Journey of Hope

CHAPTER:- 15

Ishaan's Pov

When I reached home, the environment was unusually silent. Silence in home literally meant that my mother was angry. And an angry mom was definitely not a sight to bear. At least not a pleasurable moment to instigate her anger more by doing our usual mistakes!

I carefully entered inside, making no noise. Our gardener gave me a look of pity. I gulped my saliva. Ashia! You played pretty well. Only if I had not bumped into her yesterday, there was not the problem at the first place.

Entering inside the living room, I scanned every direction and stopped on my track, seeing Mom. She was sitting on the sofa, pressing her own forehead.

I chose the safer side. I had to move inside, without getting into Mom's sight. Then I would have thought an out standing excuse to face Mom. Well, my room was a better place to think.

I took slower steps and carefully crossed the whole living room. I was almost near the stairs, when Mom's voice echoed in the whole room.

"Ishaan! Where were you all night?" I stopped myself from taking another step and turned around.

"I thought you know where am I!" I said, coming towards her. The best way to answer was repeat the question only, in a way that will look convincing.

"Just a single message stating that you are staying over at one of your friends' place is not enough for me to know your where abouts." Mom said in a stern voice. I sat beside her and took an apple to eat. "You haven't brushed yet, Ishaan. What's wrong with your habits?" Mom scolded, snatching the apple from me. I gave a longing look to my apple. No worries, buddy. I will eat you later.

"Come on, Mom. It's not like how you are thinking. She is just taking revenge on me." I cribbed. While Mom gave me an alien look.

"What are you speaking? Who is taking revenge on you?" She asked, and I realised what blunder I had created.

"Nothing, Mom. I just blabbered. By the way, I only sent you a message, right?" I asked.

"Yes." Mom said, eyeing me in confusion.

"No calls?" I asked, and she shook her head. "You sure?" I asked again.

"Of course. I am sure. It's you, who is talking non sense here." Mom said, with an disinterested face.

"What!" I said, being offended. "You did call me last night, and talked. Wait, I have proof." I pulled the phone out of my pocket. I searched the call log, and there was Mom's number. "See, you called. Your number is showing in the recieved call log." I said, carrying a winning smile on my face.

"That's because, when I called, you cut my call. Now you are teasing me, boy?" Mom said, pulling my earlid.

I opened my mouth and closed again, not knowing what to say. So she just cut Mom's call. And, I hadn't checked the duration of attending call. I just saw the number in recieved call log and became a fool

"Well played, little devil!" I cursed under breath.

"What are you muttering?" Mom asked, sceptically looking at me.

"Nothing, Mom." I said with an nervous smile.

"What nothing?" She asked again, raising her eyebrow. "Did you mention any 'she' here?" She asked and I gave a look of disbelief to her.

"Mom, yaar." I said, showing fake anger. "I was staying at Vineet's house. He had promised me to teach business maths." I gave the first excuse that came in my mind. Though, Mom was not convinced, still she nodded as if mocking me.

"Ok. Fine." Her voice was sarcastic. "By the way, Pratik has come here with Pratyasha. She is there in your room." She said and got busy with the newspaper.

"Why?" I asked in a loud voice. Well, that was due to shock. I did have a problem in sharing my things. I didn't like someone else touching my things.

"What do you mean by 'Why'? Pratik was here. I couldn't deny when that girl asked me the direction to your room. I just denied saying that, you have gone for a morning jog." Mom said with an irritated expression and continued reading the news paper again.

Well, Mom never liked Pratyasha from her childhood. According to her, she was a bad omen in the Ahujas' life. I ignored her sayings. After all she loved Aunt Sarmistha a lot, who was her cousin too. And it was not easy to accept her cousin's step sister as her own daughter-in-law. But Mom accepted the relation after Dad's death. And that surprised me the most. But, I just silently obeyed her, as I didn't want to hurt her emotions after Dad's sudden death.

"You lied?" I asked playfully.

"I did. I can't tell Pratik Ahuja that his soon-to-be son-in-law is at his some friends' home from night. Though I have contacted all his friends and nobody confirmed about he being in there house. So what should I tell him? That I don't know where my son is from night?" She said in a mocking tone, confirming that she hadn't bought the excuse of me staying over at Vineet's place.

Wait, she did confirm it last night only. She must have call Vineet asking for my whereabouts. And, he being an i***t would have denied.

"Mom! I am sorry. I just ended up in a new friend's house." I immediately apologized, as my lie was caught.

Mom had never a problem with my life style. But, after Dad's death, she became more possesive for me. I sensed her insecurities, so I obeyed her without asking a single question. But sometime, I too hurted her.

"New friend? In the effect of alcohol, you made a new friend?" Mom directly asked.

"Mom!" I was about to hold her hands, but she threw them in air.

"What Mom! I know about all your bad habits. But, what can I say to you. You are all grown up. Only if your father would have here...", and a tear drop left from her eyes, stabbing my heart.

