A New Life-part 3

Thank you everyone for an amazing review. I’m sorry that I have not been able to post this article as soon as possible, but I hope you all enjoy.

Part 3

Shivay and Anika stand shocked hearing what the judge had to say and watch his retrieving figure.

“Oh my matha, what nonsense? I thought today all our troubles will leave us but now we have to wait for a whole year for this girl to leave?” Everyone turns to look at Pinky as she kept rambling on and on about the judges verdict. Hearing her ramble both Shivay and Anika comes out of their state of shock and turn to look at one another. Anika looks down and away from Shivay and moves to walk away. She starts walking to the entry way of the court room when Dadi calls out to her.

“Puthar, where are you going? Didn’t you hear what the judge said? You are still the bahu of our house and that means that you will come with us to our house. That house is yours.” Dadi says holding Anika’s hand.

“Yes Bhabi. Please come home now. It’s very boring without you there. Please bhabi, please come with us.” Rudra pleads with Anika coming and holding her shoulder. Om comes and stands next to them showing his support to Anika.

Anika shows a faint smile and looks at the three of them and then looks back to the rest of the family behind the three. Tej and Shakthi looks on, while Janvi, Priyanka and Sowmya also smiles at Anika. Pinky, Tia and Mrs. Kapoor are standing to the side looking very much angry while Shivay looks on with a blank face. Anika turns her head to Dadi, “I’m sorry Dadi but I can’t come there. Thank you for accepting me as the house’s bahu, but Dadi, when I don’t accept this marriage how can I come there as a family member, as a bahu of this family? Please Dadi, just let me go. I know the judge said that we can’t get a divorce now since this marriage is only a few weeks old and that we have to wait for a year before petitioning to the court for a divorce, but he didn’t say anything about me coming to live with you guys. I can stay alone and when the year mark comes Mr. Oberoi can re-send me the divorce papers and I will sign them and send them back for us to process this divorce once again.” Saying this, she looks right at Shivay. She looks back at Dadi, “please dadi?” she pleads her case to Dadi, but Dadi being Dadi does not agree with her.

“Puthar, I understand everything that is going on in your head and heart, but this is a marriage a relation.” Dadi says while OmRu try convincing Anika. With every plea of Anika to leave the Oberoi mansion, Dadi, OmRu, Priyanka, Sowmya and Janvi has a rebuttal for it. After a lot of heavy argument and trying to convince Anika, Dadi finally says, “Ok, puthar, I understand. But puthar you are this house’s bahu.” After saying this she gives a quick and glaring look towards Pinky, Tia and Mrs. Kapoor. Then turns her head to Anika and says, “If you don’t want to live at Oberoi mansion that is fine.” This shocks everyone. Shivay, who was looking down all this time, looks up at Dadi, his eyes wide, clearly showing how shocked he was with Dadi’s statement. Ignoring everyone who looked like they wanted to argue with Dadi, she continues, “You don’t have to stay at the mansion.”

“Thank you Dadi.” Anika who was about to hug Dadi to show her gratitude, is stopped by Dadi’s hands.

“No puthar, I said you don’t have to stay at Oberoi mansion, but you will be staying with us.” This confused everyone. “You will stay at the Oberoi guest house.” This shocked everyone.

“But mummyji, how can she stay there?” Pinky asked her and was about to start her ramble on why it’s not a good idea but before she can say anything dadi interrupted her.

“I didn’t ask anyone for their consideration on this matter. I am telling you all that Anika will stay at the guest house. She will be staying there, and I will not be taking a no for an answer,” saying this she looks at Anika. Anika looks at Dadi and wants to argue with her but Dadi stops her with her hands and says, “I understand that you are independent and can take care of yourself but puthar, you are a part of this family and therefore will have to stay with us. Until I am alive I will not let anyone members of my family live separately. You are this house’s bahu and will be this house’s bahu. Now come we have a lot of things to do to get you settled into the guest house.” Saying this she takes a hold of Anika’s hand and taker her with her and makes her sit in the car with her. Everyone follows them to the car.

At Oberoi mansion…

Everyone gets out of the car and starts walking into the home, but Anika stops by the car. Dadi notices and turns and asks Anika about same. Anika keeps her head down and looks uncomfortable, making Dadi realize what Anika is going through. Dadi takes Anika’s hand in her own and takes from out back to the back of the Oberoi mansion where the guest house is located near the back of the compound. She points out the house and tells Anika, “that is the Oberoi guest house where in which you will stay.” She turns to Anika, holds her hands and says, “Anika puthar, I would prefer that you stay in the Oberoi mansion with us, but I can understand your feelings about coming into the house after everything that has happened.

Today when we left the house to come to court for your hearing, there was a part of me that was hoping that you will not be there, and so the hearing will be pushed back and I can do everything in my power to make the two of you stay together. But then when we got there and saw you already sitting there, all my hopes shattered into pieces. I wanted to come over to you and talk to you and put some sort of sense into you about relation, marriage, and everything, but then I realized what your state of mind is and so I let it be.

I wanted to apologise to you on behalf of my daughter-in-law and grandson, but I know that is not what you want and so I kept mum. That judge sir made me the happiest old lady in this universe when he said that the two of you couldn’t get a divorce today. I was praying to all of the gods in this world for some miracle and with those words of the judge I understood that the gods had heard my prayers. Please puthar, until you feel comfortable to stay in the house, stay here.” Dadi looks at Anika with pleading eyes.

