|| Carefree For The Moment. ||

|| Part Two. ||

Abeer was sat out in the courtyard, watching the stars in the sky like scattered glitter just sparkling & shimmering for everyone to see. He took in a deep breath. Making the most of the alone time he had managed to grab for a few moments.

"Abeer, beta?" a voice said & turned his head to see his Naanu joining him.
"You okay Naanu?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. But" He sighed, sitting down beside him. "This house is falling apart, bro"
"I know it is" Abeer looked back up at the sky again as he spotted what looked like the North star, making it's presence known to all. "& we all know who's fault that is, don't we Naanu?"
"Abeer" He began, sighing & Abeer turned his head to look at his grandfather's sullen expression.
"I know you don't want to hear anything against your daughter, but she's the one to blame." Abeer told him. "You can tell me it's Baba all you want. But baba hasn't been here for the last 20 or so years. Maa has. & if anyone is responsible for this house falling apart, it's her"
"Abeer, you don't know the full story of what happened"
"Because you won't tell me!" He exclaimed. "If you told me exactly what happened that caused Baba to disappear then I would have a lot more sympathy for you. But you're still keeping me in the dark. You seem to think I don't have it in me to hold my own."
"It's not that-"
"What is it then?" He shrugged. "What could possibly be the reason why you've both been hiding the truth from me all this time. Despite me asking you numerous amount of times. What is it Naanu? Mm?" He challenged his grandfather, who sighed, looking down at his hands "I told you, that lies have broken this family. & that's exactly what's happened. Look at Kunal!" He felt his blood boiling at this point when he mentioned his younger brother's name " The one person who's supposed to stand by my side, is so wrapped up in his own ego, that he's willing to do anything to hurt the woman I love!" He exclaimed feeling himself getting worked up. "What was Kuhu's fault in all this, mm? What possibly could she have done to make him treat like that?"
"Nothing" His grandfather replied
"But he did. & instead of going in there & teaching him a lesson, you're out here, trying to talk sense into me" He said sitting properly so that he could look up at the sky again.
"You're more likely to listen than him" He said & Abeer scoffed.
"Yeah. That's the problem, Naanu. I have been. But not anymore"
"So, that's it?" His grandfather asked & Abeer turned his head to him.
"No, Naanu. That's not it. I've tried. Have you not seen me try? But nothing is ever good enough in this family! Why do you think I kept finding reasons to leave? I couldn't be here. I felt suffocated. & now, even more so. I can't be here anymore. Mishti & I are going with Baba. That's final"
"That's final?" a voice said & Abeer looked up to see his mother stood at the side. Abeer sighed before getting up.
"Yes, that's final. I've told you my decision, I intend to stick to it. I'm your son after all" he taunted & his mother sighed.
"So, it's that simple? All that effort I've gone to, to keep this family together. Down the drain? Just like that, Abeer?"
"No maa" He scoffed, approaching her with an incredulous look on his face. "Not just like that. I'll remind you of your effort, shall I?" He said holding his hand out to start counting. Meenakshi looked away & sighed.

"First; you blackmail Ketu into getting married to someone she doesn't even know. Then we go over with Kunal's rishta for Kuhu, you decide to choose Mishti instead because you thought she was the one talking sense into Ketu-"
"Abeer-" she began
"No!" He said, his voice had become firm, the emotion still audible as he continued. "Let me finish! You asked the question. At least have the decency to hear the answer!" He exclaimed
"Abeer-" Naanu whispered, taken aback at his abrasiveness.
"No, Naanu!" He turned to his grandfather, who looked at him, in shock "I have to say this! I've held this in for too damn long & not once has anyone come to my aid!" He exclaimed, upset. "So let me get this out of my system!" He cried. "So where was I?" he sighed. "Oh yeah, you-"
"I know I've made many mistakes" She explained. "But I'm trying to rectify them, aren't I Abeer? Else why would I have gone to Maheshwari's with your rishta?"
"It's probably another one of your games!" He shrugged his arms at his sides. "I don't know"
"My love for you is a game to you, Abeer?" She asked, surprised.
"Your love isn't. The things you do because of that love are!" He told her. "You always choose the wrong way to get what you want & I'm always the one who ends up getting hurt, why Maa!?" He demanded & his mother tried to approach him, her hand out to touch his cheek.
"I'm done with this conversation" he held his hands up to stop her as he walked off, only to stop in his tracks when he saw Kunal standing there. His facial expression showing the confusion he was facing.

"Naanu, instead of talking to me. Talk to him" he said turning to his grandfather. "Right now he's the one who needs to hear a few truths. Not me" he said walking off, cleaning his face with his hands.
"Bhai..." Kunal tried to stop him but Abeer wasn't having any of it. He walked off back inside without glancing back.
*
"Please Mishti" he sighed when he video chatted her as soon as he got into his room.. "I don't want to hear how I shouldn't have spoken to Maa like that."
"I wasn't going to say anything like that!" She defended herself
"Really?" He asked sarcastically & she rolled her eyes, looking away.
"Fine. Maybe I was." She muttered
"Exactly" he shook his head at her.
"But now that I know you don't want to hear it, I'm not going to say it."
"Thank you" he sighed, resting his head back on his window frame as his back was leaned on it.
"Anyway, tell me. What have you been up to?"
"Not much" she sighed, sitting on her bed & grabbing a pillow to hold. "Jasmeet chaachi wants us to celebrate karva chaut so Badi Maa was just telling me all about how Naira Di celebrated it."
"Karva chaut?" he couldn't help the smile on his face when he heard her mention it. As if he hadn't been troubled at all.
"Yeah" she got comfortable & raised her eye-brow at the expression on his face. "Hello, don't get any ideas." She said & his face fell. "I'm not fasting for you"
"Why not!?" He complained
"We're not married. I haven't even got an engagement ring!" She exclaimed, showing him her left hand.
"You don't want an engagement ring"
"I might do" She shrugged, looking away.
"Fine, I'll get you one, if you keep a fast for me"
"That's not how it works, Ajeeb Rajvansh"
"Fine, then I'll ask someone else to keep it for me"
"Who'd keep it for you?" She scoffed.
"There's someone" he said proudly, smiling
"What!?" She exclaimed at once. "Who!? & why are you smiling like that!?"
"I'm just smiling!"
"Abeer, I'm warning you. If there's someone-"
"Relax!" He chuckled. "You think I'd risk Angry Chorni's black belt"
"Brown belt!" She corrected him & he chuckled, making her smile.

"Mishti?" A voice called
"Coming Aunty!" She called back. "That's Varsha Aunty. I have to go"
"I'll message you later"
"Okay" she smiled.
"Good night Angry Chorni"
"Good night Ajeeb Rajvansh"
"Wait"
"Now what?"
"I love you" He smiled & she smiled back.
"I love you too. Shall I go now or do you want to talk to Shaurya Uncle?"
"Suno?" He said & she feigned a glare at him. "Kuch nahin, jao" He smiled & she chuckled before
ending the call & making her way down the stairs.

Abeer smiled at the phone. 'Karva Chaut, eh?' He thought to himself, tapping his phone on his hand. 'Interesting.'