Journey of Hope

CHAPTER:- 20

Pratyasha's Pov

Aunt Mary was definitely a good cook. She was a white lady in her late forties. Her blonde hair made her extra gorgeous. Her hands had the magic, that made you to cherish her handmade food. We were still at Ashia's place, eating lunch. The dining table was so large, at least forty people can sit here for lunch at a time. Everything here was so classy, with a touch of modern tech. The table was filled with different types of cushions. To be honest, they were too delicious. Ishaan was eating, as if he was famished from long ago. Ashia was taking each bite, cherishing the taste.

But, I couldn't eat peacefully. My mind waa still stucked in My mother's room. I have never seen her. She died while giving birth to me. Then Baba didn't leave any chance unturned to care for me as both father and mother. He married Sarmistha Mom for me, but she never loved me. Prajwal and Pratyush were born. They became the favourites of everyone. While I was always left alone.

Nobody loved me except my Baba. And the reason for everyone's hate was my mother. She had hurted everyone. I heard from Dadi that my mother was a selfish lady. She always wanted to leave alone with Baba. But, Baba was not ready to leave Dadi alone, and that's how problems started in between them. According to Dadi, this was the only reason why she died! Dadi said that my mother tried to separate Baba from Dadi, that's why God separated me from my mother.

Well, as a child, It was difficult for me to adjust. Our teachers said, mothers are the angels. They are the fairies, who takes care of us as God's messengers as God can't look after everyone at a same time. While, All I have heard about my mother was, she was a rich spoilt princess of her father.

There was a time, when the young rebel me, opposed everyone to curse my mother. And that day, I got Dadi's slap for the first time. And later on the slap increased to the next step - physical abuse. That night I cried a lot. I decided to tell everything to Baba.

Baba came home at night. He was still in his office wear, when he came to my room. It was his usual routine, to wish me good night before going to sleep. Usually I slept, as he came late night due to his busy schedule in office. That day too he was late, but I was awake. When he caressed my forehead and mumbled a 'good night', I rose from the bed. "Am I really your princess? Like my mother was - the rich spoiled princess?" I asked him in teary eyes.

"Princess..." He said in a surprised voice. He had nothing to say.

"Answer me, Baba. Why everyone was talking bad about my mother? If she was a princess of her father, then I am too! Am I like her? Answer, Baba." I screamed to get my answer.

The seven year old girl inside me was tired of hearing bad about her mother. I was love deprived. The motherly figure in my life were two persons - Dadi and my Step Mom, Baba's second wife - Sarmistha Ahuja. From my childhood, I tried to get their attention, but I never succeed. The way, they loved Prajwal and Pratyush, they never even looked at me in this way.

I always waited for Sarmistha Mom to lovingly feed me breakfast, like she did to Prajwal and Pratyush. I waited to be loved and pampered by her, but all I got was hateful gazes. It didn't take me a long time to understand that she hated me. She showed off her fake love and care, only in front of Baba.

While Dadi was too honest with her act. She showed her hate towards me, even in the presence of Baba. Though in front of Baba, she only verbally abused me and behind him it went on till physical beating. And that day, I had enough and I waited for Baba to come. Then I poured my heart in front of him.

Baba only kept looking at me. He didn't utter a single word. His eyes were glistened. It hurted to see my superhero like this. I had never seen him cry like this. He hugged me and cried. I was just seven years old, but I caressed his hairs.

"Baba! Please, don't cry. I won't trouble you with these questions again. I promise, I will be a good girl, your good girl. Please, stop crying." I too cried, while consoling him.

"You are not like your Mom, Princess." Baba said, detaching the hug. "You are my princess, my innocent princess. Your mother never consoled me like this. All she had always was complains against my mother. When I got the news of your arrival in our life, I tried to adjust with her. I fulfilled her every wish. Indeed she gifts me with the best present - that's you." Baba said, caressing my cheek. His teary eyes were still unbearable for me. I wiped his tears. He smiled. "But you know, your mother had never accepted me. She didn't tell me about her complications in pregnancy. She died and her mother complained against me in the police station. I was arrested. There were charges of murder against me. That phase was too painful. Your mother died, but she separated the new born you from me. I shouldn't have said all these things to you, princess. You are too small. But you are never like your mother. She was too cunning and you are too naive. Now sleep." I slept as Baba kept patting my forehead.

From that night, I hated my mother. I hated her for making my Baba cry. I hated for letting everyone hate me. I hated her for leaving me and my Baba alone.

I accepted everyone's hate, because I deserved this. Being the daughter of Adyasha Ahuja, I was meant to be hated. Growing older, I tried to find out about my mother's death. Baba was indeed right. She died due to complications during pregnancy. And then her mother complained against Baba. I saw the police report. My Baba was in prison for almost a month. Then Police couldn't prove him guilty, as God was in his favour. The complaint was filed my Sunanda Bharadwaj, my grand mother, who couldn't survive a cardiac arrest. And her husband, Raghav Bharadwaj disappeared suddenly.

Maybe this was the way of God to do justice. I accepted my fate. At the same time, I expected to be loved by everyone, one day. It wasn't too much to ask, but for me, it was.

"Prati! Why are you playing with the food?" Ashia's question broke my trance.

"No... I am eating only." I hurriedly replied feeling everyone's gaze upon me.

