Yashoda comes running into Shree's room one fine evening.

"Aren't you done yet?" She asks panting as Shree marks the homework books of her students.

"Not yet. I am almost-" she said placing her signature on the last book she was marking. "DONE!"

"Go hide them in the attic almirahs! Madhav and RK are coming." Yashoda says as she sees RK and Madhav's cars come in. "Darling pick another almirah! RK kept a few important things in the usual almirah you hide them in!"

Shree takes the books into her hands and runs towards the attic.

She turns on the light to the attic and runs to furthest almirah in the room. She wipes the dust off it with the yellow sari she had been wearing since morning. She opens the almirah to find so many colourful silky saris. She places the books between a red silk sari and a green one, just as she is about to close it, an envelope falls out.

Shree picks the envelope and is about to keep it inside, but curiosity intervenes, and she opens the envelope and unfolds the letter within.

She is fascinated by the beautiful cursive handwriting and the elaborate signature at the end. Rukmini Ramakrishna.

There was a picture attached to it, Shree noted. She gasps seeing the picture. There was a couple, Shree could recognize Yashoda, standing very close to a dark handsome man, who held a baby in his arms.

"OH MY MATA!" She exclaims seeing the resemblance of the baby in the picture.

She puts the picture and the letter into the envelope and hides it with her sari fall. Shree walks into the living room where Madhav greets her with a kiss on the forehead.

"Long day?"

He nods.

"Have a warm shower. I'll ask the maids to set the table for dinner." Shree says.

* * * * *

"What is this picture?" Shree confronts Yashoda in the kitchen. Yashoda winces seeing the picture and tears form in her eyes.

"Where-where did you find this picture?" She asks as she takes the picture and holds it to her heart.

"In one of the almirahs in the attic." Shree says. "Who is this man and this baby? And why does the baby look a lot like-like-like-"

"Like Madhav?" Yashoda asks.

"Is Madhav your-your-your-"

"No darling. Madhav is Rukmini and RK's son. This is my son Chandru." Yashoda says. "I was previously married before I married your father in law. I met him: Dhanush at a psychology conference in Bangalore. We fell in love, got married and we had Chandru."

"We were such a happy family. Once we were on the way to Lonavla, when our car had a very bad accident. I lost my husband and my son in that accident. I was never the same after that. I tried to overcome my grief but the thought of losing Chndru who had barely began has liv haunted me. My friends asked me to focus on my career and I did, I became a famous psychologist. One day I had a very wealthy man seek me for consultancy-"

"RK sir."

"Yes. He was distraught because his wife-Rukmini had left him. I treated him at his house. One day when I was delivering my consultancy Rukmini arrived. She misread the situation and assumed the worst. She looked lifeless. I convinced her but she walked away. I followed her to a small apartment in Juhu and I begged her to listen to me. She asked me do one thing: Marry RK. I refused outright, stating I am a widow. I was about to leave the apartment when I saw Madhav and Deva playing in the corridor."

"I couldn't control my tears at how Madhav looked like Chandru. I told Rukmini about my dead baby and she said that I can be Madhav's mother if I married RK."

"You married RK so you can be a mother for Madhav?" Shree asks.

"I initially refused. Rukmini convinced RK too, but he became furious every time she asked him. Rukmini was devastated and she said that her last wish would be to see RK and me married. She somehow succeeded. A week after she died. RK decided marrying me would be the best choice since he needed someone to look after the children and to fulfill Rukmini's last wish. Deva liked me but to my dismay Madhav harvested a deep loathing for me."

"I tried to make him like me, but he never did. I loved him more than his father, more than Shyaam, more than I could ever love anyone, but he never even got an ounce of love from him. All I yearn for is to hear Madhav call me 'Ma'. That's all."

Shree hugs Yashoda as she dissolves into a fit of sobs.

"He will. Very soon."

* * * * *

Everyone gathered in the dining room for dinner. Madhav sat the furthest from RK, Shyaam and Rukmini. Shree was seated beside Madhav.

As the maid started to serve the chapatis, Madhav nods approvingly at the mango chutney. "This is delicious! The new chef is getting better day by day."

"Actually, I made it." Yashoda said in a low murmur and Madhav's eyes bulge.

He rinses his hand on the porcelain washing bowls beside him and stands up. "I don't want dinner. Let's go Shree!"

"No one is going anywhere. Yashoda put in a lot of effort to make this meal and we will finish it as a family to acknowledge her hard work."

"I told you several fucking times that I will not eat this whore's food!" Madhav sneers. Shree and Shyaam gasp.

"Fine! Then get your prude ass from his dining room." RK yells.

"But he'll starve RK, it's not good for his health." Yashoda pleads RK.

"Excuse me, but can you stop pretending to care for me?" Madhav intervenes rudely. "I am not falling for this fake love you are projecting! I am not immature like Mr. RK to fall for your false pretenses. I can see through your many layers. Deep inside you is a murderous deceitful gold-digging bitch!"

