~Every mistake done deserve forgiveness, if you have it to or not. It- the heart~

At MruNi's

"Nothing's changed." Shekhar murmured, while staring at the bungalow, outside his daughter's villa, towards his farthest right.

He felt two arms wrapping around his torso, and he held onto those hands, almost immediately. "Why here, Mishti? Do you think...Shona...knows?" Shekhar voiced out his worries, and Shamishti flinched at the pain in his eyes.

"Do you...think so, Shekhar?" She questioned, for she did not want to lie to him. "I don't know." He muttered, before pulling her to his side, and taking her for a side-hug.

"But she sounds...weird. Almost like she could see through my pain when I asked her why this neighborhood. She would have also read the name plates outside each villas, right? They're not so far away." He looked towards his wife, whose face was void of any emotions. "Besides, why didn't Raj tell anything about meeting her in here? I'm so confused, Mishti." He sounded tired and she hated herself for bringing him back to India

But she also knew he needed this. A closure! And he's going to get it, only when he gets to have a face-off with his father. Only when he gets to tell how much he missed his family.

"Let's just wait for the destiny, Shekhar." Shamishti spoke after a brief silence. "Maybe we needed this." She ended her part of conversation leaving Shekhar a little more confused than before.

***

At Murthys

"She's an orphan's daughter." Yashjeet said, grabbing his family's attention. The younger Murthys had a look of disbelief on their faces.

After all these years, he still loathes Shamishti's existence.

"Papa ji?" Sooraj stared at his father with utmost hatred in his eyes. "Did you hear yourself, Papa? She's fami--" Sooraj almost shouted when Yashjeet stood up to cut him from speaking furthermore.

"She is not family, Sooraj." Yashjeet barked out loud and clear. "Was. She was family. Until I realized that the orphan mother she talked about was the same woman who split a son from his father and brothers." He added, and all Sooraj did was to stare at him wordlessly.

"Wow!" Sooraj let out a dry chuckle. "You still think so low of Shamishti, and for what reason? Because she's an orphan? For god's sake Papa, that's not her fault." He yelled out at the end.

"Of course, that's not her fault." Yashjeet sounded frustrated. "But trying her luck with a Murthy, with Yashjeet Murthy's son was only and only her fault." He added, before walking towards Sooraj and stood in front of him.

"Log maane na maane, har kisiko apni ek aukath hai, jiske hisab se unhe Jeena seekhna chahiye." Sooraj sighed on hearing Yashjeet's words. "Aur uss aurath ne apne aukath ke oopar socha aur ek aise cheez chaaha jispe haq jathana ek sapna bhi nahi hona chahiye." Yashjeet moved towards the stairs, ending the conversation, leaving a seething Sooraj behind.

"Wo koi cheez nahi hai, DJ." Yashjeet stood at the first stair, but did not turn around towards the voice. "He's our Appa." And this time he did turn around.

"Asad!" Yashjeet's voice was anything but calm. Asad walked closer towards where Yashjeet stood while others looked on. "Aur wo koi aurath nahi." Asad stared right in Yashjeet's eyes. "She's our Shamishti Ma." And all Yashjeet did was to stare at him.

"Just because you don't consider her as your daughter-in-law, it doesn't change that fact." Asad continued, "Wo iss ghar ki bahu hai aur hamari Ma bhi hain." He added, and Yashjeet's grip on his walking stick got tightened.

"Asad. Enough!" Dharmendhr raised his voice, and walked towards the duo who were busy staring at each other angrily. "He didn't lie, Dad " Rithvik spoke, and stood by his brother's side, followed by the rest of the younger Murthys.

"Appa might have hurt DJ's feelings. But what nobody notices is DJ has hurt Shamishti Ma's feelings too." Viren said, looking at Yashjeet.

"Also, they have a daughter. We've committed a sin by not bringing her home. Nandini deserves equal rights as us." Shivaay added, and Yashjeet showed his palm, halting the ongoing conversation.

"She has no right in here." Yashjeet sounded firm, and the ladies let out gasps. "Because she may be your blood, but I would never accept her as mine. Wo ussee aurath ka bhi khoon hain " Yashjeet stared at Asad, who looked at him with pain visible in his eyes.

