Dheere Se Kho Gaye!

[16]

Ishi was sitting there while questions were poured on her. She didn't know that Shrinkhal is not even talking to his parents. She was lost in her thoughts when Mama jerked her arm gently.

"Sab theek toh hai na, bacha?" Mama asked her as Ishi was so lost that she didn't realize that Papa was holding the teacup in front of her.

"Uh....ah..kuch nahi main bas iss wajah se pareshan thi ke woh apse bhi dhang se baat nahi kar raha hai. Par aap tension mat lo woh bas kaam ko leke tang hai thoda. Aur kuch nahi!" Ishi reassured and smiled at them.

"Haan! He is busy with his work aur kuch nahi hai....aap mere haath ki chai pike batao kaisi hai?" Guru tried to change the subject as he saw Ishi getting uncomfortable and anxious, thinking about Sri.

They all chatted for a while. Guru glanced at the clock and stood up. "Ishi, look at the time! We're getting late. It shouldn't take too long to reach the airport, but hurry up!"

Ishi panicked and quickly touched Mumma Papa's feet to get their blessings, "Main kuch dinon ke liye maa aur Nani ko Milne ka Rahi hoon. Jaldi milenge!"

Mumma held Ishi by her shoulders and said, "Look, beta, you became a part of our family the day Sinku brought you here for the first time, four years ago. Just remember one thing—no matter what mistake Sinku makes, always ask him for the reason behind it. He has always been like this, keeping things to himself and never being able to express them."

She softly looked at Ishi and they bid bye to her. Ishi didn't know what to say or do she was frozen in her seat while Guru was driving her to the airport. She wanted to scream and cry loudly but couldn't, she was feeling suffocated.

Guru dropped her at the airport ahead of time. He helped her with the luggage, and just as she was about to leave, he hugged her. Ishi was shocked for a moment but hugged him back.

"Don't worry, Sharavi, I'll be back... I'm not letting go of your brother so easily. Until then, take care of him—and yourself too."

"I will miss you a lot." Guru almost sobbed.

"Aw, is my baby crying?" Ishi poked her finger in his left cheek.

"You're such a bitch!" Guru screamed as he felt mocked.

"Thanks. I love you too!" Ishi blew a kiss at him while going inside.

She took a deep breath and began her journey to find herself again. To be able to fall in love with herself again. To be able to love Shrinkhal again.

Will she be able to?

She didn't realize when time passed by and she was standing out of her house. She doesn't even remember when they got shifted and everything seemed new to her.

She called her mother, and suddenly, the doors opened, revealing her. Surprised to see her mother, she quickly hugged her. After a few seconds, her mother pulled away and looked at Ishi from head to toe, as if assessing her for ages.

"How is my daughter?" her mother asked.

"I'm fine, Maa," she replied.

Her mother held her by the arm and took her to meet her Nani, who was in the kitchen, cooking something. The moment Ishi saw her, tears welled up in her eyes.

"I missed you, Nani," she sobbed.

"I knew my doll would come to see me. I missed you so much, my love," Nani said, kissing her forehead and placing a protective charm on her.

Ishi couldn't hold back her emotions anymore and let them flow freely. She hugged her grandmother tightly and kept crying. Her mother tried to console her, but Nani gestured for her to let Ishi cry. Taking her into her room, Nani let Ishi cry until she calmed down on her own.

"Now tell me, my child, what's bothering you? What's troubling you?" Nani asked, cupping Ishi's face and gently caressing it.
Ishi began telling her grandmother from the beginning. Nani kept listening to her and Ishi even told her that Shrinkhal has proposed to her for marriage. She didn't know how much patience she had all this while and now she's just feeling remorse.

Nani let Ishi lie down with her head resting on her lap. She smiled at her while gently running her fingers through Ishi's hair.

"Love is a very difficult feeling. You can neither express it fully through words nor truly understand how much someone cares for you just by what they say. But I'm not saying you're wrong. Your anger is justified because you don't yet know what's going on in Shrinkhal's mind. But don't you think you should also consider that maybe he's trying to protect you from being troubled? What if it's something so overwhelming that he's keeping it from you to spare you the pain?

Just remember, beta, a relationship doesn't work one-sided—it takes equal effort from both. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. I just want you to give him a chance and handle this situation calmly. Tell him where he has hurt you instead of staying silent and making things harder for both of you. Understand?"

Ishi, attempting to lighten the mood, asked, "Nani, how do you know so much? Did Nana love you that much?"

Nani chuckled softly. "Of course. Ours was an arranged marriage, but we never gave up on each other. Similarly, give Shrinkhal a chance. And if you decide to end things, do it maturely—stop hurting each other. Now, get some rest and calmly reflect on what I've told you."

Nani left her alone in her room and gave her some time to process. Ishi kept on thinking while falling asleep. Maybe she should give him another chance.

A/N: Surprise, Kids! I posted another chapter. Urgh! I wish they sort it out before it gets too late. Do you guys want the other character's point of view? As I was thinking it'll spice up things more and you'll understand. Eventually, y'all will but you have to stick till the end. See you soon! Happy weekend and don't forget to share it with other Ariana fans too! Coz I think it's a good story🥺❤️‍🩹