Perfectly Flawed (Complete) (Under Editing)

Chapter Eight

She frowned and blinked several times as the dupatta flew in her face. With irritation mounting up, she grabbed the flimsy cloth and stilled as the vivid colors painted wonders in her eyes. The annoyance was soon gone, replaced with a shy smile as she spread the purple pink dupatta across her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Looking up at the shopkeeper, she asked for the price, her smile dipping at the cost. She paused, shuffling the few crisp notes in her hand. The smile remained as she kept back the dupatta yet her eyes wistfully looked aside, hastily buying a few medicines and vegetables.

Selfless.

However the irritation came back again in those large, beautiful brown eyes. Finding him as an acquaintance, he realised a few minutes later that she was venting her anger against the 'rich' on their cars and traffic.

He would do anything to be in her good books. Especially when she had stopped to give him a small smile, with rouge tinging her cheeks. Lying wasn't that difficult, not when it led to a certain Payal Gupta swearing friendship to Akash.

Just Akash.

"Her eyes... they are so beautiful Maa. She never knew I was a Raizada, nope! In fact she wanted to break things when she got to know I had lots of money. Because she lov... loved Akash. Only Akash." Akash stumbled across the table and plopped himself on a chaise.

Manorama simply stared at her drunk son, blabbering about Payal's beauty and innocence. Long gone was her jealousy against that middle class girl, Manorama was broken at her son's mistrust on the woman he called mother.

Looking at his mother's contorted face, Akash laughed a little "Still shocked that I know I am not your son? Even if I was really your son Maa, I would still have doubts because no real mother is like you. And how my real Maa would be, God knows..."

"But you know Maa, Bhai (brother) was my God. Bhai never shouted at me or kicked me out of the house when he had the power... even when the actual reason for our Papa's and his Maa's death was me. Which wife can take in an illegitimate son? That's what I am... sewer ki aulaad (bastard). Wah! What a name for me Maa? My wife's khoon bhari taang (bloody leg) and I am sewer ki aulaad... made for each other." Akash blabbered, stopping abruptly as his drink spilled all over the carpet.

Keeping his hand over his mouth in mock shock, Akash apologised and sat down with a box of tissues, rubbing the carpet. "Bitwa..."

"I have to clean this... Bhai decorated this house for me Maa. The brother who gave me the love of parents I never had. The brother who treated me like his own child. The brother who saved my life when I went to drugs. He's not Bhai... he's my... my God Maa." Akash looked at the photoframe of his brother on the coffee table.

Pointing towards Arnav's picture, Akash asked "How can I question Bhai Maa? He's everything for me... everything! But what does a devotee do when his God ditches him?" Manorama jumped in fright as Akash flung the frame aside, breaking it into pieces.

Utterly sloshed, Akash fell a few times as he tried to get up to his feet. Pushing away Manorama's hands, he balanced himself and scratches his head. "I know why you hated me... because I am the reason why Bhai's mom died, the cherished girl of the Raizada khandaan! The sweet daughter in law of the Maliks... I understand. I would have understood Maa if you told me at the beginning that you don't want me... what was the reason to nurture me in my childhood? Telling me that you're my Maa... NO, YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER! YOU CAN NEVER BE MY MAA... never!" Manorama's world slipped away as Akash broke ties with her.