Realisation And Nurture (BOOK #2) ✔

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

     "Mom..." The little boy Rehaan wailed into her arms as soon as Sanchi returned home after a heated argument with Vihaan. "I want to meet dad..."

As narrated by Rohini, Rehaan had been constantly pestering her throughout the evening to fetch him to the location of the police festival by which he would be able to meet his father. They had been binge-watching the program live online and the moment he had caught a glimpse of Vihaan, he'd attained the surety that his father was somewhere close to them.

"I WANT TO MEET PIHU..." Rehaan's voice shrieked across their room on account of Sanchi's multiple denials.

When Sanchi refused again, he shouted at the top of his babbling voice, "PIHU IS WITH DAD, I KNOW."

Rehaan had made it a habit of calling Prachi by a nickname 'Pihu' since the time he'd begun learning things around him, but most importantly, he was more attached to his twin with whom he'd shared a womb.

Rehaan wouldn't listen as much as Sanchi tried explaining to him that Prachi hadn't accompanied her father this time. "Why are you beco-ming unruly just like your fath-er?" She said at last. "I don't under-stand what's wrong with every-one around me!"

Rohini could easily make out the grittiness in Sanchi's voice and the pale look over her face wasn't difficult to hide. "Something's wrong, Sanchi? Why are you scolding him? He's a child, he'll be nagging and crying like most other children."

Truly speaking, Sanchi had realized her folly. But on the other hand, the argument with Vihaan had pissed her off and all she demanded was just peace of mind. As she noticed within a fraction of a second, Rehaan had confined himself to a vivid corner in their bedroom, a gust of silent pride spreading over his face. His mother's sudden chiding had affected his childish brain and his fury even though it was temporary but would need time to be diminished.

"Did you see Ro-hini, he's acqui-ring all his anger, habits, and tempera-ments like his father?" Sanchi pointed out to Rohini before darting her weepy eyes in Rehaan's direction. "You stay th-ere as long as you can. I will see to it wh-en your anger sub-sides."

"Sanchi . . .Listen . . ." Rohini called out to her from behind but the latter stormed out of the room and disappeared into the kitchen. "Something is definitely not right with Sanchi. I should put Rehaan to sleep somehow and then speak to her. Maybe she needs some solace to express what's hurting her within."

*****

The roaring wind swayed past her dilapidated face, banging the mahogany door of Shaurya's apartment as Sanchi made an effort to pull the latches to it. A silhouette of hazy silver emerged into significance as he appeared at her doorstep, Vihaan's battered eyelids anticipating her pardon.

The moment his guilt-ridden face gradually came to her view, she covered the door halfway, and with the insufficient passage that the gap provided, she hinted. "I don't wa-nt you here again, ple-ase leave, Vihaan. . ."

"I am SORRY. . ." He remained frozen for quite a few minutes, the sincere word of apology escaping his mouth and landing straight into her ears. "I don't want this indifference between us anymore. I've realized my mistake, Sanchi. Maahir clarified to me how wrong I was in judging and pricking you with his coincidental presence at the festival. He also convinced me with evidence as to how he had been tricked by Naina before sending those pictures to me."

"Well. . . and good," Sanchi muttered in a blunt voice and pressed the panel of the door to further erase the opening between her and the wall. "You police-men tend to beli-eve only in things that pro-vide you evidence, right? You shame-lessly pointed at me and when other people like Maahir illus-trated you with proofs, your wife bec-ame so pious for you."