FF: The Most Important Thing [Part 1, Page 1]

Hi guys! This is Maham, and I have been a silent forum reader for a while. I have read many amazing fanfictions on here, and I had some inspiration to write one of my own. This is the first time I am writing something based on an Indian TV show, so I am not sure how it's going to work out, but I am on break for the next six weeks or so, so hopefully I'll finish this up by then!

Just like all of you, I am loving the current track, and so this is something that came out of it. It starts after today's episode ended, there will be some changes in the plot as the story progress because I do have an idea on how I want to pace things, but I hope you guys like it!

Chapter 1

It was Gopi's first day back home from the hospital and she was absolutely elated. After a whole week she was lying in her own bed, eating home cooked food, and had everyone she loved surrounding her. After Kokila had asked Ahem to go to the office and get some things done, she had made sure that Gopi was never alone in her room. If she couldn't be with her, Hetal Kaki would come up and give her company and Meethi was constantly coming in and out asking her if she needed anything. Even Rashi had come to check on her multiple times much to the discomfort of Kokila and Hetal, but Gopi was always happy to see her and so they refrained from saying anything.

It was 2 o' clock in the afternoon when Rashi once again came into her room to find Gopi staring mindlessly out of the window. She knew her sister was bored out of her mind, and she couldn't blame her. Lying on the bed having nothing to do could drive anyone crazy and she didn't know how Gopi was going to survive one month like that.

"Gopi," Rashi said softly as she approached her bed. When she got no response, she tried calling her name again this time slightly waving her hand in front of her face.

"Rashi ben aap?" Gopi asked coming out of her reverie to see her sister sitting next to her with a smile on her lips.

"Yes, me. I told you I will be coming to check in on you soon," Rashi replied, "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing, I was just bored. There isn't much I can do lying on this bed all day," Gopi sighed.

"Gopi, you're stuck here for the next month. The doctor specifically told Ahem jiju that you are on a one month bed rest, and if today was been any indication he will be following his instructions to the last letter," Rashi said seriously.

"Ugh don't remind me Rashi ben, I honestly don't think I will make it alive to the end of the month if you all keep pampering me like this," Gopi said shaking her head.

"Gopi don't say that," Rashi reprimanded, "You just survived such a serious accident, don't make a joke out of that."

Gopi was stunned to hear this coming from her. The sudden sadness in her eyes and the fierce, protective way she said that warmed Gopi's heart. She had always sought approval from her sister; she was the only one she had looked up to all her life, and to hear such concern from her for the first time in her life felt absolutely surreal. She knew that Rashi and her mami didn't like her, she might be innocent but she wasn't blind, but she still loved them unconditionally. She owed her life to them no matter how difficult they made it for her, because her mami took her in when she had nowhere to go in the world. After her parents' death she was all set to go to a broken down, overpopulated orphanage, when suddenly her mama came into her life and gave her a roof over her head. And Gopi knew that no matter how much her mami hated her in the house, she still provided for her, gave her a bed to sleep on, food to eat, and for a little girl who had lost everything that became her life line. She had given up hope on ever receiving true love and appreciation from her mami, she knew that was never going to happen, but she always hoped to have a true sisterly relationship with Rashi. Having Pannah as her only companion while growing up, she wished for the day when Rashi would look her properly and realize just how much she loved and cared for her. And hearing that in her voice today almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Sorry Rashi ben, I didn't mean to make you upset," Gopi said softly taking her hand in hers, "But I am okay now, so don't worry too much about me."

"Gopi, you will never change," Rashi said giving her a watery smile, "You will never admit that you're in pain, never say that you need anything. You're in such a delicate condition and yet you're telling me not to worry. For once in your life, please stop thinking about everyone else, and make yourself your priority. You will need help Gopi, you can't get through this on your own, not this time, so don't push everyone away just because you're not used to all the attention."

"Rashi ben are you feeling alright?" Gopi asked in wonderment.

"Yeah, why?" Rashi asked confused. This was the first time in her life that she was being absolutely genuine with her sister and here she was asking her if she was feeling ok.

"I have never heard you talk to me like this. It's just really weird seeing you so worried and concerned," Gopi said not being able to meet Rashi's eyes.

Rashi immediately felt guilt bubble up to the surface. She knew she had to make amends with everyone in the family, but the person she needed to start with was her sister. Her sister who had always been there for, her sister who had saved her neck in so many situations only to get absolutely nothing in return. The same sister whose life she tried to make miserable because of her own selfish agendas, her sister who deserved so much better than life had offered her. And yet there was no accusation in her voice, no bitterness, she sounded genuinely surprised.

