To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 70

Ashma looked at Hae-won with anticipation. She wanted to find out her reaction. She was smiling and eagerly looking at her. Surya and Madhu too were looking at the parcel and her reaction. Hae-Won was in shock. She didn’t even blink her eyes.

“What did you give her?” asked Surya and looked at Hae-won with worry.

“Is she okay?” asked Madhu.

“I really don’t know,” said Ashma, concerned. She then moved in front of Hae-Won and clapped her hands. “Um… Ms Man, Ms Hae-Won, are you alright?”

The sound of clapping brought her back from the shock. “You are giving me this? But this is…” Hae-Won could not complete her sentence and she gulped.

“The dress you wore,” Ashma completed her sentence for her.

“You are giving her the dress… the dress she wore as the showstopper, the green one, the… the showstopper dress. The one you didn’t allow that K-pop idol to wear, that.. that stirred a scandal?” asked Madhu, stunned.

“Yes, she wore it, it’s her fit. She didn’t take any pay, at least I can do that,” said Ashma, casually.

Hae-Won pulled Ashma towards her and hugged her. “Oh, thank you, thank you.”

Ashma patted her back with love and smiled, “You are welcome.”

When Hae-Won let Ashma go out of her embrace, Surya asked, “What about us?”

“Nanaji!” exclaimed Ashma.

“No, he is right. What about us?” asked Madhu.

Ashma smirked and said, “I have ordered gifts for you. It will arrive tomorrow.”

“I knew it,” said Madhu.

Everyone hugged Ashma and never once did she refuse to hug them. She was a different person in India. She was happy, warm, kind. Hae-Won loved this Ashma better. Ashma in Korea was mean, arrogant and rude. She was happy to know that that was not her personality it was just the circumstances.

Hae-Won lifted the dress in her hands and brought it closer to her chest with happiness. “Ohh, Bongie and Chinsuna will be so jealous,” she said.

“Um… no, they won’t be. I have dresses for all of them too,” said Ashma.

“Oh no,” said Hae-Won with fake sadness.

“Ha-ha,” everyone laughed and the environment was filled with happiness and laughter. After talking and enjoying with each other. Everyone retired for the night.

Meanwhile, in Korea, everyone was happy and enjoying and feeling proud for both Ashma and Hae-Won. They were having dinner and none could contain their excitement and kept talking about the fashion show.

“She was looking so good,” Baek-Hyeon talked about Hae-Won.

“Both of them were,” said Chin-Sun.

“And every dress was amazing,” said Bong-Cha.

“Oh, yes they were,” said Hei-Ran

“That’s my daughter,” said Vidhi proudly.

“Wow! How mom lied to us,” Chin-Sun was still thinking about her mother and her lies. She told everyone that she was going away for a business, she never told that business was with Ashma.

“It must have been Ashma’s plan. She told her to hide it from us,” chirped Eun-Kyung. She was too proud of her daughter. She could not hide her smile. The fact that her husband was sitting next to Vidhi and feeding her with his hands does not bother her.

“Of course, she had to do something different after all the designs were copied and were in the market,” explained Yong-Sun.

“You are right,” said Baek-Hyeon.

“Please ask your daughter to work with me,” said Yong-Sun and touched Vidhi’s arm.

“Careful!” shouted Young-Soo.

“Sorry,” said Yong-Sun and backed away from Vidhi.

“No worries, I will talk to her,” said Vidhi.

Young-Jae was listening in on the conversation. He liked silence during dinner but everyone was yapping away. He found it annoying. He shouted, “Can’t you people eat in silence?”

“No, harabuhji, Ashma’s fashion show was a success, and the showstopper was keunuhma,” chirped Bong-Cha, happily.

“What’s a showstopper?” asked Young-Jae, confused.

“One who finishes the show and displays the finale dress,” explained Jong-Woo with pride.

“Myuhneura (daughter-in-law) is in India?” screamed Young-Jae and hit loudly at the table. Everyone looked away with fear but not Bong-Cha.

“Yes, harabuhji, that’s what I just said,” said Bong-Cha.

“Oh my god! What is your fascination with that girl? Why do you guys are getting wrapped up in her magic? She is not even a good human being. She is rude to all of you, she doesn’t even let you guys be her family,” shouted Young-Jae.

“Mr Park, careful,” shouted Vidhi and warned him not to speak against her daughter. But he ignored her words. He didn’t even look at her.

“Harabuhji!” scolded Bong-Cha.

Young-Jae continued, “when has she accepted you as her sister.” He looked at Baek-Hyeon and spoke, “and you as her brother.” He then looked at Young-Soo, “and you, she hates you she is never going to call you her father.” His attention after that shifted to Eun-Kyung, “she only loves you, ehgiya (daughter-in-law when directly addressed) because you knew her before us. Because you are her godmother. Lastly he looked at Jong-Woo and said, “you like her because she made your wife famous, but your wife was already famous, she didn’t provide her with a platform she used your wife. Wake up, everyone. She will break your heart and leave one day.” He said his piece and stood from the table and went to his room without finishing his dinner.

