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This chap is affectionately dedicated to - VividReader19🖤✨
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"Romanticize life because you can, because it makes everything a little brighter, a little more worth living........................"
With a hue of red on her cheeks and nose, Manjiri met Shreya's questioning gaze as soon as she returned to the lodge and stepped inside their allotted room.
On seeing her puffy eyes, Shreya felt like to ask Manjiri if she was fine. However, she didn't ask. Of course, she was hesitant.
Manjiri wordlessly got rid off her heavy jacket and reached out to retrieve her water bottle from the bag. But when Shreya noticed her unscrewing the lid of the bottle, she simply passed her thermos flask towards her telling,
"If you wish, you can have from this. Water in it is warm."
"Thank you, Didi."
Manjiri meekly nodded with a soft smile. She mentally thought to pinch herself to examine if she was dreaming or did Shreya actually acknowledged her presence at long last.
On the other hand, Shreya contemplated to offer Manjiri any other help. She was about to ask her what was up with her but that's when Sameeksha barged inside the room, closing the door from inside with a loud thud.
"Oops, sorry, this was totally unintentional. Wasn't knowing that it would hit this dramatically."
Sameeksha smiled sheepishly looking at Shreya and Manjiri's so done looks.
"What?... My hands were occupied, so had to close it with my rear part."
Sameeksha stated as she unloaded all the shopping bags, near the place where the other two women stood.
"By the way, Miru, before I forget, you take this from me."
"What is it?"
Manjiri asked scanning the small paper bag in Sameeksha's hand. That bag caught Shreya's attention too.
"How am I supposed to know that? Open it and see."
Sameeksha insisted whereas Manjiri dubiously oscillated her eyes in between the bag and the ladies. Sameeksha sighed and explained.
"Ohho! Why are you providing me such a look? There is no bomb in there. Trust me!
Your own better half asked me to deliver it to you when I was coming here."
Manjiri stared surprised. Just a while back they were together. Couldn't he hand it over to her at then. Was audience really required?
"Now, quickly open and see!"
Sameeksha stressed while Shreya walked towards her bag to fetch out a hand towel from it. Perhaps she guessed it out what was there in the bag.
"Afterwards!"
Manjiri whispered folding the bag. Sameeksha gasped and then remarked crossing her arms.
"Huh? Very nice, girl!
But do remember, sisters before misters. And it's a rule, not an option."
"God, Sam!"
Manjiri rolled her eyes at Sameeksha's dramatic act and then on contemplating a little, finally took out the content contained in that bag in defeat. But before she could even make out of what that thing was, Sameeksha probed touching it.
"It's a scarf! But isn't it his?"
Manjiri closely examined the scarf. That hand knitted scarf had the same combination of light greyish-blue and aqua green colours which she had chosen for him. However, she was very sure that it wasn't his, it was different. At then, it instantly clicked her that it was a matching ladies scarf to his gents one.
Manjiri was about to open her mouth to tell that to Sameeksha, and that's when she heard Shreya enunciating from behind.
"No, it's not his. See it properly!"
"How do you know that, Shreya Bhabhi?"
Sameeksha asked turning around. Manjiri too turned wondering the same.
"Cause I was there when he purchased it for her."
Shreya casually shrugged and marched towards the washroom dangling her hand towel. Once she got inside, Sameeksha immediately turned around and playfully pushed Manjiri's shoulder exclaiming,
"Oh! So he bought a matching scarf for you. Cute enough!"
A blush coloured up Manjiri's cheeks. Nevertheless, she wordlessly urged the other over excited girl to speak softly.
However, Sameeksha being Sameeksha ignored that and pulled up her coat's sleeve a little.
"See! What Dev gifted me?"
"Wow! Are these elephants?"
Manjiri quizzed holding Sameeksha's wrist to properly view the danglers dangling from her shining silver bracelet.
"Yes, they're." Sameeksha replied smiling. She further added, "We both really adore elephants ever since we confessed to each other whilst riding on an elephant together in Jaipur."
