Married To A Stranger

“Mom” Sreesha heard her son screaming his lungs out from the bottom of the stairs. Sreesha rushed over to him noticing a few bruises on his face and scratches on his hands.

“Oh god! Ahar” Sreesha reached over him worried about her baby boy, searching for any hidden bruises.

“Mom, can you talk to dad and send me to another school?” Ahar sniffed, hugging Sreesha tightly.

“Why baby? Tell me what happened” Sreesha cooed him, rubbing his back.

“Who did this to you?” Sreesha asked him when his sobs subdued.

“Mom, I don’t want to study in that school. I want to change school. Talk to dad” Ahar demanded Sreesha.

“Okay” Sreesha gave up to his demands “But first you have to tell mom why, then mom can talk to dad and convince him to transfer you and Gagana to another school” Sreesha tried to console him.

“No!” Ahar screeched.

“I don’t want Di to shift schools with me” saying that, Ahar started wailing.

“Always the drama queen” Sreesha heard someone commenting from the front door only to find her daughter, Gagana tapping her foot on the floor smirking at the scene.

“What did you do to your brother, Gagana?” Sreesha demanded noticing Ahar stiffening in her hold.

“Me? Mom, why do you always blame me for the things I never did?” Gagana asked, still smirking at Ahar, who glared at her still hugging Sreesha like his life depended on it.

“Mom, why didn’t I have a brother instead of her? I always wanted a big brother” Ahar asked, rubbing his cheeks. Sreesha’s heart went out to him. She knows Gagana can be handful, but she loves her brother in her own way. How can she make Ahar see her love for him?

Seven years ago, Sreesha had twins, a girl and a boy with just 10 minutes difference. Karthik was over the moon by the news of having both boy and a girl fulfilling both of their wishes. Karthik always wanted a baby girl first and then a son. He wanted them to have same bond as Sreesha and Tej do. He wants his daughter to love her brother like his wife loves Tej. Just like Tej loves and protects Sreesha despite of them being cousins.

Gagana is named after Sreesha’s mother Gagana Thakur.

Seems like the tables are turned now.

“Mom” Ahar called Sreesha, shaking her a little.

“You can call me brother if you want to… but again, girls are stronger than boys in every way so, it would be an insult if you call me brother” Gagana said, flipping her hair a little.

“Mommy” Ahar whined.

“Gagana” Sreesha sighed, looking at her daughter disappointedly. Everyone in the house spoiled her rotten and with the princess title, she is having it all. What she says, goes. Not to forget, she has her husband wrapped around her little finger along with every male in the house.

Though her mother-in-law loves both of her grandchildren to bits and stick to her side while disciplining her children in other words, Gagana as Ahar will always be on his best behavior. She couldn’t help but blame Malini Shekhar for blessing her daughter with her witty genes.

Sometimes even the great Malini Shekhar will be left speechless by her daughter’s witty responses.

“I was never this witty and sarcastic in my life. You should never blame me alone for this, Sreesha. Remember all the stories I have shared about your mother? If you think I am bad, your mumma was worse than me in every way. So, the maximum blame goes to her. Leave this poor old soul alone” was her reply whenever she blames her mother-in-law for passing her genes to my daughter.

“She was beating each and every guy in my school. Since they can’t beat her back, they are coming for me. One guy took my lunch box and ate it all. I didn’t even get to eat your yummy parathas” he said distracted by the food topic “and another guy pushed me on the floor and the another one pulled my hair” he started explaining how he was abused by his classmates.

No one dares to go near Gagana Thakur Shekhar because she knows how to fight. Her dad and uncles make sure she knows how and where to hurt a guy just in case.

Sreesha glared at Gagana who rolled her eyes at her brother but blinked her eyes innocently when they met hers.

“Gagana Thakur Shekhar!” Sreesha raised her voice, making everyone reach the scene who were hiding listening to everything.

“What is happening here?” Karthik asked, just entering the house unaware of the fuming lioness.

“You ask me what happened? Ask your daughter” Sreesha yelled at Karthik.

Karthik, who took the scene in, is now aware that his daughter must have done something to displease his wife again. He knew she was trouble, the day she was born. His little devil knows how to irk anyone and everyone.

He ruffled Gagana’s hair before joining his wife and son, who were still on the floor with Ahar in her arms crying his eyes out.

“What happened to you, Ahar?” Karthik asked his son, slowly taking him into his arms while Tej reached out to his niece and taking her to nearby couch who grinned at him making him wink at her.

“I want to change school and I don’t want di to be with me in that school” Ahar said, rubbing his nose on Karthik’s shirt.

“Not going to happen” they heard Gagana saying.

“I don’t want you to be with me” Ahar screeched.

“Whatever, if you go, I go too. I am not leaving you alone and that’s it. No arguing.” Saying this Gagana stood up to go to her room but was stopped by her uncle, Tej.

“Something happened?” Tej asked, Gagana shrugged and left having had enough of the drama.

When Sreesha was about to follow her daughter to discipline her, Karthik stopped shaking his head and gestured her to take a seat with him.

Karthik made Ahar sit in front of him and started applying medicine to his bruises. He was mad at himself for not being there for his children.

“Son” Karthik called, making his son glance at him “What really happened?” he asked him softly.

