Here's the 88th chapter.
Enjoy reading.
Anokhi, Raja, and Mimi arrived home.
On the way, she asked her Veer ji about his unexpected visit, and he told her that he hadn't informed her beforehand because he was planning to surprise her, but he himself received a huge shock upon arrival that she had been injured in the riots. He went on to say that he had taken a few days off work as he wanted to meet her and his Gulab - Jaamun. He would be returning in a few days.
Anokhi felt happy that he would be with her for a few days and that he had taken leave from the office to come here and see if she and her daughter were having any trouble adjusting to their new home in these months.
After the trio arrived home, they ate their dinner, which they had bought from a shop on the way. Raja had purchased some chapattis with sabji from a nearby Dhaaba so that his sister wouldn't have to do any work.
After they were done with dinner, and everyone was about to go to bed, Anokhi received phone calls from her friends Reema and Betty asking how she was doing and inquiring about her health, and she informed them of her discharge. She hung up the phone soon after, and everyone had fallen asleep, with her on the bed with Shona and Raja on the mattress on the floor.
The sleeping form of her Veer ji on the floor was visible to her in the moonlight. He had to sleep on the floor, and she felt bad about it, but she was helpless as the bed wasn't big enough to fit all of them.
She had repeatedly insisted that he and Mimi sleep on the bed, and she would sleep on the floor, but her Veer Ji was adamantly opposed to it. He said that he had no problem with sleeping on the floor, and that there should be no more talk about it. In the end, she had to give up, and like always, had to agree to him.
A small smile formed on her lips as she acknowledged that her Veer ji had changed a lot which had only strengthened their bond.
She remembered how terrified he was when he found out she had been injured; how he paid for her hospitalization; how he bought night meals from Dhaaba so she wouldn't have to cook; how he didn't let her sleep on the floor; how he made her eat medicine before going to sleep; all of this warmed her heart.
This made her feel very light-hearted, as her Veer Ji had come a long way from his "old" self.
As she was contemplating these things, her thoughts instinctively went back to the moment she was about to leave the hospital after her Veer ji completed the discharge procedure.
She was making her way towards the main gate to leave the hospital with Mimi and her Veer Ji, clutching the torn paper in her fist.
Her eyes were only looking for one person all the way from her ward to the reception area, and that was HIM.
She only hoped that he might still be in the hospital so that she could convey her "message".
She had only just entered the gate area when her gaze was drawn to the person she was desperate to see.
She saw him near the reception area, and on getting to see him, her mind was occupied with one and only one thought, and that was, she couldn't miss the opportunity to give him that "torn" page.
Seeing this as a huge opportunity to do what she wanted, she immediately turned to her Veer ji and excused herself by saying she had forgotten her handkerchief in the ward, and told him to wait outside, and she would be there in a few minutes.
After sending her Veer Ji out, she started to worry that if she went to Shaurya Sir and gave him the page, he might not accept it or that things wouldn't go the way she wanted them to.
At that moment, all she could think about was giving the torn page to her Shona and asking her to give it to her Laddoo as a "token of gratitude" for helping her.
The very next second, she looked down at Mimi and asked her to look in that particular direction. Her Shona became happy when she spotted her Laddoo and wanted to say goodbye to him before leaving the hospital.
Anokhi didn't waste any time and handed the page to her Shona, explaining that she made it for her Laddoo as a "thank you" for helping her.
When Mimi saw the card she had made for her Laddoo, she became extremely happy and excited and told her that she would definitely give it to him. She was about to run away with the page in her hand, when the flower stand on the way caught her eye. Seeing it, a desire arose in her to gift one of the flowers from them along with the card to her Laddoo.
Turning around, Mimi asked her if she could take the flower and give it to her Laddoo because she so wanted to.
Anokhi couldn't say no when she saw her Shona requesting so sweetly. She then moved forward and took a flower out of the vase.
It contained various kinds of flowers, but because she was in a hurry, she didn't notice which flower she was taking out, and she gave it to her Shona, who then ran happily towards him with the card and flower in her hands.
She then took a position near the main gate to watch the unfolding scene of her Shona reaching him with her "message".
She saw how Mimi happily handed him the card she had made, and how, after reading it, his eyes landed straight on her, prompting her to look away.
