Chapter 132: chapter 132

MADHAVMere words cannot describe the anticipation and nerves I feel as I park my convertible at home. I quickly lock the car and jog toward the front door. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow across the sky, and I pause for a moment, taking in its beauty.Seven words keep ringing in my mind.I am going to be a father.I am going to be a father.I am going to be a father.I am going to be a father.I am going to be a father.I am going to be a father.Before I can press my finger against the biometric panel, the door swings open from the inside, and my beautiful wife stands before me. For a moment, we simply stare at each other. She is wearing her a green oversized T-shirt with grey pants. Her hair is up in a messy bun. Her eyes are filled with warmth and happiness.“Did you figure—” she starts to ask but squeals when I suddenly lift her up on her air, wrapping my hands around her knees. Her hands rest on my shoulders, and she looks down at me with a laugh.“Madhav!”“Sruthi,” I say with a grin. “I’m going to be a father, aren’t I?”She smiles shyly and nods. “Yes. We’re going to be parents.”I slowly put her down and pull her into my arms. Her body melts against mine, and I savor this moment with her.I am still scared of being a parent, but I vow to do my best. I will be the kind of father I always wished I had—a father who protects his children, teaches them, appreciates them, and is there when they need him.“When did you find out?” I ask, pulling away.Sruthi bites her lip, and I know I’m not going to like her answer. “Five days ago. I kept vomiting after breakfast, and Jaya Ma suggested I take a test. I did. Then I confirmed it with the doctor.”I narrow my eyes. “Five days ago? And you never thought to tell me?”I take a step back, looking away to hide the hurt in my eyes. She knew five days ago and kept it from me. Why? Was she afraid I would react the way my father did?The question lingers on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t want to ask it.“Madhav,” Sruthi’s voice is gentle. “It’s not what you think.”“Then why did you keep it from me?” I ask, meeting her gaze. A mistake—because she sees the hurt in my eyes. The next moment, her arms are around me in a tight hug. I try to remain stiff, but I fail. Because in her arms, I feel at home.“Holy God!” she sighs. “I didn’t hide it from you, idiot. I wanted to tell you in person rather than over the phone. I would have told you the day you got back, but then you met your mother. You looked so lost and confused afterward that I decided to wait until you were calmer. I was planning a big surprise—like putting baby clothes in your wardrobe or something crazy like that—but you were so worried about me today that I had to drop hints. I didn’t think you’d pick up on them.”I raise a brow. “You thought I was too stupid to realize what you were hinting at?”She gives me a sheepish look. “Don’t blame me. You were terrified of buying me sanitary napkins the first time we went shopping together.”I groan, knowing she’ll never let me live that one down. “That was different.”She cups my face in her hands. “So, are you still angry?”A slow grin spreads across my lips. “I am. But I’ll cool down if you kiss me.”Her eyes darken before her lips crash against mine. She devours me, her hands wrapping around my neck as she pulls me closer. I place my hands on her waist, kissing her back with the same fevered passion.This is it.There was a time when I wondered why I had to live this wretched life filled with misery. But now I know the answer.To love this amazing woman.To spend the rest of my life with her.She is the reason I look forward to tomorrow.She is my light in an otherwise dark world.We pull back for air, our foreheads pressed together, our heavy breaths the only sound in the house.“I’m happy,” I whisper. “Words cannot describe the joy I feel in my heart. I can’t wait to meet our baby girl.”“Girl?” Sruthi raises a brow. “You want a girl?”“Hmm.” I press a kiss to the column of her neck. She shivers, her fingers sinking into my hair. “Someone loving and caring like you.”“I want a boy,” she whispers as I press a kiss just below her ear. “Someone reckless and daring like you.”I chuckle. “I’m fine with that too.”She shakes her head. “I don’t mind if it’s a girl either. All I want is for our baby to grow up healthy and happy.”“He or she will—because we’re going to be great parents.” I promise.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥My palms are sweaty as I keep looking at the restaurant door. After three months of thinking and backing out, I am finally meeting my mother today. Sruthi told me about how my mother wants to make amends, but I am still scared.What if she talks with me and realizes that I am like my father and walks out of the restaurant? Or what if she—Relax, Madhav. You are overthinking.I can hear Sruthi's voice in my head. Thinking about my wife and the baby in her belly soothes me. If Sruthi's period hormones were bad, then the pregnancy ones are worse. Her morning sickness is terrible, and I feel bad seeing her suffer. She can barely keep food in her stomach before she starts retching.I always carry a sour candy with me for her. Vikram was excited about becoming an uncle and has freed me from work. He wants me to stay with my wife and take care of her.The door opens, and I look up to find my mother walking inside. Her eyes scan the room before landing on me. I give her a tentative smile, not knowing how to react.Her answering smile is bright, and it warms me. I let out a breath I wasn’t aware of holding. She takes her seat, and for a few seconds, we both just stare at each other.