Here's the 19th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
"Yeh tum kya keh rhe ho Alok ?... Aisa kaise ho sakta hain ?..."
"Arre parjai ji... vo ladki sach mein Aastha Kashyap ki hi student hain... maine khud apne in bade-bade kaano se suna tha Shaan bhaisahab ko ye baat bolte hue..."
"Aur to aur parjai ji aapko pta hain... baat to aur aage badh chuki hain..."
"Kya matlab hain tumhara ? ", she became frightened.
"Shaan bhaisahab Gayatri ko bta rhe the ki unhone us ladki Anokhi se Aastha Kashyap ke baare mein poocha tha... Us ladki ne bataya hoga fir apni Aastha mam ka haalchaal... Lekin parjai ji iska matlab to yeh hua na ki ab bhaisahab ko unse vaapaas sampark karne ka mauka mil gaya..."
"Kahi aisa to nhi uss Aastha Kashyap ne hi us ladki ko yaha bheja ho...", Alok spewed nonsense.
Devi was well aware that Aastha was not the type of woman who would plot against her.
Furthermore, she was aware that Anokhi had topped the exam and had been admitted solely on the basis of her merit.
"Maine to dekha hain Anokhi Bhalla ko... main uske batch ka teacher hoon. Ladki hai to badi hoshiyaar... "
"Alok !"
"Tumhe maine uske gun gaane ke liye nhi bola..."
Devi began to ponder.
"Yeh to bohot badi mushkil ho gayi... Itne saalo se Shaan aur Aastha door the... un dono ke beech koi communication nhi tha aur ab... ab ye Aastha ki student pta nhi kaha se aa gayi... yahi college mila tha use admission ke liye..."
"Nhi nhi... mujhe kuch krna hoga... main Shaan aur Aastha ko ek hone nhi de sakti. Mujhe yakeen hai Shaan us ladki Anokhi ki madad se Aastha ko contact karne ki koshish zaroor karega... Nhi main aisa kisi bhi haal mein hone nhi doongi..."
"Main uss Aastha ko is ghar mein vaapas aane nhi doongi..."
"Mujhe Tej se baat karni hogi..."
It was the next day.
On her way to class, Anokhi came across Shaan.
"Good morning sir..."
"Good morning beta...", a wide grin adorned his lips.
"Aapki tabiyat ab kaisi hai sir ?..."
Shaan smiled at her concern.
"Main bilkul theek hu...", he said placing his hand on her head.
Anokhi smiled back.
"Mujhe Anokhi ki madad chahiye... par main kaise bolu use ye baat...", he thought to himself.
Anokhi noticed that he was lost in thoughts.
"Kya hua Shaan sir ?..."
"Huhhh ?...", his trance was broken.
"Vo... vo mujhe tumhaari ek help chahiye thi... tum karogi meri madad ?..."
"Kaisi help Shaan sir ?...", she looked confused.
"Voh..."
"I mean..."
"Ummm... kya tum mujhe... apni... apni Aastha mam ka phone number de sakti ho..."
"Please don't get me wrong... vo baat yeh hain ki Aastha ko main bohot saalo se jaanta hoon... vo meri colleague thi... lekin uske Punjab chale jaane ke baad humaare beech contact nhi rha... to isiliye... I hope you understand...", he spoke every word with nervousness, fearful of what Anokhi might have been thinking.
He had been living in her memories for the past 25 years, and now that he has got a chance to contact her, he will not give that up.
He just wanted to hear his NOOR's voice once.
When he didn't get a response from Anokhi, he looked at her.
She burst out laughing.
Shaan couldn't figure out why she was laughing during a serious conversation.
"Anokhi... beta kya hua ?..."
"Tum... tum has kyu rhi ho ?..."
"Sorry... sorry Shaan sir...", she gave herself a mental smack for doing so.
"Vo aap... aapka chehra...", she tried hard not to laugh.
"Mera chehra ?... Kya hua mere chehre ko ?..."
"Mera matlab hain ki Shaan sir... aap itna darr kyu rhe the... Aapko Aastha mam ka number chahiye to main aapko de deti hoon na... par aap to aise darr kar bol rhe the jaise... jaise main aapko daant doongi...", she ended with a laugh.
Listening to this, Shaan too let out a hearty laugh.
"Anokhi beta... tum bhi na... mujhe dara diya...", he shaked his head in disbelief.
Anokhi gave him the number and left for her class.
Unbeknownst to them, a man with his fist grasped in rage was observing them from afar.
"Us ladki se itna haskar baat kaise kar sakte hain Dad ?..."
"Itne achche se to mujhse kabhi baat nhi ki aapne..."
"Dad use kaise jaante hain ?..."
With an irritated expression on his face, he walked away.
Everyone in the class greeted Shaurya as he entered.
