Here's the 87th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
Anokhi had been having intense regrets about her words ever since he left.
She gradually admitted to herself that the way she had spoken to him about how he could have saved her was inaccurate.
She may have said those things out loud, but after he stormed out of her ward in rage, she realized she had lost her mind due to her Aastha Mam's present condition.
She had forgotten that she was not only her Aastha Mam, but also his mother.
She realised that if she was so heartbroken for her Aastha Mam, what must Shaurya Sir be going through, after all, he was her son.
No matter how harshly he spoke to his mother, she believed he must be in as much distress as she was for Aastha Mam, because no child can bear to see his mother in pain.
After much self-introspection, she came to the conclusion that her sudden rage against him at that moment, when she ought to have thanked him for saving her, was brought on by her dissatisfaction towards him for "letting" her go in the midst of riots as well as his conflict with Aastha Mam which caused her to go missing.
Even though she still had no idea how he ended up finding her and saving her when he himself had let her go alone, deep down she had a strong hunch, he might have chased after her when she had fled ignoring his warnings.
She was now deeply sorry for saying to him that he might have saved her by "chance".
"Yeh maine kya kar diya..." she spoke up to herself.
"Main unhe apne gusse ko kaabu mein rakhne ko keh rhi thi... Lekin maine toh khud hi gusse mein apna hosh kho diya..."
"Gusse mein aakar maine unhe bura – bhala keh diya... Mujhe toh khud pta bhi nhi ki us dhamaake ke baad kya hua tha..."
She recounted how ferociously he was staring into her eyes when she scorned him for saving her by "chance."
"Jaanti bhi ho us vakt kya guzri thi muhpar..."
She felt terrible as she thought back on these words and now she understood how stupid she had been to ignore him and flee to find her Aastha Mam in the midst of the violent protest rally.
"V... Vo mujhe dhoondte hue aaye honge... Aur tab hi shaayad mujhe dekha hoga ki main behosh padi hui thi..."
"Shaayad main unki vajah se hi abhi zinda hoon..." a lone tear escaped her eyes as she acknowledged that she was still alive, possibly because of him. Her eyes instinctually shifted to her sleeping baby girl on her lap.
Her heart shattered at the mere thought of what would have happened if something lethal had happened to her and she hadn't survived... What would have happened to her Shona then ?... How would Shona have survived without her ?...
She gradually realized that she should have listened to him when he was repeatedly forbidding her from leaving, but she was determined to do the exact opposite.
"Unhone mujhe kitni baar rokna chaaha... L... Lekin main thi ki unki baaton ko nazarandaaz kar diya..." she admitted to herself that she was at fault.
She now understood that he was already in a panic, just like her, because no news of Aastha Mam had been found, and on top of that, she troubled him with her obstinate behavior, which may have aggravated him in an already crisis state.
She had seen he was equally worried about Aastha Mam when they were getting no updates about her whereabouts.
She felt awful for having held him responsible for everything when he himself was in such turmoil due to the whole riot incident.
She realized it was her fault for not listening to him and thus getting injured, and her daughter had to spend the night away from her.
"Pta nhi kya ho gaya tha mujhe... Kya sochke aisi baatein bol baithi main unhe..." she chided herself.
"Vo toh vaise bhi bohot gusse mein gaye the yaha se..."
"Kya maine unhe hurt kar diya ?..." She was in her own world of repentance when something disturbed her trance.
"Mmm... Mumma..." Shona's sleepy voice drew her attention.
She noticed her little Mimi in her lap, yawning and attempting to sit up.
"Ninni poori ho gyi meri Mimi Shona ?..." she said as she gently helped her sit up straight in her lap.
"Haan Mumma..." Mimi wrapped her arms around her Mumma's waist and buried her face in her chest.
Anokhi stroked her baby girl's hair, and placed a kiss on her head.
"Muje aapki bohot yaad aayi Mumma..."
"Muje bohot dal lag laha tha... Lekin Laddoo mele paachh the naa... Ichhliye main jyaada nayi dali..." Mimi spoke up while still hugging her Mumma.
Anokh's fingers stopped caressing her hair at the mention of "Laddoo" by her Shona.
What did she mean by saying Laddoo was with her ?
"Mimi Shona..."
"L... Laddoo aapke paas the ?..." she made Mimi face her, anticipating her response. She briefly considered whether Bebo and Kitty's being with Mimi meant he was also present there.
The very next second, she received the clarification she was seeking.
"Haan Mumma..."
"Laddoo toh mele paachh the..." she said the obvious.
"Vo muje apne bale (bade) chhe ghal (ghar) mein lekal gaye the Mumma..."
Hearing this caused Anokhi's eyes to widen in shock. She had no knowledge of this.
She only presumed that when Kitty and Bebo said they were with Mimi, they were talking about being in her PG all night, but she hadn't the slightest of idea that they had taken her daughter to their home.
"M... Mimi..." her voice broke as she spoke.
"Aap kal Laddoo ke saath the..."
"Unke ghar pe the aap ?..." she was still in disbelief.
"Haan Mumma..." Mimi said while nodding.
"Aap kal mele paachh nayi the naa... Icchliye muje bohot lona (rona) aaya... Lekin fil Laddoo ne muje yaad dilaaya ki good gal lote nayi..." she innocently explained her ordeal.
Anokhi looked at her, dumbstruck. She was left speechless. She knew nothing of it.
The way her Shona described how she cried for her the day before due to being apart from her, but her Laddoo reminded her that good girls don't cry, demonstrated how "delicately" he cared for her daughter.
"Laddoo ne muje aapki talah khaana bhi khilaaya Mumma..." Mimi spoke up, making Anokhi even more emotional.
