Here's the 61th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
"Dekho Shaurya..."
"Ab Anokhi ko misunderstand karna band karo...", Shaan said to Shaurya, who had just inquired him about Anokhi's involvement in his comeback.
Now that Shaurya had learned that Anokhi had persuaded him to re - join, Shaan knew Shaurya would undoubtedly suspect Anokhi of acting on Noor's instructions. As a result, he decided to clear the air before it devolved into another pointless misunderstanding.
"Shaurya..."
"Yeh baat sahi ha ki Anokhi ne mujhe re – join karne ke liye ek baar sochne ke liye bola tha... Lekin iska matlab yeh nhi hai ki main sirf uske kehne par yaha aaya hoon..."
"Maine iss baare mein sochke dekha... Aur yeh mera khud ka faisla tha... Maine kisi ke baaton mein aakar yeh faisla nhi diya..."
"Vo toh Anokhi ne bas yeh faisla lene ka kaam aasaan bna diya..."
"Aasaan bna diya ?... Vo kaise ?...", Shaurya interrupted.
"Shaurya..."
"Main yaha apne flat mein toh saara din akela rehta hoon... "
"Aur jaisa ki doctor ne mujhe kaha hi hai ki... ab... mujhe... control...", he fumbled as he felt guilty about mentioning his alcoholism.
Shaurya also understood what he meant, but remained silent.
"Toh isiliye Shaurya... Anokhi ne mujhe bas samjhaane ki koshish ki thi ki main agar college vaapas join karta hoon to in sab buri cheezo se mera mind divert rahega..."
"Aur agar main college jaaunga toh college work mein khudko involve rakhung... Aise mujhe akelapan bhi feel nhi hoga... Aur main tumhaare paas bhi reh paaunga is bahaane...", the last one slipped through his tongue.
Shaurya looked up at him the exact moment listening to it.
"Mere paas ?...", Shaurya's voice trembled as he realized what his father was saying.
Shaan became aware of his slip of the tongue and he immediately averted his gaze. He didn't want Shaurya to know that his sole reason behind re-joining was him only. Though other factors also mattered, but after his birthday incident, he wanted to be with him at least for a portion of the day.
"Boliye Dad... Mere paas se aapka kya matlab tha ?..."
"V... Vo... Mera matlab tha ki..."
"Matlab main..."
"Main ab tumhaare saath rehta to nhi... Lekin college ke bahaane hi sahi... Tumse mil loonga kabhi - kabhi...", he murmured, a faint smile on his face.
Shaurya's eyes got teared up on hearing that he mattered to his Dad.
Shaan sensed his emotions as he looked at him.
"Shaurya...", he said, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Dekho... Anokhi ke baare mein tumhaare man mein jo bhi galatfaimi hai use hata do please...", he said calmly.
"Vo tumhaari Ma-..."
Shaurya's eyes landed on him just then.
"I... I mean Anokhi Aastha ki student hai... Lekin Aastha ka Anokhi ke SIEST mein hone ke peechhe koi iraada nhi hai... Yeh sab bas tumhaare galat khyaal hai..."
"Devi Bhabhi ne uske khilaaf jo bhi bola hai tumhe vo sab sach nhi hai Shaurya..."
"Vo kitni pyaari bachchi hai... Ek simple si ladki hai... Aur main toh uska professor bhi nhi hoon... Par fir bhi dekho usne meri kitni madad ki..."
"Uske aisa karne ke peechhe koi bura intention nhi hai Shaurya... Vo jo bhi karti hai... Vo genuine hai..."
"Bas kyunki tum... tum uski Aastha Mam ke khilaaf kuch bhi bolte ho toh use bura lag jaata hai jo ki normal hai Shaurya... Isiliye tum dono ke beech aise baar – baar jhagde hote rehte hai..."
"Lekin Anokhi ek bohot achchi insaan hai... Aur ek brialliant student bhi..."
"Please Shaurya... Aastha ke liye tumhaari jo bhi naaraazgi hai use tum Anokhi ko dekhne ke nazariye mein beech mein mat aane do..."
"Tum apne baaki students ko jaise treat karte ho vaise hi Anokhi ko bhi karna chaahiye... Vo yeh partiality deserve nhi karti...", Shaan explained everything to him clearly and to the point.
Shaurya who was listening to it silently tried to think on it rationally. His father's words rang true in his ears.
