MishBir : Fool's Gold ✓

Chapter 20: Right Where You Left Me

Hey. I'm back. Thank you for your comments on previous chapter as well as Little things. You can add my stories in your library so that you get notified everytime I post a new chapter.
_______
3 weeks after Mishti came to Mumbai,

"Good Morning class! Today we will be starting with the topic Theory of Demand. I hope you have read the book thoroughly before we begin as I will not give any leniency to you all!" Mishti stood in the centre of a classroom, writing the heading on the whiteboard using a marker!

3 hours later, it was time for lunch and Mishti was sitting in the break room with her closest friend here - Amy, the English professor.

"Hey, I have to take an extra class today! Hope you'll be fine here!" Amy announced and Mishti just nodded, understanding.

"Hey, Mishti, Sumidha sent khichdi for you!" Vishesh entered and Mishti stood up, startled.

" Oh My God sir, you scared me! Mrs Raizada didn't have to do this! "

Vishesh just kept the box on the table and and said, "Mishti, Sumidha ne tumhe dinner ke liye invite kiya hai humare ghar. Aur isse pehele tum mana karo, aana zaroori hai. Mere bade bete ki beti hui hai! "

" Oh! That's such a great news sir! Congratulations. You are going to be an amazing grandfather. "

" Haan sirf congratulations se baat nahi banegi. Aaj tum dinner par aa rahi ho. Final. I'll text you the details."

Mishti just laughed and said okay since she knew how adamant Vishesh could be.

Evening 9 o' clock, Mishti was standing in front of the Raizada mansion in an anarkali suit, holding a large bouquet of lilies.

She set her hair 2-3 times and rang the bell.

A woman in her 50s opened the door with a kind smile. "You must be Mishti! My husband speaks very highly of you. I'm Sumidha. "

" Oh, it's so good to finally meet you Mrs Raizada. Mr Raizada is all praises about you as well. And the food that is send is marvellous. "

" Please beta, Sumidha aunty is fine. No need for these Mrs formalities. Andar aao."

They walked in side by side, Mishti feeling a little out of the place.

"Ansh, Vansh, Shraddha beta, aa jayo. Dekho, Mishti aa gayi hai. "

A couple, holding a little baby girl in their arms and a boy, probably 14-15 years old came from the back to the living room and Vishesh joined them.

"Oh Mishti! So glad to see that you could make it. Yeh mere bete hai, Ansh aur Vansh. Aur yeh meri bahu, Shraddha aur yeh hai humari nanni Pari. " Vishesh did the obvious.

" Wow! Congratulations to the both of you." Mishti said, passing the bouquet to the new parents and she waved at Vansh, shuffling his hair, and he just turned pink at her action.

"Hi Mishti, do you wanna hold her?" Shraddha hugged her sideways and passed a sleeping Pari to her.

" Oh, okay!? " Mishti made a cocoon out of her arms and carefully took Pari from Shraddha. She immediately put support under the baby's neck and Pari grabbed the upper hem of Mishti's suit, relaxing in her arms and the whole family became a puddle at the sight of the two of them.

"Hi Pari." She whispered and swayed her very slowly. It felt surreal holding Pari in her arms since just a few months ago, Abir and Mishti too were planning for a baby before everything went down the drain.

A few minutes later, Shraddha took Pari to make her lie down in her nursery while they could have dinner.

"Aree, Vansh! zaraa Dad ko phone laga aur puch, wo teeno kahaan reh gaye? " Sumidha said, setting the dining table.

Mishti walked in the kitchen with her and helped Sumidha bring the bowls of curry and chapatis.

"Dad?" Mishti asked and bit her tongue for being too intrusive.

"Shekhar Kapoor, Vishesh ke bachpan ke dost hai aur Shraddha ke pita. Unki doosri beti, Pankhuri aur mera Vansh, dono ek hi din peda hue the. Toh jabse wo dono hue hai, un dono ne har cheez saath mai ki hai. Bachpan se hi dono best friends hain. Vansh uske parents ko dad -mom bulata hai, aur Pankhuri mujhe aur Vishesh ko dad - mom bulati hai. " Sumidha just casually answered.

Mishti got emotinal at the love these people had for each other and wished to get a family like that in her next life. Little did she know that these people were gonna be her family and light up her world like the M's and RV's never did.

The doorbell rang and Vansh ran to get the door to meet his bestfriend.

"Dad! Mom! Pankhuri!!" He exclaimed and immediately hugged the trio.

"Aree Shekhu! Kitni der laga di! " Vishesh said, taking Shekhar in a hug and patting his back.

" Karishma! " "Sumi!" The women shrilled, hugging each other whereas Pankhuri and Vansh had already disappeared inside Vansh's room.

"Papa! Choti Ma!" Shraddha too hugged them and Ansh took their blessings.

Mishti was just standing in the corner looking at them meeting each other genuinely with no hard feelings or past problems. They were laughing and talking about random stuff which never really happened in the life she left behind.

"Mishti beta! Yeh hai Shekhar aur unki wife Karishma. Shraddha ke papa aur chhoti ma. " Sumidha introduced them and that's when Mishti saw the Kapoor's for the first time and she was shocked beyond core.

"Mishti!" Karishma whispered, in a horrid state and her face had turned white.

"Tu jaanti hai Mishti ko, Karishma?" Sumidha questioned and Shekhar too immediately recognised who this young woman was.

And before anyone could say anything, Mishti was lying on the ground, unconscious.
____
Mishti opened her eyes to an unknown surrounding with a woman by her side, asleep in an uncomfortable position.

She jerked up, breaking karishma's light sleep as she tried to cup Mishti's face to ask about her well-being.

"Aap yahaan kyu hain, Mrs Kapoor?"

"Pehle tu bata Mishti, tu idhar kyu hain? Abir kahan hai?"

"Aap- aap janti hai mere aur Abir ke baare mai?" Mishti was confused. Karishma had been absent in Mishti's life for more than 13 years and yet she immediately recognised her and knows latest details about her life.

"Sirf Abir nahi, infact tere aur wo jasmeet ke ladke Nishant ki adhuri shaadi aur Kuhu aur Abir ke chhote bhai ki shaadi. Mein sab jaanti hoon Mishti. "

" Well that's not creepy!" Mishti said sarcastically and got up from the bed to leave.

" Mishti meri baat sun beta! Mai tujhe sab bataungi! Please. Itne saalo baad mujhe tu mili hai. Mujhe ek mauka dede tujhe poora sach batane ka." Karishma folded her hands, requesting her and breaking down.

Mishti stopped at her tracks and turned, "Then why don't you start with the explanation of you leaving your 13 year old daughter alone?"
______
A/n
Another flashback chapter. How was it? I am really enjoying writing them. This is also the first time we meet Shraddha as an alive character. Don't forget to vote and comment.
Love,
Misha 💜