Yuhn Hota Toh Kya Hota- Rikara FF

Chapter 41

There are some marriages where the husband and wife are so all-sufficient to each other, up in each other, that the idea of a child doesn't seem real to either of them. In those situations, if a child is born, for whatever reason, it comes second to the spouses. They are so wrapped up in each other, that they seem to exist only for each other. If however, one of the spouses, usually the wife, devotes her attention to bringing up the child, and the husband comes second, he resents it and seeks consolation elsewhere.

-Five Little Pigs, Agatha Christie 

Something similar happened to Tej and Jahnvi. They were passionately in love with each other, they loved working together and living together. But when Shakti, Tej's younger brother had his son before him, the concern of a successor to the Oberoi empire ate up Tej's mind. He didn't want a son so much as to shower affection, but to just set up his heir, a rival to Shakti's son. Once Omkara was born, Tej and Jahnvi were wrapped up in their lives again. Omkara wasn't ignored, he was loved, especially by Jahnvi, but he just wasn't the first priority. Omkara, thus grew closer to Shivaay. Though Shivaay was the apple of Pinky's eye, Pinky brought up her son, like looking after a hen for laying golden eggs. Both brothers didn't receive the normal affection that other kids of their age received from their parents. 

It so happened that Tej and Jahnvi, so caught up in the business and their personal lives, forgot Omkara's fifth birthday. Only Shivaay and Dadi remembered. That day Tej and Jahnvi had their first, big fight, because Jahnvi decided to give more time to Omkara from then on. Their increasing squabbles became a marital issue, but they were given the wrong advice from Tej and Jahnvi's mothers that they should have a second child. This didn't solve their issue, it compounded the problem. All of Jahnvi's time went to her kids, and Tej was ignored. Consequently, he went to seek consolation elsewhere, whereas Jahnvi who was always so wrapped in Tej, went to drown her sorrows in the demon bottle. Neither was happy. 

But now that Jahnvi was back on her own feet, taking charge of her own life, Tej's latent affection for Jahnvi arose in his heart again. When he saw the video of the press release of Jahnvi's new venture's launch party, he was strongly reminded of the woman he fell in love with. The same ambition, drive, confidence. 

Tej was disappointed that circumstances had come to this where Jahnvi didn't even invite him to the launch party. That was to be expected from how he treated her shabbily over the years. Tej knew he couldn't mend this relationship. Not only because Jahnvi would never forgive him, rightly, but because he had also made promises to Svetlana to get married to her. Secretly, he hoped for Omkara to succeed in fulfilling the terms of the contract, whatever he might say to Svetlana, because at least that would give Tej a valid excuse to remain in his marriage with Jahnvi. 

Tej looked at his scotch swirling in his glass, as he sat alone in his study, on a Sunday afternoon, forsaken by his wife, children, family, because he couldn't be a good husband or father, or even a good son. 

*****************************************

Soumya was spending her Sunday afternoon with Rehan. Rehan had made plans last night to watch a documentary film on migratory birds of Central Asia with Soumya. So, they were in Soumya's flat, sitting with a bowl of popcorn, watching intently as the film described the migratory patterns of a certain bird. Or at least, Rehan was watching the movie intently, while Soumya's mind was wandering. 

Soumya had had an on and off relationship with Rehan. In general, he was a good guy, but he had these quirks which frankly exhausted Soumya. She didn't want to be rude to him, because in general Soumya wasn't rude to anyone unless provoked. But she found these movies and Rehan's ideas of a date tiring in general. She remembered how Rudy used to take the mickey out of Rehan sometimes, last year.