TERI MERI KAHAANI

CHAPTER 2 AAJ UNSE PEHLI MULAQAT HOGI-I

"Bitiya yeh Kavin sir ka beta Rohan hai. Woh issi building mein aapke saamne waale flat mein rehte hain. Abhi toh iske saath the par pata nahin ab kahaan hai!"

"Kaka, thoda paani dijiye please".

"Yeh lijiye beta".

"Bacche, uthiye, aap theek hain?". Purvi noticed that he had a brace on one of his legs. Looking at him passed out, she became angry. With a slightly raised tone, she exclaimed,

"Kaka, jab iske papa aa jayein, toh unhe mere flat pe bhej dijiyega. Yeh thoda thoda jaag raha hai aur chot bhi lagi hai. Main ise patti kar dungi. Doctor ki zarroorat huyi toh call bhi kar lungi".

"Inki khabar toh main leti hun, samajhte kya hain apne aap ko? Aise kaise is bachche ko chod kar jaa sakte hain?" she added to herself.

She lifted the boy up in her arms and was surprised by his weight. He was feather-light and felt under-weight for his age. Kaka handed her the purse and she walked towards the elevator to reach her apartment. As she entered the house, she heard Pihu stirring and calling her out.

"Mera bachcha uth gaya?Aaiye bahaar. Aapko kisi se milwaate hain."

"Ji Mumma! Yeh kaun hai?", asked Pihu as she walked into the living room.

"Yeh Rohan bhaiya hai. Inko bahut chot lagi hai. Aap do minute inke pass bethiye, Mumma dawaai aur patti lekar aati hai." She placed Rohan very carefully on the sofa while talking with Pihu.

"Theek hai Mumma." Pihu sat down beside him and held Rohan's hand while blowing air on his wound. Purvi smiled fondly at her daughter seeing her kindness and concern for a total stranger. She searched for the first-aid kit and brought it outside. As she started dressing his wound, he opened his eyes slowly. Seeing himself in unfamiliar surroundings, a scared look crossed his face.

"Hi Rohan beta! Aap ab kaise ho? Main Purvi aur yeh meri beti Pihu. Main vahin thi jab aap behosh ho gaye the. Toh main aapko apne ghar le aayi."

The boy just kept looking at her with a frightened face. He suddenly noticed Pihu's hand on his own and jerked it away looking scared. Pihu got scared too and hid behind her mom.

"Beta aap daro mat. Aapke papa aate hi honge. Tab tak main aapke liye kuch peene ke liye laaun? Pihu ke liye chocolate shake banaane ja rahi hun. Aapke liye bhi laaun?"

Rohan lost his scared look as he heard the kind and loving voice talking to him. He looked at her and nodded a yes slowly. Purvi smiled at him and ruffled his hair. He managed to pass a small smile back at her and turned his attention to Pihu who was now peeping out from behind her mom.

"Pihu beta, chalo bhaiya se shake-hands karo. Rohan, chalo apna haath aage do".

They both shook hands and smiled at each other. Purvi now knew that they would be okay with each other.

"Mere good bachche hain dono! Chalo, ab aap dono khelo, main chocolate shake leke aati hun".

"Mumma, main bhaiya ke saath carrom khelun?"

"Bilkul kheliye. Jaaiye lekar aayie apne room se".

Leaving both the kids engrossed in playing Carrom, she went towards the kitchen and started making the chocolate milk shake. She also wanted to make something to eat so started preparing the ingredients for pohe.

Just as she finished cooking and putting everything on the tray, she heard the apartment bell ringing.

"Who is there?", she called out as she went towards the door.

"This is Kavin, Rohan's dad."

She opened the door with a stern expression but was almost disbalanced as Kavin slightly pushed her and rushed inside with a worried look. Looking around the living room, he sighed with relief on seeing Rohan safe and sound. He took two big steps and pulled his son in a bone-crushing hug.

"Rohan beta, aap theek hain? Dad bahut dar gaye the!"

"Kaise pita hain aap? Apne bachche ko koi aise chod ke jaata hai? Agar abhi usko kuch ho jaata toh?, Purvi exclaimed angrily.

"Excuse me madam, jab kuch pata na ho toh bolna nahin chahiye! Aapne Rohan ko bachaya uske liye bahut shukriya par aapka mujhse is tarah baat karne ka koi haq nahin banta."

"Kyun naa karun main aise baat? Apne bachche ka toh khayal hai nahin aapko. Pata nahin kaise pita ban gaye aap! Na sahi se baat karne ke tameez hai. Ek toh aapke bete ko bachaya maine, upar se mujhe hee attitude dikha rahe hain?"

"Attitude..kaisa attitude? Maine toh bus aapko itna kaha ki kuch jaane bagair kuch kahiye mat. Phir baad mein aap hi pachtaayengi".

"Main koi pachtaane nahin waali! Achchi tarah se jaanti hun aap jaise logon ko. Akkad itni hai ki kisi ko kuch samjhte nahin.. aa jaate hain muh utha kar!"

"Ab aapki aaagya ho toh main apne bete ko lekar jaaun? Mujhe aapse behas karne mein koi interest nahin hai!"

"Le jaaiye..maine haath pakda hai aapka kya?"

Both the kids were looking at their parents' banter with confused expressions unable to understand what's going on. Kavin lifted Rohan and was about to leave when he suddenly gestured to be put down. He hobbled towards Purvi and gave her a hug around her legs. Though astonished, Purvi bent down and hugged him back.

"Beta apna khayal rakhna".

He nodded and then hugged Pihu as Kavin looked on surprised as well.

"Yeh toh kabhi kisi se itni jaldi ghulta-milta nahin hai! Toh phir aaj kaise?"

Rohan hobbled back to him and held up his arms for Kavin to pick him. As he picked his son, he held an unfathomable expression on his face. Both confused and astonished with his son's behaviour towards the mother-daughter duo, he looked at Purvi curiously. A kid who was shy, scared and an introvert was suddenly hugging practical strangers. Although he was happy to see that his son was opening up, but he was not sure whether it was just a temporary phase.

"Ek baar phirse..aapka bahut bahut shukriya".

Purvi nodded as she felt his love for his son and the gratefulness in his voice. He turned on his heels and left with Rohan. As Purvi closed the door behind him, she suddenly realized that she might have spoken out of turn, maybe he was not a bad father after all?

~To be continued~

What do you think-is Kavin a bad father?

Thanks everyone for your response to this story! As promised, after 10 votes...the new chapter! Let me know in your comments how was it 😀