"Aahhaaa!!! Kya ice cream hai!!!! . Juban to kya dil bhi thanda ho gya. ab to thandak Dil se aatma tak pahuch rahi hai.Kya thanda flow hai" Dev speaks .He is walking on the road while he licks the imaginary icecream. He glances toward Ananya before pretending to bite the icecream and found her glaring at him by looking at him from corner of her eyes.
"Ho gya tumhara" She asked after stopping at her place.
"Are nhi abhi kaha" Speaks Dev as he turns back since he has walked one steps ahead.
"Itni badi icecream hai . Khatam to hone do. " Said Dev extending his arm in which he js is holding his imaginary icecream.
"Isse kha ke to mera pet hi bhar jayega.Kaal raat tak bhukh nhi lagne wali" He said looking around at his hand as if he is examining the ice cream.
"Tum apna muh band rakhoge?"asked Ananya glaring at him.
"Muh band rakhunga to icecream kaise khaunga.." Said Dev while Ananya rolls her eyes and turn back.
"Icecream......"She screamed suddenly .Dev follows her gaze show an icecream wheelbarrow standing in front of a house.
"See I told you Icecream mil jayegi".She said looking at Dev with proud.
"Ice-cream wala kaha hai?"Said Dev .
"Icecream wale ko thori na khana hai" Said Ananya.
"Achcha Icecream wale ko nhi khana. Pehle batana tha na warna mai to abhi uss pe mirch masala dal ke usse kha jata "Said Dev sarcastically while Ananya laughs .
"Chaloo".She holds Dev hand tried to tug him along but he didn't move from his position.
"Khichna hai . Pehle bolna tha na" Said Dev ."Hum tab bhi nhi khinchate."
"Thik hai tum yahi jame raho ." Said Ananya leaving her hand and runs toward the icecream.
"Are wo icecream wala so raha hoga" Said Dev running behind him .
"To jaga denge na Dabbu" Said Ananya turning back and laughs.
" kisi ko jagane pe jo ghor paap lagta tha uska kya hua?" Said Dev as he stops when he reaches near the icecream.
"Abhi to subah hai na.Dekho chaar baj gaye hai" Said Ananya and raises her hand to knock on the door .
Dev hold her hand and pull her away from the door.
"Dekho Balveer sadko per mar khate hue achcha nhi lagega" Said Dev and wrap his arms from behind around his waist because she was again marching toward the door .
"Ek Icecream wala tumhe kitna hi jor se marega" Said Ananya turning her head back to look at her . Till now she is hanging in air while Dev arms is clutching her from waist .
She laughs at the look of horror on Dev's face.
"Relax Dabbu. Jewellery shop me dinner karte waqt nhi pite tha na .Iss baar bhi Mai puri koshish karungi ki tum na pito" Said Ananya.
"Koshish?"Said Dev and at the same time Ananya kicked at the empty can which was lying near her leg. The can hits the door with loud sound.Dev closes his eyes tightly and left Ananya.
"Kaun Hai?" Said the irritated sounds of a man , coming from behind the door.
"Kaun Hai?" He reiterated.Dev signal Ananya to run away but she show him her palm and signal him to relax..
Within a minute the door opens, a six feet tall man, with muscular body and broad shoulders ,is standing in front of Dev with a iron rod in his hand.
"Kaun Hai tu? Kya chahiye tujhe?" Said The man and raises the rod as if he is ready to attack at any moment.
"Sorry bhai shaab .Mai iski taraf se maafi mangta hu" Said Dev .
"Kiski taraf se " Asked the man.
"Iski taraf....." Dev turns his head toward Ananya but she was not there. For a second he thought that she has fled away
"iski Taraf se" Her voice comes from his behind. He turns his head slightly and found her peeping out from behind his back .
Slowly she comes out looking at the man with innocently .At that moment if any one could think that she would be the last one in this whole universe to do any mischief.
"Kiski taraf se ". asked the man.Dev along with the man , follows her line of sight as She looks down at her hand which is placed at her stomach.
"Ha bhaiya iski pet ki taraf se hum dono sorry bolte hai" Said Dev being sarcastic about the excuse.
"Pet ki taraf se?" Said Man .
Ananya-" Bachche ki taraf se.
Dev-"Bachcha?
Ananya -"sorry Bhaiya wo humare chotu baby ko ice cream khane ka man tha.....🥺🥺🥺
Dev-"Chotu Baby😱😱😱.
"Pet se ho?" asked the man .His voice becoming softer .
Ananya nodded slightly with slight smile.
"Ye Kab hua?"whispers Dev to Ananya .
"Bhaiya please bas ek icecream de dijiye na mat boliyega .Bahut jor ki craving ho rahi hai". Said Ananya making puppy eyes .🥺
"Ha ha thik hai . Kaun sa wala chahiye " Said the man .
"Ek choclate, ek butterscotch aur ek vanilla wala bhi.Bada wala dijiyega " Said Ananya. The man nodded and turns to enter in the room.
Ananya- "Icecream?
"Ander fridge me hai" Said the man and went inside.
