yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Nineteen

“Kya main andar aa sakta hoon?” Armaan asked, softly knocking on Abir & Mishti's door.

“Armaan?” Mishti smiled, opening the door immediately. “Of course. Please, aao na!”

Armaan grinned, stepping inside. This was the first time he was inside their room, and he took a moment to take it in. Mishti & Abir's room was very different from Abhira's. It was painted in soft pinks and blues. A wood carving of a world map sat above their bed, littered with polaroids. He could faintly make out the faces of the two of them, interspersed with the rest of the family. He could see the life they'd lived together in them. It was so weird for him to imagine them as anyone other than the Badi Maa & Bade Papa he knew, but here they were - a young Abir & Mishti, probably even younger than he was right now, newly wed Abir & Mishti, new parents Abir & Mishti, Asha Kiran's owners Abir & Mishti, Abir & Mishti with the rest of the family - their own parents, siblings, kids, grandkids - growing old together and sharing everything with each other. What a fulfilling life it seemed to be. He could only hope that he & Abhira lived a life as full of love as theirs. 

On the opposite side, a painting of Mishti took up most of the space on the wall. There were a few other paintings hung around it. Armaan didn't really understand their meaning, but he was sure they were important, given how well loved they were - a paper wind chime, a bunch of red, heart shaped balloons, a lakeside, a pair of bicycles, and the crowded rooftop of a bus. Above all of them, was a nameplate that read Mishbir. 

One side of the room housed a dressing table & study table while the opposite side had their wardrobes on one side, most of the space taken up by their balcony which had a small sitting area and a reading nook. 

“Aao, Armaan. Baitho,” Mishti gestured to the bed. Armaan obliged readily. He took one corner of the bed while Mishti sat opposite him.

“Itni raat ko kaise aana hua? All good?” Mishti probed. 

Armaan sighed, shaking his head. “Abhira ne mujhe bataya ki woh Manish Uncle pe…”

“Oh,” Mishti breathed. “Kya tumhe lagta hai uska decision galat hai?”

“Nahi, bilkul nahi,” Armaan answered immediately. “I think she's right. Manish Uncle ne Akshara Maa ko hi jab ghar se nikaal diya toh phir Akshara Maa ya unke parents ki kisi cheez pe unke haq nahi hai. Woh academy, Naira Nani ke baad unhe hi milni chahiye thi na. Aur unke baad Abhira ko.”

The transition from calling her Akshara Ma'am to now calling her Akshara Maa was one that Armaan didn't even realize. In the time that he had met Abhira's family and they had become his own, his teacher had also become his mother. 

“Bilkul sahi keh rahe ho tum,” Mishti agreed. “Akshu ke paida hote hi, Naira Di ne woh academy uske naam kardi thi. Toh uss lihaaz se unki death ke baad, it belonged to her. And as Akshu's only living child, ab woh academy Heera ki hai.”

“Ira ka faisla sahi hai, Badi Maa,” Armaan added. “Lekin, uska raasta bohot mushkil. Mujhe darr lag raha hai. Kahin woh kamzor na pad jaaye. Mujhe pata hai… Woh mujhse kayi zyada strong hai. Mujhse kya, woh saari duniya se zyada strong hai. Usne life mein bohot struggle dekhi hai, aur uske bawajood woh kabhi hichkichayi nahi. Par ab baat alag hai. Akshara Maa ko leke woh waise hi itni emotional hai. Aur woh dikhati nahi, lekin Manish Uncle ka sach jaanke usse bohot takleef pohonchi hai. Woh unse bohot pyaar karti thi, bohot respect karti thi unki. Ab yeh sab… It's not going to be easy for her.”

“You're right,” Mishti murmured. “It's not going to be easy. Lekin hum haina uske saath. You, me, and Abir. We'll handle everything. Usse kamzor nahi padne denge.”