"The love of a family is life's greatest blessing."
Ansh and Anya sat there in the beach house for hours, talking, laughing and crying for things that were never under their control.
"Will you ever forgive them" the question escaped his lips out of nowhere startling her for a moment as she pondered over the question for a moment before answering
"forgiving and forgetting can't ever be simple or same, Ansh. I can't forget what I had to go through, I can't just forget that they were never there for me when I needed them. They don't know me like Ishana ma knows you. She can tell your mood by just once glance, she knows how to make you feel better but no one did that for me Ansh. You know sometimes you just pretend to be angry knowing she will come to mollify you but I could never let out my emotions, knowing no one will ever come for me. Well, no one expect dad whenever he was home he would be with me but I was never given the liberty to talk with my own dad without someone gatecrashing our time, they'll snatch him away from me or Pinky dadi will sit overhead glaring daggers at me making sure I don't tell him anything and I didn't need her glares to keep quiet. I wouldn't have told him anyway, I never wanted to burden him more than he already was and all I remember throughout is loneliness and Pinky Singh Oberoi always there to stop me, to scold me and tell me words full of scorn and to keep me away from the rest of the family and you know it always had been like that Pinky Oberoi making life hell, making me write an essay on how I'm my family's culprit on my b'days and that day it was the anger in dad's eyes that undid me, the whole family always thought of me as a criminal only he didn't and that day he thought the same about me. I couldn't bear it Ansh, nor can I forget all that like it never happened, I can't be all happy and myself with them as a part of me will always remember the past and see the past in present. I'll always see things that could've happened, I would be surrounded with bitterness, hate and What if's. I'll hurt and hurt my loved ones and I just can't allow that I don't think I will ever able to share the close bond you share with Ishana ma and Rey pops with Mrs Oberoi or dad " Anya's tone was full of bitterness and hurt and Ansh hated himself for even asking that stupid question. God, he can't forgive his parents for what they did with Anya then how could she when she was the one facing their hurt, anger and negligence.
"Umm... I think we should go back home before the baby wakes up, I don't know how to deal with a crying child or girl for that matter" Ansh stated sheepishly messing his perfect hairs as he looked at her
"me too and we need baby stuffs" Anya spoke looking at the baby in her arms, sleeping peacefully unaware of her surroundings or how drastically her life has changed. She won't ever know the mother that birthed her but in her place she will get a mess of mother with too many things to deal with, a mother who can be as cold as liquid hydrogen and a mother who do not know the first thing about child care and had a mother who just can't ever be considered mother goals for her anyway, a mother who got maternal love from strangers but looking at the sleeping baby, Anya decided they both will be just fine, she will learn and adapt as always and she have a big family to support her and the baby through every step. So, they'll be just fine after all she isn't her mom and she'll prove she can be better than her own mother.
Ansh got up first and then helped her up, making sure the child was still asleep they walked back to the car.
"We need a baby seat, safety is important and I can't have this little angel traveling in my car unsafe" Ansh told her with a thoughtful expression as they planned to install a baby seat in their car and she nodded at her brother, knowing how seriously he was taking his new role.
The drive back home was uneventful expect the time Baby Sisira woke up wailing and both of them panicked not knowing how to soothe her down but they didn't need to do much as she calmed down after some gentle rocking and looked around her with big eyes and also tried to grasp her fingers and put them in her mouth, coating her fingers with saliva much to Ansh's amusement and her displeasure but she couldn't say anything watching the content child.
Ansh and Anya entered the premises of Kapoor mansion, laughing only to stop dead on their tracks on coming under the death stare of one Ishana Kapoor.
"Where were you two?? no news from any of you, no calls answered, gosh I aged more than decades in just one night, calling both of you yet none of you thought of informing me of your whereabouts, god I was sick to death worrying about both of you. Now, why both of you're standing quietly and wait..a min, Anya what are you doing with a child??" Ishana's angry rant halted when she clearly saw Anya and Ansh standing looking like children caught during some mischief as they whispered oops to each other and the child in Anya's arm made the scene more peculiar
"Now will you both answer me or keep on looking at each other??" Ishana questioned back still so worried for both of them as anger seeped through her tone along with worry
"oops, sorry ma my phone was on silent and then with the fire in orphanage, I totally forgot informing you" Ansh spoke with a solemn guilty face as Ishana gasped with fright
"The orphanage was on fire, Are you both alright?? Are the children alright?? Everyone is fine right?? Why didn't you inform us?? Ansh everyone is fine right?? the children nothing happened to them right??" Ishana's voice was full of pain and disbelief and horror as she questioned her son palming his face searching any sign of harm on him
"Everyone is fine, ma. We got it handled before any serious damage could have been done. The children are shifted to dad's old farm house . I hope he doesn't mind I didn't inform him prior" Ansh spoke assuring his distraught mother
"And I was with him ma, in the hospital with the kids and to answer your previous question I...I watched this little girl being rescued from the flames and I was with her in the hospital, caring for her and I...I just couldn't let her go, so I decided to adopt her and even Vi is fine with this decision" Anya told Ishana with a voice thick on emotions and added the last line as an afterthought.
"come here my child, I'm not against your this decision love. I'm so proud of you and even if Viaan would have been against this decision. I would have supported you and scolded him till he saw sense. I'm so happy with you. So, what's my grandchild is called??" Ishana questioned her with a soft smile playing on her lips as she kissed Anya's crown and continued side hugging both the twins
"Sisira" Anya said with so much tenderness in her tone that it made Ishana grin at the new mother
"Winter, any special reason behind this name??" Ishana questioned her with curiousness clear in her tone
"her birth mother gave her this name and I didn't have the heart to change it" Ansh didn't think the smile on his mother's face could widen but hearing Anya's words it did
"It's a beautiful name, now you both must be starving I don't think you remember eating. So, go freshen up and I'll ask the kitchen staff to make something for you both" Ishana ordered both of them as they looked at each other with a knowing smile.
