Chapter Thirty-Five: Mumbai To Geneva

Well, if little Kohli decided to meet her Nini, could anyone stop her? No, never! As soon as she felt in her heart that it was indeed the time they had found Nehmat, she couldn't wait any longer. It was the day after tomorrow, and they were at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, waiting in the VIP lounge. Yes, it was just two days, but after waiting more than three years, these two days felt even longer to Vamika now that she knew where her Nini finally was.

Vamika's heart jumped with excitement when the announcement came: "Flight 602 to Geneva is now ready for boarding."

Jumping to her feet, she almost ran towards the gate, her mum and dad calling out for her to slow down. But she wasn't ready to listen, and it had its consequences. She tripped on her shoelace, bracing herself for the impact that would flatten her nose, but luckily, a firm hold on her t-shirt made her stand straight.

Taking a sigh of relief, she turned around to thank the person, only to find it was Shubman who held her. Her face twisted into disgust, and with a scowl, she muttered, "Thank you."

Shubman nodded at her with narrowed eyes before moving towards the gate. She was ready to confront him, wondering why he was coming with them and why she hadn't been informed. However, a scolding for running on the airport floors and a stern warning from Anushka made her go quiet. "He has the right to come; he was an equal victim in the heartbreak," Anushka reminded her.

Vamika sighed and nodded, even though she didn't agree. She believed, and still did, that if only he had believed Nini, they wouldn't even be going on this trip. And even if they were, it could have been a family holiday. She just nodded because she didn't want more chaos before their meeting.

Getting on the plane, Vamika stood in front of her seat, only to be disappointed as Shubman was going to sit next to her. Turning towards her father, she asked, "Daddy, can you sit in my seat?"

Virat was ready to comply with her request, as he found it hard to deny her anything. But Anushka stopped him. "Vamika, it's your designated seat. You're supposed to sit there. No one will adjust for you," Anushka said firmly. She knew what she was doing. She wanted Shubman and Vamika to sort out their differences. She wanted her uncle and niece to bond again before meeting Nehmat.

Pouting, she huffed and reluctantly sat in her seat, disappointed that it wasn't by the window.

Meanwhile, he gazed out of the window lost in his thoughts. She wanted the seat by the window, but she wasn't ready to talk to him. Yet, she knew she had to before the flight, in case he drifted off to sleep after take-off. Gathering her courage, she turned towards him.

"Excuse me," she called out, but there was no response from him. He thought he was hearing voices due to the many thoughts in his mind. He knew Vamika was sitting next to him, but he was sure she wasn't the one to talk to him, and her calling him would be weird.

"Uncle?" she called out, but there was no response, which irritated her. She hit her little fist against the armrest and called out louder, "SG!" As soon as she called out, he turned around, looking at her with tired eyes. "What?" he asked. He was shocked that she was initiating the conversation but also happy that she did.

Looking out of the window, she asked, not wanting to meet his eyes. She hadn't ever since Nehmat left; she just couldn't do it. Maybe if she saw the sadness in Nehmat's void in his life, she would forgive him, which she didn't want to do. "Can I have the window seat?" Shubman smiled but decided to play along. "I'm sorry, but I would love to have the seat too. Sorry," he said. He could see disbelief in her eyes, and she let out a small whine before folding her arms and turning around, muttering, "Fine."

Vamika sat in her seat, feeling a mix of disappointment and frustration. She glanced out of the window, watching as the airport slowly disappeared from view as the plane taxied down the runway. Shubman noticed her subdued demeanour and sighed inwardly, realizing that perhaps teasing her about the seat wasn't the best idea.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Shubman leaned towards her slightly and said softly, "Hey, Vamika, I'm sorry. You can have the window seat if you want. I don't mind."

Vamika turned to look at him, surprised by his offer. She hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay," she murmured, feeling a bit awkward but grateful nonetheless.

