When Adhira asked, have you two fought with each other?! in amused voice, she inhaled deeply and said, "Adhi hereafter you are going to concentrate on your studies, you are having exams know... and regarding Karthik sir, don't disturb him too much, he's very busy you know, let him enjoy his own life okay.....keep that in mind and try to act good girl". Adhira doesn't understand why her mom said so, but she didn't dare to ask further details on seeing her mom's stern face. she realized something happened messy and she prayed God to become everything alright, until then she has to keep quiet and do her exams.
****************
Days keep on passing as it never waits for no one. All of Adhira's exams got over and she felt very bored. She's already dying inside to see her dear KS and wanted to hang out with him but she afraid of Ramya. She texted him without Ramya's knowledge saying exams over, immediately he replied that, "shall we go out?!"
Adhira completed her ice cream and cleaned her mouth, nose and cheeks, all stained with cream by using wipes given by Karthik sitting across to her.
"So what did your mother say?! Karthik asked her knowing sure that Ramya could have said something about their outing.
"Make sure you are returning quickly and keep that in mind I am not going to allow you hereafter frequently, I won't encourage these things" Adhira recollected what Ramya said in her mind, "she said she's going to restrict me hereafter..
That's expected.. Karthik thought. He let out a sigh.
"How was your exams?
"All good" she smiled.
"So what do you want as a gift?!"
"For what?! I don't have my birthday coming and not anything like that", she replied confused.
" I know you are a very good student and going to secure first place in your exams.. well you deserve a very good gift for that, tell me what do you want?! He said with a smile.
She shrugged her shoulders while beaming for his compliment. "You got me everything already toys, gadgets, storybooks, gaming toys what else I need?!"
"Ummm...Anything you wished for long and not accomplished yet, i will get it for you...." He encouraged her as he already planned to give her swimming and skating coaching in this summer vacation, but it won't be possible now, he thought.
" I'm afraid mommy will scold me.."
" No problem... we'll take care of that..."
She placed her index finger on her chin and looked somewhere up as if thinking deeply. Karthik enjoyed looking at her cute gesture.
She came after a minute saying, "I always longed for a dad's love" with sadness in her eyes but quickly it replaced with joy as she's continued "until before I met with you.. after your entry in my life I never feel for that as I am feeling fulfilled now".
Karthik felt a warm feeling at his heart. He very well knew how much it hurts losing a parent at this age. That's one of the very reason why he developed fondness for this cute little angel. He was about to get up with that satisfaction in her voice, then she said,
" But.....I do have a wish now..."
Karthik looking at her silently waiting for her to come out.
After a little hesitation, Adhira started saying, "My friend tanu said they are expecting a baby kid in their family, it's in her mom's tummy, soon she will get a baby boy or girl to play with, she's very proud and eagerly waiting for...all of my friends are having a brother or sister to play with, but I am all alone...I do have my friends, but you know it's very special to have a sibling at your place to chat, share, to play, to enjoy, to fight at times..." She giggled at the imagination and continued, " when my friends share the story about their encounters with their siblings I feel very bad for not having one.... "
"I do know the feeling as I am also a lone kid" he tried to console her.
"But you had chitra aunty know, she said you all used to play together in your childhood..." She winked and He laughed.
"My friends are saying as I don't have my dad living with us, it's never possible to get a sibling hereafter..is it so?! Do we need a dad to get a sibling?! In that case I am having you...." She said continuously without thinking much.
But it's Karthik who is shocked beyond words. It's clearly visible in his face he was too embarrassed to say something. He just stared at her, she's looking nothing but all innocent without knowing the depth of the issue she had just spoken.
It's not quite unusual, sometimes we get caught with the kid's queries and at loss of words not knowing what to say. Karthik took a deep breath " come let's go..." that's what all he managed to say finally.
By looking at his face, Adhira somehow understood that she asked him something weird. On their way home in the car, she asked him " had I said anything wrong?!"
He shook his head as 'No' and smiled at her.
"I'm sorry..." She mumbled.
" Never mind kiddo..." He smiled broadly and ruffled her hair to make her easy.
**********
It's only after hearing Adhira's shrieking, Ramya realised she raised her hand against her baby and slapped her hard... she trembled to see her all five finger's impression in red on Adhira's cheek.... how dare she to talk like this... how much it felt awkward for him?!
Adhira shivering in fear and pain, cupped her slapped cheek with her hand, with nose flaring and eyes filled with tears , looked at her mom who is looking at her in anger as well as frustration, the next minute she ran towards the bedroom and locked behind her.
Ramya soon gathered herself and realized her mistake and started chasing her baby calling " adhima....
But she's late, the kid locked the door already.
" Adhi I'm sorry, please open the door...." Ramya pleaded.
" No, I don't...." Adhira shouted back.
" Baby I'm sorry... please forgive me, I never do this again in my life time I promise.... please open the door..."
" No...no...no!!!!!! do you know how much it hurts?! I won't open the door and I'm not gonna talk with you..." She shouted in between sobs.
Ramya standing helpless on the door, it's not her usual behavior, she knew now her baby is so adamant that's because she's forbidding her from her KS and it'll take time to compromise her...
It's all her fault... first of all she shouldn't have sent her along with him. She is just a baby, she doesn't know what to talk and what not to...I shouldn't have hurt her like this, she cursed herself.
Ramya was so curious and restless while she waited for her baby to come back from her outing with Karthik. Unknowingly her heart wanted to know about his status and how was he doing after the meeting. So when she arrived, she asked her how is he and about what happened while trying her voice to look casual. But she never expected Adhira would have asked him such a thing and she on hearing that raised her hand against her baby without any control.....how horrible?! She felt a crushing pain at her heart. Why did I do such a blunder ?! What happened to me?! Why am I acting such a mad now a days?! Have i lost my mind?! this is too much for her to take.....
Oh God...why are you making me suffer like this?! What did I do wrong?! Why all this happening to me?! How am I going to console her?! Ramya lost all her strength, held her forehead in her hand, sitting in the nearby temple.
She came to her senses only when they started closing the temple. She slowly walked and reached her house thinking about her baby. She went straight to the bedroom and found the doors ajar, there's no sign of Adhira. Her heart stopped working, Where's she?! Is she gone out somewhere?! Is she out of home because of rage?! Ramya felt giddy, same time her mobile started ringing.
Only she released her breath she's holding for long after she heard from Krishnan sir, her baby is safe and she's with them. How come she got there?! She had gone to that village all alone herself...her baby went to that extent without her mom's knowledge...is she hate me that much?!
With desperate heart, Ramya locked her house and started walking towards bus stop.
To be continued....
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Hi friends, all of you asking for a happy ending, don't worry, it is....
Next episode climax...
Once again I thank you all for your continuous support and it really meant a lot to me