"Aur Shaurya... Rahi baat mere SIEST re – join karne ki... Toh main jhooth nhi bolunga..."
"Anokhi ne toh bas mujhe ek baar re – join karne ki baat par sochne ko kaha..."
"Vo as a student khud bhi chaahti thi... Aur usne mujhe btaaya tha ki mere students bhi mujhe miss karte hai... Isilye ek baar vo mujhe manaane ki koshish kar rhi thi... Iske alaava aur kuch nhi..."
"Aur tumhe pta hai... Us din jab main hospital mein tha... Anokhi ne meri bohot madad ki..."
"Aur to aur usne mujhe kitne achche tareeke se samjhaaya ki main agar SIEST re – join karta hoon toh mera hi faayda hoga..."
"Main apne akelepan ko door kar paaunga..."
"Main tumse bhi mil paaunga..."
"Tumhe jo har vakt meri tension hoti rehti hai vo bhi kam ho jaayegi..."
"In sab ke baare mein gaur se sochne ke baad hi maine yeh faisla liya tha Shaurya..."
Shaurya was taken aback for a moment as he listened to this. This was not what he expected to hear from his father.
"Miss Bhalla ne yeh sab baatein Dad se kahi ?...", he thought to himself.
The fact that he wouldn't have to worry about his father, that he would be able to meet him there, as she had suggested Shaan, surprised him. He was taken aback by the fact that she had considered of him too while asking Shaan to re - join.
"Kya hua Shaurya ?...", Shaan's voice broke his chain of thoughts.
"Huhh ?... Nh... Nhi kuch nhi...", he replied.
"Toh ab tum is baat ko lekar Anokhi se ladoge toh nhi naa... Kyunki maine tumhe sab khulke explain kar diya ki asal mein baat kya thi...", he said to his son, smiling.
"Hmmm...", said Shaurya, nodding.
"Main..."
"Main samajh gaya..."
"Is baar Miss Bhalla ko main kuch nhi kahunga...", he replied.
Shaan smiled and felt relieved to see that his son comprehended the matter and that this time he wouldn't argue with her over a frivolous issue.
After speaking with Shaan, Shaurya returned to his own cabin.
For the first time, he felt different when he thought about her. He was so relaxed that he went straight to Shaan and asked him about it, otherwise he would have misunderstood her again.
Though they were still at loggerheads, he couldn't help but believe what Shaan told him. He could tell by the way Shaan spoke that he wasn't siding with her, but rather stating the facts. Consequently, a new image of her was emblazoned in his mind as a matter of fact.
"Miss Bhalla ne Dad se yeh bola ki agar vo college vaapas join karte hai toh meri jo unke liye tension hai vo kam ho jaayegi... Main... Main unse yaha mil bhi paaunga..."
"Really ??..."
"Pehli baar Miss Bhalla ne kuch achcha kaam kiya..."
"Nhi toh humesha gadbad hi karti rehti hai vo to...", an involuntary tight-lipped smile crept across his face.
The fact that Anokhi persuaded Shaan to join college back was on one side, but she also took notice of his "concern" for his Dad while asking Shaan to consider his decision to re - join SIEST was something that dwelled in his mind.
Several questions were buzzing around in the back of his mind.
First and foremost, why did she think of him in the first place ?
Why did it matter to her if he was tense about his Dad, his own Dad ?...
It was recess, and students were loitering in the cafeteria. Nyasha was one of them, but she couldn't get over the embarrassment she had to face in the morning due to her own cunning mind. She became enraged when she saw her rival "Anokhi", working in the kitchen.
"Isko toh main abhi dikhaati hoon..."
"Iski vajah se poori class ke saamne mujhe beizzat hona pada tha... Ab main bhi badla loongi...", she gritted her teeth.
She walked over to a table and sat down to carry out yet another cunning plan to humiliate Anokhi.
Anokhi, who was in the kitchen at the time, walked out to each table and took their orders.
Shaurya was also walking around, as he needed to pick up his "princess" but couldn't until the break was over. He was passing the time by meandering around there when his ears were stimulated by something which made him look there.
"Ohh waiter !...", Nyasha waved her hand at Anokhi.
Anokhi turned to face her and approached her table.
"Mere liye ek plate garma - garam samosa... Aur saath mein mango juice...", she commanded as if she were a crown princess.
