Here's the 5th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
Beep - Beep - Beep ...
Anokhi fluttered her eyes open as soon as she heard the alarm ringing in her phone.
Turning it off, she sat up straight but felt something slipping off her lap. She looked there and found the photo frame. Caressing it with her thumb, she put it back inside the bag.
Taking her salwaar and kameez, she walked to the bathroom but not before glancing at Mimi once.
"Mimi... chalo uth jaao beta... subah ho gyi hai", Anokhi said stroking her hair.
Mimi slowly opened her eyes and found her mother's angelic face in front of her eyes. A beautiful smile adorned her lips and she greeted lovingly, "Good molning mumma."
Anokhi smiled and pecked her forehead saying, "Good morning Mimi"
After bathing Mimi, Anokhi dressed her up and they had their breakfast.
Anokhi was searching some papers in her bag.
"Aadhar card le liya... birth certificate... hmmm sab le liya hai", she said to herself while putting some documents inside her purse.
She hung the purse on one hand and left for an IMPORTANT TASK with Mimi in her arms.
Anokhi was on her way back from the IMPORTANT TASK but she seemed lost somewhere. She was tensed and depressed regarding something.
"Mumma... vo dekho palk (park)...", Mimi pulled Anokhi's hand and said.
Anokhi looked at that direction and she saw a children's park. The board near the entrance of the park read Vatika Children's Park. She took Mimi there.
"Mumma... mumma jhoola", Mimi said pointing towards a swing.
"Mimi aap abhi chhote ho... aap gir jaoge to chot lag jaayegi beta", Anokhi said concerned.
"Mumma peeshh (please) ek baar jhoolna hai", Mimi requested with puppy eyes.
Anokhi couldn't deny anymore seeing her puppy eyes, so she gently lifted her and made her sit on the swing and started slowly pushing it in motion.
Mimi was enjoying it.
"Mumma... aap bhi aao na mele chhaath ", Mimi said.
"Nahi Mimi... main kaise aau... ye jhoola bachcho ke liye hai... achcha chalo ab ghar chale?", Anokhi said.
"Mumma agli baal aap bhi mele chhaath jhoologe peeshh", Mimi said.
"Achcha meri Gulab-jamun... ab chale?", Anokhi smiled and said.
"Okkkay mummmaaa", Mimi elatedly said.
Anokhi was about to go from behind to get Mimi down from the swing but before that Mimi tried to get down and while doing so she fell and her knee brushed against a hard rock.
"Mimiiiiiii !... ", Anokhi shrieked.
"Ahhh... mumma...", Mimi cried out.
Anokhi's eyes welled up on seeing Mimi's bleeding bruised knee.
"Mumma... mumma bohot dald ho laha hai ", Mimi howled in pain.
Anokhi immediately lifted her in her arms and taking her dupatta, she tore a small piece of cloth from one end and tied it around her knee.
"Mimi... Mimi beta mumma hai, kuch nhi hoga aapko... idhar dekho meri taraf...", Anokhi said pacifying her.
Mimi looked at her with moist eyes that ached Anokhi's heart.
Anokhi hurriedly went home without wasting anymore time.
"Ahh... ahhh mumma...", Mimi cried.
"Shhhhh... bas thoda sa aur... nhi to aapko infection ho jaayega", Anokhi carefully applied antiseptic on her wound.
Anokhi noticed that Mimi was still crying. She washed her hands and took Mimi in her arms. Mimi snuggled close to her and buried her face in her chest. Anokhi placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and stroked her back to provide warmth.
"Chholly (sorry) mumma, aapne mujhe mana kiya tha pal maine aapki baat nhi maani", Mimi said in between her soft sniffles.
"Koi baat nhi meri pyaari bachchi... aapko dard ho rha hai abhi bhi?", Anokhi asked.
"Hmmm... thola chha ho laha hai . Mumma aap mele chhe guchhchha ho na?", Mimi said snuggling more close to her.
"Nhi Mimi... bilkul nahi"
"Matlab aapne mujhe maaf kal diya?", Mimi asked innocently.
Anokhi smiled at her innocence and said, "Jab koi dil se maafi maangta hai na... to use maaf kar dena chahiye... aur meri Gulab-jamun to itniiiii... pyaari aur good girl hai ki koi usse kabhi gussa ho hi nhi sakta hai."
"Mumma... pinky plomish main aaj ke baad aapki chhabi baat maanungi", Mimi promised.
"Achcha... aap mumma se ek kahaani sunoge ?", Anokhi asked to divert her mind from pain.
Mimi nodded in a yes.