His words were like a dagger to Yong-Sun. He kept waiting for Ashma’s reply but after that one message, she never messaged him back. He was living in the fear that she might forget about him and never return but he had a hope, Vidhi. She was still in Korea, no matter what, Ashma would never leave her mother alone.

Early morning, Madhu came to wake Ashma up, as she was too tired she didn’t even hear her alarm. She was in deep sleep. After all, she was sleeping on her bed after five days.

“Wake up, you will miss your flight,” said Madhu.

“What? What?” she woke from her sleep but was still half asleep.

“Wake up, get ready, you will miss your flight,” informed Madhu.

“Oh, right. Five more minutes, Maasi,” requested Ashma.

“No, sleep in the plane, now get up,” Madhu snatched away the blanket from Ashma.

“Hmm,” groaned Ashma.

“Okay, you are in no condition to drive, I will call a cab.”

“Okay, I will get ready,” said Ashma. She woke up and went to the bathroom. She came out after taking a quick shower. She wore a comfortable blue salwar suit and was ready to leave for Korea once again. This time she was angry, not upset but looking forward to going to Korea. She had a sweet smile on her face. She was eager to meet everyone.

She came downstairs where Hae-Won was ready and Madhu was ready with the breakfast. She ”

“Bring my daughter soon, both my daughters,” said Surya.

“Yes, Nanaji,” she saluted him teasingly. “Bye, Maasi,” she hugged Madhu.

“Bye, kiddo.”

Hae-Won too wished them goodbye and accompanied Ashma in the cab. They reached the airport and boarded the flight. Hae-Won wanted to talk and pass her time but she knew Ashma was too tired and needed her sleep.

Just like last time, Ashma spent her time sleeping on the flight. She would wake up just for meals. Even during the halt, she slept in the airport hotel’s room. Hae-Won went to check on her where she found her sleeping peacefully. She tucked her in and let her sleep to her heart’s content.

After hours, she went and woke her up.

“Ashma! Ashma dear! Wake up, we have a flight to catch,” said Hae-Won.

“Hmm,” groaned Ashma and shifted to her side.

“Ashu!” Hae-Won now tried her nickname. “Ashu! Wake up.”

“I am up, Mom.” Hae-Won smiled when Ashma called her mom, now she knew how Eun-Kyung felt. Her heart was filled with warmth. A sweet smile played on her face. Her eyes became wet. She thought was this the same girl who screamed at her and broke her phone in anger. That incident seemed ages in past.

Every day it seemed like she was seeing Ashma in a new light. She started as someone different and slowly was becoming someone else. She saw her in her own element and now she knew the real Ashma. The loyal, the kind, the funny, the warm Ashma.

She woke and realised that she called her mom. “Oh, sorry, Ms Man, I called you, mom.”

“You can call me whatever you want, just no Ms man or Ms Hae-Won,” said Hae-Won.

“Then I should call you aunty,” said Ashma with a sweet smile on her face.

“I would love that,” said Hae-Won.

“Give me five minutes and we will leave.”

“Of course, dear.”

They again boarded the flight and were on the way to Seoul. The next day they reached Seoul. As promised Dae-Hyun was waiting for her at the airport.

“Ajhussi!” greeted Ashma and bowed down to him.

“Welcome, Ashma! I saw your show. It was nice,” said Dae-Hyun.

“Thank you and thank you for coming to pick me up,” said Ashma.

“For you anything,” said Dae-Hyun.

“This is my aunty, Man Hae-Won.”

“Oh, I know her. I am a stunner,” said Dae-Hyun.

“Oh a fan, nice to meet you,” said Hae-Won and bowed down to Dae-Hyun. Dae-Hyun too greeted her back.

“You see her vlogs?” asked Ashma.

“Yes.”

“Wow!”

“Let’s go,” said Hae-Won.

They sat in the car and the car moved towards the Park mansion. Ashma was smiling from ear to ear. She had no idea why she was so happy. Perhaps she was happy to meet with Yong-Sun again. She wanted him to be there. She wanted to see him. She was sorry that she could not contact him for the past six days. She wanted to talk to him.

After some time they reached the Park mansion. She told no one about her arrival, she wanted to surprise them. After paying Hae-Won and Ashma reached the door. Ashma pressed the doorbell. As expected In-Ho opened the door. Ashma bowed down in front of him and gestured to him not to say a word. He bowed to both Hae-Won and Ashma and nodded to her request.

She wanted to surprise them but the scene before her surprised her. Everyone was sitting at the breakfast table. Young-Soo was feeding Vidhi with his hands. Vidhi’s right hand was in plaster. Ashma’s eyes enlarged. She froze. Her handbag dropped from her hand and everyone looked at her.

Everyone ran towards her, “Ashma! You are back. Keunuhma you are back. Let me call Chinsuna.” Who said what ashma had no idea, she kept staring at her mother.. What disturbed her she had no idea. Was she perturbed because her hand was in plaster or because Young-Soo was feeding her?