Pushpa caressed Ranvijay's hair tenderly, her fingers moving with the soft rhythm of a mother's love.
She placed a gentle kiss on his head, her lips brushing against the unruly strands, while Ranvijay lay on the bed, stubbornly pretending to ignore her.
Sanyukta stood behind Pushpa, silently observing her husband's antics with a faint smile tugging at her lips.
“Sanyukta, lagta hai mera beta kaafi naraz hai mujhse,” Pushpa said, her voice laced with emotion, as she took Ranvijay’s palm in hers. “Dekho toh, apni maa ki taraf dekh bhi nahi raha.”
“Aisa nahi hai, Maa,” Sanyukta intervened softly, placing a reassuring hand on her mother-in-law’s shoulder. “Vo aapse bohot pyar karte hain.”
Pushpa sighed, her eyes moist as she stroked Ranvijay’s hair. “Ranviii… I know you’re hurt, beta. But tumhare Papa sirf tum logo ke liye hi pareshan the.
Tu toh janta hai na, kaise log hain vo… Tumhare Papa ko warning calls aane lagi thi. Being a father, he was just scared… especially for you.”
Ranvijay’s hardened demeanor faltered as he shifted slightly, his eyes meeting hers momentarily.
Pushpa continued, her voice steady but tinged with concern. “He had already talked to the commissioner and the university chairman regarding that Vicky.”
Ranvijay finally broke his silence, his voice carrying his trademark sarcasm. “I can handle such people very well. That’s what I do. But nobody wants to trust me… Mujhe koi nahi samjhta.” He turned his head away stubbornly, earning a soft shake of the head from Pushpa.
“Beta, tu humare dar ko nahi samjhta,” Pushpa said, her voice soothing yet firm. “You will understand it the day you stand in our shoes.”
Ranvijay huffed dramatically, his brows furrowed. “Sanyukta, pucho apni saas se… thappad kyun mara tha? Vo bhi itni zor se! I am extremely hurt.” His pout and mock indignation made both women chuckle.
Pushpa smiled, her motherly affection shining through as she cupped his face. “Bachpan mein bhi bohot maar khai hai tune, toh ab kya ho gaya? You’re still my little boy. Aur agar tu phir aisa kuch karega, toh phir maarungi.”
Ranvijay’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he teased, “Ab biwi-bachon wala ho gaya hoon, Maa. I have an image to maintain. Kal ko ye bhi maarne lag jayegi mujhe!” He shot a mock-serious look at Sanyukta, who gasped in playful disbelief. Pushpa chuckled, lightly slapping his cheek.
“I’m sorry, bache,” Pushpa said, her tone softening. “But you behaved really badly with your Papa. You need to apologize.”
Ranvijay sighed dramatically, shifting his head to rest in her lap. “You don’t have to say sorry. Just make my favorite food. Let’s forget this sorry thing—na aap bolo, na main bolunga.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, making Pushpa laugh as she lightly slapped his back.
“No, beta. Maine aisi baat karna toh nahi sikhaya tha,” Pushpa said, patting his cheek. “You have to say sorry to your father.”
Groaning, Ranvijay reluctantly nodded. Pushpa stroked his hair and smiled. “Chal ghar, your dadi is waiting for you. Unko is baare mein kuch nahi pata. She’s asked for you many times after coming back from Kedarnath trip.”
Ranvijay perked up instantly. “Induuu is back?!” He sat up eagerly, earning a nod from his mother.
“Ab chalo ghar. My savior is back. Main sab dekh lunga ab,” Ranvijay smirked, his cocky grin making both women laugh.
As he got ready, Pushpa turned to Sanyukta. “Tum log aa jaana ghar. I’m leaving with the driver. Mujhe market se kuch cheezein bhi leni hain. Your bua ji is coming too for the bhaat ceremony.”
Sanyukta nodded as Ranvijay headed to the bathroom. She muttered under her breath, buttoning his shirt, “Avu aur Aarvi tumse zyada mature hain. Sabko ghar mein pareshan kar diya.”
Ranvijay rolled his eyes and stepped back, buttoning his shirt himself. “Mujhse baat mat kar tu. Aur rehne de, yeh bhi main khud kar lunga,” he said sharply, making her look at him in disbelief.
“Maine kya kiya hai?” Sanyukta snapped, folding her arms. “Mujhse kyun naraz ho rahe hain aap? I wasn’t even there!”
Ranvijay’s gaze darkened as he spoke in a low tone, “Just because I agreed to go back home and listened to Maa doesn’t mean I was wrong. I know maine gusse mein kuch zyada sach bol diya hoga, but that doesn’t make me wrong.”
