40. A Decision Long Overdue

TARGET- 140 VOTES AND 45 COMMENTS

NEXT DAY

Aryaman woke up before Maitri and got ready for the day. When Maitri woke she found him wearing his watch and perfume.

"Good morning" She wished him with a smile and walked to him lazily.

"Morning" He kissed her forehead and quickly left the room.

"Am running late wifey" He pecked her lips again before leaving her smiling to herself. After getting ready, Maitri shared the news with her parents and sisters and their reaction too was somehow similar to Aryaman but in her excitement she didn't notice it and kept going on and on about her dreams and career.

After keeping the call she walked down to find Rishav sitting alone in the garden.

"Papaa" She walked to him happily and sat beside him.

"What are you doing? You didn't go to office today?" She asked checking for his temperature.

"Am fine Maitri. Have a seat" Rishav sat straightly as she sat beside him looking at the gardeners do their work.

"You know Kaira and I were childhood sweethearts who got separated due to family issues but destiny found its way to us" Rishav said with a smile.

"Sachi? Was it like the DDLJ family drama?" She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat comfortably.

"Almost similar. We had alot of drama, alot of cryings here and there but at the end it worked out" Rishav took a sip of his coffee. Maitri smiled at how her in-laws were such a perfect couple where as her parents simply just beared each other's presence.

"We fought thousand times and will still fight but we are each other's home" His words reminded her constantly about how marriages were supposed to be and not like her parents'.

"Many years after marriage, Kayu and I stood at two different ends of the rope where no matter how much I tried to walk to her she somehow managed to always seem far"

"Then what did you do?" Maitri prayed in her mind that the lovely couple wasn't turning into her parents.

"I didn't do, our parents did. We both were so lost in our pain that we pushed each other afar. When both of us felt that we were very far from each other we got out of the remorse and held each other's hand and promised to never forget the other half in any situation" Rishav said finishing his coffee.

"You both are such goals. When you and ma used to visit the New York branch, I used to love just staring at you. It was as if you both were straight out of a novel, just perfect. I spent so much time just borderline stalking you two in the office, pata nai kyun magar sukoon se tha aap dono ko saath mein dekhne ka" She said remembering the times in New York when she worked.

"Thank you bache" Rishav laughed at her words.

"Can I ask you something bacha?" Rishav asked her and she looked at him with a duh expression.

"Why did you keep a condition of settling in USA for marriage?" He asked filling his cup again. Maitri pulled away the cup from him, telling him he had had enough.

"Papa... I don't know how to explain... I feel more comfortable, confident and independent there which I never felt in India. There is no one there to judge me when I make mistakes. I've seen and heard alot of things here for making slightest mistakes papa. Trust me papa it is not some random stubborn wish of mine, there's alot of background reasons to that condition which I won't be able to explain to you" She kept her gaze onto ground not knowing how to explain to him the inner turmoil in her.

"Maitri I'll say only one thing. Don't forget you are each other's better halves, if one half goes missing both of you will be incomplete and being incomplete isn't a good feeling. And remember one thing clearly, we all will be with you at your every step. Any time you feel you did fallen or defeated, we are there to pull you, okay" Rishav's words got her teary. She hugged him tightly and sniffled.

"Hey stop crying, Kayu will then say I made you cry" Rishav hit Maitri's head lightly making her smile and wipe her tears.

"I'll protect you don't worry" She said standing with an upright back.

"Aww how sweet" He said and both of them walked into the living room.

"Papa..." Maitri stood up thinking.

"Hmm?" Rishav looked away from the TV then at her.

"What is Maan's favourite dish?" She asked confused on what he likes.

"He's your husband, you should know. Why will I know?" Rishav teased her.

"One, because he is your son and two because I can't seem to understand what he likes. He eats everything that I make with equal excitement so I can't pick up on what his favourite dish is" Maitri sat down confused and looked at him for help.

"Ohhh...let's think what my dear son likes to eat" Rishav also started thinking of what Aryaman might like to eat.

