"Mai Abhi bana kar lati hoo....."

She turned around to go and started walking, Anuj quickly moved and stood in front of her with his arms folded.

She asked - "kya hua aapko??"

Anuj -

"Maine poocha Chai Chalegi...tumhe chalke jaane nai kaha tha. Mai chai banaunga."

She was looking at him dumbfounded. She remembered -

After doing all the household chores. She came and sat on the bed in her room. When Vanraj came in shouting :

"Mera yaha subah se Sar dard kar raha hai aur tum yaha baithi ho. Pati ki koi chinta nai hai na tumhe."

She was scared looking at his annoyed face :

"Maine Jhilmil ko kaha tha aapke liye chai banane ko aur waha Balm bhi rakh diya hai."

He was in no mood to listen :

"Tum meri Biwi ho ya Jhilmil. Mujhe tumhare haath ki chai peeni hai abhi ke abhi. Jaldi karo"

Anuj :

"Kaha kho gyi mohtarma aap....."

She came back from her reverie.

Anuj said :

"Agar Moti Baa ko pata chala ki maine aadhi raat ko unki pyaari bahu se chai banwayi hai to mera peet peet kar bharta bana dengi. Tum yaha bench par baitho. Mai abhi bana kar lata hoo."

Anu was shocked, surprised and hesitant at the same time :

"Arey aap pehli baar humare ghar aaye hai.....mehmaan hai hamare. Mai aapse kaise kaam karwa sakti hoo."

He murmered to himself :

"Mai to gharwala banna chahta tha..... mehmaan ban ke reh gya...kya kismat hai..."

She was confused :

"Kuch kaha aapne??"

Anuj :

"Arey nai kuch nai... doctor ne tumhe aaram karne ko kaha hai naa. Tum yahi baitho, Mai abhi aaya okayyy."

Before she could say anything further. He quickly went down in the kitchen to make tea. While she sat on the bench, she saw a red diary lying there. She opened it. Sweet frangrance of roses coming out of the pages filled her heart.

Page - 1 [23.07.1995]

"

Page - 8 [06.08.1995]

Page - 15 [18.09.1995]

(She read this one aloud....)

Page - 25 [21.10.1995]

Anuj stood there holding the tray with tea cups. Tears were flowing from his eyes as all the events of Anupama's wedding flashed in front of his eyes. How he struggled to get a bike from bunty, how he drove at speed of 130 to reach the wedding venue, how he saw her dressed in a red and white gharchola, giggling and shying standing at the balcony of her room......

She was about to turn the next page which had one old dried up rose. He came and said :

"Chai taiyaar hai...."

She thought he would retort her for reading from his diary as Vanraj always did when she opened his files. But he didn't say a word. He was quiet and kept the tea tray on the table. She couldn't understand why.

She said -

" Suri...maine aapki... diary yaha rakhi thi...wo mai"

He had a faint smile on his face and just said :

"Its okay Anupama. Its alright"

She was shocked that he didn't mind her reading his personal diary.

"Maine aapki diary padh li aur aapko koi poblem nai hai."

He thought to himself :

"Barso se is diary ki ek ek shayari tumhe sunana chahta tha. Aaj tumne khud ise padh liya. Aaj sach me kanha ji khush hai mujhse...."

Anupama :

"Kaha kho gye kapadia ji....Waise...mujhe isme jyada kuch bhi samajh me nai aaya..."

Anuj chuckled and said -

"Isiliye to mujhe problem nai hui naa. Mujhe pata hai tumhe kuch nai samajh aane wala."

Anupama felt he was making fun of her -

"Ooo Shayar Kapadia ji...aapki ye high quality wali bhasha poore mohalle me kisi ko samajh me nai aane wali...kuch bhi likhte hai."

Anuj enjoyed teasing her. She looked really cute when she was upset :

"Arey waah naach na jane aangan tedha haa..aisa thoda na hota hai..."

Anupama stood up and said -

"To aap samajhaiye mujhe kya likha hai isme...chaliye bataaiye...."

He laughed and said - "Bol doo"

Anupama : "Haa boliye"

Anuj was totally enjoying this game now : "Bol doon"

Anupama being impatient like a kid :

"Bataiye ne"

Anuj :

"Chodo...Tum nai samjhogi...sirf samajhdaar log hi samajh sakte hain..."

