To Be or Not To Be A Family - Chapter 95

Ashma’s cheek was tingling with pain. The fingerprints of Vidhi were printed on her cheek. Her eyes started watering with pain. Her ears started ringing. She touched her cheek with her left hand to subside the pain and the tingling feeling. For the first time in her life, her mother hit her that too because of some other man. That broke Ashma’s heart but she realised one thing, that her mother had been lying to everyone.

“For the first time in my life you used your iron fist on me,” Ashma said through gritted teeth. Tears were flowing out her eyes, not due to sadness but due to pain.

“I am sorry, I am sorry,” cried Vidhi.

Ashma showed her, her palm and gestured to her to stop talking. “No, I am sorry. I thought you were my mother but you are some lady who is here to seduce his lover. I don’t know who you are,” chided Ashma.

“No, no, Ashu, that’s not the case at all, I didn’t hit you because of him, I hit you because of your words,” pleaded Vidhi.

“Fine, then let’s go back,” announced Ashma.

“Excuse me!” shouted Vidhi.

“You came to meet him because you heard that he was dying, now, he is not dying and you met him. So, let’s go back,” said Ashma.

“I will once I get better, you know my hands,” Vidhi showed her the cast.

Ashma clenched her jaws and gritted her teeth. She stared at her mother for continuously lying. “You can travel with broken hands,” snapped Ashma.

“But… but wha… what about my panic attack?” asked Vidhi. She was trying all her medical conditions to avoid going back to India.

“You know it was just a panic attack,” chided Ashma.

“What if I get another attack while I am on the flight?” contrasted Vidhi.

“Oh my god! You want to stay here, you are still in love with him,” shouted Ashma, disgusted. Vidhi lowered her head as her daughter figured everything out. “You realise he has a family, he has a wife, are you out of your mind?” reprimanded Ashma.

“He was snatched from me. I just wanted to spend a few days with him,” cried Vidhi. Her eyes started watering. She sniffled and cried.

“Are you my mother? What has happened to you?” shouted Ashma.

“Don’t you know what first love means?” begged Vidhi.

“Grow up mom, or do I need to call nanaji?” rebuked Ashma. She was angry at her mother and knew only her grandfather could bring her out of her slumber of first love.

“No, please don’t tell him,” shouted Vidhi.

“You want me to hide everything from him?” asked Ashma.

“What everything?” Vidhi was confused. She was sure that no one could find out her secret.

“What you have been doing? You are lying to everyone,” shouted Ashma.

“What lying?” asked Vidhi, innocently.

“You just slapped me with your right-hand mom, do you think I am a moron?” What Vidhi didn’t release was that she slapped Ashma with her right hand. She forgot that her right hand was in a cast. Due to the cast, the slap was extremely painful. With the ease that she used her right hand made Ashma realise that Vidhi’s hand was alright and she was lying to everyone.

Vidhi realised her mistake. “I am sorry, I am sorry,” she shouted.

“We are going to the hospital tomorrow and getting a clean bill of health for you. I have work to do here, but you are going back,” commanded Ashma.

“Please let me stay till you are here, I won’t do anything, I promise,” pleaded Vidhi.

“Did you not hear me? You are going back or I am telling nanaji. Let him be disappointed that he has such a shrewd and cunning daughter who is trying to break a family,” warned Ashma.

“You are getting a family, what about me?” shouted Vidhi.

“First of all, I don’t need a family, I have one. I am getting another family. You have one family, and no one stopped you from getting married, even nanaji begged you but you said no,” shouted Ashma. The fingerprints on her face now started fading away but her cheeks were still hot with a slap.

“I was in love with Young-Soo,” pointed out Vidhi.

“But he forgot about you. He married someone else, he chose his father before you,” commented Ashma.

“That was his obligation, he was helpless. He had to choose his father. Even I would have chosen my father,” said Vidhi.

“But now you are forcing him to choose between his family and you. Are you so stone-hearted that you are ready to break a family just so that you would get your love back?” screamed Ashma. She was getting angrier and angrier at her mother.

“He too loves me,” shouted Vidhi.

“He will never choose you, wake up,” yelled Ashma.