"Madhav please control yourself.' Shree whispers. "You don't know the entire story."

"Shut up! You do not belong to this family! You have no say here!" He yells, astounding her.

"ENOUGH!" Shyaam yells and stands up. "Bhaiya I respect and admire you. But I will not tolerate you shaming my mother like this! Open your eyes! She has loved you so much than me!"

"This is a sham!" Madhav yells. "The only thing Ms. Yashoda Mehta ever loves is the money Mr. RK has. This greedy slut has always had an eye on Mr. RK's money, this house, his assets and the business! She doesn't love anyone in this house! It's just the wealth she loves! That is why she married him!"

"Yashoda, I can't!" RK says feebly holding his chest.

"Radha, are you- OH MY GOD, RADHA!" Yashoda yells as RK falls off his chair to the ground, unconscious. "Shyaam call the ambulance!"

Madhav's face becomes pale and he holds onto the chair for support. Shree was busy helping Yashoda and the servant boys to move RK to the sofa in the living room. A few minutes later an ambulance came to take RK to the hospital. Yashoda and Shyaam went in the ambulance with the unconscious Mr. RK.

Madhav sat on the chair at the dining room registering everything that just happened.

"Yashoda Ma called." Shree says solemnly. "Pa had a heart attack. He's unconscious and the doctors are finding it difficult to revive him. I'm going to the hospital with our driver, are you coming?"

He nodded. Madhav sat quietly beside Shree in his car as the driver drove to the hospital. Shree looked at him. He looked worried and his eyes were flooding with tears.

When they reached the hospital Madhav dashed to the room where RK was admitted to.

"No!" Shyaam yells blocking the entrance. "You are the reason for his condition, you will not go an inch near him!"

"Shyaam, behave yourself!" Yashoda warned him amidst her tears. "Go in Madhav."

-M A D H A V       R A M A K R I S H N A-

My heart sank as I entered the dimly lit room. The ECG levels were dangerously low. I held his hand.

"Appa please wake up." I say resting my face on his palm. "I know I'm solely responsible for your condition. But please don't leave me the way Amma and Akka left me. I'm sorry I treated you so shabbily since childhood. Please wake up, I promise I won't be rude to you anymore. I'll treat you properly and respect you the way I should have all these years."

"I am sorry for so many things. I am sorry I raised my voice at you countless times. I am sorry I never loved you. I am sorry I treated you like a stranger. I'm sorry I didn't invite you to any of my school events or for my university graduations. I should have called you to see my graduation at Oxford. I should have been there on your side during your birthdays and all the Father's Day celebrations. Please don't leave us. Please don't leave me. We still have a lot to do as father and son. I want to tell you how much I love you and how much I am thankful for."

"I promise to never ever hurt you, Appa." I don't realize the tears that have been flowing like a river. "I love you Appa."

"I.......Love......You, Son." I hear him whisper feebly. He caresses my hair and smiles.

The next minute everyone has entered the room, relieved to know that Appa is fine. Shyaam is there with Ms. Mehta. Devi and Shree's mother have also arrived. But where is Shree?

I walk out of the room and she is nowhere to be found in the corridor. I assume the worst; she might be in danger. I pace the corridors and go to the next floor. I search for her frantically until I spot her at the neo natal section, looking through the mirror at the newly born babies placed in little cots. Of course, babies make her happy. This place is an ideal place for her to forget her worries.

Her eyes are misty with tears, I notice.

"Hey." I say as I stand beside her holding her hand.

"Hi." She says softly.

"Appa is alright. He just gained consciousness." I say and she doesn't react. "What's wrong, Shree?"

"Back at home you said something you shouldn't have said."

"I said plenty of unpleasant things. Which are you referring to?" Truth be told I can't remember anything, except Appa falling to the ground.

"You do not belong to this family! You have no say here." Shree repeats exactly how I remember to have said it. "I didn't marry you and come to live with your family to hear this, Madhav."

"It was a fit of rage." I say holding her arm. "Otherwise I would never ever dream of saying this to your face."

Tears race down her face and I feel like I am the worst husband.

"I'm sorry, Shree." I take her hand and press a kiss. "You are a part of this family. You are a part of me. I love you."

She looks at me with tears flooding her eyes. She takes a step forward and rest her head against my chest.

"Words hurt people more than actions, Madhav." She says wrapping her arms around me. "You have hurt so many people with your words. Most of them are people who love you more than you can decipher. I am talking about Yashoda Ma."

I step away from Shree, breaking our embrace.

"You don't know a thing."

"What do you know, Madhav?" She asks me and pulls out her phone from her purse. She clicks on a recording. "We had this conversation before dinner. I stealthily recorded it. Listen to this."

I listen patiently and Shree pulls out a picture of a woman with her baby and husband. "Also, you have been thinking that your mother died because of depression, but the truth is she died of a serious illness. Read this letter."