"You haven't taken a single bite dear. Is the food not tasty?" Aunt Mary asked. Tears brimmed in my eyes, but I bit my inner cheeks to stop them. For the first time, I had felt a motherly affection.

"Leave her, Aunt Mary. She doesn't know the real taste. She always eats like this, as a bird." Ishaan said, taking another bite.

I glared him. Even Aunt Mary slapped him on his shoulder. "Don't hear him, dear. Tell me about your liking, I will cook it for you." Aunt Mary lovingly said, patting my cheeks. I felt overwhelmed at her gesture. Nobody has ever asked me about my liking.

"Whatever you have cooked with love." I said and started to eat. Then I cherished each bite.

"Woah! That's cheesy, Prati." Ishaan whistled.

"Silly boy! Behave at dining table." Aunt Mary slapped his shoulder again. He pouted and again started eating.

Ashia was all the time admiring us. I looked at her and smiled. After she came into my life, I had got love. A bestfriend inside her, a friend inside Ishaan and a mother inside Aunt Mary, I was grateful to Ashia for coming into my life. She had definitely an aura of magic around her.

I did a mistake by doubting her. Definitely she had no idea about my mother's real self. She was just awed with the fact that she was the naive princess of Raghav Bharadwaj. She didn't know much about her doings at her in laws. I shouldn't have behave badly with her.

"What's wrong Prati? Eat." Ashia said. I shook my head in no and continued to eat, carrying a smile on my face.

After eating the lunch, three of us went to Ashia's room, which was originally my Mom's. Then we strolled around the mansion. I collected each memory of my mother. Well, Ashia knew about Bharadwajs quite well. I got to know a totally different story from her about the Bharadwajs.

But this time, I didn't concluded. Baba was not lying. He always had been honest to me. Neither Ashia was lying. She was just a few days friends of mine. But I started to trust her. After all she was the only one, who brought a different side of life, in front of me. From letting me learn driving to talking with Ishaan differently - I had started to change. But, I knew that the change was needed for good.

Now, Ashia was showing me a different perspectives about Bharadwajs. And I didn't accept her story completely but decided to take a look into it.

It was high time for me to run away from the truth. I had heard only stories about my mother. Now I will dig into the past to know about her. Baba had told me how my mother and his first wife - Adyasha Ahuja was a cunning lady and Ashia had told me, how Ashia Bharadwaj was an innocent princess of Raghav Bharadwaj. But none of them were acceptable at a same line.

"Prati! Where are you so lost?" Ishaan asked.

"No. I'm not." I said.

"You are." He argued. "I am noticing you. You are behaving strange, from the time we have came here."

"Oh really. You are noticing Prati?" Ashia said, in a teasing manner.

"I even noticed you too. Infact... I am planning to take over this mansion. As the previous owner has no existence, why don't I take a chance on the current owner?" Ishaan asked, winking at Ashia.

"Well, I'm here for a few days only. Wait for the next owner." Ashia said, with a tight lipped smile. Ishaan sniggered.

"You are going?" Aunt Mary asked, coming from behind.

"Not at all. If you will say, we will stay here forever. But this little devil is pushing us out." Ishaan said, pushing Ashia a little.

"Ishaan. You are such a lier." Ashia said with an open mouth.

"You two monkeys! Finger on your lips. See Prati, how she is behaving as a good girl." Aunt Mary scolded Ishaan and Ashia. And both of them literally stood there, with finger on their lips. We smiled at their antics.

"Mary Aunty, we will come again." I said, hugging her. I just felt comforted under her motherly warmth.

"Live long, my child." She lovingly said, kissing my forehead.

"Mary Aunty!" Ashia called her and come near both of us. We looked at her asking what. "You know who Prati is?" Ashia asked Aunt Mary, in a different way. "Pratyasha Ahuja - daughter of Pratik Ahuja, the leading business tycoon."

I felt uncomfortable as Ashia introduced me. I was enjoying Aunt Mary's attention. But then, I was afraid. What if she will behave formally with me? All my life, everyone maintained a formal relation with me for their own need. No body ever loved me without any expectation. I was unaware of selfless love.

For the first time, I didn't feel happy to be introduced as the daughter of the Pratik Ahuja. At that particular moment, something rose inside me. Later I realised that was my own soul, which was tired of being suppressed.

My trance broke, when Aunt Mary touched my cheeks. This time, I felt more love than before. Her eyes were teary.

"Aunty! I am just Prati for you. Me being the daughter of Pratik Ahuja won't change our equation, right?" I asked in hope.

"No... You are not just Prati for me." Aunt Mary said crashing my hope with her words. I would have cried there only, but her next words brought a smile on my face. "Even you are not the daughter of Pratik Ahuja. You are my daughter. My marygold." She said caressing my face. Her eyes carried a different emotion.

"Aunt Mary!" Ashia called her name, as if warning her for something. "You have to go for grocerys right?" I looked at both of them having eye to eye conversation. Aunt Mary left giving a nod to Ashia.

I was about to ask Ashia about her sudden interruption, but Ishaan cut me in the middle. "Prati! Let's go. It's late." He said and I nodded.

I moved towards the parking space, thinking about the happenings of today, when I felt Ishaan's absence. I turned around to find him talking with Ashia.

"He asked me to go. So that he will talk with her alone. But about what?" I asked myself looking at both of them.

Insecurities, Jealousy, Confusion and Doubt - I had no appropriate words to describe my emotions at that moment.