The Intern

Part 27

This is a mature story. Only read if you are comfortable.

Akshara Goenka:

Akshu walked around on the beach. It looked very familiar to her. The bluest clearest water, the blue clear sky.  The sand under her feet felt perfectly warm.  She knew she had been here before but when? She kept on walking until in a distance, she saw two people. Maybe they will know where she is.  She walked to them and stopped when she got near enough to see who they were. Abhi and Aarav. Both wearing white shirts and blue shorts, their hair tousled by the wind.  They were laughing while building a sand castle.  She smiled. Her boys. Abhi, her love. Aarav, her life.

She went next to them and sat down but they didn't notice her. "Abhi! Aarav!" She called out to them but it was like they couldn't hear her.  "Baby! Can you hear me? Abhi! Can you see me?" She went and sat in front of him, touching his face but he still didn't notice her. What was going on? She turned to Aarav. "Aarav? Baby? Can you see me, Chanda?" But Aarav continued to build the sandcastle.  What was going on?

Just then, the skies turned grey and Akshu could see a big storm coming their way from the distance.  She got up.  "Abhi! Get up! Let's go from here! Abhi, please!" She saw Abhi finally get up and look at the grey skies. He took Akshu's hand and made her walk away from the beach.  "Baby, you can hear me right? You can see me, na?" She turned around to look at the storm and saw Aarav still sitting on the beach, on the storm's way, building a sandcastle.  "Aarav!!!" Akshu tried to get Abhi to leave her hand so she could run and save her baby boy but he wouldn't let go. "Abhi! Aarav is still there! Aarav!!" Akshu started to scream but Abhi wouldn't let go. What was wrong with him?

Akshu watched as the storm came more and more near. Aarav finally looked up to see the dark sky and started to cry. "Mama!" Akshu tried to pull herself away from Abhi. She finally managed to set her arm free.
"I'm coming, Aarav! Mama is coming to save you, baby! Mama won't let anything happen to you." She ran toward him but the more she ran, the farther he got until a big wave came and......

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Abhimanyu Birla:

"Aarav!! Someone save my baby!! Aarav!!!! Don't take him away from me!!" Akshu screamed in her unconscious state. Seeing Akshu's breathing get worse and her screaming again, Abhi quickly injected her to sedate her. For three days now, she had been unconscious.  Every few hours, she would scream Aarav's name causing her blood pressure and her oxygen levels to drop. Ever since she hit her head. When she fell unconscious while holding Aarav and mumbling and screaming something about the court and not letting Aarav go, Abhi quickly rushed her to the hospital.  Her doctor told Abhi how her wound was very superficial but she was under a lot of mental stress and had a nervous breakdown. 
"Akshu, what have you done to yourself?" Abhi held her hand and kissed it.  He knew she was scared about losing Aarav and he was so pissed at everyone who had made her believe that was a possibility. He was so angry at himself. At Kairav. At his father.  On top, Anisha and Kairav's lawyer sent Abhi a notice the previous morning about a court case. They had also filed a FIR on Abhi for the forceful abduction of Aarav.  The police had come the day before to pick up Aarav to take him back to the Goenkas but Abhi already was one step ahead and had sent Aarav to Mumbai with his mom and Neil.

He had then arranged for a special flight to take Akshu to Mumbai as well. There was no way he was going to let the Goenkas take Aarav. Especially not when Akshu was already in such a fragile state. He wasn't running away. His own lawyer had replied to Anisha and Kairav's lawyer and have told him, they will meet at court. Abhi had done the DNA test which clearly stated that he was indeed Aarav's biological father which he had submitted in court before the FIR was filed against Abhi. He made sure to get the court's permission before sending Aarav to Mumbai. He wasn't risking anything. Akshu's Doctor in Delhi also wrote an official statement which stated that Akshu was unconscious when Aarav was taken away and never consented to giving away her baby. The doctor also agreed to come as a witness at court.  So no, he didn't run away. He was just keep his precious girl as far away from everything as possible. He will fight in court and show up at every court date.  But nobody will ever go near his girl again and nobody will her make her think someone was going to take the kid away from her.

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Abhi met with his lawyer's team and then dropped by the penthouse to check on the kid. He knew Aarav was also distressed being in a new place with people he didn't know. Even Akshu wasn't there to comfort him. He felt bad for the kid but his whole focus was on his girl and fighting the case. He was glad his mother and Neil were there to take care of Aarav. He didn't know how to comfort the kid anyways.

When he arrived at the penthouse, he saw Aarav fast asleep on the couch with his head on Manjiri's lap while a cartoon was playing on TV. "He cried himself to sleep." Manjiri informed him. "He misses Anisha and Kairav but also Akshara. It must be so confusing for the poor baby."
"He needs to forget those people and realize Akshu is his mother."
"He's just a small child, beta. He needs time." Manjiri stroked Aarav's head. "How is Akshara now?"
"Still the same. She keeps screaming in her sleep." Abhi shook his head. "I don't understand how can she love Aarav so much that she lost all her senses?"
Manjiri let out a sad laugh. "There is nothing more powerful and stronger than a mother's love for her child, Abhi. A mother can stand anything but not her child being taken away from her. Who else can know what it's like to stay far away from your child than me?"
"Maa. I've always..."
"Stayed far away from me. I know if was because of your father..." Manjiri looked at Aarav. "Now you are doing exactly the same to Aarav as to what your father did you."
"What? Maa, how can you say that?" Abhi was horrified. He would never do what his father did.
"You push Aarav away and don't make any effort to have a relationship with him. I am scared he might grow up to...He's your son as well, beta. In order for him to adjust to his new life, he needs your love and attention too." Manjiri tried to explain to him gently.
"He's just a kid. What I supposed to do with him?What am I supposed to talk about? He doesn't understand any of the things I..."
"He's a kid but you are the adult. You need to get to his level. Abhi, do you love Akshara?"
"Maa. Of course I do. She's the most important person in the world for me."
"And Aarav is the most important person for her. He's a part of your Akshu. Imagine how happy it will make her to see you bonding with Aarav?"
Abhi knew his mom was right. Akshu would be the happiest if she saw Abhi and Aarav bonding. Every time he ever interacted with Aarav, Akshu would light up.  At that moment, Aarav woke up and looked around and started to cry.
"It's okay, beta!" Manjiri tried to comfort him. "Look! Uncle Abhimanyu is here." Aarav looked at Abhi and hugged him. Abhi hugged him back.
"Hey kiddo!"
"Where's bua?" Aarav asked still tightly hugging Abhi.
"Bua will be back soon. She misses her favorite little boy and can't wait to see you, soon." Abhi tried to comfort him.
"I miss Bua too." Aarav looked at Abhi with his eyes full of tears and biting his lips.  It made Abhi smile. Everyone always mentioned how much Aarav looked like him but they were all wrong. Abhi looked at Aarav carefully and he only saw his Akshu in him. His mother was right, Aarav was a part of Akshu. His Akshu.  Abhi hugged the little boy and kissed his forehead.

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