As I neared my house, the sight of Viswanath uncle's bike parked by the gate made my heart race with dread. Only one thought flashed through my mind: I was screwed. I could feel Ammu seated behind me, and I had no doubt that Anu had accompanied Viswanath uncle and was now inside my home.
I came to a stop, and Ammu gracefully dismounted. As I parked my bike, a wave of nervousness washed over me. Noticing this, Ammu asked, "Why are you the one feeling nervous? It should be me who's nervous because I'm about to meet your parents for the first time."
I looked at her, forcing a nervous smile. "Ammu, we should come back later. Let's go," I suggested, my voice shaky.
Ammu raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why's that, Krishna? We're already here. Or do you not want me to meet your parents?"
I hugged her tightly, trying to find some comfort in her presence. "It's not like that, Ammu. Okay, we can go inside, but you have to stay calm, okay?"
Ammu, now even more curious, asked, "Why are you asking me to calm down, Krishna? Tell me clearly what's going on."
I took a deep breath and, in a low voice, said, "It's because Anu is inside."
Ammu's eyes widened. "What did you say, Krishna? I didn't hear you clearly. Tell me again."
I swallowed hard and said a bit louder, "It's because Anu is inside. I hope you two can talk nicely and not do anything else."
Ammu, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, said, "Oh, so your other girlfriend is inside, huh? It's a good time to meet her."
I nervously replied, "Okay, let's go," and started moving toward the door, Ammu following close behind.
As we walked up the path to the front door, my heart pounded louder with each step. I paused for a moment, my hand hovering over the door handle, before pushing it open.
As I opened the door, the scene that greeted me was filled with familiar faces: Anu, Viswanath uncle, my father, my mother, JP uncle, and our maid. Anu's face lit up with a smile when she saw me. She came over and hugged me tightly, and I instinctively hugged her back. "Krishna, let's go inside," she said softly, stepping back but still holding my hand.
Just as she began to lead me inside, I felt a wave of apprehension. "Anu, I want to introduce everyone to someone," I said, my voice slightly shaky.
Everyone turned their attention towards me, curiosity and a hint of confusion evident on their faces. Anu tilted her head slightly and asked, "Who is it, Krishna?"
Summoning all my courage, I said, "Ammu." At my words, Ammu stepped forward, her warm smile radiating towards the group.
Silence enveloped the room, a heavy pause as everyone processed what was happening. Anu's eyes met mine, searching for an explanation. My mother broke the silence, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "Krishna, she is...?"
Taking a deep breath, I said, "She is Ammu—Amulya. She is... you know, she is my.
Before I could finish my sentence, Anu interjected, "Ma, she is your son's second girlfriend. Your second daughter-in-law, am I right, Krishna?" Her tone was half-teasing, half-serious.
I nervously nodded and quickly grabbed her hand. "Krishna, what are you doing? Let go of my hand," she said, trying to pull away.
I pulled Anu into my arms and hugged her tightly. "Hear me out first. Just like the things that happened between you and me, the same thing happened between Ammu and me. And as I said this morning, you don't have to worry, okay?"
Anu didn't say anything for a moment, her expression conflicted. But then she sighed and said, "Okay."
I kissed her forehead, feeling a wave of relief. Everyone in the room was watching us, their expressions a mix of curiosity and surprise. I let Anu go and turned to face Ammu, who was looking at me with a blend of shyness and determination.
"Ma, Papa, Anu is right. She is your second daughter-in-law," I said, trying to sound confident.
My mother smiled and came near Ammu, enveloping her in a warm hug. Ammu shyly hugged her back. "I am happy today. I get two daughters," my mother said, her voice filled with genuine joy. "But Krishna, don't you think you're going too fast?"
I could only smile nervously in response. Ammu then looked at Anu with a friendly smile and said, "Anu, I've heard a lot about you from Krishna. Can we talk in private?"
Anu looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, let's go. Follow me."
