#After Six Months#

*David Pov*

"Can I talk to you?" I got startled hearing her voice and even pushed my chair back to stand up immediately.

"Wh... what?" I asked not believing that she is here to talk to me by herself.

"Am I disturbing you right now?" she asked, glancing at the pile of work I am trying to work on even though today is Sunday.

I want to spend time with Elisha in the evening and it is better to finish this before she wakes up. However, I think she already did as her Mother is holding her right now while she is gazing around.

"Sure! I mean, sure, you can talk to me and I am not busy right now." I replied, clearing my throat before gesturing her to sit on the couch and I moved my chair near to her.

Why does she suddenly want to talk to me? I know I shouldn't be this surprised as we were communicating normally when she started taking care of Mom and Jasmine along with Elisha, when we lost Bhai but last month onwards she went back to her silent form towards me.

Even I didn't disturb her much as she already has too much to do and for now I am fine with her increasing bond with Mom and Jasmine. And at the same time glad to have a chance to spend time with Elisha at least for a few hours.

I smiled, staring at our baby who is kind of fussy recently and it can be blamed on teething. However, she is also making sounds right now and we all are able to hear her trying to call her Mom. Will there be a day when I can openly try to make her call me?

I shook my head to remove those thoughts because right now I am content with all this and I don't want to be greedy too. I can't force Palak no matter what.

"What do you want to talk about? Is there any problem?" I asked, clearing my throat when she finally calmed down Elisha.

"Are you upset regarding James's decision? He shouldn't have left the will like that." She commented and I can understand what is she talking about.

"No one is upset about that and no one can be except for you. He shouldn't have made such demands from you." I replied making her frown.

"I think we both are not talking about the same thing." She mumbled sighing before finally glancing at me as she was just staring at our daughter all this time.

"I was complaining about the fact that he left out his shares in my names instead of yours and you are talking about the conditions he added to those shares, right?" I nodded realizing we were really talking about different things.

Bhai left out his shares for her, but actually for Elisha. However, Palak needs to deal with those until Elisha is major. He left his assets for Mom and Jasmine while a few shares to me along with this house.

Everything was fine, but he actually added the conditions that Palak has to deal with the business matters falling on her shoulders because of these shares by herself and if she needs help then only I can get involved and not outsiders.

I felt his conditions are something that forces her to do the things she doesn't want to. We all know she is completely blank about the business matters, but he still did this.

He did this for my sake and I will be forever thankful to leave this connection, but at the same time I can't do this to her life.

"Aunty and Jasmine are fine with this because they think this is my right as his wife, but I still want to try and transfer these to your family. I already have my brother's part which you are not taking and this will be too much. I thought a lot for this whole week and I really can't accept." She explained while I just stared at her.

It's been so long since she talked to me like this and not just small sentence here and there. I smiled forwarding my hands in a way asking for Elisha, who immediately shifted to reach me.

Palak stared at me in silence for a few seconds before letting her go and I took hold of our daughter while smiling at her smiling face.

"Those are for Elisha and none of us have a right to do anything about it. And you are part of this family, remember? If you have a problem with me being the one to guide you then let me know. I can guide Jasmine, who in turn will guide you as she is not an outsider." I asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead while playing with her.

Palak didn't say anything and I am not even glancing at her not wishing her to accept this suggestion even though this is my own suggestion.

"I don't want to disturb Jasmine as she is busy with her studies and this will become a pressure for her. It's not a regular thing anyway, so let's just do it when it's needed and no need to think about it." I didn't even realize that I was holding my breath waiting for her reply.

"I have learnt so many things from so many people and there is no need to worry to learn from James's brother." She added making me lose the happiness I felt hearing her decision.

"Exactly!" I whispered, turning to stare at her, but she is just staring at our daughter with a blank expression.

"I will inform you regarding meetings or any other important things whenever needed." She nodded, hearing those words and stood up to leave.

"I heard you will be returning to work from tomorrow for a few hours every day." I commented so that she will not just leave.

