Page 40

Story: Tainted Bride

"Aashi… Don't call her mom."

"Why…"

"Because she is not your mother.”

“Why not…”

"Aashi, now I don't want to talk about useless things at all; you listen to me carefully and say that you will not eat ice cream at all and will stay with Papa only."

Aashi dislikes receiving reprimands from Prakram, and each time he scolds her, she bursts into tears. However, thanks to Avishka's guidance, she's gradually learning to manage her tears, so she glances at him while maintaining self-control. She gets out of bed and starts walking out of the room.

"Aashi…"

But Aashi doesn't say anything to him at all and runs away from there. Prakram has brought her to sleep for an afternoon nap, and for the last 2 days he has kept all his work aside and is very busy with Aashi only. He is observing how well Avishka takes care of her, which is why he has no complaints about her. However, he becomes extremely upset when he sees Aashi's inclination towards her. He immediately gets up from the bed togo and talk to Aashi, and as he approaches her room, he looks in through the window and sees her sitting in Avishka's lap.

“Papa scolded me, but I didn't cry at all.”

"Exactly. Aashi is a good girl... But why did Papa scold you? You must have made a mistake.”

"Now you are my mother, so I said in front of Papa that momma would get me ready for the party."

"Aashi, this is very wrong. How many times have I told you that I am only your Avu, not your mother?"

"Avu is Aashi's mother... You are my mother. You are.... You are… you are.”

"Aashi, this is wrong. You understand all the things very well; why are you not able to understand this?"

"Because I want you to be my mom."

"Aashi does not insist on everything, and this is absolutely wrong.”

Aashi is a small girl who sometimes finds it difficult to explain many things, and children often become very stubborn and start troubling when their wishes are not fulfilled.

"Nobody is listening to me; I don't want to attend anyone's birthday; I don't want to go anywhere; you also leave my room; I don't want Papa, and I don't want you either."

"Aashi…"

But without listening to anything, she starts crying continuously and starts throwing things here and there. He is aware that Avishka is not making any inappropriate comments. At thismoment, his daughter holds immense importance to him. Even Prakram is not able to see her like this, so he immediately goes inside to pick her up in his arms.

"Aashi…"

"Go away from here... Everyone go."

Upon seeing Prakram, Aashi begins to move backward, causing her to abruptly collide with the lamp on the table, which initially shakes vigorously before toppling over. It was a lamp made on a ceramic pot that broke as soon as it fell. Avishka immediately approaches Aashi and picks her up in her arms after noticing that she is wearing no shoes. She is not even concerned about the fact that pieces of a broken pot have suddenly pricked her feet.

"Ahhh Aashi… Are you okay? .... Ouch...”

However, Aashi started crying badly while listening to her painful voice. Prakram also immediately moved towards them, but Avishka was towards the front, due to which she immediately took Aashi in her arms and lifted her in her lapel, due to which some pieces got pierced in her legs. On witnessing this, Prakram, without thinking anything, immediately picked up Avishka along with Aashi so that he could immediately move her from those pieces as he was wearing slippers on his feet.

"Sir…."

All this happened so suddenly that no one got a chance to think about or understand anything. As soon as Prakram moves her away from those pieces, he immediately makes Avishka sit on Aashi's bed and sit near her feet to check her condition, where many small pieces are pricked. Aashi releases herself from her arms, approaches her feet, and begins examining them, as they are causing her significant pain.

"Mumma…"

Both Prakram and Avishka suddenly look at each other because Aashi is crying in distress and calling her mother, which is very emotional. Both of them keep looking at each other for a few moments but are unable to say anything.

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