*Navya Pov*
After he stopped in front of his house, I walked inside calmly and saw that Mom is cutting the vegetables.
“Aunty! Here I will help you.” I said, sitting beside her.
“Navya! I can do my work on my own.” She said not letting me help her.
“I am here now, right. I will help you, and I think it would be good if you take some rest from all this.” I said smiling at her.
“What do you mean? Are you trying to say that I couldn’t do anything in my own house?” she asked me getting up.
I stared at her shocked. I mean, did I really say something wrong here because I am completely out of a clue here.
“Mom! She is just asking you to take some rest.” Suhas said, standing beside her, and I looked away.
“You don’t understand. She is really bad at organizing things, and if, I let her do this, then my house will be chaos. But, now looking at her suggestion, I have come to an understanding.” she said with a blank face, and I got a little hurt when she said that.
“What is it, Mom?” Suhas asked frowning.
“I will not go with you guys to Mumbai. I want to stay here only.” She replied.
“Mom! You can’t do that. I finally want to spend my time with you so you have to come with us.” Suhas insisted.
“Aunty! Come along with us and I promise you that I will not say anything about this anymore. And I will learn everything from you.” I pleaded her.
“No! This is my final decision.” she said, walking away towards her room.
“Whole family is tending to do the same thing every time.” He mumbled behind me.
“What are you saying?” I asked him confused.
“Nothing! Just go and get your clothes. I will pack mine after packing my office work here.” He replied and walked towards his office room.
I shrugged, not understanding any of this and went inside our room. I packed mine very easily as they are not disturbed at all. I took another bag and started packing his clothes too thinking it may take time for him to come here.
After it is also finished, I put them outside the room one by one. I looked around once and then walked outside the room to see that he is coming inside in a hurry.
“I packed yours too.” I said and then he sighed in relief.
“We will leave now itself.” He said taking a few bags and called the watchman for remaining.
“I will be there in a few minutes.” I said and walked towards Aunty’s room.
I knocked and entered to see that she is sitting down at her bed reading some book. I cleared my throat and said, “I am so sorry!”
“Why are you sorry?” she asked, placing the book beside her and gestured for me to sit in front of her.
“You must be hurt and angry at me because of which you are not coming to Mumbai with us.” I replied sitting in front of her.
“Do you think you did something wrong?” She asked, looking at my face.
“I don’t really know what did I say to hurt you. But whatever I said was in good intention so that you can take a rest.” I replied honestly.
“When you don’t even know that you did something wrong, then why did you say “Sorry” to me? You shouldn’t say that word just because other people say that they are hurt by you. Understood?” She asked, and I nodded slowly.
“He must be angry with me because you are not coming with us.” I said after a few seconds.
“Don’t worry! He will come around, but I will tell you something else, and you need to remember it and also follow it.” she said in a serious tone.
I nodded and she continued saying, “Always do what your heart says but not what other hearts say, or you think what it will say. And even follow this only if you think it is good, but not for the reason I said this.”
I nodded again and got up feeling little confused. One time she just will be so much angry with me that too only in front of Suhas but other times she gives me all these advices.
She too got up and suddenly hugged me. I got stunned because isn’t she angry at me?
“Always remember that you need to be happy before remaining all.” She said releasing me.
“But isn’t that selfish?” I asked her frowning.
Then she did the most astounding thing. She smiled! She actually smiled more broadly. She shook her head and placed her hand on my head.
“It is when you are just trying to be happy by hurting or making sad someone else for that happiness. But it is not when your motive is only to be happy.” she replied still smiling.
“I actually didn’t get it, but I will think about it.” I said smiling.
“This honesty is very valuable Navya, which is not present in everyone all the time. Don’t lose that quality in you, which makes you a special than the remaining.” she said and walked me towards the living room.
“You are not really angry at me, right?” I asked her.
“You don’t need to know that.” That’s all I got from her as a reply.
I nodded and walked towards the car where Suhas is standing with a scowl. I didn’t say anything because I know he is feeling bad that Aunty is not coming with us.
Driver is actually going to drive us towards the airport as Suhas is going to leave this car for Aunty in Bhopal itself. During the whole ride, I looked outside thinking about the new revelation about my family hiding something important from me.
And happy that Suhas told me honestly, even though little lately. I am also feeling little confused the way Aunty talked to me when it felt that she is actually so much outraged at me just one hour back.
I got excited when we are getting in the plane and looked around keenly. I started asking Suhas about everything that is going on in the airport and also inside the plane.
