Hello guys I'm back.. sooo meri sisi lekhikaaa ke kehne pe maine yeh book start kari hai family story.. waise toh mai yeh sab kabhi likhi nhi..review zaroor krna aur agar yeh chapter pasand aayega toh hi mai aage continue krungi.
A 13 year boy sitting in his room, his back against the wall, sobbing as his grandmother softly knocked on the door, begging for him to let her in.
Dadi: Abhi.. beta darwaaza khol.. andar aane de mujhe.
Abhi: Nhi.. mujhe ni kholna mujhe akela rehne do...
His parents were gone, he would never see them again or hear their voices.
Abhi wished he had been with them, he wished he had died too because he couldn't handle this pain. He didn't know how he could ever live a single day without them in his life, it felt impossible.
When the sobs had died down to sniffles and he could finally breathe normally again, he slowly got up and opened the door where his grandmother was still waiting, patiently.
He didn't even look at her, instead he just walked over to his bed and sat down on it, wiping at his eyes.
His Dadi sat down next to him, lovingly stroking his back.
Dadi: Abhi bacche.. mai jaanti hu yeh sahi samay nhi hai lekin mujhe tumhe kuch zaroori baat btaani hai..
Abhi: Aap bhi marne wali ho kya?
He asked in a quiet, frightened voice. He knew his grandmother was sick, she had been for a while.
Dad said she was only getting sicker and sicker.
Dadi: Nhi.. abhi nhi..
She said and Abhi sighed in relief. He couldn't lose her too, if dadi maa died then he would be alone.
The thought made his stomach turn and he didn't even want to begin to imagine what would happen the day his grandma left him too.
Dadi: mujhe laga yeh behtar hoga agar yeh baat tum mujhse suno kisi bahar wale se nhi..
His grandmother seemed to be struggling with finding the right words, which scared him. What was happening?
Dadi: Tumhare papa nhi...
She interrupted herself and abhi felt his heart start to beat faster in his chest.
Abhi: Mere papa nhi kya??
Dadi: Ashok tumhara pita nhi tha..
Abhi must have heard that wrong.
His dad wasn't his dad? That was just not possible.
He had heard the stories about a million times, of how his parents met and fell in love before deciding to have a kid together.
He also knew that his mother would never cheat on his father. They loved each other.
It seemed like Dadi maa knew exactly what he was thinking about.
Dadi: Mujhe pta hai bacche tum kya soch rahe ho.. unhone juthi kahaniyan sunai hai tumhe.. tumhare papa jab tumhari mummy se mile the wo pehle se hi 5 mahine ki pregnant thi.
Abhi didn't answer her. He couldn't find the words. He had been awake for less than an hour and he had not only lost his parents but found out that in a way his life had been a lie.
Dadi: Abhi...
Dadi maa pleaded as he started to get up from the bed.
Abhi: Mujhe thodi fresh air chahiye.
Abhi mumbled before leaving his grandmother alone in his room.
Time Skip*
Night 9:30.
His grandmother threw her arms around him as he entered through the door, and she hugged him so tightly that he could barely breathe.
Dadi: Mujhe laga maine tumhe bhi kho diya..
She said which caused him to feel an immense guilt over leaving the house not to return until hours later.
At first, he had just been walking, waiting for it all to sink in, but then eventually he ended up going to Rohan's house.
His best friend had recently gotten his hands on a new video game and what started as just trying the game had ended up being hours of the boys playing together.
Abhi had completely forgotten about the events of today but now it all came crashing down on him again.
Abhi: I'm sorry dadi maa.. wo mai rohan ke ghar pe chala gaya tha..
Dadi: Dobaara aisa mat karna.. bina btaaye kahi mat jaana..
She lightly scolded while releasing the boy.
Abhi: Nhi jaunga.. promise..
After some time.
Abhi clutched the photo tightly in his hand as he stared at the man with his arm over his mother's shoulders. The man that was apparently his father.
