16 Chapter 16
"I miss my babies" The older woman sniffed and Janani tried her best to console her weeping mother and deeply troubled father as the three of them were on a video call.
Her adoptive parents have returned back after their two week vacation to an empty home.
Janani hadn't informed them about her trip to Mumbai as she didn't want to spoil their much needed vacation. Because she knew very well, if informed about the happenings in her life, they would have cut short their vacation and rushed back home.
Janani couldn't let her parents do that. Not after what they went through after her twin made a mess in their orderly life.
"Maa, Advi is Armaan's son and the poor guy has been searching for him for months" Janani pointed out.
Janani was feeling sick with shame. Never had she lied to her parents before. Not about something important.
They would be horrified if they knew she was pretending to be her dead sister and faking being Advi's mother.
Nothing she says in her defense will persuade them to justify her actions
Her father is a retired school headmaster for heaven sake, and if he knew his own daughter was a part of such a horrific behaviour, he would be heavily disappointed.
"I believe he will be a good father. He had asked me along because he knows Advi is deeply attached to me and he didn't want him to be hurt by me suddenly disappearing from his life" Janani added when her mother continued to sniff softly.
He will be a good father, when he comes out of hiding, whatever it is he is hiding from, Janani thought with a huff.
"Well. That's very responsible of him" her mother conceded finally.
"How is his family responding to the child??" Her father asked
"There is not much family. It's only the two brothers" Janani said and her mother let out a scandalous gasp.
"Janani Trivedi, are you telling me you are staying with two unmarried men at their house alone??" Her mother asked scandalised at the very idea.
"Maa. I am not alone. There is an army of staff here and then there is Shantima" Janani continued to inform her mother of who all are there at the house which calmed her mother a little.
"Okay then. Where is this little cutie pie you were talking about? Show me, show me" her mother was back to her usual chirpy behaviour at the thought of meeting little Ava and her beloved Advi.
After the call Janani proceeded with a video call to Richa who was working in the admin department in the nursery Janani used to teach.
Richa made her talk to her little students who were all so eager to see Advi and was happy to meet Ava.
And Ava was equally enthusiastic
****
"You know, there is fine line between brilliant recluse and a nutcase hermit" Aadesh said barging into his cabin making Armaan frown.
"I am not a hermit" Armaan said vehemently.
"So you agree you are being a recluse" Aadesh grinned.
"Neither am I a recluse" Armaan scowled at his younger brother.
"You could have fooled me" Aadesh took a seat across from him.
He had holed up in his office for the past four days, returning home at midnight and leaving early in the morning for the sole purpose of avoiding she who shouldn't me mentioned.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have any work?" Armaan asked irritated
Aadesh opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the loud burp that came out of his mouth.
"Sorry. Heavy lunch" Aadesh said smiling sheepishly, making Armaan frown.
"Janani had sent a packed lunch for me through one of the guards." Aadesh added when he didn't receive any response from Armaan .
"I did not ask you about that," Armaan said coolly.
All he had been having for the past four days have been her coffees.
Though Khanna thinks he doesn't knows who makes the coffee, Armaan is well aware that the coffee Khanna so punctually provides him in the morning is made by Janani.
"Anyways, that's not why I am here. Whatever reasons you have for hiding yourself up in the office, go home before your children forgets you" Aadesh said and walked out of his cabin.
In an attempt to avoid Janani, he had inadvertently avoided his children, because the blasted woman is always with them.
That afternoon Armaan reached home so that he could spend some time with his children, only to be informed that Janani had taken them to the nearby park.
Armaan didn't waste time waiting for them to return.
The sight which welcomed him at the park was a laughing Janani gently pushing the swing where Ava was sitting clutching Advi tightly to her.
On an impulse Armaan took out his phone and took a picture.
He didn't stop to find reason for his behaviour, he simply didn't want to.
Armaan walked briskly towards them when he saw Janani scooping Advi from Ava and letting his little girl down from the swing and walking towards a picnic rug.
Armaan cleared his throat and all three looked up.
"Mrs Seth told me you all had gone to the park and I thought I would also join" he said and Janani smiled at him.
"See, dada had come to spend time with Ava and Advi" Janani beamed at the kids.
Advi clapped his hands looking at him and Ava shot him a shy hesitant smile.
He felt like an intruder in their happy little world.
Janani saw the sorrow on his face and felt a lump in her throat.
He so wants to be there for his kids, but doesn't know what to do.
"Why don't you hold Advi? He is getting a little heavier for me" Janani smoothly lied and handed over a gurgling Advi to Armaan.
They sat there playing for a while and were interrupted by the ringing of Armaan's phone.
He answered his phone and spoke at length, barking out rapid fire orders.
He was still in mid-conversation when there was another buzzing sound and he drew another phone from his other pocket without breaking the conversation.
Janani watched in fascination as he talked on one phone while emailing from the other .
"That's all it will be" He ended the call and frowned at her "Why are you staring like that??"
"How many phones do you have??" Janani asked in wonder
"Three. It makes running my business more efficient, " Armaan said casually.
"What happens when they ring at the same time??" Janani couldn't hide her genuine curiosity.
"I am excellent at multitasking," he said, grinning at her.
As if to test the theory, two of his three phones rang simultaneously and Janani watched as he dealt swiftly with one call and then the other.
"We need to leave. That was Khanna. He suspects the presence of some paparazzis around"
****
That night, Janani stood in front of Armaan Verma's home study with the kids in tow.
She hesitantly knocked on the door and pushed it open when she didn't get a response.
Armaan was staring blankly at the laptop screen without actually reading anything.
He looked up when he heard the sound of his study door opening and saw Janani and the kids walking in.
They stopped right next to him and he saw Janani whispering something to both Ava and Advi.
Then Ava looked up at him and stretched on her toes as if she wants to tell him something and he automatically bent down a little.
"Good night dada" she pressed a light kiss on his stubble cheeks.
Armaan couldn't contain his emotions.
He swiftly pulled her into his lap and pressed a light kiss on top of her head.
Advi swayed in Janani's arm reaching for Armaan making his grin wider.
"Ayt ayt da" Advi pressed a wet sloppy kiss on his cheek making him chuckle.
Then he let both the kids down and looked up to see Janani watching him with a soft smile.
She did this for him.
"Tomorrow, when you are free, can we talk, Armaan??" Janani asked and Armaan nodded.
He would have written off his entire fortune if she asked for right at this moment.
She did something for him that made him the happiest man in the world.
He had never been this happy in his life.
And he is never going to be ever again, he thought
And then
On an impulse, Janani bent down a little and pressed a feather light kiss on Armaan's cheek and murmured a soft good night before walking out of the study.