"Tumhe Sharm nhi aati. Meri future beti ke naam pe icecream khate hue . Meri Masoom bachhi ,jo abhi iss duniya me aayi bhi nhi hai ,uska galat fayda uthaogi tum?" He said dramatically.
Ananya-"O hello!
Dev-"Hello
Ananya"Mai apni hone wali beti ki hone wali Mumma hu .Mai kyu apni beti ka fayda uthaungi.
Before she can speak further the man come back with icecream and give it to Ananya while Dev paid for it and both of them left from there.
"Ye fayda uthana nhi hai to kya hai" Said Dev pointing at the two icecreams in Ananya's hand while he licks his own butterscotch icecream.
"ye practice hai. Tumne suna nhi hai practice makes a man perfect." Said Ananya.
Dev-"Tum woman ho "
They are walking on the empty street which is dimly lighted by streetlights .Soft breezes are still touching their face.
Ananya -" Practice tumhari karwa Rahi hu na .Meri mood swings jhelne ki"
" Wo to saalo se hai. Aaise hi tumhare itne mood swings hote hai pta nhi sach me pregnancy ke time kya hoga?" He speaks after taking a bite from his icecream. As he speaks he gets frozen at his place with his icecream still in his mouth.
"Tumhari band bajegi aur kya?" She speaks without looking at him as she is engulfed in licking her two icecream without discrimination .In this process she didn't realise that he has stopped and bumped on him.
She looks at him irritatingly because half of her vanilla ice-cream has fallen. But the look on his face reminds her last few minutes of their conversation
For a second they both keep looking at each other. The image of Dev playing with the little Angel comes in front of Ananya's eyes.The image of Little Angel peppering Ananya with kisses comes in Dev mind.
How beautiful that dream was?
Is it possible that some day that dream would come true ?
With the world filled of darkness, with unknown danger loaming around them,is it possible to built the little place of happiness?
The image of their daughter with Ananya starts igniting the strong urge in him,urge to forget about this world , to keep her somewhere safe ,away from everyone,somewhere in fortified castle where no one can enter ,where noone can take her away from him.
But he did..
That Balveer did.
He snatches her from him and he couldn't do anything. He , like defeated powerless man ,allows him to take her away. He is not powerless.He will show his real Power to him. He will make him realise that with who he really was? He will make Balveer......
Balveer?
He is Balveer.
He immediately looks away from her. What was he thinking?
Ananya looks at him.She saw his love in his eyes ,she saw his longing,she saw the same dream in his eyes which has just made a place in her heart ,but then his eyes starts turning darker.As if he is there in front of her but he is no longer he .
Before she can register his dark look ,he quickly turns away, Diverting his eyes from hers.
"Waise Agar Amma ne abhi dekh liya to ?"He speaks breaking the silence as he glance toward his house
"Tum aaise bol rahe ho to typical love story wali feeling aa rahi hai"Said Ananya walking toward the garden.
"Waise Agar typical story hoti to kaisa hoti?" Said Dev following her.
"Tumhe pyar naam se allergy hai?"Said Ananya walking forward.
"By the way kaisi typical?" She said turning towards him." Starting se lovey dovey wali typical ya phir humari wali story jaise hi starting with friendship "
"Humari wali "He said sitting under the tree which has become their place. He is getting intrested in their conversation because basically it would reveal her expectations from this relationship.
"To start with tum mujhe purpose karte ,on one knees " She said sitting on the floor on one knees and forwarded her icecream towards him.He was going to take it but she pull her hand back taking her icecream in her possession.
"Ha aur phir tum mujhe 'Oh my god!' kehte hue ha kehti" Said Dev with bored expression while Ananya sits in front of him .
"Nhi ." She speaks keeping her legs on his upper thigh."Mai tumhe kehti mai soch ke bataungi" She speaks leaning back to stretch her muscles which is very much strained due to continuous tiredness.
"Kyu?" asked Dev , holding her feet and starts massaging it slowly.
"Kyuki tumne mujhe MM aur khud me bahut confuse Kiya hai to mai nakhre dikhati" She said and closes her eyes enjoying the massage .
"But last me to ha hi hota na" Said Dev , moving his hand up from her feet towards her ankle.
"Wo to obvious hai" She said.
"Phir uske baad" asked Dev .
"May be hum chhup chhup ke milte". Said Ananya and hums slightly as his hand gives slight acupressure above her ankle.
"Jaise abhi mil rahe hai"He said. "Waise society wale humse jyada humare relationship ka wait kar rahe the"
"Ha , but still hum sab ke samne casual hi rehte".Said Ananya.
"Aur akele me?" asked Dev.
"Akele me tum meri beauty ke uper two hundred gane aur five thousand shayari likh sakte ho" Said Ananya.
"Ha phir tum unhi ko gaa ke Paisa kamana . Buisness strategy." Said Dev moving his hand upward from her ankle toward her knees.
"Shut .... "She speaks but can't complete her sentence because she starts laughing. Dev's realise that this laughter is due to tickling effect caused by him.
He is not going to leave the chance to tease her .So he hold her legs as she tried to away from him and starts moving his hand slowly on inner part of her knees .