“Congratulations,” she says with happiness. “I heard about Sruthi.”A smile graces my lips at her genuine happiness for me. A weight lifts off my mind, and I find it easier to breathe. “Thank you.”“How are you feeling about it?” she asks someone knowing I want to talk about it. I am still scared of having a baby. What of I turn out to be a terrible father? Or what if my kid hates me? I pause for a few seconds before the words come out of me. “I am scared.”My mother takes my hand in hers and gives it a squeeze. Even without me spelling out what I am scared of, she knows. If there is one person who would understand what it was like to live with my abusive father, it is the woman sitting in front of me.“It is okay to be afraid. I still remember how nervous I was when I had you. But the joy of holding you in my arms was worth all those doubts.”“What if I become like that man?”“You are not him, Anand,” my mother says in a firm tone. “I am sorry for the words I said all those years back but know that you may have his blood in your veins but you are not him. You are different from him.”I know that but hearing it from my mother anchors that strongly in my mind. I am not my father. I am me and I will do my best to be a father worthy of my child.I nod and look away from her soul-searching gaze. “I am happy that you remarried,” I say, giving her my real smile.“You are?” she asks looking shocked. I nod. “I am. You look happy now, and that is what matters.”“Mani. That is the name of my husband now. He was my psychologist.”My mother pauses, and she gets a faraway look. Her eyes glaze over as if she is remembering painful times. This time, I am the one who squeezes her hand. She glances at it before continuing in a firm voice.“After you were taken to juvenile detention and I started attending the medical treatment given to me, I realized what a blunder I made by pushing you away. I am sorry for that, Anand. I was so convinced that I could change that man and neglected your welfare.”I open my mouth, but I don’t have any reassuring words to tell her because it is the truth. I close my mouth and wait for her to finish.“Mere words can’t describe the disgust and regret I felt with myself for talking to you like that in the hospital,” she swipes the tear rolling down her cheeks and takes a few deep breaths before continuing, “I know no excuse can be given for that rude behavior, but I am determined to make amends for it.”She looks away for a moment in despair like she still can't forgive herself for what she did to me before meeting my eyes with a fierce determination.“I don’t deserve it, but will you give me a second chance?”I suck in a sharp breath and try not to show how much it means to me to have her ask for forgiveness. Never in my life did I imagine having a conversation like this with my mother. I nod vigorously. I am suddenly the little boy who wanted to make his mother smile. The old protective feelings I had for her flare up in me.The waiter comes to our table, and I am glad for the distraction. I don’t think I can handle this heavy moment. When the waiter leaves after taking our orders, I ask, “Tell me more about your husband.”“You want to know about my husband?” she asks, surprised.I nod. “Of course, I do. Does he know about me?”“He knows everything that happened to me. Like I said, he was the one who helped me come out of the victim mindset I had. He showed me that love is all about giving and taking—not just giving. He made me see that what I had for your father wasn’t love but an attachment I was afraid to let go of. It took me months to heal, and he was with me throughout that journey.He lost his wife in an accident and was a single parent when we first met. His son, Gopi, reminded me of you strongly because of how close you were in age. That boy longed for a mother’s affection because Mani was always strict with him—but in a good way. Before I knew it, I was playing and spending time with Gopi. He was another reason I was able to heal faster. Things just fell into place, and I married Mani ten years ago.”“Did you ever try to find me?” I ask trying not to feel bitter about Gopi. I am not going lie. I am happy that she found her happiness but it still hurts little to know that another boy received her love and affection instead of me and he helped her heal from her scars of abuse. But in the end all that matters is that fact she is healed and happy now.“I did,” she says, holding my gaze. “I asked the juvenile authorities, but they told me they didn’t know where you were. Mani tried with his sources too, but we couldn’t find you. I always hoped that you were living happily wherever you were and wished to see you one time before dying.”“When did you get the tattoo?” I ask motioning to the swirling letters in her forearm.“A couple of years after that day,” she says. “I wanted to remember you even if you forgot me. I wanted to tell people about how you stood by side and was willing to do anything to protect me.”“You didn’t recognize me from the TV ads?” I ask, wondering how she would have missed them. I mean, I started appearing in all my jewellery ads for the past four years and most elderly woman recognize me at the first galance. It is a hassle to deal with them and their questions about discounts and offers whenever I go out in public but I am used to it by now.