LOVE OR ARRANGED ?

CHAPTER XXV

ARUSH'S POV

"Not just Aadhya, it is AADHYA MEHRA!"

These words keep ringing in my head again and again. I don't understand what she is saying. How can this be possible? I see her looking at the photo with lot of love and pain in her eyes. I turn my head towards my parents who are equally shocked as I am. Nobody talks for a moment. I don't even know what I need to ask now. I remember Aadhya once saying that she would tell me everything about her parents when she feels like sharing. I don't want to stress her more and decide not to ask anything. She using her Mami and Mamu's name in the wedding card also didn't give us a chance to know her surname till now and that she is Aadhya Mehra. Moreover, we never knew that Ashu ma is related to the Singhania family.

What I don't understand is, how can she be alive when we were informed that the accident reported the death of 5, one including a child. What did we miss then? How did we not know that she is alive and I am married to the same Ayu. I sense a headache coming, with all these questions running in my mind. I push my thoughts aside and look at Aadhya, who is my priority now. The silence in the hall is broken by mom, who asks, "How come we didn't know she is alive all these years? Ankitha, what happened after Ayesha and Arun's death?"

Ankitha aunty looks at Aadhya and was about to say something when Aadhya stops her and says, "Arush, can you come with me into that room" and points to Ashu Ma's room. I look at her concerned but take her inside and she looks around the room and sees her favorite teddy which I gifted her for her 5th birthday and smiles. She sits on the bed where Ashu ma used to tell us stories and put us to sleep.

I look at her actions but stay quiet, as it is high time, she vents out her emotions. I make her sit properly, stretching her legs on the bed and made her to lean on the headboard. I sit beside her with my right hand over her shoulder and hold her left hand with mine. I see everyone entering the room and looking at her. They all sit on the couch, while Ananya stands leaning on the door. Aadhya sighs before looking at her parents' photo in her hand once more and puts her head on my shoulder.

She takes a deep breath and starts telling whatever happened in her life till now. "As you all know, mom left her home for dad and married him against the will of my Nani. After that they moved to Bangalore where my Dadima and Dadaji live and she didn't try to contact anyone from her family. Mamu, it was Arjun papa who convinced my dad's parents to get them married. Arjun papa is dad's best-friend from college and they both have always dreamt of doing something big for the needy. They built their houses in the same locality and my mom was so close to Arush as she took care of him and mostly spent her time with him when he was born. When Arush was about two years old, I was born and they felt like our families were complete. As far as I know, Arush and I were always together and by combining our names, our moms suggested the name ARAADHYA for the hospital project they wanted to start for the needy, under the name of MEHROTRA TRUST, which today Arush succeeded to win the tender for the land."

"When I was 5 years old, Anvitha ma and papa had to move to Mumbai along with Arush, after selling their house in Bangalore, when Arjun Papa's Dad asked him to take over the business in Mumbai. We used to visit them often or they used to come to Bangalore. During one such visit, we took this photo and Arush was adamant to make a life size photo frame and keep it in this room, because this room belonged to his Ashu Ma and Ron Papa, along with his best friend Ayu. He even made Arjun papa install a digital lock so that nobody else can enter this room when we aren't there and that is when we both chose the passcode for it, which surprisingly I still remember." She takes a deep breath and I make her drink some water and ask her to stop if she doesn't want to continue, but she wanted to share everything.

"When I was about 6 years old, Arjun papa had to go to the USA, for one of his company projects and he went there along with his family. We still were in contact with each other's families. At the same time, my Dadima and Dadaji also left to Lucknow to stay in their ancestral place for some time. After one month of these all shifting to the USA, mom found she was pregnant and in her eighth week. She wanted to surprise you all when you return from the USA and didn't tell you anything and didn't let me tell you too. You were returning to India just two weeks after her due date and we were so excited. Until-" her voice was quivering and she started taking deep breaths and I held her tight and rubbed her back, whispering that I am there with her.