He paused, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Tum jabse aayi ho, you’ve been trying to make me regret my actions. Tum sab ek jaise sochte ho… Fatt jaati hai tum sabki. But I’m not like you people. Main nahi darta kisi se.”
Sanyukta frowned, her voice softening. “Main toh mazaak kar rahi thi na. Aap kyu bhadak rahe hain mere upar?”
Ranvijay scoffed. “Mat karo mazaak. Agar main karun toh tum le nahi paogi. You’ll start crying.”
Frustrated, Sanyukta muttered, “Aapse baat karna bekaar hai.” She stormed out of the room.
“Haan toh mat kar. Infact, aayi hi kyun thi yahan?” Ranvijay shouted after her, his voice echoing in the room. Sanyukta groaned, slamming the door behind her.
She ordered a coffee, massaging her forehead as she muttered to herself, “All men are the same. Duniya mein kisi se jagda ho, gussa biwi par hi nikalte hain. Koi office ka tension ho, koi case ho, dost se ladai hui ho, ghar waalon se kaha-suni hui ho… take it out on your wife. What are we after all…”
Taking a deep breath, she glared at the closed door. “Thik hai, main bhi baat nahi karungi. Let him be like that. Kal se hi he’s acting weird—kabhi normal, kabhi gussa. Faltu ka hi.”
Ranvijay emerged from the room, fully dressed, his expression unreadable. He picked up his car keys, sparing her a last look before leaving.
Sanyukta hurriedly gulped down her coffee and rushed after him, knowing full well he might leave her behind, given his current mood. Ranvijay noticed her from the corner of his eye and huffed, muttering under his breath, “Attitude dekho madam ka. Ek baar bhi ye nahi bola ki mere saath galat hua hai. Aayi thi mujhe lecture dene.”
As the car sped down the road, the tension between them grew thick. Ranvijay’s thoughts raced. “Main hamesha iska side leta hoon. Mujhe thappad tak pad gaya, but she didn’t take my side. Rahe attitude mein. Galti toh iski hi hai.”
The silence between them screamed louder than words as they made their way back home.
Avu and Aarvi came running to Ranvijay the moment he and Sanyukta stepped into the house. His face lit up with a warm smile as he bent down to scoop them into his arms. Their giggles filled the room as they planted loud kisses on his cheeks.
“Daddyyyy ....Chachuuu!” they squealed, their tiny arms wrapping tightly around his neck. Ranvijay chuckled, kissing them back and twirling them in his arms, their joy infectious.
He walked over to the sofa and plopped down beside his Dadi, Indira Devi, with the kids still clinging to him. Sanyukta greeted everyone and headed to the kitchen, her footsteps light but purposeful.
“I missed you, Induuu,” Ranvijay said, hugging his grandmother tightly, his voice carrying a playful whine. “I felt so alone without you.”
Indira Devi chuckled, her hand brushing through his hair lovingly. “Miss kiya hota toh aa jata mere paas. Kahan tha ab tak?” she teased.
Ranvijay let out an exaggerated sigh, resting his head on her shoulder. “Don’t even get me started. Aap nahi sun paayengi mere saath kya-kya hua iss ghar mein aapke jaane ke baad.”
Just then, Pratap entered the hall, dressed sharply in his business suit. His commanding presence made Ranvijay sit up a little straighter, though his expression didn’t lose its mischievous edge. Their eyes met, and after a beat, Ranvijay sighed again.
“I’m sorry, Papa, for the way I said those things,” he admitted, his tone sincere but still tinged with defiance. “Gusse mein tha main. I shouldn’t have talked to you in that high pitch.”
Pratap gave a small nod, his eyes steady. “I hope tumhe samajh aa gaya hai ki cheezein kaise handle karte hain,” he replied, his voice calm but firm.
Ranvijay smirked, leaning back. “I just said sorry for the way I talked… baaki sab toh bilkul sahi tha.”
Ranveer, who had been silently observing, sighed knowingly. He recognized this as classic Ranvijay—apologetic, but never backing down from his stance.
Pushpa watched nervously, sensing the tension rise. She caught Ranvijay’s eye and subtly shook her head, silently pleading with him to let it go.
Indira Devi interrupted, her voice cutting through the air. “Kya chal raha hai yahan? Koi batayega mujhe?”
Ranveer stepped in quickly, trying to steer the conversation into calmer waters. “Nothing much, Dadi. You know Papa aur Ranvijay ka toh chalta rehta hai. Kal kisi business matter ko leke argument ho gayi thi.”
Pushpa chimed in, her tone firm yet weary. “Haan, aur nahi toh kya. Itni baar kaha hai in logon se ki business ki baatein ghar mat laaya karo.”
