Connected: A YHM Story ✔️

Chapter 7 - The One Where Ruhi Meets Her Father

Iyer House, Delhi

As soon as Ishita reached home from the adoption agency around 3:30 pm, she saw that her entire family was gathered in the living room, including Vandu, Bala, and Shravu. They had arrived on Shravu's insistence to play with Ruhi, and Bala took the opportunity to gift Ruhi the Barbie doll house that he had ordered for her to accompany her Rapunzel doll. When Ishita arrived, Vandu and Bala were just getting ready to leave but Ishita managed to stop them for a bit longer. After all, it was the perfect opportunity to inform them of Ruhi's father's arrival. So she sent Shravu and Ruhi inside to play and sat her family down to have a chat.

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"Ishu, what will you do now?" Vandu asked her.

"Akka, I'm thinking ki main Ruhi se baat karu. She has a right to know that her father is here looking for her," Ishita replied. Her voice was firm but her eyes filled with tears. 

[Akka, I'm thinking that I should talk to Ruhi.]

Mihika tried to relieve the tension in the room. "Ishu akka, I think this is for the best. Aap ko yaad hai na, Ruhi ek baar bol rahi thi ki woh apne papa ko miss karti hai? So now this means that Ruhi will be able to build a relationship with her father. Use maa aur papa dono ka pyaar milega."

[Do you remember, Ruhi once mentioned that she misses her father? Now she'll get both a mother's and father's love.]

"Mihika, Ruhi ko uske papa ka pyaar mile to mujhse zyada khush kaun hoga? Lekin mujhe dar bhi lag raha hai. Main uski asli maa nahi hoon. I'm her adopted mother, and she's been with me for barely two months. Legally her biological father has more right on her than I do. What if she has to leave and go to her father? What if Raman takes her away?"

[Mihika, no one would be happier than me if Ruhi gets her father's love. But I'm scared as well. I'm not her real mother.]

"No Ishu," Bala interjected, "He can't take her away. You have full legal custody. The most he can do is share custody with you. And even if he wants full custody, the case would go to court. And no sane judge would just order for Ruhi to be taken away by a stranger. Even though he's biologically related, he is practically a stranger for Ruhi."

Ishita could see how hardly Mihika and Bala were trying to assure her, but nothing seemed to work. She had heard of cases where children were separated from their adopted parents and given to their biological parents, no matter how unfamiliar they were.

"Slow down Bala," Vandu cautioned, "Tum to court aur custody case tak pohoch gaye. Abhi to woh Ruhi se mila bhi nahi hai. Use pehle milne do, phir is sab ki baat karenge. I'm sure ki woh milega to Ruhi aur Ishita ke pyaar ko zaroor samjhega. Aur nahi samjhega to hum usse baat karenge. Ishu has described him as rude and arrogant but he can't be outright heartless."

[You're already thinking about a custody case. He hasn't even met Ruhi yet. Let them meet first, then we'll think about these things. I'm sure he'll understand Ruhi and Ishita's relationship once he meets her. And if he doesn't understand, then we'll talk to him.]

Vandu's words turned out to be a ray of hope for Ishita. Surely, Raman would be reasonable enough to let Ishita have at least partial custody of Ruhi.

"We really should get going now," Vandu continued. "Let's not worry too much yet. Ishu, why don't you just talk to Ruhi and ask her if she wants to meet her papa. Let's get her introduced to her father first. Baad ki baatein baad mein dekhenge. Let's not worry until we have something to worry about. Hmm?"

[We'll cross the bridge when we get there.]

"Haa beta, tum abhi zyada stress mat lo. We'll take it step by step," Appa suggested.