"Gopi, I am so sorry," Rashi began quietly and this time it was her who wasn't able to meet Gopi's eyes.

"Sorry?" Gopi asked surprised, "For what, Rashi ben?"

"For so many things Gopi. I am in this miserable situation right now as karma for everything I have done to you. I deserve all this and so much more for trying to make yours, my own sister's, life a living hell. And it's because of me that you're hurt, if I hadn't'"

"Rashi ben, what are you saying? This accident was not your fault, it was bad timing and bad luck combined together. You had nothing to do with this. And I know you've made mistakes in your past, but trust me Rashi ben, I don't have any grudges against you. You're my sister, and I love you, and I am really happy that you've been trying to make amends," Gopi said soothingly, trying to put Rashi's conscience to peace.

"Gopi you're truly the most wonderful person in this world. I have never met anyone so selfless, so forgiving, and it hurts me that I have always kept you so far away from me all this time. I am lucky to have you as my sister, and my amends start with you. I want to give our relationship another try, and I promise I won't disappoint you this time," Rashi said earnestly, sincerity shining in her eyes.

"Rashi ben I have always thought of you as my sister and I always will, nothing in the world can change that, I promise," Gopi said earnestly giving Rashi a dazzling smile, "By the way, where did you get the idea that you were the reason behind my accident?"

"Woh, Ahem jiju said it in the hospital, he was so angry Gopi, and at that time I didn't believe him, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he was right. You came to that place with the money, putting your life at stake because of me, and instead of helping you, I escaped at the first sign of danger leaving you to fend for yourself. Not only that, but my saari got stuck on one of the bamboos while I was running and in trying to free myself, the bamboo collapsed which caused the fall ceiling to come crashing down. I have wronged you and I am so, so sorry," Rashi cried, a few tears slipping from her eyes.

"Rashi ben look at me," Gopi said seriously, "Please look at me, this was not your fault. You did help me, remember when you hit the big goon with the brick while he was harassing me, that was helping me Rashi ben. And I was the one who told you to run when we were cornered. This was a freak accident, it could have happened to anyone, so please, I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for it again."

"But Gopi, what about Ahem jiju'"

"Ahem ji? What about him?" Gopi asked confused.

"He is really, really angry at me. He blamed me for your accident in the hospital. I don't think I have ever seen him this worried or tensed," Rashi explained, "You know what I think Gopi? I think he's finally starting to care for you like a husband."

"Rashi ben, I know he was worried, Maaji told me. I remember seeing him just before the ceiling tile fell on me, so I think that left an impression on him, but he isn't caring for me because he's my husband, he's looking after me because he think it's his fault that I got hurt," Gopi said sadly. This was something she hadn't shared with anyone yet. Everyone in the house thought that Ahem was finally learning to accept Gopi in his life as his wife, but only Maaji and Gopi knew the truth behind his sudden change in behavior, or at least Gopi thought she did.

"Gopi what are you talking about? Why would Ahem jiju blame himself?" Rashi asked surprised.

"Because Rashi ben, he said that he would follow me to the goon's hideout as my shadow. He promised me that everything would be okay, and now that I'm hurt, he is blaming himself for breaking that promise," Gopi explained softly.

"How do you know that Gopi? Did he tell you all this?" Rashi probed.

"No, he would never tell me something like that. He's barely said two words to me since I woke up," Gopi said defeated, "I heard him talking to Maaji while I was in the hospital. They thought I was sleeping, but I heard everything'"

--Flashback'

"Ahem dikra, please go home and rest for a little bit. You've been in the hospital for the last 24 hours, you must be exhausted," Kokila said softly as she placed her hand on her son's back and tried to persuade him to go home for a little bit. Ahem hadn't moved from this position ever since Gopi woke up, and she was afraid he was going to get sick from all this stress and tension.

"No, mom, I can't leave right now. Gopi just woke up a little while ago, what if something happens while I am gone? What if the doctors need anything? I need to be here," Ahem said rubbing his eyes. He was exhausted. The past day has been both emotionally and physically draining for him, but he wasn't ready to leave Gopi's side yet. Not when she had just woken up.

"But dikra, you'll make yourself sick if you don't get some rest, and then what use will you be to Gopi? Anyways, I am here to take care of her and you know I'll never let anything happen to her." Kokila pressed.

"I know mom, but'" Here Ahem stopped, not knowing what to say anymore. The guilt was crushing him, eating him alive and if he didn't share it with someone he was going to burst, "It's my fault she's here mom, so I need to stay here to make sure she's okay," He said quickly before he lost his nerve.

