XIV. Mama

Avni

Life gave me many surprises one of them being a mom when I least expected it. I am just 21 years old and I have to take care of a 3-year-old. I was terrified to bones when I heard that. I did not know her story and I did not she even existed. My heart melted just by her words. I felt a bond towards her just by seeing her. I don't understand my relationship with her. I don't have a name for it. I forgot the world when I started speaking to her. The innocence in her eyes, the purity in her smile reminded me of my childhood. I was older than she was when I lost my parents, I know the need for a mom in a girl's life. She was young to understand it, but I do not want her to suffer as I did. I will try my best to be a good mother for Diya. I vowed it to myself.

However, that bastard has to go and ruin my moment. How dare he degrade me like that? I can understand that he felt betrayed but he cannot degrade me. He is so paying for what he did.

I storm inside the house in anger and my mood brightened by seeing the little princess who stood in the doorway of the living room. She was moving across the threshold. I sneak behind her and lift her. She shrieked in surprise.

"Pwetty lady, you me scared", she glared at me with her innocence-filled eyes. I laughed at her.

"Don't call me pretty lady. You can call me Avni and I am not even pretty". I told her. She frowned at me.

"I no pwetty, you pwetty." Diya pouted. Where was this girl all my life? I squashed her cheeks and gasped at her.

"Who told you that you are not pretty? You are much more beautiful than me. Shall I tell you what I see?" At her nod, I took her to a nearby mirror. I made her sit on the island in front of the mirror. I observed all the family members were looking at me, I ignore them and focus on Diya.

"Do you see these eyes, they are the beautiful pair of eyes I have seen. Your cheeks are so chubby that a person can't stand idle without pinching them. Do you see the dimple on your cheeks? When you smile you brighten up the whole room with it. Diya, a person is beautiful if they think by heart and of others happiness not by looks" I tried my best to explain it to her. "Do you love dada?" She nodded her head and I continued. "If dada gets a big wound on the head, you will love him, right? Because you love him for the love he gives you".

"Now tell me are you beautiful?" She faced me with admiration in her eyes.

"Yes, I am pwetty just like you" I smiled at that. "Will you be my momma?" I froze at that question and the look in her eyes changed to sadness.

"I be a good gwrl, I dwink milk, I no cry, I no want ice cweam" She listed out the things she would do. We all chuckled at her cuteness, I heard a chuckle from my back and looked up to see Abhi leaning on the door looking at us. When our eyes met I saw a flash of regret in them. Let him suffer a bit, it may help his ego. I turned back and looked at my soon-to-be daughter. I want to be her mother more than anything.

"Yes, it will be my pleasure to be your mother" I curtsied in front of her and she giggled flinging her arms over my neck.

"Mama" Those words, I feared which I will not listen in my life, but I got my wish granted of being a mom.

We all sat in the living room, Diya was fed and was sleeping in her father's room, she took a promise from me, to visit her the next day. We all sat in silence not knowing how to start the conversation, Abhi started speaking breaking the silence in the room.

"About the press conference tomorrow." Papa looked at him, then to me, and exhaled.

"We need to cover some things like how you met and all, we want to announce it as love marriage. So we have a story." Papa explained the story of our so-called love. According to papa, we met regarding some business and instantly felt attracted to each other and started dating each other, and I backed out on my birthday as we were taking our relationship to next level and tying the knot. One question bothered me.

"What about Diya? Many members don't know about her, it may not be good for her?" At my question, all looked at Abhi, and he was glaring at me.

"I know what is good for my daughter. I would like to keep it under the wraps till she is mature to accept it." I scoffed at him.

"Oh, we have the father of the year here! Do you know what media will do to Diya? They will shred her into pieces. If we do it, we can control the damage and it will have less effect on her. And if we are getting married she will be my daughter also, so speak before you think." I informed and turned towards Vinay uncle.

"Uncle, can you arrange for a board meeting tomorrow, I would like to meet them before the press conference. I will also be working as Abhi's assistant for 6 months. I will explain in detail tomorrow." I left after getting his nod. I was not in the state to speak to others. I was pissed at them.

I stormed out of the mansion and across the gates and mentally cursed myself, I do not have a car. I remembered about my friend being in town, I called him and him the address. He came and picked me up.

"Where to?" I looked up at Nihal and told him the place that came to my mind.

Abhi

I stared at Avni as she got into a car. Who might that person be? Boyfriend? Why was I thinking like this?

Avni impressed me the way she spoke to Diya, it was awesome. Diya has always been self-conscious about herself, it was because of her bad experience with some nannies in her childhood, and they were bullying her about being ugly. I found about it later and fired them, now my family members take care of her. I was now content knowing that Avni will take good care of Diya, but it still stung knowing that I was betrayed. I went inside only to find all sitting sadly.

"She is angry at m-me. What do I do?" Akshaya looked on the verge of crying. Anupama dadi went near her and tried to comfort her.

"We know about Avni, she is just upset with us. She will talk to you in the morning now do not start crying. We need to make wedding preparations." Akshaya's eyes lit up with excitement.

"I will make all the preparations, we will discuss everything in detail tomorrow." She left mumbling about events to plan for the wedding. I rubbed my forehead, feeling the headache.

"Is it right to introduce Diya to the press?" I questioned. My father sighed.

"Yes, I think it is the perfect time to announce both news, it may help Diya in the long run." Even chachu (uncle) agreed to it.

I called Avni and she did not answer the call, it hit the voicemail for the second time. I left a message for her. I went to my room and found Diya sleeping peacefully on my bed. I change my clothes, climb into the bed, and snuggled with my daughter. Tomorrow our lives were going to change and I hope it will be for the best.

