Here's the next update.

So.. Guys this update is dedicated to penbegungor1. Great work di... You've guessed accurately. 😊

Arvind and Ratna were now facing the woman.

"Guess we should leave these three alone. Let's go" Arnav whispered to Khushi

Khushi nodded and the couple silently skipped away leaving the elders alone.

The woman smiled nervously at the couple while they stood shocked to the core

"Keerti" Arvind and Ratna whispered in unison. Disbelief written all over their faces

Keerti nodded slightly.

"Keerti" Arvind took her in a hug "How are you?"

"I am fine Bhaiya. How are you?" Keerti asked

"What are you doing here? How.. What? Keerti How the hell are you here?" Arvind asked overwhelmed

"Didn't you want me to come Bhaiyya?" Keerti asked

"Don't be stupid Keerti... Of course I wanted you to.. Keerti of course I wanted you to come. It's your nephew's wedding." Arvind chided softly.

"Keerti." Ratna called softly

"Bhabhi.." Keerti hugged her

"We really missed you Keerti" Ratna said. Arvind nodded in agreement

"I missed you too Bhabhi.. I missed you very much. It's been years since I last saw you." Keerti exclaimed

"Right.. So much has changed.. But you haven't. You're still the same" Ratna said

"I'm relieved" Keerti said

"I've been trying for years now.. But couldn't ever get through. Couldn't ever muster up enough courage to come up and talk to you. I am sorry Keerti. I've not exactly been a great brother" Arvind said

"I have no grudges against you ... The way it all happened, It was a very obvious reaction." Keerti assured

"Tum naaraz nahi ho naa? (You're not angry right?)" Arvind asked

"Of course I am not Bhaiyaa!!! The way it.. It happened. Ratna bhabi almost Lost Anji. Agar uss waqt aap logon ne Maa-Papa se rishta naa todaa hota toh shaayad aaj itna pyaara pariwaar nahi hota aapka. Arnav ki shaadi nahi ho rahi hoti. Bass aapne.. Apni iss behen ke baare mein nahi socha (If you hadn't broken your ties with Maa-Papa back then you wouldn't have had such a beautiful family now. Arnav wouldn't have been getting married. Just that you didn't think about your sister)" Keerti complained.

"Uss waqt.. Dimaag mein bahut kuch chal raha tha.. Ratna.. ki pregnancy. Woh accident. Maa-Papa ki saazishein. Uss sab mein tumhe akela chodne ka khyaal dimaag mein hi nahi aaya. (So much was on my mind back then. Ratna's Pregnancy. That accident, The plans and Plots of Maa-Papa. Amid all that the thought of your being left alone didn't even occur to me.)" Arvind confessed guilty. Ratna kept a soothing hand on his shoulder and blinked as if saying that everything is fine now

Flashback

Arvind belonged to the Mallik family of Lucknow. The malliks being Malliks were obsessed with Their Name Blood and Linage philosophy. They had gotten all of their children married to Royal families across the country. But then.. Arvind Mallik the eldest son of Subhadra Devi Mallik who was termed as the rebel by the family fell in love. He had never shown any interest in the philosophies and ideologies of the Mallik linage and hated the biased behaviour of his parents with the boys of the family compared to the girls. 

"Maa, I love Ratna. I love her more than anything and everything in this whole wide world. Nothing you say or do is ever going to change that." Arvind declared confidently

"You are destined to be married to Atiksha. Her parents and yours had decided that years ago." Rishabh Mallik said before subhadra could

"I was never in favor of your decision even then. And fortunately for me, The attitude has not changed even now"

"I will never accept her as the Mallik daughter in law in this life"

"And dearest mother, I will not accept anyone but her as my wife. Last I checked this was my life. And I am a citizen of a free country and thus have all the right to decide with whom I want to spend the rest of my life."

"You don't have no right to defy your parents"    Rishabh thundered 

"Are you serious Babuji? You think I care about ethics anymore? You sent your goons to hurt my Ratna and yet here I am talking to you very calmly just because the very girl you hate from the core of your hearts didn't want me to be rude to you people. I don't want her to be guilty of breaking my family or be the reason I am no longer cordial to my parents. But, I want you to understand that if whatever happened will be repeated. If I find that you or anyone related to you has tried to harm my love. That will be the last day you'll ever see me" Arvind warned

After his not so subtle warning, The Malliks had decided to quieten down a bit and do something about the matter later sometime. Oblivious to the approaching storm Arvind had started his married life with his wife away from his family in the city of Mumbai

Three years later, The couple was expecting their first child and Ratna's family was  with the couple taking care of the soon-to-be mother and pampering her to no end. That's when the Malliks made their reappearance in their lives

"I can understand that our past behavior with your wife has given you enough reason not to trust us. But at least let us be there when our DIL is expecting the heir of the Malliks. Do we not have at least this right?" Subhadra asked 

Arvind Sighed. No doubt he was still suspicious of the behaviour his parents might keep with Ratna but he couldn't keep his parents out of his life for long just on the basis of a suspicion.

"Fine" Was what he replied

A Month later Ratna was going for her regular check up when Subhadra demanded to be taken along as she had to ask the doctor certain things and not being left with another choice she was asked to tag along.

