Tied by Destiny (Completed)

Chapter 13

Aadhira was holding little Reyaansh in her arms and acting as if she is dancing with him. He was moving his head to the song and clapping his hands. She kept giggling dancing with him while Karthik was standing there not knowing what to do.

Arjun and his wife Mallika were smiling looking at Aadhira with Reyaansh. Arjun looks at Karthik who kept looking here and there "Can I talk to you", Karthik nods. Arjun takes him aside "Aadhira is like a sister to me Karthik.. she may talk a lot and she also talks right to the face.. so she may sound rude at times.. but she is a child by heart..

She is actually more childish than my son who is just 3 years old.. stuffed toys make her happy.. if you give her chocolates she will forget the world.. food is her best friend.. she would fight the world for the people she loves.. she plays dumb little pranks.. well she calls them pranks.. and we all act as if we are caught in the pranks just to make her smile..

In the end her one smile soothes everyone who works in our Glee Paradise.. most of those who work there either elderly people who were either left behind by their children or some young educated ones who are struggling to find a job.. she had visited an ashram once and she saw some of them struggling for their livelihood.. she offered them a job to support their livelihood.. they all took it up happily..

I was okay with her offering job to young ones.. but elderly people.. I was hesitant on how they would do the job at this age.. I asked her why don't you just offer them money if you want to help them.. why are offering them a job at the age of 60 and above.. you know what she said.. they all are not kind of people that would take up money from charity.. they are people who have worked hard their whole lives to bring up their children.. even if their children left them they didn't loose hope.. they are still trying to get some work so that they can run their livelihoods.. offering them money would be disrespecting them..

a respectful livelihood is what they want.. so let's offer that to them.. Since then she loves them all like her own.. and they all love her like their own child.. she is childish but mature when she needs to be.. please keep her happy.. she is special to all of us..". Karthik hears everything that Arjun says and gives him a small smile "I will try my best Arjun". Arjun smiles at him "Thank you".

They both go back, Karthik sees that Aadhira was still dancing with Reyaansh. He thinks not to disturb her and goes to find his friends. He sees his friend Yash standing in a secluded corner looking gloomy and shedding tears looking at something. He follows his line of sight and finds Aadhira's friend, Unnati leaving with someone.

What happened to him.. why is he looking at her with so much longing.. there was only one girl in his life and its been long since she left.. since their marriage ended.. is he thinking of her.. wait is she the same girl.. her name was Unnati.. is this Unnati the same one.. time to find out

He goes near Yash and puts his hand over Yash's should "Yash what happened.. why are you shedding tears.. why are looking at Aadhira's friend like that". Yash keeps looking at her till she is out of sight "She is my Unnati.. my darling.. my atom bomb.. but now I have lost the right to call her 'my'..". Karthik looks at him shocked "You mean she is the same Unnati", Yash nods still looking into the direction she left.

Karthik hugs Yash as he breaks down "Hey.. did you talk to her", Yash nods "I tried.. but she.. she didn't listen to me.. just like I didn't.. I.. I thought I was fine without her.. I would be able to stay away from her.. her memories are just enough.. but after seeing her I cannot.. I cannot think of leaving her.. but also I don't want to be near her and hurt her more.."

Karthik pats his back "Okay Yash calm down.. we'll think of something..". Yash moves back "No Karthik.. if I go into her life again.. I will end up hurting her again.. she hates me.. she doesn't even want to see me.. a misunderstanding and anger can create such a big damage Karthik.. I didn't know this before.. but now I understood.. you don't do this mistake Karthik.. if at all you and Aadhira end up in a misunderstanding.. please talk it out".

Yash leaves from there wiping his tears. Karthik keeps thinking of Yash's words as he goes back to the party. Everything that Arjun had said keeps revolving in his mind, could it all be a misunderstanding.. but.. but how.. how could whatever I saw in front of my eyes and heard with my ears be wrong.. but with everything that I'm getting to know about her why does it feel like she was never the girl I thought her to be..

He sees Aadhira playing around with Reyaansh trying to feed him food. He smiles as he remembers how she used to run away when her mom would try to feed her anything that tastes bitter.

Flashback begins..

Karthik's mom and dad had gone out of town due to some work commitments leaving Karthik at Aadhira's house. He was more than happy to stay back and that too with his Aadhu.

Aadhira was waiting for him to complete his homework so that they can play, she kept looking at him as he was writing in his notebook. She too wanted to write seeing him, she keeps interrupting him while he was doing his cursive writing homework in the four line notebook.

He smiles and makes her sit on his lap and holds the hand of a two year Aadhira helps her write alphabets. She starts giggling and clapping after scribbling in his notebook. He smiles and erases all her scribbling from his notebook and lets her write her own newly created alphabets on a paper.

Once he completes his homework, she calls him to play hide and seek. Aadhira had gone to hide while Karthik was going to find her. Karthik was counting backwards from 20, she was running around the living room holding her Pingu.

He could hear the loud 'gal gal' sound of her anklets as she runs around. Suddenly the sound stops and he understands that she found her hiding spot but he understood that she is still in the living room.

He opens his eyes "Aadhu I'm coming", he runs behind the sofas to check if she is there but she wasn't. He looks around the living room, he chuckles when he sees her little feet from behind the long curtains of the living room's window.

He tiptoes near her "Aadhu where are you.. Haww Aadhu did you do magic and disappear". She giggles hearing him, he chuckles again "Aunty Aadhu disappeared.. you give me the chocolate cake you made.. I will eat.. Aadhu doesn't want".

She pushes the curtain and comes out "Mummmm.... Naaaa.. choco cake.. Aadhu cake..". Karthik laughs seeing her pouting for the cake "There is no cake Aadhu..", he shows his tongue to her and runs off.

She runs behind him "Kalthiii", just then her mom comes out of the kitchen "kids lunch time.. come on sit down". Aadhira and Karthik go to the dining room, Karthik climbs on the chair and sits on it. Aadhira too tries but with her being small and holding her Pingu in one hand she was not able to climb on the chair.

Karthik giggles looking at her while she just crosses her arms over her chest pouting. Her mom brings their food soon, she looks at her mom and opens her arms wide asking her to lift her "Mumm..". Her mom smiles, she lifts her and makes her sit on the chair.

She turns to Karthik and shows her tongue trying to tease him while he just chuckles looking at her. Soon her mom serves the food, she had made sambhar, rasam and bitter gourd as a side dish.

Aadhira's mom feed them both, Karthik eats quietly as he likes bitter gourd but as soon as Aadhira tastes the first bite she makes a face to show that it doesn't taste nice. She was tasting bitter gourd for the first time and she didn't like the taste "Mumm.. Naaaa.. wackk".

Her mom smiles "Aadhu see Karthik is eating.. you should also eat.. it will make you strong girl". She again feeds Aadhira and Aadhira ends up making faces again. She didn't like the taste at all, she looks at Karthik wondering why he isn't making any face.

When her mom brings the next morsel near her mouth she slides down the chair and runs off "Aadhu no eash.. wackk..", she keeps running about the living room with her mother running behind her.

Just when her mother was about to catch her "Aadhu.. come back", when she escapes and runs off again, this time inside a room. She runs inside and goes to hide under the bed..