"Kal laat (raat) ko muje aapke bina ninni nayi aa lahi thi... Lekin unhone muje plomish kiya tha ki jab main chhubah uthoongi tab vo muje aapke paachh lekal aayenge... Ichhliye maine unka kehna maana aul unhone muje ninni bhi dilaayi..." Mimi described everything.
Anokhi felt her conscience pricking her for the way she treated him.
She had already thanked Kitty and Bebo for being with her daughter, but after hearing her Shona, she inferred he was equally present there for her Shona, but instead of expressing gratitude, she gave him a piece of hearing, hurting him greatly.
Anokhi had finally grasped the situation, realizing that her daughter had spent the entire night the day before with Kitty, Bebo, and Shaurya Sir, and that was how her Shona had managed to get through the day without her.
The severity of her "stupidity" the day before, which could have resulted in something even more dangerous, brought tears to her eyes once more.
The person who generously cared for her daughter, who to him was no one other than his "PRINCESS", made her extremely penitent for her impulsive behavior with him.
She was furious with herself for acting out of control and criticizing him back then.
She was deeply guilt-stricken that she behaved so insolently with the person who SELFLESSLY took care for her Shona under such chaotic circumstances.
Thinking about how many countless tears her baby girl had to shed for being away from her broke her heart. This prompted her to wrap her arms snugly around Shona, blanketing her in her warmth.
She made the firm decision that she needed to express her sincere thanks to the person who had stayed by her daughter's side when she was crying those uncountable tears.
She resolved she needed to clear things up with him the next time she got to see him.
Despite having profound regret over everything she had said, she clung to the faith that once she would clear the matter with him and acknowledge her mistake, the "damage" her harsh words had caused him might, if not entirely, at least be partially, healed...
"Yeh leejiye Aastha Mam..." With the glass, Anokhi extended the pill towards her.
"Anokhi... Please naa... Main baad mein le loongi..." Aastha spoke up in a drowsy voice.
"Main aapki yeh baat nhi maan sakti Mam... Aapko davaai leni hogi... Aur vo bhi abhi..." Anokhi said, rising to her feet and ordering her Mam to have it.
Aastha had no choice but to agree after realizing she had run out of ways to resist her student.
She found out about Anokhi's hospitalisation through Shaan in the morning, and she had been wanting to see her since then. It was later in the afternoon, she awoke from her nap only to find Anokhi, Mimi, and Shaan sitting by her side.
Her munchkin Mimi had showered her with so much love and care upon seeing her injured, and Anokhi was no exception. This helped to some extent to pacify her "upset" heart about not getting to see the person she was longing to see. She didn't know if it would ever happen or not, though.
"Ab aap rest keejiye Mam..."
"Main yahi hoon..."
"Aapko koi bhi zaroorat pade toh mujhe btaana... Abhi aap rest keejiye..." After making her feed the medicine, Anokhi pulled the sheet over her.
She had come to see her Aastha Mam after Mimi had woken up. She had considered making Mimi eat something before arriving here, but her Shona then informed that her Laddoo and Mausis had already fed her oats, so she wasn't hungry. It had made her emotional yet again to see how the Sabharwal siblings had looked after for her daughter in every way.
After that, she called Shaan Sir and requested him to come to her ward once, as she didn't know where her Aastha Mam's ward was. Following that, she, with her Shona and Shaan Sir, arrived in Aastha Mam's ward while she was napping.
It had pained her to see her Aastha Maa's plastered foot, but she somehow managed to cope with the view. Her baby girl, however, was unable to do so.
Mimi was flabbergasted on noticing the white covering on her Kulfi's foot, which had instantly dropped her mood. She had no idea her Kulfi was also in the hospital. She had poured out her care on her, but was still upset about her Kulfi's injury. Shaan then decided to take the little girl for a walk around the hospital garden to brighten her mood, and they both went there after that. Since then, Anokhi has been by her Aastha Mam's side, taking care of her.
"Tum yaha kyun ho Anokhi..." Aastha spoke up.
"Chot sirf mujhe hi nhi... Tumhe bhi lagi hain..."
"Isliye tumhe bhi is samay rest karna chaahiye..." Aastha advised.
"Main theek hoon Mam..."
"Jab tak Shaan Sir nhi aa jaate... Main aapko chodkar kahi nhi jaane vaali..." Anokhi emphasized.
Knowing that her stubborn student wouldn't leave her side until Shaan came back, Aastha chose to remain silent. She let Anokhi be by her side and continued to leaf through the newspaper that Shaan had brought for her to kill time.
Anokhi could clearly sense that Aastha Mam was upset about something, and she knew what it was.
She was unsure whether Shaurya Sir had visited her Mam or not, but given his closed nature, she believed he might not have faced her Aastha Mama directly. She presumed, since he had come to the hospital, he might have at least taken a "glimpse" of his mother through the glass door. She didn't know why she felt this way, but based on her knowledge of his nature, she assumed it.
"Kaash main Aastha Mam ko bta paati ki Shaurya Sir ne unhe door se hi sahi... Ek jhalak toh dekha hoga... Yeh jaankar shaayad unke chehre pe thodi muskuraahat aa jaati..."
"Lekin main kaise btaau..."
"Yeh toh mujhe laga bas..."
"Asal mein aisa kuch hua hoga yaa nhi... Yeh toh mujhe bhi nhi pta..." she pondered in her mind.
She hoped she could bring her Aastha Mam some comfort by informing her that her son had indeed come to see her, but she couldn't because she wasn't certain.
Finally, pushing all the sad thoughts aside, she sat by her Mam's side, waiting for Shaan Sir's return with her daughter, hoping that everything would fall back into place soon...