His gaze was drawn involuntarily to Anokhi, and he remembered the scene from just a few minutes before, when his father and she were conversing.
Shrugging his thoughts away, he began his class.
The lecture went on.
"Devi... ye tu kya keh rhi hain... ye pakki baat hain ?..."
"Haan Tej... mujhe Alok ne bataya..."
"To tu itna ghabra kyun rhi hain... Vo Anokhi Bhalla to yaha padhne aayi hain... kya tujhe bhi lagta hain ki us Aastha ne use yaha bheja hain ?..."
"Nhi Tej... Aastha aisa nhi karegi mujhe pta hain... lekin pareshaani ki baat yeh hain ki Shaan ko yeh baat pta hain ki vo ladki Aastha ki student hain..."
"Itne wakt tak to humne Shaan ko usse door rakha... aur vo Aastha bhi Kapurthala vapas chali gayi thi..."
"Lekin ab jab itne saalo baad Aastha ke baare mein use jaankaari mili hai to aapko kya lagta hain Tej... Shaan chup-chaap baitha rahega... vo usse milne ki koshish nhi karega ?..."
"Baat to teri sahi hain Devi... lekin ab hum isme kya kar sakte hain... us ladki ko to college se nhi nikaal sakte...", Tej expressed his helplessness.
"Vhi to sabse badi PROBLEM hain Tej... koi to tarika dhoondna hoga jisse Shaan us ladki se door rahe..."
"Aur Shaurya ?... Use is baare mein pta hain kuch ?...", Tej countered.
"Nhi Tej mujhe to aisa nhi lagta... Kyunki agar Shaurya ko yeh baat pta hoti toh ab tak toh Shaan aur uske beech is baat ko lekar koi takraav ho gaya hota..."
"Dekhiye Tej... us ladki ko Shaan se door rakhna hoga aur yeh sirf tabhi ho paayega jab Shaurya ko yeh baat pta chale..."
"Kya kehna chahti hai tu ?...", Tej asked.
Devi smiled devilishly in response.
Shaurya returned home from college.
He freshened up and put on his casuals.
He was about to open his laptop for work just then he heard a knock on the door.
He looked up.
"Badi maa..."
"Andar aaiye na..."
She stepped inside and Shaurya also stood up. He went up to her and he noticed the tensed expression on her face.
"Badi maa.."
"Kya hua ?... Aap itna pareshaan kyu lag rhi hain ?..."
"Vo Shaurya..."
He sensed her hesitancy to speak up.
"Badi maa... pehle to aap yha baithiye... aur ab please bataiye mujhe aap itni tensed kyu lag rhi hain ?..."
"Dad ne kuch kiya ?..."
"Nhi Shaurya... Shaan ki isme koi galti nhi hain..."
"Unki galti nhi hain matlab ?..."
"Main kaise batau tumhe Shaurya..."
"Vo... Aa... Aastha..."
He stiffened as soon as he heard the name.
He stood up and walked away for a while.
Devi grinned as she saw her plan work.
"Kya baat hain Badi maa ?...", his anger was perceptible in his voice.
Devi made a fake emotional face and approached him, saying, "Beta... vo... vo aurat firse humaari zindagi mein vaapas aane ki koshish kar rhi hain..."
Fury rose up in him.
"Aap yeh kya keh rhi hain Badi maa ?... "
"Mujhe... main kuch saajh nhi paa rha..."
"Please Badi maa kuch to boliye..."
Devi heaved a deep sigh and said, "Shaurya... yaha aayo..."
She made him sit on the bed and sat down facing him.
"Dekho beta... meri baat dhyaan se suno..."
"Tumhe Anokhi Bhalla ke baare mein pta hain ?..."
Shaurya's expression shifted from shocked to puzzled.
"Badi maa... aap... aap use kaise jaante ho ?"
Devi got surprised, the way he was asking looked like as if he knew that girl.
"Tum jaante ho use Shaurya ?..."
"Jee Badi maa... I mean... vo mere batch ki student hain... aur iss saal ki topper thi vo..."
"Shaurya... vo ladki..."
"Vo ladki ?..."
"Vo ladki kya Badi maa ?...", he was becoming restless.
"Vo ladki AASTHA ki student hain !..."
For a brief moment, Shaurya was taken aback.
The scene from morning where she and his father were talking freely and laughing flashed across his eyes.
He had never seen his Dad like that in all these years, talking freely and smiling.
He connected the dots and now everything was making sense to him.
The last strand of composure he'd managed to keep up until now snapped.
Anger shot up within him.
Devi was just staring at him.
"Shaurya kya hua ?..."
He stood up and was about to leave furiously when Devi called him.
"Shaurya ruko..."
"Kya hua beta ?...", she cupped his face.
He didn't saying anything as he was trying to control his wrath.
"Shaurya... yaha aao beta...", she tried to take him towards the bed.