Without really wanting to he located a few similarities between the man's face and his own.
He turned the picture around again and studied the young version of his mother and his biological father, they looked so happy.
Abhi: Kya hua tha inke beech??
Dadi: Tumhari maa bhut pyaar karti thi usse.. shaadi karna chahti thi.. ghar bhasana chahti thi.. lekin uss insaan ne kabhi tumhari maa se pyaar kiya hi nhi aur jab pta chala ki tum hone wale ho.. usko chhod diya.
Abhi frowned, his real dad sounded like a total douche. It sounds like his mother was really lucky to find his dad, someone who treated her right.
Next Morning.
10:45 a.m
Acp groaned as the phone rang. He was in the middle of a big, difficult case and had just spent two hours in a meeting, this was his only chance to relax.
At first Acp was barely listening, just humming in acknowledgment in the right places but soon he heard exactly what made the phone call so important and by the time the phone call was over he was still in complete shock.
He slowly put the receiver down while the woman's word slowly started to sink in.
As soon as he put it down Salunke walked into his office.
Salunke: Kon tha boss?
Acp looked up at him, disbelief written all over his face.
Acp: M..mera.. Mera beta hai..
Salunke looked just as shocked as he felt and he slowly sank back on the couch, both of them just sitting in silence for a minute.
Salunke: Maa kon hai??
Acp: Vrinda
Salunke nodded and they both fell silent again.
His Friend had never met vrinda but Acp had told her about his ex- girlfriend.
It had been 15 years since Acp met Vrinda in a coffeeshop and the two had felt an instant connection.
Their romance had been brief but intense, Acp had loved her and she had loved him but eventually they had ended up being toxic to each other so they made a mutual decision to break it all off.
They had said goodbye and then both of them had walked away with broken hearts.
Vrinda had never contacted him again, no calls, no texts and not a single word about her being pregnant with his child.
Salunke: Ab kyu phone kr rhi hai tumhe??
Salunke suddenly asked in a suspicious tone, probably thinking that Vrinda had decided she wanted child support or something like that.
Acp: Kal car accident mai vrinda aur uske pati ki maut ho gayi..
It felt strange knowing that the lady he once loved was gone from this earth, despite his current feelings about her.
What felt even stranger though was the thought that her husband had taken his place, the place he never even got the chance to take.
Salunke: Naam kya hai?? Tumhare bete ka??
Acp: Abhijeet... Uska naam abhijeet srivastava hai..
His son had another man's name. Acp wished Vrinda wasn't gone. Did his son even know about him?
On Otherside
Abhi woke up and made his way down the stairs, he was met by the smell of masala tea and his grandmother cleaning up in the living room.
She rarely drank Tea herself so it would often mean that she was expecting a guest.
Abhi: Kon aaraha hai??
He asked, thinking that it would be one of his grandmother's friend.
Dadi: Acp pradyuman.
Abhi froze in place, why was he coming by? Abhi didn't want anything to do with him, not after learning what kind of person he was.
Abhi: Kyun??
Suddenly his grandmother adapted the same struggling expression she had yesterday when she told him about the man. It looked like things were just getting worse.
Dadi: M..Main chahti hun ki wo tumhe apne saath le jaaye..
Abhi: KYA... KYUN??
Abhi exploded, she wanted to just dump him over to a douche stranger? Father or not, he was still a douche.
Abhi: Main nhi jaunga uske pas.. mujhe kisi ke pas nhi rehna bas apke pas rehna hai dadi maa..
Dadi: Abhi beta mai samjhti hu wo duniya mai best nhi hai lekin hai toh tumhara baap hi na.. Dekho na kitna acha hoga agar tum apne asli papa ke saath raho..
Abhi couldn't believe his ears, how could his grandmother do this to him? How could she just throw him out as if he was nothing but trash?
Abhi: Mujhe aapke saath hi rehna hai...
Dadi: Tum nhi reh sakte..