"Yeah! Aunty said she will look after Elisha during that time and I am guessing she will generally sleep. I already took a long leave and it is better if I return soon." She mumbled forwarding her arms and I stood up to pass Elisha.

"Let me know if you need anything." I whispered after she took hold of her, but continued to stare at me with a frown.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, staring back, but she shook her head before leaving the study room and I returned to continue my work.

****

"Bhai! Are you busy?" Jasmine asked the moment I climbed down the stairs after freshening up.

"No! I am just hungry and waiting for dinner." I replied, glancing at the kitchen and surprisingly, Mom and Palak are there while Lakshmi Aunty playing with Elisha.

"Then help me with one topic, Bhai. I am kind of lost." She pleaded while trying to show her puppy expression.

"No need to ask like that. Just bring your books to the study." I smiled before walking into the room and removed the files to a lot some place for her books.

I can't believe she is so serious about her studies right now when she just used to play around and not study much even though she wants to work at the company.

She continued to study even after getting her doubt clarified while I started my work as there is still time for dinner. I should have had my lunch instead of skipping like this.

"Bhai! See this." Jasmine whispered before passing her phone and it turned to be a video she shot of Elisha who is laughing while playing with Palak.

I couldn't help but continue to smile even after the video is finished and she took her phone back immediately.

"I posted a pic of mine with Elisha and wanted to post this too, but Mom stopped me saying I shouldn't do that even though Bhabhi is fine with it." She sighed after complaining about Mom.

"Listen to Mom and don't post it. But... can you send it to me?" I asked and she gave a look as if thinking deeply.

"I want to but Bhabhi is there in the video." She mumbled making me frown.

"And?" I asked, but she stayed silent and I understand the reason for this hesitation of hers.

"Jasmine! I know Mom and you are trying at every point to show how she is Bhai's wife and even showing the distance between Elisha and me, but this is becoming too much." I added trying to keep the irritation out of my voice but she must have felt it.

"We are doing it for your sake." She whispered shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" I asked her frowning.

"Even I felt we shouldn't stress, such things like I need not call her Bhabhi anymore... but Mom said we need to do this for both your sake." She explained and I really can't understand how is this for our sake.

I thought that's what they want to and doing it, but it turns out they are actually forcing themselves completely like this and saying it's for our sake.

"In what way is it for our sake?" I asked, to which she cleared her throat as if thinking whether she should say it or not but I didn't let her skip the topic.

Because no matter how many times I repeated to myself that this is what Palak wants me to go through, it still hurts every time they try to force these words on me.

"Bhabhi doesn't want to be with you and that needs to be shown respect. This is one of the reasons while if you continue to hang on to her then you will get hurt continuously. That can be the second reason. By chance if you get together then everyone will bash Bhabhi as she was married to James Bhai. Mom doesn't want her to go through any other problems and also doesn't want you to get hurt. That's why she asked me to do the same like make sure point out the boundaries every time." She explained while I stared at her in silence after hearing those words.

What can I say after hearing all these reasons? Each one is definitely right, but at the same time I don't want to go through this everyday.

"I know all these things, Jasmine. So, just behave like you wish to and not think about all this. I know my limits and will never forget them." I assured her and she lowered her head in guilt.

"Dinner is ready." We both startled hearing that voice and turned to find her standing near the door, but her expression is too calm to think whether she heard this or not.

"As Jasmine is studying here, I didn't knock." She added when both of us stared at her in silence.

"Oh! I will study in my room." Saying that Jasmine rushed out of the room with her books while Palak continued to stand near the door.

She turned to leave the room, but suddenly turned around to walk into the room after closing the door on her way and reached the table with a frown covering her face.

"Is something wrong?" I tried to ask casually, but I am really nervous whether she heard what Jasmine said or not.

"So, you will let them continue this, but will not react like you want to?" she asked staring at me.

"What?" I asked her in a confused tone to which she shook her head.

"Nothing!" she mumbled before walking out of the room while I immediately followed her realizing what is she talking about and stopped her before she can turn the knob.

