Pallavi woke up at 3.30am the next day and got ready. She went to pick up Amma at 4 am on her scooter.
"Aunty, aapne sab kuch le liya hai na? Kuch nahi liya ho toh abhi le lijiye." She said before Amma sat on the scooter.
"Mein sab check to kar liya hai par firse ek baar check kar leta hai." Saying this both of them checked the list one last time and started their journey.
They soon reached their destination and the watchman opened the gate for them. He also opened the main door to let them enter the mansion. Amma entered the mansion and was flabbergasted to see how beautifully her son had maintained such a big mansion. Pallavi showed her the kitchen and Amma started preparing Idli for Raghav. Raghav loved Idli which his Amma used to make for him. She also made Sambar. She had already made the green chutney at her home because the sound of the mixer would wake Raghav up and she wanted to wake him up like she used to do in his childhood. She prepared all of this around 6:00 - 6:30 and went to wake Raghav up. She thanked her stars that Raghav had not locked his room from inside. She entered the room and saw some of their childhood memories framed on the wall. She wiped the tear that threatened to escape from her eyes and went towards his bed. She placed his head on her lap and started stroking his hair.
"Kanna, uth jaa. 6.15 baj gaye hai." She spoke still stroking his hair.
"Aee Farhad, aisa Amma jaisa aavaj kaise nikal raha hai tu aaj? Roj toh normally uthata hai. Aur yeh sar pe haath mat fer, yeh sirf Amma aur Pallavi kar sakta hai." He spoke in his sleep unaware about his surroundings.
Amma and Pallavi looked at each other shocked. Pallavi looked here and there to avoid Amma's questioning gaze.
Not to make Pallavi more awkward Amma resumed her task.
"Kanna, mein tera Amma hi hai. Uth ja beta. Taiyaar ho jaa. Aaj tera favorite breakfast banaya hai mein tere liye khud ke haatho se." Amma spoke lovingly.
"Tum har roz sapne mein aake yahi bolta hai aur uthne ke baad har roz mera lol hota hai kyunki tum mere paas kabhi aayega hi nahi. Pata hai mereko. Accept kar liya hai mai yeh." Raghav spoke letting out a sad chuckle in his sleep.
Amma was almost on the verge of crying. She understood how much pain her son had gone through because of her. She felt guilty of her actions. Pallavi gestured her to not cry and be strong.
"Kanna, aaj mein sapne mein nahi hakeekat mein aaya hai." Amma spoke controlling her tears.
"Accha, toh aise hi raho kyunki mereko pata hai ki yeh sapna hi hai. Tum kabhi nahi aayega mera paas. Mein toh tera pati aur tere bete ka khooni hai na, toh tu kyu aayega mere paas?Yeh sab bolke mereko jhoota hopes mat do, uthne ke baad mein waapis bikhar jaata hai." He spoke still asleep.
Amma who was controlling her tears for so long finally burst out crying. Raghav woke up due to that sound and saw that his Amma was really there.
"Tum sachme yaha hai?" Raghav asked in disbelief.
"Haan, Raghav." Pallavi spoke as Amma was not in the state of mind to speak anything. She ran outside crying thinking about how much pain she had given to her son.
"Raghav, Amma sachme aayi hai. Par shayad emotional ho gayi aur tumhare saamne rona nahi chahti thi isliye bahar chali gayi." Pallavi spoke with great difficulty as she also got emotional listening to Raghav's words. The pain in his voice just made her want to cry her heart out but she had to be strong for both him and Amma.
"Meine unko rula diya? Pehli baar woh khudse aaya tha merese milne ke liye aur meine usko rula diya. Ab woh fir chod ke chala jaayega?" He asked in between his sobs.
"Nahi Raghav, woh nahi jaayengi. Woh tumhare liye hi aayi hai. Unhone tumhari favorite Idli bhi banayi hai tumhare liye. Subah 3 baje se jagi hui hai." She replied caressing his back so as to calm him down.
