The Broken Family

12

Even in her half-sleep mode, Gauri was shocked to hear that question. "What happened?" Sid and Abhi were in Goa and what if they had met Oberois and that wasn't a good thing for her.

"Just nothing mumma! I just wanted to ask it for a long time but you know Sid na! He will tease me a lot. Just like daadu says Sid is taken after Jaanu daadi" Abhi said and Gauri chuckled. Whatever happens, whether it's a happy or sad situation, her Jhanvi maa and her son will make that an over-dramatic situation.

"I am sorry if you don't want to answer that. Sid is snoring loudly here and the conversation he doesn't eavesdrop happens only once in a blue moon" Abhi said as he showed his snoring brother to his mother through the video call. Gauri smiled seeing her kids, it's rare to find them so calm and that is only because one of them is sleeping.

"No, I don't hate your father." Gauri said as she looked right into her son's eyes which showed surprise. "But mumma, why? He left you..." he said his forehead adorn with wrinkles indicationg that he was excepting a complete opposite answer.

"Abhi, it's true that he left me but do you remember the evil man I told you about?" Gauri had told her sons about Kaali Thakur as an evil man who tried to destroy their mumma. "Your father was the one who saved me. He may have left me in many other situations but that day if he wasn't there then I am not even sure how horrible my life would have been" Gauri said as she shivered thinking how her life would have been if the villagers had caught her and gave back to Kaali Thakur. One reason she stuck to him even after he disrespected her was because she owed him for her life.

"But I don't like him mumma. He left you! He never loved you or me or Sid" Abhi said in a heavy voice. Gauri knows at that moment that her son is in pain. Abhi never really expressed his pain but he is the one who always wanted to be pampered. "I know baby! But he is your father. If he comes to know about you both then he will love you both the most" Gauri assured her son as she remembered the time when Omkara had taken care of her during her fake pregnancy. Abhi decided to end the call before he becomes emotional and reveal the truth.

"Okay mumma. Good night! You have office tomorrow and just like Sid says no one like dark circles" Abhi said as both the mother-son duo chucked. "Okay good night! And you both prepare well for the competitions" Gauri said as Abhi hummed in response. He had maths and sketching competition while his brother had gymnastics and oil painting. The moment he had started living with the Oberois he had forgotten about everything and now he had to re-start his preparation. He was always good with numbers, and art is something both him and his brother liked since their childhood.

On the other hand Gauri was perplexed. Why suddenly her son asked about his father. Did they meet Omkara? Did Omkara come to know about his kids? She wanted to visit them but she couldn't. This New York project was important. She couldn't tell her sister because she is in paris whereas her parents are in Shimla. She finally took her phone and called the next person she trusted her kids with.

"Hello Khanna bhaiyya, I want you to go visit Siddharth and Abhishek in Goa. And I will come there a day earlier but don't tell them, I can give them a surprise" Gauri told her bhaiyya before going to a deep slumber.

Next morning in the Goa residence of Oberois was quite abnormal. Shivaay refused to acknowledge his mother even after various attempt from her. She even accused Abhi and Sid but Omkara with a stern voice told her, "Choti maa, it's your issue. Don't drag my kids into it". She was shocked to hear that from Omkara but what hurt her most was when her own son ignored hearing anything like that and continued to eat his breakfast.

"Rudr...." Anika nudged her husband to show her brother-in-law sleeping while everyone else was eating their breakfast. "O khoteya, wake up" Daadi slapped her grandson's forehead when he woke up screaming. "No please don't put me in jail!" Rudr screamed waking up from his nightmare.

"Rudr, what are you doing?" Omkara asked in irritation seeing his brother trying to cling on to him. "O, I had nightmare about our Mom" everyone was quite surprised to hear about Jhanvii.

"What are you saying? Why will you have nightmare about Mom?" Omkara asked as he detached himself from Rudr. "Since I talked with Ruvya, I tried to contact Bhavya but she blocked my call" Rudr said after drinking a whole glass of water. "I am totally not surprised" Sid said as he removed all the vegetable from his curry.

"But Oberois never quit so I tried to contact her through social media apps but she blocked me everywhere. I even tried to contact her from fake accounts" Abhi frowned not liking the way his chachu trying to give tension to his Bhavya maa.

"And last night Mom called me" Omkara was quite surprised and happy to hear that from his brother. He missed his mother, he wanted to talk to her but she never took his call or replied to his messages. "She talked to you?" Omkara asked in enthusiasm but his brother's face had gone pale. "I have call recording. How about I make you hear her talking...nah threatening me" Rudr said in a crying voice as he played the call recording from the last night.

Phone conversation

Jhanvi : Rudr Singh Oberoi, How dare you try to contact my daughter even after she warned you.

Rudr was quite happy to hear his mother's voice after even though it was the first time she was using that tone with him.

Rudr : Mom, I just wanted to apologize to Bhavya. It was my entire fault that we both had to part our ways.

Rudr said in remorse and what he heard in reply was an angry huff.

Jhanvi : Let me kill you and after your death I will say 'sorry' to your dead body. Will that bring you back from death?

Rudr could hear his father's voice in the background.

Tej : Jhanvi, don't increase your blood pressure. Rudr just wants to apologize.

Jhanvi : Apologize! My Foot!! How can I expect anything new from your son? It's your damn fault that he is behaving like this and now you are concerned about my blood pressure. Either you can sleep in bed or I will throw you out this instant!!

Rudr had never heard his mother talking to his father in that tone or way but the slow mutters heard from the other side he knew that his father had gotten under the quilt to save himself from his angry wife.

Rudr : Mom please, I was blind because of misunderstanding. I just want to talk to Bhavya for once.

Jhanvi : Have you deaf too? Can't you understand when she says that she doesn't want to talk to you. If you call her once more then I will complain to women's welfare commission and police for cyber bullying and even if that doesn't work then I am enough to beat the crap out of you.

Rudr was shivering from the moment the call disconnected till the next day in fear. Whenever he closes his eyes, he could see either his mother running behind him with a belan or a bunch of police with baton!

Everyone except the kids had their eyes and mouth wide open hearing the sweet and vulnerable Jhanvi talking like that. She always pampered Rudr and now hearing her shouting at him was surprisingly shocking.

In Goa bus stand

"Gauri mam, I have reached Goa. I will reach their camp in half an hour" Khanna disconnected the call as he enquired the address to one of the person standing the bus stand.