Destiny or Coincidence?

Athira patel

After my little heartbreak and realization about the truth, I accepted that everything happens for a reason and it was not their fault for taking that decision all those years ago. Even they are humans and all humans make mistakes at one point. I can't blame them for looking out for us and giving love to us. They acted according to the situations at that time. 

It was not one's fault when the accident happened and it was no one's fault for the death of Abhi's parents. It was all destiny. Mother thought that I died in that accident and started blaming herself for everything. She went into depression because of me and forgot about her other child.  

It was only Abhi who brought her back from her depression-like state. So feeling guilty about her friends, she raised him as her own to make up to him for her fault. She treated him as her own son and loved him as one. 

It was not her fault in anything but maybe when situations like that happen, it takes a toll on the person who witnessed it physically that they start to blame themselves which actually becomes easy rather than grieving in their death. Everytime we humans blame ourselves or others for being in our comfort zone because we are scared to face reality. It's what happened with my mother. She took all the blame on herself and struggled all her life drowning in her pain.And to forget that pain, Abhi was an escape route for her. He made her happy by forgetting the pain and loss of her loved ones.

Even it was the same with my parents also. They too lost their friends and when they saw me, they took me into their wings to forget about their pain. But the moment they got to know that they can't become parents, they saw a ray of hope in me as their daughter. 

Still, they waited for their friend to come and take back her daughter but inside they were praying for her to not appear. It was for their own selfish happiness again. When they realized that their friend won't come back, they adopted me as their daughter and raised me as their own. They gave me all the happiness in the world and treated me like the princess of the house. I was happy with them and never felt like I was out of place. It was all because of their love and care that I was happy. 

In the end it was all because of pain and situations. It was all fate and destiny. No one is right to blame others. Nothing was in their hands to make it right. The only thing that is in our hands is to accept the truth as it is and live with it. Because only if you accept it, you can move on in your life. 

The stopping of the car brought me back to reality from my thoughts. I slowly glanced outside only to see my apartment in front of me. It was making me nervous to walk down and face them but I need to do it for my sake and for everyone. But before that, I need to look at my mother's picture first to apologize to her for everything. 

Abhi took my right hand in his and squeezed a little, assuring that everything will be fine. I slowly nodded my head by exhaling and opened the door of the car to face the reality.

We slowly walked in silence where millions of thoughts were running in our heads but the silence was comfortable in between us. When we stood in front of the door of my apartment, I took a deep breath to control myself from getting emotional again.

The door opened, revealing Dev on the other side who immediately hugged me the moment he saw it was me in front of the door. I froze at first but then hugged him back with all my love.

When he released me from the hug, I saw the pair of faces watching in my direction with uncertainty and nervousness that I took a breath to be tough enough to handle it. I slowly glanced at Abhi for his acceptance before entering into the house and when he nodded his head slightly indicating me to proceed further, I took the first step into the house making everyone look at me with surprise and shock. 

But I ignored everyone and walked into my room where my mother's picture was placed on the bedside table. When I entered the bedroom, I heard the voices of them asking Abhi about everything that had happened earlier.

I didn't hear his answer because I made my way towards the picture of my mother which was sitting on my bed patiently. 

It was the picture of my mother who was standing near the balcony of our old house which they buyed immediately after their marriage. It was the day when they came to the new house after completing their one month anniversary. Dad gifted that house to mother as an anniversary gift. It was very precious to them but the moment she died, it became a nightmare to dad. So we shifted the house and lived far away from that house. 

She was smiling wholeheartedly to the camera where my dad was the one to take the picture of her. Her smile was vibrant as sun with so much innocence and love in her eyes. She was like an angel in this pic. 

I remember her saying that it was her best best out of all of them because it was the day they started their new life together after dreaming every day about it. 

I slowly took the picture in my hands and seated on the bed looking at her face sadly. I really miss her so much.

"I miss you so much mom" I whispered, hugging the photo and crying again.

"I know that I didn't move on from your death completely, but Abhi was the one to make the first step for me to move on, after so many years I felt like I was breathing without getting any difficulty and it was all because of Abhi." I said looking at her picture and thinking about the words Abhi said to me a while ago.