"I get it! These two elephants with their trunks entwined in a loving embrace is depicting so many things at the same time. Such a thoughtful present!" Manjiri laid a smooth compliment. Then mimicking Sameeksha's action by playfully pushing the shoulder she added, "Romantic too!"
"Even the presents which you received are thoughtful and romantic too."
Sameeksha retorted wiggling her eyebrows only to receive a confused look from other side.
"You knew about it?"
"That means my guess is absolutely correct!" Sameeksha grinned and then holding the locket of the chain which was encircling Manjiri's neck, she added, "It's kind of easy to guess that he gave it to you otherwise I very well know that you're not at all into neck jewellery."
"This gift has unique benefits, you know?"
Sameeksha quizzed with an analytical eye. To which Manjiri replied, wondering if she really knew.
"Somewhat, perhaps."
"It is a perfect way to help you relax, revive and enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy. The scented oil contained in it controls one's emotions, mood, sleep and memory. It also promotes feelings of calm by reducing anxiety and pain."
When Sameeksha finished speaking, Manjiri pondered hard. Of course she had heard about essential oil diffuser jewelleries, but she didn't really knew about it's benefits. She only took it as an alternative of perfumes up till then.
"Such a therapeutic present he gave you!" Repeating Manjiri's words, Sameeksha added, "Romantic too!"
"The best kind of friendships are fierce lady friendships where you aggressively believe in each other, pray for each other, and think the other deserves the world........................."
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"We're all so desperate to be understood, we forget to be understanding..................."
Next morning, after breakfast, Shaurya pushed open the ajar door to only find his nephew cosily sleeping on the bed. He looked around but none was there.
He turned around to leave the room but that was when he heard a ringtone. A ringtone which was very familiar to his auditory faculty. He shook his head slightly, perhaps his wife's habit could never change. He wondered if she really ever realized that she owned a phone and which was supposed to be with her every time. Just the way his remained with him. But no, she could never realize that.
Before he could see who was calling her, the screen turned black as the call went off. And suddenly at next moment, the ringtone again started chiming.
The call was from an unknown number. Without thinking much, Shaurya picked up the call and placed her phone against his ear.
"Happy Birthday Minnie!"
"Hello, who's this?"
Shaurya asked in an questioning serious tone. The person on the other end replied in an evident bothered way.
"Jai Rao speaking. And who are you?"
"I'm Shaurya..."
Barely had Shaurya completed his speech, when Jai interjected.
"Oh! So after Shri, you've started to keep and control Minnie's phone. But whatever! Let me make it very clear, Dr Shaurya, that I don't want you to..."
Now, it was Shaurya's turn to intervene Jai's say. Though, he didn't really want to but eventually he did.
"Mr Rao, time has passed when it was important to know what you and your parents want. Moreover, for your kind information, it's her phone and she has every right to use it her way. It's just that she isn't around at present thereby I received your call." Putting forward the clear clarification, Shaurya suggested, "You can call her later or if you've got anything important to convey then you can tell me. I'll convey your message to her."
"I don't want your charity. Neither I want your permission to call her. And it doesn't even matter to me whether you are genuinely like this or you're intentionally pretending to be so genuine."
Jai retorted. His tone offended. On the other hand, Shaurya didn't quite know how to respond to that. So he casually drawled.
"Alright then..."
Shaurya was about to cut the call but he didn't when Jai started speaking in a utter solemn voice,
"Dr Shaurya, all that matters to me is her, only her. There are a few things I want to make very clear to you, since she got tied to you."
Jai paused waiting for Shaurya to reply. But he never got one. So taking Shaurya's silence as a cue to continue, he added. His tone changed from solemn to cautionary.
"Don't you ever consider her a puppet of your hands.
She was weak and helpless back then, but don't continue to consider her that anymore cause now she has got her solid support back. This is why, before doing any wrong thing to her ever, do remember that you will get an equal reply.
You and your family have done what you all wanted to or perhaps must be still doing to her, but always keep her dignity intact.
Don't you people ever dare to take her as an abandoned or casted off girl, otherwise you and your self-indulgent family will have to bear the unfavourable consequences. She's my sister and will always be..."
