Chapter 130: chapter 130

SRUTHI The school bell rings, bringing joy to the kids' faces. It is Friday afternoon, and the kids are excited about the weekend. Well, it is not only the kids who are excited—I am excited too, but for a different reason. I had a checkup with the doctor yesterday, and they confirmed my pregnancy. Madhav is coming back tomorrow, and I can't wait to share the news with him. Jaya Ma already knows, though I didn’t tell her. She figured it out from the gleeful expression on my face yesterday and didn’t ask any questions. I think she knows that I want Madhav to hear this news first, so she just kept quiet but made changes to my food to suit my appetite, which seems to crave sour and spicy foods.As usual, the whole class empties out in minutes, leaving only a couple of kids behind—including Neetu. She is drawing something seriously, as she always does while waiting for her grandparents to pick her up. She has a talent for drawing. I have seen her work, and it is better than that of most kids her age. She looks lost in another world when she draws, completely absorbed in her work, pausing only when her grandparents arrive or if I ask her something.I slowly step behind her and watch the drawing she is working on today. It is a picture of a house and trees. Her tiny hands grip the pencil tightly as she starts outlining the tree trunk. I hear footsteps behind me. Both Neetu and I look up from the drawing to meet Neetu’s grandmother’s eyes—but I let out a gasp when I see familiar gray eyes staring back at me with a smirk on his lips.“MADHAV!” I gush and close the distance between us in two steps, and he meets me halfway. Mindful of our surroundings, we stop at a hug.“You told me you would be coming tomorrow,” I say, giving him an accusatory look.He grins at me. “Surprise! I got the work done early so I could return to you as soon as possible. I wanted to surprise you at home, but I thought meeting you here would be better. I get to spend extra time with you.”I shake my head. I know his words are cheesy, but I can't stop myself from melting. I think we are becoming that couple people would call cringe—saying and doing cheesy things—but damn them all. If only they knew what it truly means to be in love.“Hey, Yellow,” Madhav says, looking at Neetu. She puffs her cheeks in anger and glares at him. Madhav feigns a scared expression and asks, “What did I do to make you angry?”She huffs, “My name is Neetu. N-E-E-T-U. Not Yellow, Jewel Uncle.”“Oh! My bad,” Madhav says, kneeling to her level. I try to suppress the grin and joy fighting to break out. Madhav may doubt whether he will be a good father, but I know he will be an amazing one to our kids. I can't wait to tell him the news. “You know how to spell your name. That’s great.”Neetu flushes and looks at me. “That’s because Sruthi Ma’am taught me.”Madhav’s eyes find mine, and he winks. Now, I am the one blushing.“Then, isn’t your teacher the best?”Neetu nods eagerly. “Yes, she is the best.”Madhav opens his mouth to say something, but he is interrupted by Neetu’s squeal. “Grandma!!”I glance at the entrance to find Neetu’s grandmother standing with her usual warm smile, arms open for her granddaughter. Neetu rushes into her embrace, and her grandmother lifts her up and spins her around. I am so enthralled watching them that I don’t notice Madhav’s reaction—until I hear him gasp.My eyes latch onto my husband, and I am shocked to see him frozen in place. His face is filled with pain—the same pain he had when he told me about his mother.Suddenly, I see how similar Madhav and Neetu’s grandmother look, and it makes sense why she has always reminded me of him.I am not the only one who notices his reaction. Confusion flickers across Neetu’s grandmother’s face before realization dawns on her. She gasps too. She takes a step forward toward Madhav, but my husband shakes his head. The woman’s face falls, and she looks on the verge of tears.“I will be at the parking lot,” Madhav mutters to me before hurrying out of the room. Neetu’s grandmother tries to follow him, but I stop her.“Madam, stop. You have no right to go after him,” I tell her in a strong and firm voice.Neetu looks between us, clearly not understanding what is happening. Her grandmother must notice this because she whispers something to Neetu, and the next moment, Neetu is running out of the room.“Don’t send her after Madhav,” I warn.If my hunch is correct, then the woman standing before me is my mother-in-law—the woman who gave birth to Madhav and abandoned him.“Madhav?” she repeats his name with a frown. “Is that the name he uses these days? And no, Neetu is going to her grandfather.”I sigh and fold my arms across my chest. I have a lot of questions for this woman, but first, I need to confirm my suspicion. I remember the conversation about her tattoo.“Let me guess, Anand is your son—the one who killed your abusive husband when he beat you nearly to death. But you pushed him away, calling him names no mother should use.”A sob escapes the woman, and she quickly wipes away her tears. “Yes. The man who just walked out is my son.”I shake my head at her. “He was. He is now my husband, Madhav.”She opens her mouth to interrupt me, but I cut her off.“And, Madam, I can see you truly regret pushing him away. But please, stop trying to approach him. He is deeply hurt and has only just started healing. If he doesn’t want to talk to you, then that’s it. Respect his choice. Knowing him, I know he will want to make amends with you someday—but for now, don’t disturb him.”The woman looks at me reluctantly, as if she wants to argue. I hold her gaze, daring her to do so.She may have given birth to him, but I am his wife now. He is not that fifteen-year-old boy anymore.Okay, I know I sound like the evil daughter-in-law who tries to separate a son from his mother, but I don’t care. I want my husband to stay happy, and if staying away from the woman who abandoned him makes him happy, then I will play whatever role I need to keep her away.“Fine,” the woman sighs, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Just tell him I’m sorry. And I know that one word isn’t enough to heal the wounds I inflicted on him. But if he gives me a second chance, I am willing to be the mother I should have been.”I nod, and she turns to walk away but then stops, assessing me again. A small smile plays on her lips.“I’m glad he has you as his wife.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