Writer's Note :
Welcome Back Lovely Reader!!
Posting here after a long time due to prior commitments. Apologies for the same. Thankyouu to each and every one of you for being patient with my delays. It really means a lot to me. The wait is over And Anuj is Backkkk!!!!
Here's the New Chapter...Hope you like it.
AND
Wishing A very Happy Holi To All My Readers. May this festival of colours fill your life with happiness and love....This is a little gift from my side🥰❤️
Recap -
Anuj is terribly missing Anupamaa in the US. He finishes off his work and is heading home early. While Anupama had to say so much to him but couldn't as she herself was confused. She read his diary it made her realise her feelings for him in his absence. Will she able be express it???
Read To Find Out!!!!!
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"Haa Haa Mujhe Tumhari Bilkul Yaad Hi Nai aayi"
She turned back to look in the direction tracing his voice, stood up in shock and rubbed her eyes. It was him, with his ever so angelic smile and eyes looking just at her as if the world doesn't exist.
They walked slowly towards each other, one still unable to comprehend his presence 3 days prior to his arrival, and the other one just wanting to feel his happiness to see her in person (he saw her in his dreams everyday) after so long.
{A few days before........}
KAPADIA EMPIRE OFFICE
Anupamaa was working day and night to make her project successful and at the same time complete her education. Meanwhile she was taking care of her kids too. She knew so much was at stake, especially Anuj's faith.... something which no one ever had on her.
He believed in her, taught her how to fly but let go to find her wings on her own. He left the sky open but liberated her to hustle and get through it. She did not want to leave a single loophole.
She first started interviewing different street food cooks and made a team. Then decided a menu that would be served in all three outlets. 12 days of rigorous training was done to make them learn the recipes perfectly.
The franchise was named as - "Gupshup-Golgappa"
Then the other staff was hired. She did not want to make it a big team as of yet, though the K Group never thought twice in investing a good amount for a project but she wanted to take only calculated risk.
The interior and furniture were selected. Being a homemaker, she had great ideas about where things would be cheaper and better. Even the staff of her office were amused with her skills to cut down the cost yet get the best work done. She treated all of them as a team and not differently. The whole vibe of the office had changed for the better since she started working. It was a professional space but felt homely to them.
Since the outlook of the restaurant aka the food joint was going to be contemporary, youth appealing yet desi. She decided to hire traditional Gujarati Lipan artists for the job. They made the interior look so beautiful and eye-catching.
Work was going on in full swing but one thing she missed terribly was 'HIM'. His absence made her realise, what she felt for him. It was not just respect. She loved having him around. His presence made her feel safe and loved. He wasn't there but he was everywhere. He took care of every small difficulty that she may have while working in the office being a beginner and it was already solved by him before she could arrive upon it.
She had lived a life in a cage so she knew the importance of freedom. She knew how special this man was. All that she wanted was to be in his embrace forever. There was so much she wanted to say that day but couldn't.
She was passing by his cabin and entered it. She found his blazer lying on his chair. As soon as she picked it, She got a whiff of his fragrance that he probably loved to wear all the time. It felt like he was just around her. She simply held the blazer and started grooving on the beats of an unplayed song "Kuch Naa Kaho". She imagined him dancing with her.
Her reverie was broken with a honk of a car outside the yard. She tapped on her forehead and got back to work.
PRESENT - DEVIKA'S RESIDENCE
It was a late Sunday afternoon and Anu was trying to make choti sleep after her meal. But the little one was in a goofy, no-sleep mood. She was smiling a lot. Anu had never seen her baby like that.
"Kya hua chutki, aaj meri gudiya itna kyu muskuraa rahi hai.... haaa....meli goluuu....meli Laadooo"
She took her in her arms and started playing with her. Her sight went towards a man similar to AK entering the building. She talked to choti -
"Tu to mere paas hai gudiya, par tere buddy ko kuch padi hi nai hai meri, bilkul yaad nai karte. Mai yaha ek ek din kaise kaat rhi hoo mujhe pata hai. Unhone to keh Diya *Anu, mai tumse....* (Couldn't say aloud, blushing) maine to kuch nai keh paayi naa....wo aayenge naa to khub daatna tu unko..theek hai....pata nai kya heere moti jade hai un Gore logon ke des me Jo apni meera ki yaad hi nai aati kanha ko."
He was standing leaning to the door hearing everything. It felt like he was dreaming, his Anu was remembering him, she was worried about him, she wanted to say something to him. He had come long ago but didn't want to disturb her cute confession session but then he said.
