Second Chances | Grooms #2 | Slow Updates #WattyLonglist

【 xxii. home sweet home 】

Maahi hadn't been home for even five minutes and she could already feel how thick the air was between her mother and her. She hadn't even properly greeted her. All she said on seeing her was, "You are back," with a blank face.

She didn't know what she was expecting but it certainly wasn't indifference from a mother who was seeing her daughter after three tough years in life.

Jayesh reprimanded his wife by simply saying her name in a warning, "Komal."

Komal, however, didn't hold back her restraint. "Don't 'Komal' me. You want to encourage her to ruin her future, go ahead. I won't be a willing participant."

Maahi opened her mouth to speak but didn't get a chance as Komal walked out of the living room and started taking angry steps up the stairs.

Ruin my future? She thought, how could she not see clearly that divorcing Sonu was saving her future. Doing what Komal wanted, staying in the abusive relationship and one that wouldn't even be counted legal in the first place... that was ruining her future, not to consider the thousands of things wrong with that scenario.

Jayesh exhaled in defeat and approached Maahi. He had attempted to breach this topic with Komal multiple times with no success. He couldn't understand how his mother could have manipulated her so deeply that she had lost all sense of logic.

He nudged her to walk into the living room further, "Don't listen to her. She'll come around."

Maahi shared a look with him, however. They both knew they were empty words meant to reassure both of them. If Komal was going to come around, she would have already. No matter how difficult she had been the past few months, simply seeing Maahi in front of her should have brought out her motherly instincts.

He suggested, "Why don't you go up to your room and freshen up? We'll have dinner after."

"Yeah," she answered with a drop in her heart. She had visited with a primary purpose to patch her relationship with her mother but how was she to do that when the other party wasn't meeting her halfway?

The second she twisted the knob of her door and entered her room, a wave of nostalgia hit her. She hadn't stepped foot in this room in years. The place she grew up. One where she held tons of irreplaceable memories. It used to stand for a happy family once. And now...

Inhaling deeply, she walked into the room letting the door close with a slight push. Her table was dusty, but she still placed her purse on the surface on her way to her bed. Sitting on the mattress and placing her hands on the edge, she exhaled.

It didn't take her long to decide she wasn't going to get gloomy because she hadn't even started to reach out to her mother. She wasn't one to easily give up. Standing with determination, she walked over to her purse and took out her phone. She needed to go talk to her mom but first, she thought to call Parth and let him know she'd reached safely. He had asked her to since she was going to drive a long distance after a long time by herself - though Maahi didn't think it was long distance when it was only two and half hour drive with the slight traffic she had met. But still, she had felt his care in his instructions so hadn't minded it.

Parth picked up his phone the second it rang. He'd had it in his hand the whole time - just waiting. Arjun had forced him to go over to his place so all the friends could hang out and they had teased the life out of him in the past hour. Again, he got a teasing glance from both Arjun and Sanam as he answered the phone. He glared at him to cut it out before speaking, "Hey."

That glare didn't stop Arjun though. He stole the phone from Parth's grip to rile him up but didn't get around to it as he heard Maahi's response. "Hi. You have no idea how good it feels to hear your voice."