Ranvijay rolled his eyes but kept quiet, knowing better than to push his luck further.
“Chaliye, breakfast tayaar hai,” Sanyukta’s voice rang out from the kitchen, offering a much-needed distraction. Pushpa exhaled in relief, gesturing everyone toward the dining table.
During breakfast, Ranvijay busied himself feeding Avu, his playful banter with the little one bringing lightness to the atmosphere. The others chatted about Arnav’s upcoming wedding and Roshni Bua’s arrival, their voices overlapping in lively discussion.
“Sanyukta, tum Anjali ke saath mil kar dinner aur evening snacks ka ek baar dekh lena, beta. Aur Anu, tumhe list banani hai jo main bolungi uss saaman ki,” Pushpa instructed, her tone managerial yet kind. Both women nodded in acknowledgment.
Ranveer was engrossed in discussing business meetings with Pratap, while Indira Devi animatedly narrated stories from her Kedarnath trip, her words drawing occasional chuckles from the family.
Suddenly, Avu scrunched up his face, sticking out his tongue dramatically. “Daddyyyyy… watlll!” he exclaimed, his little voice rising in distress from the spicy food.
Ranvijay chuckled, rubbing his son’s back soothingly and handing him some juice. “Okay now?” he asked softly.
Avu nodded, his eyes brightening again. But then he turned toward Sanyukta, tilting his head curiously. “Mummaaa… are you sadddd?”
Sanyukta shook her head, her lips curving into a small smile. “Why would I be sad, baby? Look, I’m smiling,” she said gently, her eyes softening as Avu grinned.
Ranvijay glanced at her, his gaze lingering. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met, an unspoken tension hanging between them.
Sanyukta quickly looked away, focusing on her food, while Ranvijay turned back to Avu, his smile faltering just slightly before he resumed his playful banter.
After breakfast, Ranvijay strode back to the room, where Sanyukta was busy changing the bedsheet and tidying up. Without a second thought, he plopped onto the bed, making her pause and glare at him.
“I was spreading the bedsheet!” she snapped, her hands resting on her hips in exasperation.
Ranvijay shrugged lazily, his tone nonchalant. “Haan toh? Ab main tumhara intezaar karta rahu? I’m tired, yaar.”
Sanyukta sighed heavily, muttering under her breath as she grabbed the cushion covers to change them.
“I need coffee,” Ranvijay announced, clearly aiming to push her buttons.
“Khud jaake le aaiye! Naukar nahi hu main aapki!” she retorted, tossing a pillow beside him with more force than necessary.
Before she could turn away, Ranvijay grabbed her by the arm, pulling her down onto the mattress beside him. She let out a small hiss of surprise as he sat up, his grip firm but playful.
“Main bhi tumhe drop karne gaya tha. I’m not your driver either. Kaam ke badle kaam,” he quipped, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze.
Sanyukta blinked, her breath hitching slightly as his thumb brushed against her cheek in a soft caress.
“Kyun kar rahe ho yeh sab?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Because you hurt me,” he replied, leaning in until their foreheads touched, making her wince slightly.
“Achha? Aur woh kab?” she challenged, her tone sharp. “Jahan tak mujhe yaad hai, it’s the other way around. I wasn’t even involved in this matter, yet I’m the one getting all the cold shoulders. You’re acting normal with everyone except me!”
Ranvijay’s lips curved into a smirk. “Jahan main involved hoon, udhar tum apne aap involved maani jaaogi. Because you’re my life partner, crime partner, parenting partner, boredom partner, and…” he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a teasing murmur, “kiss partner for life.”
Sanyukta rolled her eyes, but a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
“You should be on my side, no matter what!” he added, playfully pinching her nose.
“I am,” she countered, her voice softening. “But if you’re wrong, I can’t point it out? And let’s be clear—I didn’t even say anything major. I was just trying to understand how you were feeling about everything.”
Ranvijay raised a brow, his tone turning accusatory. “You were there, sure, but as a spokesperson for the rest of the family. Tum mere liye nahi thi.”
Sanyukta’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “Believe whatever you want, but that won’t change the fact that I came here for you,” she asserted, her eyes narrowing.
Ranvijay smirked, clearly enjoying her flustered state. “Prove it, then. I need to feel it,” he challenged, his voice dropping as he pulled her closer by the waist, gently laying her back onto the mattress.
His gaze flickered to her lips, his intent clear. Sanyukta’s heart raced, her pulse quickening as she whispered, “Koi aa jaayega…”
Ranvijay didn’t falter, his voice low and determined. “I don’t care.”
And with that, he closed the gap between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that sent a spark through her, leaving her breathless.
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