"Nhi Badi maa... mujhe jaana hoga..."
"Dad ?... Dad kaha hain ?", he yelled.
"Beta... tumhe to pta hi hain Shaan raat hone se pehle ghar nhi aata..."
"Tum... meri baat suno Shaurya... bohot zaroori baat hain..."
They both sat down.
"Dekho Shaurya... main tumhe ek baat inform karna chahti thi isiliye tumhaare college se aate hi main tumhe ye baat batane aa gayi... Mujhe laga tumhe is baat ka pta hona zaroori hain..."
"Kaisi baat Badi maa ?..."
"Shaurya... Shaan jaanta hain ki vo ladki Aastha ki student hain... vo usse Aastha ke baare mein jaanne ki koshish kar rha tha... aur us ladki ne apni mam ke baare mein tumhaare Dad ko bataya bhi..."
Shaurya's eyes were now filled with rage.
"Mujhe ye baat kuch theek nhi lagi beta... Vo ladki Shaan ko to nhi jaanti... toh fir aise kaise vo apni mam ke baare mein details Shaan ko convey kar sakti hain...", she looked at Shaurya, who was enraged, and thought to herself that her plan was going on right track.
"Beta... tum meri baat samajh rhe hona... main kya kehna chaah rhi hoon..."
"Aap... aap kya kehna chaah rhi hain Badi maa ?..."
"Beta... mujhe lagta hain ki us ladki ko Aastha ne hi yaha bheja hain... taaki vo humaari zindagi mein vaapas aa paaye... Vo... vo tumhe mujhse door karna chahti hain Shaurya... Beta main tumhaare bina nhi reh paaungi... main bohot pyaar karti hoon tumse... Tumhe... tumhe mujh par bharosa haina beta... tum kisi ki baato mein aa kar apni Baadi maa ko to galat nhi samjhoge... main..."
"Badi maa please... aap aise kyu bol rhi hain ?... Aap meri maa hain aur vo... vo aurat mujhe aapse door nhi kar sakti. Aapko mujh par bharosa nhi Badi maa... main aapko galat samjhunga yeh aapne kaise soch liya ?... Miss Aastha Kashyap ke saath mera koi relation nhi hain... main... main koi nhi hoon unka... Main aapka beta hoon... Please aap dobaara asie mat boliyega..."
"Shaurya...", she placed her palm on his face.
"Darr lagta hai beta..."
"Isiliye mujhe laga tumhe yeh baaat bata deni chahiye..."
"Dekho Shaurya... ho sakta hain tumhe meri baat par yakeen na ho par ek baar sochkar dekhna is baare mein... Vo ladki Anokhi ko yahi college mila admission ke liye... vo... vo toh vaise bhi Kapurthala ke ek chhote se gaaon se hain... To use Punjab se Delhi aake college mein admission lene ki kya zaroorat padi... poore India mein aur bhi toh college hain... aur ab dekho vo Aastha ki student nikli... ye sab coincidence to nhi ho sakta... Mujhe toh shak hain ki usne sach mein apni mehnat se top kiya ya fir..."
"Tum meri baat samajh rhe hoge beta... Mujhe darr hain ki vo ladki us Aastha ke kehne par Shaan ko apni baato mein fasa le aur... aur fir Shaan aur Aastha firse..."
"NHI !..."
"Nhi Badi maa..."
"Aisa... aisa kuch bhi nhi hoga... maine aisa kuch hone nhi doonga..."
Devi was relieved that she had hit the right target.
"Badi maa..."
"Aap chinta mat keejiye... main Dad se baat karunga..."
"Main jaanti thi Shaurya... tum meri baat samjhoge..."
"Abhi main chalti hoon... tum zyada tension mat lo beta... Tumhe mujh par bharosa hain bas yeh jaankar mujhe tasalli mil gayi... fir koi bhi aaye humaare beech mein koi galatfaimi nhi khadi kar sakta..."
Saying so she left the room with a victorious smile.
Shaurya grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table and gulped it down.
He remembered Anokhi.
"Dad ko pta tha... unhe pta tha ki vo... vo Miss Kashyap ki student hain... isiliye aaj subhah dono itne achche se haskar baat kar rhe the... iska matlab vo pehle se jaante the us ladki ko..."
"HOW DARE SHE ?..."
"Miss Bhalla ki himmat kaise hui humaare family matter mein interfere karne ki ?...", he gritted his teeth.
"Kahi badi maa ki baat sach to nhi ?... Use... use kahi Miss Aastha Kashyap ne hi to nhi bheja yaha..."
The next moment, a crash sound reverberated in his room.
The glass that he was holding had shattered into fragments upon smashing against the wall...
How was it ?
Do tell me in comments😊
Shakhi ke beech ab tashan shuru hone waala hai 😎😂😂