"Does he like pav bhaji?" Rishav said remembering that Aryaman generally ordered pav bhaji when they went to a restuarant.

"I don't think so. He eat pav bhaji of a certain place only, probably something sweet?" Maitri sat on the floor making faces thinking of varieties of food he might like.

"Arya likes aloo paratha" Kaira sat down beside Rishav and said to Maitri smiling.

"I'll make aloo paratha for him then today and take it to his office" Maitri walked to the kitchen happily and started preparing for Aryaman's lunch. The helpers tried to intervene, but she wanted to do it for him so asked them to just stand. After she prepared the meal she served Kaira and Rishav who asked her to not do it and rather take the hot, piping delicious food to Aryaman and have lunch with him.

The driver drove Maitri to Aryaman's office and was respectfully shown the way to Aryaman's cabin. She knocked on the door and looked inside smiling to find him engrossed in work.

"Maan jii sunte ho?" She stepped in smiling playing with the end of her saree with a shy look as she placed the tiffin on the table. Aryaman looked up from the papers at her surprised at seeing her in his cabin. He stood up smiling and walked to her side.

"To what do I owe this beautiful visit by you" He asked circling his hands around her waist.

"A romantic lunch with your wife" She pulled the tiffin between them smiling. She pushed him away slightly and turned around to open the tiffin boxes as Aryaman got the plates. Both of them sat at the side table with Aryaman teasing her for her actions the earlier night.

"I want a recap of yesterday night" He said dipping the aalo paratha in curd.

"Don't even touch me for the next whole week. I'll need another person or else to carry me from one place to another" She placed the morsel in her mouth and moaned at the taste.

"How is the paratha?" She asked him when he didn't say anything about it.

"I believe in showing you how much I liked the paratha" He said finishing up all the parathas in the tiffin and moaned at the last morsel. Maitri looked at him shocked at how he finished a whole tin within minutes when she barely managed to eat half the paratha.

"Time for gift" He stood up and locked the cabin door and carried Maitri in his arms. She held his collars tightly fearing what came next.

He placed her on the table and sat on the chair.

"Spread" He pulled open the pleats of her saree and asked her to spread her legs for him. She held his hand to stop him.

"You'll go slow on me. It gets difficult for me to then do any other work" She said with pink cheeks. Aryaman pulled her closer to him by tucking her mangalsutra and she was face to face with him.

"I'll behave" He bit her rosy cheek and rode up the petticoat to pull down her panties. Right when they were starting to get into action, Maitri's phone rang disturbing the whole moment. Aryaman got her her phone and she saw Divya was calling her.

"Please naaa" Aryaman looked at her with a pout but she yet received the phone call apologizing to him.

"D..Di..Didi" Divya called Maitri in a broken voice causing her to immediately go into protection mode. seeing Maitri so lost and confused he helped her pull down from the table and asked her to keep the phone on speaker.

"Divi baby breathe first. breathe with me" Maitri hurriedly wrapped the saree around her and was panicking but Aryaman's firm grip on her shoulders and calm eyes held her down.

"Di woh papa...Mumma" Divya again started crying making Maitri look at Aryaman for help.

"Divi bachaa, breathe please. Where are you? Me and your Didi are coming to get you, where are you?"

"H..H..Ho..home" Divya replied still crying furiously.

Aryaman held her hand constantly showing her that he was there for her and drove as fast as he could to her home.

" Am scared Maan" She stood infront of the door of her house and whispered looking at him.

"Am there to hold you, protect you and fight for you... always" He kissed her forehead tightly and she nodded her head and squeezed his hand before ringing the doorbell.

Divya came running to open the door and hugged Maitri tightly at the first glance. Maitry was still confused about what happened such that Divya was wrapped around her like a koala bear.

She patted Divya's head and looked around to find her parents but both were missing.

"Where's mum and dad?" Maitri asked holding Divya close to herself, patting her so she'd stop crying.

"Room" Divya broke the hug and pointed towards their parents room. Maitri entered the room to find her parents sitting in the bed facing other directions.

