7 Chapter 7

It was 9 in the night, and after dinner, we sat on the balcony. The weather was perfect that night, with a soft Breeze blowing. Although summers were about to start, the breeze was cool, due to unexpected showers in Seoul.

Ava picked up her mobile and dialled a number. "Whom are you calling?" I asked Making myself comfortable on the wooden chair.

"Calling your mom, Ash. Let us inform her and ask her to come," she replied.

"Are you sure? Ava? You know the problem with dad." She disconnected the phone and replied, "I know he is angry with you because you married me, but if this is the only reason, let me handle it."

"It's not only because of you; I know you can handle him. It's me who feels guilty for not meeting his expectations." I replied.

Hearing me, Ava leaned towards me and asked with a soft voice. "Are you guilty for marrying me?"

"How can you even think that way?" I questioned her back and kissed on her forehead. "It's more than just marriage for me, princess." I took a pause and continued, "I don't know what happened and why it happened, maybe it was my fault or it was dad's fault, but the distance that was created between us, kept on growing."

"And I know that the reason is me." Ava replied with a dull face. "Never, I always told you, it's not you." I again confirmed before continuing.

"Do you remember the day, Ava, when we took our subjects in school?" I started telling Ava, while she listened brooding.

"That day, I came to know that you were planning to go get ice cream with Mina and a few other classmates. You invited me as well. Do you remember that?"

"Mhm! I remember, and we went to the nearest Ice cream parlour and we all had fun till 7 in the evening," Ava confirmed.

"Yes, the same day. When I returned home at around 8 and pressed the doorbell, I was tense and downcast. My face had turned red in fear. I wanted to run away as I had done the unexpected for not only that but for myself as well. I pressed the doorbell again and after a few minutes, mom opened the door and without listening to me, she slapped me hard. I shouted 'sorry mom, sorry I took arts because I want to do something different. Sorry mom. Please forgive me.' Tears rolled down my eyes and my face turned red. I tried to safeguard my face hiding behind both my hands while mom slapped me again. Mom kept hitting me on my back and cheeks and told me that dad was very tense as I hadn't returned from school in the afternoon. He went to look for me in his car. He tried to look for me at many places. His blood pressure increased and his car had a small accident and he broke his elbow."

"Hearing her, I rushed inside to my dad's bedroom and found him standing at the door with his right hand plastered. With Tears in my eyes, I asked him how he was? How was he feeling then? But he kept standing in front of me with no expressions and no words. His red eyes answered that he knew that I had taken arts and his dream to see me as an engineer had been shattered.

Since then, I tried on many occasions to get back with him but he never spoke a single word to me. Later, he found out my reason for shattering his dream, so he hates you too.

I stood up from my chair and walked to the corner of the balcony and continued. "You know, Ava, some relations are like mobiles, which are out of network when you need them the most."

Hearing me, Ava interrupted, "Ash, When the network creates a problem, we change our network, not our mobile." She then paused to explain. "To mend your relationship with dad, we need to change the situation and not hide from them. Our baby will bring this change in him. Allow me to call them?"

I then turned to look at her with a Grave look, and she dialled my mom's number.

"Turn on the speaker, baby." I told her. "Hello," mom replied after a few rings. Her voice sounded old and frail.

"Hello mom, it's me Ava."

"Oh! Ava honey! How are you and how is Ash?"

"We both are fine mom, and how are you both? You sound dull." Ava replied.

"We are fine honey. Just have a little cough and cold."

Ava took a pause and then continued, "We have news for you."

"What happened? Is everything fine?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Actually I wanted to tell you that you are soon going to become a grandmother." Ava answered slowly.

"What? Wow! I am so thankful to the almighty. So, I'll be getting a small version of Ash now." Mom replied with pleasure and shouted to dad, saying, "Are you listening to me? Ava is pregnant."

"May god listen to you," Ava added and continued with a pause, "But mom, actually there is a small problem."

"What happened? Tell me." Mom questioned. Ava informed mom about the complications she was facing and asked her if she could come to Seoul and stay with us. Mom took a pause and replied, "Nothing to worry, darling, these are minor problems during pregnancy."

Mom continued after some thought, "Let me discuss this with your dad and we will let you know our plans."

"Sure, mom." Ava replied.

"And where is my Ash? Let me congratulate him." Mom asked. But I was feeling shy to talk to her at that moment and I gestured to Ava that I didn't want to.

"He is still on his way home mom, got late today." Ava handled my request correctly.

