Life has never been fair with anyone. In all these years of your existence, atleast once, you must have compared your life with a billionaire's, a celebrity's, or anyone who has an upper hand in things you desire...
How easy it is for us to judge people's life only on the basis of what we've seen or wanted to see, like, look that particular person have all the luxuries -name, fame, power, money everything!! how happening his life must've been... but we often forget to look what goes on behind the screens.
A 29 year old, young, dynamic, only heir of one of the leading production house of Indian film industry, and a renowned Director, The Shaurya Sabherwal, standing here, in the balcony of this 1 BHK flat with a bruised hand, broken heart and a mug of black coffee, gazing blankly at the dark sky...
Happening life? Hell yeah!!
-
"Shaurya" keeping my hand on his shoulder, i tried comforting him, he heaved a sigh
"Look there", pointing at something in the sky, "what do you see?" He asked me
"It's dark... dense clouds covering the moon and the all stars" he himself answered
"Just like my childhood... maybe..., I was kept in dark..., her sudden departure marked the entrance of these dark clouds, taking away all the happiness, stars n moons from my life, without giving me a prior warning... the reason... The reason why she abandoned me?"
"Was I not worthy enough to be called as her son? What did I do to not deserve her love?"
With each passing question he removed the mask that he had put on his heart, i could see the cracks through his eyes and could listen the breaking noise through his voice, freeing himself from all the chains, today he decided to let out his pain...
"25 years Anokhi! She didn't showed up even once!! Didn't i deserved to know the reason why she left me? Whatever happened in her past... at any point... was me at fault?
Those blood shot eyes, filled with tears.. threw daggers to my heart
"If I wasn't bad"
"If I deserved her love"
"If I wasn't at fault"
"Then why she left me alone !!?"
"WHY !!?"
Gazing in my eyes, he tried finding answers but hopelessness was all he could decipher...
"Iska matlab to yahi hua na Anokhi ki vo kbhi ek achi maa thi hi nhi..."
"Shaurya"
Unanswered questions, unheard pleas, gloomy thoughts and he was drowning deep
I wanted to hold him, pull him and see him heal
"No Anokhi.. today... don't stop me please"
Volcano of his hidden pain was bound to erupt today...
"Jb unka apne 4 saal ke bete ko chhodkr jana galat nhi tha to mera unse nafrat karna galat kyuu?"
"Bolo... Jawab do mujhe"
I couldn't do anything but see him breaking, his each shedding tear, kept my heart piercing
"All my childhood I've yearned for her..
For once... atleast for once.. come to your son and hold him... more than anything he needed you!! Just YOU! Your Presence..."
That last string holding his pain was too now broken, falling on the swing chair, he cried, cried and cried
I hugged him, consoled him by stroking his back, till his sobs turned to silent whimper, he composed himself... holding his hands i kneeled down to match his height...
"Par kb tak mai khud ko takleef deta Anokhi... Unke lautne ke intezar m ye tadap kb nafrat m bdal gyi... Pta hi nhi lga..."
"Aaj unhe dekhta hu na to unke sath bitaye hue un 4 saalo ki dhundhli yaadein mere samne aati h... Jin yaadon ne mera bachpan kharab kiya... Unhe Jana hi tha to vo yaadein bhi apne sath le jati... Shayd meri zindagi thodi hi sahi, par aasan ho jati..."
Rubbing his knuckles with guilt in my eyes-
"Mujhe pta nhi tha aapko itni takleef-"
"Kese pta hoga... Maine aajtk kisiko btaya hi nhi" and he smiled, the most breaking smile of pain
I wish he had someone with whom he could atleast share his pain but, I know, the kind of person he's, he would prefer to die instead of sharing his sufferings
-
Engulfing him in a comforter I took him to the bed, he put his head on my lap and crawled to me as a kid goes to his mum
Tucking him properly in the comforter, i caressed his head, he still had slight fever but I know he'll be okay...
"Shaurya" he hummed in response
"I know till tomorrow morning, you'll again act normal, like nothing happened, but I want you to know all the answers... from the right person... And you know who it is..."