"And so is she my wife and will always be. I wordlessly heard all your pointless threats just because of her.
But now, Mr Rao, do not say anything further by which you would perhaps lose all the respect which our relation demands me for you."
Taking a sigh, Shaurya added, "Whatever you say or believe, truth is that on being my wife, she is living in my house as the same status as mine. I know you won't believe it, and it doesn't even matter to me or any of us.
Also, you don't even know me or my family enough to judge us like that. So kindly, refrain from doing so from next time onwards."
"Shaurya."
Shaurya turned around hearing Manjiri's voice. He wordlessly forwarded the phone towards her.
"Who is it?"
She questioned him on taking the hold of the phone. She noticed that he looked displeased when he handed her that and responded.
"Why don't you know it yourself?"
Shaurya closely took a note of her expressions when she placed the phone against her ear. Anyone could tell that she was pleasantly surprised to hear from her cousin after so long. The way her smile formed and eyes pooled up with unshed tears, Shaurya felt something. Jai definitely meant a lot to her. And it didn't feel right to Shaurya.
He did never really like Jai. Not that he met him in person, but he kind of knew sufficiently about him to not like the person who Jai really was. And specially after that interaction over the phone call, his thoughts about his wife's cousin brother became more resolute. And maybe they could never change now.
He immediately left the room, not to give her privacy for talking but to calm down his own fretting nerves.
After a while, he returned only to find her still busy on the call. He waited for her to finish.
"What was that?"
He directly asked her when she hanged up the call. She looked at him.
"What?"
"Manjiri, why were you explaining yourself so much to him?"
He was unable to contain that anymore. He clearly disliked the fact that she was time and again providing her cousin brother unneeded clarifications, probably just to not make him feel bad. Couldn't she simply deny on things which she didn't like to go by? Were those explanations to his every purposeless say needed?
Well, Shaurya did a have feeling that Jai's says weren't purposeless. They did hold some intentions. But only if he could clearly understand them.
"I wasn't explaining myself but talking to my brother."
She replied looking down, staring at the tiles. He took a deep breath before finally asking her.
"And he wants you to pay him a visit. Right?"
"Yes! But maybe not just for him. For..."
She explained and then stopped speaking in the middle of her speech. He raised his eyebrow at that.
"For?"
"Shaurya, Tauji is not doing well. His liver disease is worsening. Only 40% of his liver is functioning at present."
"And your brother informed you about that?"
He asked irritated. To which she responded shaking her head.
"No! I asked him." She added, "I asked because I wanted to know how my uncle and aunt are doing. They are all alone and absolutely unaided. Jai Bhaiya hardly calls them now. Him paying a visit to them was rare from before only, and now, after Dadi's demise, it just seems next to impossible."
He kept himself from losing his control, though he was on the verge of losing it. He asserted feeling all flustered.
"See, I'm not gonna comment on your brother's accountability here. It's after all their family matter.
But yes, I don't feel any hesitation to say that it's no surprise that your uncle's liver is working only 40%. Because with the volume of liquor he's used to consume with his fellow political scammers, this was bound to happen.
And to be honest, even if his liver was functioning at 20%, it still wouldn't seem like a big deal to me."
"Shaurya!"
She spoke up on feeling a sense of being offended. She stared at him, utterly astonished at his words and behaviour. She could clearly observe flicker of annoyance in his eyes. But what she couldn't really get a hang of was what was the reason behind it.
However, Shaurya didn't stop at that. With more stiffness and a notch louder tone, he kind of yelled at her.
"Manjiri, what I can't understand is that if you're naive, or foolish.
When your brother himself is least responsible towards his parents then I find no valid point in him disturbing and informing you about his father's medical condition. What he thinks he would gain with all this. Such a self-centred guy, I must say!"
Due to Shaurya's yell, little Vaidik's sleep got disturbed and he started whining.
"Shaurya, please."
Manjiri pleaded Shaurya to lower down his volume and immediately reached the little guy to coax him back to sleep.
She uttered softly whilst rocking Vaidik in her arms.