She knew he was shocked to read it; after all, how could he expect it after the way she'd slammed him for saving her by "chance"...
With a racing heart, she stood there, trying to read his expression and figure out what he might be thinking as she stole glances at the scene in front of her.
She then noticed Shona extending the flower to her, which he accepted with a subtle smile. It was then she realized that it was a ROSE she had sent for him.
Her heart skipped a beat upon this realization for no apparent reason, but she quickly shrugged it off, reasoning that she hadn't sent the rose for him on purpose and that it was her Shona who wanted to give it to him, and she was in such a hurry that she didn't even notice what flower it was.
The next thing she knew, Shona was walking back to her with a smile on her face, who then told her that her Laddoo liked everything she sent for him.
Hearing it, she heaved a sigh of huge relief that she could finally get that message to him.
Before turning back, she caught one last glimpse of him for the day.
The softness in his eyes made her believe that perhaps he had realised what she did wasn't a "formality" but rather something she did "sincerely".
After having satisfied herself with the brief sight of him, she turned around and left...
Returning to the present, Anokhi found herself at peace, knowing that at the end of the day, she had succeeded in conveying her profound thanks to him.
Her eyes were now on the verge of drooping in deep sleep after much thought about the events of the day.
Pulling the bedsheet over her Shona, she caressed her hair one last time before closing her eyes and falling into a deep slumber...
It was the next morning, and people had started off with their usual routine.
Anokhi had reached college. Despite her Veer Ji's repeated sayings to take the day off and rest, she refused because she couldn't afford to miss another day of college.
She needed to come to college not only for her attendance but also to physically attend the lectures, which are undoubtedly crucial for any student.
After much effort, she was able to persuade her Veer ji, but he put forth a condition on her that he would come to pick her up after college was over. She eventually had to agree to it.
She had brought Mimi with her, despite the fact that she could have left her with her Veer Ji, because her baby girl wanted to come with her, as it had become her habit.
After leaving Mimi in the canteen, she went to her class.
Upon reaching there, she found Kitty, Bebo, and Reema already present, who then gave her a good piece of hearing for not taking a leave when they had strongly advised her the previous night to rest and look after her health.
She then struggled to persuade her friends that she was fine now, and that she needed to come to college because mid-semester exams were approaching, and she couldn't afford to miss the classes or the Professors' lectures, which were extremely important for her to grasp the concepts.
She was finally able to convince her friends who were upset with her for not listening to them, albeit with great difficulty.
One by one, students started to show up, and soon the class was full.
The first lecture began at this time.
Shaurya entered the classroom and was greeted by the entire class. He returned their greetings and reached up to the table, placing the book he was holding there.
As soon as he turned to face the class to begin with the lecture, his eyes naturally landed on one person, and that was none other than her. His brows furrowed upon seeing her because he hadn't expected her to be in class today.
Anokhi grew conscious as she noticed him looking at her. To turn her gaze elsewhere, she quickly looked down at her notebook.
"Aaj college aane ki zaroorat kya thi..."
"Ghar pe rehkar aaraam bhi toh kar sakti thi..." Shaurya murmured to himself.
He had been wondering about her ever since he woke up in the morning, worried about her health, and now he became annoyed as to why she came to college today when she could have taken the day off with no negative consequences.
He didn't know why he was concerned about her, but now that she had already arrived, there was nothing he could do but accept the situation as it was.
Putting aside his thoughts about her, he began the lecture, and the entire class became engrossed in it...
The lectures prior to the break had concluded, and it was now time for the break.
Shaurya, as usual, was going to resume his old routine of going to the cafeteria during this break time, reasoning that since he had already seen Anokhi in the morning, it meant his Princess would have come as well.
After completing his work in his cabin, he headed towards the cafeteria.
He was going to meet his princess, but all the way, he kept thinking about his Princess's Mumma.
He kept thinking she would be in the canteen because the break was still going on, which meant he'd have to face her.
The "wounds" she had caused him with her harsh words hadn't yet fully healed, and he was still processing all that had happened the day before in the hospital.
From her "berating" him to giving him a page expressing her "gratitude" to him, everything that happened one after another without him being aware of how one event led to the next had muddled up his head.