She was pissed off now. She said -

"Aap keh rahe hai mai samajhdar nai hoo, aap jante kya hai mere baare me...aap...."

Anuj tried to calm her down.

"Shaant Gadadhari bheem Shaant. Aisi halat me Itna gussa achaa nai hai...Baby pe kya asar hoga...mai to bas mazaak kar raha tha..."

There was pin drop silence for 2 seconds, then they both laughed aloud.

Anuj sat on the chair near by and said :

"Chai pilo thandi ho jayegi..."

Anupama :

"Waise mujhe jyada kuch samajh nai aaya par itna samjh gyi ki aapne ye kisi khaas ke liye likha hai. Kon hai wo...??"

Anuj didn't understand, what to tell her, the woman for whom he dedicated all his shayaris was asking him such question. He looked up at the sky as he was amused by kanhaji's ways of playing games. He said -

"Arey koi nai hai. Maine to aise hi likhi hai."

Anupama did not believe him :

"Haa ab aap ye bhi kahenge ki aapki shaadi nai hui hai."

He immediately said :

"Haa to nai hui hai naa"

She was shocked to know that. He was the most eligible bachelor in their class. How is he still unmarried?

"Kya aapne abhi tak shaadi nai ki...par kyu"

He became silent. She was looking at him for answers. He did not know what to say, what to tell her....what he wanted in life...

"Dekho Anupama, ya to insaan khush reh sakta hai yaa shadi kar sakta hai... aur maine khush rehna chuna"

She laughed making a face of "kuch bhi"

But he further said :

"Shadi bahut badi commitment hoti hai. Use nibha paana aasan nai hai. Meri life me bahut saari ladkiyan aayi aur gyi...aisa nai tha ki wo achi nai thi...par mujhe unme se kisi se kabhi pyaar nai hua. Shaadi me pyaar hona bahut zaroori hota hai aur mai bina pyaar ke shaadi karke unke saath beimaani nai kar sakta tha. Isiliye maine shaadi hi nai ki."

Anupamaa said :

"Aap 25 se upar ek saal bhi nai lagte hain. Aap shaadi kar lijiye. itne ache khaase hain...apki patni bahut seva karegi aapki..."

Anuj :

"Nahi Anupama. Mai koi bhagwaan nai hoo...jo meri patni meri seva karegi. Agar pati bahar kaam karne jaata hai...to patni uska poora ghar samhalti hai, wo bhi bina ruke, bina thake. Mere liye meri patni meri ardhangini hogi yani ki aadha hissa.....Hum dono barabar honge...chahe wo bahar kaam kare ya ghar me...wo ghar ki lakshmi hogi.

Anupamaa was living in a loveless marriage. Vanraj treated her like maid. But she never realised it. She had learnt from her mother that Husband is almighty. Whatever he says or does is right.

But she was awestruck by this man's veiws about woman...specifically his wife. She thought how lucky would that woman be who would marry him. She felt lost. She questioned herself for the first time.....Does her husband really deserve the position she has given him??

He further said :

"Mujhe ab tak aisi koi mili nai jo meri khushi doogni karde aur mere gham aadhe. Aur mai kisi se bhi bina pyaar ke shadi karke use dhoka nai dena chahta."

Anupama was lost in her thoughts but came back to present, when she heard the word "dhokha".

Anuj couldn't stop himself and asked her :

"Waise Mr. Shah itna bahar jaakar kaam karte hai, alag alag logon se milte hai.....tumhe kabhi nai laga wo tumhe shayad dhokha de sakte hai??"

Her biggest fear was getting betrayed in life. Ever since she got married, she considered Vanraj Shah, her everything.....she could never imagine him lying to her. She got anxious thinking about it and started breathing heavily :

"Ye kya keh rahe hai aap...aisa kabhi nai ho sakta....Toshu ke papa jaise bhi ho....mere saath dhokha kabhi nai kar sakte...aap kitna jaante hai unhe jo ye keh rahe hai...hamare do bachhe hain

...aur ek aane wala hai....wo kabhi aisa nai kar sakte... wo woooo"

Anuj realised he crossed his boundaries. He should not have asked such a personal question to her and that too in this condition.

