Broken Relations

Destiny

Shantanu's pov
2 days after the phone call with Isha

I finally felt better than before. I still had light fever, but I felt much better than before. Bored of staying at home, I decided that today I will go to the college. As soon as I reached the college, I directly went to my cabin. I asked Shukla ji, the head peon of our college, for a cup of coffee. I then started to check on the work I had to do, since I was absent so many days. I started to prepare myself for the lecture I had to give to the first year students about two hours. After working for one hour continuously, I decided to take a small rest. I took my phone and looked at the wallpaper I had. It was a photo of Isha. She wore a beautiful red saree. It was a simple saree, yet she looked so beautiful in it. I remembered the phone call with her.

"Shantanu, tum apne aap ko samajhte kya ho? 15 Saal baat tum call karoge aur sab kuch thik hojayega? Message kiya hi kyun hai tumne? Tum thak Gaye ho nah, akele rehte rehte, mujhe pata hai. Thik hi toh keh rahi hai akkasaheb, karlo tum doobara shaadi. Waise woh log itne outdated hai ki itna zaroorat hone par bhi, mere job karne se unhe problem tha, lekin itne modern hogaye ab yeh log ki iss umar mein doobara shaadi karwane se koii problem nahi hai unhe? Bohot sahi hai toh tumhare gharwale. You know what Shantanu, doobara nah mujhe message karne ki koshish karna, nah call karne ki, Karo tum doosre shaadi..."

Did she really think that I would marry someone else? She is the only love of my life. I only know how difficult it was for me to know why she went away and still didn't have the ability to stop her or to support her. She was right and my family was wrong. Even though I tried to help her, after she went away, I didn't really try to contact her. It was justified that she would be angry. But she could listen to me once, right?

I didn't know what destiny had in store for us. I was tired of everything. I was tired of hiding the truth from Ishan, I was tired of listening to the taunts of akkasaheb and most importantly I was tired of staying away from Isha.

I wantes her close to me. To put my head on her lap and cry all the pain out. To vent my anger out, to shower my love. To take away all the pain she endured for the past 15 years. I wanted my happy Isha back. From the phone call, I could sense how hurt she was by the words of akkasaheb. I wish she would have given me the chance to say that I have no intention of marrying again. Even if I marry again, it would be with the same person I married first, and that is Isha, because I love only her. Pushing off all these thoughts I again started to work, in my heart wishing that destiny removed these distance between us soon, that destiny would make us again a happy family. Only time would tell if my wish ever would come true...

Isha's pov
There were still 12 days over for the debate competition, which means I am 12 days away from meeting my son. My baby. He will always be my baby. I only know how much I missed him, how much I still miss him. Everyday I have asked one chance to meet him and finally destiny had given that one chance. Finally I would see him, not on a photo, not on his social media account, no. I will see him face to face! I will be able to talk to him, hear him, touch him, hug him!! Bappa, why is the time going so slow. We are still 12 days away from the debate competition.

As I paced left to right in my room, my mind was thinking about what I would say to Ishan. How would our meeting after 15 years be? What would I wear?

I started to walk towards my cupboard. My eyes began searching for the right outfit to wear. My eyes went from right to left, looking at the hanged clothes. I saw a black saree, with a golden coloured blouse. I smiled at it. Suddenly knowing that I would be wearing that. While removing the saree from the cupboard, a photo fell on the ground. It was photo of me, wearing the same saree. 

The Saree Isha had selected to wear.

I remember the first time, I wore this saree. I had specially bought it for a special college function where the whole Bhosale family was invited. Ishan was then 6 years old. I remember him saying: "Aai, aap toh kitni pyaari lag rahi ho iss saaree mein, Matlab hamesha lagti ho, lekin aaj toh kuch zyada hi, baba toh flat hojayenge, aai." He teased me, with his cute baby voice. I smiled and blushed at his comment. "Accha, aai bohot pyaari lagrahi hai?" I asked, picking him up in my arms. "Haa aai, ekdam heroïne, aur yeh saree bhi kitni acchi hai, yeh toh mera favorite saree hogaya aaj se." My eyes got wet, thinking about these wonderful memories. I had missed him so much. I never will be able to explain, how difficult it is for a mother to stay away from her one and only son.