As they began to leave, I protested, "Why in private?"
Both Ammu and Anu turned to me with a look that could kill. "Krishna, it's girls' talk," Ammu said firmly.
I nodded nervously and watched as they left the room, heading to another part of the house. My father, Viswanath uncle, JP uncle, and our maid seemed to be enjoying the unfolding drama. I turned to my father, frustration evident in my voice. "Now can you tell me what the hell is going on? How can Bheeshma become CEO of Bheeshma Organics?"
My father was about to answer my question when we saw Bheeshma emerge from his room with his luggage. He walked over to my mother and said, "Ma, don't be upset. I'll keep visiting you. Grandpa really needs me right now,take care of Dad and Krishna."
Hearing this, my mother said, "Bheeshma, wait—" but Bheeshma ignored her and continued toward the door. I could tell he hadn't noticed I was standing there. As he moved, I called out, "Bhaiyya, where are you going?"
He stopped and looked at me. "Oh, Krishna, you're here. So you've seen the news. I'm going to help our grandpa. But don't be sad that he chose me instead of you as his successor. I think he sees something in me."
He turned to leave again. Watching him, I couldn't help but feel incredulous. "Are you an idiot or what, Bhaiyya?"
He stopped in his tracks and turned back to me, puzzled. "What do you mean by that, Krishna?"
"We have nothing to do with Mr. Bheeshma apart from professional relationships. In other words, he's not our grandpa."
Bheeshma looked even more confused. "Huh?"
"Yes, huh," I repeated.
Bheeshma was about to say something when my father intervened. "Yes, Bheeshma. Krishna is right. We don't have any familial relationship with Mr. Bheeshma." He took out his wallet and showed Bheeshma a photo of our actual grandfather. "This is your grandfather. He passed away when I was little."
Bheeshma's face turned pale with shock. "Papa, it's not the time for jokes."
Hearing this, my father said, "Why would I joke about this? Deva had you at point-blank range, ready to shoot. I was worried he would actually do something to you, so I made this all up."
I turned to my father and said, "Then why didn't you just tell him that Bheeshma is the owner of Nirvana Enterprises?"
My father let out a deep sigh. "I did tell him that first, but he said Bheeshma hasn't done anything for the company. He called him useless and said you were the true owner. So I had to come up with this story to save Bheeshma."
I looked at Bheeshma, who seemed utterly shattered, his dreams crumbling before his eyes. He then asked my father, "That's all fine, but why did the media show up then?"
Hearing this JP uncle raised his hand, a collective sense of confusion swept over the room.
"Because I told them to come," JP uncle announced, his tone calm yet resolute.
Bheeshma and I exchanged incredulous glances, our expressions mirroring our shared disbelief. "Huh?" we both uttered simultaneously.
JP uncle nodded, elaborating on his unexpected revelation. "As soon as your dad mentioned that you're the heir, Deva got shocked and aimed his gun towards me. If he grew suspicious that we lied, I'd be the first person to face the consequences. So, I decided to deal with the fallout later and sent out a text in my media group stating that you're the next CEO. You know how the media is—they come rushing as soon as they get breaking news."
Bheeshma's initial shock dissolved into laughter. "Uncle, Krishna, Papa— you're all kidding me, right? His name is Bheeshma, and so is mine. No, no, no."
My father chimed in confidently, "That's precisely why I was confident Deva would believe me."
But Bheeshma's reaction was unexpected. He seemed to be overwhelmed by the revelation, collapsing to the ground in shock. Without hesitation, I rushed to his side, concern evident in my voice as I asked, "Are you alright, Bhaiyya?"
Bheeshma assured me that he was fine, albeit still processing the unexpected turn of events. "I'm alright, Krishna," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief.
As we tried to make sense of the situation, the solemn atmosphere was interrupted by the ringing of our maid's phone. A sad song filled the room, adding an eerie backdrop to the unfolding drama.
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