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Erica was still thinking about Smriti’s words.
From the very beginning, she had felt that something was off between her mother-in-law and Kabir. But today… when Smriti referred to Anay as her only son, Erica’s heart skipped a beat.
There was something she didn’t know.
Something important.
The way everyone was so intimidated by Kabir, the way his presence altered the atmosphere—she had noticed it all. She wanted to understand him. But whom could she ask? No one ever told her anything about him. No one ever dared to.
Still, she made up her mind.
She had to know more about Kabir.
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That evening, when Erica came downstairs, she found the house unusually quiet.
Everyone had gone out for an inauguration ceremony.
She walked toward the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee, but just as she began, Sarita Tai entered.
“Bahu, give me the cup. I’ll make it,” Sarita Tai offered kindly.
Sarita Tai was a 57-year-old woman who had been with the Randhawa family for decades—more like family than staff.
“No, Tai. I’ll make it myself,” Erica smiled gently. “Let me make one for you too. Don’t worry, I come from a middle-class background—I’m used to doing house chores.”
“But now you are Kabir Baba’s wife,” Tai said with affection. “You’re not an ordinary girl anymore.”
Saying this, she took the cup from Erica’s hand and began making coffee for them both.
Erica sat on the kitchen stool, quietly watching Tai move around with familiarity and care. Then, gathering courage, she asked softly, “Tai… how long have you been working here?”
“It’s been years,” Tai replied with a faint smile. “Since I was 25 or 26. I’ve grown old in this house.”
Sipping her coffee slowly, Erica hesitated for a moment and then asked, “May I ask you something… Tai?”
“What do you want to ask, bahu?” Tai said warmly.
Erica glanced down at her cup, then back at the older woman.
“Why is Kabir so distant? Why is everyone so scared of him?
And today… Smriti aunty called Anay her only son. Is… is Kabir not her child?”
Sarita Tai's hands froze. A long silence followed.
Then, gently, she said, “Bahu, you shouldn’t get into these things… it’s not important. All I want to say is—Kabir Baba has a good heart. He’s not like everyone thinks. Just give him some time. He’s like a coconut—hard on the outside, but inside… he’s a gem. I know this.”
But Erica’s voice broke with desperation.
“Please, Tai… I beg you, tell me about him. You know the kind of situation we got married in. If I have to give this marriage a chance, I have to understand him. Please… otherwise, this marriage will fail. Please Tai… I promise, I won’t tell anyone.”
Tai looked into Erica’s eyes. The girl’s pleas melted her heart. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
“Kabir Baba is not Smriti Madam’s son...
He is Surekha Jiji’s son—Sahab’s first wife.
She was a gem… a kind woman. She died when Kabir was just ten years old.”
Tai’s eyes grew misty.
“You haven’t seen that Kabir—the child Kabir. He was soft-spoken, innocent, caring, and so full of life. He used to smile all the time... he was such a happy child.”
Erica sat frozen as Tai continued, her voice heavy with emotion.
“But after her death, everything changed. Sahab got busy with work, and Kabir Baba… he was left alone. He used to cry in my lap from the nightmares. Most nights, he couldn't sleep.”
Tai shook her head slowly.
“Sahab was a good father, but he couldn’t be there for him all the time. Kabir became distant. Quiet. And then, after two years, Sahab married again. Smriti Madam came into this house. Kabir never liked another woman living in his mother’s room.”
“Smriti Madam did try in the beginning,” she added. “She tried to be friendly, tried to connect with him. But Kabir never responded. Slowly, she gave up. Now, they hardly even speak.”
Erica’s fingers gripped the cup tightly.
“His anger grew with time,” Tai continued. “He started breaking things when he was upset. He instructed everyone not to interfere in anything that concerned him.”
There was a pause before Tai said, “Kabir Baba is a part of this family, but he’s only attached to Sahab—and even that bond is distant. As for Anay… the two of them never got along. Kabir neither likes him nor hates him… he just doesn’t care.”
A small sob escaped Tai’s throat.
“And so… this is the Kabir Baba you see today—the one who only lives for the business empire. Everything else… he left behind long ago.”
---
Erica’s eyes welled up.
Her chest ached as she imagined the lonely little boy lost inside the man she had married.
So much pain… so much silence.
And still, he stood strong.
She wiped the tear slipping down her cheek.
She didn’t know what this meant for her and Kabir.
But now, she knew—he wasn’t made of stone. He was scar tissue over a bleeding heart.
To be continued…
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IT WAS MEANT TO BE HIM
General Fiction"𝕀 𝕒𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕨𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 , 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖" ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Neither she loves you nor she belongs to you" her ex fiancee shouted in anger. He stoo...
