'And I'd choose you... in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and choose you' - Kiersten White
' Dear Sid,
I miss you.... I write this every time, but this yearning hasn't lessened a bit in the past 10...
" Abhi............ What do you think we'll do when our parents get to know of.... you know, us ?"
Siddharth asked him, deep in thought. They had discussed about this briefly before, but they knew that this was something that required planning..
" What can we do? Maybe they'll disown us, that's the most they can do." Abhishek replied, nonchalantly. Siddharth was shocked to hear his reply. The Abhishek he knew was cold to his father, but deep inside, he cherished his family, especially his mother very much. Seeing his facial expression, Abhishek replied:
" I know what you are thinking.... I too don't want things to actually escalate to that. But, if I have to choose, I'll choose you. Not because I value my family any less, but because I believe in love.... I believe that we deserve a chance. And staying away, it is easier to convince them to accept us..."
" How so?" Siddharth asked. Before he could reply, the door burst open, and quite a crowd rushed in. Abhishek's family was here, to visit him. Both of them were shocked. Had they..... had they heard it all?? Siddharth was sitting on Abhishek's bedside. He quickly got up, and was replaced by Abhishek's mother, Mekhla. She caressed his cheeks with a worried look and asked
"What is this Abhi..............? I am gone for two days and you get yourself tattered like this?"
His usually grave father also stepped closer and said " For god's sake grow up Abhi..... and be careful..Do you know how worried I............. Umm, your mother was..?" His tone was damn serious but more gentle. Siddharth chuckled inwardly. Well here we go... rare moments where father and son were actually expressing their emotions. He then scanned the crowd before him. Both his and Siddharth's families were huge. And Siddharth's whole ensemble of a family was here. His brother Abhinav, their older sister Abhisha, her husband Balwant, son Aarav, Abhishek's uncles, their cheeky and nosy wives. These women were like their typical middle aged counterparts. Gossiping about anything they could hear of, spending hours at beauty parlours and wearing uncomfortably loud colours, all shouting 'rich....' to the onlookers. Siddharth remembered what Abhishek' grandmother or 'Ba' had once told him in the middle of a conversation:
' Beta (son), don't be like Abhishek's uncles when you choose your bride.. Look at my 'vahu's (daughters in law)..... Only Mekhla was a good catch. Thank 'baba Somnath' ( lord Somnath - a deity worshipped across Gujarat) that she is sensible and able minded. The others.... what to say? Four out of my five idiots are really foolish, and are now leading troubled lives. But Mekhla... she was the one who tamed my eldest angry bird... ( grandma liked to play angry birds a lot...) Other people responded to my son's sharp tongue in two ways.. either they were scared of him, or they argued with him. But she was unique. She never used rash words and was always calm, although she had a will of iron and sheer stubbornness. That was what attracted my son. Eventually, she could bend his will, and he grew warmer towards her........... Now, now, what are you doing Vimla...? That's not how it is done.Come here. Call Kanta, Hetal and Lajwanti as well....Ā chōkarī'ō manē māthānō dukhāvō karī rahī chē ( These girls are giving me a headache!) Ok Siddharth, let me deal with my vahus. Remember my words!".............
" Hey Siddharth..... Were you there when our Abhishek was hit?" Vimla's words jolted him back into the present.
" Ah, yes Kaki (aunt) I was there, with our friends" He replied hastily. He peered out, to see Abhishek's cousins standing outside, waiting for the whole melodrama of their mothers to die down.
" You should have taken care of him. Look at that poor boy..!" Vimla kaki chimed. Siddharth's face fell. He was already feeling guilty about the whole thing. Abhishek had already explained to his parents and made the whole thing seem like an accident.It was because they did not have proofs stating otherwise and neither did they want their families to worry. Abhishek sensed his uneasiness and said
" Kaki, it all happened real quick and all of us were too shocked to react. It's not his fault" He gazed at Siddharth lovingly. Siddharth could not comprehend this kind of love. Abhishek had fallen while protecting him, and though he didn't show, he was in pain. Still, he could not bear anyone slandering him.
" Siddharth, I think you must be tired and lacking sleep, staying here with Abhi. You should go home. I'll stay with him." Mekhla spoke, finally. Siddharth felt that she was right, but some part of him wanted to stay back, with Abhishek. He did not want to acknowledge it, but he had been replaying their first kiss in his mind over and over many times, that he had began to want to feel those luscious lips again. He replied:
" No kaki, I'm fine here. Anyways, he will be discharged by tomorrow evening. Also, you have come back after a tiresome journey. So, I think you should go rest.." He gazed back at Abhishek with a smile. Mekhla was in a fix. It was true that she was tired, but she did not want to burden Siddharth with her son.
" Are you sure? That you can manage? Siddhi will arrive today. Don't you want to go and meet her?" She asked. Siddharth deliberated for a moment, and quickly replied " Yes, I can manage it here and I will meet her tomorrow" Among this ruckus, he had almost forgotten.
Abhishek was about to say something, but Siddharth silenced him with a look. Although he was excited about his beloved twin Siddhi coming home after a long time, he didn't want to miss even a single moment he got to spend with Abhishek. He knew that Abhishek would be taken home after discharge, and he would be alone in the hostel room.
Soon, Abhishek's family was done with 'visiting' him and went back. Mekhla was reluctant to leave, but Abhishek persuaded her to leave. After they left, Siddharth 'almost' closed the door and came over to sit with Abhishek. For a moment, both were silent, gazing ardently into each other's eyes.
" Why didn't you go back? You look tired and you could have met Siddhi sooner.." Abhishek broke the silence. Siddharth blurted out with a shining smile " I want to be with you.... I mean, you are injured because of me, so I should take up your responsibility, right?" He tried to cover up and school his features.
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Abhishek chuckled and said " Why don't you admit that you will miss me, sweetheart??" He leaned towards Siddharth, with an idiotic grin. Siddharth leaned back with a flustered face, mumbling
" Who is going to miss you, you idiot.... wait, DID YOU JUST CALL ME SWEETHEART?". He smacked Abhishek's head. Abhishek leaned back, managing to put on a cute pouting look.
Suddenly, a knock sounded, and both of them froze. Abhinav was standing at the door with a puzzled expression. Abhishek knew that they were done for. Abhinav was a very observant man and he had been strangely silent when Abhishek was meeting his family... Abhishek knew only too well that his brother would go completely silent when he noticed something fishy, it was his habit to ponder about, and unravel anything suspicious. And, they were being too obvious that day, with their eyes locking often and all that. After all, they were two idiots in love...
Abhinav walked in, pulled a chair over and sat in the centre of the room, with an air of power. He asked:
Hello there, readers............... I know that these updates are irregular, but my exams are round the corner.... So, updates will be irregular for atleast a month. Please bear with me, and don't forget to vote, comment and share my story. So happy reading, and I would love it if someone could tell me how this is......