"Mein neeche jaake milke aata hai usse." Raghav spoke.
"Haan aur miloge tab jor se hug kar lena." She said and he ran off the stairs shouting 'Amma.'
"Amma, kaha hai tum? Chala gaya kya? Please aisa chod ke chala mat jao. Milne ke baad chahiye to chale jaana par please ek baar mil toh lo." He said to himself sobbing.
He went towards the kitchen and saw his Amma cutting onions to hide her tears. He immediately went and hugged her from back. Amma turned and hugged him back tightly.
"Mujhe maaf karde, Kanna. Mene bohot galat kiya tere saath. Tereko us galti ka saja diya jo tu kiya hi nahi tha, woh bhi pura das saal. Ho sake to apni Amma ko maaf karde. Mene apna pati aur bete ko khoya par tune toh apna sab kuch khoya. Meine tereko itna gaaliya diya phir bhi tu kuch nahi bola. Tune mera har gaali pachas baar sunne ke baad bhi mere se firse aake maafi mangaa tha. Tune mere liye itna kuch kiya. Tu toh World ka best beta ban gaya par mein kabhi tera Best Amma nahi ban paya. Best chod, mein toh tera Amma bhi nahi ban paya. Duniya mein sabse jyaada dukh tujhe meine hi diya aur tera behen se bhi tereko dur rakha. Mein sachme iss sab ke liye sharminda hai. Please apni Amma ko maaf karde." She almost fell on his feet but Raghav took her near the Sofa and made her sit.
"Amma aapko maafi mangne ka jaroorat nahi hai. Tum aur Keerti sirf humesha ke liye mera paas aa jao. Mereko usi mein hi sab mil jaayega. Mereko aur kuch nahi chahiye." Raghav spoke teary eyed. He kissed on her forehead while she pulled him into a hug.
Pallavi who was witnessing this had already made a video so as to preserve it as the best memory of his life and also to show it to Keerti when she came.
"Jaa taiyar hoke aaja. Saath mein baithke breakfast karte hai." Amma said.
"Tum chala nahi jaayega na?" He asked like a kid.
"Nahi." His Amma answered. It broke her heart to see the pain that her son was going through.
Till Raghav freshened up, Amma and Pallavi heated up the Sambar and arranged the dinning table. Pallavi called Keerti and asked her to come to RR Mansion.
Raghav came down and at the same time Keerti also entered. He was delighted to see his entire family with him for the first time in the last 10 years.
"Aajao sab baith jaao. Mein serve karta hai." Amma said to everyone.
Everyone sat down for breakfast except Pallavi.
"Mein chalti hoon, mera kaam ho gaya." Pallavi said smiling.
Before Raghav could stop her, Amma held her hand and made her sit on the chair besides Raghav.
"Tum bhi mere haath ka Idli khaake hi jaana. Tum bhi family hi hai. Aaj agar mera beta mere paas hai woh sirf tumhare wajah se warna mein apna pura zindagi usko galat samajhta tha. Thank you so much beta!!" Amma said thanking Pallavi.
Pallavi was overwhelmed by the love she got from Amma.
"Aapko thank you bolne ki jaroorat nahi hai. Aap sab mere apne hai, toh mein aap mein se kisiko bhi aise sad nahi dekh sakti thi isliye kiya ye sab. Aur rahi baat Idli ki toh mein jaroor khaane aaungi par phir kabhi. Aai Baba mera wait kar rahe honge toh mein chalti hoon. Bye Aunty. Bye Keerti. Bye." Pallavi said and looked back at Raghav who was busy staring at her.
"Anna, woh chali gayi." Keerti jerked him out of his thoughts.
"Haan, Haan." He said looking a little distracted. Only he knew how much he wanted her to stay. She had given him the best gift of his life. He wanted to thank her but she left without giving him a chance to say anything to her.
"Usko pata hai kya?" Amma asked all of a sudden.
"Kya?" Both Keerti and Raghav asked together as they didn't know where the question was directed.
