Midnight Whispers (short stories collection) - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Drishti's Pov
Past continued
"No fucking way they will take away my daughter from me!" Lakshay shouted as he paced around the room. Aunty, Uncle and I was sitting on the couch, following him with our gaze. We saw him dialling someone's number, shouting other string of profanities and then huffing and repeating. Thankfully, Shrenu was still sleeping in her cradle, just a room away. . Lakshay won't have left her and went away even for a second if not for the important talk.
The previous Nanny who used to breast feed Shrenu had told the authorities that, we have a daughter who is basically illegal of us to keep.
And in few minutes, a lawyer was standing in front of us.
Latik Uncle took the seat. And so did Lakshay. He heard all about our story and then hummed
"See, Lakshay there is only one way you can take custody of the baby"
"She has a name, Shrenu" Lakshay said possessively. He is very attached to her. So are we all.
"Yes, Shrenu, You can have her only if she is adopted by you. And there is only one way of adoption"
"What?" Lakshay asked, agitated. He was eager to do whatever it takes to keep Shrenu with us. Latik uncle looked at both us before gulping and answering.
"Marriage." Aunty squealed and then forcefully turned it into whining when Lakshay glared at her.
"Alright, I am ready to marry. Mom find a girl...." And that was it. My anger flare.
"Excuse. Me." I said, glaring daggers at Lakshay.
"If you have forgotten, Shrenu is my daughter first, then yours. You are not taking her adoption alone, I will adopt her as mine, or we can have a mutual adoption, there is no third option" Lakshay sighed. He knew I was not wrong. As much as he loved her, Shrenu was my daughter, I gave him all rights over her, because I had seen just how much he loves and care for her. That does not mean I will give away my rights from her.
End of past
And hence started the world's shortest marriage. I married him on court, then we took her adoption, and then we got divorced. I was given most of the custody as I was her mother, but I willingly gave half of her custody to Lakshay. Of course, I said, he can back off he ever fell for anyone, and wanted to have his own family. He rained down hell on me, for even thinking that.
I had seen him showering her with gifts over the years. The obvious tears in his eyes, when she first called him Papa, and how he was so eager to teach her to walk. He used to sit near the joint fence of our house during night so he could see his daughter, sleeping. I did not wanted him or even Shrenu, who used to whine for her papa all day to suffer, so for last two years, I stayed mostly with them. Whenever, I was in shop, I used to take her and Mohini aunty with me (my shop was a ten minute walk from our home) and when we got back at home, we all had dinner together, with laughter filling the atmosphere.
Then me, Shrenu, Mohini aunty, pathan uncle and Lakshay used to sit on the pattio and enjoyed our family time. While we talked, Lakshay used to train our daughter to walk. People did talked, but our colony had all good person so they never asked, and love Shrenu like there own.
Not like Anyone can say anything about Shrenu.
I sighed. Finally, I was back home. My face turned into a warm grin to go back to the place I am now in love with, to the people I love. Uncle aunty, My shrenu and
him....
That man had won my heart every second with his actions. He is the best father Shrenu could have. I love him, but I had a heavy fear of rejection. I was beautiful, and I was very much aware of that. But not only Lakshay was extremely good looking, he also sometimes looked at me like he was irritated by my mere presence.
But I will think about it. The door was ajar, so I got in without asking. No one was inside, but I caught the silhoutte of my beautiful daughter running in the back of the garden. I stood there and was about to make my presence known, when I was stunned into silence.
"I cannot marry her mom!" Lakshay said irritated.
"But why Lucky, she is a very good girl, and look how she take care of me, of Shrenu and of you" Mohini Aunty said. Wait! they are talking about me!!
"I just can't mom, I don't want to marry her." It did hurt, but well, what can I do?
"Do you love someone else?"
"God, no mom, I don't! but why do I have to love someone else to just to reject her. She wants to marry me, I can tell that just by looking at her, but who knows what is her agenda behind marrying me. For god's sake she is an orphan, and she can be a gold digger for all I know, but np! You just see how she enchanted you, can't you see, it might be a trap, and she might be a vicious witch. She is an orphan, who knows whose blood is flowing in her veins!"
Two thing happened at that time.
