Here's the 59th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
Shaurya had returned to Shaan's flat in no time after college. He had double-checked that Shaan had have all of his medications. He was paying close attention to his health.
It was evening; they were both sitting on the couch, and the room was quiet.
Shaurya's gaze was fixed on the book he was reading, but he was occasionally stealing glances from his father, which made Shaan chuckle on the inside.
Shaan had already sensed that his son wanted to say something but was hesitant to do so. So he decided to strike up a simple conversation by himself.
"Shaurya...", he called out.
"Jee Dad...", he said as he looked up from the book.
"Ek baat btaao..."
"Tumhe yaha ke baare mein pta kaise chala ?..."
When Shaurya heard this, he immediately averted his gaze, knowing what his father meant.
"Kya hua ?... Bolo...", Shaan insisted.
"Ya... Yaha ?... Yaha kaha ?...", Shaurya pretended to be clueless.
Shaan smiled and said, "Yaha... Yaani ki yeh flat..."
"Tumhe pta kaise chala ki mera personal flat yaha hai ?..."
Shaurya was fidgeting about how to reveal his mischievous act now that he had been caught.
"Vo..."
"Vo ek din maine aapko..."
"Ek din maine aapko follow kiya tha...", he said in one breath.
Shaan's lips tightened with a smile in the corner, as he had already suspected that his son had followed him because he was concerned about where he frequently went.
"Ohh..."
"To yeh baat hai..."
"Mujhe bina btaaye mere peechhe yeh sab kiya tumne..."
"Toh fir aur kya karta...", Shaurya cut in.
"Aap kabhi bhi kisi ko bhi bina btaaye ghar se aise nikal jaate the aur sabhi kitna pareshaan rehte the..."
"Isiliye maine aap ko ek din follow kiya taaki pta lgaaya jaaye ki aap itni der rehte kaha hai...", he complained like a kid.
Shaan felt liable that Shaurya had to suffer all the time because of him.
Sensing Shaan's silence, Shaurya felt that he went overboard and that he shouldn't have spoken to his father in this manner right now. Furthermore, he had wanted to say something to his father since the time he arrived in the flat, but lacked the courage to do so. But he realized he couldn't keep it inside any longer, so he decided to go for it.
"Dad..."
"I..."
"I am..."
"Mujhe aapse maafi maangni thi..."
Shaan was taken aback and looked up at him.
"Maafi ?..."
"Vo...", Shaurya said as he raised his eyes to meet his.
"Us din maine..."
"Us din maine aapse jo kuch bhi kaha... Vo nhi kehna chaahiye tha..."
"Maine gusse me aakar bol diya tha..."
"Vo galat tha..."
"I'm sorry Dad...", he said, sincerity evident in his voice.
Shaan was simply staring silently at his grown up son, who had been reduced to a small child now, repenting and apologizing for his mistake. It was a touching moment for him. They'd never had a conversation quite like this before.
Shaurya spoke up when he didn't get a response from him, "Dad..."
"Kya hua ?..."
"Aap... Aap naaraaz ho mujhse us din ko lekar..."
"Main promise karta hoon dobaara kabhi nhi karunga...", he pleaded like a child.
Shaan's eyes welled up and he averted his gaze, unable to believe that despite their many quarrels, the way Shaurya apologized to him, and the way Shaurya craved his apology was something he never expected. His heart had brimmed with emotions, and he was attempting to overcome them by looking around and blinking back tears.
Shaurya had already noticed the haze of water in his father's eyes, so he moved closer to his Dad and stole a few glances.
"Dad...", he said after a few moments of silence.
"Aap roiye mat..."
"Galti meri thi..."
"I'm sorry..."
"I'm also sorry Shaurya...", words finally formed in Shaan's mouth.
Shaurya understood why his father was apologizing, but he didn't want to bring it up now; all he wanted to know was whether his father had forgiven him for what he had done on his birthday.
"Dad..."
"Aapne mujhe btaaya nhi... Aapne mujhe maaf kiya ?..."
"Tumhe maafi maangne ki zaroorat nhi Shaurya... Galti meri bhi thi...", Shaan said.
"Ab in sab baaton ko chodo... Mujhe pta hai us din jo bhi hua vo sab tumne gusse mein bola tha... Main bhool chuka hoon us din ko... Tum bhi bhool jaao..."
Though his words had hurt him deeply, Shaan was attempting to overcome his sorrow after realizing that they were the result of his son's impulsiveness.