Anuj :

"I am extremely sorry Anupama...mujhe itna personal sawaal nai puchna chahiye tha...mai to aise hi keh rhaa tha. Please shant ho jao. I am really sorry. Please calm down...please Anu..."

She was panicking. But saw his worried face and realised that she overreacted :

"Aapki galti nai hai.....aapka sawaal bhi galat nai hai. Par wo Me aisi batein sun ke darr jati hoo. Toshu ke papa mere sab kuch hain. Unke baare me aisi baat nai sun sakti ne."

Anuj :

"Sorry Anupama, I am really sorry."

Anupama was about to say something when her stomach started hurting. She whimpered in pain. Anuj felt like getting a panic attack seeing her like that. He unknowingly held her hands.

"Anu...kya hua...dard ho raha hai kya...doctor ke paas chale.....tum tension mat lo baby aur tumhe kuch nai hoga...hum abhi chalte hai...tum...."

Anupama :

"Shaant ho jaiye aap.....kuch nai hua hai mujhe.....pregnancy me aisa hota hai...bachha karwat leta hai,laat maarta hai...thoda dard to hoga naa....sab normal hai...mei theek hoo"

Anuj took a breath of relief. He had held her hands so strongly. It started hurting her. Once He realised that and immediately took his hands away and both felt a little awkward.

Anuj :

"Sorry wo mujhe pregnancy ke baare me kuch pata nai hai naa isiliye tension me aa gya... tum please jaake apne kamre me so jaao...bahut raat ho gyi hai."

Anupamaa :

"Nahi mujhe bilkul neend nai aa rahi hai....ye shaitan sone nai de raha mujhe...aapko jaana to aap jaiye, mai abhi yahi rukungi..."

He did not say a word and went away. Anupama was confused, she felt he got upset but thought he was feeling sleepy so went to sleep.

Someone in the colony played radio at that hour.

Anuj came back with two pillows, a thick mattress and a shawl which he found in the cupboard of the room he was given to stay.

~~

Ek Din mohabbat odh kar

Ek Din Gali Ke Mod Par

Teri Hatheli Par likhoo

Mera Naam Tere naam par

~~

He arranged the mattress on the bench and gestured her to sit.

She sat on it. He adjusted the pillow behind her, to make her feel comfortable.

Anupamaa had tears in her eyes. She had gone through pregnancy twice before. But never did her husband or anyone else except Moti Baa cared for her.

~~

He wrapped the shawl around her, taking utmost care to not make her feel uncomfortable even for a second. She was elated. Her heart was beaming with joy. The feeling of being cared was giving her contentment. She always felt a little conscious around men. But this guy and his pure gestures melted her heart.

Anuj :

"Achaa tum baby ko sulane ke liye kya karti ho"

Anupamaa :

"Mai to kanha ji wali lori gaake sunati hoo. Par aaj bahut pareshan kar raha hai."

Anuj :

"Kar raha hai nai kar rahi hai...Dekhna ye princess hi hogi prince nai....waise, Agar maine lori gayi na...to tumhari poori colony jaag jaegi. Ruko mai abhi aaya"

~~

~~

He brought "Krishnavatar - The magic flute by KM Munshi" book kept in his car that he was currently reading. He talked to the baby:

"Ab Little princess ko mai Krishna ki story padh ke sunata hoo...aap apni mumma ko pareshan mat karo okay."

He started reading out and explaining the stories in the book so that her mind is diverted from the discomfort that she felt. She had heard krishnleela so many times since childhood. Krishna was her everything, her only strength and support. His stories in Anuj's voice felting so soothing and relaxing. She forgot all her pain and was totally engrossed in the story.

The moon shined bright that night watching these two finally steal some peace from their chaotic lives and find solace in each other's company.

Kuch To bata Zindagi......

Apna Pata Zindagi....

Kuch To bata Zindagi......

Apna Pata Zindagi....

Precap : Anupamaa is admitted to hospital.

[ So This Chapter is extremely close to my heart. I have penned every word with love for MaAn. I hope you all like it. Do tell me which part was your favorite and what else do you expect from this story. Waiting for your response. ]

Happy Reading❤️❤️