'To my beloved children,

Devakshi Mohana Ramakrishna and Madhav Ganapathi Ramakrishna,

I know I would have been long gone by the time you get this letter. I was supposed to tell the two of you something very important. I am suffering from Larynx Cancer, although I asked my manager to hide my medical documents and alter my autopsy reports, if I die.

I am currently on the fourth stage, and there are no chances of survival. I did not want your father to be worried about me and my illness. He has been gradually building his empire; I didn't want to be a distraction. Hence, I left him and somehow the two of you came with me. My body started to fail me tremendously. My voice became rough and I suffered from jaundice half the time, which can explain why I locked myself in my room for hours. I found it hard to breathe half the time, something I used to do with great ease.

Death is inevitable and I know my time will come to an end soon. I know I will not be there to watch the two of you to grow up to be extraordinary people. I feel bad knowing all the Mother's Day, birthdays, graduations and weddings I will be missing.

Take care of Appa. He loves the two of you as much as he loves me. I hope you will treat him well and support him because once I am gone. it will be difficult for him to accept the truth of my demise. Don't do anything to hurt him. He may be strict and harsh, but that's him by nature, he loves you two and cares for you two so much.

I have made arrangements for your father to be married again. She is a nice woman, but her husband and her infant died a year ago. She is caring and she sees Madhav as a lookalike of her own sign. There has been many moments where she loved you the way a mother loves her baby. Right then I knew that she is the perfect woman to raise you as a stepmother. She is kind and caring, and I hope she will not be the classic evil stepmother in the fairytales you've read.

She is innocent and naïve, do not hurt her or neglect your duties towards her.

Should she and your father get married, then I want the two of you to love her the way you love me. Treat her the way you would treat me if I were to live. Support her, since she needs to overcome a lot of criticism spewed by this society. It will be hard for the two of you to imagine another woman in my place but be assured that she will raise you well the way I would have.

Both of you have big dreams as I noticed. Devakshi, I hope you become a caring doctor. And Madhav, my little baby boy, I hope you make Amma proud. I may not be there physically, but I am there with you in every step of life. You may not be able to see me, but I hope you will feel my presence.

I loved you two so much and I will continue to even after breathing my last breath.

I will miss the two of you and I shall rest in peace knowing I will be missed and loved.

From Loving Amma,

Rukmini Ramakrishna.'

My vision becomes blurry as the tears fill my eyes. I close my eyes and the tears fall. Shree pulls me to an embrace, and I dissolve into uncontrollable tears. Amma was suffering from cancer and that's what killed her, not depression because of Ms. Mehta, who loved me more than the children she gave birth to: Shyaam and the baby from her first husband. I treated her so badly. The same with Appa, who was innocent the whole time.

Shree has been caressing my head trying to calm me down all this while.

"Come, let's go." I whisper to her ears.

The first thing I do when I see Yashoda Ma outside Appa's room is fall to her feet. She is surprised, I can tell it from her loud gasp.

"Forgive me, Ma. All this time you've loved me more than the sons you gave birth to, but I said unspeakable words and treated you worse than a slave. I don't deserve your untainted love. I don't deserve your blessings. I've sinned a lot, Ma."

She lifts me up, and a warm smile is on her face. She wipes away my tears with her soft palm.

"Madhav, I love you. My love for you will never reduce." She says. "You don't need my forgiveness. You acted that way since you didn't know the full story. Now that you know, you have decided to change your views and act differently."

"You can't forgive me that easily. I don't deserve your love. All I deserve is your hatred, loathing and a punishment. I am not worthy of being your son."

"Don't say that. I didn't bear you in my womb for nine months, but I have been bearing you in my heart for all these years the same as Chandru and Shyaam. I prayed for you and I always wanted the best for you. You are my son. How can I ever grow hatred for you?"

She opens her arms to me, and I hug her. 

"This is so beautiful." I hear Shyaam whisper to Shree.

To be continued....

Glossary

Sari- a women's garment from the Indian subcontinent that consists of a drape wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff.

Appa- Father

Ma/Amma- Mother

Bhaiya- Brother

Oh My Mata- An expression equivalent to 'Oh My God'

Chapati- a type of Indian flat bread, it's very popular in India. It is a staple and made of really simple ingredients: wheat flour, salt and water.

Announcement

It's Dedication Time! As a way of returning your unwavering love and support to the story, I have decided to dedicate ALL the chapters of this book to each reader.

1: A question will be asked at the end of each chapter, regarding the story and/or the characters.

2: One person will be selected from all those who have provide the correct answer.

3: The lucky winner gets one chapter of this book dedicated to him/her. This process will happen repeatedly until all/most of the readers, active and silent, have chapters dedicated to them.

PREVIOUS WEEK'S QUESTION: What country did Shree and Madhav go for their honeymoon photoshoot?

Answer: Bali

Winner (picking one since I can't dedicate to all those who answered correctly) Congratulations to @NanthinishriNambi

This week's question: What is the name of Shree's best friend?

Submit your answers with inline comments. May the correct and most accurate answer win!