yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Thirty Five

“Abhira… Kahaan leke jaa rahi ho mujhe?” Armaan asked, toying with the cloth she'd tied around his eyes, making Abhira giggle.

“Nope!” She exclaimed. “It's a surprise, Khadoosmaan. Tumhe wait karna padega!”

“Main kabse wait hi kar raha hoon,” Armaan pouted. “Ab aur nahi ho raha.”

“Oho, mere Jaldimaan!” Abhira chuckled at her own nickname as she turned their car into the street she had been aiming for. “Bas pohonch gaye!”

She parked the car and hastily got out, opening the door for Armaan and helping him out as well. “Waise generally kisi bhi relationship mein ek ladka apni girlfriend ke liye yeh sab karta hai,” Armaan laughed as Abhira guided him to their destination.

“Aisa koi rule hai kya?” Abhira asked. “Mujhe agar tumhe surprise dena ho toh main kyun naa doon? Waah! Yeh badhiya hai. Saari waah-waahi tumhe chahiye? Ki dekho, Abhira ka boyfriend kitna achcha hai. Usse itne surprises deta hai. No way! Mujhe bhi appreciation milna chahiye!”

“Toh woh toh main tumhe roz deta hoon na!” Armaan exclaimed. “Tum world ki best se bhi zyada best wali wife ho. Woh title jeetne tumhe yeh surprise wagerah dene ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

“So cheesy, meri cheese ki factory!” Abhira mocked. “But ab maine itni mehnat ki hai toh lelo na surprise. Please!”

“Fine,” Armaan sighed, as if accepting a surprise from her was the biggest chore of his life. Abhira giggled at his dramatics. She had never expected her grumpy husband to be such a lively boyfriend, but he always surprised her. Since he'd realized he was in love with her, Abhira had seen a completely different side of him which she had never anticipated would exist. But perhaps, it was the security of their relationship, and the belief he had in her, knowing she would never leave, that had given him the courage to behave this way - like a demanding, petulant child, throwing tantrums whenever he didn't get his way. It made Abhira's heart burst with joy that Armaan trusted her so much. 

Finally standing in front of their destination, Abhira undid Armaan's blindfold. It took Armaan a moment to adjust to the light, but when he looked, he found himself standing in a familiar street, in front of a very familiar house. “Hum yahaan kyun aaye hain?” He wondered. “Not that I'm complaining. Iss jagah se meri kaafi achchi yaadein judi hain.”

Abhira smiled, reaching up to cup Armaan's face in her hands. “Yeh jagah bohot zyada special hai, Armaan. Sirf hum dono ke liye hi nahi, but Papa aur Maa ke liye bhi. Toh I thought, humein yahaan aana chahiye.”

“M— Maa?” Armaan stuttered. “Tum kya keh rahi ho?” He knew when she said Maa, she was referring to his birth mother.

“Haan, Armaan,” Abhira nodded. “Yeh ghar Maa ka hai. Yahaan unki bohot yaadein hain jo Papa ne aaj tak sambhaal kar rakhi hain. Sirf tumhaare liye. Mujhe laga shayad tumhe yahaan aake achcha lage. Lekin, agar tum abhi ready nahi ho, toh we can come some other time. Main yeh topic phir nahi chedungi jab tak tum tayyaar na ho.”

That day while they were sitting in the lawn, before their first kiss, Armaan had vocally lamented the lack of connection between him and his mother. He didn't have memories of her, didn't have any tangible reminders of her either. The Poddars had tried their best to remove her from existence, but Madhav had made a sanctuary away from the fetters of that house. It was Armaan's true legacy and he had every right to it. Yet, Abhira also realized how complicated the relationships in the Poddar family were. Interwoven with secrets and betrayal, it was not easy to break free from the restraints that had been placed upon you as a child, that had only grown stronger the older you grew. But, she wanted Armaan to know he always had an option.