Shaurya also realized that it would take time for his father and himself to forget what happened that day.
Shaan glanced at the watch and then said to him, "Shaurya..."
"Tum ghar kab lautoge ?..."
Shaurya averted his eyes and smirkingly said, "Aaj toh nhi..."
"Aaj nhi ??...", said Shaan, widening his yes.
"Kya matlab hai tumhaara ?..."
"Vhi jo aap soch rhe hain Dad...", he shrugged off.
"Shaurya... Dekho mazaak vaali baatein mat karo..."
"Raat ho gayi hai... Ghar pe sab tumhaara intezaar kar rhe honge..."
"Vha maine inform kar diya hai... Aap tension mat leejiye Dad..."
"Inform kar diya ??..."
Shaurya closed his book and placed it on the table, saying, "Yes Dad..."
"Maine Badi Maa ko bta diya hai ki aaj raat ko main yahi rukoonga..."
"What ??..."
"Shaurya tum... tum yaha mere saath ? ..."
"Lekin kyu ?... Main to ab bilkul theek hoon...", Shaan tried to explain, though he was heartened that his son was willing to be with him.
"Maine bol diya naa Dad... Main yahi rukoonga...", he said as he walked inside a room.
"Arre andar... Vha kaha jaa rhe ho ?...", Shaan tried to decipher his actions.
After a few minutes, Shaurya came out and Shaan looked surprised.
"Yeh tumhaare kapde ?..."
"Tum apne kapde bhi saath lekar aaye the ??... Matlab pehle se hi tum poori planning karke aaye the yaha rehne ke liye..."
Shaurya grinned from ear to ear as he listened to this. He had already decided that today, the first day after being released from the hospital, he would stay with Shaan. He couldn't take any risks, and he will be doing so frequently in the coming days as well.
"Kyu Dad ?..."
"Main nhi reh sakta aapke saath yaha ?..."
"Maine aisa kab kaha ?..."
"Toh fir main jaa rha hoon sone...", Shaurya said.
"Arre !... Dinner kiye bina hi so jaaoge ?...", Shaan interrupted.
"Dinner ?..."
"Vo kaha milega ?...", Shaurya inquired, perplexed.
"Kaha milega se tumhaara kya matlab hai ?... Yaha milega aur kaha...", Shaan said.
"Lekin bnaayega kaun ??..."
"Tumhaare saamne jo insaan khada hai vo... Aur kaun...", Shaan said.
"Dad aap ?...", Shaurya asked, his eyes wide.
"Aapko khaana banana aata hai ??... Yeh kab hua ?..."
Shaan gave his son a strange look.
"Tumhe mujhpar shak hai toh ruko... Main abhi tumhe prove karke dikhaata hoon tumhaare Dad ko khaana banana aata hai yaa nhi..."
"No way...", Shaurya was quick to say.
"Aapko main kitchen mein ghusne hi nhi doonga... Aap rest keejiye... Main order karvaata hoon..."
"Order ???... Bilkul nhi !..."
"Jab mujhe aata hai toh main khud hi cook karunga...", saying so, Shaan started moving towards the kitchen.
Shaurya ran behind him and held his hand.
"Shaurya yeh kya kar rhe ho...", his son chased him as if he were a child.
"Aap rehne deejiye Dad... Main bnaaunga aaj ka dinner..."
"What ???!!...", Shaan was flabbergasted.
"Tumne aaj tak Sabharwal House ke kitchen mein kadam bhi rakha hai jo yaha khaana bnaane aa gaye..."
Shaurya frowned in response to his father's remark.
"Hato... Aur mujhe mera kaam karne do...", Shaan said as he reached for something on the shelf.
Shaurya grabbed his hand and pulled him like a kid, pleading to his father to do something according to his wishes.
"Dad maine kaha naa... Main bna loonga..."
Shaan gave a phony glare and said, "Maine kaha naa... Nhi matlab nhi..."
"Mujhe bohot achche se pta hai tum jab kitchen se nikloge toh kitchen ka haal dekhkar hi main behosh ho jaaunga..."
Hearing this, Shaurya grumbled, "Aapne yeh kehkar bilkul sahi nhi kiya Dad..."
"Ab toh dinner main hi bnaaunga... Vo bhi akele..."
He took Shaan's arm in his hands and led him outside.
