Finally Home | ✓

Chapter 2 | welcome home

"Is it okay if I call you mom?" 

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Heer was exhausted after the day's events. It had been a month since she had first met Advika and her father Kabir. Here she was a month later, Heer Jaisinghani officially! Things happened very swiftly. Obviously, because both families were eager for a quick marriage. The Jaisinghanis wanted their son married before the wedding of their younger daughter Misha. While the Dhillons wanted the burden of an unmarried thirty-year-old daughter off themselves.

Kabir and Heer, both didn't want show and pomp. Since very recently a death had also happened in the Dhillon family, the families had agreed on a simple temple wedding.  However, nothing was simple about it. The temple had been so extravagantly decorated that the entire neighborhood knew about the wedding. Heer was glad that it was an early morning ceremony. 

Heer had met Kabir and her daughter regularly for a week after the first meeting. Although, it was mostly Advika and Heer talking. Heer was starting to grow fond of Advika. If anything, Heer knew that it sucked to live alone. Maybe she could be there for Advika and Advika could be there for her. The only times she spoke to Kabir were when they talked about how their lives would go about after the marriage. Heer honestly hadn't thought as far as shifting to Mumbai. She really didn't know if she wanted to go back to the regular city-life she had left behind in her past. She had told him honestly that she hadn't thought about her professional life as such. He had only expressed his desire that she did something where she could give more time to Advika. 

Heer didn't particularly like Kabir. Neither did she hate him. He was just there. It didn't seem like she was marrying at all. He talked about everything as though it was a mere living arrangement. Heer couldn't complain when she herself was looking at things like that. Over days she had decided she'd work from home. Plenty of software companies offered that option. She just had to look for the right ones. There were times she just missed being in their warm small house at Rishikesh. Just she and her grandmother. 

"Heer!" She turned surprised to find Kabir calling her. "I booked the adjacent room as well. You can sleep there." 

Heer nodded gratefully, for his thoughtfulness. Earlier she had asked him why he was staying at a hotel when his parental home was there in the same city. He had given a limited answer stating that he wasn't exactly in good terms with his father. She hadn't probed any more information either. 

"Can I sleep with you?" Advika asked excitedly. 

"Sure!" Heer smiled glancing at her and then at Kabir to make sure he was okay with that. He just stared in blank space. "Kabir?" She called for his attention.

"Yeah sure." He replied quickly looking away. "Advi, did you brush your teeth?" The girl flashed her teeth as though to show proof she did. "Wonderful!"

Heer dragged her luggage bag in which she had packed her night suits and regular clothes. They were supposed to leave for Mumbai the next afternoon. Her stuff was packed and ready to be ported. She quickly opened it pulling out her pajamas and a tee. Closing the zipper she got to her feet. "Shall we?" She asked Advika.

"Yes!" The girl smiled turning to her father, who got on his knee. "Good night, Paa!" She wished, kissing on his cheek.

"Night, princess!" He kissed her cheek. She grinned walking towards Heer.

Heer looked at Kabir. "Umm, the room's key?" 

He nodded procuring an electronic key from his pocket handing it to her. "Let me know if you need anything."