I sat down at my bed with the picture and saree on my lap. Taking the saree in my hands, I said: "12 din baat ham phirse milenge Ishu, aur main yahi, tumhara favorite saree pehnungi, tumhe yahi lagta hai nah, ki teri aai iss saaree mein bohot pyaari lagti hai, toh main yahi pehnungi, tu bass aaja mere paas, beta. Ek baar teri gale lag jao main, ek baar keh du ki teri aai ne tujhe kitna miss kiya, ek baar tere muh se "aai" sunloon. Bohot intezaar kiya maine ek aisa pal ka, mere baccha, ki ham mile, finally woh hoga, aayega tu nah, apne aai se milne?" I talked to myself, while crying and  hugging the saree. I couldn't wait to meet him.

Next Day
Ishan's pov

I was in my cabin, going through the information related to the, intercollege Debate competition in 11 days. I had to check which colleges were participating in the competition and with whom they were coming and how. Because if there wasn't prepared anything, we would sent a bus to them. Because the aim of the competition was to help students in need. And there were also colleges who didn't have much facilities. So if there was any difficulty in reaching Nagpur, it was the responsibility of our college to help them

I checked the list of colleges who would participate in the competition and the teachers name who would come with the students

* College of Intelligence, hosted by Mrs. Aastha Arora.

* Nagpur Mahavidhyale, hosted by Miss. Kajol

* The Mehta college, hosted by Mr. Harsh Mehta

* Ramtek college, hosted by Mrs. Isha Shantanu Bhosale

My eyes got stuck on the last name. It was as if my heart skipped a beat, reading the name. I was shocked and happy at the same time. "Aai" was the only word, which came out of my mouth.

Does this all mean that I will see my mother, after whole freaking 15 years. Tears started welling up as I remembered the last conversation with my mother, as I remembered all the happy and sad moments we had together.

This wasn't a dream, right? I pinched myself. "Aahh..!" I winced in pain. I felt the pain. This wasn't a dream. I wil see aai. I will see her. I stood up from my chair and jumped, like the 10 years old Ishan would do, if his aai only came back to him.

But what would I tell at home? If Kakasaheb and Akkasaheb got to know, they wouldn't sent me. I had to hide this truth for them, but how? At least before the day reached, I had to keep it hidden. I had to keep this a secret for the next 11 days. But Raosaheb, Nishikant kaka and baba were also directors, how will I be able to hide this from them? After thinking a while, I came up with an idea. I went to the administration office and told the head worker there, that he wouldn't reveal the last college name to anyone at any costs otherwise I would fire him

I know it is wrong to blackmail someone, but I can do this at least. Otherwise they wouldn't let me meet my mother. Baba ofcourse wouldn't stop me. But I know, he would want to go to, if he gets to know, and I don't know if aai wants that. Something in me said, that aai may be angry on baba, that's why she never called him. I may look selfish, but at this point, I want to be the only one meeting aai. I want to get her attention fully. I want to spent time with her and ask her why she left me. I wanted to tell her how much I've missed her. I wanted to vent out the anger in me. Cuz yah, I loved aai the most, but she shouldn't have left me. Why did she do that? And she didn't even contacted after that!!!!! I will express every single hidden emotion that day to her and she will have to answer to my questions, she will not avoid me. I won't let her.

A new hope grew in my heart. What if this meeting is the first step to join our broken family together again? What if I convince aai to come with me to Pune? What if.....?

What will happen when this cute mother-son will meet after 15 years?

Never lose hope in life. You never know when destiny opens a door for you. And when you get the chance, just take it don't avoid it. You may never get a chance again.

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