Part 21

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Taking care (2)

Annika slept well and when she woke up it was afternoon. She came downstairs. She walked into the kitchen saw Rishi cooking something.

A:Rishi..?(she called out softly)

He turned back to see her.

R:Annika.. ut gayi..? Ab teek ho na...?

A:hmm. Ap kya karrahe ho..?

R:tumara favt. Aloo puri. Khaougi na.

A:wow.. of course khaungi.(she came and stood beside him,and inhaled the smell) achi khushboo hai.

Rishi smiled at her antics.

R:ha tumare liye hi bana hai.(he chuckled)

A:rishii... ap na..

R:hm tum yehan baito, jab thak ye hi na jaye. Hmmm?!(he indicated her to sit on the kitchen slab, and she did the same, she waited for some time. And ta-da! Her favt aloo puri was in front of her.

R:ye lo...

A:thank you so much. 😋ab ye khaoungi.

R:hmm. And tum teek hi na.!

A:ha ha bohit teekhubilkul...(she spoke with food her mouth and she started coughing. Rishi tensed and rubbed her back and made her drink water)

R:tum bhi na Annika...

Soon Annika finished her aloo puri.

Rishi came in front of her and wiped her mouth, her lower lip with his thumb. While Annika was looking deeply in his eyes. And involuntarily her hands reached his neck.

R:Annika...? Chalo utro!

Anika came in to reality.

A:sorry(she looked down) aap ne nai khaya..?

R:khalunga.(sweet smile)

A:Rishi me thak gayi.

R:tho rest...

Annika didn't let him complete

A:eahi tho me bolrahi hu. Rest kar karke thak gayi. 😕

R:ok tho kya kare..?

A;kuch bhi. Um.. movie ya board games kuch khele..?😍

Seeing her excited he could not refuse.

R:teek hai. Board game kelte hai. Ludo..?

A:umm nai. Do hi hai utna maza nai ayega. Movie hi dekte hai.

R:ok. Me abhi aya... (he left saying this,soon he left his mobile pinged with notification, Annika looked at his screen not intentionally but couldn't resist herself, she saw it was her pic as his wallpaper. A candid one.)

Soon rishi came back and Annika placed his phone back on the bed.

R:lya deke..? Titanic..?

A:dubti hui naav ko kyu deke..? Nai ye nai.. dusra..

R:ummm

A:zaroori hai English filme deke. Koi hamara wal dekte hai na desi wala...

R:teek hai.

Finally the selected kuch kuch hota hai.

Rishi sat beside her, putting his hands around her shoulder. She looked at him and then on the screen.

They continued watching and as the movie came to an end Annika had fell asleep. As rishi didn't feel any movement he saw her sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. He smiled. And made her lye on the bed comfortably.

The day passed with rishi taking care of her.

At night Annika woke up and saw rishi sleeping beside her. She remembered she slept while watching movie. She saw the time it was 7.30pm.

She woke up and got freshed.

She came down and started preparing for the dinner. Soon the door bell rang and Rano and Jay were back home.

Ra: kaise hi puttar..

A:teek hu mummy ji.

J:ji teek hai.. phir. Aur wo ki karra hai.

A:wo so rahe hai.

J:hein..? Le das. Bachi bimar hai. Aur wo.. oye rishi..rishiii

A:nai papaji wo abhi soye hai.

Ra:hamesha rishi ke piche pade rehete ho. Chalo.

Annika went to room and saw him still asleep.

She went near him and sat next.

A:Rishi.. rishi. Utiye. Dinner ka time hogaya hai.

R:umm thodi der aur Annika.(He suddenly came over her hugging her waist while sleeping, Annika had this new feeling.)

A:Rishi.. rishi hatiye. Please.

R:kya hai Annika.. (he opend his eyes to see her so close and he was on her lap)

R:sorry. Me me.. abhi aya.

They had their dinner and came back to room.

R:tumne mujhe utya kyu nai.

A:utaya tho.

R:arrey matlab khana banane k liye.

A:Rishi me teek hu. Aur kal me office joungi. Aur ap bhi. Me teek hu sach me.

R:hmm. Teek hai. Me bhi jaounga. Aur pata hai Annika aaj mere liye best day tha.

A:kyu..?

R:me pura din tumare sath jo tha.

A:aur me har waqt so hi rahi thi. Hum na ek din sach me saath rahenge. Ok. Sirf hum na hi bimar na hi office. Pakka.

R:sach me..?😍

A:ha.

R:bas wo ek din jaldi ajaye ab.

A: ha waise muje ek baat puchni thi.

R: ha ha(he jumped on the bed)

A:wo apke phone me.. umm..meta photo..

R:tumne dekliye. Matlab tum mera taka jaki karahi ho..?

A:arrey boliye na. Me ne deka.. kab ka hai wo photo.