"What's happening?" She asked trying not to fall weak.

" Am divorcing him" Juhi said standing up, wiping her tears and holding her head up in confidence. Divya and Aryaman who were at the door looked at Juhi in shock.

"Okay and?" Maitri said walking towards Juhi and hugging her tightly. Akshit and the rest looked at her in his disbelief. They still hadn't wrapped their heads around Juhi's words and Maitri was behaving normal. Divya started crying loudly and Aryaman wrapped an arm around her, knowing that Divya was shattered from within.

"She said she is divorcing me Maitri" Akshit repeated it to Maitri who looked up and pulled Juhi behind her.

" I heard that when mum said it, you didn't have to repeat" Maitri said in a neutral tone. She looked at Akshit with hatred in her eyes that Akshit had to take a step back at seeing such intensity. Aryaman looked between the three and was confused what to do, handle the crying Divya, take Juhi's side or stand by Akshit.

"You knew about this bullshit idea" Akshit threw a vase on the floor after a few seconds realizing that Maitri was aware of Juhi's drastic step. Aryaman pulled Divya behind protecting her from the glass shards where Maitri stood infront of Juhi like a steel wall who didn't even flinch once at hearing the impact of the vase hitting the floor.

"I did, so what? This is her life and her decision" Maitri said casually, pushing away the big pieces of glass on the side with her 4-inch heel.

"This isn't just her life, it is our both's lives. She can't take decision on my behalf" Akshit argued pacing around in the room, pulling his hair. Maitri rolled her eyes at him and held Juhi's hand and walked out of the room and took Divya's hand in another. She made both of them sit in the living room and got 2 glasses of water.

"You want to stay here or you are coming with me?" Maitri asked Juhi who sat there numb. Akshit walked out of the room furiously and tugged at Maitri's arm forcefully making Aryaman stand up angrily.

"Papa..." He took a step in there direction to pull Maitri out of his grip but before he could Maitri pushed Akshit away from her.

"If am not misbehaving with you then you also shouldn't" She said rubbing at the area he held her tightly.

"Is that how you talk to your father?" Akshit raised his hand to slap her but she held his hand.

"Father??? Good joke Akshit Rathore, good joke" She threw his hand away and laughed. She pulled her hair in a bun and tucked her saree end at her waist.

"Since when were you my father? Did you even once behave like my father? Were you there for me atleast once as a father? No...A huge no. I gave you all the time I could for you to behave like my father but you prefered to distance yourself from it so am sorry Akshit Rathore but you were and will never be my father. I gave you 18 years of my life for you to be my father, hoped that one day you'd be more than your parents' son and acknowledge your children but guess what, you never did and when you did you were too late" She said holding her tears at bay as Divya held Aryaman's hand tightly as she cried silently looking at her sister and her father have a one-on-one. Aryaman squeezed his hand telling her that things would be alright and she didn't have to worry.

Juhi stood up and walked in to the room and closed it from within. Maitri ignored Akshit and ran to the room worried that Juhi would take a wrong step. She kept banging on the door until Juhi said she was fine. Aryaman and Divya tried to hold Maitri from thinking of anything wrong. Aryaman hugged Maitri tightly and kissed her head, telling her it was okay for her to cry.

"If anything happens to mumma, I'll ruin his life" Maitri said looking at Akshit with anger and hatred who looked back at her angrily. Aryaman was still confused on why Maitri was behaving harsh with Akshit and how she held so much hatred for him.

Juhi walked out with a suitcase and stood infront of Akshit.

"Where are you going?" Akshit asked trying to hold Juhi's hands which she pulled back from him and placed the divorce papers on the suitcase.

"Am not going anywhere, you are. This is my house and am not leaving. I've packed your bags so you can leave. Stay with whoever you want to because I don't care. Up until now I ignored everything because I was worried for my daughters' future but now no more. My one daughter is married into a royal family and the other one is earning money enough for herself. Go to hell for all I care but leave my house" Juhi said sternly while Maitri supported her silently.