"Haa Haa Mujhe Tumhari Bilkul Yaad Hi Nai aayi"
Before she could say anything, he came forward, and handed over a bouquet of White lilies and pink roses to her.
"This..... for my Queen"
She was pleasantly surprised looking at the beautiful bunch of roses. He went ahead, took choti in his arms who was smiling and giggling looking at her "Buddy" and gave her a similar little bouquet.
"This.....for my princess".
Anupamaa wasn't able to believe that he had come for real, touched his cheeks and arms softly to confirm. Anuj whimpered softly on that warm contact.
"Anu kya kar rhi ho yaar, choti kya sochegi???"
And tried controlling his laughter. She immediately withdrew her hands, closing eyes in embarrassment making him lose control of his laughter. She hit his arms, before she could move it away, he held them. He came dangerously close to her ears.
"Haa to kya keh rhi thi tum choti ko. Mujhe tumhari yaad nai aati, mai phone nai karta ..haaa"
She slowly slid her hands away and was trying hard to hide her blush, changing the topic
"Pehle aap ye bataiye aap 3 din jaldi kaise aa gye??"
And acted like arranging the cushions to avoid any eye contact.
"Wo kya hai naa yaha kuch logo ki bahut jyada yaad aa rhi thi mujhe jaise meri princess, mukku, GK, Devika....to maine kaam jaldi khatm kiya aur aa gya unke pass. Yaha aaya to pata chala ki kisi ke liye mere paas time nai hai. Aur jise yaad nai kiya wahi free hai aaj."
He was teasing her as usual but his naive baby never got his jokes till the end. She did not like it and asked in a low tone lowering her eyes.
"Aap ne mujhe yaad nai kiya??"
He cupped her face
"Yaad unko kiya jata hai jinko aap bhul jaate ho. Mere to dil-o-dimag me har pal sirf tum hi hoti ho Anu."
She gulped hard over it with tears in her eyes. Every single time he amazed her with his unconditional love. They kept looking at each other as if it was the only thing they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.
Anuj asked her to get him something to eat as he was hungry and missed her heavenly food. Anupamaa asked him to freshen up first. He made faces
"Anuj chup chap pehle naha lijiye...itni door se safar karke aaye hai. Tab tak mai aapke liye pakode aur chai banati hoo."
Hearing chai and pakoda he did not want to bathe.
"Anuj.... Jaaiye"
Without any further questions, he took his suitcase and went inside her room. There were two rooms in devika's house but he did not look anywhere else but her room as it was his. She adored this sense of affinity from him.
She was busy preparing pakoda's when he came out from the room just wearing a vest with a towel around his neck. Her hands stopped working and she was staring at him without blinking.
Fresh droplets of water were still shining on his spotless skin. It made him even more enticing. Anuj came into the kitchen and sat on the slab in front of her.
"Anu....Pakode jal jayenge"
He said in a husky voice. She realised what she was doing and instantly focused on her work. Anuj took some coriander seeds from the spice box and started casting them on her. She gave him wide eye looks at first but when he didn't stop, she held his towel from both her hands, and he got closer in no time. She lowered her eyes
"Jyada nai ho rha hai aapka...chup chap baith nai sakte ek jagah pe"
He frowned, stood up and pretended to leave. Anu went behind him and clutched his arms.
"Arey aap to naraz ho gye Kapadia Ji....mai to mazaak kar rhi thi"
He turned back
"haa to mai bhi mazaak hi kar rha tha mohtarma"
This time she was really annoyed. Her mind and heart were stuck in a loop of how to tell him about her feelings. Anuj could see, something had changed in her eyes, since he returned. She missed him but it was much more than that. He was desperate for answers.
They both sat on the dining table. Anu sat on his left but a little far. She served him food with Chai. Taking the first bite itself gave him the feeling of being at home. They discussed work, how he managed everything in the US and Anu told him about the outlets being almost ready for opening and her struggles without him.
The spoon fell from her hands suddenly and she bent down to pick it up. He kept his hands on the sharp edges of the table to save her from hitting her forehead on it. She noticed it,
"Itna koi kaise kar...."
He said aloud -
"Bahut....Bahut jyada karta hoo"
He gripped on the edge of her chair and pulled it towards him. She was flabbergasted but couldn't stop blushing.
Samar came home and they got done with the lunch. Anuj was playing with both the kids while Anu adored them from afar. The moment felt complete, they didn't need anyone else to make them happy. It was their paradise, their home.