R: jab tum meri shaadi plan kar rahi thi. Tab tum jiyana ke saath baat kar rahi thi. I guess usne tume kuch China rahi thi.

A:apko itna sab yaad hai..?

R:tumse judi hui baat bhulne layak hi nai hota. Tho kya kare.

A:itna pasand hu me apko. Par.

R:par(he sensed the seriousness, got up, and sat) par. Kya Annika..?

A:(she sat beside him) ek taraf ap bolte ho ki ap mujhe pasand karte ho. Aur ek taraf bolte ho ki mera apse pyaar karna ya na karna maine nai rakta. Ek baar bolte ho ki me apse door na jaou. Aur agle hi pal mujhe bolte ho ki me..agar kisi se pyaar hua tho ap khud mujhe chod k aouge.. ye confusion kis baat ki hai..? Ap kehene kya chate ho. Kya karna chahate ho..?

Rishi had no answers. What would he say.

R:Annika,(deep breadth) ha me chata hu ki tum hamesha mera sath raho,lekin zabardasti nai. Ha me chahata hu ki tum bhi mujhse pyaar karo lekin taras kha ke nai, dil se. Aur agar is chakar me tume koi aisa mil gaya jo tume tumara pyaar se mila de tho me nai rokunga. Lekin me khishish zaroor karunga ki tume pyaar mujhse hi ho. Par naturally. Otherwise. You are free to go.(sad smile)

A:ap sach me pagal ho. Pehele ap decide karlo ki Karna kya hai. Phir ake muje batana. Ki me rahu ya nai. Ok. Good night. (She was angery with his confusing statements)

R:tume kya hua...? Arrey Annika..

Soon they slept. The next day they both went to office and they were having a normal life.

After somedays Vardhan and anjali invited RishIka for lunch.

Anika asked rishi for the same and he agreed to visit Trivedi's fir lunch the next day.

Next afternoon Annika reached her home first.

An: anu..? Rishi nai aya..?

A:ayenge mamma.. me office se seeda yehi agayi. Wo bhi nikal gaye hai ate honge.

V:hmm. Hello...

A;papaaa....(she ran to him and hugged him tight and as reflex he carried her with her waist and her legs hung) I missed you so much.

V:I missed you too dolu. Bohot zyada.

A:love you papa...

V:love you too bacha.

Annika came out of his hold listening to "bacha"

V:kya hua..?

A(she remembered something) kuch nai.

V:waise you are looking very pretty. Sari tumpe sachme ache lagte hai dolu. Hai na anju..?

An:oh. Finally yaad agaya ki me bhi hu yehan.😏

V/A: 😝

An:ap dono na...ruko batati hu.(she ran behind Annika, Annika ran hiding herself behind vardhan)

A:papa..papa.. bacho..

V:arrey mujhe khud koi bachou..

An:tum na.. bilkul nai badli..(she cought annika's ear) hai na. Pata nai waha kaise reheti hai..

R:ahem ahem..(soon anju left her ear and Annika went into her room)

V:ajaiu rishi. Welcome. Fresh ho jaou.

An: ha. Tab thak khana garam karti hu.

R:ji..

He went into annija's room she was setting her saari.

He barged in without knocking.

R:I'm sorry wo mujhe knock karke aana chahiye tha.

A:it's. It's ok. I'm fine.

R:wo me.

A:ji. Ayiye.

Rishi came in. Annika went near cupboard and took out a towel for him.

A:ye lijiye. Ap fresh ho ke ajayiye.

R:hmm

A:Ek mint.

R: kya hua..?

A:apko zyada garam pani acha nai lagta na..(she went in bathroom)

Rishi also followed her.

She accidentally switched on the shower but rishi pulled her.

They shared an eye lock.

Rishi's hand went to her cheeks carsing her with his thumb. While her hands were near his torso.

R:tum aise mere sath kyu nai ho..? Waha aise kyu nai reheti ho..?

A:(confused) kaha...? Kaise..?

R:hamare ghar me. Aise humesha sulji hui bahu banke kyu..?

A:ap fresh hojayiye.

R:looking beautiful. Saari me bohot khubsoorat lagti ho.

She blushed and walked out. When she was out anju came in to call her. She saw Annika coming out from washroom, blushing, she smiled.

A:mamma ap..?

An:sorry bas bulane ayi thi.

A;ha wo..

An:it's ok.

A:hein..? Mamma mamma...(she went behind her.

Soon they had thier lunch, while gossiping and Rishi came to know about Annika's childhood a bit of it. But he enjoyed living them hearing those.

Then they headed back to their respective works. Anjali and vardhan were happy seeing the couple.

Hope it was not boring.

Thank you for this patience 🙏

Lots of love.

Keep supporting 😊

Please ignore my mistakes.