"Arre... kya kar rhe ho tum...", Shaan said irritated as his stubborn son dragged him outside.
The next what his son did shocked him.
"Main vhi karunga jo mujhe karna hai..."
"Aap baahar wait keejiye... Aapka dinner kuch hi der mein aa jaayega...", saying this, Shaurya closed the kitchen door from inside.
Shaan kept staring at it, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't believe "Shaurya Sabharwal" was in the kitchen cooking dinner.
Unknowingly, a smile crept across his face, and he walked over to the sofa, only to wait for his son's first dish.
He knew no one could stop his son from doing what he wanted. After all, he inherited this trait from his mother.
He smiled as he recalled HER.
Like mother, like son...
Shaurya has been in the kitchen for almost two hours.
"Ek ghanta toh kabka nikal gaya... Itni der se vo kya kar rha hai andar..."
"Kahi vo kitchen mein hi so toh nhi gaya...", Shaan mumbled as he stood up.
He approached the door and knocked.
"Shaurya !..."
"Shaurya abhi tak tumhaara dinner bna nhi ??... Yaa so gaye ho ??..."
There was no response from that side.
"Mujhe lagta hai ki dinner bna hi nhi... Isliye darvaaza kholne se sharma rhe ho... Haina ?...", Shaan said letting out a chuckle.
The door opened on his face the next moment, and there stood his son, holding two bowls, and as soon as his gaze fell on the content inside the bowl, Shaan's lips tugged with a witty smile at the corners.
"Hasiye mat Dad..."
"Aaj mera pehla din tha..."
"Aaj isi se kaam chala leejiye...", he grumbled.
Shaan then burst into a fit of laughter that he couldn't control.
"Sh... Shaurya... Yeh tumne... Do ghante mein yeh bnaaya...", he gasped for breath while laughing.
When Shaurya saw him, he made an angry pouted face and walked over to the table to place the bowls.
"Main aapse baat nhi karne vaala Dad... Aap aise mera mazaak uda rhe ho..."
"Arre...", Shaan walked up to him.
"Shaurya tumne toh kaha ki ek ghante mein dinner mil jaayega..."
"Aur... aur tumne yeh do minute ki maggie bnaane mein do ghante laga diye...", he again laughed off.
Shauyra himself felt like laughing as he listened to this, but he covered it up with his grumpy face.
"Vo..."
"Vo zyaada time isliye lga kyunki main Sanjeev Kapoor ki videos dekh rha tha..."
Shaan burst out laughing as he heard this and collapsed on the sofa.
"S... Sanjeev... Sanjeev Kapoor ???..."
Shaurya was perplexed as he looked at his laughing father.
"Isme hasne vaali baat kya hai ??...", he asked.
"Shaurya pehle tum aaloo chheelna toh seekh lo... Uske baad professional chef ke videos dekhna...", he jokingly said.
"Achcha ???... Aaloo chheelne ke liya kya mujhe course karna padega ??...", Shaurya crossed his arms over his chest.
"Nhi nhi... Course nhi... Lekin vo toh basics hote hai naa beta... Isliye maine bola...", Shaan could finally stop laughing.
"Aapko nhi khaana toh main hi kha leta hoon...", Shauyra sat beside him and took the two bowls towards himself.
"Arre arre kyun nhi khaana...", Shaan spoke up.
"Main khaaunga... Mere bete ne pehli baar kuch bnaaya hai... Main zaroora khaaunga...", he said smiling.
Shaurya, too, smiled as he looked at him, and he was pleased that it was because of him that he could see a smile on his father's face.
They were soon both engrossed in devouring the maggie.
"Vaise achcha bna hai Shaurya...", Shaan smiled as he stirred the maggie.
Hearing this Shaurya passed a broad smile feeling proud as if he had won an international cooking competition.
"Good start...", Shaan added.
They were done with it and with the dishes in no time.
Soon, it was late at night when Shaan approached his son and said, "Shaurya..."
"Raat bohot ho gayi hai... So jaao..."
"Thoda sa kaam hai Dad... Aap so jaaiye... Main so jaaunga baad mein..."
"Oh... Achcha..."
Shaan stood there for a while, thinking.
Seeing it, Shaurya spoke up, "Kya hua Dad ?... Kuch kehna hai ?..."
"Shaurya..."
"Tum mere room mein soge mere saath ?... ", Shaan asked his son, hopeful.