"Ye gussa ye nafrat aap jitni der apne andar rakhenge vo utna hi nuksan aapko pohochaega..."
"Aapke pass mauka h Shaurya... Bhale hi aapki maa aapke pass na ho pr aap unhe dekh skte ho, sun skte ho... Mere maa papa to bachpan m hi..." A lone tear escaped my eye, remembering that night which changed my life, he clutched my hand to stop me cry
"Papa ke na hone ki kami to papaji ne puri kr di... Pr maa..." I chocked
"Pyar na shi pr aap is nafrat ko to bhula skte h na Shaurya..."
His tears fell on my hand, i rubbed his arm to provide him warmth, sharing pain, being each other's healer, soon we two fell asleep....
-----
Next Morning
I moved a little in sleep, and felt sharp pain in my neck which broke my sleep, opening my eyes i realised where I was, with my love, with my home, with my Anokhi
I woke up and a smile naturally crept onto my lips, how calm she looks while she's asleep, gave a peck on her forehead and laid her in a comfortable position on bed...
Last night I opened up my heart in front of her cause I knew she is the only one who can handle
Afterall she's my healer...
We decided to spend the weekend together but I haven't been home since yesterday afternoon, Kanchan knew about my whereabouts she must have handled but still i need to be there... Badi maa must be worried... Not to disrupt her beautiful sleep i left a note there...
-
She woke up but didn't find Shaurya in the room, not anywhere in the house, checked her phone, there on the table she found a note...
"Koi sote hue, itna khoobsurat kese lag skta h
Tumhe jagane ka dil nhi kiya isliye bina batae chla gya
Thanks for yesterday❤️"
She smiled reading his note and took her phone to call him
"Aastha mam ke itne calls aur messages...." She facepalmed herself
"Mai to unhe reply karna hi bhool gyi thi kl"
Called her but she didn't receive, so she messaged that, they both are fine
Message from Shaan sir!
An Invitation Card
Join us to celebrate
Shaurya Sabherwal's
Birthday
Tomorrow evening
7 PM
Noooo!!! Nikki tu kese bhool gyi!!!
Kl to Shaurya ka birthday h!!
Na koi arrangement no koi gift !!
Kuch to soch Nikki!
It's his birthday and it has to be special...
Pr vo to apni family ke sath... Mai kese kuch krungi...
.
.
.
.
Idea 💡
-----
"Na koi call na koi message... Naaraz to nhi h mujhse..." 11.30 in the night Shaurya was tossing on his bed... Whole day he didn't got time to contact her, but she also didn't call...
"I guess she's planning something for me..." He smiled with twinkle in his eyes
"Tomorrow is my birthday afterall... Don't know why I'm excited this year maybe because of her..."
I switched off the lights of my room so that no one could disturb me when she calls...
"12 bje call to kregi na..? Offcourse she will..."
The clock struck 12 i picked my phone, notifications started popping but I waited for that one notification, that one call from her...
12:05
12:15
12:30
"Use pta to hoga na?... Hn dad bol rhe the unhone Anokhi ko invite bheja h...
.
.
Vo thik to h na...?"
.
.
.
.
"Finally!!" He got relieved to see notification from her
Anokhi Bhalla just added to their story
"Maybe she wished me through her story..." He thought, without wasting a second he clicked the notification.. but.. to his disappointment.. It was a meme... She shared a meme...
"What is she upto!!" He said frustrated
"Ok tumhe nhi Krna wish mat kro!"
"Finee!!"
He huffed, threw his phone on the bed and slept
-
"Happy birthday Shaurya" Anokhi wished looking at his pic...
"I know you must be waiting... But bas thoda intezar aur..."
-----
Morning
Shaurya was not in good mood, he again checked his phone but not even a single message from her!
Everyone in the family wished him, he took the blessings from everyone, replied to his friends on social media, reposted fan edits...