"You know, Abhi was right about you being not happy and all. I know that you will be sad if i cry. He is even right about the part of me getting scared of accepting Hema Aunty as my mother." I said wiping my tears and kissing her frame with love.

"I was scared to replace you, but then he explained that i don't need to replace one to accept another and that i can always create a place for them. He is right about it and that's the reason I love him alot you know. He knows every part of me without even me saying anything to him. He can understand me like an open book mom." I said smiling to myself while thinking about Abhi. But then I remembered about the current situation and looked at my mother's picture again with tear filled eyes and lots of love for her in my heart. 

"Mom.. today i am going to make you free from my grip. I think it's time for me to move on in my life. Abhi made me realise that moving on doesn't mean that we forget about them. It means that we keep them in our heart while living our life where they too will live it by being in our hearts. Now I really got to know the meaning of moving on." I said with love and blinking away the tears that formed in my eyes. 

"What to do… You didn't teach your princess about moving on, so it took some time for me to realise it. Of Course there was some help from my boyfriend…" I said indicating it with my fingers and continued "Ok… A lot actually. But still i am happy to make it and accept the fate that life has chosen for us" I said looking at her adorable face with emotion when i heard her voice from behind which made me froze on the spot for a moment before relaxing again. But I never looked back to see her and I think even she was not expecting it.

"She is very beautiful," She said, taking a seat behind me and looking at the picture in my hands longingly.

"You know, she always used to fight with me that she is the best in everything and always be first compared to me. True to her words, she was the first one to make it to god" She said crying while covering her face with her palms that i turned to her side slowly because i cannot see her cry anymore. She suffered and cried a lot until now. Now it is the time for her to be happy. 

"Yes. You are right" I said making her look at me with confusion while i continued "She was first one to make it to god, so that her best friend gets to spend the time with her daughter now" I said looking at her with apologetic look on my face and joined both of my hands together while asking her sorry.

This made her look at me with wide eyed and glance at my joined hands while blinking rapidly like she cannot believe what was happening in front of her. 

For a moment she was just watching me like a foreign figure before she got back from her thoughts and gasped while placing her hands on her mouth and sobbing into her hands without making any noise. This made my heart tug in pain. So I slowly scooted near to her and hugged her by encircling her in my arms without saying anything.

She started sobbing louder this time that her whole body shook, making me rub her back to make her calm down from the emotional shock. For a while we both were like that before she calmed down and hugged me back while whimpering from the after affects of crying. 

The moment she hugged me back, it felt like my heart met with peace and the pain in it subsided making me smile wholeheartedly in happiness. I felt whole again with her and I know that she already made her place in my heart.

"I am sorry for leaving you Athira… I am really sorry…" She said, still hugging me, that I shook my head saying it was not her fault.

"It's ok. It was not your fault mom" I said drawing comfortable circles at the back of her hand when she broke the hug by placing her hands on my shoulder while looking at my face like she was searching for something desperately.

"What did you say?" she asked, whispering like there was a spell that would break if she asked loudly. This made me realise that i called her mom to which she reacted like this. I smiled giving her my sincere look and called her again.

"Mom…" I said making her eyes wide but this time it was with happiness and there was a wide smile on her face.

"Call me again" She asked, shaking with happiness that I chuckled looking at her reaction. I placed both of my hands on either side of her face and called her again with an even louder voice.

"Mom" I said with a smile that made her squeal in happiness and hugged me tightly. I laughed out loud and hugged her back with equal happiness. She was saying thanks to each and every god that was present in this universe for making her find her daughter that i smiled listening to her words which were filled with love for me. From the corner of my eyes I saw Abhi standing at the entrance of the bedroom door by leaning against it with folded hands and a genuine smile on his face.  I even saw dad, Adi and dev at the entrance with a smile on their faces. But I can see the sadness in dad's face which made me withdraw from the hug and get up from the bed.

The moment I started walking towards him, he froze, not getting what to do or how to react which made me laugh internally for making my all time talkative dad mute and confused. I smiled internally but kept a poker face outside, but Abhi got to know because he was smiling to himself by covering his mouth with his elbow. 

