yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Thirty Nine

“Waise, kehni ki zaroorat toh nahi hai,” Manish addressed Mishti. “Lekin, phir bhi… Abhira ka khayal rakhna. Jo pyaar main usse kabhi nahi de paaya, usse bhi zyada pyaar usse dena. Please.”

Mishti nodded, not saying anything. Yes, he didn't need to say those things. They all loved Abhira wholly and completely. She was a part of their family and always would be. Mishti would love her more than Manish was capable of. But, Mishti didn't say any of those things, letting Manish have that little moment. He was, after all, Abhira's great-grandfather.

Turned out, she didn't have to vocalize it because Abhira did it for her. “Aapko yeh sab kehne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Yeh meri family hai aur yeh sab mujhse bohot pyaar karte hain. Jitna aap karte hain, usse kayi zyada. Especially Badi Maa aur Bade Papa.”

“Abhira! Tumhaare Par-Nanu ka itna bhi haq nahi hai kya, beta?” Vidya asked, taken aback by Abhira's hostility. She'd always known Abhira to be a warm & welcoming person. This contrasting behaviour towards her own elders surprised Vidya. 

“Woh sirf Ruhi ke B-Nanu hain, mere kuch nahi,” Abhira repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. She didn't know how many times she'd have to say it till everyone understood. But, she would keep saying it without tiring for however long it took. It was absolutely imperative to her that there be no doubts about this. She did not claim them as family, never would. 

“You're right,” Ruhi agreed. “Zindagi mein pehli, aur shayad aakhri, baar… Main tumhaari kisi baat se agree karti hoon. Tum humaari kuch nahi lagti. Tum sirf aur sirf ek murderer ki beti ho. Aur kuch nahi.”

Abhira stumbled at the insult, though she knew it had been coming. Yet, it always managed to shock her, how easily those words came out of Ruhi's mouth again and again without any repentance, with an ease that Abhira could never imagine. 

Armaan steadied her and Abhira sent a thankful smile his way before turning back to Ruhi. “Achcha hua ki tumne yeh topic khud hi ched diya, Ruhi. Main abhi iske baare mein hi baat karne waali thi. Meri Mumma murderer nahi hai. Itne saalon se tumne aur tumhaare parivaar ne unke baare mein itni ghatiya baat sochi, but ab bas! Ab aur nahi. Mumma ke character pe iss tarah main kisiko ungli nahi uthaane doongi. Especially tumhe!”

Ruhi scoffed. “Sach hamesha kadwa hi hota hai, Abhira. Aur sach yeh hai ki tumhaari Mumma ne meri Matashree ki jaan li hai. Tum chaahe kitna bhi cheekho-chillao, kitna bhi jhagda karo, yeh baat sach hi rahegi. Tumhaare maan'ne ya naa maan'ne se sach nahi badlega.”

“Aur tum chaahe kitni bhi zor se bolke sabko yakeen dilaana chaaho ki meri Mumma ne aisi ghatiya harkat ki hai, sach usse bhi nahi badlega,” Abhira asserted. “Aur aaj main sach sabko dikha ke rahungi.”

“Abhira, yeh tum kya keh rahi ho? Akshu ne…” Manish trailed off, unable to complete the thought. Had it all been for naught? Had he punished his beloved granddaughter for a mistake she'd never made?

“Mumma ne kisi ki jaan nahi li,” Abhira finished. “Jaan-boojhke toh kabhi nahi, aur galti se bhi nahi. Aarohi Aunty ki death ke liye woh responsible nahi hain. Unhone toh balki Aunty ki jaan bachaane ki koshish ki thi, but sadly bacha nahi paayin.”

“Yeh kya bakwaas kar rahi ho?” Ruhi spit. “Jo mann mein aaya bol diya? Jis aurat ne meri Matashree ki jaan li, tum keh rahi ho ki unhone jaan bachaane ki koshish ki? Never. I don't believe you. Woh nafrat karti thi meri Matashree se. Woh kabhi unki jaan bachaane ki koshish nahi karti.”

Abhira rolled her eyes. “Mujhe pata tha ki tum kabhi mujhe believe nahi karogi. Isliye proof laayi hoon apne saath.”

Turning to Madhav, she requested, “Papa, aap please woh police report dikhaayenge?”