“I don’t…” Karthik cut him off by saying “I heard that before but there should be a reason for changing schools, right?” he asked, applying medicine to his cracked lip. Karthik wants nothing but to hurt whoever dared to raise a hand on his son.

“Di… she beat my classmates always. She gets into fights and… and… I don’t want her in same school as me” Ahar stuttered.

“Why do you think she gets into fights always?” Karthik asked his son soothingly.

“That…. that… daddy” Ahar stuttered.

“You know daddy will not take sides without knowing full story, right? If she gets into fights without a reason then I will have to punish her, don’t you think?” Karthik said, looking for hidden bruises. He clenched his jaw when he found old ones under his shirt.

“P-punish?” Ahar stuttered.

“Yes, punish. Like sending her to hostel or something like that?” Karthik said without blinking making Sreesha gasp along with his parents. Tej, knowing what he is playing at, smiled secretly.

“No” his son cried out.

“Why not? She is the reason for all this, right? And getting into fights is not a small issue” Karthik said giving no hint of his emotions.

“But daddy… Di will be hurt” Ahar mumbled.

“Do you think your di is not hurt by your accusations now?” Karthik asked him, smiling a little making his son bow his head.

“We only bow to our Queen, since the Queen is not here why are you bowing your head?” Karthik asked his son softly.

“Because… I lied” Ahar said still bowing his head.

“Why did you lie?” Karthik asked Ahar, running his fingers in Ahar’s hair soothingly.

“I am afraid she will be more hurt while protecting me” Ahar admitted, bowing his head shamefully for lying to his parents. His mom always told him to never to lie and it is a very bad thing to do.

“She was protecting you?” Sreesha asked, kneeling beside her son. Ahar nodded looping his arms around Sreesha’s neck saying sorry for lying to her.

“Everyone in school calls me names for being fat” Ahar said, sniffing making Sreesha stun. “Di always beats whoever tries to bully me” He continues saying “Today, Di fought with everyone who tried to bully me and when one guy pushed her to ground, she scratched her knees and elbows. I went to fight with him, but I am fat. I can’t fight” Ahar said looking at himself.

Sreesha stopped breathing hearing her son. She should have known something is wrong when her son stopped her dressing him. She thought he was being shy all of a sudden and never thought anything about it and thought her daughter would have said if anything happens. She blames herself for being a bad mother.

How can she be this irresponsible?

She found herself in her husband’s embrace while she silently cries for what happened to her son. He was a little on chubby side, but how can kids be so cruel to bully other kids?

“Karthik” Sreesha said, with so much pain in her voice.

“I understand, Sree” was the only reply she heard from him.

“Are you mad at me, mom” Ahar asked innocently. Sreesha shook her head taking her son into her embrace.

“Dad, will you let me join in another school? This way, Di will not be hurt protecting me” Ahar asked innocently.

“That is not happening” they heard Gagana saying folding her hands across her chest daring them to defy her.

“You guys are changing schools, both of you” Karthik said, making her jump into his arms smiling in victory.

“Where are you hurt, Princess?” Karthik asked his daughter checking for injuries.

“Hurt? Dad, they are just scratches from falling. And those guys are nothing but stupid to think they could win against me. Uncle Tej taught me how to fight remember? I will protect my brother daddy, don’t worry.” Gagana said, kissing his cheek.

“And if the drama is done, I am hungry” saying this she sprinted into the kitchen to find something to eat like nothing happened.

“I am afraid, Karthik” Sreesha said, hugging him from behind sighing finally finding some comfort.

“I was too when I got the call from their principal” Karthik confessed.

“Their principal blamed our children for hurting other kids. I know my kids, and I know they will never get into fights at least not Ahar. I would have been convinced if it is just Gagana, but knowing Ahar, it is a big No. So, I asked them to check CCTV footage. Gagana didn’t raise her hand until they tried to hurt Ahar” Karthik said, turning around taking her into his arms.

“How I wish they enjoy their childhood without dealing with this kind of bitterness” Karthik sighed. “I couldn’t help but feel like a very bad parent. I mean, how can I not see when my children are hurting?” he mumbled hugging her tightly.

“I thought the same, Karthik. I felt terrible and blamed myself for being a failure as a mother, but you know what your daughter said?” Sreesha asked, making Karthik chuckle.

“Another witty response?” Karthik asked, Sreesha nodded smiling.

“What did she say?” Karthik asked.

“You don’t have laser eyes to check the hidden bruises, but it will make you a bad mother for not feeding me while I am hungry. So, feed me before I die in hunger which would obviously make you a bad mother” Hearing his wife mimicking her daughter, made Karthik laugh loudly holding his stomach.

“That’s my daughter” Karthik said proudly.

“Hey! She’s mine too” Sreesha said glaring at him.

“You always refer to her as my daughter always complaining about her” Karthik continued saying “Karthik look at what your daughter did, or Karthik I swear your daughter makes me go crazy” mimicking Sreesha’s high pitched making her punch his shoulder repeatedly.

“We will be fine” Karthik said, kissing her forehead lovingly.

“Always?” Sreesha asked looking into his eyes.

“Always” Karthik Promised, kissing her tenderly.

——————————————The End—————————————

Author’s Note:

This is book 1 of Married series.

Book 2 will be called ‘Married To Protect’ with Esha/Sadhika and Manoj as lead protagonists.