It was afternoon when Shaan consulted with Noor and Anokhi's doctor for their discharge, who then told him that Anokhi could be discharged in the evening, but Aastha needed to stay for today. Anokhi was then informed of it by Shaan Sir.
After making sure Aastha Mam was okay, Anokhi had gone to the hospital canteen to get Mimi something to eat because it was getting late and she couldn't let her Mimi Shona be with an empty stomach until they got back home in the evening.
Shaan Sir had also accompanied her to the canteen to buy meals for Aastha Mam and himself. He repeatedly insisted that he buy the food for her, but she refused him politely and in a courteous way. Shaan, knowing how much she was headstrong like his Noor, had to give up in the end.
After purchasing a rice and curd plate from the canteen, Anokhi and Mimi arrived back in their ward, and Anokhi was feeding her. Like always, Mimi was also feeding her Momma back.
As she was halfway through emptying the plate, Anokhi's phone rang. She reached out to pick up her phone from the bedside table and was astonished to see the caller ID.
She wondered why he was calling at this time, as it was his office hours.
She pressed the receive button nervously, fearful that he would inquire about her wellbeing. She was hesitant about lying.
"Hello..."
"Veer ji..." she said in a low voice..
"Nikki !..."
"Kaisi hain tu ?..." Raja asked inherently.
"Main bilkul theek hoon Veer ji..."
"Aap kaise ho ?... Mumma aur Papa ji theek haina..." she tried to sound normal.
"Haan Nikki... Hum saare theek hain..."
"Tu bta... Tu kiththe hai ? ... College ki toh chhutti ho jaati haina is vakt..."
Anokhi realized it was past time after her college gets over, so she quickly devised the lie.
"H... Haan Veer ji..."
"College ki chhutti ho gayi hain... M... Main ghar par hi hoon... Aur kaha hoongi..." she said, stating the obvious.
"Nikki..." The solemn tone of Raja's voice this time made Anokhi's forehead sweat.
"Nikki... Tu theek haina ?..."
"Tu ghar par kaise ho sakti hain?... Iththe toh taala lagga hain..."
Anokhi's eyes widened in great shock, and she was rendered speechless.
How did he find out about it ?...
"V... Veer ji..."
"A... Aap..."
"Aap yeh kya keh rhe ho..."
"T... Taala ?..." her voice quivered.
"Haan Nikki..." he responded.
"Main iththe tere PG room ke baahar khada hoon... Aur tu keh rhi hain ki tu andar hain ??..."
"Nikki kya chhupa rhi hain ??..."
"Teri awaaz se pta chal rha hain ki tu theek nayi hain..."
"Kiththe hain tu ?... Mimi kiththe hain ??..." he inquired worriedly.
This came as a shock to Anokhi because neither her Veer ji nor her Mumma or Papa ji had informed her that he would be arriving.
Now that she had been caught, she knew she had no choice but to reveal the truth.
"Bol Nikki..."
"Mainu chinta ho rhi hain..." Raja said.
"Veer ji... V... Voh darasal main..."
"Main hospital mein hoon..." she finally revealed.
"HOSPITAL ???!!..." Raja was utterly shocked.
"Hospital mein kya kar rhi hain Nikki ???... Tu theek toh haina ??... Meri Mimi theek haina ??... Kuch bol Nikki !!..." he lost his cool.
"Veer ji... Veer ji shaant ho jaaiye..." Anokhi tried to calm him down.
"Kisiko kuch nhi hua hain Veer ji... Main aur Mimi dono bilkul theek hain..."
"Voh mujhe bas thodi si chot aayi thi... Isiliye hospital mein-..."
"Thodi si chot ??..." Raja jumped in.
"Thodi si chot ke liye kaun hospital jaata hain Nikki ??... Tu mainu poori baat nayi bta rhi..."
"Tu sach mein theek haina ??... Zyaada chot toh nhi lagi ??..." he was terrified.
"Haan Veer ji..."
"Main sach keh rhi hoon... Ab main bilkul theek hoon... Aaj shaam ko hi discharge mil jaayega mujhe..."
"Discharge ????..." The ground slipped beneath Raja's feet.
Anokhi bit her tongue, realizing the blunder she made.
"Discharge se kya matlab hai tera ???!!... Iska matlab tu hospital main admit thi Nikki ??!..." Raja exclaimed.
Anokhi facepalmed herself for letting her tongue slip.
"Veer ji... Main-..."
"Tu mainu chheti hospital da pta bta..." Raja cut her off before she could complete.
"Main bas abhi aa rha hoon..."
"Baaki baatein main uththe jaake sunoonga..." he was in panic.
Knowing how protective her Veer ji was of her, she knew she had no choice but to agree to him. She told him the location of the hospital.
"Theek hain Nikki..."
"Main abhi pahunchta hoon... Tu khyaal rakh apna haan..."
"Sambhalkar aayiega Veer ji..." Anokhi remarked.
"Hmmm..." Raja hung up the phone and left right away for the hospital from his sister's PG.
He was so anxious that he was unable to wait any longer to hear what she had to say. He was only concerned about reaching out to his sister and then finding out about the whole matter.
He exited her PG and took an auto that took him to the address his sister had given him...
"Inna kuch ho gaya Nikki... Ik vaar bhi mainu btaana jaroori nayi samjha... "
"Tainu kuch ho jaata toh main ki karta..." Raja said, taking his little sister in a side hug. He was astounded after learning about the whole matter.
Anokhi put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Ever since that "incident" two years ago, her Veer Ji and Papa Ji have grown fiercely protective of her. She was aware that, having been through a tragedy a few years ago, her family would be unable to go through another such phase if something unfortunate happened to her. She was relieved that nothing of the sort occurred.
"Sorry Veer ji..." she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Achaanak se itna sab ho gaya ki kisiko kuch btaane ka mauka nhi mila. ..."