Listening to this, Shaurya stiffened as he remembered his childhood, when he always wished and yearned for his father to be beside him in the night after SHE was gone, but he never came.
Shaan read his expressions and knew exactly what he was thinking, so he calmly said, "Koi baat nhi Shauyra..."
"Tum kaam karo apna aur jaldi so jaana..."
"Good Night...", he said, and walked away being a bit emotional.
Because of the lump in his throat, Shaurya couldn't respond with a good night. His eyes were watering from what his father had asked him a few moments before, but his grudge against his Dad wouldn't let him go for it.
He shook his thoughts away and returned to his work, and soon he began feeling sleepy. He walked out of the room after closing the laptop and keeping it in its place. His legs began to move automatically toward Shaan's room, and he entered there.
He saw that his Dad had fallen asleep. He took slow steps towards his bed and sat down beside him. He stared at his face for a few moments before bending down and pulling the duvet up to Shaan's neck, where he tenderly adjusted it.
He kept thinking something and eventually took off his slippers, pulled his legs over to the bed, and ended up laying beside his father.
He felt different, as if he had been transformed into the young Shaurya. He was relishing the sensation of being close to his father. He had finally gotten the thing he had wished for a long time.
Soon, with moist eyes and a happy smile on his face, he dozed off.
The father and son were deep in slumber in each other's vicinity, experiencing the warmth they had craved from each other for all these years.
It was the next day of college. The break was nearing its end.
Shaurya had finished his work and decided to visit his "princess". He usually goes to pick her up after recess, but since he was finished with work today and was always eager to meet his princess, he decided to go a little earlier.
He stepped out of his cabin and made his way to the cafeteria. He was just entering the canteen when Anokhi came across him.
Their gazes locked, and he made a sulked face because he couldn't meet his princess in front of anyone except Pammi, so he turned to leave.
"Aapko kuch chaahiye Sir ?..."
Her voice made him halt on his steps. He turned to face her, masking his face with his usual rudeness.
"No...", he said shrugging.
"Toh fir Sir aap yaha canteen tak aaye... ", she said casually.
Shaurya narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Meri marzi main kahi bhi jaau..."
"Ab mujhe yaha tehelne ke liye bhi tumse booking karvaani padegi Miss Bhalla ?...", he remarked.
"Main toh bas aise hi poochh rhi thi Sir..."
"Mujhe lga ki aapko shaayad kuch chaahiye hoga isliye aap yaha canteen aaye...", she said in low voice.
"Haan chahiye naa... Man ki shaanti chaahiye... Vo de sakti hai aap Miss Bhalla ?...", he said sarcastically.
"Inko achaanak se kya ho jaata hai... Kabhi aaram se baat karte hai... Kabhi mujh par bhadak uthhte hai...", she thought to herself.
"Aap humesha kaha kho jaati hai Miss Bhalla ?...", he retorted seeing her lost in thoughts.
"Main kahi khoyi nhi Sir... Aur haan aap kya keh rhe the ?... Man ki shaanti ?... Ye kaunsi khaane ki dish hoti hai Sir ??...", she, too, shot back.
This irritated him now.
"Haan hoti hai ek dish... Tum jha nhi rehti vha milti hai ye..."
"Samjhi !..."
"Aur main tumse baat hi kyu kar rha hoon... Tum jha rahogi vha main chain se reh hi nhi sakta...", saying so, he turned to leave.
"Rukiye rukiye Sir !..."
"Kya kaha aapne ?... Main chain se rehne nhi deti ??... Aur aap jo humesha mujh par baras padte ho uska kya ???... Kisi aur student se to aap is tareeke se baat nhi karte...", she didn't budge.
"Dekho Miss Bhalla... Tum Mera time waste kar rhi ho... Vaise bhi mujhe kuch nhi chaahiye tha... Tum hi aa gayi beech mein aur mera kitna vakt barbaad kar diya..."
"Dekhiye Shaurya Sir..."
"Main yaha job karti hoon... Yaha koi bhi customer aaye... Usse yeh savaal poochhna meri responsibility hai isliye aapse poochha..."
"What ??!!!...", yelled Shauyra.
"Main tumhe customer dikhta hoon ??..."
"Mere hi college mein main customer ???... Like seriously ??..."
"Tumse naa behas karna hi bekaar hai Miss Bhalla... Main jaa rha hoon...", he said as he walked away.
Anokhi kept staring at him, irritated, and she, too, went to the food counter.