Though the "thank you" note she sent through his Princess's hands had helped to soothe the wounds, he was still hurt as to why she was so "distrustful" of him that she believed he would abandon her in a life-threatening situation to DIE.
He was HURT because she didn't have this much FAITH in him that he could NEVER, nor would EVER, do this.
Anyways, he had forgotten about her hurtful words long ago, or rather, had buried them deep within himself to keep himself side-tracked from them.
Lost in thought, he was almost at the canteen and was about to enter when someone emerged from the door while talking on the phone.
"Jee ACP Ahir..."
"Main bilkul theek hoon... Mimi bhi theek hain..."
"Mujhe toh kal shaam ko hi discharge mil gaya tha..."
He saw Anokhi walking out with her phone pressed to her ear, so engrossed in the call that she didn't even notice him.
"Aastha Mam ko aaj release milega..."
Forgetting that he was there for another purpose, he stood there and continued to listen in on their conversation.
"Main toh abhi college mein hoon ACP Ahir..."
"Asal mein vo exams aane vale haina... Isiliye main absent nhi hona chaahti thi..."
"Aap theek hai naa ?..."
Shaurya could hear everything from behind. The way she was talking made it clear how frank she was with that ACP but not with him.
She went over every detail with that ACP, telling him how she and her daughter were doing, when her Aastha Mam would be discharged, and why she had come to college despite the fact that she was still recovering; everything gave the impression that that ACP was a "well-known" person to her. This bothered him.
"Haan ji..."
"Aap bilkul chinta mat keejiye... Main apna achche se dhyaan rakh rhi hoon..."
"Aur vaise bhi... Mere Veer Ji bhi aaye hue hain... Vo mujhe koi kaam karne hi nhi dete..." she let out a small chuckle.
Shaurya was getting irked as their conversation dragged on.
"Inki baatein toh suno..." he mumbled angrily.
"Itni khulkar baatein kar rhi hain jaise vo ACP uski koi padhosan hain..."
He felt uneasy because she was speaking to Ahir so nicely, something she never did with him.
"Aur yeh ACP..." his face twitched in annoyance, "Koi kaam nhi hota is inspector ke paas..."
"Jab dekho bas Anokhi ji, Anokhi ji karta firta hain..." he grumbled to himself.
What made him feel insecure and bitter towards Ahir was the fact that she wasn't as open with him as she was with ACP.
He wondered why she wasn't as friendly and easy-going with him as she was with Ahir.
He saw that she was still over phone call, which fuelled his rage, and he quickly left to meet his Princess rather than waste any more time listening to the annoying conversation.
"ACP Ahir..."
"Us din ke baad se aapse mulaakat nhi ho paayi... Isliye main aapko thank you bhi nhi bol paayi..."
"Aapka bohot – bohot shukriya meri Aastha Mam ko dhoondne ke liye aur meri madad karne ke liye..."
"Arre Anokhi Ji..."
"Shukriya mera nhi balki Professor Sahab ka keejiye... Aakhir unhone apni jaan jokhim mein daalkar aapko bachaaya..."
"Maine aur meri team ne toh bas apni duty nibhaayi..." Ahir said courteously.
Anokhi couldn't utter anything listening to this. Her own harsh treatment of him was brought to mind by what ACP Ahir said, which caused her guilt to return.
"Theek hain toh Anokhi Ji... Abhi main phone rakhta hoon..."
"Take care..." he said modestly.
"Jee ACP Ahir..." Bidding her good bye, she hung up the call.
After her conversation with ACP Ahir, she was reminded of the day before and her own unkind behavior towards him. She was still unclear whether his anger towards her had subsided or not after the thank you note she gave him; all she could recall were the "soft eyes" she had last seen him with yesterday.
She wanted to apologize to him in person rather than just leaving the note, but was sceptical of this idea given how rigid he was.
She could have personally approached him and handed him the thank you note, but she didn't, or rather, couldn't muster the courage because she was afraid it would go wrong, making things worse. This was why she had to complete the task with the help of her daughter at that time.
Even though she had already thanked him in the note, she was still not satisfied, and was dubious about whether she should talk to him to clear the matter up.
Finally, shrugging off the perplexing thoughts that were interfering with her peace, she decided to let things be and go with the flow.
Her gaze was drawn to her wrist watch, where she saw the time and realised the break was approaching its end, and she needed to go inside the canteen to finish her remaining work.