"Lekin ab main bilkul theek hoon Veer ji... Please aap Mumma ya Papa ji noo is baare mein kuch naa btaana..." she requested, knowing how worried they would become.
"Aise kaise Nikki..."
"Unhe jaanne ka hak hain... Main yeh nayi kar sakda..." Raja denied.
"Please naa Veer ji..."
"Aap jaante ho naa... Papa ji aur Mumma ko bohot chinta ho jaayegi agar unhe is baare mein pta chala... Isliye main keh rhi hoon... Please aap unhe kuch mat btaana... Main bilkul theek hoon dekho naa..." she asserted.
Raja let out a defeated sigh. He understood that he would have to concede to his sister's request.
"Changa !..."
"Ab main kya bolu Nikki... Tu toh jaandi hai tere Veer ji tera kehna nayi taal sakde..."
Anokhi smiled as she heard him agree to her request, and she hugged him once more. Raja, too, smiled as he embraced his tiny sister.
"Muje bhi aana hain Momo !..." Mimi exclaimed, who was in joy to meet her "Momo" after so many days.
"Arre haan haan... Meri Gulaab – Jamun bhi aayegi..."
"Chal..."
"Aajaa..." Raja lovingly called her while spreading his other arm.
Mimi, who was sitting nearby, smiled broadly and crawled towards her dear Momo, where she settled herself beside her Mumma in Momo's arms.
Raja continued to tenderly stroke his Nikki and Gulaab - Jamun's hair, relieved that both of them were fine.
Anokhi closed her moist eyes and wound her other arm around Shona, and both remained in his arms, finding solace that they found someone close to them in this situation.
She had told her Veer ji only about being injured while searching for her Aastha Mam, who had gone missing. He was taken aback on learning that Aastha Mam was also present here right now, as opposed to Kapurthala. She then concocted a story about Aastha Mam being in Delhi for some work purpose, getting caught in the violent riots while passing by nearby, and that this was how everything happened.
She didn't tell him anything about Shaurya Sir, or that her Mam had gone missing because of him.
She didn't want to elaborate the situation any further, so she only told him about going to find Aastha Mam, becoming unconscious after an explosion, and then opening her eyes in the hospital itself, while her friends were with Mimi the entire time.
Anokhi was feeling a lot better now that she had one of her family members nearby, which gave her a bit more strength.
Raja held his dear ones close to him as he prayed to Matarani for his sister, his niece, and his entire family to always be safe and protected, and that no ill omen should befall them...
It was late evening.
Anokhi was alone in her ward because her Veer ji had gone to pay a visit to Aastha Mam, and Mimi had also gone along with him to see her Kulfi.
Once they both came back, she would leave for her PG after completing the discharge formalities.
She was taking a light nap when her ears perked up, sensing the opening of the door. She instinctively turned around, and when she did, her heart swelled when she saw the person she had been hoping against hope that she will get to see today again.
Finding him there made her feel utterly relieved, and she suddenly had the optimism that she could now at least partially retract her words.
"Shaurya Sir !..." she exclaimed sitting up straight, noticing he was about to leave.
Shaurya, who had arrived there after giving it a lot of thought, given the way she had reacted to him this morning, felt compelled to stop.
He was deeply hurt by her outburst on him earlier this morning, and he had stormed out of the hospital without even meeting his Dad. It was the reason he had to come here to meet him, and there was also a longing in his heart to see HER, which drove him here to the hospital. Checking on Anokhi and his Princess was another factor that acted as a driving force, despite the fact that she had bashed him severely in the morning.
When he arrived at the hospital, he called his Dad and asked him to come outside for a while, where he asked him if he was okay and if he needed any sort of help, to which he replied with a firm no, accompanied by a disgruntled expression on his face. He knew his dad was probably expecting him to pay a visit to his wife, but he being the façade wearer, pretended to be totally unconcerned about it.
Shaan's only words to his son were to take care of himself because he knew he wouldn't be able to persuade Shaurya to meet his mother. He then returned to Noor's ward, somewhat pleased that his son had at least made the effort to come to the hospital.
After his Dad had left, Shaurya sneaked inside the hospital to catch a glimpse of HER, just as he had done in the morning, and after having sufficed himself with that one-minute quick glance of HER, he was satisfied enough that one of the reasons he came to the hospital was now fulfilled.
Following that, he desired to meet his Princess and one more person related to her. He believed if he went into Anokhi's ward, she would certainly not like it, so he was reluctant to do so, but he couldn't leave without doing so either. He gave himself the justification that he had to go because he wanted to meet his Princess, but in reality, his heart knew that with this "excuse", he would ultimately get to see both his Princess and her Mumma.
When he arrived in her ward, he found her sleeping, and he was just wondering where his Princess was when she turned around and saw him. The moment her eyes met his, he, without a second thought, was about to leave, but she was quick to halt him in his tracks.
Anokhi watched Shaurya Sir slowly returning to the door and opening it, owing to the fact she had called him.
Since the morning, she had been waiting impatiently to see him and speak to him, and now that he had turned up, she didn't want to miss the opportunity. She wished to say something to him that would "atone" for her words earlier in the morning.
An awkward silence fell between them until Anokhi decided to break it.
"Sir..."
"A... Aap yaha..."
"Is vakt..."
"Koi kaam tha aapko ?..." she said hesitantly, unsure of how to strike up a normal conversation.
"Hospital mein pochha lagaane aaya tha..." Came the curt reply to her innocuous question.
"Aapko bhi chaahiye koi seva ?..." Shaurya took a jibe at her, stepping inside and shutting the door behind.
