AMBAR

Chapter 14

Arush POV

I am sitting in my room. With my hand on my head. Damn it. I should have told at least Ambar or even Saami Anna about Vijay. But it's the matter of only 2 years and then I'll bring Ambar here any how. Dodoamma is with Mom and Dad is just sitting silently in garden. I really don't understand how can one be defeated twice by same man. When she needed me the most in her life I was not there. In two days her birthday is coming and here we had bought all her presents a month before. I do not care I'll go and meet her. I go down stairs. Mom is rubbing ice on her eyes. Dodoamma is sitting on chair sipping tea. Nilu didi is making dinner and Dad is sitting in kitchen with his hands covering his face. As I walk down the stairs Dodoamma looks at me.

"Arush how is your hand dear?"She asks. I forgot how hard I had beated Vijay. My knuckles are still blue.

"Its good. Dodoamma do you have Ranyal's phone number. I ask. She and Mom both look at me. "Why?" Mom asked.
"I wish to talk with Ambar." I replied. Dodoamma then took her cell phone out and then searched for his number. She then gave me her phone. I click the dial button. After few seconds someone from the other side pick up. "Hello?"

"Mr. Ranyal? I am Arush."

"Arush? What is it?" He asks.

"In two days its Ambar's birthday. I am coming." I tell him.

"What?"

"Yes. You see Mr. Ranyal unlike you I call before dropping by at somebody's house."

"Very well then. I too want to see her happy you can come. I'll send a car to pick you."

"There is no need. I'll manage and I'll have a company with me. Don't worry we'll just stay in some hotel."

"Arush there is no need for it. Ambar's house is your house as well."

"Well we fought on this point precisely. Never mind." I give the phone back to Dodoamma and she looks pissed off. "So Arush seems to me that you are going on a tour again."

"Dodoamma I want to take Tejas with me. Can I?"

"Fine."

"Please for me keep an eye on Mom and Dad I do not want them to do something which will make me to kill myself."

"Arush enough."She yelled.

"Arush." Mom called back.

"Take her presents. And I am going to give you something it's something very precious. Give it to Arman."

"So a present for him too?" I ask her.

"No. A reminder. That every relationship he forms either it breaks up or people are just destroyed."

Ambar's POV

If I ever see Vijay I'll kill him. Because of that pervert bastard my family is shattered. Strangely I do not feel to cry anymore even though it is natural for me to cry when I am angry. Just then I see a little girl peeping outside my room. She looks somewhat 2nd grade student. Very pretty, fair in colour and short hair with small but adorable black eyes. She is wearing white and red colour frock. Damn she's cute. "Who are you?" I ask her but she does not replies. She is till standing there. "Come in don't stand out." I said and she did come in.

"What is your name beautiful?"But she is still just looking towards me.

"You've to be connected to Arman. You're weird." Listening to this she smiles. "Did Arman brought you here too?" She is still looking at my face with a smile. "Look shorty you're somewhat 6 you must know how to speak." Same reaction. Enough. I place my hand at her jaw. Apart from speaking she does everything. "Open your mouth girl let me see if there is a tongue in there." She does open her mouth. Very well. There is a tongue. I do hope she may not be mute.

"What are you doing Ambar?" Kanwaljit Dadi comes in.

"Checking if she has a tongue or not."

"She is not mute. She has some problems in speaking with"

"Outsiders. Hmm but who is she?" I ask her.

"She is my other son's daughter." She replies.

"You've two sons?" I ask because I do not saw him.

"I had. He died four years back due to heart disease." She said with a little hesitation.

"He would have been your favorite. I guess." I ask her.

"Yes. He was my favorite son. He was nothing like Arman. A good man. A good son, good father and a good brother. The good always die young Ambar. First Raina and then my boy." She said. It really seems that even she is angry with Arman.

"Ambar please forgive Mira and Dev. They are not at fault." She said. She truly is a good woman.

"I'll eventually forgive them. I just need some time to digest that this is really happening with me." I said while looking at the clock. It is 12 am. It's too late. "But what is this munchkin's name?" I ask her in curiosity.

"She is Ridhima." She said with a smile.

"Hello Ridhima I am Ambar."

"Ridhima, sweetheart go to sleep now." She sends the little girl out.

"So Ambar I wanted to ask this question in private. Will you ever forgive Arman?"

"No." I give her my answer.

"Look I know you think that I am being partial but my parents tried to protect me. It is Arman who always hurts me. Every time. When I was with my parents I was very happy and then he came and my happiness was vanished. It is not just about forgiveness it is also about justice. There is a fine line between forgiveness and justice and forgiveness here has swallowed justice." She lets a breath out and nods. She goes out of my room. I really feel sad for her. Because she is Arman's mother I know she is forced to love her.

Arman's POV

So Arush and a companion are coming here. Should we celebrate Ambar's birthday. Its my first time to celebrate her birthday. I know she hates me but with time she'll learn to live here. If it wouldn't have been Raina's death anniversary too I would have celebrated it whole heartedly. Just then Ridhima runs into my room. I pick her up and make her sit on my lap. She is the only hope of happiness in my life. I wish my brother would have been alive today but fate is fate.

"Bade Papa who is Ambar?" She asks me.

"You met her? She is your cousin Ridhu. Do you like her?" I ask her about Ambar.

"No." She said straightaway.

"Why?"

"She made me open my mouth to check if there is a tongue and she calls me shorty and monkey." I laugh on her complains. "You'll like her Ridhu but tell me did you replied to anything she asked?" I ask her.

"NO."

"Hmm OK so tomorrow we will talk with her and I'll ask her if she called you monkey." Well I know she may have said something and Ridhu may have heard something. "Is that fine kid?"

"Yes." She said and jumped out of my lap.

The next morning we sit on the table. Ambar is scratching the plate with knife which creates demonic noises which she is creating to irritate me. God it feels like a cat has swallowed glass.

"Ambar tomorrow is your birthday what do you want as a present?" I ask her as soon as I remember her birthday.

"Freedom."

"Nice try Ambar but be serious tomorrow is your day."

"Tomorrow is your ex-wife's death anniversary Arman be serious and mourn on her death. There is no reason to celebrate my birthday." She says hatefully.

"Even she may have wanted to celebrate your birthday." I said in defense.

"Dead people don't want anything Arman. They are dead." I don't know what to say. "When I was in Bangalore Mom and Dad told me about my birth. I locked my self in my room for 17 hours. In that 17 hours I cried about truth and on my birth and that there will be only one thing I'll regret all my life that you are my father."