"Shaurya, you don't know him. Bhaiya is really a nice person."
"I'm not saying that he isn't. He must be very nice but what he always does to draw your attention isn't nice.
See, all I want is for you and your so called brother to accept that this is how everything was supposed to happen and now it has been done. And he can't undone this now."
Manjiri was unable to understand where he was taking that small matter. She wondered if Jai said something to him that bothered him immensely or it was just that he was having a foul mood.
Soon she heard him adding,
"And Manjiri, from today onwards I don't want to see you explain yourself to anyone again, and especially to those self-seekers..."
"They are my family, Shaurya."
She spoke up stiffly. Though, her tone was even and a manner patient. But little did she know that his more upsetting words were awaiting her.
"Oh please! Don't tell me.
I very well know how good of a family you're blessed with."
With that he turned around fuming. He didn't want to take that matter far, so it was much better to leave that place right away.
"Family my foot!"
She heard him speaking and sulking to himself whilst making himself exit the room.
"I need anesthesia for my emotions................."
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"The right person gonna show you that you've realistic expectations and not asking for too much................"
The train was crowded more than Shaurya had expected. He flicked his eyes and saw a few spare seats, he made his parents sit over them. He turned to his right and found Sameeksha settling down along with her parents on finding a few more seats.
His eyes actively searched for Manjiri. Just a while ago, he saw her with Dev and Shreya. He was having a spare seat next to him but she was nowhere to be seen. Where did she disappear from his sight?
A little later, when he finally saw her again, she was already sitting next to Shreya, smiling at Vaidik who was technically in his mother's arms but leaning over to Manjiri in order to peep out through the train window.
Suddenly, Shaurya felt someone sitting next to him. Turning around, he found Dev adjusting his bag down their seat.
Shaurya wondered could that be the worst day of his life?
"Bhai, just spare a glance at these pictures."
Dev tried to forward his phone towards Shaurya, inadvertently blocking the image of Manjiri, Vaidik and Shreya from Shaurya's sight.
"I'm in no mood. So just hush up and stay back."
Shaurya replied irritated, not looking at what Dev was showing. But Dev wasn't the one who could be easily hushed up.
"Why do you sound so mad, Bhai? Did Bhabhi throw your phone away? Don't tell me she threw it in River Sarda."
"Could you just move a little behind?"
Shaurya asked, ignoring whatever Dev spoke. Dev still didn't stop at that.
"Don't worry, Bhai! I'll buy you a new one. It was just a phone, a materialistic thing."
"Dev, I'm feeling sleepy so just shut up. And in case if you'll not then I may push you out of this moving train."
Shaurya replied closing his eyes and reclining back.
Dev understood that it was Shaurya's way of telling to not bother him anymore cause clearly something was up with him and he needed time to process few things.
So Dev dropped the plan to argue and let Shaurya drowse for sometime.
And sometime clearly meant just for a short while to him.
Before Shaurya's eyes could totally get closed, he found Manjiri looking in his direction. Their seats were diagonally arranged.
Just in time, Shreya too directed her gaze to where Manjiri was looking. She quietly probed her,
"What happened? His mood seems off."
Manjiri looked at Shreya and then lowered her gaze.
"Even you seem upset. What's the matter? There has been some argument in between you guys?"
Shreya asked again making Manjiri go stiffened.
"No, Didi. There isn't any such thing."
"But both of your faces are saying something else."
Shreya shrugged and Manjiri kept mum. It was always very awkward for her to be around Shreya.
Soon Manjiri heard Shreya adding,
"Sometimes, I feel like I don't know him anymore. There are so many changes all around... But you know what, Manjiri, I'm surprisingly very satisfied with these changes."
With an evidently surprised look, Manjiri looked at Shreya. Shreya nodded as she continued speaking.
"Remember, I once announced that you were all wrong for him... You were never. You were always good for him.
The only wrong things were my pointless annoyance and ego, Shri's unwavering stubbornness and pride, and yours and his constant silence."
Manjiri didn't quite know how to react at then. Indeed she felt happy. At long last, she finally made it to Shreya's good books. Maybe! Maybe not! But in whatever way it was, she felt pleased.
