***PART 31***
The next day, while Manvi was fixing breakfast for everyone in the kitchen, her Mom lingers around her. Manvi looked at her and smiles.
"Mama?"
She doesn't respond. A few seconds later, as if she never heard Manvi call her, she asks. "Where is Simmi?"
"She is helping Abhi with his morning chores."
"Oh?"
"What are ya thinking about?" Manvi wonders with a funny face. "You are lost in la la land."
"Where is Virat?" Mom asks her.
"Helping Abhi with his morning chores."
"Mannu, I do not have a good feeling about all this."
"All what?"
"I don't think Simmy should stay here. Especially now. It has gotten too complicated."
"Alright...get it out...what is going on..." Manvi stands in front of her Mom, as if warming up to deal with some drama coming her way.
"You are still a kid at some things Mannu. You will not understand this now. When a man and woman have a kid, the man falls in love with the woman all over again. He unconsciously attributes the joy of having a kid with her. Every time he looks at the kid, a part of him is thankful to the mother for bearing that child."
"Seriously...start consulting mom. You will do an awesome job."
"Manvi, I am serious. My marriage with you dad was arranged, we were not like this in the beginning. He had a lot of issues with me. It was only when Simmy was born that we became close. The journey of parenthood, binds the parents. They become an intricate part of each other."
"What do you want me to do?" Manvi asks her irritated.
"I am saying that on top of all this, Simmy and Virat staying in the same house is a very bad idea. Right now, things are very delicate. You need to make sure there is distance between them. Me and dad were talking about this last night. Simmy does not have the capacity to put other people over her. She will not be able to under.."
"Mom!" Manvi stops her. "...I appreciate your concern. But, I trust Virat more than my own self. He loves me and as long as I feel loved - which I very much, DEEPLY feel right now, thank you very much - I have nothing to worry. Please STOP worrying about non-existential problems. It is three more days and you guys will move back to your house. You think you will you be able to adjust here till then?" she snaps sarcastically.
"Manvi!" Virat chides her walking into the kitchen. "That's not the way to talk to Mom."
"I am SORRY. But, I am sick and tired of everyone telling me to mark my territory. Just...Just.." she fists her hands and raises her elbows in front of her face, frustrated "...take it easy..okay. " she says, walking away.
"I am sorry Ma. She is overwhelmed as are all of us. I will talk with her. And I assure you, I will never hurt Mannu. She is my life and how ever much insane she drives me..." he laughs "..she is the reason for my sanity. I cannot live without her. Abhi does not change my equation with Mannu."
Oh, but he does! Ma says to herself. Ma passes her hand over his head lovingly and walks away.
~
Later at the breakfast table, everyone except Virat was seated and were talking about politics and weather as if it was any other day. Abhi was seated on a high chair and Manvi and Simmy were seated on either sides of him. Virat had been in his study talking with someone who had come to see him a few minutes ago. Rahul also came in after a few minutes and went directly into Virat's study.
"Never listen to you Grandmom okay. She is a little crazy. " Manvi tells Abhi, looking angrily at her mom.
"Very mature Manvi. You are going to tell on me to my grandson."
"See? Crazy!" She tells Abhi.
"Who is my Grandmom?" Abhi asks her.
"Woah. You talk too! High-five.." she raises her hand.
Abhi looks at her and frowns.
"Okay. I see you got your dad's grumpiness. Come on. High-five. Don't be like that." Manvi pokes his tummy.
"You poked me!" he pointed his finger at Manvi, as if accusing her of a heinous crime.
"Touchy about poking. Got ya. See, this is how we get to know each other. You need to talk buddy."
"Don't poke me." he warns Manvi angrily.
"Alright! Alright!" Manvi raises her hands, signalling peace.
Her Mom, Simmy and Dad start laughing. Her Mom says "Maybe he realized who the real crazy one is, right Simmy?"
"Yeah..." Simmy laughs.
"What the hell Simmy. Can I have a little support here?" Manvi snaps at her sister.
"Simmy, can I talk with you in my study?" Virat comes and calls her.
"Sure.." Simmy looks surprised at Mom and Dad.
"What's going on? Who is Virat talking with?" Mom asks Manvi.
"Do you think it is somebody who needs counselling too? Needs to hear to a conspiracy theory about how his seemingly peaceful life will in the near future eminently collapse?"
"You know, I think the reason why you are so ticked off at me is because you know I am right."
"Yeah..That is exactly right mom. I reason I am denying something is because secretly my heart is acknowledging it."
"Cut it out Mannu." her dad warns her.
