Here's the 17th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
Saturday has arrived.
Today it's going to be her first day of work in Swiggy.
Anokhi is getting ready. She puts on a mask and makes Mimi wear it too.
With keys and helmet in her hand, she leaves for the restaurant.
The mid-day sunlight glimmers through the water showering out of the fountain.
HIS fingers trail down the carving of the fountain's structure and a small smile appears on his lips as he reminisces some memory.
The water droplets gush out of the sprinkler and the same way tear drops slowly cascade down his eyes.
"Aaj ka din..."
"Mujhe yaad hai... tumhaare aankhon par patti bandh ke tumhe yaha laaya tha main..."
"Aur fir..."
"Fir isi favvaare ke kinaare khade hokar... tumhe... tumhe apni dil ki baat batai thi maine..."
"Aur fir tumhaare dil ki baat jaane ke baad m... mujhe kitni khushi hui thi... m... mujhe aaj bhi yaad hai vo sab..."
He smiles through tears as he says to himself, "Happy birthday NOOR..."
After a while of aimlessly walking through the greens in nature's comfort and relishing some happy memories from his past, he begins to leave, but the keys fall from his grasp.
He bent to pick up, but before he could, a small pair of hands grabbed it up and forwarded towards him.
He straightened himself and looked amused at the tiny frame standing there.
"Maine aap chhe pehle utha liya... main jeet gayi... ", she said cutely with glittering eyes.
He chuckled and patted her head gently.
"Thank you beta..."
He took the keys back and kneeled in front of her.
"Aapka naam kya hai beta ?..."
"Mela naam hai Mimi..."
"Arre vaah... kitna payara naam hai... bilkul aapki tarah..."
"Aap yaha kya kar rhe ho ?... Koi aaya hai aapke saath ?..."
"Haan..."
"Vo dekho meli mumma...", she pointed to a phone booth that was just a meter or two away from them.
He looked at that direction and found a woman inside the booth.
"Aapko pta hai aaj main bohot khush hoon...", she said showing her sparkling milk teeth.
He laughed at how open-hearted the girl was in sharing her happiness with a stranger.
He then asked, "Aur vo kyun ?..."
"Kyunki aaj meli Kulfi ka balday hai...", she clapped.
His expression changed abruptly, but then returned to neutral as he realized what he was thinking was impossible.
"Achcha ? ... Lekin yeh Kulfi kaun hai ?..."
"Kulfi meli pyaali dochht hai... meli mumma unhi chhe baat kal lahi hai..."
"Aap bhi Kulfi ko happy balday bologe ?... Unhe bohot achcha lagega...", her big eyes were filled with hope.
He let out a chuckle and said, "Chalo... to main aapko aapke mumma ke paas chodkar aata hoon... aur Kulfi ko bhi wish kar dunga"
Mimi jumped in delight.
He approached the woman while holding her tiny palm firmly in his hand.
He was standing outside the booth, waiting for the woman to emerge.
And when she came out, he was taken aback by the sight of her face.
"Anokhi ?..."
She looked up and got surprised, "Shaan sir... aap ?"
"Aap yaha ?..."
"Mummaaaa... ", Mimi ran towards her joyfully.
"Mumma ???...", Shaan was shocked.
He looked at Anokhi with a puzzled expression, which Anokhi picked up on.
She took Mimi in her arms and looking at him, she said, "Jee sir..."
"Yeh..."
"Yeh meri beti hai...", contentment was evident on her face.
Here Shaan on the other hand was baffled.
"Tumhaari beti ???... "
"Lekin tum to..."
He was at a loss for words.
"Anokhi... Mimi tumhaari beti hai ?..."
"Yes sir...", she knew what Shaan might have been thinking.
"Anokhi... ummm... mujhe samajh nhi aa rha main kya kahu..."
"Matlab mujhe nhi pta tha tumhaari beti bhi hain... "
"I mean tum to student..."
"Ahhh... mera matlab hai ki..."
"Shaan sir... main samajh rhi hoon aapki baat..."
"Please don't get me wrong Anokhi... aise achaanak se yeh baat pta chali to main samajh nhi paaya kaise react karu..."
"Itni pyaari si bachchi hai tumhaari... Mimi...", he said smiling looking towards her.
"Aap dono ek doosre se kab mile ?... Vo main phone pe baat kar rhi thi toh dhyaan nhi gaya..."
"Arre hum to abhi-abhi mile... kyun Mimi btao mumma ko..."
"Haan mumma... aapko pta hai... unhone kaha ki vo Kulfi ko happy balday bhi bolenge... ichhliye main unhe lekal aayi"
Anokhi looked towards him with a smile, "Sorry Shaan sir... aapko pareshaani hui... Mimi bachchi haina isliye usne aapko aise bola..."
"Kya baat kar rhi ho Anokhi... kaisi pareshaani ? Main to khush hoon nhi to mujhe pta hi nhi chalta ki tumhaari ek pyaari si chhoti si beti bhi hain..."
Anokhi smiled proudly in response.
His attention was then drawn towards Anokhi's T-shirt, which bore a Swiggy logo.
"Anokhi... yeh tumne Swiggy ki shirt ?..."
His gaze then fell on the bag on the bench near them.
Another shock to him.
"Tum delivery ka kaam karti ho..."
Anokhi blinked back, indicating a yes.