When i got in front of him, he was slightly shaking that i wanted to laugh but controlled myself and looked at him seriously.

"Why dad?" I asked looking into his eyes which made him gulp and stammer in between words that i laughed out loud unable to stop myself. This made him look at me with confused and wide eyes for a moment before he realised the situation. 

"Naughty girl…" He said, raising his hand as if he was ready to beat me that I chuckled at his reaction by poking my tongue out by teasing him.

He laughed, shaking his head and placing his hand on my head before taking me into his arms and hugging me tightly with all his being that I smiled and hugged him back with full heart. 

"I am sorry princess for keeping it a secret from you. I was scared to lose you" He admitted still hugging me that I nodded my head in understanding. 

"It's ok dad. I forgive you" I said with a smile on my face and kissed his chest with love. He too kissed the top of my head before releasing me and looking at me adoration in his eyes which were glimmering with unshed tears. 

"I love you dad" I said with a smile. 

"I love you too princess" He replied tapping my cheek with happiness in his eyes. 

Someone hugged me from back at the same time that I squealed before knowing who it was. I smiled at the person because he became my own brother now. 

"Hello to you too brother" I said turning towards him but still staying in his arms. He had tears in his eyes which made me emotional and hugged him in return. I missed being in his arms which always felt protective and secured. 

"I missed you my Angel" he whispered and kissed on the crown of my head. I smiled and rested my head against his chest feeling happy that I got the new family which loves me with everything. 

Abhi cleared his throat from my back making us get back from each other and glance at him with questioning eyes. 

"If you are done with my girlfriend then I would like to have her back brother" Abhi said, taking me from the brother's arms and keeping a protective hand around my shoulder which made both of us laugh at his possessiveness. 

"Jealous already?" Asked brother with a raised eyebrow that Abhi cleared his throat before speaking. 

"No. I am not jealous. It was only because I need to take her somewhere important" he said rubbing the back of his neck by giving a weird laugh. But everyone can clearly see through him transparently. 

"Yeah yeah.. Whatever makes you sleep at night my little brother" Adi said, teasing Abhi that he poured like a child to which I laughed and kissed Abhi's cheek because he looked so cute at that moment. But I forgot that everyone was in the room and watched me kiss him. 

Feeling embarrassed, I covered my face and hid it in Abhi's chest making him chuckle at my reaction and everyone else to laugh. I repeatedly cursed myself for giving into the moment and forgetting about our surroundings. 

"No problem Choti. It's not a new thing for you right" Dev said ,winking at me that I punched his arm in return, making him laugh at me. 

We all laughed because of our childish behaviour that both dad and mom looked at us with adoration in their eyes. 

I got my dad back and even my birth mother who filled the hole of my pain which was longing for mom.

There was this missing feeling for my brother which was again filled by Adi. I got my lost family back after a long time. 

And as always I am happy with my Abhi because he is the perfect man any woman could ask for. He loves me alot and treats me as a queen to which I feel blessed. 

I would have never imagined my life to become this happy but I am grateful for it. Now I have the most caring parents, protective brother, teasing friends and a loving boyfriend. I couldn't ask for more. I am happy with my life.

Destiny made me meet Abhi in that pub for the first time which was the first step towards my future and here I thought that it was just a coincidence. But life made me realise that everything happens for a reason and there is no thing called coincidence in this world. All the coincidences are like creating steps towards destiny. 

It was always my destiny to meet Abhi and fall in love with him. And it was always my destiny to face my birth mother as Abhi's mother. 

Life is full of surprises with its way towards destiny. 

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Hello everyone,

Here is your awaiting chapter and I hope that you guys like it.

It is a back to back update on the same day with two chapters.

Do let me know your thoughts and opinions on this chapter. I will be eagerly waiting for your responses.

Don't forget to vote, comment and share it if you like.

This one is the last chapter of this book excluding 'Epilogue'. It's been a journey of 11 months with this book and I thank you all for taking a chance with this book and reading it. It means a lot for me.

Love...

Sprinkle....