Shaurya hid nearby, waiting for her to leave.
After a while, Shaurya returned to the spot like a thief, looking around to see if anyone was watching him. He stepped in after making sure no one was watching him, but to his surprise, the canteen was empty.
"Princess ??...", he wondered as he looked around.
"Aaj princess nhi aayi ?...", his heart sank.
"Lekin aisa kaise ho gaya ?... Vo toh roz aati hai... Toh fir aaj...", he walked outside in disappointment but soon his eyes fell on a sight that took him aback.
There she was, his "princess", in Reema's arms near the food counter, and Anokhi appeared to be talking to Mimi as well.
"Arre !..."
"Yeh dono "meri princess" ke saath kya kar rhe hai ?..."
Then he remembers that he had seen Mimi with Reema once before. So he thought maybe they both are somehow acquainted with Mimi.
"Pta nhi... Shaayad meri tarah hi jaante honge...", he made himself understand.
"Lekin ab main kya karu ?... Main toh aaya tha princess se milne aur ab main use liye bina toh jaaunga nhi..."
He continued to stroll there, waiting for the break to end.
Reema had gone inside the kitchen with Mimi a few moments later, while Anokhi was finishing up.
Shaurya, who was nearby walking around, cast a glance her way, and Anokhi, in turn, looked there. Shauyra immediately turned his back on being caught in the act.
Shaurya turned around again after some time to find Mimi, who was in Reema's arms, but both of them were nowhere to be seen.
Anokhi had finished her work and was about to leave when her gaze was drawn back to his, which he quickly averted.
"Vo baar – baar meri taraf kyu dekh rhe hai ?...", she mumbled to herself, puzzled.
Brushing her thoughts away, she went inside the kitchen to have a last glimpse of her daughter as the break was getting over.
Shaurya thought to himself, "Yeh Miss Bhalla ne mujhe dekh liya... Lekin main toh princess ko dhoond rha tha... Pta nhi kaha gayi vo... Mujhse aur wait nhi kiya jaa rha...", he murmured to himself impatiently, completely oblivious to the fact that the woman he was trying to hide from was his princess's "mother".
Soon, he saw Reema and Anokhi coming out of the kitchen and heading towards their class. He heaved sigh of relief that finally he could meet his princess now.
He had gotten inside the canteen and as usual, after meeting his princess and taking her in his arms, he was on his way to his cabin, when he noticed someone near the library.
"Vo kaun hai???..." he said, his brow furrowed.
He pondered over the fact that the only little girl in his college was his "princess", so who was that girl near library ?
"Mimi toh yaha mere saath hai..."
"Vo chhoti bachchi kaun hai fir ?...", he wondered, perplexed.
He saw that the girl was playing near the door and soon went inside.
"Main zyaada hi soch rha hoon...", he brushed the various questions that were forming in his mind away, thinking that the girl might be of some outside visitors or something else. He didn't think about it any longer and went to his cabin to spend quality time with his princess.
"Anokhi !!...", exclaimed Anokhi's most ecstatic friend.
"Kya hua Reema ?... Tu itni khush hai...", Anokhi said while descending down the stairs.
"Arre tune suna nhi ??... Ek event organize ho rha hai..."
"Benny Dayal aane vale hai and I can't believe it !!!!...", exclaimed Reema, jumping up and down.
"Benny Dayal ?...", she began to ponder.
"Achcha !... Vo Ghajini movie vale singer naa ?...", Anokhi said as something clicked her mind.
"Haan Anokhi sirf Ghajini nhi..."
"Aur bhi toh kitne saare famous gaane hai unke..."
"Mereko toh vishvaas hi nhi ho rha ki main unhe apne saamne stage pe dekh paaungi... Vo mere one of the favorite singers mein se ek hai... I'm so so excited !!...", screamed Reema, her face beaming with delight.
"Aur Anokhi tujhe pta hai... Unke welcome ke liye arrangements bhi karne honge... Aur uske alaava bhi decorations ka bohot kaam hai..."
"Mujhe toh lagta hai ki kal se hi sab kaam - dhaam shuru ho jaayega..."
"Bada maza aayega...", Reema's eyes twinkled.
Anokhi smiled at her friend, seeing how happy she was.
Little did she knew that something unexpected was going to happen that day...
Thank You NirmalaK1 for suggesting the SHAKHI canteen scene 💗💗
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