She had come out because ACP Ahir's voice wasn't clear due to network issues, and now that her call was over, she headed inside.
She had left her daughter inside under the supervision of Pammi Aunty, and as she stepped inside to see what her baby girl was doing, she was surprised to see the scene in front of her.
"Yeh dekho Laddoo..."
"Yeh lainbow (rainbow) haina... Yaha pal chhab chhe pehle led (red) kalal (color) kalte hain..." Mimi rubbed the red crayon over to the page.
Anokhi saw him kneeling in front of Shona's chair, intently watching what her baby girl was doing in the coloring book she had brought for her to keep her occupied.
Her heart melted as she saw how "attentively" he was listening to her Shona, who was teaching him how to color a rainbow using the VIBGYOR acronym she had taught her.
"Mumma..." Mimi's voice broke her trance as she was lost in soaking up the sweetness of the view.
Shaurya turned around as soon as he heard his Princess call her Mumma, only to find her standing on the doorstep, staring at him.
He looked away as he stood up from his kneeling position.
"Mumma..."
"Aap aa gaye..." Mimi smiled as she put the crayons in the plastic container and closed the coloring book.
She rose from her chair, and before her momma could reach out to hold her, her Laddoo took her in his gentle grip, picked her up, and placed her down.
Anokhi's heart was warmed yet again by the scene.
After her feet touched the ground, Mimi approached her Mumma.
"Mumma... Mumma..."
"Laddoo muje lene aaye the..."
"Main jaaun unke chhaath ?..." she innocently inquired.
She and her Laddoo were waiting for her Mumma to arrive, and only then would they leave with her permission.
Anokhi nodded yes with a small smile to her daughter, who was eagerly awaiting her approval.
"Jaao Shona..." she spoke while stroking her hair.
Mimi became happy, and she turned to her Laddoo, who was behind her, and walked to him.
"Chalo Laddoo... Ab main aapke chhaath aapke ghal jaaungi..." she said excitedly.
Shaurya gave her a subtle smile and took her hand in his to go. He avoided looking at her Mumma though.
"Ta – Ta Mumma..." Mimi waved at her.
Anokhi waved in return, and the next thing she knew, she was watching her baby girl walking away with him while he didn't even look at her for once.
She didn't know why, but she felt as if he was ignoring her or was angry with her. This bothered her, and she didn't know why.
She didn't know if he was still upset with her after yesterday's incident, and she didn't know what to do either.
She soon realized she had spent far too much time lost in her thoughts and that her work was still incomplete. She brushed aside her thoughts about him and focused on her canteen work, becoming engrossed in it...
"Wow Laddooooo !!..."
"Aapne mela naam likha..."
"M-I-M-I..." she pronounced her own name cutely.
Shaurya grinned at her as his heart softened at the sight of his Princess, who was overjoyed simply because he had written her name down in his diary.
His mood lifted as a result, now that he would be spending his time with his Princess. Another source of joy today was that earlier, he used to make her sit on his desk in front of him, but today was different.
Following everything that had transpired over the previous few days, his bond with his Princess had deepened, as had his level of comfort with her. This was why, as he was about to make her sit on the desk upon arriving at his cabin, he thought, why not make his Princess sit closer to himself so that he could keep her surrounded by his affection.
After the agonizing moments of seeing her cry, all he wished for was for his Princess to always be safe and happy whenever he was with her, and for not a single tear to fall from her eye. This was why he made his Princess sit on his lap, close to him, which had filled his heart with joy.
Mimi was thrilled about getting to sit on her Laddoo's lap, as it made her feel even more loved than before. She was enjoying her time with him.
"Laddoo..."
"Aapne mela naam likha..."
"Main aapka naam likh chhakti hoon ?..." As she had been taught by her Momma as part of good manners to always ask permission before using other people's stuff, she did so.
"Bilkul Princess..."
"Aap mera naam likho... Main bhi dekhunga..." he said happily.
He handed her the pen, which she held in her tiny fingers.
"Aap aankhein band kalo Laddoo... Main aapko chhalplije doongi..." she said elatedly.
Shaurya became curious about what his Princess would do, but he chose to close his eyes and wait.
Keeping his eyes closed and protectively holding his Princess in his lap, he waited for her to let him open his eyes.
