yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Twenty Three

“Armaan, yeh sab kya ho raha hai?” Kaveri thundered the moment Armaan & Mishti reached downstairs.

“Ab aap jaanke kya karengi?” Armaan questioned. “Jab poochna chahiye tha tab toh aapne kuch poocha nahi. Bina soche-samjhe Abhira pe duniya bhar ke ilzaam laga diye aur usse gunehgaar bhi maan liya. Ab yeh dikhawa kyun?”

“Armaan! Yeh kya tareeka hai baat karne ka?” Kaveri shouted. “Bhulo mat hum tumhaari Dadi hain! Bado se baat kaise karte hain yeh sanskaar humne tumhe diye haina?”

“Main waise hi baat kar raha hoon, Dadi Sa, jaise mujhe karni chahiye,” Armaan stood his ground. “Aapne bhi toh koi kasar nahi chodi Abhira ki insult karne mein. Uske ghar mein khade hoke hi aapne usse itna kuch suna diya.”

“Uss ladki ki harkatein aisi hai toh iska ilzaam tum hum pe kyun laga rahe ho?” Kaveri asked. “Pehle kam tamasha kiya hai kya uss ladki ne? Har baar usne bas baatein bigaadi hain!”

“Abhira ne hamesha sab sawara hi hai,” Armaan insisted. “Aapko kabhi nazar nahi aaya ki usne kitna kiya hai iss family ke liye. Aapko toh woh kamiyaan dikhti hai jo Abhira mein hai bhi nahi, aur woh galtiyaan jo usne ki bhi nahi. Lekin, aaj galti aapki thi Dadi Sa.”

“Armaan… Jo hua usme Maa Sa ka kya dosh hai?” Vidya intervened. “Woh sirf sawaal kar rahi thi Abhira se. Itna bhi haq nahi hai kya unka?”

“Woh sawaal nahi kar rahi thi,” Armaan replied. “Faisla sunaa rahi thi. Yahaan aane se pehle hi aap sabne Abhira ko doshi maan liya tha.”

“Armaan, humein pata hai, beta,” Manisha tried to diffuse the situation. “Abhira ne bina soche-samjhe koi kadam nahi uthaya hoga. Usne yeh sab kiya toh koi wajah rahi hogi. Woh warna kyun aisa karegi?”

“Aap jaisa sochti hain, waisa ghar mein sab nahi sochte, Chachi Sa,” Armaan told her. “Yeh toh aaj humne dekh hi liya. Kisine yeh socha ki ek baar shanti se baithke baat karein? Samajhne ki koshish karein ki ho kya raha hai? Nahi. Sabke sab aa gaye aur baras pade meri Abhira par!”

“Toh ab pooch rahe hain,” Madhav said. “Yeh sab kya ho raha hai, Armaan? Kya Abhira bhi Manish Ji ki bachchi hai?”

“Nahi!” Armaan exclaimed. “Uss insaan se Abhira ka koi rishta nahi hai. Aur kabhi hoga bhi nahi!”

“Maani,” Mishti soothed. “It's okay. Tum itne hyper mat ho jao.”

“Badi Maa, aap jaanti hai uss insaan ka naam sunnte hi mera khoon khaul uthta hai. Pehle hi kya kam dard diye hain uss parivaar ne aap sabko? Akshara Maa ke saath jo hua uske baad Abhira unse koi rishta nahi rakhna chaahti hai. Yehi sabke liye sahi hai,” Armaan stated. 

“Samdhan Sa,” Madhav ventured. “Aap hi bataiye. Yeh kya keh raha hai Armaan?”

It didn't slip Madhav's notice what Mishti had called her son. The rest of the family may not be aware, but Madhav knew the significance that nickname had for Armaan. Even he had never been allowed to use it. Just that one name was enough for him to understand what kind of relationship Armaan shared with Mishti. Perhaps, one closer than he'd ever shared with Madhav himself, or anyone else in the family either. 

He did see, even now, how Armaan was sticking close to Mishti, far away from the rest of the Poddar family. He could see the tight grip Armaan had on Mishti's hand, to the point that his knuckles were going white. Yet, Mishti seemed completely at ease, though it had to be painful, being held so tight. 

In that moment, Madhav realized that Mishti was more Armaan's mother than Vidya had ever been. He could see now that his complacency might cost him his son. He had never protected Armaan from the venom his mother had spewed on multiple occasions, had turned a blind eye when his wife had differentiated between his two boys, and had never really intervened when he saw that Armaan was being mistreated in the family. He had broken his son's trust so much that he had sought solace elsewhere, and had found another set of parents, ones who were capable of being there for Armaan in the way he needed.