One, Mohini aunty gave a slap on his face, which resonated into the whole garden.
And second, the bag fell from my hand spilling all the gifts, I bought for them. A lone tear slipped from my eyes, as both of them snapped their attention at me. Mohini Aunty gasped quickly catching that I had heard everything, and Lakshay's eyes widened in 'I fucked up' manner as he gaped at me like a dying fish.
"Mumma" My little girl wobbled towards me with a squeal. I quickly wiped my tears away as I sat down to take her in my embrace. I hugged her tight, ignoring the tightness in my throat. Its been so long I had seen her. After hugging her for few minutes, I kissed her and put her head on my chest. I looked at Mohini aunty, and forced a smile out.
"I... I'll be taking her with me to my house, y..you can come a few minutes later when I will be done with all the work." I said quickly walking away, ignoring when they both called my name. I heard Aunty say, something like don't say her name, and then coming after me, but I was long gone into the oblivion of my misery. I shut my door off, and sat there, as my daughter started surfing through my bag, finding something for herself. I gave her the chocolates I brought for her
"Coco!" She shouted, and looked at me with big wide eyes.
"Open" She ordered me, and I smiled, opening her chocolates. I did all the work, and after an hour, me and Shrenu took a very relaxing mother and daughter bath. I found solace in her. I knew everyone from Lakshay's family loved her, but they all new that my love for her knew no bound. Lakshay had a family, he had people who had given her love, who he had given love, but I had no one before my daughter.
She loved me without wanting anything in return, and I loved her without any selfish needs. She was the only one for me. There was another person also, I thought, I could love, but I was thrown back to my place by him. He showed me the mirror of reality, I'd been trying to hide behind.
He was totally right! I didn't knew whose blood was in my veins, I didn't knew who was my father, who was my mother.
But self realisation hurts much less than reality being thrown at your face by someone else. I looked at my squealing daughter who was always high on adrenaline. She was rolling all over the bed. I had installed bed rail guard all around the bed, as soon as she came into my life. She really was the angel sent from heaven.
I heard the door bell and opened the door, after wearing a night suit. I smiled merrily at Pathan uncle and Mohini Aunty. Even though their son was a total fucktard, they were good people.
"Come in, Aunty, please come!" I said as I took uncles hand and dragged them to the couch. I heard Shrenu's squeal as she saw her Dadu and dadi. I was about to close the door when I saw Lakshay standing outside with eyes so red, that I have never in my life seen, someone's eyes so red. I looked at him for a minute. I stared, what had I found so attractive of this man, was it his long hairs, his sharp tongue, that can't be the possible reason, I just found out. So, was it his flawless face.
No, none of the above, it was his caring nature, towards everyone in our --his family. The family, which I thought I was included in until he threw my reality in my face.
I shut close the door, and cursed at the door, on him. Even though I was an orphan, he was no one to degrade me. NO ONE!
I will just show him, he means absolutely nothing to me!
I went back to where everyone was and aunty looked at me with so much guilt. I squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile.
"It doesn't matter, aunty, not at all, I have you all, it doesn't matter!" I told them, told myself!
"We are sorry beta, I don't know how.... just why he would say that, he was not raised that way.."
"You don't need to explain aunty, I totally understand, I really do! Don't worry, just forget it, let's have our family time, I have ordered pizza." Shrenu squealed and everyone laughed. In night Shrenu asked me thrice, about her father, and I told her that he was busy. She quickly went to sleep when I told her he will come to meet her tomorrow.
A month passed by and I totally ignore his presence. I used to drop Shrenu during the day, and used to go to my flower shop. When I return, I'll call uncle and aunty only and we will have talk, sometimes dinner. And then I will just drift into a dreamless slumber.
And after a month, today was the day! Mohini aunty had fixed a date for me! and I was going to meet him today. I did not want to, but I had to! She had requested me so much. I knew even before meeting him, I'll reject him. There was no point in marrying someone else when I loved someone else.
I'll be cheating him as well as myself.
I got ready, did no makeup, just a mosturizer and a black bindi, my kurti set was black that is why. I looked one last time in the mirror, before heading to my cute daughter waiting for me at entrance. I kissed her.
And was about to go out, when the door of my house burst open, and enters the bane of my existence