Chapter 12: The After Effect

Surya held Ashma for hours while she kept sobbing on his shoulder. He knew both his daughter and granddaughter acted tough but were soft-hearted. They would keep their stress and tension to themselves and not show it to the world. For years he supported his daughter in all her decisions and now it was Ashma's turn. Vidhi was partial when it came to decisions about Young-Soo, she took decisions from her heart rather than her brain. So, it all depended on Ashma now, if she decided to go to Korea or decided against it, he knew he had to support her as Vidhi was a biased party in the outcome.

"You need to talk to your mother," said Surya after hours of silence. Ashma's head was on his shoulder and he was softly patting her head to comfort her. One or two drops of tears were falling occasionally from her eyes. His shirt was all wet due to her tears.

"I don't know how to speak to her, what to say to her," said Ashma while wiping her tears. She raised her head and looked at her grandfather.

He took her face in his hands and requested, "forgive her."

"I don't know how." Her lips were drawn in tightly and tears started pooling in her eyes again. She sniffled and her eyes and nose were turning redder.

"Just how you forgave me within hours." He moved his thumbs across her cheeks and dried her tears before they call fall anymore.

"Your situation is different," she pouted.

"How come?" He caressed her hair.

"You lied as you were protecting your daughter," she pointed out.

"Your mother was also protecting her daughter," he counterpointed.

"You don't think that I know that. That's what hurts the most."

"I don't understand dear." Her words confused him. Why was it okay for him to protect his daughter but was not okay for his daughter to protect his granddaughter?

"You guys made me strong, mentally and physically. But by hiding the truth you guys showed me that you think of me as a fragile child," explained Ashma in a weepy voice. She was sniffling in between the conversation.

"It was not that, she was not protecting you from heartbreak. She was protecting you from your grandfather. In fact, everyone was protecting you from your grandfather. You see, your grandfather is a bully." Surya explained the situation to Ashma.

"Nanaji! I have been practising martial arts since I was a kid, I have dealt with a fair amount of bullies all my life. You don't think I can take on an old man?" asked Ashma.

"Just think, he somehow stopped your father from coming back, think the level of bullysome he possesses."

Ashma immediately stood up and with a fight in her eyes, her mind and her stance, she said, "he has not met me yet. I can show him what bullying means just like that." She snapped her fingers loudly.

"That means you want to go?" There was a twinkle in Surya's eyes.

"No, I don't want to go," shouted Ashma. The twinkle in his eyes faded. He lowered his eyes. Ashma continued, "but I want my mom to meet the love of her life for one last time."

"My sweet kiddo."

They hugged for a long time. Surya kept caressing her back and they stood at a position for ages. After some time, Ashma broke the embrace, smiled at his grandfather and went to her mother's room. She walked as slowly as possible as it was hard for her to face her mother.

She stood outside the room on the first floor. The room was beautifully decorated in a combination of plum and white colour. The lilac curtains in the room enhanced the beauty of it. But today no one cared for the beauty or charm of the room. Everyone was sad and gloomy.

Ashma opened the door of her mother's room and saw Madhu was sitting next to her mother who was crying inconsolably and Madhu was trying her best to calm her down. Ashma's heart broke into million pieces after looking at her strong mother crying like a broken child. A tear escaped from her eyes but suddenly that sadness turned into anger. She was angry at her father who left her mother alone. She was angry at her mother who hid everything from her, who lied to her all her life. She was angry at her grandfather who destroyed who knows how many lives just because he wanted to, that's what psychopaths do.

She shouted from the door, "pack your bags, I will check for tickets and inform you."

"We are going? Do you want to go?" her mother immediately turned, wiped her tears and said in a heavy voice. Her eyes and nose were red. Her face was swollen and there were clear marks of tears on her cheeks. Her throat was all coarse after crying.

"If you want to go, I'll take you there," she answered stoically.

Her mother ran towards her, stood in front of her and asked sweetly yet in a weepy voice while sniffing in between words, "but your… fashion week."