Mimi kept writing something on the page with extra attention to write without mistakes.
"Princess..."
"Ho gaya ?..."
"Ab main aankhein kholu ?..." He was running out of patience like an excited kid.
"Haan Laddoo..." He heard the sweet voice the next second.
"Ab aap apni aankhein khol chhakte ho..." Mimi said, cutely putting down the pen.
She was looking forward to her Laddoo opening his eyes and reading what she had written.
Shaurya opened his eyes with a smile, and he focused them on the diary to see what his Princess had done. Then, as soon as his eyes landed on the page, he froze all of a sudden.
For some reason, what he saw took him aback and ended up causing his heart to flinch a beat.
The page at the top of which was written "Mimi" by him, now had two more names below it, and was decorated with hearts.
He was in a daze when his Princess's voice broke his trance.
"Aapko kaichha lga Laddoo ?..." Mimi inquired, delightedly.
Shaurya was startled out of his reverie when his Princess asked him a question, and all he could do was put on a smile.
"Achcha hain Princess..."
"Bohot achcha hain..." he said, smiling.
She had written it with great love, care, and precision, and it was all that mattered to him, regardless of whose name it was.
He knew his Princess's Mumma was an "integral" part of her, and thus everything she did often ended up relating to her Mumma.
Mimi was extremely happy because her Laddoo seemed to like it. Her Momma was the only other person in her head at that precise moment when she was going to write his name, so she also wrote hers. She was glad he liked it.
Shaurya let his Princess sit on his lap, and he turned his attention towards his work. He didn't want to move her because having his Princess close to himself brought him so much peace and joy.
While Mimi continued to scribble in his diary, he kept working on the laptop, both of them finding warmth in each other's presence.
They were both unaware that all of this was being observed by someone. With wide eyes open, Alok was watching the scene inside.
He had come to talk with Shaurya about a college event, but when he arrived, he was met with a major shock in the form of the scene he had been watching for the past ten minutes.
He couldn't believe Shaurya had brought that little girl not only to their house but also to his own cabin.
He had only the vague impression that Shaurya had first met the girl during the riot incident when he had to take her to Sabharwal Mansion because her mother was unconscious. However, based on what he saw a few seconds ago, not only he, but anyone else could tell that they had known each other for quite some time.
He glanced inside once more in shock, stunned to see the girl sitting on Shaurya's lap.
The sight of Shaurya sitting with a little girl on his lap, all smiles, was something no one could have imagined.
The two's ease with one another was clearly discernible in front of his eyes, and it made him suspicious that it meant Shaurya knew that little girl for many days... But how ?
How did Shaurya get to know and be so nice to that little girl whose mother he strongly disliked ?... Alok couldn't get the question out of his head, and he knew exactly what he had to do next.
The only thing in his mind now was to report the matter to Parjai Ji as soon as possible. He decided that as soon as he reached home, he would inform her of this BREAKING NEWS...
The college was over, and Anokhi and her friends were walking towards the canteen to pick up Mimi after checking the notice board, where they learned about a major event that would take place the following week at their college.
"Anokhi... Kitne dino baad college mein event organize hone jaa rha hain !!..." Reema exclaimed joyfully.
"Aur pta hain... Yeh food fest humaare college mein har saal organize hota hain... Aur India ke alag - alag cuisines pesh kiye jaate hain..." Bebo was enthusiastic.
"Main toh bohot excited hoon kyunki har ek team ko naa regional food ke options diye jaate hain... Aur uske baad unke preference ke according culinary skills ki basic knowledge ke liye ethnic restaurant le jaaya jaata hain..." Kitty joined in to express her glee.
"Iska matlab hum bhi jaayenge restaurant ??..." Reema exclaimed.
"Of course..." Bebo responded with a smile.
Anokhi chuckled as she saw her friends leap for joy.
Since she was also fond of cooking, she decided that she would also take part in it, and thus she too was excited like her friends.
She went to the canteen with her friends. There, she found her baby girl was already present, and another person was also present, as she had expected.
Shaurya turned around from the window where he was standing next to his Princess, killing time by gazing outside, when he realized that his Princess's Mumma had arrived to pick her up. He had come to drop off his Princess and was waiting for Anokhi since then.
