Rishtey Dillon Ke ~ The Raghuvanshi (✓)

Chapter 23

Naina felt deeply embarrassed because she had expressed a lot to Vikram, but only understood his perspective after he explained it to her. As she shyly descended the stairs, lost in thoughts about her first kiss, Ved suddenly appeared in front of her.

Startled, Naina jumped and exclaimed, "Ved, I almost fell! Who shows up like that?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry! I'm just really excited to tell you something," Ved replied.

Naina continued walking, with Ved following closely behind. "Vidhi's birthday is coming up," he said. Naina looked at him in surprise. Just then, Vikram came downstairs. He glanced at Naina before turning to Ved and asking what was happening.

Naina fell silent at the sight of Vikram. "Nothing, bhaiya," Ved said. "I was just telling bhabhi about Vidhi's birthday."

Vikram raised an eyebrow, looked at Naina sideways, and said, "Hmm... So, what have you decided?"

Ved then eagerly began explaining his plans for Vidhi's birthday to Vikram.

Naina took out sweets from the kitchen that her father had sent for everyone. She handed them to Vedansh, who said, "I'll take these to Vidhi; she will enjoy them too."

As Naina was putting other items into the fridge, Vikram watched her closely. He moved towards her, standing very close. Bending down, he whispered into her ear, "Where are my sweets?"

Naina flinched, startled to find her husband so close to her suddenly.

Naina didn’t say anything and instead handed Vikram another bowl of sweets. He watched her intently, and when she offered the bowl, he didn't take it. Seeing this, she picked up a spoon and moved it towards him so he could take it. But instead, Vikram reached out, held her hand, and guided it to his mouth, eating the sweet while gazing into her eyes.

After eating, he leaned in closer and said, "Although I wasn't talking about these sweets, for now, I can manage with this." Then he took the bowl and an extra spoon and walked away.

Naina, who had been holding her breath, finally exhaled after he left.

Later that night, Vidhi was sitting in her room, looking at pictures of herself with her mom and dad. She felt sad thinking about her dad being hurt. "I'm sorry, Mom. I’m so bad. You must be angry with me that Dad is hurt and I’m not even talking to him."

She hugged the picture, yearning to go to her dad and be hugged by him, but guilt weighed her down for how she had treated him. Feeling overwhelmed, she got up from her bed just as Naina entered the room. Vidhi quickly hid the picture under her pillow.

Naina sat down beside Vidhi and vidhi asked gently, "What happened, Bhabhi? Did you need something?" Naina looked at her but said nothing. Then, Naina noticed something under Vidhi's pillow. She reached for it and pulled out the picture.

Naina examined the photo. It showed a younger Rajendra with a beautiful, regal-looking woman beside him. His eyes sparkled, and he held a small child in his lap. Naina looked at Vidhi, who was watching her intently.

"Who is she?" Naina asked after a long pause.

"Mom," Vidhi replied quietly.

"You miss her," Naina said softly. "I’ve never seen her, so I don’t remember anything, but..." Her voice trembled, and she fell silent.

Naina hugged Vidhi, and Vidhi, who had been holding back her tears for a long time, started crying. She clung tightly to Naina, finding comfort in her embrace. Naina's presence and warmth soothed her, allowing her to finally let out her pent-up emotions.

Naina comforted her, saying, "We often feel sad about what we don't have, but we should take care of what we do have."

She caressed Vidhi's hair and added, "Your mom would be sad to see you not talking to your dad." Vidhi stopped crying and looked at her. "It's clear from your dad's eyes that he longs to see both of you. Right now, he's probably watching the gate, hoping to see you both come to him."

Vidhi wiped her tears and asked, "Did he tell you that?"

Naina gently wiped Vidhi's cheeks and said, "No, but his eyes said it all. Give him a chance, child. Think of how much he must be suffering. If you see him and don't talk to him, how will the problem be solved?"

"He loves both of you very much." Vidhi broke down again and said, "You know, I was so scared when I saw him like that. I wanted to go to him, but I had behaved so rudely with him."

Naina hugged Vidhi tightly, while at the gate, Ved stood listening to everything. He became very emotional, feeling a deep longing for his father to reprimand him, to acknowledge the wrongs he had done, but Rajendra had always spoken to him lovingly.

Seeing Naina hug Vidhi, Ved's emotions overflowed. He approached them and hugged Naina from behind.

Naina was trying to calm Vidhi when she felt someone hug her from behind. Realizing it was Ved, she sensed his emotional turmoil. She then said firmly, "You both need to talk to Dad, and I don't want to hear any excuses."

Vidhi and Ved looked at Naina, absorbing her words. "And neither of you has given me a gift," Naina continued. "I'm asking for something from both of you—fulfill my wish."

Moved by her plea, they both agreed. Together, they walked to Rajendra's room, ready to reconcile and heal their strained relationships.

Rajendra watched as Vikram administered his medication, sensing a change in his children's demeanor. He knew they had been troubled because of him, but now, seeing a different glimmer in their eyes, he suspected Naina might be the reason for it.

When Ved and Vidhi entered the room, Rajendra paused, struck by their presence after so long. He had yearned to see their faces since morning, and now, their scared yet innocent expressions brought a smile to his face.

Vikram noticed them and greeted, "How are you now, Dad?" Hearing this from Vidhi, both Rajendra and Vikram were surprised.

"Say it again," Rajendra requested, disbelieving. Vidhi blinked her eyes and softly said, "Dad."

"We're very sorry, Dad," Ved added. Rajendra, who was accustomed to Ved calling him "ACP," was moved by his children's words.

Inviting them closer, Rajendra embraced them. "We had forgotten that we don't have a mother, but we have you," Vidhi expressed, her words bringing comfort to Rajendra's heart.

Feeling a sense of relief and warmth, Rajendra reassured them, "I don't want you to feel guilty." Vikram smiled at the heartwarming scene before quietly exiting the room, leaving father and children to bond and heal together.

                          ~~~~

Vikram was engrossed in his work in the office when Naina walked in and placed a cup of coffee on his desk. "Coffee," she said softly. Vikram noticed her gesture and reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him. Startled, Naina stumbled and ended up in his lap, but Vikram caught her securely.

"What are you doing?" Naina widened her eyes at Vikram's unexpected action. "Thank you for understanding Vidhi and Ved," he said, meeting her gaze.

Vikram looked at her with respect, acknowledging her gratitude.

                           ~~~~

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