Rishtey

Chapter - 21

Shakshi sat down heavily on the edge of her bed, the phone still clutched in her trembling hand. Ashok's call had left her shaken to her core. A decade of silence had been shattered in a few minutes, and with it, all the emotions she had buried-anger, sorrow, and most of all, guilt-came rushing to the surface.

Her breaths were uneven as she tried to steady herself. But the more she thought about Ashok's words, the harder it became. Anamika, her strong and graceful daughter-in-law, was suffering, and Shakshi had done nothing to protect her.

Her thoughts drifted to Anamika's early days in the family, when she had been so full of life and optimism. She remembered how Vineet had declared his love for her, defying them all, and how Shakshi and Aarnav had opposed the match.

Her hands balled into fists. Was this our fault? she thought bitterly. Did we plant the seeds of destruction by not embracing Anamika when Vineet brought her into our lives?

Her mind then shifted to Ashok. Her anger with him burned just as fiercely. "Encouraging Vineet, indulging his selfishness," she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "How could Ashok not see the damage he was causing? And now he calls me, expecting me to clean up the mess."

But beneath the anger, there was also a deep ache. She had lost Ashok years ago-not physically, but emotionally. His decision to leave home and his entanglement with Shagun had created a rift she didn't know how to bridge. Now, his voice, filled with regret and desperation, had cracked something open in her.

Her chest tightened as she thought about Anamika. Pregnant, stressed, and alone in a city where she should have been surrounded by love and care. The image of her lying in a hospital bed, vulnerable and heartbroken, was too much to bear. Tears welled up in Shakshi's eyes. "meri bachchi," she whispered. "She doesn't deserve this. None of it."

She stood abruptly, wiping her tears away. There was no time to wallow in regret. She had to act. If her sons were too blind to see what was right, she would open their eyes.

Shakshi began packing a small bag, her movements brisk and purposeful. As she folded her clothes, her mind raced. She would confront Vineet-make him understand the gravity of his actions. She would hold Ashok accountable for his role in all this. And she would make sure Anamika knew she wasn't alone.

A sudden wave of sorrow washed over her, and she paused, clutching the edge of the bed for support. She had always believed in raising her sons to be strong, capable men, but now she saw how deeply she had failed them-and, by extension, Anamika.

"Enough," she said aloud, her voice firm. "I can't change the past, but I can fix the present. For Anamika. For the child. For this family."

Shakshi's resolve hardened as she zipped her bag. Tomorrow, she would face her sons, and this time, she wouldn't back down.

Shakshi headed out of the room and entered the hall, her mind spinning after Ashok's call. She couldn't shake the worry for Anamika, nor the fury brewing for both her sons. She had known from the start about Anamika's pregnancy, and it was Aarnav's insistence that kept her silent about it to Vineet. But now, hearing about the hospital visit and Anamika's stress, Shakshi was beginning to wonder if silence had been a mistake.

She turned to find Aarnav sitting on the sofa, his face stoic but his eyes betraying his concern. "Aarnav, this can't go on. She's pregnant, she's stressed, and she's all alone in this. We can't just stand by anymore."

Aarnav looked up at her, surprised but his expression firm. "You think I don't feel the same, Shakshi? But I told Anamika not to tell Vineet for a reason. He's not in the right frame of mind. If he knew about the child, it might have caused more harm than good. You've seen how volatile he's become." he said knowing what his wife meant as most of the time she ends up asking him to disclose everything to Vineet, why? He doesn't know.