Samar turned the T.V on by mistake and ran outside to play, Anupamaa called him to wear his shoes properly.
"Aaj kal tere mere pyaar ke charche kar Zaban par...."
Was playing on the T.V. she was tapping her foot while he started grooving with the Music. They started doing the steps and it matched somehow. They were bouncing and gliding with the beats without any worries of the world. Anupamaa was smiling more than ever, Anuj saw her blush, sing and shout like a little baby...he just wanted to lift and swirl her around in circles.
The song changed to - "Kuch Naa Kaho"
He came in front of her and moved his hands forward she was coy, half closed her eyes and kept hers on his palm.
He clutched them tightly, she kept her other hand on his arms, while he softly put his, near her waist, making sure of not making her uncomfortable but Anu didn't feel awkward at all, in fact this was what she wanted to do in that moment, just be in his embrace. As soon as they started dancing, the telephone rang and she had to pick it up. Anuj was extremely pissed off at the caller.
"Hello....Haa Aman boliye...."
Hearing "Aman", Anuj felt like hitting the phone on his head. He was so annoyed at him but kept his cool.
"Haa haa Mai abhi aati hoo."
She hurried to take her purse . Anuj asked her
"Anu tum kaha Jaa Rahi hoo??"
Anu -
"Anooj, opening ki date itni paas aa gyi hai aur Main outlet me kaafi kaam bachaa hai. Mujhe thodi der ke liye jaana padega. Aap Itni door se aaye hai, aaram kar lijiye. Tab tak mai aa jaungi."
Anuj held her arms.
"Mai Ghar me tumhare bina kya karoonga Anu, mai bhi aata hoo sath me."
She insisted him to stay, but he didn't want to leave her for a second. Also he didn't want Aman near her even for a minute. The possessive lover in Anuj Kapadia couldn't take it.
GUPSHUP - GOLGAPPA OUTLET
They reached the pantry where Aman was already waiting for Anupama. He was surprised to see Anuj too.
"Arey Mr. Kapadia aap bhi aaye hai??"
Anuj was already annoyed at him.
"Haa to mai nai aa sakta kya. Tum bhul gye ho iss venture me mai bhi partner hoo. Aur Anu meri...."
He stopped when Anu gave him angry looks. Aman was chuckling. Anuj's love was no news to anyone they knew.
"Arey Sir aap kabhi bhi aa sakte hai. Wo AJ ne mujhe bataya tha ki aap 3 din baad aane Wale hai isiliye pucha Maine"
Hearing AJ and looking at Anu discuss work with Aman got even more irritated. He said -
"Aman, tum itne time se kaam kar rahe ho, thak Gaye hoge naa. Ek kaam Karo tum Ghar jao Mai baaki kaa dekh loonga."
He took her hands in his on purpose to show Aman that "SHE IS MINE". Anupamaa was feeling flabbergasted, annoyed, awkward but yet happy at the same time. He never left a chance to express his love for her.
Aman whispered something to her and left. Anuj kept asking her in different ways but she kept blushing and didn't tell him. He was dying to know what he had told her and his urge to kill this man was increasing.
The nails that were put in the wall to attach frames, which led some paint drip and that area of the wall looked shabby, since there was very less time left to call the painter and get it fixed. Anupamaa decided to do it herself. While Anuj was talking to the cooks to practice the recipes properly and to coordinate with the cooks from other two outlets as there shouldn't be any difference in taste.
Anuj then was busy in his video conference with clients in the USA. While there was a break, Anu saw something unusual. He was wearing the earphones just on one side. She asked :
"Anuj ye ek hi kaan me earphone kyu pehna hai aapne??"
He was busy scrolling the files, while his eyes looked at the screen he replied -
"Arey Anu ye noise cancellation wale earphones hai. Agar dono pehen loonga aur tumhe meri jaroorat hui to...tum mujhe bas aawaz de dena okay."
Even in his busiest moments he didn't forget her. She just wanted to hug him and stay like that in that moment but stopped herself, warded evil eyes off him instead and went to take the stool.
He saw Anu standing on her toes over the stool which was not properly balanced. She was struggling with the tight rubber band tied in her hair. He felt she would fall any moment so he held her legs firmly, she didn't even realise that she was leaning on him for support and not the stool anymore.
After she was done she turned back to look at him holding her. He lifted her and put her on the floor. Then scooped the rubber band out of her hair and wore it on his wrist. Then he took some tissue paper from the table nearby and wiped some of the paint on her nose and cheeks.