"Like really?" Sidharth asked, walking forward. "Aap accept nahi kar sakthe? Do you even understand how absurd that sounds, DJ? You accept it or not, you gave birth to five sons and she's a daughter of one of them. Which means, she's your blood, DJ. Yours." He held onto Yashjeet's right arm, who shot a glare towards him. "You act so cruel, DJ." He whispered and Sohesh moved forward to stop him from speaking further. "Jabki aapko happy hona hai, because we finally have a girl child in our family, after a century." He added, and Yashjeet went stiff, before getting out of his grandson's hold and storming upstairs.

And all others did was to stare at his retreating figure.

***

At night

"Lilliput." Manik threw a stone at Nandini's window. He was sitting on the branch of the tree that stood as tall as the villa in front of it. "Psst. Lilliput. Psst." He threw another one at the window.

"Psst. Psst. Psst." And this time it did not come from Manik, but from someone standing near to the tree.

Manik looked down and sighed. "Cabirr! Abhiii! Shh, you'll wake Shekhar uncle and his Mishti. Let them sleep." He whisper-yelled and the boys looked at him, all pissed.

"So what about our sleep? Don't we deserve a good night sleep or what?" Cabir replied in the same tone as Manik's and Abhimanyu stared at him. "Good night sleep? Kid or what?" He rolled his eyes at Cabir, before looking around for any intruder. Only if any, because its already one in the morning.

"Aye! Why only kids deserve to say that? Phir teek. Ham dil se bache hain." He frowned, and Abhimanyu only ignored him. "Manik! Get down. She might be sleeping." Abhimanyu yawned while speaking, and Manik glared down at him.

"I told her not to sleep before 2 a.m., tonight ." Manik said, and Cabir let out a snort. " And you think she would listen to what you say?" He questioned and Abhimanyu nodded his head. "That's a valid question. Unfortunately, I have to agree with him." Abhimanyu said, and Cabir just waved him off.

"Shut up and let me do what I'm doing." Manik hissed before throwing another stone at the window. "Lilliput."he called out again and this time the door was opened.

But it wasn't the window that got opened.

"Who's there?" Manik widened his eyes at the voice, and so did Cabir and Abhimanyu. "I asked, who's there?" The voice repeated and Cabir held onto Abhimanyu's hand in horror.

"Mishti ka Shekhar uth gaya yaar. Uth gaya. We're going to die. We're going to die." Cabir chanted while clinging onto Abhimanyu, who tried his best to stay conscious.

"Manik!" Abhimanyu looked up at Manik, looking dead scared, who mirrored his expression. "Marr gaye yaar." They muttered before Manik jumped down the tree by stepping down each branches.

Shekhar turned around hearing the sound that made by Manik. "Who is it?" Shekhar walked towards the tree when he saw something moving towards the compound wall.

"Stop! Stop, you!" Shekhar ran behind but the thing has already jumped past the wall and he realized those were three guys which he saw clinging onto the tree.

"Damn it!" Shekhar hissed angrily before looking up at the window, which was near to the tree. " Those guys could have entered Shona's room." He looked around and then at the tree.

"I need to cut this down." He murmured before getting inside his home. " And where the hell is Cadbury?" He asked himself before closing the door.

"Right here, Murt!" Cadbury muttered to himself, who was the witness for Manik's doings.

***

At Malhotra's Villa

"Cabir Bhai!" Cabir looked up at Mukti and nodded for her to speak further. "Why are you holding onto your head? Headache?" Mukti asked, all concerned for her brother, who smiled slightly at her.

"No, Mukku. I didn't sleep enough last night, so feeling heavy headed." Said Cabir, and she nodded in understanding. "Why were you up last night?" Dhruv questioned, and Cabir looked at Manik, who passed an innocent smile towards him.

"Somebody was high on sugar." Cabir hissed, and then passed a sarcastic smile to Manik. "Love sugar, precisely." He added, and Manik looked away, when he felt others staring at him and Cabir.

"It seems to me that you've got to do something with what Cabir is saying. Right Manik?" Raj raised his eyebrows at Manik. "Although I didn't understand a thing he said." Raj added.

"I--N-Nothing like that, Dad." Manik fumbled and glared at Cabir, who just shrugged before digging in his food. "Yeah, right." Raj too shrugged, as if believing him.

"Hello!" Manik attended the phone call and his mothers looked at him, who smiled apologetically at them. "It's Lilliput, Ma." And they nodded at him smilingly, except for Nyonika who was busy studying her son's expression.