Abhi: Kyu?? aap meri asli dadi nhi ho isiliye??
He couldn't even remember the last time he yelled at his grammy like this, and he could see a mixture of shock and exasperation on her face.
Dadi: Nhi abhi.. kyunki mai bimaar hun aur mai tumhare saath zaada samay nhi reh paungi..
His dad had warned him over and over again about the fact that his grandmother could leave them soon, but grammy had never admitted it herself.
She always kept insisting that she was fine.
Abhi opened his mouth to apologize but was interrupted by the doorbell ringing and his grandmother walked past him.
He sat down on the couch as he heard the door open.
"Acp Sahab"
He heard his grandmother say in an ice-cold tone.
Acp follow the old lady into the living room where a boy was sitting on the couch, fiddling absently with a cushion.
Dadi: Mai chai lekr aati hu..
Dadi disappeared into the kitchen and Acp sat down on the couch next to the boy, his boy.
He was sitting next to his son, his own blood, he couldn't believe it.
Acp: Tum ho abhi??
He said in a polite tone and the kid lifted his head and looked at him for the first time. He was taken aback by how much he looked like his mother, with the brown eyes and the innocent, young face but he could also see parts of himself in the boy's face.
Abhi: ABHIJEET..
The boy corrected him, his voice just as cold as his grandmother's. Why were they so cold towards him?
He wanted to ask the kid but before he had the chance She returned with two cups of tea in her hands and a folder under her arm.
She placed the cups on the table before sitting down in one of the armchairs opposite the couch.
Acp took a sip of his tea as he glanced at the folder, She noticed his gaze and decided to just bring it up instead of beating around the bush.
Dadi: Jaisa ki jaante ho aap ki un dono ki maut ho chuki hai aur mai bhi bimaar hu pta nhi kitna time raha hai mere pas isiliye mai chahti hu ki abhi ki custody aap lelo..
She grabbed the folder and handed it over to Acp who opened it and looked at the papers inside.
Abhi might not be her biological grandson but in every other way he was and it was probably hard for her to just hand her grandson off to a stranger.
Acp flipped through the pages, this was not what he had expected. He had been willing to form a relationship with the boy but this was way bigger than that. Acp knew nothing about being a father, he barely had any experiences with kids.
Acp: M..mujhe ku..kuch samay chahiye..
Abhi feeling disappointed, despite knowing better. The man didn't want him thirteen years ago so why would he want him now?
After he had finished his tea he fled the house claiming he had a meeting. He said goodbye to Abhi but it wasn't returned.
As soon as the door was closed he looked up at his grandmother.
Abhi: Dadi maa agar unhone Naa kaha toh??
Dadi: Toh.. mai nhi jaanti...pta nhi kya hoga..
She left.
On Other Side
Acp entered in cid bureau and all wished him.
Salunke: Boss kaisa raha sab? Milke aaya?? Tumhara beta mila wahan?? Kaisa hai wo?? Cute hai?? Tumse toh zaada hi pyaara hoga?? Aur tumpe gaya hai thoda bhut ya saara ka saara vrinda pe gaya hai? bolo..
Acp: Bolne dega salunke tab mai bolunga na..
Salunke: Haa??
Acp: Bhut kharab raha sab...mujhe yeh pakka yakeen hai ki mera beta mujhse nafrat karta hai..
Salunke: Kyun??
Acp: Pta nhi.. aur sushmita ji chahti hain ki uski custody mai lelu..
Salunke: Kya?? Aur tumne kya kaha??
Acp: Mujhe thoda time chahiye tha yaar matlab bhut bada faisla hai yeh bina soche samjhe nhi le sakta mai..
Salunke: chal thek hai aaj mere ghar aaja dinner pe hum iss baare mai baat karenge..
Acp nodded.
Abhijeet's House *
That night he was unable to fall asleep. He couldn't stop thinking about the future and all the uncertainty surrounding it.