When Kitty and Bebo saw their Shaurya Bhaiaya, they were taken aback by what he was doing there, but later they surmised that perhaps he had come to meet Mimi, like they had.
"Mimiiiiiii !!..." Reema dashed towards the munchkin, having missed her.
"Chikki Mauchhiiiii !!..." Mimi ran up to her and jumped into her arms.
Everyone in the room, including Pammi Aunty, smiled as they saw the happy baby girl.
"Kaisi hai meri Mimi..." Reema gave her a cheek kiss.
"Main theek hoon..." Mimi replied cutely.
Kitty and Bebo soon joined Reema and spoke to Mimi for a short while about how she was doing and other such things.
Anokhi and Shaurya stole a few glances throughout, but neither spoke.
Soon after, Reema handed Mimi over to Anokhi, and she took her daughter in her arms.
"Main aap chhab chhe kal dobaala milungi..."
"Ta – Ta..." Mimi said her final goodbyes.
"Ta – Taaaaa..." Anokhi's friends waved back, while Shaurya only gave his Princess a slight smile.
Anokhi turned around to leave after giving her friends one last smile, but not before one last look at him. This time, however, she could clearly see he averted his gaze as soon as she caught sight of him, making it clear that he was trying to avoid her. This reminded her of the time she felt the same way at the canteen when he left with her Shona without giving her a moment's notice.
She concluded that all this was possibly the "aftermath" of her inconsiderate behavior towards him the day before.
She felt sad, but knowing that she could no longer do anything in this situation, she had to walk away.
"Good afternoon Sir..." Reema greeted Shaurya as she was about to leave as well.
"Good afternoon..." he greeted back.
"Bye Bhaiya... Hum bhi jaa rhe hain..." Bebo spoke up.
"Bye..."
"Dhyaan se jaana..." he said to them.
The trio soon left, and Shaurya returned to his cabin...
Anokhi had returned home with her Veer Ji, who had gone to pick her up, and upon reaching home, she was greeted with a surprise.
When she went into the kitchen to cook lunch after freshening up, she discovered that everything was already prepared. She was surprised to see it, and she realized right away that her Veer ji had cooked those items before leaving to pick her up.
She was astonished to see that her Veer Ji had prepared her favorite Bhindi sabji with rice, which her Shona also relished. Later, Raja told her that he had cooked it with whatever ingredients were available in the kitchen while watching YouTube videos.
It was a simple dish, but the love her Veer Ji had put into it had made it taste so good and warmed her heart, that it even reminded her of her Mumma.
Mimi was also overjoyed to eat the food that her Momo had prepared.
Raja was relieved to learn that his first attempt had turned out to be not so bad in taste, which he hadn't expected. Nonetheless, the trio ate their meals, which were followed by chit-chat...
...
Evening had shown up, and Mimi and her Momo were both napping.
Anokhi had finished her college work and now she had to go somewhere.
She had called her Aastha Mam to inquire about her discharge and learned that she had already arrived at her rental apartment. She wanted to pay her a visit to see how she was doing.
She warmed two glasses of milk for her Veer Ji and Shona as an evening snack. She put them in place, covered them with the lid, and then went to get dressed.
After getting ready, she woke up her Veer Ji and let him know that she was going to meet Aastha Mam.
Raja insisted that he accompany her, but she politely declined, saying that there was no need, and that she would be back in an hour. Her Veer Ji eventually agreed, and then she left.
While riding in the auto, she was preoccupied with thinking that her Aastha Mam was alone at her apartment. She was worried about how she was going to handle everything on her own.
At one point, she even went on thinking, "Didn't Shaan Sir even once ask her Aastha Mam that he would stay with her ?... He so easily let his wife be alone in that condition..."
She knew she had no right to think about it or interfere in their dispute; it was only her concern for her Mam that was causing her to think this way. Furthermore, she was well aware that she would be unable to persuade her Mam to stay with her in her PG, and thus she reasoned that the only way to ensure her Aastha Mam's safety would be if she stayed with someone, such as Shaan Sir, who was after all her husband.
However, she shrugged her thoughts and resolved to tell her Aastha Mam to come stay with her, which she knew she would undoubtedly refuse, but she was going to insist anyway.
