Phir Le Aaya Dil - Mishbir FF

Chapter 26: A Pleasant Surprise

Chapter 26: A Pleasant Surprise 

"Oh my mothers! Wait, I telling." Nidhi intervened, "Bapuji weak...weakness mein steps se, uh... Rolling... Rolling down hone wale the," Nidhi spoke in wonder, "but humari Kuhu teach-" she paused, "I mean, Kuhu ne... bapuji ko catch kiya."

Abir turned to Kuhu and expressed silent gratitude.

"Sachi vaat che." Naanu replied with a small smile, "Kuhu ne humesha se iss ghar ki millenial mindset barkaraar rakhi hai. Warna inn oldies ke saath reh reh ke-" he pointed to Abir and Kunal, "-main apni umr hi bhool jaata tha."

Kuhu looked at Naanu in surprise. For the first time in the past two months, someone had uttered her name, brought her in a conversation. Tears glistened her eyes as she noticed the absence of bitterness that usually came along whenever she had to be involved in a conversation.

"Achha?" Kunal crossed his arms, "Toh kya hai aapki age?"

"Sweet sixteen." Naanu grinned.

Kunal turned to Abir in disbelief while others laughed. Abir handed Naanu a glass of water and his medicines.

"Kunal," Nidhi came forward, "Sixteen years meaning... not adult..." she tried her luck on broken English, "so we have... wrong Bapuji's birth ticket?"

Naanu choked on his water as Abir burst out laughing. Kunal stared at Nidhi with mouth open.

"Nidhi!!" Naanu gritted his teeth and Nidhi ducked behind Abir.

"Nidhi mami," Kuhu let out a meek voice, "ticket nahi... certificate. Naanu's wrong birth certificate."

"Isko barabar pata hai!" Kaushal pointed out to Kuhu.

"Same same, different different!" Nidhi hesitantly chuckled as Kunal shook his head in disbelief.

"Nidhi mami," Abir let out a sly smirk, "mujhe lagta hai... aapko Kuhu teacher ki English classes phir se join kar leni chahiye!" he grinned.

While he went on cracking jokes with them, Kuhu stared at a cheerful Abir with tears in her eyes. The fact that she was slowly getting some signs of acceptance from this family after weeks of abandonment was simply heart-warming.

Mishti stared at Kartik unflinchingly. Kartik was tongue-tied. There was a deep-set frown on her face. The fact that Mishti had understood the tension between Kuhu and Badi maa's relation came as a shock to him. He couldn't possibly tell her that Badi maa doesn't even want Kuhu's shadow to enter the Maheshwari Sadan.

"Uh... Are you sure?" Kartik started his bluff game, "I mean... uss hashtag ki bachhi se koi naraz reh sakta hai kya?" he chuckled nervously, "Badi maa natak kar rahi hogi, taki Kuhu humse milne aaye."

Mishti stared at Kartik thoughtfully. "Possible. Toh Kuhu humse milne kyun nahi aa rahi?"

Kartik mentally slapped his head. Mishti is as inquisitive as she had been in her childhood, and this nature of hers had put him in deep trouble today.

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Kuhu quietly sat down next to Abir as he took a sip of his chai.

"Maheshwari House kyun nahi gayi?" Abir asked curtly. Kuhu forehead creased with worry at his tone, especially because she thought he had mellowed inside Naanu's room.

"Woh... aap..." Kuhu gulped, "aap nahi the toh... main akele..."

"Tumse kisne kaha main tumhare saath hoon?" pat came his reply. Kuhu stared at him in horror.