"Doctor Madam?" Subhadra called

"Ji"

"I had intended to ask you something" Asked she

"Please go on"

"You must know the gender of the baby Right?" Came the question

"Actually Mam, We are not supposed to give out information about anything like that to anyone but the parents. And Mr and Mrs. Mallik haven't asked for any such thing" The medical practitioner explained

"I am Arvind Mallik's Mother. I am sure you don't have any problem in telling me" She asked sweetly

"Actually.. Mam. We are not allowed to.." She tried again

"Oh shut it will you? Be clear. Boy or Girl?" Subhadra asked rudely

"Mam.. The parents" 

"BOY OR GIRL" Subhadra asked losing patience

"Girl" The doctor responded meekly

"We need to get the foetus aborted" Subhadra announced the very next morning shocking the Raizadas as well as Arvind and Ratna in the process

"What?" Came the meek sound of the mother to be 

"She is joking. Don't worry Ratna" Arvind wrapped his arms around his wife as her own hands flew to her belly instinctively in an attempt to protect the unborn residing inside

"This is no joke. I am really saying that. Ratna needs to go for an abortion" Subhadra repeated 

"And why is that?" Arvind asked tightening his hold on his terribly scared wife

"Because I am saying so"

"Oh and who the hell do you think you are? A god of some kind. Shh Ratna. Don't be scared. Relax, Its not good for you or our baby" Arvind whispered sweet nothings to his wife

"I am your mother Arvind!" Subhadra exclaimed

"That doesn't give you the right to say rubbish about my unborn. How dare you suggest an abortion??" Arvind asked

"Your wife is carrying a girl in her womb" Rishabh revealed

"Oh. Was that why you wanted to meet the doctor?" Arvind looked at his better half with a wide smile "Surprise ruined. But nothing to worry. Damn You won Ratna!!! Congratulations wifey"

Subhadra looked at the duo with a shocked expression.

"Huh.. Arvind? Have you gone crazy? How can you celebrate?" Rishabh asked 

Arvind looked at his father confused 

"In the Mallik family there hasn't been a girl first born in over a millennium. And I am not going to let you ruin the legacy." Rishabh warned 

"How many of my sisters did you abort before you finally had me Maa? Keerti. You are lucky you were born after me. Or else who knows they would have killed you in the womb itself. right Maa?" Arvind asked anger and sadness visible in his eyes

Keerti looked down at her feet sadly 

"You have nothing to do with that. The point is that its the legacy of the Malliks" Subhadra said

"Do hell with the legacy. Ratna will not go for an abortion. I want the baby as much as she does and to us it doesn't matter that its a girl or a boy. Besides.. Ratna wanted it to be a girl and Devi Maiyya has granted her wish." Arvind said

"You can not win every single time Arvind. The first born has to be a boy. You can have a girl later."

"She is my wife and not a baby producing machine. God has granted me the chance to have my princess and I am not letting go of the chance. Whether you want it or not. My first child is going to be a girl. My princess. Anjali" Arvind said and stormed out of the room with his wife and in MIL in tow

But this time, It seems Arvind's parents were in no mood to back down. They tried every possible way to convince Arvind to agree to get the baby aborted and every time they were met with defeat. The rebel of the family had turned out to be one in the literal sense of the word.

Unable to convince their son, The elder couple turned to Ratna and tried to scare ad blackmail the poor girl. She spent many nights in stress and worry and was scared beyond belief. Not being able to see his wife in such a situation Arvind decided to move to another city for a while. 

Just before the couple with Ratna's parents were about to move out of their then accomodation Ratna met with an accident. A truck had hit her. Fortunately or miraculously, The baby survived with absolutely no harm and Ratna too was not that badly hurt with a few bruises here and there and a minor fracture in the arm. 

Further investigations revealed that the Malliks were responsible for the said mishappening. A raging Arvind blasted on his parents and true to his words that was the last time the malliks literally saw their son. Arvind broke all the ties with his parents and accepted Ratna's parents as his own and vice-versa. 

"I got married two years later. My husband was in Indian Air Force. So is my son. My twins Vish and Preet work as Interior designers and have a firm of their own." Keerti revealed. 

Arvind and Ratna smiled ear to ear 

"Well Arnav Anjali and Akash my nephew work with me and Manohar in AR Designs. Payal doesn't work full time. But she's a beautiful painter. Anjali's Husband is a Lawyer, Khushi is a Brain Specialist." Arvind explained

"Who doesn't know the Raizadas Bhaiyya. I must say you and Shashi Bhai Sahab have instilled great values in your kids. I fell in love with Khushi and Arnav's pair when they came home to invite us. They compliment each other so well!" Keerti exclaimed.

Arvind and Ratna smiled proudly.

"Bhagwaan kare sab yuin hi chalta rahe! (By the grace of god everything should remain like this only)"Arvind prayed

"Sab theek hi rahega Mamaji. Arnav Bhai aur Bhabhi jaise bacche hain Aapke. Aapko toh kisi baat ki fikr nahi honi chahiye (Everything is going to be good Mamaji. You have kids like Arnav Bhai and Bhabhi. You shouldn't be worried about anything)" Preet said whilst entering. She bent to touch the feet of Arvind and Ratna.

"Preet" Keerti whispered an introduction

"Hi Maa" Vishakha greeted

"Pranaam Mamaji.. Mamiji" Vish greeted the couple and like her sister bent to touch their feet

"Khush rahiye Beta.(Be happy children) May god bless you with every good thing in the world" The  couple blessed the twins.

Finally. Arvind Raizada's family was intact again. And he could enjoy the functions of his son's marriage.

All thanks to their loving and our brilliant

ARSHI

GOD ITS BEEN AGES!!

I have no idea how this came out. Hope its not off track.

Forgive typos.

Shower your love in form of comments and votes. I was trying so hard to come back with this one story. Hope I have not disappointed you.

Let me know what you think.

Weekend over

So no free time.

Updates will be slow for each and every story. Thank you for being patient guys.

Love
Vinny