"I will never react like I want to. Staying near both of you is my top priority." I mumbled holding her hand on the knob to which she turned to stare at me.

At that moment I expected so many things like she will just take her hand away or harshly say that my words mean nothing or say that she doesn't want to stay near me. But then it turned out she just stood there in silence while staring at me with a confused look.

"Dinner?" she asked after a few minutes to which I gave a nod, but didn't wish to step away at all.

I don't know why or how but I am so close to her and I really don't want to step away, but then I felt her trying to take her hand away and immediately stepped away taking my hand back.

After she left, I followed her to join for dinner where they are waiting for us. We finished our dinner in silence, after which I calmly talked about Shruthi who wishes to come back and spend time with us like before.

"I was in contact with her because she is the one who knows what is happening at your Dad's company. So, I taking her help to keep an eye on your brother. For the past few days she is asking about this as she is missing everyone." I explained before Palak can think it as something else.

"It's been a few months since I met her. When will she come tomorrow?" she directly asked when Mom was kind of throwing a stare at her before thinking about this.

"Tomorrow evening I guess." I mumbled and she nodded before taking Elisha from Lakshmi aunty to go back to her room.

"David! Why don't you shift to the room attached to the study? You are staying there all the time anyway. You slept on the couch even yesterday instead of going back to your room." Mom asked frowning at me.

"But Mom... that's..." I couldn't continue.

"Just get shifted to this room from tomorrow onwards." She mumbled with a smile covering her face and I sighed nodding.

"Palak! Your room is very small. Why don't you shift to his room in second floor?" Mom asked turning towards her while I frowned hearing this.

"I am fine with this room. And I also don't want to climb those stairs. I am finally free from climbing so many stairs and I am really happy to not have any stairs to climb." I chuckled hearing those words before I could stop myself.

"You had to climb so many stairs before?" Jasmine asked curiously.

"Yes! She used to stay in third floor and there used to be so many stairs. Satish was so angry to climb those stairs every time and admire her for doing it everyday." I replied, remembering those days and my smile slipped when Mom and she stared at me with no expression.

I immediately turned around to stare at Palak who is staring at us with a frown to apologize, but she beat me saying, "Exactly! Satish had too much to talk about all that. As if he is the one climbing them, but he again chose a house with stairs when I shifted here."

"Fine, fine! No need to shift and no need to climb those stairs. Jasmine will shift to his room then." Mom said, shaking her head smiling.

"Yes! Thank you, Bhabhi." Jasmine was overjoyed literally to finally get a bigger room.

I smiled before glancing at Palak who is looking at them not giving me a glance. But still I am very happy that she didn't mind all this and is trying so much for their sake to not make it hard for them.

If it was in the past and the conditions were different, I would have kissed her the moment we walked away from their presence and hold her tightly.

As if feeling my gaze, she turned to glance at me and stiffened for a second before looking away. They continued to talk as Palak decided to sit back with them to chat while I returned because of the work still pending.

Would I have stayed back if I had no work? No! It would have been more than awkward and it is better to not push her limits. However, that night I couldn't help but smile before drifting off into sleep.

*Palak Pov*

"Palak! Your daughter is so cute, even though she is kind of ignoring me." That's what Shruthi commented the moment I returned home from work only to find Aunty and her in the living room with Elisha.

I paused for a second looking at them before walking closer to my daughter who is waving her hands the moment she saw me with a cute smile.

"She is just seven months old..." Aunty started, but Shruthi cut her off saying, "I know, Aunty. I was just teasing Palak otherwise there would be nothing but awkwardness between us."

"Di wanted a few pictures of her and I took some, but waiting for your permission." She added glancing at me.

"Sure! She could have asked me." I mumbled, sitting down with Elisha in my arms who is kind of very fussy right now unlike before.

"I can see David's eyes. But on a whole she took your features." She commented while staring at her making Aunty pause in her actions as she was arranging fruits for us.