"What?" Manik's eyes widened but the line went dead already. "Hello? Lilliput? Hello? Ugh, damn it!" And this time the men stared at him, while all he did was to send silent curses for Nandini.

"Manu!" Harshvardhan's tone was strict and Manik let out a sigh. " I'm sorry, Daadu." And he nodded in understanding, while Manik stared at his brothers and mouthed 'its today' to which they widened their eyes.

***

At MruNi's

"Shona! I'm making something." Shamishti was preparing something sweet for Shekhar because he was quite upset from the time they arrived in India.

" So you don't wanna come with your daughter who you didn't see for the past few months? Who you didn't know if she was fine or not? Who you didn't know if she was eating, talking, showering, drinking properly? Especially drinking orange juice?" Nandini questioned, and Shamishti nodded.

"Right, baby girl. Right." Shamishti said, and Nandini got settled on the kitchen counter. "That breaks my heart, my lady. Where's your heart at? Didn't think about this beautiful girl?" Nandini remarked.

"Why should I? I'm already married, young girl." Shamishti said and Nandini looked around. "And I'm in a fake relationship, but yeah, got a guy for time being." Nandini said and Shamishti narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"Tell me about Manik." Shamishti said, and Nandini leaned backwards. "A guy. Tall. Looks good. Walks like a stick. Talks like a human being. Laughs like a man. Whine like a kid." Nandini described and Shamishti let out a sigh.

"Shona." And Nandini let out a snort. "What? I can only describe a person like this, Ma. If you want, come and meet him but you said you don't wanna come." And she jumped off the countertop. " But I said I'm making something. Aisa nahi I won't come." Shamishti cribbed, and Nandini looked at the watch around her wrist.

"5 minutes, Ma." And she looked up at her mother. "Appa's gulab jamun is all ready in the refrigerator." And she left the kitchen, making Shamishti to smile at her daughter.

***

"Manu. Why are we here?" Nyonika questioned while looking around the park. "Where's Nandini, though? You said she'll be joining us, right?" Anjali asked, and got settled on a bench followed by Nyonika and Arpita.

"She's going to be here, very soon." Manik replied with a smile that is filled with tension. "What's wrong, Mann? Why do you look so tensed?" Nyonika questioned and Arpita and Anjali stared at Manik, confusedly.

"Uh, of course not, Ma." Manik replied, and Nyonika looked at her son with her eyes squinted at him.

"Who's looking tensed?" They turned around towards the voice, and Manik gulped down hard. "Nandini!" The ladies smiled at her.

"Hey!" Nandini went ahead and stood beside Manik, who was drenched in sweat. "Why are you taking a bath in the sun?" Manik glared at Nandini on hearing her. "Arey, take a seat na. We've got so many benches in here." She added, and took Manik by his hand and made him sit along with her.

They took the opposite bench.

"Let's order something?" Nandini asked, and all Manik did was to stare at her. "Actually, Ma would take time to come." She added, and the ladies stared at her.

"Ma?" Arpita asked, and Nandini smiled. "My parents are here." She replied, and the ladies stared at her surprised. "What? They're here? Manik, why didn't you say anything?"

"Huh?" Manik looked at his mothers. "I don't know?" Manik replied, or more like asked them. "Hain?" Anjali asked and Manik just cleared his throat. "Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I should have told you? I thought it could be a surprise." Manik said and the ladies only sighed.

"Let it be. When is she coming, Nandini?" Arpita asked, and Nyonika looked at Nandini. "She's coming." Nandini smiled at Arpita before looking at Nyonika. "She's gone to collect rose petals." Nyonika's eyes widened a little. "For the church nearby. She likes to keep rose petals at the feet of Jesus Christ, while lighting candles for him." And all Nyonika did was to stare at Nandini, without blinking her eyes.

"Nandini?" Nyonika's gaze has become softer and Nandini shrugged. "What about Shammi?" And everything went still for Nyonika.

She couldn't believe her ears. Neither her eyes blinked, nor she moved. Her lips twitched and she felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

"Nyo!"
That voice again, which led Nyonika to let out a gasp of shock.

And this time tears have trailed out of her eyes.

***

Hey guys!
How was the chapter?

I hope you guys can understand that the updates won't be once a week. I'm really really busy.

With love,
Affu.