"I am a 50% owner of his house too" Akshit argued back and threw the papers away and was to return to suitcase to the room.

"We're... you were a partner not anymore because I bought your side without you knowing it. You ruined my life Akshit you ruined my whole life and this is the bare minimum I can do " Juhi said from behind agitating Akshit.

"I am not going anywhere. It is her...it is Maitri who's filling your head with nonsense. We are husband and wife, I won't let Maitri spoil our relation. You are my wife" Akshit knelt down infront of Juhi who looked at him with hate.

"GET OUT!" She pulled him up by his collar and dragged him to the door. He pushed her away and refused to leave.

"Juhi..please. Why are you behaving like this? Did someone mix something in your food?" Akshit asked desperately while Maitri scoffed sarcastically at him.

"This is all because of you. My wife is leaving me because of you" Akshit pushed pass by Juhi and was going to attack Maitri when Juhi came in between and refused him.

"When have you sat with me and said atleast two good things to me huh? All that's left your mouth were words of my death and after that my daughter is the one because of which this is happening?

I have warned you before and I will warn you again Akshit, say whatever you want to say but never go on my daughters or else I'll be the worse" Juhi protected Maitri and held Maitri's hand tightly.

"My daughters are my strength, my pride and my life, I won't hear anything against them. I would have kicked your stupid ass and ego long time back but I stayed back because my daughters deserved their rights on this house. I would have left you right when your mother said ill things about Maitri when she was born and she poisoned you against your own daughter such that you didn't bother seeing her for months. My parents were progressive enough to take me back but it was my decision to stay and give Maitri her right" Juhi slapped Akshit tightly and held him by his collars. Aryaman started realizing things and was joining the dots between today and the past times when Maitri mentioned her father. He could feel the connection of her actions today against Akshit.

"You forget Mr. Akshit Rathore that men laid their lives on the road I passed by but I chose you and what did you do? Leave me and my few months old daughter alone. You had nothing, absolutely nothing when I married you. Whatever you've earned till date is because of mine and my daughters' luck. If you thought all this is because of your parents' luck then you should have been at this stage when I married you. You transitioned from a bedsitter room apartment to a 3 bedroom apartment because of me and my daughters and yet gave the credit to your parents who were nothing but pieces of shit with tons of nonsense filled in them. They discriminated between my daughters and their favourite grand son, which grandparents do that in today's time?" Juhi kept talking without giving him a chance to speak. She was finally speaking her heart out after years and was glad that she saw this day sooner than she expected. Maitri was proud for the first time in a long time on her mom who was finally taking a stand for herself.

"I was not dumb who didn't know that her husband is cheating on her, I was ignoring it for the time being until my both daughters were no longer dependent on you. You lost my trust and my love when you wished for my death. But let me clear one more thing Akshit, if you slept beside me with the hopes of my death I did too sleep praying for your death because if you were gone I knew how to raise my children better than in your presence. What was it you said to me? I too wish a few moments of peace and you were having an affair behind my back, you think I didn't know that. I did but I ignored it. You wished for my death so passionately that god took away your parents in the way you wanted me to die. That's why they say never wish for someone's death because it can happen to you too. You know when I got to know about your affair I wasn't hurt that you cheated on me, I was hurt that I spent all these years leaving my dreams for a spineless man like you who did want a marriage but never wanted to behave like a man and take up responsibilities. On top of your behavior was your parents' stupid games on how to make you against me and my daughters. You were always on their side until they fortunately passed away, you realised you had a family when they were not there. Unfortunately for you by the time they decided to die and bless my life, you were long gone from my heart. I hated breathing the same air as you but I did so my daughters could become independent" Juhi spitted on Akshit's face and smiled widely knowing that she would no longer be in the same presence of his. She was free from the unwanted relation.

"You knew I cheated? If it is about that then am sorry. I shouldn't have, am sorry Juhi but please don't leave me" Akshit pleaded with her but Juhi stepped back with a smile.

"Either you leave respectfully or I'll call the guards" Juhi said walking away from him. Akshit tried going behind her but Maitri stopped him.

