To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 56

After wearing his seat belt, Yong-Sun shouted, “oh, let me inform them otherwise they will kill me.”

“Is Baek-Hyeon alright?” asked Ashma. Her head was hung low.

“He is fine,” said Yong-Sun with sympathy.

“And others?” inquired Ashma.

“Worried,” said Yong-Sun.

“Hmm.”

While talking to Ashma he dialled Baek-Hyeon’s number. Within one ring he picked up his phone. “Hey Baekhyeona!” exclaimed Yong-Sun.

“Did you get her?” shouted Baek-Hyeon.

“Yes, I did. She is with me in the car,” notified Yong-Sun.

“Oh thank god, how is she?” questioned Baek-Hyeon.

“Both of you, brother and sister,” taunted Yong-Sun.

As soon as Ashma heard the word ‘sister’ she punched Yong-Sun hard on his arm.

“Ow!” he cried. He immediately understood why she punched him. He corrected himself, “sorry not sister. Your friend Ashma and you keep asking the same question about each other.”

Ashma heard his comment and asked, “What is he asking?”

The same way Baek-Hyeon asked, “What is she asking?”

“How are you?” Yong-Sun said to both Ashma and Baek-Hyeon.

“I am fine,” replied Ashma.

“I am fine,” said Baek-Hyeon.

“Ha-ha,” Yong-Sun laughed out loud. “Um… Baekhyeona, you have to send someone to get your car.”

“I will, but where is the key?” asked Baek-Hyeon.

Yong-Sun looked at Ashma and asked, “he is asking where is the key of his car.”

“I have it, here.” Ashma took a key out of her pocket and showed it to him.

“She has it. See you at home,” said Yong-Sun. He disconnected the phone and placed it on the dashboard. “Why did you punch me?” he asked Ashma.

“You know the reason,” said Ashma and stared at him in anger.

“But you are his sister, the faster you accept it the better it will be,” said Yong-Sun.

“Shut up! Don’t you know I am a Jon Snow, a bastard?” teased Ashma.

“Shut up!” shouted Yong-Sun in anger.

“Ha-ha,” Ashma laughed loudly.

Yong-Sun started the car and the journey started. It was a long distance to cover. They were travelling in silence. The roads were almost empty as it was late in the night.

Suddenly Yong-Sun asked, “Didn’t anyone stop you on the way?”

“No.”

“You are lucky. What if the police have stopped you, you didn’t have a driver’s license.”

“I was angry and sad. Do you think I was thinking about anything at that moment?”

“True.”

The car went silent again. No one spoke. Soft melodious songs were playing in the car. Ashma was tired and hungry. Yong-Sun was too occupied with searching her and too happy after finding her. He completely forgot about what Eun-Kyung said. He forgot that he had to feed her.

While sitting in the car, Ashma brought her knees to her chest and kept her head between them. She didn’t know when she fell asleep. Her long hair was covering her back completely. While driving, Yong-Sun looked at her and smiled. He softly reached towards her, moved her hair out of her face and kept glancing at her. She slept peacefully in the car. Watching her sleep he drove smoothly.

After almost four hours, they reached the Park mansion. Yong-Sun got out of the car, removed her seat belt and lifted her up in his arms. She was still fast asleep. He rang the doorbell. All came running. It was after midnight but all were wide awake.

“How is she?” asked Vidhi.

“Shh… she is asleep.”

“Did she eat anything?” whispered Eun-Kyung.

“Oh sorry, I forgot,” said Yong-Sun.

“You idiot, wake her up,” said Hei-Ran.

He moved inside with her and placed her softly on the living room couch. All were surrounding her. Vidhi knelt on the carpet and called her name softly.

“Ashu! Ashu! Wake up sweetie,” said Vidhi.

“Five more minutes, mom,” said Ashma in a drowsy voice.

“Eat something and then go back to sleep,” pleaded Vidhi.

“I don’t want to,” moaned Ashma.

“Ashma! Please wake up, you have not eaten anything since morning,” said Eun-Kyung.

Ashma heard Eun-Kyung’s voice and became aware that she was still in Korea and now she reached back into the Park mansion. She opened her eyes with difficulty and then woke up with a jerk. She looked all around. Everyone was staring at her.

She looked at Yong-Sun and asked, “When did we reach?”

“A few minutes ago,” said Yong-Sun.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” scolded Ashma.

“You were sleeping peacefully,” he said. She squinted her eyes and stared at him in anger.

“Okay fight later, eat first,” said Hei-Ran. Yong-Sun stuck his tongue at her.

“What are you? Five?” teased Ashma.

They all took her to the kitchen and feed her till her stomach was full. No one asked her anything, nor said anything. All ate the dinner in peace. They were happy that she was back. Even Pyo In-Ho was serving food with a bounce in his walk.