"Shruthi!" Aunty mumbled as of to stop her.

"You are right!" I said at the same time and Aunty immediately turned to stare at me with a frown.

"You kind of surprised me with that reaction." Shruthi commented finally letting go of her teasing look and stared at me with a serious one this time.

"Everything was my mistake, Palak. David was against all this so many times, but I pressured him too much by emotional blackmail and whatever is possible. I even ended up taunting James about his condition. See? I have crossed so many levels and no matter what Prakash had done, I need to pay for my mistakes. I want a chance to prove that I am Sandhya's sister. And at the same time I want you to be happy with David and him to be happy with you both." She didn't give others a chance to stop her words and just continued to talk.

"She was James's wife, Shruthi." Aunty warned her which made her frown.

"Exactly! She was but not at present. They both deserve to be happy, right? David paid for his mistakes and still doing it. Is she happy by making him do all this? No matter what they both loved each other completely." She pointed out and I sighed looking at Aunty's worried expression.

"I am saying that it's my fault and he really wanted to tell you everything that day. He even messaged you pleadingly to just go through his plan once and everything will be fine immediately." She added hearing my sigh.

We turned hearing a sound from the door and found him walking towards us with an irritated expression which is completely towards Shruthi.

"I didn't ask him to do anything and he need not do all these things. And my happiness doesn't need his presence." I stated while staring at him which paused his moments.

"True! She didn't ask me and I am not doing anything, just for the sake of getting forgiveness from her. I love her and want to take care of her. Elisha is my daughter and I want to be closer to her and I am not expecting anything else than this." He replied after a few minutes when no one said a word.

"But if I hadn't taken your phone..." Shruthi started, but I immediately stopped her saying, "If I had seen that message and found out the truth like he planned, then a few events would have changed but not the breaking of trust and love I had for him."

With that I stood up before walking into my room, but surprisingly he followed me asking, "What do you mean, Palak?"

I sighed, placing Elisha in her cradle before turning around, but he has already closed the door and is leaning on it with a confused stare.

"I thought if you had gotten that message, then everything wouldn't have turned like this but..." he trailed off while I frowned at him.

He really thinks that? If I would have been the one to be fine after getting the sudden message from him to cancel the wedding, then why would I be dragging myself like this? I would have already let go of everything, right?

"After finding out the real intentions you had during our meeting and even during the time we were together, I don't trust any moment we shared to be true. I don't trust the actions of yours which made me fall in love to be true. I don't trust the insecurity I felt and the fear of losing you so many times to be true. I don't feel like that one year of my life to be true at all. The events during the ceremony are not the cause as it was just the last drop." I explained while he slid down the door hearing those words.

"That's why I don't think that person to be real at all and I decided to forget everything. It is better if we don't discuss all this again. We are doing fine, right?" I added fisting my hands, knowing well I am pushing away the memories that are trying to surface which includes these past few months of him spending time with Elisha and the care he is showing to both of us.

Wasn't it just yesterday when I glanced at his raw emotions after a long time and I don't even know what was he thinking at that time.

However, Aunty and Jasmine were right that he needs to move on from all this and live his life when I don't know whether I will ever allow myself to even think about our past.

What is there between us without the past? A lot! It was the answer that is screaming out, but I am really good at pushing down my thoughts and I am doing the same.

"But the memories are piling up for me, Palak. Thanks for letting me know all this." Saying that he left the room.

I walked closer to my bed before sitting down, fearing I will collapse anytime if I continue to stand. After a long time I forced myself so much by opening the past which I don't regret.

I can do this much after receiving so much from this family. I really can't let him get stuck in the past and it's not like I was lying.

"Seems like I caused more trouble by coming here." I glanced up to stare at Shruthi who is walking closer to me with a guilty look.

"I thought everything would be fine if you both get together and my mistakes will reduce. But seems like it is not that easy." She added sitting beside me before holding my hand.

"Don't talk about this before Aunty. She is against this more than anyone and thinks my reputation will be bad if what you desire becomes reality." I mumbled letting her hold my hand.