"Tu usse pyaar karta hai woh Pallavi ko pata hai kya?" Amma asked directly. Raghav choked on his food.
"Kya?" He asked and gave a glare to Keerti who was laughing like she had seen some joker.
"Aaram se. Le paani pi." Amma gave water to him. He thought that he had successfully avoided the topic but, who was he kidding? If he was Raghav Rao, then she was his Amma.
"Haan, tu Pallavi ke baare mein kuch bol raha tha." Amma asked him again.
"Mein kuch nahi bol raha tha. Aap hi uske baare mein baat kar raha tha ki usne humara family ko ek kardiya and woh sab." Raghav said trying to avoid the topic. He thought that he would inform his Amma once Pallavi's family agreed.
"Woh mein 15 minutes pehle bol chuka tha. Mene tereko yeh pucha ki tu usse pyaar karta hai woh usse pata hai kya? Mereko iss sawal ka jawab mangta." Amma asked again.
"Haan, Amma woh janta hai aur woh bhi mujhse pyaar karta hai. Abhi do din pehle hi maine usko propose kiya tha." Raghav told her the truth when he understood that it was impossible to hide anything from his Amma.
"Toh aisa neeche dekhke baat kayko kar raha hai? Aisa proudly bol na, tera woh damdaar aavaj mein."
Raghav just blushed listening to this.
"Tu blush bhi karta hai?" Amma asked him teasingly.
"Kya Amma aap bhi." He said still looking down.
"Waise Raghav tu aaj ek din ki chutti le sakta hai kya? Hum teeno aaj ka din saath mein bitayenge. Keerti ne already chutti le liya hai." Amma asked.
"Haan Amma, le sakta hai na." Raghav replied.
"Aap bolo, aapko aaj din bhar kya karna hai. Aapko pura time kitchen mein rehne ko allowed nahi hai kyunki mene servants rakha hai jo yeh sab kaam kar leta hai. Toh aaj hum pura time ek saath spend karega. Aapko chahiye toh hum woh Nirupa Roy waala movies bhi dekh sakte hai ya fir aapka saas-bahu waala serial bhi chalega." He said without taking a break.
"Aaram se Raghav. Mein yahi hai, puri zindagi bhar tere saath. I promise is baar tereko chod ke nahi jaayega mein." Amma said.
"Aap bolo kya karna hai?" Raghav asked.
"Hum baate karte hai. Mereko sab kuch janna hai. Inn dass saalon mein jo kuch bhi hua woh sab kuch. Tera company ke baare mein bhi janna hai aur tere old age home ke logo ko bhi milna hai. Aur sabse important - tere liye Paysam bhi banana hai." Amma said giving him a list.
"Okay Amma. Hum yeh sab karenge. Old Age home ke baare mein aapko kisne bataya?" Raghav asked.
"Pallavi ne. Par tab usko pata nahi tha ki mein tera Amma hai. Jab tum log ke beech mein sab misunderstanding clear ho gaya tha aur tune usko shop return kiya tha tab usne Keerti ko bataya tha." Amma told him.
Raghav just nodded in response.
The whole day they spent talking to one another. Raghav kept telling them about his struggles and the company while Keerti and Amma told him how they survived all these 10 years. They promised to one another to never leave each others side. Amma made Paysam for dinner. Raghav got all his happiness. He wanted to call her but he didn't know what the situation was at her place as she was going to speak to her Baba today so he decided to wait for her call .
At night, he slept on his Amma's lap after she did his champi.
Author's Note - Amma and Raghav have reunited to never fall apart. Raghav's dream of having a happy family is partially completed. He wants Pallavi to be a part of his happy family. I wanted to dedicate an entire chapter to Amma-Raghav so did not add Pallavi's side of the story here. This is my most favorite chapter that I have written till date. Hope you all like this chapter too. Suggestions and Constructive Criticism is always welcome.
The next chapter will focus on Pallavi telling her family about her and Raghav's relationship.
Date - 18th May 2022.