He needed to be prepared for Acp rejecting him, just like he had done thirteen years earlier. If he didn't accept him then he has to go in foster home and never meet with his dadimaa
Next Morning.
Abhi came and saw his grandmother made his favorite breakfast.
Abhi: Kya hua dadi maa aise toh hmesha daant ti ho yeh sab mat khaaya kar aaj khud khila rhi ho..
Dadi (Smile): Acp sahab ka phone aaya tha.. wo teri custody lene ko tyaar hain.
Abhi sat down on the chair while he tried to process her words. Acp had decided to take custody of him. It meant that he wouldn't have to go to a foster home, it meant that he could still visit his grandmother but at the same time it meant that he would have to move and the scariest part was that it meant that his biological father, that he just had found out about, was going to become a part of his life.
Time Skip*
Evening 4:30
Abhi hugged his grandmother tightly as he said goodbye to her, trying not to cry. He wanted to appear strong so that his grandmother wouldn't feel bad about sending him away.
He knew his grandmother was holding back her tears as well in order to not make him feel bad about leaving her. When he finally released her she smiled lovingly at him.
Dadi: Waada karo mujhse milne aate rahoge??
Abhi: Promise...
She then turned to Acp, who had patiently been waiting while they said their goodbyes.
Dadi: Khayal rakhna mere abhi ka..
Acp: haa mai rakhunga.. aap bhi apna khayal rakhiyega koi cheez ki zaroort ho toh keh dena.
She nodded. He lifted abhi's heavy bag.
Acp: Chalen baccha??
Abhi wasn't ready at all, he wasn't ready to leave his old home and old life behind but he had to be strong for his Dadimaa, therefore he nodded.
Acp smiled at him before saying goodbye to her and walking out the door, Abhi followed him and got in to the car that would take him to his new home.
After a car ride spent in awkward silence they finally reached his home.
He let the kid go in first and even though he tried to appear nonchalant, Acp could see the wonder in the brown eyes as the kid saw his new home for the first time.
Acp: Welcome Home abhi... Abhijeet.
He said and smiled at the boy, but as expected the smile wasn't returned so instead he cleared his throat and showed him to his new room.
Acp: Mujhe zaada kuch pta nhi hai jaisa mujhe acha laga maine uss hisab se iss kamre mai saman lagvaaya hai agar tumhe pasand nhi aaye toh mai change kr dunga..
Abhi: Nhi.. ye.. yeh acha hai..
Acp nodded before putting the luggage down before turning around to go back to the kitchen and figure out what they should eat for dinner.
He was stopped by Abhi's voice
Abhi: Acp sir...
He turned. Abhi anxiously looked down at his hands as if he dreaded asking the question, or rather dreading the answer.
Abhi: Wo... k..kya aa..aap m..mujhe.. dadi maa se milne jaane doge??
He looked up again and his eyes were filled with fear and Acp realized that abhi was genuinely afraid that he wouldn't be allowed to see his grandmother.
God, how cruel did the kid think he was?
Acp: Haa kyun nhi baccha.. tum jab chahe tb jaa sakte ho..
Abhi visibly relaxed and mumbled a thank you.
Acp smiled at him again and this time it was actually returned, with a very small smile.
He then left the room and let Abhi settle in.
He carefully sat down on the bed, running his hand over the blue covers. The room really was nice, he had done a good job and created a good base.
Time Skip*
At Dinning Table.
While eating their dinner, Acp tried to have a conversation by asking questions like how he was doing in school or what he liked to do for fun.
Abhi wasn't really in the mood for small talk but he didn't want to be rude either, so he answered the questions but didn't go into details and soon Acp realized that he couldn't get a real conversation going so he started telling him a little about his work instead.
His job didn't sound as boring as abhi had thought and he ended up listening intently, he even laughed at a story about some guy named freddy.
For a second Abhi thought that he actually wasn't that bad, but then a voice in his head reminded him of his dadi maa's story and his good mood disappeared as fast as it had come.
Abhi: Mujhe bhut saara homework karna hai..
