A New Beginning

Chapter 23: Reunion

Jaddu's POV:-

They both stared at Akku for a minute more before realisation dawned on them. The looked back and forth between the two of us and the look on their faces was so funny that I almost laughed out loud. Before anyone could react however we heard a voice.

"I think I'm losing my hearing. I just heard Ravi talking about Akku." My dad rounded a corner and came into my vision.

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed Akku beside me before a bright smile lit up his face. Akku suddenly dropped her bags to the floor and ran across the room and into dad's arms. He held her tight and they both hugged for a minute before he pushed her back to look at her face.

That started a round of greetings among the whole family and I was happy to see how quickly Akku was taken into the family.

"But, uncle where's my mom? She was supposed to reach here yesterday...." Akku said and that was exactly what I had been thinking about.

"Oh her flight was well. She had reached and rested whole day yesterday." Dad looked at his watch and concern laced his features. "She went out shopping alone three-four hours ago. Naina why don't you try calling her." He ordered my sister and she instantly called aunty only to come up with a not reachable tone.

The whole family tensed before Akku spoke up. "Oh it's ok. I'm certain mom being the way she is has just forgotten about the time and is shopping away lazily. She'll be back soon I'm sure." She said with a tight smile but I could still see the worry in her stance.

Akku was taken off by my sisters to their rooms where they stayed for the next hour just talking and catching up. Me and dad meanwhile talked about my cricket and the recently concluded tour along with my stay in Delhi. Ultimately, he got to the topic of Akku and I told him how we had met and just how much she had accomplished.

Suddenly my sister's room door opened and an ashen looking Akku emerged. I sprung up and walked over to her side just as she started swaying on her feet.

"Bhai I don't know what happened. She got a call and talked to someone and by the time she cut the call she was in this condition." Padmini said.

I pulled Akku over to the couch and made her sit down and offered her a glass of water that Naina had handed me. She pushed me away and started checking her vitals, knowing her way around being a nurse herself. After making her do a few breathing exercises she finally let me talk to her.

"What happened?" I asked and held her hand for support.

"Mom's with dad. I got a call from him telling me to meet him if I want my mom back alive. He somehow got to know about me being his daughter and says that he wants to meet me." She mumbled and I had to strain my ears to hear what she had to say.

"You are not going!" I ordered her. "I'll call the police and they will take care of it."

"I will go. You can't stop me. You can't inform the police! He will harm mom!" She said defiantly and I looked at her properly. I knew that she would not back down so I let her have her way.

"Fine but I come with you." I tell her.

"No way! You can't!"

"It's either us both or no one." I tell her and she looks at me pleadingly. She finally relents when she sees that I won't budge from my decision.

I nod at her before moving off to a side where Akku can't hear me and inform the police of our situation. He warns me to stay away but I don't tell him of our plan of going in before them.

"Ok so where will we meet him?"