All this while, she couldn't help but smile goofily at all the love he was showering. She was literally treated like his baby. How did she get so lucky. India's most handsome bachelor loved her, cared for her and found nothing more important than her. She was overjoyed with emotions.
FEW DAYS LATER
It was the day of the restaurant opening. Anuj had come before anyone else to check the arrangements for the Pooja and event. Anupamaa was extremely nervous but Devika kept giving her usual pep talk, and insisted her to wear the gorgeous red chiffon saree that she got for her from Pune. Anu was sceptical but Devu was adamant. She got ready and left for the venue.
Mukku, GK, Moti Baa, Baapuji, Anupama's Mom, Bhavesh all had come to give their best wishes. Baa had come too, trying to spoil the moment as Kavya got to know about the real face of Vanraj Shah when he refused to marry her. She realised she was manipulated but she didn't want to leave him so easily. So she started living in the Shah House, with a threat to go to the police if they didn't let her stay. She wanted to teach them a lesson that both this Mother-Son duo didn't have the authority to play with people's emotions. Moti Baa supported her and even adored her a lot as no one gave Leela a hard time like she did. She also advised Kavya to mend her ways with Aniruddh and live happily.
Baa blamed Anupamaa for everything so she wanted to spoil her big day but Moti Baa kept everything under control. Vanraj was fuming with rage since the truck incident, meanwhile Anupamaa filed a counter petition to not live under one roof with him even for a minute and put some serious charges on him.
Anupamaa arrived, and greeted everyone. She wore the red chiffon Saree, with a 3/4th blouse, Mayuri Jhumka and a krishna pendant. Her minimal jewellery and makeup accentuated her simplicity and she looked heavenly gorgeous. Every single person complimented her for that.
Anuj was talking to the florist when he saw her. The time stopped for him. He was having his own Om Shanti Om moment. "main agar kahoo" was playing in his mind. As soon as she came near him, he took some rose petals and showered on her.
" Chand se pyara hai koi, Chand ko khabar na Lage
Aye Uparwale, mere chand ko kisi ki nazar na lage"
Saying that he quickly warded evil eyes off her making her blush to the deepest shade of crimson.
He was wearing a red kurta of the same shade matching hers unknowingly. She loved that :
"Aap bhi bohot Acche lag rhe hai"
He chuckled and whispered -
"kya hai meri partner itni jyada Sundar hai ki usse match karne ke liye mujh gareeb ko ye aise karna padta hai."
She had no reply. She was at the loss of words at his flirting now.
Pandit ji called everyone for the Pooja and told them to sit together as they were partners. Moti Baa at that very moment realised that they were meant to be together. She blessed both of them with all her heart.
The Gupshup-Golgappa had already created a lot of buzz in the youth for many reasons. One of the most important being that the ANUJ KAPADIA was related to it. Many media houses saw him in and around the place many times, which increased the anticipation to another level as :
In an American talk show where all the successful businessmen including him were invited when he was in the US, the host had asked him -
"why didn't you get married yet when there are so many girls dying to marry you? Are you waiting for someone special??"
He replied -
"The people who love the Moon, don't settle for mere stars, Sir and I think I have found mine. Wish me luck. I hope that the next time you invite me, we get to come as Mrs. And Mr. Kapadia"
People were desperate to know who the lucky girl Anuj Kapadia was talking about was and they followed him closely to break the news. Amidst all this, his presence along with his entire family and friends in a small project of such a huge empire made people turn their heads.
The students from the nearby college came to taste the food. Anupamaa was busy with the cooks making sure everything was served perfectly. As she came out, she saw him serving the guest himself, greeting and talking to them. He introduced her as the owner of the outlet and they couldn't stop praising the ambience, the vibes, and especially the concept of having tastiest multi flavoured golgappa's along with other snacks while chilling with great music.
The word of mouth spread like fire and Gupshup Golgappa got famous in no time for being the best place for hanging out for people of any age group!!!!
PRECAP - it's Anuj's Birthday!!!!!!
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So this was the chapter!!
Anuj is finally back after the long hiatus. He feels something is up with Anu but can't recognise what???
While Anu being Anu is not able to express her feelings.
Will she do it finally. Will MaAn come closer??
We are heading towards the finale of this series soon. And I am sure you will love what's coming next. So stay tuned☺️☺️😘😘
Please do drop in your precious comments, they are a huge encouragement in writing the next parts. I go through them all. Also drop your suggestions if you have any.
Eagerly waiting for your feedback.
Thankyouuu
Happy Reading♥️♥️