He excused himself. Abhi walked into his room and decided to unpack his bags, frowning when he found a picture frame underneath some clothes.
He knew he hadn't packed it so it must've been his grandmother, and when he saw the picture in the frame he knew why.
It was one of the few pictures that existed with both his parents, his grandmother and himself, normally his dad was behind the camera but not on this one.
They all hade big, genuine smiles on their faces.
Abhi smiled and made a mental note to thank grammy before placing the photo on the nightstand.
After unpacking he spent the rest of the time reading and texting rohan until acp opened the door.
Acp: Abhijeet tumhe ab so jaana chahiye..
it sound more like a suggestion than an actual order. He guessed that it would take some time for Acp to get that parental authority, and even longer for Abhi to actually respect that authority, if he ever would.
They said goodnight and abhi did go to bed, but he didn't fall asleep. He had learned that the nights were the worst, it was then his mind started to think about his parents and it was then the grief hit him full force.
When it all got too much for him, he would usually leave his room and go sleep in his grandmother's bed but that was no longer an option and he would definitely not go to Acp's room.
So, after lying awake, being tortured by his own mind for hours he finally cried himself to sleep.
Next Morning*
When abhi woke up the next day, he was surprised to see that it was already 10 AM.
His parents, and his grandmother, would never let him sleep for that long even if it was the weekend.
Abhi got out of bed and got dressed before walking out to the kitchen, where Acp was sitting with a cup of tea and looking through some files.
Acp: Good Morning beta..
Abhi: Morning..
Acp get up and serve him breakfast. Abhi then sat down next to the man, quietly eating his breakfast while texting Rohan, who wanted to hang out this afternoon.
Dadi had told him that Acp wanted to pick him up on a Friday so that they'd have the weekend to 'bond', but Abhi really wanted to hang out with Rohan and while in the neighbourhood he could check in on his grandmother.
Abhi: Acp sir.. kya mai apne dost ke ghar jaa skta hu?? aur mai apni dadi maa se bhi mil lunga..
He asked and Acp turned to look at him, and for a second he thought he saw disappointment in the man's eyes before he smiled.
Acp: Haa kyun nhi..
Acp answered and abhi almost felt guilty for wanting to spend time with rohan instead of Acp, but they did have the entire Sunday together and besides they lived together now, so they would meet almost every single day for the next couple of years.
Acp would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little disappointed when abhi asked him if he could visit his grandmother and his friend, instead of spending the day with him.
He had made sure he had no obligations this weekend so that he could get to know his son but apparently his son didn't want the same thing.
He had to remind himself that this must be very hard for abhi and that there was still Sunday.
Acp: Phone hai na tumhare pas??
Abhi: Haa..
Acp: hmm apna number dedo mujhe aur time se ghar aajana... kareeb umm...
Acp was trying to create some rules like any good, responsible parent did but he realized that he didn't even know how long he should let the kid be out, or any other rules you should set for an thirteen-year-old.
Abhi: 7:00 ??
Abhi suggested, which was a whole hour longer than his overprotective parents used to let him be out.
Acp: haa.. sham 7 baje tk aajana..
When Abhi had finished eating he disappeared into his room, emerging a minute later in a new set of clothes.
Acp: Abhijeet...
Acp asked when the boy opened the door, ready to leave without thinking about a very important detail.
Abhi: Hanji?
Acp: Kuch socha hai itni dur jaana kaise hai??
Abhi stopped and looked at him sheepishly while mumbling that.
Abhi: wo toh maine socha hi nhi..
Acp chuckled and took some cash from his wallet and gave to the kid so that he could take a cab.
Abhi thanked him before rushing out of the apartment and leaving Acp alone.
Time skip*
Abhi's old house.
His grandmother looked so small and frail in the big bed, and the sight scared Abhi. It reminded him of how sick she really was and how close to death she could really be.
