The Intern

Part 29

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

Akshara Goenka:

Akshu entered her room and looked around. In 5 years, nothing had changed. The wardrobe still had her clothes, the dresser was still crowded with her perfumes and makeup. Her favorite candles were on the night table along with the book she was reading when she left. Abhi kept everything the way she left it. She was overwhelmed by emotions and the love she felt for Abhi.

She felt Abhi's arms hug her from behind. "I always knew you will come back." He said kissing her neck. "The bed really missed you too." Abhi grinned at her.
"Oh really? Well, it will be happy." Akshu turned to look at Abhi. "When you, Aarav and I sleep on it tonight."
"As soon as Maa and Neil leave, I'm turning the guest room into his room!"
"Abhi! I like having him sleep with us." Akshu sat on the bed.
"He snores in his sleep, baby!" Abhi complained.
"Like father like son!" Akshu giggled.
"When did I snore?" Abhi said sitting next to Akshu. "I don't remember us ever actually sleeping on this bed." Abhi grinned at her again before leaning in and kissing her.

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"The little bear closed his eyes and finally fell asleep. The end." Akshu closed the book. "Now Aarav will close his eyes and sleep too, right?" Akshu ruffled Aarav's hair.
"Bua, when will I go to my house?" Aarav looked at Akshu.
"Chanda, this is your house." Akshu said kissing his head. "And soon, your Abhi Papa will fix your new room too."
"Abhi is not Papa. I miss my real Mama and Papa." Aarav started to cry softly. Akshu pulled him in her lap and hugged him. What was she even doing to her son? He was never going to accept Abhi and Akshu as his parents. Wasn't it better if she stayed in his life as his Bua and have him be happy instead of having him be so sad and grow up to hate her?

Will she even be able to live without him though? Could she survive not being able to see him? What if she gives him back and Anisha takes him far from her? Yet as she held Aarav as he cried himself to sleep missing Anisha, Akshu knew she only had one choice to make.

That night as Aarav laid sleeping between them, Akshu took a deep breath and turned to Abhi who was looking at something on his phone. "Baby, I need to say something."
"What is it, sweetheart?" Abhi put his phone down. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Ya. Abhi...I've come to a decision." Akshu sighed. It was harder for to say it than she thought. Abhi had been working so hard on the case.
"Akshu. What is it? What are you talking about?"
Akshu sat up on the bed. She had to say it. No matter what. She had to be strong and say it. "Abhi, I think we should take the case back."
Abhi looked at her for a second. "What? What do you mean? Baby, we are winning the case and soon we will have Aarav's legal custody. Isn't this what you wanted?"
"But does Aarav want this?" Akshu cried. Of course she wanted this. She wanted nothing more then having her son be with her forever but she had to start thinking of what her baby wanted too.
"He's a child, Akshu. It will take him some time but he will be okay. In fact, he is slowly adjusting to his life here already."
"No he is not. He still cries for them. I can't do this to him. I can't put him in so much pain. It's going to kill me but he will be happier with Anisha and Kairav Bhaiya. We have to take back the case." Akshu put her head down and sobbed.
"No." Abhi answered simply.
"What do you mean, Abhi? You never wanted Aarav in the first place."
"I didn't yet you still had him and now I want him. He's my son, Akshu. He's going to live with us. I'm not taking the case back and that's final." Abhi got up from the bed and left the room. Akshu wanted to go after him to explain to him why it was better for Aarav to live away from them but she really didn't have an explanation. She could barely convince herself. All she knew was that her baby was unhappy and she couldn't live with the fact that she was the reason for his unhappiness.
"Mama!" Aarav cried in his sleep. "Mama!" He kept crying with his eyes still closed. Akshu picked him up and put him in her lap, hugging him as he continued to cry in his sleep.
"It's okay, Chanda. Mama is right here. Mama is right here, baby. It's okay. It's okay." Akshu softly whispered to him as she rocked him with her own tears falling on Aarav's head. It felt like forever before he finally stopped crying. Akshu kissed his head and put him back on the bed. She was his mother and she couldn't make him suffer by being so selfish. Abhi had to understand that.

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Akshu didn't know what time Abhi came to bed or if he even did. When she woke up, both him and Aarav were not in the room. Did he already take him back? She quickly got up and went out of the room. She breathed in relief when she got to the living room seeing both of her boys playing video games with Neil.
"You are doing it wrong!" Aarav said jumping up and down. "We are going to lose."
"No way! I never lose. Dude, let me focus." Abhi said not looking away from the TV.
"Let me play!" Aarav pulled his arm.
"Wait for your turn! It's my turn now....we won, buddy!!!" Abhi said laughing. Aarav placed his hand on his head.
"Bhai, you were going the wrong way! You lost!" Neil laughed.
Akshu laughed and everyone turned around to see her standing there.
"Akshara, you are up. Come, beta!" Manjiri called out to her and Akshu went and sat on the sofa next to Manjiri.
"Abhi, you should have let Aarav play!" Akshu giggled.
"Really, baby? Neil cheated! I won." Abhi sat there crossing his arms. Akshu smiled knowing Abhi wasn't still angry.
Aarav jumped on Abhi's back. "You don't know how to play, Papa! You should have let me play!"
Abhi and Akshu looked at each other in shock. Did Aarav just call Abhi, Papa? Akshu started to say something but Manjiri held her hand.
"Don't react. Act like it's the most normal thing." Manjiri whispered to Akshu and Abhi. They both nodded but Akshu saw Abhi smiling widely. He pulled Aarav in his lap and kissed his head.
"Okay bud, teach Papa how to play. Okay?" Abhi asked him. Aarav took the controller from him.
"Let's play a new round, Chachu." Aarav told Neil who restarted the game. Abhi looked at Akshu smiling and she smiled back at him. She was so happy Aarav called Abhi Papa but at the same time, her own heart was hurting. He still hasn't called her Mama. He still refused to accept her as his mother.
"He has known you as his Bua all his life, beta. It will take him a little more time to get used to that idea." Manjiri softly whispered to Akshu reading her mind. Akshu nodded.

But now Akshu was even more confused. Should she let Aarav go or will Aarav accept her as his mother like he accepted Abhi? Will he ever forget Anisha and Kairav?

Abhi's phone started ringing and Abhi picked it up still smiling with Aarav sitting in his lap. Before he could say anything, his smile turned into a frown. He ended the call and turned to look at Manjiri and Akshu.
"What happened, beta? Is everything okay?" Manjiri asked him. Akshu started to get scared when Abhi didn't say anything. He himself looked confused. "Tell us, Abhi! I'm getting worried." Manjiri begged him.
"That was our lawyer. Anisha and Kairav have taken the case back. They said they don't want Aarav's custody anymore."

100 likes for next update. What do you guys think Akshu should do? Is her confusion justified?