Broken Relations

Playing games

4 days later, 26th July 2023

Ishan's pov

It was 8.00 pm. I walked towards the kitchen to eat dinner. When I arrived in the kitchen, I saw akkasaheb sitting on a chair of the dining table and it seemed as if she was in deep thoughts. Whenever I see her now, there is this anger and frustration that makes me want to ask her why she did all this to Aai, baba and me.

But I knew, if I would ask her now, she wouldn't accept that she is behind everything and would blame my mother for brainwashing me.

I walked towards her and sat down at the chair beside her. She flinched a little at the sudden noice of the chair. "Ishu ...tu idhar, kya hua?" She asked me.

"Kya hua? Kuch nahi hua, akkasaheb, main toh bas dinner karne aaiya tha, lekin yaha aaya toh aapko aise tension mein dekha, aap bataiye, aapko kya hua?" I asked her, in an attempt to know what was going on in her mind.

She gave me a small smile.

"Kuch nahi hua, Ishu... Woh m..main bas soch rahi thi, ki tune kaha tha..tune Isha ko nahi dekha tha waha, isiliye tujhe yakeen hogaya ki main hi sach kehrahi thi...l..lekin sach mein aisa hai kya? D..dekho Ishu, woh bohot hi shaatir hai, jab tumse milegi nah, toh woh mere khilaaf, iss pure Bhosale parivaar ke khilaaf bharkaegi. T..tu nahi maanega nah uske baat...tu mera beta hai, woh toh tujhe chor ke chali gayi thi, Ishan..tu mujhe chor toh nahi dega nah, uski wajhe se..." She said, while fake tears flowed from her eyes. She said all these words so easily and manipulative that if someone who doesn't know the truth would definitely believe her...just like I almost did.

The anger that welles up in me hearing all this! It was always like this, but the difference was that I now knew the truth, but I still couldn't confront akkasaheb.

I took a deep breath, while she looked at me.

The first step of my mission : making akkasaheb believe that I am now fully against my mother.

I took her hands in my hands. Well since I was manipulated by her for years, I also had to learn to manipulate her. To make her believe I am actually at her side. Let's start the game of manipulation, Mr. Ishan Bhosale.

"Akkasaheb, Maine sach mein waha dr. Isha ko nahi dekha aur isiliye bolraha hoon, agar usko mere thodi se bhi parwah hoti nah akkaheb toh woh aati nah mere paas..?" Akkasaheb nodded at me with her fake sympathy in her eyes. I nodded back at her and continued:

"Nahi milna mujhe ab unse, unka sach saamne aa chuka hai, mujhe toh ab guilty feel horaha hai, ki itne saalon se maine aapke baaton par bharosa kyun nahi kiya. Aap hi toh thi mere liye...I am sorry akkasaheb, I should have believed you...aur nahi jaoonga aapko chodke, aapse door rehke main bhi toh nahi rehpaoonga nah akkasaheb."

"Mera baccha." She said and gave me a forehead kiss. I felt guilty for talking like this about my mother and that too to the woman who hurt my mom so much, but I had to. She looked relieved by me answer. I smiled at her.

"Accha thik hai, akkasaheb, main dinner karne jaata hoon. Aap jayein, rest kar lijiye."

"Nahi pehle toh main tujhe serve karungi aur phir sone jaoongi." Akkasaheb said and went to the kitchen. 

Just as she was near the table with the food in her hand, my phone, which was placed on the table, rang. On the screen was written: Aai.

Shit. Akkasaheb shouldn't see that aai was calling me. Everything would go in vain, even before it started. I quickly took the phone and cut the call just in time.

"Kiska phone tha yeh, Ishan? Itna jaldi kyun kaata phone?"

"N..nahi akkasaheb, aisa toh kuch nahi hai. Woh unknown number se call tha nah isiliye..."