"I've still got a doubt though."
Hearing that Manjiri offered her curious look to know what doubt does Shreya was having.
"Have you really forgiven Shri? Or is it just because you prioritized her and her baby's health?"
Shreya put forward her doubts candidly making Manjiri to ponder hard.
"I won't force you to answer it, you can ignore it if you want. I won't mind at all..."
Shreya spoke but her words got interjected by Manjiri's voice.
"Didi, if truth to be told then I would say that with time, I've anyhow made my myself to learn that people make mistakes and they always will.
However, at certain points, you yourself have to decide if their mistakes are bigger or your love for them.
I somehow realised that not just me, she too uniquely faced a number of challenges during and after the whole process. She kept on showering her love upon me despite receiving nothing but ignorance from my side.
So if her feelings didn't change with the change in my emotions for her, then perhaps I should also try my best to be okay."
Shreya keenly heard her. And then took a deep sigh before speaking,
"Most things will be okay, but not everything will be. But yes, now there's no choice but to let go."
"I hold my sister very dear, Shreya Didi."
Manjiri mumbled, asserting that to herself too.
"And what about him? Do you hold my brother dear to you?"
Shreya directly asked her with an analytical gaze.
Shreya was a type of person who preferred to be frank and straightforward, she didn't like to beat around the bush.
"I?... uhh! I..."
Manjiri got conscious with Shreya direct question and unwavering gaze. It felt like she was a book which Shreya so wanted to flip through every page and reach the conclusion.
"Don't stress! I'm not needing any reply."
Manjiri took a sigh of relief on hearing that. But what Shreya said next literally made her heart to skip a beat,
"Not quite sure about you but my brother has genuinely started to hold you very dear."
"You think so?"
Manjiri asked on being pleasantly surprised. Shreya smiled a little whilst articulating,
"Isn't it obvious? He's happy around you. Your presence makes him blissed out."
A slight blush began to spread on Manjiri's cheeks as she tried to sink in Shreya's words.
"Now, fix your mood. Come on!"
Shreya muttered smiling at Manjiri.
"You love people. They disappoint you. But sometimes, they don't. They just keep loving you, right through it all, waiting for you to wake up and appreciate them. And to say,
'I love you. I've always loved you back'................."
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"Someone who actually makes an effort to be with you and keep you >>>..............."
Manjiri had pulled out her wired earphones and settled comfortably on her seat. Enveloping herself properly with the help of her warm shawl, she didn't realize she had drifted off until she woke up again on hearing some continuous commotion.
She peeped out through the shawl to find out that the train had stopped at a random railway station. And the commotion was coming from the railway platform and mercilessly invading her ears.
She turned her head to see Shaurya occupying Shreya's seat. She immediately straightened up and took off her earphones and shawl.
She waited for him to speak something, just like always, but he appeared adamant to remain still sulking.
He was engrossed in his phone, reading some random clinical case study on 'Multiple Sclerosis'.
"Where's Didi?"
She asked looking around, glad with the fact that her voice didn't come out throaty.
"She's where she should be."
His answer was curt, making her aware that something was still up with him.
Not knowing how to get him to talking, she just leaned her head on his shoulder in defeat and inhaled deeply. She had been receiving his silent treatment since morning. His indifference was actually bothering her a lot. Couldn't he just scold her, tell her the actual thing and get back to normal?
Shaurya stole a quick glance at her and then again continued with his reading.
Everything was still resonating within him. Every now and then his mind would still recall Jai's words and ponder over his hidden intentions.
Call that his insecurity, his unknown fear, a general dislike or whatever. But he couldn't just make himself to acknowledge Jai's interference in his life. And of course in her life. At least not after knowing how much ache she had received from the unplanned and rash decisions of her family members in the past.
"So, will you be surely leaving tomorrow?"
She meekly asked him, thus unknowingly pulling him out from his unending ocean of thoughts.
He glanced at her to offer a look which seemed to say don't-you-know-that. She thinned her lips on receiving his still stiff response.
