So here is the 16th chapter guys.... I hope you all will like it...
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Next day
At office
Anokhi was in Shaurya's cabin after a meeting as both were working on some project...
Shaurya- This Dixit's deal is really very important...i want it to be perfectly done...
Anokhi- Sure..i will try my best...
Shaurya- Actually Shimla project also needs some last improvements and that should be done at earliest...as kal Mr.Sinha ke saath meet hain...
Anokhi- Okay..then we will do that first...
And both continued working on it that day...Soon it was evening...
Shaurya was extremely exhausted with continuous working and same was with her by that time...
At one moment she glanced at him when he squeezed his eyes and again looked at laptop..
Anokhi-(thinking) Thak toh gaye hain... lekin khud toh bolenge nhi...mujhe hi bolna padega...
She thought while sighing...
Anokhi- Uhh..Mr.Ru...
She paused realising what she was going to say and he looked at her confused...
Shaurya- Kya kaha..??
Anokhi- Woh Main keh rahi thi..Mr.Sabherwal...
Coffee??
And then he looked up and his eyes fell on his watch...
Shaurya- No..i think we should continue this tomorrow...its late..
Anokhi- Yess..almost sabhi log jaa chuke hain...
Shaurya- Ok then...hum bhi nikalte hain...
Anokhi- Ok...
With that she went to her cabin to pick her belongings and went to open the door...
This time also he was there standing outside but a bit far from the door so he was not hurt this time luckily...
Shaurya- Bach gaya...
He said while sighing in relief and she smiled...
Anokhi- Ab se mujhe har baar dheere se hi kholna hoga darwaza...
Shaurya- Hmm..you should do that..
Warna agar mera nahi toh kissi aur ka naak jaroor toot jayega...
Waise should i..
Anokhi- Drop me..?(she cuts him in middle)
Shaurya- Yess..and coffee bhi pee lenge..
Anokhi- Okay..
And then they moved towards their car and soon started driving...Anokhi suddenly looked at something outside and told him to stop...
Anokhi- Gadi rokiye jaldi...
Shaurya- Kyun..abhi toh...
Anokhi- Rokiye na...
And He stopped the car...
Anokhi- Yeh...yahapar coffee peete hain..
She pointed him at a coffee shop which was not so big or lavish one but a simple one...which had some open space outside to sit...
Shaurya- Yaha..tum aayi ho pehle?
Anokhi- Haa..its best...chaliye...
Shaurya- Okay let's try...
And both got out of the car and she settled on one of the benches there and he went to get the coffee...
When he reached there She just completed talking on phone with someone and was smiling after that...and he noticed that..
Shaurya- Kiska call tha..?
He asked while handling her the coffee...
Anokhi- Thanks..
Aap hi ki behen ka tha...woh..
Shaurya- Pata hain...jarur koi picture post ki hogi aur woh dekhne ko bola hoga..?
Anokhi- Correct...
She said while smiling...And showed the pictures to him...
But he got lost in some thoughts looking at them...while she looked at him confused..
Anokhi- Kya soch rahe hain..?
Shaurya- No..nothing..
Anokhi- Shreya ke baare mein..??
She asked completely knowing the answer and he looked at her thinking how she gets to know everytime...
Shaurya- Haa...
Anokhi- Kyaa??
Shaurya- Yahi ki... i always wonder ussko kaam kyun karna hain...i mean..woh...
Anokhi- Matlab...agar ussko kaam karna hain toh woh karegi na...iss mein problem kya hain..
Shaurya- Problem nahi hain... But need bhi toh nhi hain na.. And i know ussko kaam karna pasand hain issiliye toh maine usse aaj tak kitni baar kaha hoga ki woh humari company join kar sakti hain... Ussko toh internship ka bhi option diya tha.. lekin nhi..ussko..
Anokhi- Independent banna hain..right..
Shaurya- Right...
Anokhi- Toh uss mein galat kya hain..?
Shaurya- Laga hi tha tum mera point nhi samjhogi...
Anokhi- Toh aapka point kya hain woh bataiye...aapko exactly kya kehna hain woh bataiye...
But then He was silent for sometime..and then started after sometime...
Shaurya- Its like meri Maa ke jaane ke baad...sab..
(he took a pause and then continued)
Sab toot gye the.. shreya aur Dad toh bohat jyada...
Anokhi- Aur aap..?
She asked looking at him...to which he also looked at her...
Shaurya- Shayad main sabse jyada..kyunki main Maa ke sabse jyada close tha...I miss her the most...
lekin mujhse kabhi kissine puchha hi nhi..ki main uss baarein mein kya feel karta hu....
And he looked at her again...with a sad smile...
Shaurya- kyunki usske baad sab badal gaya...
Actually, usske baad Dad ko business mein bohat bada loss hua tha... Shreya was completely my responsibilty in those years aur maine bohat mushkil se wapas humari company ka naam banaya... Because Dad was in depression after that for a long time...in all these years maine jo bhi kiya woh sirf Dad aur specially Shreya ke liye kiya...taaki usko koi taqleef na ho aage jakar..jo maine mere tough times mein aur career ke start mein dekhi thi...par phir bhi woh...