As she disconnected the call, I hugged her and kept hugging her for some time.

"Missing dad?" Ava questioned, massaging me softly on my back.

"I miss him a lot, Ava. He was my role model; he was my best friend. I miss my childhood days with him; I miss those moments when we used to laugh as a family. I miss those hugs from him." I replied, getting emotional.

"I can understand, Ash, but do not worry, everything will be fine one day."

Being an only child, my father had always been my best friend. He never scolded me and tried to understand me as much as possible. He was my biggest supporter ever, and I missed him for that.

I don't know how and when our relationship reached such a point, but I felt it was me who was responsible for it, but the fast was I could choose any worse thing for me, for my love, my Ava.

Next day, we tried to arrange a full-time maid at home, who could help Ava in my absence, while we kept waiting for a call back from mom.

Few days passed before we had a call on Sunday morning. I was on my study table writing the fourth letter to my baby when the doorbell rang. Ava was on the bed reading a book. I asked her to relax and went to the door. To my surprise, mom and dad were standing in front of me. I was shocked, but recovered quickly. I smiled and bowed. Mom hugged me and kissed me, while dad went inside without saying a word to me.

I picked up the suitcase and welcomed mom. “By which train did you come, mom? You should have informed me. “

“We came by car, Ash. Your dad drove. “Mom replied and then questioned, “Where is Ava?”

“Oh!Really? “I replied and continued. “She is resting inside, mom; please come in. “

Mom followed me to the bedroom, and as she entered, Ava tried to get up from the bed to touch her feet. Mom stopped her and said, “you are exempted from this, honey, no need to touch my feet. “

Ava laughed and hugged mom. They both went to the living room where dad was seated. She was about to touch his feet when he stopped her saying, “let it be, it’s perfectly okay. “

“How was your journey, dad? “ Ava questioned and took a seat.

“It was okay.” Dad replied.

I could see how dad was cutting off her words, but she kept smiling and conversing with him. I didn’t know how to make dad normal and make him forgive me.

“Let me make tea for everyone. “I stood and moved to the kitchen.

“You wait, let me make it. “Mom asked me to stop, but I stopped her and went to serve them. I also wanted to avoid dad, whose eyes were making me drown in guilt.

I stayed in the kitchen, struggling with my inner feelings, until Ava walked in.

“Hey, why are you here? Go and rest. “I said.

Ava walked inside and stood in front of me, taking the support of the kitchen platform. She looked relaxed and was smiling.

“What? What happened? Why are you smiling? “I questioned. She placed her both arms around my neck and then gave me a naughty smile, “You are hiding from dad, right? “

I tried to avoid her question, but she waited for my answer, “yes. I don’t know how to make things cordial with dad. “

Something was cooking in her mind, and it was quite visible to me looking at her face. So I questioned her, “what? Again, you are looking at me differently. “

Whenever she looked at me smiling with sly eyes, I knew something was going on in her mind.

“Do you remember Ash, how are you convinced about your love? “She questioned.

“Of course baby. “

“Was I not a stranger to you? “

“I knew you; we were in the same class.” I replied instantly.

“But I was not someone whom you knew for many years? “I nodded to show my agreement.

“Your father is known to you since you were born. He was your best friend back in time. When you can convince me, whom you hardly met, why can’t you get your dad to see eye to eye, the person who loves you so much. “She explained, stressing my strengths.

I felt she was right and her words were my strength. She always knew how to boost my inner power.

I took the tea on a tree and she helped me with some snacks to serve. We returned to my parents. I took a seat pulling out the dining table chair, while Ava sat next to mom, and started the conversation. Dad was silent and was sipping tea in between. Neither did he look at me, nor did I try to start a conversation with him.

But my mind was working on how to break the ice. By the time we completed our tea, the maid arrived. Ava gave her instructions about the dinner, while mom and dad went to their room to freshen up.

“Princess, I am going down to the park for some time, you want me to bring something? “I questioned Ava As I wanted to run away from facing dad for some time and be by myself.

She looked at me with a sarcastic smile. She replied, “ok, bring some apples. Dad loves eating apples every morning. “

“Sure, “I smiled and went downstairs.

She understood me better than anyone else did. I was sure after a few years we both would also start interacting with our eyes as my parents did.

I bought some apples and went to the park. I sat down on a bench and pondered about what my wife had explained to me. But she was correct. I started thinking about the day when I had proposed to her and began to hatch my plan to make my father reconcile with me.