Oh! So they actually know that I am in Paris. They knew it even before she ringed me. Cool then. I opened the parcel ad was shocked to see the content.

It was a fucking basket with Red wine, dry fruits, a gold chain, artificial flowers and...

And a red - golden box which I could sense was an invitation card. I started examining it from its outer cover and then slid the box. It divided into two and there were six golden and cream coloured cards which I knew by then was a wedding invitation card. They were placed nicely in one of each holders. I slid the first card out of it and while doing so I acquired a seat on the sofa.

The letters were inscribed in gold, each print of the letter looking beautiful and pressed gently on the cream sheet.
The card read about the invitation to the Thaka Ceremony also known as Roka Ceremony in Punjabi culture.

Then there was this second card that was an invitation letter for the cocktail party. The shocking part was that it was going to be a bikini party and men were going to be there too...just the youngsters. Cousins and friends only.

The third invitation was for the Mehendi ceremony and that's when I noted something that made my heart beat stop for a moment. I saw Arjun's name printed on it along with Disha's name. It took me a minute realise that it was Arjun getting married to Disha and that's why this ceremony was being held at the Malhotra mansion in Golf Links,  Delhi.

Anger filled each and every veins of mine but I knew I couldn't react. A situation isn't effective till I react and the kids need not see how vulnerable their mother is so I kept shut and drank my raging anger.

Since I knew now that Arjun was getting married to Disha, I didn't find any point at even considering my wait for Arjun. Yes, I had been waiting for six long years hoping Arjun would find me out and realise his mistake but here, he was getting married to someone who didn't think for a second and almost destroyed our lives.

Tears started forming in my eyes as I looked at the rest of the three invitation cards that were of Sangeet, Haldi and The Grand Wedding where all I could see was Arjun Arjun and only Arjun's name printed in gold.

Last time also these invitation cards were printed...last time also the shehnai played...last time also there was a grand celebration but it didn't end as it was thought. They were reversing and reliving the moments again...celebrating for that girl who was going to take away the pride and reputation of the entire family. 

But who cares? Why should I care? She has always been that self-centered bitch and always a magnet for all the good things. I was the trouble in their lives...a storm that went away quietly.

I stood up with my mind blank as hell and walked upstairs quietly. While going into my room, I heard a whisper kind of voice coming out from Aahana and Aryan's room. Without taking their notice, I walked upto their main door and tried to listen what they were talking. It's not that I wanted to act like some detective or something but it's better if we keep a watch on our kids.

What I heard jolted me to think what I was doing to them! Was it fair enough from my side?

"But mummy won't tell us about him," Aryan whispered as he took out a set of clothes from his bag and kept it back into his walk-in wardrobe.

"Why? Everyone has a father...why don't we have one?" Asked my baby Aahana. She had her legs folded Indian style and she sat on the single bed trying to reason Aryan.

Aryan walked out of the wardrobe and sat next to her in the same position. He, all of a sudden started acting like an elder brother and made Aahana understand what I couldn't even think of talking about.

"You know Aahana, mummy is the best. She is everything we want. She never lets us feel that we don't have a father. She gives us all the love...what else do you want?" That little boy of five, going to turn six in next two months told such a big thing to Aahana and it made me burst into tears.

I couldn't just hold back standing there, seeing the sight of Aahana crying and Aryan trying to make her understand that they don't need a father but I knew that they really wanted a father and they deserved the love of both. It wasn't their fault at all. These little kids are suffering for what their parents did and it made me cry more. I controlled my voice till I was at a safe distance from their room and the moment I got inside my room and locked it properly, I cried my heart out sitting on the floor and taking the support of the wall.

Those words of my baby about me kept echoing in my ears. I haven't failed as a mother...they love me. But am I not sufficient for Aahana? Does she really want a father?

How will I tell them about their father? What if they say that they want to meet him? What if they are getting bullied for not having a father? Shit, that's a greater concern than my dilemma. I need to talk this out with them.

I quickly washed my face with cold water and patted it dry with a towel. I checked if my eyes were still red but no, it was all gone. The mere thought of my kids in some problem brought me back on my heels and I walked into their room. The sight of Aahana burying her head into the pillow and crying made concern wash over my face.

Aryan was sitting besides her trying to console her but the moment he saw me, he moved away and let me take the charge.
I knew why she was crying but I dare not ask her. Aryan looked terrified as if they had committed some crime.

"What has happened?" I asked Aryan, concern evident in my voice.

"No-nothing mummy. It's just that...nothing at all," my baby stuttered in front of me, evidently hiding something which I feel I knew.

I didn't ask him any further and gently patted Aahana' s back. Her soft back was shaking because of the hiccups she had due to crying.

I raised her petite body up and brought her into my lap. She didn't stop crying but the sound decreased after a while.

"What happened baby?" I enquired in a very low voice and with lots of love. She didn't answer but hugged me tighter and stopped crying.

I caressed her back again and this time Aryan came forth and sat behind her, his eyes looking watery too.

"What happened princess?" I asked again, this time making an eye contact with Aryan who refused to answer anything.

"Mummy, who is our father?" She asked in her sweet melodious voice, shaking me from within. The question that I feared the most came up so early.

I didn't answer. I kept shut and waited for her to continue.
"In the summer school, we had to do a project on our father. We had to prepare something that he would like but I don't even know his name," she added sadly.