"Your fault? Ahem, Gopi vahu had an accident, how is this your fault?" Kokila asked surprised. She definitely wasn't expecting this.

"Mom, I agreed to send her with the money. I promised her that I would look after her, make sure she was safe, but I got carried away. I ran after the goon and the money when I should have been worrying about getting her out safely. My anger got the best of me, and by the time I got to her, it was too late. I saw her running, trying to protect herself, I saw her crash into the bamboo and the ceiling falling on her, and I couldn't do anything. She was my responsibility in there, and I failed her," Ahem said miserably. He had been playing that scene in his mind over and over again, the guilt almost smothering him.

"Ahem dikra, I know seeing Gopi vahu in this condition is difficult for me, but her accident wasn't your fault. You did what you thought was right in that situation, you can't blame yourself for this," Kokila tried to make him see sense.

"I don't know, mom. I just feel like I have failed her, and so I need to make sure that she gets better. It's my duty, mom, and I will make sure that she is taken care of," Ahem said determinedly.

"Ahem are you sure that's the only reason you're so worried? Because you feel responsible for her condition?" Kokila asked gently, trying to open her son to the emotions that were so visible in his eyes.

"Of course, mom. What other reason could there be? I am to blame for this situation and I will make it right," Ahem said, missing the disappointed look on his mom's face.

Unbeknownst to the mother-son duo, Gopi had regained consciousness somewhere in the middle of their conversation and had heard everything Ahem had said.

--Flashback'

"Are you sure Ahem jiju said that?" Rashi asked surprised. She had been watching her jiju for the past week ever since Gopi had woken up, and his actions towards her were definitely more than just someone fulfilling their duty.

"Ji, Rashi ben, do you think I'll make something like this up?" Gopi asked hurt, "When I opened my eyes for the first time after the accident and saw him holding my hand, I thought for a second that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out to be ok for me, that I might have actually found a place in his life for me, but no sooner did Kahna Ji gave me that ray of hope, he took it away from me in such brutal manner. I am a problem for him Rashi ben, someone he is looking after because of his guilt and nothing more."

"I don't believe that Gopi, I don't believe that at all," Rashi said shaking her head, "I've seen the way he's been looking at you, the way he's been caring for you, tending to you every need, those are not the actions of someone who is trying to overcome their guilt. He does care about you Gopi, more than he or you even realize," Rashi said encouragingly.

"I don't think so Rashi ben," Gopi said softly, "A couple months ago, I would have taken your words and held on to them as if my life depended on it, but I know better now. I have gotten hurt so many times by him Rashi ben, I can't do that to myself again. He needs me to get better so that he can stop blaming himself and that's why he is so attentive. But I don't want to be a burden on him. I don't want him to miss out on his office work or get distracted in any way because of me. In the hospital it was easy to keep my distance from him because the nurses would do everything for me, but I don't know what's going to happen now that I am back home and Ahem ji himself told the doctor that he would look after me."

"Gopi, I am telling you once again that Ahem jiju is beginning to accept you in his life, and I don't care if you believe me or not. I mean he wouldn't let go of you in the ambulance, he held you hand while they were wheeling you the operation theater, and even then Jigar Ji had to ask him to let go of you, he truly does care about you Gopi, this is so much more than guilt'"

"Rashi ben, please, I don't want to hear this. I can't let myself fall back into his trap again, I am not strong enough for this. I know you're trying to help, but please don't push me," Gopi whispered, closing her eyes as if she was in pain.

"Fine Gopi, don't believe me. I won't say anything about this matter to you. But if you need any help, I am here. Mummy Ji and Kaki Ji aren't letting me work in the kitchen yet, I still have to prove myself to them, so I can definitely look after your needs," Rashi offered. Seeing Gopi's face light up in relief and happiness at her words made her realize that she had made the right decision. She didn't want to give Gopi an out from spending more time with Ahem jiju, but she felt that it was high time her jiju realized the importance of her sister in his life. This time, Ahem Jiju needed to prove to Gopi through his actions that she was more than just a responsibility to him, he needed to gain her trust. Her sister finally deserved some happiness in her life after everything she had been through her whole life, and she would make sure that she gets that. And that would be her first step to redemption.