"But Ma I needed to talk to Vi and show him this angel" Anya stated with a frown
"Vi isn't running away anywhere dear and I'll hold this angel until you freshen up and eat after that talk to your Viaan all you want, alright and before you make the clothes excuse, I have some of your clothes in Panchi's room use them. Now, shoo get going both of you." Ishana dismissed the two just like that doting on the child in her arms as the child soaked in all the attention she was getting with a goofy grin and sparkling eyes
"I think mom is already planning on pampering her to hell" Ansh whispered in Anya's ears as she reached Panchi's room in kapoor mansion
"As you're not going to follow her steps" Anya retorted back while rolling her eyes as Ansh laughed again moving towards his room and Anya entered Panchi's room with a smile on her face, suddenly even the dreaded events of past few hours couldn't make her feel down.
Panchi just reached back home, after wrapping up somethings at work front still worried about her brother and on top of all this Omav didn't come to work today increasing her workload that guy was just infuriating, reaching back home she find her massi playing with a child. Today was becoming a really strange day.
"Massi, who is this kid??" She asked her massi with confusion clearly return on her face
"She is Sisira, Anya adopted her" Ishana replied to her beaming in happiness and watching confusion still shining in Panchi's eyes and elaborated whatever Ansh and Anya to Panchi who was really proud of Anya and Ansh and already in love with the newest member of their family.
"Panchi, I think we should order the designers to get us the best lines of kid clothes. Our princess should have the most comfortable and best clothes" Ishana spoke with a sparkle in her eyes and Panchi couldn't help but feel excited too
"I'll order all other essentials then, bottles, baby food, baby soaps and everything else she needs. Do we need to line up a doctor check up too?? just to make sure if she got all the necessary injections or not and if not then what should we do and all??" Panchi asked Ishana already planning things for future and thinking of ways to pamper the beautiful child with curly hairs.
"Ohkay, don't scare the babe with that expression and mumma I'm starving" Ansh whined pitifully as he came after freshening up and flopped beside his mom, making Panchi role her eyes at her over dramatic brother.
"The food is being served and Panchi please call Anya down too" Ishana said as she continued playing with the giggling child who tried to capture her loose traces and look around everything with curious wide eyes, with special affinity to the red colour.
"Sure" Panchi spoke as she walked to her room, knocking she entered the room to find Anya combing her hairs
"Anya, massi is calling you downstairs for eating, hurry or bhai will swallow down everything" Panchi spoke with teasing note high in her tone as she looked at Anya with a sparkle in her eyes
"Panchi"the serious call of her name brought her out of her humorous stupor
"Yeah, Anya" Panchi answered Anya's call of her name with a somber tone
"Omav, it was Omav wasn't it. The guy you loved and the guy who let you down" Anya spoke with seriousness in her tone and hurt in her eyes while Panchi's eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, pain and fear
"how?" she uttered the words with disbelief filled tone, she tried so hard so no one will ever know that part of her past
"That's not important but why didn't you say anything?? why did you keep mum huh??You know Ansh would have fought for you, heck everyone would have if you just stated the name, you wouldn't have to face all this" Anya questioned her with pain and disbelief in her tone as she looked at the teary eyes panchi
"And I didn't want anyone to fight for me Anya, I didn't want to be the reason why two brothers could never fought, I don't want to be the crack between them. I didn't want to destroy a family" Panchi uttered with so much pain in her voice
"We hadn't been family and they hadn't been brothers for long, you would have destroyed nothing dear" Anya reassured the distressed girl
"Please don't tell them about this" Panchi whispered to her in a broken whisper
"I won't If you don't want me too but you can share anything you want with me. I won't tell a single soul, promise" Anya promised Panchi to be the ear she could let out all her feelings
"Thank you, Anya"
"don't thank me dear, we are sisters after all"
After the much needed brunch, Anya was video calling Vi while watching Panchi and Ansh debate on the baby products while Ishana called them children every now and then.
"hey love, busy" Anya whispered in sweet tone when Viaan's sweaty face appeared on the screen
"Na, just got back from the gym. You look radiant" Vi stated smiling goofily with love filled intense eyes boring into her as her cheeks suddenly felt a little warm
"thank you btw Vi meet your daughter, Sisira" Anya spoke softly, shyly as her eyes met his letting him know the matter has been solved and a transfixed aww filled expression graced his face watching the hazel eyed babe.
"god, she is so beautiful. I can't wait to meet her, love" his tone carried the aww as his eyes met her letting her know he was ready for this responsibility, he was always ready to care for his family.
"She'll be daddy's princess, I can already guarantee" Anya teased him watching his wonderfilled eyes
"and I'll give her every reason to be proud of her dad and be the best dad around" that was a promise she knew the way his eyes locked with her shining with determination and love. he was already in love with this child just like her and she couldn't help be hopeful of the future, their future.
The moment was broken by an excited shout of and "I'll be the bestest and coolest uncle around and she'll be more proud of me, dude" followed by an exasperated shout of " way to ruin the moment, bro"
to be continued
okay, a fluffy chapter before the emotional roller coaster. hope, you enjoyed this part and thank you so much for all the love showered on this story. This story completed 2k votes, yipee. I cant beileve it just a few days ago I reached the 1k milestone and now 2k already yipee. Thank you so much and this is baby Sisira btw