After they had dinner they all retired to the living room. It would be morning in a few hours yet no one was ready to sleep.

Vidhi hit ashma on her head and shouted, “why did you do it?”

“Ow, mom!” Ashma caressed her head. Now, everyone was looking at her in anger because she ran away without telling them.

“Do have any idea what happened to me? Did you think that would have given me another panic attack?” rebuked Vidhi.

“I am sorry but I was not thinking straight,” said Ashma.

“I am sorry on his behalf,” said Young-Soo.

“I am sorry too, harabuhji should not have said what he said,” said Bong-Cha.

“In fact, all of us are sorry,” said Eun-Kyung.

“You are my daughter, no matter what anyone says,” said Vidhi.

“I know, mom.”

“Never run away again,” scolded Baek-Hyeon.

“Sorry, I won’t, I promise. And sorry for hitting you,” said Ashma with guilt in her voice.

“I know why you hit me,” said Baek-Hyeon.

“Why?”

“So that you won’t hit harabuhji,” pointed out Baek-Hyeon.

“What? No, I hit you because you were not allowing me to move. Your grip was too tight and I had to get away. What he said was too much to take,” explained Ashma.

“Never give us fright like that, ever again,” shouted Bong-Cha and threw herself on Ashma. She hugged her too tight not allowing Ashma to move.

“I am sorry everything happened because of me,” sniffled Chin-Sun.

“What now?”

“She has this notion that she took you to hospital and started the chain of events,” explained Baek-Hyeon.

“What nonsense? My employee started the chain of events by sending my dress to Salt. If that would not have happened, none of this would have happened. None of this is your fault,” contrasted Ashma.

Chin-Sun too ran towards Ashma and threw herself at her. Now Bong-Cha and Chin-Sun were clinging to Ashma. She looked at everyone with pleading eyes to help her but all just smiled at her.

“I am sorry for causing you all concern but I think you all should retire now,” said Ashma to all.

“She is right, let’s retire for the night. We can talk in the morning,” announced Eun-Kyung.

Everyone went to sleep in the Park mansion. No one returned to their home that night. The Man couple slept in one room, the Park couple slept in their room, Baek-Hyeon and Yong-Sun were in one room and Chin-Sun and Bong-Cha were in one room as always. The only change was that everyone agreed that Ashma should sleep alone at night. So, Vidhi and Hei-Ran slept in one room leaving Ashma alone.

But after coming back, Ashma’s sleep was miles away. Her mind kept running back to the morning. The word ‘Bastard’ kept echoing in her mind. She tossed and turned but sleep was elusive. She exhaled loudly staring at the roof. After some time, she jumped out of the bed. She thought of spending some time on the swing.

She moved towards the terrace. She crossed the corridor and came in front of Young-Jae’s room. She looked at the door with furious eyes.

“He took away my sleep and he himself is sleeping peacefully, that stupid, old man,” Ashma gritted her teeth.

She moved towards the stairs. She opened the terrace door and the scene in front of her took her breath away. Young-Jae was standing before her. She stared at him with angry eyes. Her face turned red, smoke came out of her nose and ears. A loud whistle blew in her brain. She immediately turned away from him as she didn’t want to deal with him.

“Wait! I have been waiting for you since you arrived,” shouted Young-Jae to stop her.

She stopped and turned towards him, “Is there something else you want to call me?”

“I am here to say sorry,” said Young-Jae.

“You, sorry. Wait, where am I? Am I dreaming?” mocked Ashma.

“I am trying to apologise, but you cannot stop being smug,” said Young-Jae, angrily.

“Should I accept your apology just like that?” taunted Ashma.

“Yes, I don’t give apologies to anyone,” said Young-Jae with Vanity in his voice.

“Oh, then I must be special,” said Ashma. She titled her face and raised her eyebrows to show her displeasure.

“Do you want the apology or not?”

“Oh, are you doing a favour?” screamed Ashma. “When someone apologises it appears in their eyes. They are soft-spoken, full of guilt, not like you, full of ego.”

“Girl!”

This was the moment Ashma decided to turn the war into a world war. She wanted acceptance now. “Call me, sonnyuh.”

“Excuse me!”

‘Someone pointed out that I was accepting defeat from you just because you called me a bastard. So now, I will make you call me sonnyuh. You will accept me as your granddaughter and you yourself will announce it to the world.”

“That will never happen.”

“Then let’s have a bet. You will call me your granddaughter before Baek-Hyeon wedding. If that happens I will attend the wedding, if not you will never see me again in your life.”

“Then you will lose.”

“I never lose, get ready for the acceptance, old man.”