Part 7 Reason of the Present

Khushi became thoughtful. Amit said Arnav protected Abhimanyu. How? When? Why did Abhi say nothing about it to her? Abhi never hides anything from her. Why now? What's the reason? How do Abhi and Arnav know each other? Or was their meeting a coincidence? There were a lot of questions that whirled in Khushi's mind. She decided to talk to Abhi in the evening.

Evening

Khushi came home. Abhi was doing his homework as usual. He rushed to Khushi when she entered home using a spare key.

"Hi, Mom" Abhi smiled.

"Hi, baby..." She sat on the couch.

Abhi bring a glass of water and gave it to Khushi. Khushi took it from him with a smile.

"Thank you, baby..."

"Don't call me baby, mom. Please " Abhi said making a weird face.

"You are always a baby to me"

"I'm not a kid mom... I am studying in the second standard"

"Feeling yourself a big boy, have you started hiding things from me?" Khushi asked him and drank the water.

"Me? Mom, I don't hide anything from you... Don't you know me? I don't get sleep if I hide anything from you..." Abhi said seriously.

"Is it? Amit came to my office today" she said reading his face.

Abhi went speechless.

"What happened Abhi?"

Abhi looked down.

"You are a good boy... mom's boy... But, you have stated hiding things from me recently... Why Abhi? Do you think I won't get to know if you hide it from me?"

"No, Mom..." Abhi said hurriedly.

"Then what? How can I take it?"

"I thought you will feel bad. I don't want you to be sad... I don't want to make you sad..." she said like a big guy.

"Abhi, you are still a kid. If you hide things from me, it may cause trouble for us. We have no one to support us. We should be careful in every direction. You have the responsibility to make me cautious. You should not hide anything from me... Understand?"

Abhi nodded ok.

"I'm sorry, mom. I promise, I won't hide anything from you anymore," he said feeling sad.

"It's ok... but don't forget my words ever. Ok?"

"Ok... are you angry with me?"

"No, baby... I'm not"

"You know mom I hate that Amit..." He said angrily.

"We should not talk about anyone with disrespect..." Khushi advised him.

"He is a bad man... "

"But you are not... You are a good boy. You are being judged by the word you speak"

"Mmm," he pouted.

"You said you won't hide anything from me..."

"Yes, I don't hide anything from you"

"You have not said yet, what happened that day..."

"Amit uncle blocked my way and asked about you. I didn't like to talk to him. So, I walked away. Clutching my hand tightly, he forced me to answer his questions. Khushi gulped down) I bit his hand and ran away. He chased me." Abhi stopped.

"Then?"

"A gentleman came for my help..."

" Who was he?" Khushi asked even though she knew who the gentleman was.

"He is Arnav sir. He saved me from Amit uncle. He fought with Amit uncle. He warned him not to chase me. He is a nice man" Abhi said with an adoring smile.

"Did you tell him anything about us?"

"No. I said nothing even after he inquired me. After that, he asked me nothing. She is not like Amit uncle... he is so nice mom"

Khushi saw Abhi's eyes sparkling while talking about Arnav. His face bubbled with interest.

"My bus mates thought he is my relative... They said he looks exactly like me." He said with excitement.

Khushi raised her brows. She compared Abhi's face with Arnav's. She gulped hard as what Abhi said was not wrong. Their faces have a resemblance...

"When and where did your friends see him? Did he come to your school?"

"No mom, they saw him in his house"

"In his house? Did you go to his house?" she asked shockingly.

"No, Mom... We didn't go but our school bus..." Abhi giggled.

"Your school bus...?" She frowned.

"Is not there a beautiful bungalow in a seventh cross street? That's his house. He asked me to visit his house you know. When he asked me, all my bus mates are looking at me only" he said with pride.

"You should not go to his house..." she said strictly.

Abhi's face hung.

"I know you would say like this," he said.

"Abhi, I told you already... we should not entertain anyone... especially men... We are alone"

"Why are we alone, Mom? Why Dad is not with us? Why won't he come to us?"

"Abhi... I told you many times... don't talk about him. He won't come to us. He left us alone and we don't need him. Understand?"

"Why Mom?"

"Abhi... he fought with me. So, we got separated."

"Didn't he like me?" he asked sadly.

Khushi felt bad for Abhi.

"He never had seen you. He left us even before you have taken birth"

"then tell him about me. He will like me"

"I don't know where he is," Khushi said looking at somewhere.

"Why did he leave us, Mom? Doesn't he like us?"

"Abhi... try to understand. Nothing worked between us. So, he left us... that's all. You don't want to make me feel bad, right? If it is so, please don't talk about your Dad from here on because it hurts me..." she said with teary eyes.

Abhi rushed to his room crying. Khushi stood helplessly. Why her life was so difficult? Why did she face such a crucial phrase in her life? What was her mistake? What's Abhi's mistake? They did nothing but getting punished for years.

She came to Abhi's room and saw him lying on the bed crying.

"Abhi..."

There was no response from Abhi.

"Abhi, won't you talk to me?"

"My friends have father... they are roaming with their fathers happily... can't I do the same?"

Khushi sobbed silently. Abhi looked at her. In no time, Khushi left the place. Abhi rushed behind her and hugged her legs.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I made you cry..."

Khushi wiped her tears.

"I won't talk about Dad. Trust me"

Khushi hugged Abhi and caressed his hair said nothing. We can see the scene often in their house. Khushi never gets weary of consoling him. She knew what he asked for her is not wrong. he is a kid after all.

The next day

Arnav and Khushi were on the way to attend a meeting. Arnav wanted Khushi to accompany him as he liked her approach very much. Arnav and Khushi were thinking about the same person while traveling... Abhi.

Arnav didn't see Abhi on the school bus that day as Abhi was sitting on the opposite side of Arnav's house. Yes, Arnav looked for him. Abhi didn't want to upset Khushi by talking with Arnav. So, he avoided Arnav even though he liked him very much.

Khushi was also thinking about what Abhi said about Arnav. She didn't tell Abhi that Arnav is none other than her Boss. She didn't want him to take advantage of Arnav. He may grow expectations... As Arnav has no one, he will definitely show concern towards Abhi and Abhi will surely get attached to Arnav which she didn't want to happen. So, she stayed silent.

Arnav saw a TAKE DIVERSION board being kept in the road. He turned the car to his right side and drove the car. Arnav got stuck, seeing a particular place that remembered him in his past. He swallowed hard. Khushi was also in the same state. Both of them looked in the same direction and gasped. It was nothing but a FERTILITY Hospital. They could not hold themselves from recalling their PAST which is the reason for their PRESENT state.

To be continued...