"If this is important to you, then I will be with you, you know that. Right?"

Vidhi moved forward to hug Ashma but she immediately took a step back. Vidhi understood that Ashma buried her feelings for her sake so, she traced her steps and decided to give some space to her daughter.

"Okay, let's have dinner," announced Madhu.

"I am not hungry, you guys eat," said Ashma and turned but was stooped in her path by her grandfather.

"Are you okay?"

"I am fine, Nanaji!"

"Then why are you not having dinner," Madhu snapped at Ashma.

"As I said, Maasi, I am not hungry," said Ashma in a calm tone.

"Then you are not fine," Madhu poked Ashma with her words.

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This infuriated Ashma. A whistle blew in her brain and smoke started coming out of her ears. She shouted, "enough! I won't repeat myself. For the last time, I am not hungry."

Surya looked at Madhu and shook his head sideways and with his eyes gestured to her to keep quiet. No one ever saw or heard Ashma so angry or screaming at elders. Today was an exception as her whole world was destroyed with just a phone call. Whatever she knew about her life was a lie.

Her father was not dead. Her mother was not married. She was not an only child. She had a brother and sister in another country who knew all about her whereas she knew nothing about anything or anyone. It appeared as her whole life she lived in a perfect simulation with her loving mother and grandfather but now she woke up from the simulation and found a different world.

She walked away after shouting at her elders to her room. She spent a few minutes in her room and came running downstairs. Everyone else was having dinner in silence. There was the sound of clinking and clanking and clanging of spoons and plates, but other than that there was complete silence.

She exhaled a big puff of air and calmly told her mother, "our flight leaves at 6.50 am tomorrow and will arrive in Korea the next morning around 9. We have 7 hours layover in Bangkok. Do you want to do anything there?"

Vidhi looked at her adoringly with her puffed face and swollen eyes and replied, "no."

"Fine. Then be ready at 4 am," she said and again ran to her room.

She sat with a thud on her bed and hid her face in her palms. She controlled her breathing and calmed herself down. She placed her fingers in her hair and tucked it hard to ease her headache which started due to crying constantly. She went to her bathroom and doused her face with water. The cold water eased the pain in her burning eyes.

She dried her face and again exhaled a big blow of air. She stared at her phone for a long time.

"Ahhh…" she screamed and picked her phone up. She dialled Priyanka's number.

Within a few rings, Priyanka picked up the call.

Ashma asked, "where are you?

"In the office, sorry I will leave right now," screamed Priyanka in fear.

"No, don't worry," assured Ashma. The line went silent for a few seconds, Ashma then hesitantly said, "um… could you… ah… give me the number of the girl… that called from South Korea today. It must be in our call log."

"What? Now?" asked Priyanka surprisingly.

"Now!" commanded Ashma.

"But the time difference," said Priyanka carefully to remind Ashma about the time and not to annoy her further.

"Who said I am calling her right now?" screamed Ashma loudly on the phone.

"Are you okay?" asked Priyanka, worriedly.

Ashma exhaled and answered in a calm tone, "I am fine."

"Why are you cranky then?"

"Because people have been asking this stupid question to me since morning. I am fine. I AM FINE," enunciated Ashma in a loud voice.

"Okay! Chill. I will message you her number."

"Message and then leave for home. I want the lights of my 'Samvlta' off tonight. Tell everyone to go home and I won't be coming to the office for a few days. If you need me, call me on my phone."

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, just going out of the country for important work."

"Going out of the country? What about fashion week?" yelled Priyanka in shock.

"I have completed everything and will mail you in an hour. You can take care of rest. And don't let Rishabh take over anything. If he tries to be over smart, give me a call. I will handle him."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know the exact date but within 5-6 days."

"Okay, meet you then."

"Bye and go home. Have some rest. Tell everyone or I will come to the office right now."

"No, no, no need. I will make sure that everyone leaves for their home tonight."

"Good night!"

"Good night and safe journey."

"Thank you."

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