"But we made a project on you mummy," Aryan jovially said and made my face light up but soon it fell down as Aryan also enquired about their father.

"But mummy, will you tell us about our father? Just his name and how he looks like?" He also wanted to know about him and why wouldn't he? They faced something I had seen my friends without their fathers facing back in school.

I just felt as empty as I felt when I left my parents house. My head started thumping with pain but I didn't let that show on my face. I embraced both of them in my arms and caressed their backs till I felt they were comforted.

When they finally broke the hug and sat in front of me, demanding for the answers, I kept on thinking how all these incidents were so interconnected. How it started with a dream followed by the phone call and then Shreyasi's wedding invitation. My cover page incident followed by the invitations and the kids demand.

Were all this an indication towards my past?
Ofcourse it was...I was going back to Delhi and it hurts thinking about the people I might encounter there.

Just when I was about to say it to them that their father was alive and what his name was, I heard someone knocking on the door.

I instantly turned to look at the angel intruder and found it was Meera and Kabir standing at the entrance.

"Did we disturb the mommy and children sweet reunion?" Asked Meera in a very sweet voice.

"No Meera," I answered on their behalf. They certainly didn't seem really excited seeing them here as they used to but then cheered up and Kabir told them that they were going to begin with their class one from next to next month.

"And your school is amazing you know, aren't you both excited? You will be going into Karan's school!" Kabir took Aryan in his lap and embraced Aahana.

Aahana and Aryan squealed on hearing Karan's name and then asked where Karan was to which he replied Karan was waiting for them at the house and they will have a pool party for their welcoming.

Aahana and Aryan being the most active kids of this universe, started pulling Kabir to take them over to his place to meet Karan.

Karan is Kabir's seven year old son. Kabir lives here, in Paris with his wife Zara and his son Karan. Zara had been a rape victim about seven years back. I was there with her...an eye witness of the inhuman incident. We had been close friends ever since high school and were going to live in Delhi together for our higher studies but then destiny had other plans and I was subjected to something I would have never imagined. Our lives finished that day...

That night we were returning home after shopping and she was there in my car which I was driving...
My car came to a sudden hault when I felt my car's tire had punctured. It was a planned puncture as I saw nails lying on the road. I was scared and so was Zara. She started calling Kabir and I started calling Arjun but then it was too late.

Arjun didn't answer my call as he had told me he was going to have an important meeting but I still kept calling and dropped voice message too and Kabir was busy taking care of their nine months old son Karan. A group of five men surrounded my car, all of them were gunned. Even before I could call the helpline number, they dragged us out of the car and two of them started destroying my car with hokey sticks and strong metal rods.

I knew what fate we were going to meet but we didn't give up. I started hitting them and fortunately got out of their hold but it didn't last long as they slapped me hard and hit me with a thick, heavy bamboo stick.

I cried out loud in pain as I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I was two months pregnant and had not yet told Arjun about it. They didn't stop there. They kept on hitting me till I felt like I had some fluid discharge from my vagina. I was bleeding. They still didn't stop. They hit me like a madman till I started falling unconscious.

I then heard Zara's loud screaming. I wanted to run towards her but my body didn't support me. I started having severe abdominal pain and back pain and I started losing vision.

Zara's scream increased and I felt even more helpless. I couldn't help but just hear her and cry till I finally saw them bringing her infront of the car and throwing her on the ground. Those two transgenders who were beating me went towards her and I saw it from my eyes, how they did it to her. Brutal and inhuman. Even animals were better than them. They were a shame to mankind. They gang raped her and left her lying there in pain, crying for help.

We lay there on the floor, tears in our eyes, both of us helpless and our souls teared apart. That day marked the beginning of all the destruction in our lives.
After a while I fell unconscious due to the pain and my eyes opened in an unfamiliar surrounding. It was a hospital.

"

Amaya, where are you lost?" Shook Meera.

"Nothing...just a thought," I replied. The mere thought of this incident scared the guts out of me. I hated this face of Delhi.

Zara never recovered completely after that incident. She just changed...that ever so chirpy Zara turned into a walking dead soul. She just cried and cried. She was scared of everyone. She locked herself and built a wall around her. No one could break the wall but Kabir did. He had started practicing as a psychiatrist and Zara became his only priority. She has recovered a lot. She talks to everyone now but still fears new places and long drives.

Such thoughts made me think again. Was my decision of going back to Delhi was right?

I told Kabir and Meera everything about my plans and what all incidents happened. They supported me in my decision and asked me to go there. I skipped the talk with my kids. I didn't want them to come along with me.

After lots of discussion, I got myself prepared for Delhi. Kabir checked the private jet and Meera helped me pack my bags. Meera said she was coming along with me. Meera was also my close friend and infact she was my current best friend. She is not like Mahira...mean and selfish. She cares for me and used to when we were young also.

I was going after two days and the two days passed really quickly.

____________________________________

How was the update people?

I am really sorry for the rape comtent but it was a part of the story. I haven't ever written a scene like this...this is my first time and I wanted to ask if this scene seemed inhuman and brutal because I wanted to show that only.

What do you think about the kids curiosity? Do you think Amaya will tell them about their father? Do you like the cute little kids?

What do you think about Arjun getting married to Disha? Is he doing the right thing?

Let me know what your ideas are!

Do vote and comment!