"What kind of a place is Chandigarh? People claim that it's very pricey, is it really?"
She asked him again with hopeful eyes. Hopeful that he would respond.
"Whatever it is, but definitely less than you."
He mumbled out sparing her a glance. Detaching her head from his shoulder, she looked at him to see if he was really being serious.
"You mean I act pricey with you?"
"Needless to say."
Shaurya shrugged closing his phone. Manjiri inwardly smiled at that, finally his entire attention would be hers. Only hers.
A few seconds, she probed him yet again.
"And how are people out there?"
Shaurya angled his neck towards her and that's when she instantly spoke out.
"No, leave it. I know what will you answer."
He curiously raised his eyebrows to know what she assumed to be his reply.
"That they're far better than me. Sweet and welcoming unlike me, right?"
No sooner did she finish asking him that, then her lips broke into a sly soft smile. It abruptly clicked him at then that maybe he had gone too far in his frustration. His words might have hurt her so bad, and still she was trying to find different ways of talking to him. He felt so wrong to treat her that way.
"What? Why are you looking at me like this? Did I say anything wrong?"
Manjiri asked when she noticed him staring at her for long.
Without much ado, he vocalised grabbing her hand.
"I'm sorry, Manjiri. I shouldn't have talked to you like that."
On hearing him, Manjiri looked away. She didn't want herself to remember those things, so she attempted to deflect the point of talk.
"See, it got tangled again. No matter how much I try to..."
Shaurya cut her speech in the middle by taking her tangled wired earphones in his hands. He probed whilst trying to meet her eyes.
"You got hurt with my words, right?"
"Should I tell the truth, or simply lie to keep your heart?"
She meekly asked back once she met his gaze. He immediately asserted,
"Truth!"
"Yes, I felt bad. A lot.
But then when you didn't talk to me all day, I felt worse."
She voiced out looking into eyes. To which he professed lowering his gaze,
"Actually, I don't know what had happened to me. Whatever I said, I said in anger."
"I so knew it." She exclaimed whilst managing to pull her lips to form a smile. She added, "I also explained myself by saying the same thing that whatever you said, you said it in anger. You didn't mean anything... But what happens, Shaurya, is that when someone very close to you needles you in that way, then that thing goes straight to your heart and ill-treat it."
Her words made him obliquely feel embarrassed. He couldn't really meet her eyes at then. He felt utterly wrong.
She took a note of his changing expressions. Holding his hand, she shook him telling,
"Now let's forget all these things here only, because I will not go anywhere on anyone's call, at least not without you. Now is this ok?"
Shaurya neither responded nor smiled back at her smiling face. He just kept on staring her. On feeling self-conscious with his continuous intense stare, Manjiri asked him in a timid tone.
"What happened?"
"Nothing!"
"Then?"
"Manjiri, I..." He tried to construct a suitable sentence but miserably failed in doing so, "I..."
"Yes, you... What?"
She asked when she was unable to keep up with her patience and the suspense anymore. She desperately want him to complete his say.
"I just wish you get finer and wiser with age. Well, there's always next year... So once again, happy birthday Silly Head!"
He vocalised flicking her forehead and stifling his frisky grin.
"You really disgust me, Shaurya, I hate you."
She whimpered pushing his hand away from her forehead. A soft chuckle escaped his throat as he responded,
"But I don't!"
Amidst the commotion of the crowded train, a peaceful silence seized between them.
A silence which was comfortable and affectionately companionable.
"The responsibility of love:
To keep another's heart safe."
~~~
Dear ones, do share your honest views on this chap and the story, as this is the only source of motivation which literally pushes me to pen down.
This can also help me in improving. So yes, eagerly waiting now.
I would really appreciate if each one of you will come and put forward your genuine reviews + expectations from me and
"JI HUZOORI".
~~~
This is it for now. Hope you liked it. I am sorry for the mistakes.
In case if you want to share your views or suggest something, you are more than welcome.
⭐My sincere request to all the SILENT READERS - Do vote this chap.⭐
Till then take care and stay connected.
Love ♥️✨