Page 46 of Strictly Solo

“Daadi, are you upset?” Neil asked, his innocent eyes wide with concern.

Kaushalya’s anger seemed to flare even more at being called ‘Daadi.’ She turned to Neil with a stern face.

“Don’t call me Daadi. I amnotyour Daadi.”

Neil looked momentarily confused, then nodded with a smile. “Okay, Daadi,” he repeated, still using the title.

Ruhaan struggled to contain his laughter as he watched the interaction, finding the situation endearing. Neil, undeterred by Kaushalya’s harsh tone, took a few steps closer and looked up at her.

“I know the best way to make you feel better,” he declared with the confidence only a child could have.

“Oh, really?” Kaushalya rolled her eyes barely containing her irritation.

Neil stepped forward and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. Kaushalya’s eyes widened in surprise as a brief flicker of softness crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by horror as she realized what had just happened. Ruhaan too was caught off guard.

Neil smiled up at her, clearly proud of himself.

“Are you feeling better now?” Neil asked.

“How could your mother teach you such nonsense? Kissing someone to make them feel better?” she scolded.

Neil, still innocent in his understanding, shook his head. “It wasn’t Mom who taught me. It was Ruhaan,” he said matter-of-factly.

Ruhaan laughed heartily as Kaushalya turned around and glared at him.

“Ruhaan!” she exclaimed, scandalized that her own son was teaching such things to others.

Unable to hold back any longer, even Neil joined in, the two of them giving each other a triumphant high-five. But Kaushalya was far from amused.

“Stay away from Ruhaan!” she ordered Neil sharply. Her voice was stern enough to send the boy scampering out of the room in fear.

Ruhaan’s laughter immediately died down as he watched Neil run off, his heart sinking at the sight of the boy’s fear. Anger simmered as he turned to Kaushalya again.

“How could you scare him like that, Mom? He’s just a kid.”

She didn’t back down. “I don’t like him getting close to you, that’s why,” she retorted.

“What’s the problem? Neil is such a sweet boy. Why would you want to push him away?”

Her eyes flashed with pain, regret, and anger, all mixed together.

“Don’t forget, Ruhaan,” she said coldly, “thatthisboy is the reason Naina isn’t in your life today. She chose him over you. If it weren’t for him, you and Naina would have been married by now, raising your own children.”

Ruhaan clenched his fists at his sides. He had heard this argument before, but it still stung every time.

“That’s enough, Mom,” he said. “If Naina made that choice, then so did I. I wasn’t ready to be a father then. We both broke off the engagement because we weren’t ready, and you didn’t want me to take on the responsibility of raising a child that wasn’t mine.”

Kaushalya looked taken aback by his harsh tone, but Ruhaan pressed on, determined to make his point. “And you know what? Maybe that’s why you’ve never been blessed with grandchildren. Because you can’t see past your own prejudices and accept what’s in front of you. Neil is a wonderful kid, and he deserves better than the way you’re treating him.”

With those final words, Ruhaan turned on his heel and left the room, his heart heavy with frustration and anger. He needed to find Neil, to comfort the boy and assure him that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

As Ruhaan walked away, Kaushalya sat in stunned silence. She had always prided herself on being a good mother, on wanting the best for her son. But now, for the first time, she began to question whether her actions had truly been in Ruhaan’s best interests, or if they had only served to push him further away.

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As Ruhaan searched for Neil, he felt guilty for bringing up his sister’s inability to conceive, knowing it was a sensitive topic forhis mother. But at the same time, he couldn’t stand by and watch his mother mistreat an innocent child.

He found Neil huddled in a corner of the garden, his small frame shaking with silent sobs. Ruhaan’s heart clenched at the sight. He approached slowly, not wanting to startle the boy.