“Mani and I moved abroad after our marriage, so I didn’t know about the things happening here. I just heard about a teenage boy taking up the position of defense minister, but I didn’t give it much thought because politics is complex for me. We only returned to this country this year, and I did hear about you. The famous jeweller who got married to the defence minister's sister but I dismissed it because your name was different.It wasn’t until I saw you in Neetu’s classroom that day that I realized the country’s most renowned jeweler was the little boy who would scoff at me for buying too many bangles.”I chuckle at the childhood memory. She is right! I hated jewelry in my childhood. I never understood why my mother was obsessed with it. Even now, it is a mystery why some women are obsessed with it, but I am happy with the obsession—because that obsession is what keeps me in business.“I met Vikram, our current defense minister, in juvenile detention. He provided me with a living after I left. He is my best friend and I met Sruthi through him. It was love at first sight for me. She was the reason I kept going in my life. She made me see my worth and accepted me as I am.”My mother gives me a smile, “I have talked with her before but I had no idea she was the defence minister's sister. She is so simple and down to earth but on that day when you away to the parking lot and I tried following you, she asked me sternly to stop disturbing you. She told in clear words about how much I had hurt you and how she would do anything to keep you away from me if you didn't wabt me near with you.”I gaoe at her in suprise. I had no idea that Sruthi did that. She simply told me to take my time to think about what I want to do with my mother. She never pushed me for making amends or not. “She is fierce when it comes to people she loves.”My mother chuckles, “Yeah! I saw how much you were loved that day in her eyes. I was relieved that day to know that you have someone who loves you like you deserved to be loved. I am glad that you have good people in your life. I was afraid that you wouldn’t marry or fall in love because of the relationship I had with your father. I am happy that our relationship didn’t stand in the way of your happiness.”The waiter chooses that moment to arrive with our orders. We eat in comfortable silence. I feel light after talking to my mother. It fills me with joy to see my mother doing well in her life. I can't wait to get back to my home and tell Sruthi about how happy I am.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥A few months later...I pace the hospital corridor. The smell of disinfectant and medicine surrounds me. I can't sit still with all the nervous energy in me. Sruthi is in labor, and it takes every bit of my control not to bang open the door of the labor ward and demand to know how my wife is doing."Quit pacing, will you?" Vikram says from the waiting chair. Though his voice is chiding, he looks as excited as I am. He is wearing a coat suit, something he only wears to cabinet meetings. I frown at him. He isn’t the type to ditch a meeting. I have never known him to skip one."What are you doing here instead of attending the cabinet meeting?" I ask. I called him when Sruthi told me she couldn't bear the pain anymore and the doctors said it was time for her to go into labor. I didn’t expect him to come running here, but that’s exactly what he did. He has been waiting patiently, watching me pace the corridor ever since.His response is a casual shrug. "I’m here for my sister. You know, family always comes first for me. I still can't believe my baby sister is about to have a baby.""Your sister is not a baby anymore,” I say with a scowl. “She has grown into a strong and fierce woman."Vikram nods, looking a little wistful. "Yes, yes, I know. She’s no longer that small girl scared of the world. She faced death twice and came out stronger. Still, I can't stop myself from seeing her through the brother-tinted lens.""Isn't it rose-tinted glasses?"Another shrug. "Same thing.""Where is Nisha?" I ask. For some reason, I feel like having Nisha here would be less annoying than my best friend. At least she would know how to reassure me, unlike Vikram, who looks just as nervous as I am."She’s attending the meeting in my place.""I'm sure she’s fuming with anger,” I say with a chuckle.A small grin tugs at his lips. "I’m sure she is. Tell me a time when she wasn’t angry at me for assigning her work."I shake my head at him. "I can’t think of a time like that because you work her hard.""I don’t, Madhav," he says firmly. His eyes flash for a moment before a neutral mask slips into place. Many assume Vikram is the kind of guy who takes life easily. He is the defense minister and has a great strategic mind, but only I know how burdensome he finds his position. With no one to guide him, he paved his own way in the world of politics.I’m about to contradict him, but we are interrupted by the sound of footsteps. My mother and her husband come into view."Is she alright?" my mother asks in a breathless voice. She must have rushed here when I informed her about Sruthi."She is still in the labor ward," I answer. Over the past few months, I have been slowly rebuilding my relationship with my mother. I introduced her to Vikram, and he was shocked and furious to meet her. I had to restrain him from lashing