Kaira - Family Reunited (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 20

THIS CHAPTER IS A FLASHBACK OF NAIRA'S LIFE IN RISHIKESH. SAME STORY IS BEING NARRATED TO THE ELDERS AND COUSINS. I'M WRITING IT IN NAIRA POV.

Like all of you know, I was angry with everyone and wanted to leave Udaipur. I was able to get into a train to Rishikesh and that's how my life changed.

The first couple of weeks, I had nowhere to go. I used to eat the prasad at the temples and sleep with the many rishis with them. I was super scared and alone and on one such night I found my Knight in shining armour. My Ani bhai.

Ani bhai was studying and working part time to save up for his college. He had seen me a couple of times asking for prasad and thought I must be from some poor family. That night when I was shivering in the cold and hungry he saw me. Bhai took me to the orphanage and took care of me.

He hid me in his room for the night, scared I will not be allowed to stay. He got me clean clothes and made me sleep. He stayed with me throughout all the nightmares I had. Next day he took me to Negi uncle and I was able to stay at the orphanage.

Bhai enrolled me into the school nearby where he studied. Bhai was in 12th. I used to cling to him and not let go. I was scared there and he was my only saviour. Slowly we became really close and he adopted me when he turned 18.

You know bhai knew about all of you. I told him about all of you and every week he'll try to get me to go to Udaipur. He wanted me to sort my problems with you. He offered to even kidnap me from here if you guys are bad but wanted me to forgive you all. He was always told me that.

Keerti di was his classmate in college. They soon fell in love. Inn dono ki love story se hum ek romcom bana sakthe hain. Clg setting, calm and composed boy, super hyper and very responsible girl. Jab second year mein the Mumma aur papa ko bhai ke bare main pata chal gaya tha.

They shifted di from hostel and lived there. They wanted to see how bhai was by themselves. That's how I met Karthik aur Shub. Hum sab ek hi school mein the aur hum bhai aur di ko milne mein help karthe the.

It had always been Ani bhai's dream to join the army. He used to work so hard. He joined the Navy after finishing college. Uske baad bhai used to be gone 6months a year. Mumma aur papa ne mujhe gar le gaye. I was old enough to live alone phir bhi. They knew Karthik and I loved each other but still wanted me to stay with them. Safe at home.

When I was 20, bhai ko accident ho gaya tha due to which woh active duty pe nahi the. He suffered from severe ptsd and couldn't go back into the sea. He was scared of the ocean after that. My bhai who dreamed of sailing couldn't even think of sailing again.

By this time bhai and Keerti di got engaged and wanted to marry. Dadi was dead against it. Unhe laga ki bhai sirf paison ke liye shaadi kar rahein hain. And when bhai had to leave the navy she objected more. She didn't want someone who was ill, jobless and family less to marry her grand daughter.

She ended up saying a few things which she now regrets. She didn't agree to the marriage but Mumma and papa told dadi she shouldn't and couldn't decide for their children. They supported di and bhai and always stood by us.

Ani bhai helped di set up her restaurant which they both ran together. Karthik aur meri bhi shaadi ho gayi thi. Aur humara champ bhi agaya. We were very happy. The six of us used to live together and run that restaurant. Karthik was doing his MBA, Shub his MD and I started a dance academy.

Unfortunately, bhai was given a chance to rejoin if found mentally and physically fit. Woh mana kar ne hi wale the, but we knew he'd want to try. Hum sab ne milkar unhe convince kiya. We told him he should give himself a second chance and because of us he agreed.

Stimulations and sare check ups and tests mein woh pass ho gaye the. Woh kudh itne kush the ki he could go back to doing something he loved. Ansh ke 1st birthday ke baad he left for his 3 month mission.

What none of us realised is that stimulation aur reality mein farak hota hai. He couldn't manage. In the three months he was on that ship he suffered too many anxiety and panic attacks. He wasn't himself when he came back home.

He tried a lot to stay strong for us but he couldn't. The mental and physical toll he had in the three months caused him a massive heart attack. He didn't survive that. We have been trying to forgive ourselves for pushing him to try.

Baki toh apko patha hai. Mumma found me there and got me here. Oh haan jis din I realised the truth, it was our wedding anniversary. I had planned on going out with Karthik to celebrate when Naksh bhai decided to third wheel.