Sign 3

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The next morning anika woke up and sat. She immediately held her head feeling pain. Her eyes scanned the room for shivaay or her daughter but none were found. Anika got up, slightly dizzy, and went downstairs to the kitchen. There she saw malika sitting at the table, shivaay reading newspaper and drinking coffee while her daughter was sleeping in Malikas lap

Anika: good morning

Shivaay: oh toh aab tumhe yaad hai humare baare mein?

His tone of voice startles anika

Anika: excuse me shivaay?

Shivaay: kam se kam apni beti ko......

Malika: shivaay no

Malika cuts his sentence stopping him from arguing anymore

Anika: nahi mujhe bhi jaana hai meri beti ke baare mein. What is the matter?

Shivaay: kal ke baare mein tujhe yaad nahi hai?

Anika: kal

She holds her head while shivaay looks back at his paper

Anika: kal mein train station mein, mera phone ka battery dead tha, mene paani liya tha aur phir.....

Shivaay: phir kya?

He asks sternly cutting her off

Anika: phir......

She tries to think hard and then she gets flashbacks of last night

Anika: mein toh.....

Shivaay: drunk thi. Haa yeh hi

Anika's eyes fill with water

Anika: mein apni chutki......

Shivaay stands up and faces her, followed by Malika

Shivaay: you don't even care about this baby

Anika: shivaay mein

Anika takes a step back. She is shocked by her own behaviour

Anika: mein achi maa nahi kabhi bhi nahi ban sakti.....I'm such a terrible, mind-less person......I can't.......Chutki deserves a better mom.....I can't do this

And with this she starts running up the stairs. Although the house is relatively small, it has a third floor which is basicallya big balcony. Anika rushes up to it and begins to gradually take small steps towards the railings. Shivaay runs upstairs to the balcony

Shivaay: anika

She turns around to see Shivaay standing there. He is about to take a step forward but anika stops him.

Anika: no Shivaay ek kadam aur nahi lo varna mein jump karungi

Shivaay: anika okay calm down

Anika: shivaay no don't come forward peeche raho

Shivaay: acha anika i am so sorry mein soch nahi please aao I didn't think twice before speaking

Anika: do you really want a mother like me for your child?

Shivaay: ani......

Anika: ek maa joh bache ko bhool, apne hi khyaal nahi rak sakti?

Shivaay: anika bas hua aab vaapis aao mere paas please

Anika: nahi

And with that she was about to jump when she heard cries. She reluctantly turned around and saw malika carrying her crying baby

Malika: ani dekho chutki needs her mother

Anika: lekin I'm not a good mother

Shivaay: anika aao naa sirf tum hi hai joh chutki ki best khyaal rakh sakti

Malika: apni bachi le lo anika

She takes a few small baby steps and then runs to malika. She then takes her baby girl in her arms and hugs her. Almost like magic, when anika starts crying her baby immediately becomes calm.

Anika: sorry Chutki......mumma needs help......sorry baby

She falls on the ground but the baby is fine and she cries hysterically. Shivaay and Malika surround her in a hug and malika shows shivaay three fingers, indicating three signs.

Shivaay: anika I'm so sorry

Anika: kyu

Shivaay: bina sochker mene tujhpe itna shout kiya

Anika: ek acha baap esa hi karta. Apne bache ke liye kuch bhi

Shivaay: anika please maaf karo

Anika: nahi Shivaay mujhe maaf karo. Mein achi maa nahi hoon

Malika: acha tum dono apne soory business band karo

Shivaay: okay anika andar challo

Anika: hmmm?

He breaks the hug

Shivaay: jao anika aur packing karo

Anika's face lights up slightly and Malika takes the baby from anika. She rushes to go pack her bags

Shivaay: mein abhi tickets book karta

They follow her downstairs and find her packing all the bags.

Malika: anika careful you're gonna hurt yourself. Aao mein tujhe help karti

Malika keeps chutki on the bed and surrounds her with pillows. She then helps anika pack the clothes. After sometime shivaay enters.

Shivaay: ani I've booked the tickets

Anika: shivaay mein ghaar jaa sakti bhi?

Malika: anika kya hua thujhko

Anika: mali how will i face everyone? In one night I snatched their Shivaay and their unborn baby. They will hate me naa?

Shivaay: anika due to circumstances we came here. Voh sab samajhenge okay?

Anika: haa

They finish packing the clothes and get in the car. On reaching the airport, anika gives chutki to shivaay and hugs her bestie as if her life depends on it

Anika: thank you malika. For putting up with me again in your life

Malika: babes it was nothing compared to what you've done for me

Anika: mali you better come
to India

Malika: aab mujhe pata hai ki tu kaha hai toh zaroor mein aaoungi tum sab ko milne

Anika: malika mein tumhe ponchker hi phone karungi

Malika: make sure you actually do this time

They chuckle and Malika takes the baby

Malika: oy Chutki apni maasi ko maat bhool jao okay? Don't forget me like your mumma did.

Anika takes chutki and shivaay handshakes with malika

Shivaay: malika thanks for everything

Malika: seriously it was nothing

They hear the announcement for their flight and they turn to malika

Anika: bye mali

Malika kisses her besties forehead and the small family walk off into the airport terminal

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