“You never got on a plane?” He asked confused.
“Nope! I never went outside Bhopal.” I replied looking around.
“What?” he asked, shocked.
“I don’t feel comfortable going outside this city to new places.” I replied shrugging.
“Let me guess! You actually don’t know that, but you are thinking like that just because your family told you.” he said turning my face towards him.
“Hey! How do you know that?” I asked him amazed.
He shook his head and mumbled “You are too naïve, Navya.”
I frowned at him and chose to tell him not to call me that, but I stopped myself. And then remembered Aunty’s words, so I said, “Don’t call me that please.”
“Ok!” he said shocked and closed his eyes.
“Are you angry at me that Aunty didn’t come with us?” I asked him.
“No! I am just sad that she is not coming with us.” He replied still closing his eyes.
“Are you angry at me for the conversation we had in our car about your sister?” he asked looking at me suddenly.
“I am not angry! But I just felt a little hurt that they hid this from me and little happy that you at least told me that today. And also a little sad for you that they didn’t accept you at that time for my Di.” I replied honestly.
He looked at me for a few minutes and asked, “From where did you come from Navya?”
“I was always told that I came from my mom’s stomach.” I replied, smiling and then he smiled back at me broadly shaking his head.
We just looked straight at each other like that smiling until we heard someone clearing their throat. We looked up to see a hostess standing near us with a smile on her face, which is different because I always thought that they never smile or it must be some rumor.
“Do you need anything Sir?” she asked Suhas and then me. We both shook our heads at her.
After some time, we reached Mumbai, and it is pretty late already. When we walked outside the airport, we saw someone holding the card with Suhas's name who turned out to be his driver.
He drove us towards our new home, I guess. I got out of the car to see a beautiful house in front of me, which is going to be my new home.
I walked towards the door only to halt in my tracks as there was a lady holding Arthi in her hands. And there is a little glass filled with grains on the floor.
“I am Padma and I am an old worker at your Mother-In-Law house. But I came to this city five years back.” She started explaining.
“Oh!” I said still not understanding why she is standing here.
“Madam called me two days back and said to work here until the small madam is used to this. And also asked me to do all these welcoming rituals.” She replied to my unasked question.
“I am small Madam to you?” I asked her my little doubt.
“Yeah! And you are very beautiful girl Madam.” She replied, smiling at me and I smiled back.
“Don’t call me madam. Just call me Navya. You are elder to me.” I said.
“You are just like she said.” She mumbled, and I looked at her confused.
“Padma Aunty! What are you doing here?” I heard Suhas asking her when he walked beside me.
Then she explained everything to him and then did our Arthi. I entered into the house, I mean our new home as per the rituals.
“I will come tomorrow early in the morning.” Saying this she left the house without letting us say anything.
Suhas called Aunty and talked to her. After hanging up, he came near me and said, “Her house is very near to our, so she will be fine. Mom just said to me that.”
I looked around when he started taking our bags and took them to some room. I can find that it is completely newly built house.
“This is a new house right?” I asked him when he closed the main door.
“Yeah! I got it built six months back but never lived here.” He replied, placing his hands on my shoulder from behind.
“Sorry!” he mumbled after a few seconds.
“Why?” I asked him confused.
“When Mom said she is not going to come here, I actually thought you as the reason, even though I know that you are not. So I am sorry for thinking like that.” He replied.
I turned towards him smiling and asked, “What changed, making you think that now?”
“Didn’t you hear what Padma Aunty said? She was called two days back, and that is our wedding day to come here and stay to help you and also got instructed to conduct the welcoming rituals for you.” He explained.
“Oh! I didn’t get that thought when Padma aunty explained that to me.” I said smiling.
“Come on! We have to get some rest.” Saying this he dragged me towards our room, I guess.
I entered and looked around. I saw every single detail and frowned.
“What is it? Didn’t you like it?” he asked, hugging me from behind.
I stunned when he did that, but replied “It is beautiful, but it’s just that it is completely according to… Di’s taste.”
Now it is his time to get tensed, still hugging me. He slowly released me and turned me towards him.
“I will change it if you want as per your taste.” He said frowning.
“No, no! It’s completely ok and she actually always has a great taste so it will be good if we leave it like this only.” I said smiling.
He immediately hugged me making my eyes go wide. After a few minutes, we both lay on the bed, and I drifted off into sleep in his arms with a smile on my face.