Yours, With Love

Reunion and Parting

"Bhaiyya!", a sob escaped Aditya's lips as he walked towards his Rajeev bhaiyya. And while, one would have expected Rajeev to move in his direction, he stood still, as frozen as he could be.

"Adi?", a faint whisper escaped past his lips, almost in disbelief.

By then Aditya had come to stand in front of him.

"Bhaiyya.", he called out yet again, his tone - completely vulnerable, a lone tear of longing sliding down his cheek.

It was then that Rajeev's brain finally registered his presence. Yet he felt the need to glance towards his wife for a confirmation. What if his overly gladdened mind had conjured up some apparition.

While Radhika was shocked initially with Aditya's sudden presence, and mind you - that was a really pleasant shock, she was quick to compose herself, and couldn't contain the glee she felt within from being portrayed on her face. And when her husband glanced towards her in disbelief, she quickly nodded in assurance.

"Aditya.", Rajeev bent down to his level, and with shaky hands cupped the said boy's tiny face within his plams.

"Come here.", he very swiftly gathered his dearest Aditya within his arms and held him tightly to himself. Aditya was no less, and wound his arms around his Rajeev bhaiyya's torso as tightly as he could, with the only intention of never letting go now.

And Rajeev tenderly patted his back and his hair and did everything he could to assure a now profusely sobbing Aditya. He had tears of his own - happy and content and relieved tears sliding down his cheeks.

"I....uh...I...missed you. Missed you....so much bhaiyya.", his words were muffled within Rajeev's embrace, and Rajeev felt his heart clench with sorrow and guilt at having abandoned Aditya in some manner. No, it wasn't deliberate - it never would be, but sometimes, trauma of some places, of some memories is far too much to even go back to what you have always loved in those places, those moments.

"I know Adi beta. I missed you too. A lot. And Rajeev bhaiyya is so so sorry beta.", Rajeev felt the need to apologize and let him know that he indeed was sorry.

"They did not let me speak with you.", Aditya complained as soon as he had the chance to breath a bit. It was quite some while that he had sobbed, and now, his voice sounded a bit hoarse and still clogged.

Rajeev's eyebrows furrowed with confusion at his words as he carefully wiped Aditya's tears and snot from his face.

It was then that his parents and Radhika felt the need to intervene.

"Ahh, how about we move out from these premises ka..Rajeev, and have these talks outside. It wouldn't be quite appropriate here.", Gaurav was almost about to say kaddu, but now his son was officially married and he did not quite want to address him as such in front of his new in-laws, at least, not yet.

"Of course pops.", Rajeev picked up Aditya within his arms and held him in one, while his other arm reached out for Radhika, as he engulfed her willing palm within his own. She was quick to squeeze his palm in assurance.

And while they stood out of the court room, Meeta, Gaurav and Radhika too, narrated how they had decided to surprise him with Aditya's presence for their marriage. And how the authorities back in his orphanage had restricted Rajeev's contact with him. The usually calm Rajeev felt a sudden surge of fury within when he heard that. How could someone be so unfair and insensitive to a small kid. That was beyond his understanding.

"Adi, you will always stay with us now right? Mom, pops, I have spoken with Radha too. We want Adi to stay with us."

He still hadn't been told by them about Aditya's adoption.