Abhira- The untainted love.

18. Neilima

The woman standing in the middle of Birla Mansion's Hall made Manjari Birla worst fears from decades ago come alive again.
The two woman shared this eye contact after years and still it felt like nothing changed, the guilt, the agony, the hate, the remorse, the helplessness, nothing at all.
This eye contact was broken when Akira hugged her Neelu maa a.k.a. Neilma tightly imbalancing her a little and bringing her back to the present.

"Mumma! How are you? What are doing here? Why didn't your informed earlier that you were coming?", Akira bombarded her with questions.

Engulfing her crazy daughter in her embrace and rubbing her back, Neilima answered,
"One thing at a time bacche, I am good and I here because of a sudden emergency."

Before getting a chance to continue the conversation a voice broke their flow.
"What in the hell are you doing here Avni Rathore!?", Manjari almost shouted.

Breaking the hug Akira looked at the unfolding scenario with utter confusion, shifting her glance to Abhimanyu she saw he was as confused as she was.
It was just moments ago that Abhimanyu was smiling to himself seeing his girl relieved and happy seeing Neilima maa but the anger her mother held in her voice made him shocked, he has never seen her this angry.

"I know Manjari, I am the last person you want to deal with right now. But I couldn't hold myself back after seeing the news flashing throughout the day. I want to meet him.", Neilima pleaded.

"You can't meet him. You can't show up like this and--", Manjari was cut short by Neil who came out of his room listening to all this commotion.

"Who are you? And whom do you want to meet?", Neil asked politely to the woman standing infront of him.

"I want to meet you Neil.", she replied with wobbling voice.

"Me? Why?"

Neilima stepped forward and held Neil's face, rounded her palms all over his face, looked at him up to down, finally creasing his face she spoke.
"Because I am your biggest culprit, I am your MOTHER Neil."

And with those words slipping out of her mouth, Neil slipped away from this woman abruptly.
"You are my WHAT?"

"I am the woman who gave birth to you, you are my and Harshvardhan Birla's son.", she spoke truthfully.

Silence. A massive ten minutes silence covered the Birla Mansion. Everyone processing the information.

The one man, Harshvardhan Birla who should have been present here was no where to be seen, because he was out there giving statements, putting a tag of false information, begging for a chance, trying each and every thing to protect his MD's seat and position with prestige.

Breaking the silence, Neil screamed,
"How could you do this to me? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?", his words made Manjari shut her eyes tightly, while Neilima flinched with this question thrown at her.
"You have every right to hate me, but do here me out, you have the right to know everything."

"Right? My Right? Didn't you remembered this too early. Anyways, alright, go on."

"I was very young Neil and ambitious. Way to ambitious to determine the right and wrong to achieve my goals.
It's a matter of decades ago, I was appointed as an intern in Birla hospital and that is when I laid my eyes of Harshvardhan Birla, a patriarchal narcissist.
Anyone who would see him could point out that he was so unhappy in his personal life.
In the process to gain higher positions I thought why not take a personal route, I thought I was everything that he wanted in his wife and his wife was none of it.
I am ashamed to admit it but I took a very wrong step to get closer to my dream, I dream I was chasing made me live a nightmare.
I found out I was pregnant way too late, I couldn't abort, it was too risky for my life, telling Harsh would have only have gotten even more riskier.
I was sure he wouldn't divorce Manjari and marry me, it would only tarnish his image and to protect his image he would have gotten rid of any evidence against him, even if it included me.
That's why I decided to tell Manjari all about it, about you and the rest is history that you already know."

Again, silence, deafening silence.
"Didn't you ever thought of me? Didn't you ever thought of meeting me?", Neil chocked on his own voice.

"I did Neil, I did. Years later when I was in a better place and when people had admitted I just disappeared or died, I decided to come back.
I will be truthful, this time also it was for my own selfish reasons, I wanted to take revenge against Harshvardhan by using you.
When I came back, I found out you were adopted by the Birlas because of constant insistence of your elder brother.
Getting the required information, I made my way to Birla house and that is when I saw you, saw you after four long years, you were 'Oh god! So cute', the cutest of all the toddlers I had ever witnessed.
You were in Manjari's lap, she was talking so softly to you, speaking just sweet things, things that only a kid can understand I guess, she was trying to make you stop crying and Abhimanyu was scolding Parth and protecting you after your eldest cousin- Parth bullied and pushed you.
At that moment it hit me, I could never provide you this, a family, loving people and protection, infact I could be the reason why all this could have been taken away from you.
I stepped back, not before capturing my beautiful baby in one the first and last picture I ever clicked of yours.
As I almost exited your backyard, I heard Manjari call you out as 'Neil', she said 'Neil is her best boy' and with that I determined that Neil will always be her boy.
That same day I ended the existence of Avni Rathore and became Neil's maa- Neilima.", with that she took out an old photograph from her purse, Neil was sitting in Manjari's lap, somewhat looking a four year old, Abhimanyu was looking as grumpy kid as he can be for a six or seven year old and Parth holding his ears was somewhat nine assumingly.

Holding the photograph close, Neil asked another question,
"Why is Aksh--....I mean Akira calling you as 'Mumma'?"

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A/N
Reviews please cuties and do drop likes.
I know another late update, but I seriously can't help, hope you all will understand and support.

Also, really happy with Abhira reunion, although I just hope makers don't sideline Akshara's determination of getting back everything she has lost in this journey, her voice, her identity.

Manjari mata, again getting on my nerves. Why is she blindeyed with anyone else's suffering apart from Abhi.
Let go of Akshara, let go of Kairav who was cheated (This wasn't even revealed, Anisha's cheating plan), but how can she ignore Neil, her other son's heart was broken by girl who he was in love with for a year, why no sympathy, no empathy for him. Uggghhhh.