"Where to? Mum is no longer answerable to you. If you have anything to say, it shall be infront of the court and lawyers. You can leave. I prefer you sign the damn papers and let this go smoothly but incase you want more drama, bring it on" Maitri passed him the papers and the suitcase and asked him to leave. Divya ran behind Juhi as both the mother-daughter cried in each other's embrace.

"You.." Akshit stood infront of her angrily.

"Leave uncle. I don't tolerate anyone raising their voice infront of my wife" Aryaman stood infront of Maitri and said in a poilte tone asking him to leave. Seeing the intensity of his words, Akshit took the papers and his suitcase and left the house.

"Finally!!!" Maitri closed the door and breathed out with a smile.

"Pretty womens where are you? Dear husband why are you standing, sit" Maitri said all chirpy again and went to look for Divya and Juhi. She brought them inside the living room and made them sit. Juhi hid her face and cried.

"Woah mom, there's nothing left to cry about. We all looked forward to this day and am glad for it. Akshit Rathore deserved to be treated the way he treated you. Mumma he wished for your death every day, every moment of his life and I can't forgive him for that. I know it hurts to see the man you love the most turn into someone who you hate the most but mumma it is important for us to prioritise ourselves at times. You deserve to be treated better than he treated you. If you are worried about the world then they can go fuck themselves because you went through torture he and his family gave not them" Maitri knelt down infront of her and hugged Juhi who kept crying until she passed out. Aryaman stood in the balcony wondering how the man he idolised turned into a man he couldn't look into with his eyes at him.

Maitri handled the crying Divya and asked her that if she wanted to call Manav to be with her it would be fine and she'd stay over with Juhi for the night. Juhi talked to Manav on phone and Maitri came and stood beside Aryaman. He hugged her from behind, nuzzling his nose in the warmth of the crook of her neck.

"I didn't know uncle would turn out as such a man. Me, Raj and Manav idolised him as our role model but we didn't know he had another face too" Aryaman held her tightly as if he would break if he didn't hold her on tightly.

"You know I've spent those days wishing to come home and be by my mum's side and hold her hand and tell her that she doesn't need to waste her energy on man like him but I couldn't because I was creating a future for her where at least financially she is on her own and isn't dependent on him for anything. And for the worst part, I knew my mum's heart was breaking not because she knew he were cheating on her but because she couldn't believe herself that she loved and spent all these years with a man like you. He are such an ungrateful husband and a father that I am glad that mum has taken such a decision. In public he was a god's man but we know how he was. I don't consider anyone wrong who idolised him because he was good at his work but he was terrible at relations. Which husband wishes for his wife's death? I spent days fearing if something happened to mum what would I do? Its not a good thing to feel Maan" She laid her head on his chest and looked at the setting sun.

"I am going to always remain by your side and try not to be like him, I'll try" He kissed her cheek with a promise. Aryaman called at the Ranawats and told them that they were staying at Juhi's place for the night. Manav upon hearing a crying Divya left all his work and rushed to her home. He was welcomed by Aryaman who asked him to be silent since Juhi was sleeping. Divya pulled Manav to her room and cried to him about the day while he listened to her attentively. He made Divya sleep and walked out to ask Aryaman the whole matter who explained to him everything from his perspective. The men stood in the balcony for a while and looked inside to find Juhi sleeping with traces of tears on her face and realised the fear in Maitri and Divya was not just a silly fear but something that ran deep in them.

"Let's make dinner" Manav said noticing it was late. Aryaman nodded and they walked to the kitchen to find Maitri already preparing for dinner.

"Go sit with aunty, we will take care of dinner" Manav said hugging Maitri.

"You sure?" She asked looking at both who nodded their head. Maitri left the kitchen and walked to the sofa where Juhi was sleeping and layed her head on the sofa beside Juhi's and slept. Juhi's hand automatically went to Maitri's head as she continued sleeping.

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This is one of my favourite chapter I've written till date. I just love this chapter and its theme. What are your thoughts on it?