out at her for how she treated me in the past, but he eventually understood that I was willing to make amends. Since then, he has treated her with respect as his in-law. My mother, in turn, treats him with politeness and respect.My mother greets Vikram before slumping down next to him. I give a nod of acknowledgment to my mother’s husband, Mani. I’ve talked to him a couple of times. He is a good guy—calm and quiet. Though we still have a long way to go, I am not yet ready to call him "father," despite his insistence. I have also met his son and wife, and of course, their daughter Neetu. She was the most excited one to learn that Sruthi and I are now related to her.The door to the labor ward opens, and all of us hold our breath in anticipation. The doctor emerges with a bundle in her hands. I run to her, and the grin on her face fills me with relief."Congratulations, Mr. Madhav," she says, handing me the bundle that is my child. "You are blessed with a daughter."I carefully hold the baby in my hands. My baby! My breath catches in my throat, and I feel an overwhelming love for this little being in my arms, along with an intense sense of protection. She is so tiny and fragile that I’m afraid of holding her. She is asleep with a soft smile on her face. Her cheeks are chubby, and her lips form a small line on her face. Her hair is thick and flops onto her forehead. I blink, realizing that my eyes are filled with tears."She is beautiful and looks like Sruthi,” Vikram says, then does something unexpected. He leans next to the baby's ear and whispers, “Hey, this is your uncle Viky. I can't wait to get to know you.”My heart warms at the soft expression on his face. I can see he already adores his niece and that he is going to pamper her endlessly."May God bless my granddaughter with all the good things in the world," my mother says, touching my daughter’s forehead gently. My daughter!"How is my wife, doctor?" I ask."She is doing fine. You can go see her. I’m sure she’s excited to see you.""You go in and have a moment with her. We will come in after a few minutes," Vikram says, giving my mother an understanding look. My mother nods. I’m not sure what to say to that. Vikram has changed over the months. If he were the old Vikram, I’m sure he would have run in to check on his sister’s safety. But now, he has enough confidence and trust in her. He isn’t overly worried like before and trusts me to take care of my wife.I walk into the labor ward, carrying my little daughter. My little daughter! I can't take my eyes off this cute little bundle of joy. I can already envision her growing into a beautiful and strong woman. I stop near the bed where Sruthi is lying. At the sound of my approach, she slowly opens her eyes. She looks pale and drained, but her eyes are filled with happiness.I lean down to press a soft kiss on her forehead. "Did you meet our daughter?"She nods weakly. "She has your eyes. I heard the doctors talk about how gray they were."That makes my heart go all mushy. I grin at her. "Your brother thinks she looks like you."She scoots a little on her bed, and I place the baby in that space. Sruthi watches our little baby with so much love and adoration in her eyes that I am enthralled. I could watch my wife adoring our daughter for a lifetime."She is destined to become the next defense minister," Sruthi whispers, reminding me of the decision we made."Yes, and I will make sure she knows everything there is to know about protecting herself before she takes up that position.""Something tells me she will take after you in that regard. She will become a great fighter like you," Sruthi says, poking our daughter’s plump cheek softly. "She looks so tiny and fragile.""I agree with that, but she will grow into a fierce and strong woman like you," I say, knowing with conviction that it will be true.“I can't wait for that day,” Sruthi murmurs, meeting my eyes.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 END OF STORY❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥A/N:Hey all people!Okay! So, this is it. The real end of Sruthi and Madhav's journey. Don't worry people! They will make appearances in Vikram and Nisha's journey. I will soon come back with their story. A big thank you for everyone who kept reading this story. Thank you for your support for the bonus chapters. I wasn't sure you would read it but the response for the bonus chapters were as overwhelming as it was for the series. I have started Vikram and Nisha's story. To be honest, I have only penned down the prologue of their story but I have an clear outline and it will take me some time to work it out. So, please be patient with me. I promise to come back with their story and another one. This time I will make sure to publish regularly and not to disappear on you without notice.Do follow me on Instagram for more updates. Yep! I am on that platform. I don't why I opened an Insta account but I am planning to post updates there and maybe some spoilers? I am not sure what it is going to be but let's leave it to the fates and hope it will be something interesting and worth your time.With that final note, I am bidding you a short farewell. Meet you all again in a three or four months time probably with two series? ( Not sure but will try my best).Once again, Thank you so much for the support and love you show to me and my series. Without that, I wouldn't be where I am today. With an overwhelming heart of gratitude,-H S Ragavi.