Despite the fact that she was having a bad day, her face lit up when her grandson walked in the room and she insisted on getting a hug, even if she couldn't even sit up without feeling an incredible pain.
Dadi: Kaisa chal raha hai sab acp sahab ke saath??
Abhi: Bhut acha..
He exaggerated a bit to avoid making her worry, things weren't great with Acp but at least it was better than he had expected.
They started to talk and abhi found out that Dadi maa would be on bed rest for longer than she expected, but luckily one of dadi's closest friend, a sweet lady named neelam, was moving in to take care of her.
Her friend was a couple of years younger than dadi but she had the energy of someone half her age, and she was happy to help in exchange for living in the house for free.
Dadi was very happy as well, not only would she have her best friend with her all the time but she wouldn't have to hire someone to take care of her or stay at a nursing home, which would have been way more expensive.
When abhi left his grandmother's house a couple of hours later, they both felt calmer knowing that the other one was being taken care of.
He grabbed his cycle and went over to Rohan's house, where they had a fun time playing video games until Rohan suggested that they would go out and meet up with some of rohan's buddies.
Abhi agreed to come along, even if he wasn't that fond of Rohan's friends who were older and supposedly 'cooler' than them.
It was the way their friendship worked though, Rohan was 'the cool one' and he was the boss and decision maker.
Everything Rohan did, Abhi did too even if he didn't want to do it or if it was really stupid.
It was the way it had always worked, and the few times that abhi had said no they had started a huge fight, where rohan made it clear that their friendship could be over within seconds.
Abhi didn't have any other friends and he wanted to avoid losing his only friend, even if it meant that he sometimes had to do things he didn't want to do.
This became clearer than ever when they had been hanging out with the older guys for a while and they suddenly decided that it was time for a smoke break.
Rohan happily grabbed two cigarettes from the pack and offered one to Abhi. Every part of him told him no, his grandfather used to smoke everyday and had died in lung cancer a couple of years back.
Abhi could remember every single word in the anti-smoking pamphlets he had read at the hospital but those words disappeared when Rohan spoke.
Rohan: Come on abhi, don't be a baby.
Rohan looked at him with a judging look on his face, and so did the older guys, and that was all it took for abhi to fall for the peer pressure and accept the poisonous stick.
Acp's House.
The day went by pretty fast, Acp spent his time working, talking to Saluke on the phone, eating some leftover pizza and watching some News on the TV.
As the evening came along he found himself constantly glancing at the clock and the door, expecting abhi to walk through it any minute now, but suddenly it was 7:20 and there was still no sign of the boy.
He tried not to worry, he had probably just forgot about the time or he was on his way home right now. Acp sent a text reminding abhi about what time it was but he received no answer.
Thirty minutes and a dozen of texts and calls later Acp did start to worry. What if something had happened to him?
He could've been in an accident, or been kidnapped, or god forbid he could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere.
It was that thought that made him call abhi's grandmother, hoping that she would be awake and that she would know where abhi could be.
Sushmita's House.
On Call.
Acp: Maaf krna itni raat ko preshan kar raha hu neelam ji lekin wo janna tha ki.. abhijeet wahan hai kya?
Neelam: Nhi.. wo toh kaafi der pehle chala gaya tha hume laga abhi tk ghar phunch bhi gaya hoga..
Acp: Wo apne dost ke ghar jaane wala tha aur usne kaha tha ki 7 baje tk aajayega lekin ab 8:30 ho gaye hain aur wo abhi tk nhi aaya...phone bhi nhi utha raha..
Acp surprised himself with how he already managed to sound like a worried parent.
"wo pakka uss ladke rohan ke saath hoga".
Abhi's dadi said, and it was clear by the old woman's voice that she did not like abhi's friend.
Acp: Lagta hai aap pasand nhi karti abhijeet ke dost ko..?
Dadi: wo acha ladka nhi hai acp sahab.. dhyan rakhiye ki mera abhi uss rohan se dur rahe...
