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Chapter 21: Filthy
Bastard Child
20 years ago
Amba was running around the house and generally playing by
herself. Nik’s grandmother had come to visit them and no matter what she did,
the woman seemed to hate her. But Amba was optimistic, that’s what her mother
always taught her to be no matter what. Nik was playing with all the new toys
that his grandmother had brought him, so that gave him some time off from
picking on her. She started to feel hungry so she decided to visit the kitchen.
Before she could enter she heard some shouting.
“Can’t you do anything right, you stupid girl?!” Amba
recognise that voice to be Nik’s grandmother.
“I’m sorry Mausi-” mumbled Khushi.
“You should be! You and your
filthy bastard child are wasting my son’s hard earned money. What exactly are
you doing to repay him besides sleeping with him?” she spouted viciously.
“Mausi, I have been brought up
believing that elders deserve respect and that they know better but I’m going
to have to stop you right there. First: don’t ever call my daughter a filthy
bastard child. Second: I’m not sleeping with your son.”
Amba didn’t really understand what
they were saying but she didn’t want to stay and witness more shouting so she
decided to go and get Karan because he was always the peacemaker in these
situations. She ran to his study.
“Karan uncle-”
“Wait wait wait.” Said Arnav with
hope blossoming in his chest. “Karan’s not your father.”
“Mr Raizada it’s very rude to stop
a person in the middle of a story. And yes he is.” Arnav gave a confused look.
She sighed. “He might not be my biological father but he is my father, do you
know what I’m saying?”
Arnav nodded, after all, he felt
the exact same way about Aarav. Aarav may not be his biological son but damn
it, he loved him all the same and would do anything for him.
“So who’s your biological father?” asked Arnav in an
unusually squeaky voice.
Amba sighed. “Patience, we’ll come to that.”
“Karan uncle, Karan uncle.” Amba said and she pulled on his
trousers.
Karan smiled down at her and picked her up. “Yes Pari?”
“Mum and Nik’s grandmother are fighting again.”
Karan frowned and gave her a disapproving look. “Am, I told you
to call her Dadi .”
“I know but she told me not to.”
Karan shook his head, put Amba down and went to leave the
room but Amba’s question stopped him. “What does 'filthy bastard child' mean?”
she asked casually.
Karan turned around so sharply he almost got a whiplash.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Nik’s Dadi said I was a filthy bastard child. Is that a
good thing?” she asked innocently.
Karan’s heart broke at the way she was asking the question.
“No it’s not a good thing. Come on, I’ll make it all better.”
Karan grabbed Amba’s hand and marched downstairs to the
kitchen. He came just in time to witness his mother slapping Khushi.
“You whore!” she spat out.
Before any more damage could be done, Karan placed himself
between Khushi and his mother. Karan’s mother was breathing heavily and Khushi
was clutching her red cheek.
“Mum! What are you doing?” demanded Karan.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m putting your little
whore in her place.”
“Mum, Khushi is not a whore. And why are you speaking so
badly about her and her child? If I remember correctly, I was 18 when Nik was
born and he was born out of wedlock which makes him a bastard too.”
“And don’t I know it. You had to go and impregnate that slut
Priya-”
“Mum!” Karan screamed with his temper rising. No one spoke
badly about his deceased wife.
“Let me finish you insolent child. She never loved you, she
only wanted your money. And good riddance she’s dead. You are an embarrassment
to the family.”
“I am an embarrassment? What about your husband? Isn’t he
dragging the family name through the dirt too with all his scandals?”
“Don’t remind me. The only person in the family who isn’t a
screw up is Rohit and Nik and I’m waiting for you to screw up Nik.”
“You forgot about Giya, she’s a very successful lawyer.”
“She’s a lesbian, it doesn’t count.”
“Mum, homosexuals are people too.”
“Not to me they’re not. And we’re not here to talk about our
family, we’re talking about Khushi and her bastard child.”
“She’s my bastard child too.”
“I knew it! I knew she was yours. Karan when will you
learn.”
“She’s not mine, at least not yet. I plan to adopt her as
soon as possible.”
“Why? Isn’t our family impure as it is?”
Karan shook his head. “You just don’t get it do you mum? It
doesn’t matter, you won’t ever understand.”
“If you adopt that girl, I will revoke the money you receive
every month.”
“I don’t care. Besides I think dad needs every penny for
that lawsuit.”
“You’ll regret this.”
“No I don’t think I will.”
Karan’s mother turned and stormed out of the house. Khushi
approached Karan.
“That’s was a really nice thing you did but you shouldn’t
have disrespected your mother like that.”
“No one has the right to talk about others like that. Khushi,
I meant what I said, I want to become one of Amba’s legal guardians.”
Khushi sighed. “Karan, you know how I feel about men-”
“I just want to be her dad Khushi, I won’t change her last
name.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“But if you are feeling generous then I want to add a middle
name.”
Khushi raised an eyebrow. “Really? And what did you just say
about not changing names?”
“I said I won’t change her last name. I won’t add Malik just
Singh and who cares about middle names anyway?”
Khushi smiled. “Well you’re going to have to ask Amba.”
They both bent down to Amba’s height. She had been biting
her nails throughout the argument and now was patiently waiting to be
addressed.
“Amba would you like it if I became your dad?” asked Karan.
Amba nodded shyly. Karan smiled at Khushi who rolled her eyes. “And would you
like your middle name to become Singh.”
“I don’t really mind.” She replied but inside she was
jumping up and down.
“Well then it’s sorted. I’ll get on with the paper work
straight away.”
“What about Nik?”
“What about him?”
“Shouldn’t you ask him whether he’s alright with it?” she
asked anxiously.
Karan brushed off her concern. “He’ll be fine.”
“Nik wasn’t fine. He took every opportunity to make mum and
my life a living hell. I guess he felt like I was taking his dad away from him.
I mean it’s understandable, he had already lost his mum and now his grandma
won’t talk to us so he just wanted to make sure he still had his dad all to
himself. But within a year, I was Amba Singh Gupta the daughter of Khushi
Kumari Gupta and Karan Singh Malik.”
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I'm not done with writing about the past. I thought if I write about the past all in one chapter it will take too long and I plan to update more frequently now. The next part of the past should be up maybe next week or sooner depending on my schedule.