Avni

We reached the destination, I got down the car and went inside the cemetery. It was dark and the cemetery looked scary but I wanted to meet my parents, they were cremated here because Coorg was her favorite place and they made beautiful memories in this place.

I knelt beside the place they were buried.

"Momma, you know I became a mom today. You know that I cannot be a mom but I got a daughter, I got confidence that I will be a good mother to her. But I am worried about my feelings, will I be a good wife for him? Will there be a chance for our marriage?" I poured out my feelings and cried.

"Papa, will I be able to sway the board members? Many members are old-fashioned, will they agree to me" I shared all my thoughts with them. I spend an hour there telling them about Diya with a small smile on my face. I felt a blow of wind and accepted it as my parent's approval. I came out of the cemetery and found Nihal waiting for me.

"You are still here?"

"I cannot leave my friend alone now, can I?" I chuckled at him and asked him to drop me at my house. I take my phone and saw some missed calls and a few voicemails. I called Anu and informed her I was coming home and listened to Abhi's voicemail.

"Ms. Rajput, please come to the mansion tomorrow by 7 in the morning. The board meeting is fixed at 9 and the press conference at 11. We have some details to cover and you need to get Diya ready."

He did not even wish him and bidding goodbye, this arrogant fellow. I turned to face Nihal and poured out my frustration.

"Do you see this arrogant jerk? Who does he think he is? He degrades me one moment, smiles at me the second, and treats me professionally in the last. He is a crazy fellow." Nihal laughed at me.

"And who might that jerk be?"

"Abhi Goenka, my soon-to-be husband," I mumbled the last part. Nihal stopped the car and looked in my direction.

"You are getting married," I explained my situation to him. I will need his support tomorrow. He is a board member of Meevin's.

"You are coming tomorrow right," he nodded his head and I felt relieved to have him tomorrow. He dropped me at my house. I find Anu sleeping on the couch, I wake her up by shaking her arm.

"Go and sleep in your room Anu, we have a big day. We will talk about it tomorrow," I left to my room and changed into my nightdress, and went to sleep.

I wake up feeling tired, I kept having bad dreams about today and some regarding Abhi. I took a bath and changed into some pants with a white top and a blazer to have a casual professional look.

I went to the kitchen and found Anu having a coffee. I ignored her and made my coffee.

"Where are you going this early?"

"I am going to the mansion, Abhi mentioned that he needs my help," I answered her without looking at her. I was trying to be angry with her but I was not a person to hold a grudge for a long time, I wanted to know the reason.

"Are you angry at me? Of course, you will be, I did not tell you about this because it was not my place to tell it to you. Abhi was the only person who can share that with you," I was convinced. I nodded my head.

"It is okay Anu. I understand, I was upset that I did not about it in advance I will meet you in the board meeting." I hugged her briefly. I got into my new car and left for the mansion.

I reached the mansion and was allowed inside immediately, I parked the car and took my clutch and went inside the house to find a mess in the living room, I heard some shouting and went further to inspect. I found Diya arguing with his father and throwing things. She is bad-tempered like her father.

"Diya, what are you doing?" She whipped her head in my direction and came running towards me.

"Mama" She lifted her hands asking to pick me up but I refused her and held my stand.

"Why were you shouting and throwing things?" She bent her head at my question. I kneeled in front of her and lifted her head. "Tell me."

"Dada tell me you no come, I got anwry," my heart fluttered at her words, but I need to explain to her not to be angry.

"I woke up late. Now I am here, so what about the things you broke. Will they come back? What if someone gets hurt?" I questioned her strictly. Her eyes were welling up with tears but I did not back down.

"Swory mama, pwease you no angry," she apologized.

"You will not throw things when you are angry, you come to mama and tell her," she nodded her head and I hugged her. I lifted her in my arms. "Now don't cry." I saw Abhi looking at us with a frown on his face.

"Where is her room?" I questioned him, he signaled me to follow him. I went to her room and her mood brightened when I told her about the bath. I took her to the washroom and bathed her, I kept my clothes from getting wet. Diya kept splashing water. I changed her into a cute dress and combed her hair. We had breakfast together and left for the office.

When we reached the office and Abhi took Diya from the car seat, I followed them inside. We were getting weird looks from the employees and I tried to ignore them. Karthik sir was present in the cabin, Diya squealed seeing him.

"Karthik uncle," she urged his father to place her down and ran towards Karthik sir. They started speaking to each other. They have a great bond, I felt that Diya will be safe near him.

"Did everyone arrive?" Abhi questioned him and he nodded his head.

"You stay here with Diya", Abhi ordered him and I followed him to the boardroom. As we entered the room, the members quietened. Abhi went and sat in the CEO chair with papa to his right and Vinay uncle to his left. I stood behind Abhi's chair.

"Thank you, everyone, for attending this meeting on short notice" Abhi greeted them. Everyone started applauding him for being the CEO, Abhi raised his hand to quieten them.

"We have some news to share with you. Ms. Rajput will be introduced today." All the members started mumbling to each other in low voices.

A person with white hair and a potbelly whom I identified as Mr. Patel who owns 5% of shares, 75% with Goenkas and Rajputs, stood and spoke. "What is there to introduce about her, we know nothing about her other than her existence. She has no idea about this company and how it works. She can't be introduced to this field, she is a woman. What can a woman do in the business? Her handling the family and looking pretty in our arms is more than enough I think." Everyone laughs at that. I clench my fist and spoke the words.

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Heya guys,

Here is your update. How do you like it?

Aren't Avni and Diya sweet?

Isn't mother's love the greatest and most selfless and pure thing in the world. I would love to know some things you love to do with your mother?

Mine is talking to her regarding everything and take her advice.

What is Avni going to do now? Is she going to stand for herself? Or Abhi's gonna help her?

Vote and comment it makes my day.

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