He then came across a pic someone posted, of his 4th birthday..., Where he was with Aastha and Shaan, at Ganesh temple... they used to go there on his every birthday... But after Aastha left he never visited there... but Panditji has always been so kind, every year he did pooja in his name and he himself comes home to give us prashad and blessings of bappa...
Watching that photo he felt restless... Thinking of those days he couldn't stop his tears... Yes he missed her, he missed his mom!
Picking up his car keys he involuntarily drove towards the temple...
-
The surroundings, the walls, that mini park, that bench everything was same, he went inside the temple took blessings of Ganesh, when he heard a familiar voice which was coming from behind the pillars, he went a little close to get a clear view...
"Aaj 30 saal ho gye... Har saal aap Shaurya bete ke liye pooja krati h... Jb Shaurya baba chhote the tbhi aaya krte the yaha..
Kabhi unhe bhi sath laya kariye.."
"Ji Panditji ek din zarur sath laungi use..."
She was saying this from past 26 years..., She knew she might never get her son back but, there is a saying
Never Say Never
Every year she comes to Mumbai, make Shaurya's favourite laddoo early morning and after the Pooja at Ganesh temple, Panditji delivers the prashad to Sabherwals
She always had a hope in her heart that one day She will feed these laddoos to him by her hands...
She wiped her invisible tears
"Bs aap ye prashad Sabherwal House pohocha dijiyega..."
In ladduo ke sath aaj ke din us tak mera pyaar aur aashirwad pohoch jata h... Mere liye utna hi kafi h
She smiled hiding her tears
"Happy birthday Shaurya..." She said putting her hand on the box of laddos...
Handed it to Panditji, took the final blessings from Bappa and proceed to leave
"Arey, Shaurya beta" Panditji called someone
Aastha turned to look behind, where she saw Shaurya, standing near the pillar, with zero emotions on his face... dumbstruck
Panditji gave Prashad box back to Aastha
"Ye lijiye ab aap khud hi khila dijiye" and Panditji left the place
She moved one step ahead
"Shaur-"
He took a step back
She didn't proceed further, forwarded her hands with the open box of prashad
"Happy birthday Shaurya" her voice chocked, after 26 years she was wishing him face to face but he didn't reciprocated anything he was standing emotionless
He turned to leave
"Prashad ko mna nhi krte Shaurya"
He goes to her, looked into her eyes with his piercing gaze, hate, love, Anger, happiness he himself didn't knew what he was feeling in that moment...
Instead of taking one laddoo, he took the whole box with him and walked away
"Bappa tumhari saari manokamnaye puri karein Shaurya... Tum humesha khush raho" That's what her heart could say, seeing his retreating figure
She was happy with the fact that she could wish his son face to face
-----
Shaurya entered the Sabherwal House, Devi noticed a sweet Box in his hand but before she could question him, he stormed towards his room...
"Aaj Shagun ki death anniversary h... Shayd usi vajah se upset hoga..."
-
He slammed the door shut, threw himself on floor, leaning against the bed, took a laddoo from the box and put it in his mouth, it melted just like his emotions... He was crying profusely by now
He ate 3-4 more, sobbing miserably...
"They always tasted like hers, they always smelled like hers, I always felt her around me
It was always her who made these laddoos
She always did Pooja for years at the same place
What does all this mean!! Why is she doing this!!"
"Agar itna hi pyaar tha to chhodkr hi kyu gyi mujhe!!"
He always thought that she hated him, that's why she left, but after what happened today he couldn't think straight
If she hates me then why was she doing this all these years
And if she loves me then why did she left me!!
Jawab chahta hu tujhse mai maa
Agar pyaar tha mujse to uspr haq kyu nhi jatane diya mujhe
Mera dard meri takleef kese nazar na aai tujhe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Precap :
"Hii Shaurya"
"Kisike birthday celebration m aate h to use wish kiya jata h Miss Bhalla"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope y'all liked today's update ❤️
Posted a DeVir OS (Alternate Realities- POOL Date) a few days back, do read if you haven't 🌚💥
Love Divya 💌