His gruff demeanor took her by surprise. She was annoyed that, despite being hurt, he didn't express it directly and was being uncouth by retorting her.
His tone made it abundantly clear how peeved he was with her over their argument earlier in the day.
"Har vakt taana maarna hota hain unhe..." she muttered under her breath.
"Ab aap btaane ka kasht karengi... Aapne mujhe kyun roka ? ..." he began sternly speaking, breaking her trance.
"V... Vo main... Aapse poochh rhi thi ki aap yaha aaye... Par vaapas kyun jaa rhe the-..."
"For your kind information..." he cut her off, "Main yaha tumse nhi... Princess se milne aaya tha..."
"Lekin vo yaha kyun nhi hain ??..." he inquired, concerned about her whereabouts.
"Voh... Mimi actually baahar gayi hui hain... Aa... stha Mam se mil... ne..." she stumbled over the last few words, noticing his change of expressions.
Shaurya was taken aback in a split second when he heard this. First and foremost, he was surprised that his Princess knew HER, but he eventually accepted it, realizing that there was nothing shocking about it; after all, his Princess's Mumma was so "CLOSEY" connected to her AASTHA MAM, how could his Princess not know HER...
Shaurya shrugged as soon as he realized this, but the next moment, he was unsettled by the thought that he, too, had gone to catch sight of HER, but his Princess wasn't there at that time.
He considered checking on HER ward once again while departing, to make sure his Princess was there.
"Kya hua Sir ?..." Anokhi spoke up again, seeing him lost in thought. She wanted to start the conversation, but he was lost in his own world, making it difficult for her.
"Nothing Miss Bhalla..." Another curt reply.
"Princess yaha nhi hain... Toh mera bhi yaha koi kaam nhi..." he said, turning around to leave.
"Rukiye !..." she exclaimed.
"Problem kya hain tumhe Miss Bhalla ?..." he grumbled as he turned around.
Following what had happened this morning, he didn't want to get into another brawl with her. He wanted to leave in order to avoid being hurt by her words again, but she kept getting in the way.
"V... voh mujhe aapse kuch..."
"Kuch bolna tha..." she said timidly, gathering herself.
"Kya bolna hain aapko ?... Aur kya sunaana baaki reh gaya hain ?... "
"Aur bhi kisi cheez ka blame daalna baaki hain ?..." he retaliated.
Anokhi was pissed to the core by his behavior.
"Aap har baat ko ulti disha mein kyu lekar jaate hain..."
"Main toh aapko than-..."
"MUMMA !..." A voice abruptly drew their attention to the door.
They turned to look in that direction only to find Mimi shaking while holding a thin paper tray with a cup on it.
"Main gilne (girne) vaali hoon Mumma !!..." Her legs wobbled as she struggled to balance the tray in her comparatively tiny palms.
"Princess !!..." Shaurya immediately rushed over to her.
Before Anokhi could react in panic, she realized Shona had already been saved by someone in time.
Mimi's Laddoo reached out to her in time and quickly grabbed her while holding the tray with one of his hands, preventing her from losing her balance.
Mimi looked up to see her Laddoo looking at her with eyes full of concern.
"Princess..."
"Aap theek ho naa..."
"Yeh mujhe pakdaao..." he said, taking the tray from her little palms and saying, "Aap mere haath pakdo..."
Mimi innocently placed her little palm in his as he instructed, and Shaurya began walking towards Anokhi's bed with his Princess.
Anokhi was only observing Shona and Shaurya Sir's interaction, which gave her an inexplicable feeling in her heart, something very innate, something very connected.
She looked at them approaching her.
Shaurya placed the tray on the bedside table and escorted his Princess to sit beside her Mumma.
A small smile unknowingly crept onto Anokhi's lips as she watched Shaurya Sir lift her Shona onto the bed. She shifted a little to make room for her daughter.
Before Shaurya could say anything to his Princess about what she was doing with the tray, he was startled by a voice from behind.
"AAP KAUN HO JI ?!..." The stern voice all of a sudden made him jump in his place.
Shaurya turned around to see a man staring at him spookily. He became befuddled as he wondered who this man was who dared to ask him what he was doing there.
Before he could say anything, he noticed the man approaching him with eyes filled with suspicion, which caused him to take a step back.
The man took another step forward prompting him to take another step back. This continued until his back hit the wall, and he was unable to speak for the duration of it.
"YAHA KYA KAR RHE HAIN AAP ??..."
"Andar kaise aaye idhar ??..." the man growled, seeing Shaurya stepping back repeatedly.
"M... Main..."
"Main... Voh..." Shaurya struggled to find the right words as he puzzled over why he was unable to respond.
He felt as if he were some criminal because of the way the man was dangerously staring at him, and it happened all of a sudden that he was unable to react normally.
"Nikki tu jaanti hai kya inhe ?..." the man asked as he turned to face her.
Shaurya was taken aback to hear him refer to Anokhi as "Nikki", but instead of dwelling on it, he turned to her for "help" in getting him out of the situation, as he felt she was somehow known to the man.
Anokhi was looking at him, baffled. For the first time, she was seeing this side of Shaurya Sir who was acting terrified, as if he was about to be murdered.
"Veer ji..."
"Voh asal mein Shaurya Sir hain..."
"MERE PROFESSOR..." her voice loud and clear.
After hearing the term "Veer ji", Shaurya's expression turned confused, and the man turned to face him with his eyes wide with astonishment.
The moment Shaurya was introduced, he stopped focusing on the term "Veer ji" and realized that he had been acting like a coward all the while, and he couldn't understand why he was even afraid.
Raja moved closer to Shaurya and scrutinized him from head to toe.
Shaurya cleared his throat and straightened his blazer collar as he watched the man scan him like an "X-Ray" machine.
