Dearest Readers,

I'm still recovering from bad health. But as promised managed to complete and publish this chapter. Tomorrow would be the last chapter of Gulmohar. Thank you for all the love you showered upon Gulmohar.

Apologies for the delay. Enjoy the chapter.

Love Love ❤️
Srinidhi

SAANCHI
✨

'Your par .. parents??? But I thought they live in Coonoor....And Akshar...I mean...how co-'

'They are Mom Dad. They couldn't be my Amma and Appa Saanchi...When I was 4, our family of four... Bhai, Appa and Amma had been to Chennai...It was a fun vacation... I don't remember much but I remember playing with dad by the beach side and eating watermelon sitting on Anna's lap. I don't even have my own memories about them Saanchi
..It's all those which I've heard from Bhai...On the way back to Coonoor it was heavily raining, dad lost control over the car and the car toppled down a hill. To save us our parents threw me and Bhai off the car.' And I was shocked.

'Amma died on the spot but dad managed to hand over our responsibility to his first cousin before his death although he had two sisters because they both were married and neither of their families wanted me or my brother to be a part of their headache. Mr Vikram Mehra and Mrs Anjana Mehra became our guardians and later adopted us.

They didn't have their own children so they brought us up with lots of love and care. My brother found his parents in them but I couldn't accept them as my Appa and Amma. They were not bad parents but they were strict unlike my Appa and Amma and I was a rebellious child. Everyone used to say my temper was exactly like my father's temper. And they instead of trying to parent me...tried to tame me.

They wanted me to be like Akshar Bhai. The perfect son. I wasn't Akshar Mehra! I was Nishchay Mehra!!!

Nishchay Satyendra Mehra!!!

Slowly differences of opinions and my rebellious nature started to be a hiccup in their life. They took over dad's estate and hospital after my parents death, I was grateful but every time people gave Mr Vikram Mehra the due credit of everything it hurt me. My Appa built that hospital, he may have took care of it but it was still my Appa's baby. I didn't like the fact that people were forgetting my father. I hated it when my brother himself completely forgot our parents and became their obedient son.

It irked me when we both were compared. Bhai was ready to become a doctor because dad wanted him to. I was in my 8th STD but I wasn't dumb. I knew Bhai wanted to become a farmer like Appa was... He wanted to research upon plants but 'Dad' wanted him to become a doctor. And my brother joined MBBS. When I spoke up for my brother I was slapped. And they decided to throw me into a boarding school but Rithika Bua didn't let that happen. She took me under her wing. Her financial condition wasn't great. Her husband was bedridden, she was working as a manager in a bank so I decided to start working in weddings as a helper to manage my expenses but when family and friends got to know this Mr Vikram Mehra was looked down upon and just to keep his prestige infact he sent a certain amount every month to my Bua.' Nishchay unveiled and I felt horrible to know how damaged his childhood was...

He was a rebel since childhood but raising a hand upon a growing child is not the right way to teach a child what is right and wrong especially when your child stands up for what was right.

'Parents try to force children to be moulded into a certain specific way but parents must know every child is different. Just like not every flower will be exactly like the other in a garden although they look similar they will still differ from each other. Some less fragrant, some more...some less vibrant some more...but at the end of the day they are all different and that's what makes a garden beautiful.

They had issues when I had chosen Sudeshna too, he wanted a Hindu Punjabi girl to be a part of our family and Sudeshna was a Sikhni. They also had concerns that her parents had an intercaste marriage. Not that I need their approval to marry Sudha but what I didn't understand is what business my father had to do with my wife's parents? How does it matter if her parents had an intercaste marriage? It's not like I have to live with them.

And so what if Sudeshna wasn't a Hindu, she respected my beliefs and I respected her beliefs too. But Mr Vikram Mehra disowned me. Not that I cared much because as per me ..I had never accepted them as my own to disown him. Anjana Maa was hurt. She was strict but she did love me but somehow I couldn't accept her as my Amma. And that's how I broke my ties with them. Akshar Bhai was always there for them and me too but I chose to maintain my distance from them!!!' he said looking towards the sky.

I hugged him more and whispered...
'I am sorry...I didn't know you went through so much...I just thought you were a-'

'Spoilt brat?' he asked with a dry chuckle and I smiled and nodded drawing patterns on his chest.

'I didn't have the luxury to be one. I wanted to build everything of my own. Although I can anyday go back and claim my father's property from them I didn't want it anymore. What I earn for my Kyra is enough, she doesn't need anything further ' Nishchay said

'But what about her grandparents? Akshaya Bhabhi told me that your parents wanted to meet Kayu'

'Our daughter will never meet them Saanchi. When Kayu was born they didn't even come to see her once, they didn't even think about her when Sudeshna expired, they weren't there when I and Kayu needed them the most and now I don't want my child to have namesake grandparents. They only want to use my Kayu as their trophy granddaughter because my Bhai Akshar and Akshaya Bhabhi both might be India's best pediatricians but they don't have children and now they need Kyra to show to the world that they also have a grandchild. I am sorry Saanchi my daughter isn't a showpiece.