Simmy storms into the room in tears. Let's go Abhi. "We are not staying here another second." She comes and unbuckles his belt.
"Simmy, can we talk about this like adults. Away from the K.I.D?" Virat follows her in.
"What's going on?" Dad asks Virat.
"You darling son-in-law is asking me to sign custody papers for my son." Simmy tells her dad in tears. "He wants me to sign a document that says I have no legal right over my son."
"Virat?" Manvi looks at Virat shocked.
"You stay out of this." he warns Manvi.
Dad looks at Virat and Simmy, grasping the seriousness of the issue at hand. He then looks at Manvi and Abhi. "Simmy, please go and work it out with Virat. If you want time to think about it. Take some time. You both need to work it out amicably."
Rahul walks in and takes Abhi in his arms. "Do you want to see my car?" he asks Abhi. He slowly walks out of the room with the little kid.
"There is nothing to think about. She will have a free pass to him as she wishes but I want custody."
"I do not want any pass from you or anyone else to see my son!" Simmy asserts.
"Your son! HUH! Do not even get me started on the list of your motherly virtues Simmy."
"I know I messed up. But, Virat I was as much in the dark about his existence as you were. I am sorry for everything. I am accepting the things that I have wrongly done. I just need a chance."'
"You accepting does not cut anything and he is not a guinea pig on whom I will allow you to try this improved version of yourself. We both are not on the same page here damn it. I did not even know he existed. I am sorry it has to be this way but I cannot allow myself to give you any right over him, allow you to make any decision for him. If I do, and if anything goes wrong, I will not be able to forgive myself.
Maybe in the due course, I will be able to trust you with him but not right now."
Simmy looks at him speechless. "Well, I am sorry Mr.Vadera, but I refuse to sign that. Anybody here will agree that a kid needs a mother more than father."
"I am very serious about this Simmy. Any legal court will give me his custody seeing the blatant negligence that had occurred. Do not force me to go to the court because I will, if I have to."
"He was fine. He is fine. He will be fine. Can we start over, please!"
"He was fine, you say? Let me tell you that HE WAS ANYTHING BUT f**kING FINE, DAMMIT!! Do you know how it is to grow up as an orphan? Do you Simmy? ...Coz I DO! I was raised by people who were not my parents and you know what, every time they looked at me - I only saw PITY." his eyes filled up and his voice was choking.
"Virat?" Manvi's eyes fill up looking at him break-down. She did not realize all these feeling he was harboring inside him. He never talked about his past with anyone. "That is a closed chapter." he had once said when she asked.
"What if that old lady had not seen you at the restaurant Simmy? What if that couple had been abusive? What if they were negligent? What if they didn't care enough to feed him when he was hungry? You say he is fine."
Manvi rushes to hold him. She had never seen him like this. "It is okay, everything is okay now. Abhi is here, with us. He is safe." she cools him down.
He keeps glaring at Simmy "You know every time I think of the night he was born I see these images of him...that the first person who touched him was that filthy scoundrel when it could have been his father, mother or loving grand parents, aunts, uncles. Do you see an image of a little baby in his control Simmy? I do - And that image haunts me - I see a crying, innocent, hungry baby who was not even fed his mother's milk transported over seven seas away from people who would love him more than their own lives, away from people who did not even know about his existence.
I only hold YOU responsible for that. And myself - for conceiving him with someone like you, someone who is as grossly irresponsible as YOU.
You did not even think it was necessary to tell me on the day he was born. You chose your great boy-friend to be with you instead who took such good care of him. So, forgive me if I do not trust your judgement right now. Forgive me, if I cannot assume that you will not date anymore pyschos, molestors, pedophiles or related criminals. Forgive me if I do not see you capable of making decisions about my son. I, infact, feel that he needs protection from you."
"Virat, please stop it." Manvi begged him.
"She tried to kill him Manvi.. "Virat looked at Manvi with a face filled with untold horror. "She tried to murder him and she did not feel any obligation to tell me about any of this. I did not figure in the equation." he told Manvi.
"But, she did NOT get the abortion! I have seen a lot of confused mothers in my practice, Virat!"
"Am I supposed to thank her for that? It is only a miracle that he has escaped everything and is living in front of us today, INSPITE of her.
Simmy, I need custody or I am going to court. There is no middle ground. And for what it is worth, I will never stop you from seeing him.
Sign it, it is not hard, as easy as signing a divorce." He said throwing a file in front of a shell-shocked Simmy, whose face was as pale as a white flag and who was only standing because her mother was supporting her upright.
~
PART 32
Edited by bluebolt - 9 years ago
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