"Professor ???..." Raja's face twitched, and his voice regained its normal tone.
Shaurya was now fully back to himself, and he smartened himself by sliding his palms into his pockets and broadening his chest, displaying his Professor persona.
Anokhi was looking at both of them, savoring the moment because it was something new to see. She was surprised by Shaurya Sir's abrupt shift in attitude from one of fear to one of fearlessness.
"Yeh toh mele LADDOO hain Momo..." Mimi spoke out sweetly, breaking the moment.
Shaurya's eyes popped out on getting introduced as "Laddoo" in front of that person.
"Laddoo ????..." Raja's brow furrowed even more, and he turned to face Shaurya once more.
The mere mention of "Laddoo" washed away all of his attitude. He was "The Shaurya Sabharwal" and he shouldn't have been introduced with that name in front of the man who had been intimidating him only moments before.
"I need to go..." saying so, Shaurya immediately walked away from there leaving Raja and Anokhi confounded.
Mimi continued to look at her Laddoo innocently, unable to comprehend what happened.
"Nikki..." Raja turned to face her.
"Yeh tere Professor the ?..." he was in amazement at the Professor's weird behaviour.
"Haan ji Veer ji..." she replied.
"Lekin agar vo Professor hain toh yaha kya karne aaye the ?..." Raja couldn't figure out what Shaurya had to do with his sister.
To put an end to the confusion, Anokhi decided she should reveal Shaurya Sir's true identity to her Veer ji.
"Asal mein Veer ji..."
"Aapko toh pta hi hain Aastha Mam bhi hain yaha hospital mein..."
"Haan mainu pta hain... Main toh milke bhi aa gaya unse..."
"Lekin tere Professor ka unse kya lena – dena ?... Aur vo tere kamre mein kyun aaye the ?..." he asked.
"Darasal Veer ji..."
"Shau... rya Sir..."
"Shaurya Sir naa Aastha Mam ke bete hain..."
"Hain Nikki ?????..." Raja plunged from the sky.
"Aastha Mam ke bete ???..."
"Yeh kab hua ??!!..." he was caught off guard.
He sat down next to his sister and said, "Nikki mere naa dimaag chakra rha hain..."
"Jab se iththe aaya hoon... Ek ke baad ek jhatka lage hi jaa rha hain..."
"Tu mainu thoda changi tarah naal samjha ki aakhir baat ki hain..." he said impatiently.
Anokhi briefed him that Shaurya Sir was Aastha Mam's son, and that they were estranged for some reason, which was why she also had no idea about it before arriving in SIEST.
She then responded to Veer ji's question about what Shaurya Sir was doing in the hospital by saying that he might have come to see his mother, Aastha Mam. She continued by telling him that Shaan Sir, Shaurya Sir's father, was a board member of SIEST and that it was he who had taken care of her the entire previous night.
Following that, she made aware her Veer ji that it was Shaurya Sir who had saved her while she was unconscious during the riots, and that despite his estrangement from Aastha Mam, he had gone to the violent protest site in search of her.
She told her Veer ji only about Aastha Mam and her relationships with Shaan Sir and Shaurya Sir, but nothing about the fact that she had gone missing because of a discord with her son.
After learning everything from his sister, Raja was shocked, and then he remembered seeing a man enter Aastha Mam's ward while he was leaving. Now he eventually realized it was probably Shaan Sir. He felt bad that Aastha Mam and her family were no longer together for some reason.
His chain of thoughts broke when he heard Anokhi saying something.
"Veer ji..."
"Aap dono toh Aastha Mam se milne gaye the naa... Toh fir yeh coffee ? ..." she said, gesturing at the tray.
"Haan Nikki..."
"Vo yaha paas hi mein ek coffee counter tha... Toh maine socha tere liye le aaun..."
"Iski kya zaroorat thi Veer ji..."
"Hum toh abhi nikalne vaale haina..." she modestly said.
"Zaroorat hain Nikki... Tu zyaada mat soch..."
"Yeh le..." he said as he picked up the cup and handed it to her.
She took it, and said, "Vaise yeh plate Mimi kyun laayi ?... Voh toh chal bhi nhi paa rhi thi..."
"Aapko pta hain Shaurya Sir ne sahi samay par pakad liya tha use... Nhi toh vo gir jaati..."
"Aisa kya Nikki ?..." Raja looked at his Gulaab - Jamun with a cocked eyebrow.
Mimi got alarmed that she was caught, and she hid herself in her Mumma's dupatta.
"Arre..." Anokhi was amused by the way her Shona was trying to hide.
"Chholly Momo... Chholly Mumma..." Mimi said.
"Kya hua hain Mimi..."
"Aap sorry kyun maang rhe ho ?..." Anokhi said as she encircled her baby girl with her other arm.
"Arre mein btaata hoon Nikki..." Raja intervened.
"Voh mainu naa chhutte paise nayi mil rhe si... Toh maine jeb mein check karan vaaste us noo thodi der layi plate pakdaaya..."
"Lekin tera kamra toh paas hi mein tha naa... Isliye vo boli ki vo khud plate lekar jaayegi tere liye..."
"Maine kinni vaari keha ki bas do mint lagenge ruk jaa... Lekin teri pyaari beti toh apni Momo ki baat maani hi nayi aur plate lekar chal di..."
"Ab tu hi samjha us noo Nikki..." Raja concluded by casting Mimi a fake accusing look.
Mimi grinned innocently at her Mumma as she listened to her Momo's complaint, which made Anokhi's heart melt.
"Koi baat nhi Mimi..."
"Agli baar se Momo ka kehna maanna... Theek hain ?..." she said tenderly stroking her hair.
"Pinky plomish Mumma..." Mimi nodded obediently and gave her Momo a puerile smile.