She soon arrived at her apartment and got out of the auto. After paying the fare, she got inside the gate.
She rang the doorbell, and a few minutes later, the door opened to reveal her Aastha Mam limping. She immediately took her hand in hers and led her to the couch, closing the door behind her.
Aastha assured her that she was perfectly fine and that she didn't need to tense up for her, but Anokhi was adamant, and told her not to move and should just sit there. She took a seat beside her Mam and then inquired about her health and if she had taken her medications.
She wanted to ask her about Shaan Sir as well, such as whether he came to drop her off at the apartment and if he agreed to let her stay alone so seamlessly, but she refrained from doing so, because she knew she had no right to interfere. She soon asked her Mam to stay with her.
"Aastha Mam..."
"Aap kuch dino ke liye mere PG mein kyun nhi aa jaati..."
"Akele kaise manage karoge aap..." she said in a persuasive tone.
Aastha's face went cold when she heard what Anokhi said. She fell silent and was mulling over what to do next, how to respond to Anokhi.
"Kya hua Aastha Mam ?..." Anokhi inquired, concerned. She was perplexed to see her Aastha Mam lost in deep thought, as if she was stressed about something.
"Anokhi..."
"Beta..." Aastha finally spoke up, her voice low.
"Meri flight kal ki hain..."
"Mujhe kal hi lautna hoga..."
Anokhi looked at her, shocked.
She had lost track of it amid all of the chaos.
She now remembered that today was supposed to be Aastha Mam's last day as a guest lecturer at the institute to which she had been invited. That meant she'd be back the next day ??... But she won't let her Mam go back in with the injury.
"Aastha Mam..."
"Aap kal vaapas lautne ki baat kar rhi hain ??... Vo bhi is haalat mein ??..." she was totally unprepared for this.
"Toh aur kya karu Anokhi ?..." Aastha looked at her.
"Tum shaayad bhool rhi ho ki main yaha kisi kaam se aayi thi... Aur vo kaam bohot pehle hi poora ho chuka hain..."
Although Anokhi understood what she was referring to, she persisted in saying, "Lekin Aastha Mam."
"Main aapko is haalat mein vaapas jaane nhi dene vaali..."
"Doctor ne kaha tha naa ki aapko kam se kam ek mahine tak bed rest par rehna hain..." she emphasized.
Aastha fell silent again, not knowing what to say next. She began to consider how long she would stay in Delhi, as her parents were there in Kapurthala, but she didn't want to let them know about her injury either.
She then decided to approach the management of the coaching institute where she had been teaching as a guest lecturer and ask if she could get another opportunity for a few more days.
"Anokhi..." She finally spoke up.
"Main jaanti hoon beta... Tum mujhe abhi jaane dena nhi chaahti..."
"Lekin kabhi naa kabhi toh mujhe vaapas jaana hoga naa beta..." she said calmly.
"Vo mujhe nhi pta Mam... Main bas itna jaanti hoon ki main aapko abhi kahi bhi nhi jaane dene vaali..." Anokhi was steadfast.
Heaving a defeated sight, Aastha spoke up, "Anokhi..."
"Main jis institute mein yaha guest lecturer banke aayi thi... Pehle mujhe vha inform karna hoga apni condition ke baare mein kyunki aaj last lecture tha... Aur main vo dene nhi jaa saki..."
"Vo jo kahenge uske baad hi aage ka kuch decide ho paayega beta..."
"Isliye main abhi sure hokar kuch nhi keh sakti ki yaha kitne din rahungi ..." she explained to her.
"Theek hain Aastha Mam..."
"Aap pehle apne institute mein baat kar leejiye... Fir aap mujhe btaana ki unhone kya kaha..."
"Abhi aap in sab baaton ko chodiye... Aur bas apne oopar dhyaan deejiye... Zyaada stress nhi lena aapko..." she said to her Mam, trying to avoid the discussion about her return.
Aastha knew Anokhi was worried about her, and she wasn't in the mood to hear anything about her returning to Kapurthala, which was why she brushed the conversation aside.
She herself had no idea whether she would have to stay for a few more days or return soon.
Putting these thoughts aside, she turned her attention to her student and began talking about her day, college, and so on.
Little did she know that what lay ahead for her would put her in a tricky situation...
How was it ?
Do tell me in comments 😊