"Ek baar ki baat hai... bohot saare pigeon khaana dhundne ke liye nikle the. Unme se ek pigeon sabhi se umar mein bada tha. Baaki sabhi pigeon us boodhe pigeon ki respect karte the. Vo sabhi bohot der se khaana dhund rhe the aur achanak unki nazar jungle ke beech pade chaawal ke daano par padi. Sabhi pigeon us taraf jaane lage par us boodhe pigeon ne sabko roka aur kaha ki use shak hai ki vo chawal kisi ki chaal ho sakti hai unhe pakadne ke liye. Par kisi pigeon ne unki baat nhi maani aur us boodhe pigeon ke alaava baaki sabhi pigeon us chaawal ki taraf udhkar chale gaye. Aur jaise hi vo chaawal ko khane lage unke upar ek jaala gir gya. Vo boodha pigeon door se dekh rha tha aur usne dekha ki ek shikari ne uske saathiyon par jaala fenka tha. Sabhi pigeon jaali se nikalne ki koshish kar rhe the. Fir vo boodha pigeon unke paas gya aur unse bola ki tum sabhi alag-alag dishaaon mein udhne ki koshish karoge to is jaali se kabhi nhi nikal paoge. Usne unhe ek hi disha mein ek saath udhne ke liye bola. Uski baat sunkar sabhi pigeon ne apne pankh ek hi disha mein leharana shuru kiya aur vo kaamyaab hue. Vo zameen se aasmaan tak udh to gye lekin vo jaali abhi bhi unke upar hi thi. To us boodhe pigeon ko idea aaya aur vo un sabhi pigeon ko apne dost jo ki ek chooha tha... uske ghar lekar gya. Choohe ne pigeons ko dekha aur fir apne daanto se us jaali ko kaatne laga. Last mein sabhi pigeon ne us boodhe pigeon se maafi maangi aur choohe ko thank you bhi bola", Anokhi narrated the story and looked at Mimi who had been listening very intently till now and as she finished, Mimi clapped. Anokhi smiled seeing that Mimi had forgotten about the wound.
"Wowwww mumma... bohot maja aaya", Mimi said clapping.
"Haina... to batao is story se Mimi ne kya seekha ?", Anokhi asked.
"Maine chheekha ki muchhkil chhamay pal (mushkil samay par) apne dost ki madad kalni chahiye jaise choohe ne ki thi... aur apne balo (bado) ki baat maanni chahiye", Mimi replied.
"Very good Mimi... aap to bohot samajhdaar ho. Par is story se hume ek aur seekh milti hai aur vo ye hain ki jab sabhi ek saath milkar koi kaam karte hai to vo zarur kaamyaab hote hai. Ekta mein shakti hai", Anokhi explained.
"Ohhh... ", Mimi said.
"Chalo... ab Mimi ne story sun li... ab vo kya karna chahti hai ?", Anokhi asked.
"Mumma Nanu-Nani aul momo ki yaad aa lahi hai", Mimi sadly said.
Anokhi felt bad that Mimi had to stay far from her loved ones because of her but what else could she do.
"Mimi... main aapko phone lagake deti hu... thik hai... Nanu-Nani se aap baat karlo", Anokhi said.
Mimi talks to her grandmother for sometime.
"Mumma aap baat kalo nani se", Mimi says handing the cell phone to Anokhi and she starts playing with her doll.
Anokhi takes the phone and says, "Hello... mumma"
"Nikki... kaisi hai meri bachchi ?", Rama asked.
"Main thik hu mumma... aap sabhi kaise ho?...Papaji kaise hai?... Aur Veerji theek haina mumma?... Aap time par davai lete hona?...", Anokhi threw a bunch of questions.
"Nikki... saans to le le... main, tere Papaji aur Veerji... sabhi bilkul thik hai... aur hum davai time se le lete hai... bhoolte nhi. Nikki... aaj to tujhe vha jaana tha na. Sab kaam ho gya theek-thaak?"
"Haan mumma... main gayi thi vha subah hi, vha ka saara kaam ho gya hai", Anokhi replied.
"Changa puttar... lekin Nikki... Mimi tere bina..."
Before Rama could complete Anokhi said blinking back her tears , "Mumma... mujhe bhi chinta ho rhi hai us baat ki lekin aapko to pta hi haina... iske alaava aur koi chaara nhi hai mere paas... main kuch galat to nhi kar rhi na mumma ?... Main...main itni chhoti si bachchi ko akele aise... mujhe bilkul bhi achcha nhi lag rha mumma... main kya karu... aap hi batao mumma..."
"Nhi Nikki puttar... aise mat bol... dekh Mimi jaanti hai ki tu usse kitna pyaar karti hai... tu use samjhaayegi na to vo zaroor samjhegi teri baat. Tu apne aap ko dosh mat de puttar... tu kuch galat thodina kar rhi hai... tere jaise aur bhi kitni maaein hai jinhone apne bachcho ke liye yeh raasta chuna hoga... haalaat hi aise hai ki hum iske alaava aur kuch nhi kar sakte. Thode samay ki hi baat hai puttar... shuru mein ho sakta hai use achcha na lage par use dheere-dheere aadat padh jaayegi. Tu to uski maa haina... maa ko apne bachche ki chinta to hogi hi lekin Aastha mam ne bataya tha na... Mimi vha bilkul surakshit hogi. Matarani par bharosa rakh... sab achcha hoga. Shaanti se is baare mein use batana Nikki... meri gudiya teri baat maan jaayegi dekhna...", Rama said consoling her.
"Mumma... subah se main is baare mein hi soch rhi hu ki Mimi ko kaise batau?... Vo mujhe galat to nhi samjhegi na mumma?", Anokhi said hesitantly.
"Nhi Nikki puttar... maine kaha na Mimi teri baat zaroor samjhegi. Mushkil hai tere liye... lekin naamumkin nhi", Rama said.
"Theek hai mumma... main...main abhi use is baare mein bata deti hu... mujhe yakeen hai vo mujhe samajhne ki koshish karegi...", Anokhi said.
"Haan Nikki... baat karle usse is baare mein... ghabra mat... main phone rakhti hu, dono apna dhyaan rakhna", Rama said and hung up the call.
Anokhi put down her phone on the table and looked at Mimi who was busy playing with her doll.
She decided that now it's time to tell Mimi about that IMPORTANT MATTER...
How was it ?
Do tell me in comments 😊
Any guesses regarding the IMPORTANT MATTER ? 😁