Both of them unbuckled their seatbelts before switching seats. Looking over the black clouds of the night, Vamika didn't know what came over her, but she had to ask, "Do you miss Nini?" Shubman, who was also busy looking over the black clouds, responded, "Every day, every second." Both of them had the same feeling running over in their hearts. What would it be like to meet Nehmat after three years? They knew she would be the same pretty girl as before, perhaps even prettier. But had her demeanour grown cold, or would she be the same warm girl as before?

As the plane soared closer to Geneva, every second drawing them nearer to Nehmat, the bonding between Vamika and Shubman seemed to be coming back. Vamika turned around, unbuckling her shoes and resting her legs on his lap. With a wide smile, Shubman adjusted and began tickling her feet, something she loved, a habit she had picked up from her aunt.

Vamika said, looking down, "I know I've been rude to you for three years, and suddenly being friendly again might seem strange. But if we want to bring back Nini, we need to be together as a team, right?"

Shubman nodded, his expression softening. "You're right, Vamii. We need to stick together if we want to make this reunion with Nehmat a success." He reached out and gently squeezed her hand, a gesture of solidarity and agreement.

Vamika, resting her head against the seat, muttered softly while clutching her dress, "You're not bad, SG. Circumstances made you do things, and I'm sorry for blaming everything on you."

Tears formed in her eyes as she muttered, "I am bad for being rude to you."

Shubman gently wiped away her tears and shook his head. "No, Vamika, you're not bad. You were hurting, and you didn't know how to deal with it. We all make mistakes, but what's important is that we learn from them and try to make things right." He offered her a reassuring smile, hoping to ease her guilt. "We're both working towards the same goal now, and that's what matters."

Vamika nodded and buried her face in his biceps, crying softly as he rubbed her back. "I miss you, silly Gilly. I miss our trio," she spoke in a croaking voice, her words laced with longing and nostalgia.

"I miss it too, Vamika," he murmured softly, his voice tinged with sadness and longing. "But maybe we can start anew, rebuild what we had. We're still family, after all." He gently lifted her chin, meeting her teary gaze with warmth and reassurance. "And we'll make new memories together, starting with our reunion with Nehmat." Vamika sniffled, a small smile breaking through her tears.

He pulled her closer, cuddling with her, and draped a blanket over them as both of them drifted off to sleep. From the other seat, Anushka observed them, satisfied that this was what she had wanted before they met Nehmat. She turned to her side, finding Virat asleep too. Laying her head on the headrest, she was filled with eagerness to meet her sister-in-law. Nehmat had been made to feel so at ease when she came home, despite it being a love marriage and having met before. But marrying and settling into a new home with new family members could make anyone nervous.

Nehmat had made her comfortable in so many ways. She was surely her first kid—naughty yet mature. When Virat was on tour during her pregnancy, even though he made sure to be with her whenever possible, there were times when he couldn't due to national duty. Nehmat would be there, handling her mood swings, cooking to satisfy her late-night cravings, or massaging her swollen feet.

When Vamika was born, Nehmat was so excited to hold the tiny bundle in her hands. From that moment itself, when Va,ika held her finger and didn't want to let go, it was clear that an unbreakable bond had formed between Nini and Vami. Nehmat would soothe her midnight cries with Punjabi tappe and indulge in her mischievous antics, creating cherished memories that would last a lifetime.

She missed her—missed her deeply. Even though she remained strong for Virat and Vamika, she longed to hug her sister-in-law and scold her for leaving them, leaving Vami, who always wanted her first in everything. She wanted to scold her for leaving her bhabhi, whom she had made feel welcome at her new home. And then there was her mum, who still went to sleep every night hoping that her Nini would come home with a bright smile, burying her face in her shoulder and saying how much she missed her. Even though her paaji and love had made mistakes, they could have found a way out together. But running away did nothing but break them as a family, with Nehmat being one of the pillars that held them together. Her absence left a void that seemed impossible to fill, and Anushka couldn't help but yearn for her presence every day.

She hoped that Nehmat hadn't grown too cold and that when they met, she would still be able to see the warmth of her love.