“Dadi, I don’t know if I will ever be comfortable to come back in that house, but I will for your sake stay in the guest house. But Dadi, you have to accept my conditions, and if only you accept them will I stay here, else I will move out as soon as possible.” Anika tells Dadi. Anika knows that no matter what she says and how she argues her case to not stay anywhere near the Oberoi family, Dadi will guilt trip her into staying there only so she decided to accept Dadi’s offer but only on a few condition. She had decided no matter what Dadi will have to accept her conditions if she wanted her to stay there.

“Okay puthar, what is it? What are the conditions?” Dadi asks Anika.

“First, Dadi, I want to be able to work. I know you will have no resistance on this matter, which is why I am telling you that I will look for a job, well I kind of already have one but I just want you to be okay with me continuing my work. Second, I want to pay rent to stay here.” Seeing Dadi about to argue, Anika stops her and says, “I know you will not take any money from me, but Dadi I don’t want to stay in this house as a free-load. You have to accept this condition or else I will not accept to stay here. You can tell me the rent price as you wish. Third, I want to pay off my debt to Mr. Oberoi, for both the house and Sahil’s school admission. Is it okay if I give you the money for you to give him? Please Dadi, I just don’t want to speak to him or see him.” Anika looks at Dadi, who acknowledges her requests with a nod, which makes Anika happy. “So those are my condition. If you are okay with these three conditions, then I will accept to your offer to stay in this house.” Anika looks at Dadi.

Dadi wanted to say no to Anika’s second and third conditions, but knew if she said no Anika will just leave from there. She was about to say something when something from behind Anika caught her attention. She noticed her three grandsons standing near and listening to their conversation. Dadi looked at Shivay who was looking at the back of Anika’s head. She then looked back at Anika and said, “If these are your conditions, then I accept. I will accept all of your conditions, just to keep you in this house and near me. You can continue with your work, you will pay rent in the price of Rs. 1900 and you can pay back Billu in any amount you set. Is that okay with you?” Dadi now turns the tables on Anika, who looked like she was thinking about something.

“Dadi, rents are more expensive these days in houses that looks like they need to be demolished and re-built, but you are telling me this price for a house that looks like a mansion itself. Dadi, this cannot be the price of the rent, please Dadi tell me a market value price for rent, not a heart valued price.” Anika said to Dadi. She still has no idea that Shivay and OmRu are behind her listening to their conversation. Daid who was watching Shivay all this time to see his reaction, turns her head back to Anika.

“Puthar, I understand that market value for rent is expensive, but this is the price of your rent. I will not change it and that is that, no more arguments on this matter.” Saying this she takes Anika’s hand and starts walking to the guest house. She opens the door and gives Anika a key to the house and says, “Here is the key to the house. As I said earlier, you can stay here until you feel comfortable to move back into the main house. You are still a part of our family, and therefore can come in the house as you wish. Come I will show you around the house.” Dadi takes Anika in for a tour of the house.

After the tour of the house Anika and Dadi come out of the house where they see the brothers standing by the entrance. Anika looks down and away once she spots Shivay, while Dadi questions the three about their presence.

“Well Dadi, I just wanted to see if bhabi liked the house,” Rudra replies while going over to Anika and hugging her from the side. “Bhabi, I am so happy that you came back. Now we can play pranks on these two and you will be on my side so that I won’t get in trouble. Right Bhabi, you will be on my side, won’t you?” showing his puppy-face look to Anika who just smiles back at him and pats his face and nods her head in acceptance.

Om looks at Shivay and says to Anika, “Anika if you need anything, please let us know and we will get it for you. You don’t have to worry about anyone when you have your two devars to stand by you at any costs.” He goes over to Anika and hugs her from the opposite side to which Rurdra still stands clinging to Anika.

Anika smiles looking at Om and also nods her head to show that he understood and accepts his offering as well. She then looks over at Shivay and turns her head to Dadi and says, “Dadi, if it’s okay with you can I go back to my house to get my stuff?” Dadi nods her head and tells her to go safely and to take OmRu with her. The three leaves from there. Anika walks past Shivay ignoring him.

Shivay who just watched Anika leave with his brothers looked somewhat relieved that Anika took Dadi’s offer to stay in the guest house but also stood a bit tensed for unknown reasons? He looked up when he felt Dadi’s hands on his shoulder. “What’s wrong Billu? Why do you look sad? Is something wrong? Did I make any mistake in keeping Anika in the guest house?”

Shivay just shook his head no and walked away from there. He couldn’t say anything to Dadi as he himself didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if he was happy with the outcome of today’s events. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or upset with the judge’s verdict on their divorce hearing, or if he was happy or mad at Dadi’s offer to let Anika stay in the guest house, or even if he was happy or upset that Anika only accepted to stay in the guest house as long as Dadi accepted her offer to pay rent and pay him back for the debt of the house and Sahil’s admission. Nothing was making any sense to him. He continued walking into the main house and into his room. He sat on the bed just reminiscing on today’s events as well as his moments with Anika.

Precap: I’m not sure, lets see where my imagination takes me…