All this while She was looking at him and he was staring his coffee cup while telling this...
Anokhi- Okay toh aapko usski chinta hain...
That's the point...but she is also not wrong
Shaurya- Mujhe pata tha tum usski side logi...
Anokhi- Main usski side wagere nhi le rhi hu..okay main aapko ek simple example deke batati hu...
Jaise aapne bola ki aapne yeh jo kuch bhi achieve kiya hain woh khud kiya hain.. struggles karke...Apni mehnat se...
Now, Just imagine ki aapko yeh sab nahi karna padta aur sab kuch easily mil jaata...toh aap kya utne khush reh paate jitne ab apni achieve ki hui success par hain...?
Shaurya- Ofcourse not...par...
Anokhi- Haa..toh same has happened with Shreya...
Aapne ussko bachpan se koi bhi takleef nhi hone di...aur usske liye khud itna sab kuch kiya...iska matlab usse toh sabkuch apni thali mein served mil gaya na...
toh..agar woh ab khud kuch karna chahti hain toh you should be happy for your sister...ki woh kitni understanding hain.. aur woh independent banna chahti hain...
Shaurya- Haa..you are right...par main toh hu na usske saath..tab bhi tha aur ab bhi...
Anokhi- Aap hamesha thodi reh sakte hain usske saath...Kyunki life mein kuch bhi permanent nhi hota...kabhi na kabhi sabko struggle karna padta hain...and kisi ladki ko kabhi bhi kissipe completely dependent nhi hona chahiye...chahe woh uska husband ho...yaa bhai ho....yaa...
Shaurya- Yaa...?
Anokhi- Yaa papa...
She said with a sad smile...and he looked at her...
Anokhi- Mujhe yeh baat achhe se pata hain ki kissipe completely dependent hona apni life mein sabse badi galti hoti hain because meri maa ne mujhe akele bada kiya hain...
She had to struggle a lot initially as she was not independent....
Shaurya- I think i got your point...shayad main hi jyada possessive ho gaya tha...
She smiled at him and said...
Anokhi- Possessive nahi...extra caring... Shreya bohat lucky hain ki usse itna care karne wala koi mila hain...warna...
And she paused...he looked at her and understood about what was she referring to...
Shaurya- Warna...??
He questioned looking at her completely knowing what was she trying to say...
But she went silent...
Shaurya- Mujhe tumse kuch puchhna hain...
Anokhi- Kya??
Shaurya- Tumne kabhi tumhare papa ke baare mein kuch nahi bataya...
And he paused at it as she looked away from him and he sensed that she was not ready to answer any of it...so he continued after a while...
Shaurya- Its ok...agar tum nahi batana chahti toh...maine toh aise hi...
Anokhi- Nahi...aisa kuch nahi hain...its just...
He looked at her worriedly...and was also thinking about her further reaction...
There again was silence for sometime before Anokhi spoke...
Anokhi- Papa saath honge toh kuch bataungi na....mujhe bass itna pata hain ki he left us...
Shaurya- Kya??
Anokhi- Hmm...usske baad meri maa hi thi mere saath and as a single mother she raised me up...she did everything for me...
And she means everything for me...
Shaurya- Aur tumhare dad...unko miss nhi karti tum..??
Anokhi- Nahi...
Shaurya- Really??
Anokhi- maine kabhi iss baare mein..
Shaurya- Kissise baat nahi ki...issiliye tum uss din...
And she looked at him...and then stood up and then started...
Anokhi- Haa...issilye uss din...I mean... its like... main iss sab ke baare mein jyada sochti bhi nahi hu...aur agar socha toh...mujhe..pata nahi woh sab baatein yaad aane lagti hain...jiss sab se main bachpan mein deal kar karke thak gayi thi...
Shayad main kuch jyada hi attached thi mere papase... issiliye...
She paused for a while when he got up and stood beside her...waiting for her to continue...
Anokhi- Aur miss toh karti hi hu main...kaunsa bachha apne papa ko miss nahi karega...
Jab chhoti thi tab toh mai wait bhi kiya karti thi unka...but...
Its altogether a different feeling...
Even can't express...
And she went silent into her thoughts and he also was feeling a bit connected to her unknowingly...
Shaurya- It's ok...I..I can understand...
Yeh sab feelings...kabhi kabhi aise lagta hain...hamare paas itne saare log hokar bhi hum akele hain...A kind of...
Anokhi- strange loneliness....
She completed what he was going to say and both looked at each other....and got lost into each others eyes for a while...
Both didn't say anything...As if both were talking through their eyes...no need of words..
He didn't know why he shared those things with her....and the same was with her...
She also didn't why she shared her past with him...whereas she did not used to talk about it to anyone...
They felt like a connection...to share such things with each other....but what was that...they had no idea...
Both had many questions going on in their mind...
But before anyone could say anything it started to rain...and it broke their trance and both looked up...