Shaan was becoming crazy with back to back shocks.
But wait ! The biggest blow was yet to come.
He was just amazed at the girl's ability to handle a child and study. He sensed that something was amiss but he didn't want to intrude in her privacy, so he didn't enquire anything further. He was just getting amazed at how she was managing everything. How at such a young age, she was handling a child and studying.
Placing his hand on her head, he blessed her.
"Khush rho beta... aise hi humesha mehnat karte rehna"
Anokhi smiled at the fatherly figure. She had been missing her family ever since she came here and Shaan reminded her of her Papaji. She felt happy.
"Aap wish nayi kaloge Kulfi ko ?...", Mimi interrupted.
"Arre haan... Anokhi beta btao yeh Kulfi kaun hai... main bhi karunga wish..."
"V... vo Shaan sir... Kulfi naam to Mimi ne diya hain unko... asal mein vo meri mam hai... meri guru..."
"Ohhh... to yeh baat hai... main bhi sochu Kulfi naam ka insaan kaun hai...", he chuckled.
"Aapko pta hai Shaan sir... aaj main yaha hoon... to bas unhi ke vajah se hoon... unke bina main SIEST mein pohonch hi nhi paati... vo meri doosri maa jaisi hain... Meri AASTHA MAA"
Hearing the name, Shaan's heart skipped a beat.
His smile had faded from his face.
"A... Aastha ?'
"Ji sir... meri Aastha mam..."
"What if what he's thinking turns out to be true ?..." he wondered.
Firstly, Mimi said that today it's Kulfi's birthday and then her name is Aastha. Is what he was thinking really possible ?
With shaking voice, Shaan said, "Kya tum... tum unka poora naam bta sakti ho mujhe ?... "
"Haanji sir..."
"AASTHA KASHYAP hai unka naam..."
He felt the world around him spin as soon as the name that had been engraved in his heart a long time ago entered his ears.
His ears were still ringing with the name.
He was bewildered and instantly felt that he would pass out.
Anokhi noticed this and said worriedly, "Shaan sir !... Kya hua ?... Aapki tabiyat theek haina... us din bhi aap aise...", she tried to make him sit on the bench.
He shook his head, his eyes were wet, but he managed to keep the tears at bay.
"Anokhi... k... kaisi hai tumhaari Aastha mam ?..."
Anokhi wondered as to why he was asking about Aastha this way.
"Sir yeh leejiye... pehle aap paani peejiye...", she took a bottle out from her bag and handed it to him.
He took a sip and felt better.
"T... thank you..."
"Tumne bataya nhi... T... tumhaari Aastha mam kaisi hain ?...", he was trembling.
"Aap unhe jaante ho Shaan sir ?... ", she said being perplexed.
"Nhi..."
"Matlab haan... main... main j... jaanta hoon tumhaari Aastha mam ko... vo teacher haina... unse mil chuka hoon main pehle...", he felt pain in his heart.
"Ohhh... ", Anokhi was easily convinced by the fabricated story.
"Vo theek hain Shaan sir... Mimi unhi ke baare mein baat kar rhi thi aapse..."
Shaan wanted to know more. He wanted to ask Anokhi about Aastha's health, how she was doing... everything related to her.
But before that, he needed time. He needed space to let his emotions out, to believe what he had just heard and to process the whole thing.
"Anokhi... good bye beta... fir kabhi milenge... abhi main chalta hoon..."
"Apna aur apni pyaari beti ka dhyaan rakhna...", he caressed Mimi's head and walked away.
Anokhi on the other hand kept thinking what happened. Sometimes ago he was smiling but now he seemed to be concealing something.
She also remembered Aastha asking about Shaan during the phone call.
But then she left the place shrugging off her thoughts.
Actually, it was her afternoon break, so she had decided to take a break in the park and thought to call Aastha to wish her. Her mobile was out of network at that time which is why she had dialled from the booth.
"Jee Badi maa... vo raazi hain humaare Pune campus mein invest karne ke liye..."
...
"Main raaste mein hi hoon Badi maa... bas aadhe ghanta mein pohonch jaaunga..."
HE put down the phone and the car halted as the traffic signal turned red.
He lowered down the glass pane and as soon as he looked outside, something strange caught his attention, instantaneously infuriating him.
He saw a woman who had her face hidden in mask, was in her scooty just a few feet away from him, and he could also see a child on the carrier bag clinging to her waist.
Her back was occupied with a large bag which featured a Swiggy logo on it.
His brows furrow in anger as he says to himself, "Unbelievable..."
"How can she be so reckless ???..."
"Apne bachche ke saath vo aise itni bheed-bhaad vaali sadak par gaadi chala rhi hai... aur apne duty mein usko saath lekar aayi hai ?..."
"Zara si bhi fikr nhi hai use apne bachche ki ?... Agar by chance kuch ho jaata hain to ?..."
"Pta nhi itna kya shauk hai inhe women empowerment ka..."
It annoyed him to the core and he was about to turn his face away from the window when a seven-letter word hit his eardrums.
"RUBBISH !!!"
He turned to face the woman, but she had already driven away from there as the lights had turned green.
He kept staring at the vanishing figure and later mumbled to himself, "Mujhe bolkar gayi kya ?..."
How was it ?😂😂
Please do tell me in comments 😁