______________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile at the Modi Industries, Ahem was extremely restless. He had been staring at the phone for the last 15 minutes, an internal debate raging inside of him. He had already called his mom twice in the last three hours inquiring about Gopi, and both times he had gotten the same annoying, short answer, "She's fine. Focus on your work." But Ahem wasn't satisfied, in the last 15 minutes that he had picked up the phone 5 times and had almost dialed home before putting it back on its receiver. He knew what he needed to do to calm his nerves, but he just couldn't build up the courage to do. Calling home and asking his mother about Gopi was one thing, but calling home and asking her if he could speak to Gopi was a whole another ball game. He didn't want to answer any unnecessary questions, but at the same time he just wanted to hear his wife's voice to make sure that she really, truly was okay. His wife. He didn't know when he became so comfortable in referring to Gopi as his wife, but now it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. He had first admitted it in the hospital when the doctor had asked him about her relation to him. He had filled in all her hospital forms as her husband, was granted an all night access to the ICU as her husband and for the first time the thought actually made him happy, content. This morning when his mom had praised him for taking such good care of his wife he felt a since of pride and accomplishment, and now even his conscience had started to refer to her as that.

Sitting there, Ahem thought back to the second day in the hospital when he had told his mom about his guilt over Gopi's accident. He told her that he was going to be taking care of Gopi because he was responsible for her condition and therefore it was his duty to make sure she is completely taken care of. He remembered his mother questioning him about whether it was the only reason he was so worried, and he knew she was expecting a different answer than the one he gave her. But he had been so confused, he still was extremely confused. Gopi's role in his life had changed drastically in the last couple months, but he wasn't sure where he was in regards to his feelings about her yet. He cared for her, that much was obvious, and he was starting to realize that it went a little deeper than just feeling responsible for her but it was just taking him some time to admit that to himself.

"Bhai the phone will break if you keep staring at it like that," Jigar said teasingly as he walked into Ahem's cabin putting an end to his musings.

"What?" Ahem asked stupidly.

"The phone, bhai. You've been staring at it nonstop for the last 20 minutes," Jigar explained, "If you want to call home to check on bhabi just do it, nobody is going to question you about it, she is your wife."

His wife. They were back to that again.

"I don't want to call home, Jigar, I was just'"

"Bhai please, your emotions and turmoil are clearly written all over your face. You're worried about bhabi, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I would have been concerned if you weren't worried about her. And I thought you said you were working from home today, so why are you here?"  Jigar asked.

"Because my employees are absolutely incompetent and can't handle even the smallest tasks," Ahem growled angrily as he remembered why he was stuck here in the first place, "Mom heard me arguing on the phone about a contract and told me that I should come here and personally handle this and that she would look after Gopi."

"I guess Kaki is not used to seeing you putting anyone above your work, in fact none of us are, so these changes are a little shocking to us. But Bhai you're finally setting your priorities straight in life'"

"Jigar my work will always be important to me," Ahem interrupted sharply not liking where his brother was going with this.

"I know, Bhai, and that's why you're so good at what you do. But for the first time in your life you've found something that is just as important as your work, and finding a balance between your personal and professional life is always difficult. But Bhai, right now bhabi needs you just as much as these projects if not more, and I think it's time you realize that," Jigar said seriously.

"Jigar, I know what I'm doing," Ahem said stubbornly even though he had absolutely no idea, but he wasn't going to go around asking from relationship advice from his younger brother. His ego still had great control over him.

"I hope so, Bhai," Jigar said, "Because I have seen you strive to be the best son, the best brother, the best businessman, the best boss and you've proven again and again to be number one in all those roles, but bhai you don't seem to be putting in even half the effort that you should in the one relationship that should be the most important to you. Bhai you've got such an amazing wife, and it doesn't matter under what circumstances you married her or all the misunderstandings that arose after that, what matters is that today she needs you, as her husband, to take care of her, to look after her. Knowing her, she won't say a word no matter how you treat her, she never has and she never will, but you need to realize her place in your life bhai. I can't sit back and watch you fail in this relationship, because the Ahem Modi I know has never failed at anything." And with that Jigar got up and turned to walk away leaving a thunderstruck Ahem behind. But just as he reached the door, he turned around and said, "So if you want to call home and check in on her, do it, don't stare at the phone wondering what everyone will have to say about it, because at the end of the day you're her husband and she's your wife, and there's nothing more to that."

A/N: So yeah no Gohem at all in this part, but I needed to set the stage so that you guys can get an idea where this is going. There will be a lot of Rashi & Jigar involvement both as individuals and as a couple because I'll be using them as a foil for the Gohem relationship, so I hope you like them. Also, expect a full Rashi redemption (in due time) because I think she's got a good heart but has been led astray by her witch of a mother. Lastly, don't expect Gohem to clear all their differences and fall head over heels for each other in 2 chapters, these two have a lot of bridges they need to burn before they can truly love each other, so it's going to be an interesting ride, I hope! Anyways, I love comments, so let me know what you guys thought!