The next moment there was a knock at the door and Bong-Cha and Eun-Kyung entered the room.

“What? You haven’t changed your dress yet?” pouted Bong-Cha. “I am hungry.”

“Oh! Sorry, we were just talking. I forgot about the time,” Ashma changed her tone and apologised to both Bong-Cha and Eun-Kyung.

“About?” asked Eun-Kyung.

“She is going back,” before Vidhi could speak, Ashma shouted.

“What?” said Bong-Cha and Vidhi in unison.

“She came to meet your father. She met with him now she has to go back. Her students are waiting for her,” said Ashma. She was not letting Vidhi speak.

“But her health,” pointed out Bong-Cha. Eun-Kyung was happy that Vidhi would be going back.

“I am sure doctor will say that she can go,” said Ashma.

“Are you sure Vidhi aunty?” asked Bong-Cha.

“Yes, mom is sure,” shouted Ashma. Again she stopped Vidhi from talking.

“But what about the wedding?” asked Bong-Cha.

“She can come back in September,” announced Ashma.

“Are you leaving too?” Bong-Cha was disappointed.

“No, I have work to do. I will be staying here for I think a month more,” announced Ashma.

“What work?” Bong-Cha asked, excited.

“A new collection that came to my mind today,” said Ashma.

“Wow! Great,” said Eun-Kyung. She was smiling at Ashma as she knew that she was forcefully sending Vidhi away.

“I will call my team here,” said Ashma.

“Really! I am so happy.” Bong-Cha ran to her and hugged her. Ashma gave her a smile but she was still angry at her mother. It was getting difficult for Vidhi to look into her eyes. Her daughter was disappointed with her. She thought she was doing everything for her, to get her a complete family, but she didn’t want that. She was happy with the family she had.

“Give me 5 minutes,” said Ashma and broke the embrace.

“I will meet you outside,” said Bong-Cha and ran out of the room, happy.

“Is everything okay?” asked Eun-Kyung.

“Everything is perfect, mumma and everything will be perfect,” said Ashma looking directly into Eun-Kyung eyes as if signalling that she was on her side.

“Okay, fine. Come out soon, both of you,” said Eun-Kyung.

“5 minutes, mumma,” said Ashma.

She ran to the bathroom and true to her she was out in five minutes. All went to the dinner table and had their dinner. Young-Jae looked at Ashma sipping her tea in confusion. Why was she not eating anything? Why was drinking only tea? But he said nothing. Ashma kept glancing at Young-Soo and Vidhi who also kept glancing at her with fear. Young-Soo was afraid that she might scold him in front of everyone, but Ashma spoke nothing.

After dinner, everyone retired to their room. Ashma was laying on the bed looking at her phone when her phone chimed. She opened the chat.

“What are you doing?” appeared on her screen. All her anger and her sadness went through the window. She started smiling.

“Nothing,” she typed.

Trying to sleep?

Yes, trying. Why are you awake?

Thinking about you.

Really!

Thinking about our kiss.

A shy emoji.

Thank you for going on a date with me.

Thank you for taking me there.

Where do you want to go next?

You know Korea better. You tell me.

Let me think and I will get back to you.

Sure.

But can we meet tomorrow?

Of course.

What will you tell everyone?

That we are starting our work together. We can meet now anytime we want.

Oh my god! You are right.

I am always right.

Okay Ms right, go to sleep, see you tomorrow.

Kiss emoji.

Ahh, now I won’t be able to sleep.

What? Why?

Coz now I want to kiss you.

Kiss me tomorrow, I will wait. Good night, Yongsuna.

Goodnight, Ash.

Throughout the whole conversation, she kept smiling. She read the whole conversation again and the smile broadened. She took a deep breath, locked her phone and kept the phone aside.

The sleep was miles away. She was happy yet sad. She was happy to spend time with Yong-Sun but was sad and angry because of her mother. She never knew that the woman she spend her life with, the kind woman she spend her life with hid a cunning woman inside herself. She was worried for Eun-Kyung. She didn’t want her life to be destroyed.

She prayed to god for her mother to lose and her mumma to win. It was true that she wanted her mother to be happy but not after destroying someone else’s happiness.. Her mother was acting selfish and she didn’t like this side of her.