Here's the 37th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
With tears in her eyes, Anokhi was caressing her sleeping baby girl's head.
She was feeling terrible for not being able to properly care for her daughter.
She was remorseful she wasn't there for Mimi when she needed her the most.
She cursed herself for Mimi's condition.
Mimi's body was burning with heat, and it was causing fire in Anokhi's heart. Her little daughter was suffering, and she couldn't bear it.
She recalls how she encountered Mimi on the Crèche.
Anokhi had gone to Crèche to pick up Mimi after finishing college, as she always did.
She had only just entered the Crèche when she was startled by what she saw in front of her.
Mimi was in the arms of Dolly Aunty (The Nanny), with a gloomy crying expression on her face.
She was devastated to see her in that state.
"Mimi !!...", she shrieked.
The Nanny turned and approached her.
"Anokhi beta..."
"Achcha hua tum aa gayi..."
"Dekho..."
"Mimi ko bohot tez bukhaar hai..."
"Usne tiffin bhi poora nhi khaaya..."
Tears welled up in her eyes listening to it. Her Mimi was ill and she didn't have any ounce of idea.
Mimi, who was half asleep in Nanny's arms, mumbled to herself in her sleep, "Hmmm... Mamma ke paachh jaana hai..."
Anokhi's heart ached at the thought of not being there for her daughter when she needed her.
She immediately took in her arms.
"Mimi..."
"Mumma aa gayi hai dekho...", she said softly as she stroked her back.
Mimi recognized the familiar warmth as her Anumaa and she snuggled to her chest and fell asleep, completely unaware of her surroundings.
Anokhi was on the verge of crying sensing Mimi's body's temperature.
"Th... Thank you Dolly Aunty... Mimi ka dhyaan rakhne ke liye..."
"M... Main jaldi chalti hoon...", she bade her goodbye and proceeded towards the bus stand to reach home as soon as possible.
She got home quickly and had only been applying cold patches to Mimi's forehead and caressing her head since then, but the temperature hadn't gone down.
"Mumma..."
"Bohot galam - galam lag laha hai...", she was struggling due to her rising body temperature.
"Kuch nhi hoga Mimi..."
"Mumma haina aapke paas... Dekho...", she said as she gently placed the cold cloth on her brow.
Mim's eyes were pale, and her sad expression pierced Anokhi's heart.
Her cheerful smile had faded as a result of her fever.
She prayed to Matarani to heal her daughter as soon as possible.
Mimi soon fell asleep.
Mimi was sleeping but silent tears were rolling down Anokhi's eyes.
"M... Main kitni buri Maa hoon..."
"Meri bachchi bimaar thi... aur... aur mujhe kuch pta bhi nhi chala...", she sniffed.
"I... I'm sorry Shona...", she placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Aapko jab Mumma ki zaroorat thi... tab Mumma aapke paas nhi thi...", she felt very guilty.
"I'm so sorry Mimi...", she cried more.
She was feeling very remorseful and was blaming herself for Mimi's suffering.
She reapplied the cold patches and then checked her forehead to see if the temperature had dropped, but she was heartbroken to discover that it had not. She grew sadder as a result of it.
She embraced her in her chest and kissed her hair.
"Kal toh main college nhi jaa sakti..."
"Main Mimi ko iss haal mein Crèche mein bilkul bhi nhi chodungi...", she wiped her tears.
"Jo hoga dekha jaayega..."
"Thodi aur daant sun loongi main Shaurya Sir se... Lekin main... main Mimi ko bilkul bhi akela nhi chodne vaali..."
"Main kal ghar par hi rahungi... ", she decided.
With her constant caressing of her Mimi's hair, she soon fell asleep as well.
It was the next day of college.
The first lecture had begun, and the test was underway. Everyone had been informed about it earlier.
Reema was writing her test, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Anokhi.
"Yeh Anokhi aaj absent kaise ho gayi..."
"Abhi toh bohot late ho chuka hai... Lagta toh nhi abhi aayegi vo..."
"Use to pta tha aaj test hai... Toh fir absent kaise reh gayi...", she became tense.
Shaurya, who was invigilating the test while sitting on the chair, had already noticed her absence.
It enraged him yet again that she came to college every day, and now she was absent on the day of an important test.
"Kitni badhiya baat haina... Miss Bhalla aaj absent ho gayi..."
"Itna bhi kya important kaam tha jo test miss kar diya..."
"Main ise halke mein nhi lene vaala...", he muttered angrily to himself.
"Pichhli baar uske pair mein chot lagi thi... Isliye maine use chod diya tha... Lekin iss baar use iske consequences jhelne padhenge...", he fumed.
It was his frustration that had turned into rage against her.
The lecture was soon over, and he left after collecting all of the tests.
It was break time for Shaurya in his cabin.
He was working on his laptop, but his thoughts were still on her.
"Aakhir vo aaj college aayi kyu nhi ?!...", he was frustrated.
He himseld didn't know, whether it was her absence or the fact that she had missed the test that irritated him.
"Sir aa jaau ?...", said a voice from the door.
When he looked up from his laptop, he saw Raju, the server, standing there.
"Haa aa jaao...", he permitted him.
Raju placed the coffee mug on his desk, and Shaurya immediately picked it up to relieve his frustration.
But the unusual flavor of the coffee irked him even more.
"Raju...", he interrupted.
"Haanji Sir ji..."
"Ye... Yeh coffee kisne bnaayi hai ?..."
"Itni kadvi...", he made a face.
"Sir ji..."
"Bnaayi toh maine hi hai...", he replied.
"Tumne kitna zyaada coffee daal diya isme..."
"Sir Ji... Aapko hi toh zyaada kadvi coffee pasand thi... Aap toh humesha se aisa hi peete the na... Toh aaj ?..."
Shaurya was taken aback.
"Aaj ?... Aaj se kya matlab hai tumhaara ?... Roz toh itni kadvi nhi hoti coffee..."
"Vo Sir ji... Roz to Anokhi Didi coffee bnaati haina... Aaj toh vo nhi aayi... Isliye maine bnaaya..."
Shaurya's eyes widened in shock. He was rendered speechless.
"Main dobaara bnaake laau Sir Ji ?... Kam coffee daalkar ?...", Raju asked.
"Nhi !!...", he abruptly interrupted.
"M... Main yahi peeunga..."
"Mujhe kadvi hi pasand hai..."
"Tum jaao...", he averted his gaze.
Raju walked away, but with a puzzled expression on his face at Shauyra's strange behavior.
Shaurya looked at the cup and sipped it, but it was still not in his favor.
"Main itni kadvi coffee peeta tha ?...", he wondered aloud.
Nonetheless, he drank the entire mug in an uninteresting manner.
He was completely oblivious to the fact that he had become accustomed to her coffee taste in these days without even realizing it.
The strong taste of coffee which he used to prefer earlier was replaced by the mild taste of coffee brewed by her.
He had no idea that over time, his preferences were going to be affected by that girl in this way.
How was it ?
Do tell me in comments 😊
Thank You SugamS5 for suggesting the coffee scene. 😊