Anokhi and Raja smiled as they watched the little munchkin...
Shaurya was wandering around near the hospital entrance area. He was pacing there and keeping a close eye on the main gate through which people exited to see when she would be leaving.
His Dad had told him that she would be released today. He didn't want to leave her alone, so he was meandering around there hiding, to see how she would go for her PG.
Aside from that, he was still thinking about the man inside her ward, whom she referred to as "Veer ji".
"Veer ji..."
"Yeh kya hota hain ?..." he wondered aloud. He'd never heard of this term before and was unsure whether it was a name or a relation.
He only had the feeling that the man knew Anokhi, from their way of speaking, but he couldn't figure out who he was.
He was mystified as to how her known ones could be in Delhi when she was from Kapurthala. That's why he was more concerned about whether the man would also be going with her to leave her to PG, and if so, he would need to find out who that man was, because he would be restless until he affirmed first that the man was someone Anokhi knew.
As the time passed, he became jittery and frequently glanced at his watch, but the people he was expecting to see were nowhere to be seen.
He decided to go inside and check on them once.
He entered the building and began moving in the direction of her ward when he was startled to see someone approaching from the front. He was the same person who had been in her ward earlier.
Seeing him, Shaurya immediately turned around and began backing away, which he didn't understand why he was doing so.
He started walking back, pretending he didn't see him.
"Rukiye !..." Shaurya had to stop hearing the voice right away. It was the man's voice, he recognized.
He composed himself and turned around with a stern face, as if he had nothing to fear from the man.
Raja approached Shaurya, who was warily waiting to hear what he was going to ask him.
"Aap vhi ho naa... Nikki ke Professor..." Raja said this while examining him to ensure he was the same man he had met in his sister's ward.
Shaurya simply nodded yes with a stony face; his attitude palpable in his demeanour.
Raja's face lit up with a faint smile after confirming that it was his sister's Professor, which bewildered Shaurya as to why he was suddenly smiling.
"Thank you ji meri behen ki jaan bachaane ke liye..."
Shaurya was jolted by the words, and his expressions changed as he struggled to make out who the man was referring to.
"Jee ?..." He couldn't understand what the man was saying, "Kiski baat kar rhe hain aap ?..." his brows were scrunched.
"Arre main Nikki ki baat kar rha hoon..." Raja stated.
When Shaurya heard "Nikki" he realised it was the same name he had used to refer to Anokhi at that time, and his eyes widened in shock as he realized what it meant.
The person standing in front of him right now was her brother ?!!
"A... Aap Anokhi ki baat kar rhe hain ?..." he inquired to clarify.
"Haan ji main aur kiski baat karunga..."
"Main Nikki ki hi baat kar rha hoon..." Raja said.
Shaurya stood there silent, contemplating his words. It finally dawned on him who the man was to her.
"Mainu usne btaaya ki aap use iththe hospital te lekar aaye jab vo behosh si..."
"Aapne apni jaan jokhim mein daalke usko bachaaya..."
"Sachchi... Aap nayi hote to pta nayi kya ho jaata..." Raja expressed his fear.
Shaurya stiffened as soon as he heard the words.
She told her brother about him rescuing her ?... But why ?
If everything happened by "chance" as she claimed, then why did she tell her brother about it ?...
"Chaliye ab main chalta hoon..." Raja spoke up.
"Ik vaar fir main aapko shukriya kehna chaahta hoon..." Raja expressed his gratitude courteously.
This time, Shaurya wore a faint smile on his face instead of the stern expression he had been until now.
Raja gave Shaurya one last smile before walking away, leaving the latter in a nonplussed state.
Shaurya was still in disbelief that Anokhi had told her brother about him saving her.
He was in incredulity as to what caused her to change her mind about him ?
The way she had bashed him this morning, it shouldn't have been the case that she told her brother about his savior act in a genuine way, so how come she did it ?
Did that imply that she had come to the realisation that it wasn't by "chance" ?... Was it really that way, or was he just being overly optimistic ?...
Shaurya released his agitation by ruffling his hair, unable to understand what caused Anokhi to change her opinion of him all of a sudden.
Leaving all of these thoughts aside, he was feeling relieved that she had her brother by her side during this difficult time. It gave him comfort to know that she wouldn't be completely alone here, and that her brother would be there for her.
He initially perceived her brother as an odd sort of person because of the way he was scanning and intimidating him, but after learning who he was, he realized that perhaps he was acting that way out of protectiveness, thinking what an unknown person was doing in his sister's ward.
Shaurya felt a sense of peace fill his heart that she had her "family" member by her side, which would indelibly give her strength.
After all, who knew better than he did how "important" a family and its members were to one's strength...
He pushed all the puzzling thoughts about her to the back of his mind and stayed near the reception area because he wanted to see her one "last" time for the day.
Now that he knew she would be with her brother, he could rest easy knowing he had nothing to worry about...
Anokhi was ready to leave, but was sitting in bed with Mimi while Raja went to pay the bill and complete the discharge procedures.
She had told him that she would pay the cost, but he flatly refused. She, too, could no longer resent him because she very well knew her Veer ji wouldn't let her pay it.
She had also paid her final visit to Aastha Mam who would be discharged tomorrow.
The only thing that was bothering her on the inside was HIM.
She wanted to talk to him and atone for the way she had treated him this morning. She wanted to convey her deepest gratitude to him, but their conversation was cut short when her Shona arrived, followed by her Veer ji at that time.
She was getting antsy, wondering if he had left the hospital by now, as she couldn't wait until the next day to see him and convey her message to him.
She had no idea, but she had a gut feeling that he might still be in the hospital.
Her eyes reflexively searched the room for something before landing on the "notepad" on the bedside table.