Shaurya- Shayad iss baarish ko bhi pata hota hain ki hum dono gaadi ke bahar khade hain... tabhi aa jati hain ...
She just chuckled at him..
Anokhi- Kyaa kuch bhi... Chaliye..gaadi mein baithte hain.. It's late...
Shaurya- Kyun...aaj tumhe bheegna nahi hain...?
Anokhi- Mujhe toh roj hi chalega...par kissine mujhse kaha tha ki main beemar pad sakti hu...
Shaurya- Ohh...achha...
Anokhi- Hmm...aur agar main nahi hui na beemar...toh aap toh zaroor ho jayenge...
Issiliye chaliye...
Shaurya- Haa...chalo..
Then both got into the car while laughing..
And he started driving...
But both were lost in their thoughts for sometime...and then Shaurya thought to break the silence by having some light hearted conversation...
Shaurya- Waise kal Mr.Sinha ke saath meet hain...tumhe yaad hain na...
Anokhi- Haa...yaad hain...
Shaurya- Haa... tum bhool mat jaana... It's important...
Anokhi- Meri yaddash ko kuch nahi hua hain... But shayad aapko badaam khane ki jarurat hain...
Shaurya- Kya kuch bhi...
Anokhi- Aur nahi toh kya...?? I mean...abhi office mein hi kam se kam dass baar yahi baat batayi thi...aur ab phirse...
Shaurya- Haa toh...koi gadbad nahi honi chahiye issiliye...Basic presentation tumhare paas hain...
Anokhi- Pata hain mujhe...Aur Gadbad main hi kyun karungi... Aapse bhi toh ho sakti hain na...
Shaurya- Mujhse kyun hogi..main kya..
Anokhi- Aap bhi toh bhool sakte hain na...Aap toh har kaam itna gusse mein karte hain...And Afterall aapki age bhi ho gayi hain...
And he looked at her with wide eyes...
Shaurya- Hey...what do you mean by that..?? Dekho...Ms.Bhalla...
He said while pointing his finger towards her...but she interrupted him...
Anokhi- Nahi...mujhe kuch nahi dekhna... aur aap bhi yaha mat dekho... Focus on the road...
Shaurya- Haa haa thik hain...pehle tum meri baat suno....
Anokhi- Nahi...main kal sunn lungi aapki baat... Abhi dekhiye mera ghar bhi aa gaya hain...
Shaurya- Haa toh thik hain main U turn leta hu...achhe se baat kar lenge phir tumhe ghar chhod dunga..
Anokhi- Whatt?? Isski koi jarurat nahi hain... Kal time pe pohachna hain na...
Aap gaadi rokiye...
Shaurya- Ok...fine...but..
Anokhi- Baki hum baad mein discuss kar lenge...ok...see you tomorrow...
She said while getting down from his car and moved before he could say anything further...
Shaurya- You are going to pay for this...Ms.Bhalla...
He shouted from there...to which she turned and replied...
Anokhi- Ok..i never mind... Mr.Sabherwal...
And he just shook his head while smiling while she also entered her house while smiling to herself...
And both muttered under their breath...
"Mood Changer"
Sometime before both were extremely exhausted in the office...and then during their talks both were into their painful memories....and after that both were engaged in silly banters....
So there was a drastic changes in their moods when they were with each other as they were acting as each other's mood changer...
Both were in their rooms thinking about the things they shared with each other...
Shaurya was sitting on a couch in his room whereas Anokhi was sitting on her bed...
[You can imagine the two scenes in parallel]
Anokhi was thinking about the same thing again and again wondering that how she was able to share those things with him which she had not thought to share even with her Mother ever in these years....
And she also wondered thinking that this time when she thought about her father she was not so depressed or sad about it...
Otherwise whenever she used to think about those things she used to either get some anxiety attacks or she used to isolate herself from others and surroundings...
But this time nothing like that happened.. Rather she was able to forget those things by sharing it with him...
But How was she able to share those things with him??
Here, Shaurya was also pondering about the same that how was he so free to her about telling those things to her...which he had not even told anyone...neither his father nor Shreya...
And he was feeling a kind of relief inside by sharing it with her...He was a quite introvert kind of person who rarely used to share his feelings with anyone...and he shared such deep feelings related to his Mother and his insecurities with her...
But How was He able to share those things with her??
Otherwise they were sharing banters on silly things or sometimes they were even fighting on stupid matters...but today both felt like a bond with each other...as if both were facing the same pain and were able to relate and share with each other...
But questions were still there... Why and How??
With those questions and thoughts both went to sleep...
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Its finally done...approx 2400 words...
So how was this chapter...??
I just hope it was not boring...
I really want to know about it through your comments as i really tried my best to pen this down...but i really don't know was it that good or not...
No silent reading is allowed...
Constructive criticism is welcomed wholeheartedly...
And if you are liking the storyline.. please do click on the star button on left...and vote for the story..
Thanks a lot for voting and appreciating the previous chapter....
Thanks😊😊😊
~Avni