quickly Mr. Singhal...?' Ved asks Sameer
'Sure Mr. Thapar, lets go to the study...' Sameer smiles
'Mom, please send Mr. Ved's and My coffee in the study.....' He says to Priyanka
'Okay son... ' She smiles
Ved gives Aayan an assuring look and follows Sameer
Now it was only Aayan and his mother in the room, he was getting uncomfortable to sit in front of his own mother
He looked around, and saw a huge portrait of Priyanka, Prateek, Sameer and His half brother Yash hanging on the wall, He frowned glancing at the picture, because they never had one when Priyanka lived with them...
And on the other side of the room, far in the corner, there was another portrait of a women, with garland over it
It was the picture of Sameer's real mother
Priyanka placed her hands on his, breaking his trance and he looked at her
'How are you my child...?' she asks
'I am good...' Aayan replied
'You seem to lose weight, aren't you eating properly...? Give me your cook's number, i'll inform her how to prepare your meal... ' she said
'No need Maa... Naina mom already instructed her... ' Aayan said and Priyanka frowned
'How is your work going on...?' she asked
'It's going fine, I am splitting AYSA from my partner... ' Aayan said
'Why...! You guys just got a huge investment...! Don't behave like your father Aayan... Starting a whole new firm alone is not a great idea.... ' Priyanka said
'Wow... You don't have faith in me at all... ' Aayan says sarcastically
'It's not like that...' Priyanka argues
'Leave it maa.. Don't bother about my work, you focus on your other son's work.... ' Aayan comments and Priyanka frowns
The servant served the food and Priyanka picks the waffles and forwards it to Aayan...
'See I made your favorite food... ' She smiles
Aayan takes the plate and puts it back on the table
'Thanks... ' he said and she sighs
'You and Nitaara stopped calling and visiting me, what happened...?' Priyanka asked
'You didn't like, us calling you after 10 or at any specific time so we decided not to bother you... ' Aayan replied
'I didn't mean that you shouldn't call me at all... ' she argued
'Even you had our numbers...! Why didn't you call...?' Aayan argued back and Priyanka got uncomfortable
'I.. I was busy... ' she said
'So were we... ' Aayan shot back controlling his anger
'But... '
'Don't worry about us Maa... We have learned to live without you... ' Aayan said looking away and Priyanka's eyes filled with tears
'I love you and Nitaara equally, like Yash and Sameer... ' she said her voice cracking
Aayan glared at her
'We don't need your Equal love Maa... We wanted to be your priority, afterall we were your first borns, unlike your sons... Was that too much to ask for...?' he asked
'Beta, Me and Jai, couldn't...' She began
'It's been 18 years Maa, let it be... There is no point in discussing about it now... ' Aayan said dismissing the topic
There was silence in the room
'How is Nitaara...?' she asked
'She is fine, living happily with her husband and daughter in Mumbai... ' Aayan informed
'Can I see my granddaughter's pic...?'
Aayan opened his gallery and found picture of Nitaara holding Shivaalika, both of them smiling looking at each other and showed it to Priyanka
She smiled looking at the picture, and caressed Nitaara's face, tears rolling down her eyes
'Can't believe my princess is a mother now... ' She said crying, and instinctively Aayan wiped her tears
'Is Tarun treating her well...?' She asked
'Yeah, she is very happy Maa, don't worry about her, Tarun jiju loves her and Shivaalika, more than his life, he won't let anything happen to her, be assured of that... ' Aayan said and Priyanka smiled
'When are you planning to marry...?' Priyanka asked
'Never... ' Was all Aayan replied and she sighed
'Aayan, just because me and your father couldn't live together, doesn't mean every marriage fails... Look at Naina - Arjun or Nitaara - Tarun... ' She said
'Maa please... I am not interested in your views about marriage... So please... Don't talk about it... ' Aayan said curtly and Priyanka didn't talk further
'Snapping at my Maa, ill behaved, poor dressing sense... It has to be you Aayan Bhai.. ' Yash said descending down the stairs
'Yash... ' Priyanka warns him
'Nice to see you my loser bro...is your father still alive...? I heard he was in the hospital, I was waiting for the good news of his death... ' Yash smirked at Aayan, coming towards him
Aayan's anger escalated at this...
Before he could say anything, Aayan grabbed the nape of his neck and pressed it tightly practically chocking him
'Aayan... ' Priyanka said panicking
Aayan was 6'2" tall like Jai, while Yash was shorter, around 5'8" like his father, and also 8 years younger than Aayan
'Learn some manners you scoundrel, I am not your mother or your loser father to tolerate your shit... Dare you misbehave with me like this again, I won't hesitate to choke you to death... ' Aayan said angrily, throwing Yash on the sofa...
'Are you okay son...? Aayan ! Have you lost your sanity... ' Priyanka rushed towards him, and Yash panted, trying to catch his breath
'You...!' Yash got up, but Priyanka came in between
'Enough both of you... Aayan say sorry to your brother... ' Priyanka ordered
'Are you for real woman...? You want me to apologize to him, for saying ill things about my father...!' Aayan shouted losing his patience
'Security...! Get this man out of here.. ' Yash called the security
'Ved.....!!! Ved...!!!' Aayan shouts and Ved along with Sameer come running towards them
They are shocked to see Priyanka scared and crying and Yash all red and breathless...
'What happened Yash...?' Sameer rushed towards him
'Aayan are you alright...?' Ved asked holding Aayan by his shoulder who was fuming in anger
'Let's go... ' Aayan gritted
'He is a loser, just like his father... ' Yash commented curtly
Aayan's could not control any longer
'Atleast teach this Bastard some manners... ' he glares at his mother
'Aayan... ' Priyanka stared at him horrified and so did Sameer
'What...? Wasn't he born out of your and Mr. Singhal's respective wedlocks Mrs. Singhal...? Wasn't he conceived, when both of you were married to different people...!!' Aayan said angrily
'Enough Aayan... ' Ved tries to pull him away...
But Aayan was no more in his sane mind right now, he lost all his patience....
'How can you tolerate this woman and her son in your house, when they are the reason behind your own mother's suicide... ' Aayan shouts at Sameer who closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clenching his hands into fist
'Aayan please... ' Ved panicked pulling him away...
'Your and Prateek's decision, ruined 3 children's life, snatched away their mother's love from them... ' Aayan growled
This was Aayan's 18 year old frustration, pain and that came out, with just a small trigger from Yash
'I don't want to see you again young man, it was my mistake that I called you here...! I wanted to meet my son, not a heartless monster like you...' Priyanka cried
'But I came here to see a selfish lady, who saw her comfort, and didn't even hesitate to leave her children for a sick bastard...' Aayan growled
'Aayan let's leave.... ' Ved grabbed Aayan by his waist, as he was so angry that he could do anything
'Throw this mother son duo, out of your house, before they make you their chauffeur and ruin your life..' Aayan said to Sameer and Ved pulled him out of the house
'Get in... ' Ved made Aayan sit on the passenger seat and locked his seatbelt and quickly got into the driver's seat..
He drove away from the Mansion, with super angry Aayan whose face was red with anger, with veins being seen on his forehead
Sameer glanced at Priyanka and Yash and then at his mother's photo and ran upstairs
Yash angrily threw away all the food on the table, breaking the crockery and Priyanka sat on the sofa, crying
For the first time she realized, what she has actually done...
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