As soon as she saw it, she had an idea that caused her to pick it up. She took it, tore a page out of it, and then wrote something on it using the pen.
After she finished writing, she was hopeful that it would reach its intended recipient very soon, but she was sceptical about how that would happen because she didn't even know if he was still in the hospital or not.
She still thought that if luck favored her and she happened to run into him while leaving, she would give it to him because there wouldn't be enough time to express her penance verbally, nor could she miss that opportunity and wait until the next day. This was why she tore up the page to make a gratitude note; it was a sincere message from the bottom of her heart.
She folded the page and covered the pen with the cap, holding onto hope that maybe, just maybe, she would get what she wanted in the end...
Shaurya was still in the vicinity of the main gate area, waiting for someone. He was there, keeping a close eye on the surroundings so that neither she nor his known ones could see him.
He moved away from there to the reception area to see if she had arrived. But, once again, he didn't get to see the person for whom he was waiting.
He was about to turn around to return to his previous position, when he was startled to hear a familiar voice calling him.
"Laddoo... Laddoo !!..." Shaurya recognized the owner of the voice right away.
He was alarmed now because he was supposed to be hidden, but his Princess saw him. He wondered if Anokhi was also there, but he had no choice but to turn around because his Princess had already seen him.
Regaining his composure, and with a subtle smile, he turned back to face his Princess.
The very next second, however, he was astonished to see her joyfully running over to him.
"Laddoo..." Mimi approached him ecstatically.
The pretty smile on his Princess's face made Shaurya happy, though he had no idea why.
He knelt down in front of his Princess to match her height, and before he could say anything, she spoke up.
"Laddoo..." she said sweetly, lovingly reaching out her hands to him.
He lowered his gaze to her hands, and it was then that he noticed what she was holding in her tiny palms: a white folded page in one hand, and a lovely red rose in the other.
"YEH MELI MUMMA NE AAPKE LIYE BNAAYA HAI LADDOO..."
"AUR YE LOJE BHI AAPKE LIYE..." she said as she extended the rose to him.
Shaurya looked up at her, his eyes widening with huge shock.
"Princess..."
"M... Mere liye ?..." he gasped.
"Haan Laddoo..."
"Aapke liye..." she said cutely.
"Aap kholke nayi dekhoge Laddoo ?..." she innocently questioned.
Shaurya, who was completely speechless and in shock, felt compelled to accept the card his Princess was so benevolently giving him. He couldn't refuse her request to open the card.
He gently took it from her hold and gulped, keen to see what was on the inside.
Mimi waited eagerly for her Laddoo to open the folded page.
Shaurya's trembling fingers did their work, and with each passing second, his heart beat rose for unknown reasons. He didn't even know why his Princess's Mumma had sent it for him, let alone what was inside.
The moment he read what was written inside, his heart skipped a beat; it was wholly UNEXPECTED.
After deciphering the message's intent and what she wanted to convey through it, his gaze slowly arose from the page, and the next thing he knew, his eyes met hers.
Anokhi, who was standing distantly near the main gate and watching Shona and him, immediately averted her eyes.
Shaurya got to see her, who was standing afar, and looking away upon meeting his eyes.
"Laddoo..." Mimi's ecstatic voice jolted him out of his trance.
"Aapne meli Mumma ki madad ki thi naa... Ichhliye Mumma ne aapke liye ye bnaaya Laddoo..."
"Aapko achcha laga ?..." she asked joyously.
With eyes that were somewhat moist, he turned to face his Princess and struggled to force a smile onto his face; all he could do was nod his head yes.
What else could he say after seeing the card, which contained something he least expected from her...
Mimi was overjoyed to see her Laddoo pleased by the gift card sent by her Mumma. She extended the rose again, as he hadn't yet taken it.
"Laddoo..."
"Yeh loje bhi aapke liye hain... Meli aul meli Mumma ki talaf chhe..." she said adorably.
Shaurya's shaking hand reached out to ACCEPT it, a subtle smile still on his face... After all, how could he say NO to something given to him by his Princess...
"Laddoo..."
"Abhi Mumma mela intejaal kal lahi haina... Ichhliye muje jaana hoga..."
"Main aap chhe fil milungi..."
"Abhi ke liye... Ta – Ta..." she waved goodbye in her signature style.
"Ta – Ta Princess..." Shaurya responded in a light-hearted tone.
Giving one last big smile to her Laddoo, Mimi ran towards her Mumma.
Anokhi, who was standing at the main gate, promptly took her baby girl in her arms.
"Mumma... Mumma..." Mimi wrapped her arms around her.
"Laddoo ko vo bohot pachhand aaya..." she said elatedly.
Anokhi caressed her hair and mumbled a small thank you to her Shona. She felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart, as she had been desperately longing for this moment.
"Mumma ab ghal chale ?..." Mimi asked innocently.
Anokhi nodded in response, and turned to walk away, but not before giving him one last look.
Her eyes locked onto his, his eyes locked onto hers; their orbs spoke volumes.
Shaurya could see that her eyes were piercingly clear, revealing the depth of her "sincerity" for the message she had written.
She could see that his eyes had softened a bit; perhaps he had come to understand that what she did was done sincerely.
She turned her eyes away, having satisfied her heart with the "last" glimpse of him for the day, and then walked away.
Shaurya stood there motionless, staring at her disappearing figure in a daze.
When she was completely out of sight, he lowered his eyes to the page and felt his heart grow tranquil as his eyes took it all in.
A mere "thank you", but it was enough to soothe the WOUND in his heart caused by her words this morning...
And a rose, which was only "complementary", yet caused his heart to flutter with a STRANGE FEELING...
How was it ?
Do tell me in comments 😊