Acp didn't think he was in the position to decide who abhi should be friends with and not, but he still promised Sushmita to do his best before she gave him the phone number to Rohan's house.
Rohan's House.
When they returned to Rohan's house Abhi just felt sick while rohan acted as if he was the coolest person on earth just because he had smoked.
As soon as they got inside, Rohan's mother came down the stairs.
Rohan's Mom: Abhijeet beta acp sir ka phone aaya tha.. Tumhare baare mai puch rahe the.
Then he realized how late it was. Rohan's parents weren't that strict and they never really cared if their son stayed out late, which meant that Rohan didn't think about what time it was.
Abhi felt his pockets but realized that his phone wasn't there, it was still on Rohan's bedside table where he had placed it hours before.
He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he saw all the missed calls and text messages, he really didn't care about the ones from Acp but the ones from his Dadi maa made him want to punch both Rohan and himself.
His poor grandmother must be worried sick and she didn't need that right now. He felt so incredibly stupid when he texted Acp saying that he was fine and that he would tell Dadi that, feeling too guilty to actually call her himself.
He Texted Acp.
Abhi: Main thek hu.. aur dadi maa ko bhi btaa do aap ki mai thek hu aur ghar aaraha hun.
After some time Rohan's mom dropped him in acp's house.
Abhi entered and saw Acp was sitting in the lobby, with his arms crossed and an angry look on his face.
Acp: mujhe bhut ache se yaad hai humne 7 baje hi kaha tha...
The man said with a calm, low voice that reminded Abhi too much of his dad. When his dad got really mad he always got that voice, and it was so much worse than yelling.
Abhi: Sorry wo mai bhul gaya tha...
Acp: Bhul gaye??
Acp shook his head in disbelief and yet again the man reminded him of his father, which made him angry.
His dad should be the one to stand there being mad and not this man who didn't even want to be a father.
Acp: Tumhe pta hai mai kitna preshaan tha?? Tumhari dadi kitni preshan thi??
Abhi: Aapne dadi maa ko nhi btaan chahiye tha.. aap jaante ho na wo bimaar hai...
Acp opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it as he sniffed the air and then he took a step closer to Abhi, sniffing again as to make sure that the smell was really coming from him.
Acp: Tumne cigarette piya hai??
Abhi wanted to lie but his eyes betrayed him and Acp shook his head again.
Acp: Abhijeet tum abhi bas 13 saal ke ho tumhe itna late ghar nhi aana chahiye aur smoking toh bilkul bhi nhi krni chahiye...
It sounded exactly like something his father would have said, and it made abhi even angrier.
Abhi: Aapko kya chinta hai.. mai jo marzi karu..
Acp: Kyunki mai tumhara baap hun..
Abhi had tried not to let his anger control him but He made it hard for him. The man just showed up after 13 years and tried to take over Ashok's role, despite the fact that he hadn't wanted to fill the role from the beginning. That just didn't sit right with him.
Abhi: Aap hoge mere biological father but mere papa sirf ashok the hain aur rahenge.. unhone khushi khushi wo jaghe li thi jo aap nhi lena chahte the..
The anger disappeared from Acp's face and it was replaced by confusion.
Acp was taken aback by abhi's words, why would he think that he didn't want to be his father?
He had taken on the job now, and if he had known about abhi thirteen years ago he would have done the same.
Sure, it would've been scary and a big change, but he would never have let Vrinda raise him without him in the picture.
Acp: Abhijeet kaisi baat kar rahe ho tum?? ofcourse mai lena chahta tha..
Abhi: Toh mujhe aise chhoda kyun??
Abhi yelled, suddenly unable to hold back the anger or the tears that had formed in his eyes.
Acp's face softened even more and so did his voice.
Abhi's yell surprised him, he wasn't surprised by the anger but by the pain he could hear in his son's voice.
It all suddenly made sense, why both Abhi and sushmita had been so cold towards him because they believed that he had left.
