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A wave of emotion washed over Yashoda's face as she enfolded Nishita in a tight hug. "Kanha!" she cried, her voice thick with tears, "I can't believe it... you're going to be a mother!" She pulled back, wiping at her tears with a laugh. "Oh, Nishita! I'm going to be... to be a Dadi!" Tears streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall, uncontrollably as she stared at Nishita.
Nishita cried along with her. Wiping away Yashoda's tears, she confirmed, "Yes, Maaji, you are going to be a Daaadi!"
Witnessing the emotional scene, Bittu couldn't contain himself and started barking, his large, concerned eyes flitting back and forth between the two women, trying to decipher the situation.
"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?" Yashoda chided Nishita gently, a hint of worry lingering in her voice.
Nishita chuckled, the sound almost turning into a snort amidst her tears. "If I had told you yesterday, how would I have gotten to see your beautiful face crinkled up like this, huh?"
Yashoda playfully swatted Nishita's cheek. "Badmaash! You're such a naughty one, and you're going to be a mother!" A pause followed, then Yashoda queried, her eyes scanning around, "Where's Sher?"
"Oh, so now you remember your Sher, huh?" Nishita raised an eyebrow playfully. "When he was crying in front of you, you scolded him, huh?"
"Nishi!" Yashoda countered, shaking her head. "Just tell me, where is Sher?"
"He went to pick up Maa and Papa from the station," Nishita explained, wiping her cheeks. "I informed them yesterday, and they immediately wanted to come here."
"Of course, you did that!" Yashoda's eyes narrowed. "You told them everything but decided to play games with me, huh? All these surprises for your stupid Maaji? Did you run out of people to tease?"
Nishita giggled. "Come on, Maaji, I had every right to do this to you," she said, pulling Bittu onto her lap. "Weren't you the one who pushed me towards this whole marriage torment? A little payback is fair game, isn't it?"
"Acha! Payback, huh?" Yashoda clicked her tongue teasingly. "Well, 'my sweet wifey' doesn't seem like a torment."
"Maaji!"
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Jagdish hummed a cheerful tune as he unloaded the car, the setting sun casting long shadows across the driveway.
He gestured for Neelesh and Indira to hurry inside. "Let me take care of that, Neeleshji," he said, hefting a bulging suitcase with practiced ease. "Go on, Nishita's been waiting for you all day."
As he turned towards the house, a familiar figure standing by the doorway snagged Jagdish's attention mid-stride. His smile faltered, replaced by a gasp. Tears welled up in those beautiful brown eyes that held a lifetime of love, that he loved the most. "Maa?" he rasped, the word catching in his throat.
The suitcase slipped from his grasp with a dull thud, forgotten as his mother rushed forward. Her eyes were red-rimmed and filled with unshed tears. Reaching out, her hand cupped his face. "My Sher," she whispered, her voice thick with regret. "Can you ever forgive your Maa for being such a stubborn old fool?"
The dam broke within him. The hurt, the confusion, the longing that had gnawed at him for months spilled over. "Oh, Maa!"
He wrapped his arms around her frail frame, burying his face in her shoulder as a choked sob escaped his lips. "Maa, no! I know how much you love Papa..." he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. "I shouldn't have said..." his voice broke down.
"No, Sher," she murmured, stroking his back in a comforting rhythm. "It's my fault. I never explained, never made you understand..." Her voice cracked with emotion. "Veer was always there for Krishna and Subhadra when they were little, but you... you never saw what he feels for you..."
He tightened his grip, his body trembling slightly. "Maa..." he whispered, his voice hoarse.
"I was wrong to be angry, Sher, so foolish," Yashoda confessed, the weight of her pride finally lifting. "Maybe it's that stubborn Trivedi blood in me. Maybe it's that Yashoda Trivedi in me who cannot tolerate a word against her Veer." she sighed. "I carry a Singh name, but the Trivedis are notorious for their pride, too egoistic..." A wry smile touched her lips for a fleeting moment. "It took me far too long, Sher. Nishita called me regularly and informed me about you but I shouldn't have taken this long... I am sorry, you didn't deserve the pettiness of Yashoda Trivedi."
Jagdish couldn't speak, tears silently soaking Yashoda's saree. She saw in his quiet a mirror of the young boy who'd sobbed inconsolably over a lost cricket ball. The thought of her tiny son becoming a father brought a bittersweet smile to her face—how quickly time had flown.
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A/N
Jagdish's forgiveness might seem effortless, but it wasn't about needing his mother's apology. He just wanted her to sit with him and explain to him. Family always takes precedence for him. Unlike his siblings, Jagdish prioritizes love and care for his family, even if it means putting his own desires aside. This explains his closeness with Subhadra (quite a difficult character like Yashoda) and why he never voiced his wish to marry the girl in the photo whom he desired more than anyone. It was all fate stepping in.
Years later, his mother stumbled upon Nishita's profile once more and felt that she would be the perfect match for Jagdish. Unaware of Jagdish's interest in Nishita, she felt uneasy seeing Nishita's surprise at even the simplest revelations about Jagdish's likes and dislikes after marriage and confronted him where the whole drama started.
-This is a bit of a spoiler for those who haven't even read the blurb of my other books-
That's why this book is part of the "Destined To Be" series. Each love story in this series features couples brought together by fate. Whether it's Krishna and Samiksha, who met by chance, fell in love over the years, and reunited; Farhan, who never sought love, encountered Alisha in Tirora and kept meeting her over the years; Xavier, who had given up on love until Krithika accidentally came into his life; or Satya and Valmiki—each couple had lost hope of finding love or reconnecting with their loved one, but destiny brought them together.
Just thought to clear a few doubts and reason behind the name of the series, hehe.
"Abhi Mujhme Kahin" for my lovely Jagdish :)
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