She has Preet aunty and now she also has your parents and grandparents. She doesn't need fake relationships and this is life Saanchi... everything cannot end on a happy note. It's better not to have relationships rather than having toxic relationships.' Nishchay said firmly and I slowly whispered

'But what if they really want to meet Kyra. They might have realised Kyra's worth in their life'

'In that case they must take the efforts to meet our daughter Saanchi. And if Kyra likes them I won't stop her but I'm never gonna take our daughter or our future children back to Coonoor to introduce them to Mr and Mrs Mehra!!! I'm sorry...that would never happen!!!' he said firmly.

Although it was only a random conversation the way he spoke about our future made my stomach grumble. I bit my lower lip and continued drawing patterns on his chest in complete silence and then I asked..

'So.....you want more children?' and he slowly held onto my chin and made me look towards him and asked

'You still thinking about what I said before marriage?'

To which I smiled and said 'I am more than content having Kyra and I will never complain if I don't have one born out of my womb. Kyra may not have shared my womb but she is my heart Nishchay. I can't imagine my existence without her. I will never complain.' I said with tears in my eyes and he kissed my forehead and said

'But Kyra will...you know yesterday she was telling me she wants her Mumma also to give her a baby like how her Aayat Didi is getting from her Mumma...so I thought why not fulfill our daughter 's wish.' saying he winked suggestively and I slapped his chest.

I closed my eyes and relaxed on his chest when he voluntarily whispered...
'I love you Saanchi ' and I smiled and hummed.

'Oh Hello??? You need to reply to that statement' Nishchay said and I hummed and whispered

'I know and I love myself too-' but suddenly I felt a grip on my waist and I was pulled onto his lap in a jerk and I yelled. I was shocked due to his sudden movement.

He voluntarily seperated my legs and pulled me and made my legs wrap around his groin making me yelp in fear.

I could feel his erection making me shudder..'Nish.... Nishchay!!!!'

'Answer!!! If not trust me...I don't believe in theory...I'll give you practical lessons of how much I love you by making love to you... right here right now!!!' he said making my heart skip multiple beats.

'Nish.... Nishchay...' I managed to speak up but his low grinding against my intimate area made me shiver...

'Words Mrs Mehra!!! I want words!!!' he said in such a sexy sensual voice that I gulped dry. I slowly moved towards his face and cupped it in both my hands and inched closer to his mouth.

'I....I love you!!!' I whispered submissively against his lips and he leaned more and brushed his lips against mine and the next second he pounced upon my neck and began kissing me aggressively. I was left groaning and moaning under his touches. His hand slowly slipped into my Kurta slowly rising up trying to pleasure me but our passionate moment was interrupted by Neiyat who asked us to return home soon. It was midnight already and in mere 5 hours our wedding rituals would begin so we decided to drive back home.

There was a comfortable silence in the car. Reaching home when I was about to step out of the car Nishchay whispered...

'Saanchi...' and I turned around he slowly leaned more towards me and whispered...

'I can't wait to see you as my bride again...' I smiled and said 'Me too!!!'

But next second he leaned closer to my left ear and whispered...
'One suggestion though...Try to have some control over your....' and he pointed between my legs and my eyes widened in shock. I pushed him away running outside the car 'You are sick Nishchay!!! Chi' saying I ran out and he burst out laughing and said 'Areyyyyyy I just said...and I don't think I'm sick...you can see it for yourself tonight!!!'

'Shutupppp' saying I began running away while he screamed
'I like it when it's slow and seductive baby!!! You'll know soon' and I picked a stone and threw at him while he chuckled.

Idiot!!! I love him.

✨

'Nissshchay....stop staring at her like that...' Riri said and I blushed. Nishchay was acting like a storm had hit him. He was looking at me with his mouth wide open ever since I had stepped onto the stage. Throughout the rituals he only kept gawking at me making me conscious.

'What can I do she's so beautiful!!!' he said while all my family members including our Kyra giggled.

Just like the last time this time as well when we tied our knot we had our daughter in our arms from the rituals of tying a nuptial chain or the ritual of seven vows 'Saptapadi'...our wedding was a mix of Punjabi Konkani rituals.

When yet another time Nishchay applied vermillion to my hair partition the vermillion fell on my nose and this time Nishchay stopped me from wiping it as she whispered saying
'Your husband loves you a lot Biwi... let it be' and I blushed.

Nishchay was shocked to see Mr and Mrs Mehra at our wedding. He didn't want to but because I insisted we took their blessings too. Nishchay although tried to be very formal to them, the pain and missing they had for being away from their son was quite visible in their eyes. And the fact that they are getting older also made them realise to keep their ego aside and embrace their child. In this case Nishchay who was now a father of a child himself.

Kyra was the happiest. The child who had only a father and a grandmother today had a huge family. She had uncles, aunts, grandparents, great grandparents too. Her smile made me smile. My daughter was happy and my husband probably... healed.

It felt like the Gulmohar spring had returned back in our lives.