"Mom! Please." I said, wiping her tears. Holding her palms together, I kissed them.

"Pratyasha is in your room. Go and drop her in the college, as soon as possible. I can't bear her in my home more." She said, turning her face to otherside. I smiled a little. Her way of showing anger was just too cute. And then after a little manofying session, she melted. But she won't accept and will show fake anger.

"And you are planning to bring her to our house forever." I said. "Why Mom? You hate her so much. Then why you want me to marry her?" I asked the question again. This was troubling me from day one. But whenever I asked Mom about this, she ended up the conversation abruptly.

"Because I love you. Pratyasha is good for your future. So I will bear her as your wife, though I hate her." She said, Caressing my cheeks. Her words were always like missing puzzles, and I lost myself inside their solutions.

"Mom..." I was about to ask her clearly about her desperation to do my marriage with Pratyasha, but a feminine voice interrupted me in the middle.

"Ishaan!" I looked behind, to find Pratyasha standing on the stairs. She stood there carrying the usual innocent smile on her face.

"Oh! Prati! Good morning." I wished her with a smile.

The start of our relation was not smooth. I always thought that she knowingly said a yes to our marriage proposal. I felt as if she was invading my personal space. That made me to dislike her. To satisfy my ego, I acted as a jerk with her. But from yesterday, our equation changed. I realised my mistakes.

Pratyasha was always scared of me, as I have always shown my anger on her. But our, yesterday's heart to heart conversation had made her comfortable around me. Earlier when Pratik Uncle asked me to drop her, she made a scared face. Even I showed my attitude. But, today, she was smiling. That meant, she had accepted my apology wholeheartedly.

"Prati! You guys are on nick name term now?" Mom said in a surprised tone. I didn't miss the hidden mockery inside her voice. Even Prati's face lost the smile, that she was carrying earlier.

"That's a long story Mom." I playfully said to ease the atmosphere.

"And I'm not interested to know that too, darling." Mom said with a tight lipped smile.

Not knowing how to handle the situation, I chose the safest option. It's better to keep both of them away. Neither Mom would be angry, nor Prati would be upset.

"Prati! Let's go." I said, and pulled Prati upstairs.

She stumbled a few steps due to my sudden pull. After we crossed the stairs, I took her to my room.

"Anisha Aunt is angry." She said, when we reached near my room.

"Yeah." I said, as I didn't know what's the actual problem.

Mom never liked Prati. But she only wanted me to marry Prati. And Prati knew about Mom's dislike towards her. But still she expected her to talk sweetly. Everything was so complicated with these two.

"I am sorry." My trance broke, hearing Prati's apologising.

"Wait, What?" I said being a little surprised. Why she was saying sorry!

"I always spoiled her mood." Prati said, sniffing a little.

Her tears, reminded me about Asu. How I wished to see my Asu's smile! To stop her tears, I did everything - from carrying her on my back to play with her barbie dolls. Her tears affected me a lot.

But, When I saw other ladies cry, I felt nervous. Because I had no idea how to comfort them! So I just teased them like a jerk.

"Come on, Prati! You are such a cry baby. Mom is actually angry on me." I wiped her tears, saying her the half truth.

Mom was definitely angry on me. But the reason of her sour mood was Prati's arrival only.

"You can't call me a cry baby, because I'm not. By the way, why Aunt is angry on you?" She said like a teacher. Then her last question left me in a awkward situation. I was still not habituated in sharing my whereabouts with Prati.

"I stayed at my friend's place last night and forgot to inform her." I said, seeing her excited face. I didn't want to hurt her again either.

"Ohh! By the way whose house you were staying in?" She asked me again. And here I lost my patience.

"You are worse than Mom. Tell me, why are you here?" I said showing my irritation.

"Baba has some important works to do." She shortly replied sensing my seriousness.

"So I am your driver for today?" I playfully asked to cover up my rude behaviour.

"I know how to drive too. But Baba isn't allowing me." She said, shrugging her shoulder. I sighed. Prati was a ease going girl. She never took my behaviour seriously on her heart.

"Fine then, you will be my driver for today." I said throwing my hand upward in air.

"Ohh, really?" She asked raising her eye brow.

"Yeah." I said hesitantly, seeing her smirking at me.

"Fine." She said, smiling cheekily.

I left her with a book on my room balcony and went inside washroom to freshen up.

After taking shower, I came out wearing casuals for college and prepared the necessities to take.

"Prati! Let's go." I called loudly.

"Yeah." She said, and ran towards the door.

"Hey, wait..." I shouted from behind. But she ran over stairs too. "Why are you in so hurry today?" I asked, catching her near the car.

"I have to take the keys. I will drive today." She said like a kid, showing the keys to me.

"Fine." I said, and sat inside the passenger seat.

"Don't know, what she learned from that little devil in one day!" I mumbled, when Prati excitedly start the car engine.