"Mango juice yaha nhi milta...", Anokhi said politely.
"Toh meri galti hai ?!...", Nyasha shot back.
"Galti kisi ki bhi nhi hai... Aapke saamne table par menu pada hai... Aap vha se kuch bhi mangva sakte ho...", Anokhi said courteously.
Nyasha made a face and took the menu from the table to examine the items, while Anokhi then returned to the kitchen to finish serving the orders of others.
She was carrying a bowl of noodles to a bench when a leg caught her and she tripped, spilling the bowl and its contents onto the ground, as well as herself.
"Ouchh !...", a gasp left her lips.
"Extremely sorry...", Nyasha said smirking from behind.
Anokhi looked up at her, realizing it was Nyasha who had done it on purpose to cause her to fall down. She knew Nyasha was envious of her, which was why she had been playing these cruel games with her since long.
She began cleaning up the mess on the ground, not wanting to waste her time by exaggerating the situation by confronting Nyasha about it, when another pair of hands caught her eye, which were cleaning up the messed up noodles on the ground.
She was taken aback when she looked aside to see who the person was.
"Sir..."
"Aap..."
"Aap rehne deejiye... Main kar loongi..."
"Main bhi kar loonga...", the reply came.
He didn't even look at her as he picked up the splattered contents and returned them to the bowl.
She knew he would do whatever he wanted and she wouldn't be able to stop him, but his action, that he was doing this work as a professor at his own college, took her by surprise.
Previously, she assumed that he only knew how to boast about his position and college, but this time she realized that he wasn't that type of person, and that she had mistook him.
By looking at him, she could tell he wasn't doing it to brag; rather, it was his modest nature and unconcerned attitude about what others thought of him that drove him to do it.
She too did the cleaning work side by side, and they were done in no time.
Everyone around was staring at them, but he paid no attention to them.
He handed her the bowl, which she accepted.
Their eyes met, and she was once again grateful to him for assisting her in this way by pushing the boundaries of common thinking.
Anokhi brushed the dirt off her clothes as they both stood up. She then turned to face him, but before she could say anything, she noticed him turning to Nyasha and saying, "Miss Nyasha..."
"I would like to have you in my cabin for a few moments before the break ends..."
"Aapko kuch rules seekhane padenge SIEST ke.."
"Got it ?...", it sounded more like a warning.
"J... Jee Sir...", Nyasha was scared by the intensity of his voice, and she didn't even wait a second longer for her samosas, instead fled the spot.
He was about to leave when Anokhi realized she hadn't thanked him for his trust in her during that cheating scenario in the morning. She saw it as an opportunity to thank him.
"Shaurya Sir...", her voice stopped him in his tracks and turned around.
"Vo..."
"Mujhe aapko kuch kehna tha..."
"Haan haan boliye Miss Bhalla..."
"Ab kya sunaana chaahengi aap mujhe...", he remarked sarcastically.
She looked around in embarrassment as she listened to it and noticed how everyone was still staring at them. Seeing her, he too looked around, and soon everyone was back to their original positions.
His one glare was enough to scare them to death.
He then turned back to face her.
"Kuch sunaana nhi hai Sir..."
"Bas shukriya kehna tha..."
"Thank you very much Sir...", she finally said it.
Shaurya scrunched his eyebrows as if he didn't get to hear what she said.
"Subah... Meri baat ka yakeen karne ke liye thank you Sir..."
"Mujhe nhi lga tha ki aap aise mujhpar lge ilzaam ko verify karenge..."
"Main toh expect kar rhi thi ki aap humesha ki tarah iss baar bhi mujhe misunderstand hi karenge... Lekin aapne aisa nhi kiya..."
"Iss baar aapne "fair decision" liya..."
"Uske liye thank you Sir..."
With a polite speech and a small smile, she expressed her gratitude to him forthrightly.
"Ab main chalti hoon...", she walked away from there with the bowl.
Shaurya stood there motionless, staring at her receding figure.
"Yeh Miss Bhalla ko kya ho gaya ?..."
"Mujhse itne achche se pehle to kabhi baat nhi ki...", he mumbled to himself.
Their perceptions of one another were gradually changing.
But how long are these good perceptions going to last ?
What if something happens that completely destroys everything between them, leaving them in a situation worse than square one ?...
How was it ?
Do tell me in comments 😊