A week later, on a Saturday afternoon, Sanskaar was hard at work trying to finish his assignment in the eleventh hour. The doorbell rang and he heard Nayra's voice faintly. He prayed she doesn't disturb him.

Nayra lived in the same apartment building as him. Being close since school days meant they were considered family in each other's house. They could knock at their doors any time and the family never questioned, “What are you doing here at this time?”

His luck favored as his Mom's and Nayra's voice felt faint. He thought, ‘They should have gone into the kitchen.’ He opened his bedroom door out of curiosity to listen in on the conversation as he typed furiously on his laptop.

Nayra asked, “Wow Aunty. You are weilding your kitchen prowess. Any special occasion?”

Sanskaar cringed. He had invited his father home for that discussion. He could not understand his mother's reaction. She was happy, sad, confused; all in a moment's time. That day, when he was expected home, she set out to prepare a proper lunch despite Sanskaar's attempts to convince what they normally had would be just fine. She dismissed saying, “He is not used to the one-pot meals we always have.”

The response and the reaction made Sanskaar question his decision. Was he making a mistake by giving her hopes?

Sujata's response was muffled by the sound of the grinder. But as soon as the silence returned,  Nayra said in a mimicking voice, “Main tumhe bhool jaon yeh ho nahi sakta, aur tum mujhe bhool jao yeh main hone nahi doonga.”

“Nayra! Aaj main hi mili tumhe?”

After some light heated chat, Nayra asked hesitantly, “Do you think everything will be fine? Will Sanskaar accept him?”

“I don't know, Nayra. I just don't want to see Sanskaar hurt in this process.”

Sanskaar decided it was enough and interrupted their conversation. “Don't you have an assignment to submit today? Why are passing your time here?”

“I submitted two days back. I came to help you. Because I know you would have started just last night.”

“Thank you very much. I am almost done.”

“Yeah right? Almost as in 50% in your dictionary, which is not enough. Anyway, did you check your email? One good news and one bad news.”

Sanskaar shook his head. “Nayra, will you ever bring only good news for me?”

Nayra was no longer listening as she was busy tasting the malpua his Mom made. His mom stuffed a piece in Sanskaar's mouth too which he found too sweet. “You were about to tell me a bad news.”

“I'm not your PA. Check your email.” Nayra jumped down from the counter where she was sitting and started walking out.

Sanskaar blackmailed with the closest possible reward. “You will get one more piece if you tell me.”

Nayra turned on her heel and lunged for the reward. “The assignment deadline is postponed to Monday. The Final Project proposal is also due on Monday. Now give me that!”

Two more days for the assignment but only two days to decide on his final project idea.

The lunch was like sitting at the line of control instead of his home. Ram was formal and polite with Sujata and Sanskaar. When the time for discussion arrived, Sanskaar took the blunt way to lay out his options. Either they meet at their place or Ram would forever be out of their lives.

Sujata was shocked at the prospect of divorce. “Sanskaar, don't try to decide for me,” she warned.

Sanskaar consoled that he had no intention of going the path of their divorce but he cannot bear the name of Maheshwari when he hardly knows the family who took pride in that name.

Ram surprised the mother and son when he chose both options. “I will take both,” he said. “I will meet you both as our schedules permit and whenever you want to see me. It will always be only me and I won't involve my family. As for the second option, I know Sanskaar, you have been using it as a threat since you turned 18. Let me make it happen. You are free to change your surname as you please. I have no objection.”

However, Sujata objected, “No. That's not needed, Sanskaar. You never meant to change, right?”

Sanskaar stared at his father in disbelief. Finally, they were talking about something they could agree on. “I want to.”

Ram agreed with him, finalising the decision. “I can set you up with a lawyer if you wish.”

Sanskaar nodded. Sujata frowned, “Do you even know what you are talking about? When your sister-in-law finds out, she would curse me to death. For them, I will be the bad person who influenced both of you.”

Ram laughed for the first time since they convened, “Sujata, since when did you start thinking of my family's perception of you? You don't care what they say. As a father, if this is what Sanskaar wants and I can help him with it, so be it. He doesn't want to be Sanskaar Ramprasad Maheshwari. And I am not less proud to say my son is Sanskaar Sujata Rathod.”

Even as he typed, Sanskaar couldn't help but wonder whether Ramprasad Maheshwari he met in the afternoon was the truth or an illusion. He was happy that his father accepeted his decision to change his surname but was the agreement as illusion to a deeper truth?

~ • ♡ • ~  • ☆ • ~ • ♡ • ~

That's how things happened. Do I need to ask your reactions? You would have already put in the comments, I'm sure.

I too have a sad news for you. I signed up for an exam on Sep 24th. Yes, you are thinking right. I won't be able to update till then.

As promised, you will have an update for Chocolate Room tomorrow or day after tomorrow, whenever I can sneak in time to write. Since I promised, I will try my best to update this week.

Pyaar Ke Rishtey will be coming back as scheduled. I have those chapters already in WP draft so I will just have to hit that Publish button.

Please wish me luck so that I can come back to WP soon :-)