Oh god, Abhi really believed the lie someone fed him, and he was really asking his father why he abandoned him, and it broke Acp's heart.
Acp: Abhi.. beta tumhari maa ne mujhe kabhi btaaya hi nhi tumhare baare mai aur mujhe toh pta hi nhi tha ki mera koi beta bhi hai.. jab call aaya tbhi maine tumhare baare mai jaana..
The kid looked surprised at his words, and Acp felt guilty for not even thinking about talking about the past with him, instead he just let his son believe that he was abandoned.
Did Acp tell the truth? If Acp hadn't abandoned him, then he had been angry at the wrong person this entire time.
Abhi shook his head, it couldn't be the truth because if Acp was telling the truth then it meant that his grandmother was the one who was lying and that just wasn't right.
She would never lie to him, never.
Abhi: Juth bol rahe ho aap..
He said before he pushed past him and stormed off to his room.
Acp: Main juth nhi bol raha abhijeet..
Abhi: Mujhe koi baat nhi karni aapse..
The door slammed behind Abhi and Acp sat down again, releasing a deep sigh.
He wanted to go after him but it would only make things worse, so instead he decided to go to bed and deal with this in the morning.
Next Morning*
He decided to call Sushmita since he wanted to talk to her too, since she seemed to believe the same thing Abhi did.
He reading the newspaper while waiting for the kid to get up.
Once he did, it was obvious that he was still angry about last night. Abhi was pouting and did everything he could to show Acp that he was still mad and He had to keep himself from laughing at the kid's dramatics.
Acp: Waise mai soch raha tha tumhari dadi maa se milkr aau.. tum chalna chahoge??
He asked, doubting that Abhi would ever say no to visiting his grandmother even if he knew that there would be a serious conversation waiting. Abhi proved this by quickly glancing at Acp and then nodding.
Acp: sorry.. maine suna nhi...
Abhi rolled his eyes, and Acp wondered if Abhi really was Thirteen.
Abhi: Haa mujhe jaana hai...
Acp: Thek hai.. breakfast karlo fir chalenge..
Half an hour later they arrived at their destination where Sushmita's friend welcomed them.
They were shown upstairs where Sushmita were lying in her bed, looking much paler and sicker than Acp could've imagined.
Despite her weakness, she managed to greet them with a smile and even got Abhu to hug her before she lightly scolded him for yesterday.
Acp sat down in an armchair while abhi took a seat on the edge of the bed.
Acp: Har kahani ki do sides hoti hani.. aur yahan mujhe kam se kam meri side btaane ka moka toh milna chahiye na..
Abhi rolled his eyes again, clearly not ready to listen to him but Sushmita looked at him with curious eyes and prompted him to continue with a nod.
Acp: Mujhe nhi pta aapne abhijeet ko kya btaaya hai.. lekin maine kabhi vrinda ko nhi chhoda aur na tumhe abhi..
He tried to establish eye contact with him but the kid refused to look at him.
Acp: Mai aur tumhari maa 14 saal pehle mile the aur hume pyaar ho gaya..par kisi kaarn se hume alag hona pda tha.. lekin iss faisle mai hum dono ki sehmati thi..uske baad hum nhi mile.. kabhi nhi. .. aur usne mujhe kabhi yeh bhi nhi btaaya ki wo pregnant thi.. agar mujhe pta hota na mere bacche toh mai kabhi tum dono ko nhi jaane deta kahi..
Both of them were quiet and for a second he thought that they had really understood, until Abhi looked at him and there was still denial written all over his face.
He got up from the bed and looked at Acp with anger in his eyes.
Abhi: Aap abhi bhi juth bol rahe ho.. aap bas apni baat ko sahi saabit karne ki koshish kar rahe ho because you're a coward...
For a moment the room went silence while Acp desperately tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't make him even more upset.
"Abhijeet".
They both turned and looked at the old woman in the bed. She slowly reached out her hand and took Abhi's hand in hers.
Dadi: Mujhe inki baat pe yakeen hai..