"She is not the type to care about society. Are you sure?" she asked frowning.

"She cares for me though. She thinks that society will trouble me and doesn't want me to go through that." I explained and she nodded like she understands that.

"Where is the caretaker that worked for James? He was one of the witnesses during your marriage too right." she suddenly asked making me still because how can she know that.

"He is working for someone else now but will return to this house after I start going to work regularly to work for me." I replied and she nodded but stopped asking about him.

"I recently met Satish and he is doing well too. But he is missing David." She turned the conversation and I know that for a fact because he kept on saying that when he met us again after the funeral.

"There is no chance for him to go back to racing, right?" she asked making me frown.

"You should go and ask him that question." I pointed out sighing not sure about what is she trying to do right now because I thought she already let go of everything she tried to do before.

"He walked towards the study room in such a daze that it is better to not talk to him today and I should definitely not talk to him or stand before him." She mumbled shaking her head and I looked away hearing those words to stare at Elisha.

"You are right! If he doesn't come out of his shock, then Elisha is the best one to bring him out of it." She added chuckling.

"I was not thinking that." I stated frowning at her, but she completely waved off my words as if I didn't say anything.

****

Damn it! I thought to myself after looking at Aunty and Jasmine's face as it's been a week since he kind of locked himself, but not physically as he is still going to work every day and having his meals with everyone.

But psychologically he locked himself and is not talking to anyone right now. Before he used to come by himself to spend time with Elisha but now he is not even doing that.

"What should we do, Mom?" Jasmine asked, looking at the closed door.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, looking at them and they immediately shook their heads in negative.

They are really treating me as if I will break into pieces with just one wrong move, don't they? I sighed before ignoring them to continue preparing for my research paper.

After a long time I am doing a paper with my senior and it feels kind of awkward. We didn't meet again, but were able to stay in contact through phone and social sites along with my friends.

Those are the only people that found out without me explaining much other than this family. They don't talk about anyone else and I know they are kind of showing respect to my decision to not talk about it.

"Two minutes, Eli." I whispered when started crying and it is definitely not because of hunger or to change diapers as everything is done just now.

It's already midnight and she suddenly decided to play with me. But I need to finish this part today before sleeping otherwise I will be way behind and it will trouble my senior.

After five minutes she increased her decibels and I sighed, pushing my laptop away before picking her up. She finally calmed down, but started again the moment I placed her down.

Until last week I worked on my paper whenever he took her to play, but now my work is not at all moving forward at all.

Suddenly I got startled hearing a knock on my door and it got slowly opened with him entering my room. I stared at him still trying to control her crying.

"I just heard her crying and thought of helping." He mumbled, not even looking at me.

"It's fine! I was doing fine during these few days." I said not passing her to him kind of in a nagging way without my intention and he finally turned to stare at me.

"I didn't know whether to disturb you or not. I don't want to give you any hardships and what if my presence itself will be a burden for you." He explained making me frown.

"You know that right now I can leave this house and never let you see her again, right?" I asked, reminding him about the parental rights he gave away and he stilled hearing those words.

"If it is really a hardship, then I wouldn't have gone through it. Don't make me a weak person." I added and he took hold of her without saying anything with one hand before pulling me into his arms with the other.

"I am sorry! I was thinking about what you said that day and I know all that feels fake for you. But all that is more than real for me. Today onwards ignoring the risk I want to push new memories towards you. I know you are not a weak person, but let me know if I will be pushing you too much." He whispered while I pushed away from his hold after hearing those words.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, frowning while he smiled at me saying, "I will not treat you as a weak person like you wish."

Somehow those words are hiding some other meaning for sure and I don't have any response at all.

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Palak is back to her original kind like getting confused what to do and what not... what to feel and what not... 

And i think u will like the next chapter... I don't know what to feel from this chapter so let me know :D

by the way i started 31st story but i may kind of delete it and start something else... not sure and will decide by today...

how is the chap???

comment plz and vote...