"Dabbu ...... stop......." She speaks in between her laughter as she squirms on the ground. Her infectious laughter was falling on his ear like beautiful music , causing him to laugh along.
"...Tumne kuch kaha kya .Mujhe sunai nhi diya "He paused for a second and speaks , giving her time to breath .Before she can speak again he again starts tickling her.
Ananya sits up trying to free herself from his grip but the task was difficult for her with laughter. And It was difficult for him to hold her for longer time due to his own laughter. After sometime he left the ticking but she continued to laugh and so as he . . She leans on his side as her body is shaking uncontrollably while he leans on the tree behind him .
"Bas ...."Said Dev showing his hand to her as his laughter subsided.She too takes a deep breath to control her laughter and shifted to be in comfortable position.
Dev straighten himself slightly while his back was still leaning on tree. Ananya slides toward him ,leans on his left shoulder, such that her legs are spreading across his right side .
"To kaha the hum?" She speaks looking up at his face, noticing how close they are right now.
"Relationship me."He looks down at her .
"Hum at least kuch saalo tak relationship me rehte...".Said Ananya .
"Uske baad break up " He asked with horrified expression and recieve a light punch on his shoulder.
"Shaadi . At least two three years baad ......"She speaks and pauses because he lowers the helm of her trousers who had came till her thigh due to laughter session. She shifted slightly allowing him to do his work.
"Almost issi time ke around. hum na shaadi ka decision lenge" Said Ananya ignoring the strange sension in her stomach from all thsse moments .
"Imagine Karo.Devaki ji ko jab tum batati to unka reaction." Said Dev leaning on tbe tree.
"OMG" Ananya laughs slightly at the possibilities..." Mumma to cloud nine per hoti ..
"Ye understatement hai." Said Dev taking Ananya's hand in his." Tumhe pta nhi hai unke aane ke baad Mujhe to feel aata tha ki sehra ready hai. Mai idhar se udhar dekhu aur wo chupke ke mere sir pe sehra rakh de."
"Itni bhi desperate nhi hai meri mumma' Speaks Ananya trying his best to ignore the shiver she feels when Dev runs his fingers across his hand , tracing its structure and looking at her each finger like some precious art.
"Nhi bilkul bhi nhi" He speaks sarcastically.
"Left my mom . Pari Maa ko btana easy hota per Tum Mummy Papa ko kaise batate."Said Ananya.
Dev-"Mai kisi ko kuch nhi batane wala.Tum bataogi."
Ananya-" Ha ,Mai unse kehti.Hello Uncle Aunty mai aapke bete ki girlfriend aur hum ab shaadi karne wale hai.Isn't it."
"Ye inform karna hua . Hum permission lete"
"Hum nhi Tum "
"Are Mai kyu?"
"O Hello ".
"Hello"
"Log apni Gf ke bare me khud batate hai na ki unki Gf khud se parents se mil leti hai".
"Ha to dost batate hai na . Tum meri dost ban ke bta dena ".
"Ladki set ki tumne ,Mai kyu tumhare parents se baat karu. Mai aaisa bolti".
"Ajeeb nhi lagega"
"Ajeeb lagna parega warne rehna sare life kuware ".
"Are Nhi mai baat karunga. Per uske baad Mummy Papa ko manana bhu hoga na".
"Mai bahut sweet hu Mai unhe pasand hi aaungi."
"Tum .😆😆😆😆 ... Sweet...😂😂😂"
"Tumhe shaadi karni hai ya nhi"😠
"Ha Karni hai".
"To mai sweet hu .Bolo Mai sweet hu"
Dev-😶😶😶
"mai sweet hu aur humari shaadi fix ho gayi hai ..ab humari Haldi aur Mehandi hogi..
"Pehle kundali milega . Jisme humara ek bhi gun nhi milega "
"Phir hum Pandit to paise de ke kundali change kawa lenge. Phir humari Mehandi aur Haldi hogi.
"Nhi Pehle engagement hogi.Usse Pehle mahino tak shopping hogi.Planning hogi.
"To Mehandi aur Sangeet?"
"Hogi......" Dev said and starts explaining the rituals to Ananya in detail. His fingers are still caressing her hand .
She keep giving her own input in their conversation.Under the vastness of Sky ,Two souls are discussing their life that had never happened.
"Phir Sare log apne apne ghar chale jayenge." Said Dev .
"Phir ?".
"Phir kya? Ho gayi shaadi reception aur sare rasam ".
"Aur Honeymoon? " She said sitting up and looks at him.
"Kya?" Said Dev somewhat disoriented from her demand.
"Honeymoon. Shaadi ke baad log honeymoon pe bhi jate hai" She said in sarcastic matter of fact tone.
"Honeymoon " He speaks to himself looking away from her to hide the red shade of his face from her .
"Yes Hum na Europe tour pe jayenge" Ananya starts blabbering." Kitna kuch waha hai dekhne ke liye aur Waha pe snowfall bhi hota " .She starts telling him about the Europe unaware from the flipping sensation of his stomach . Unaware from the fact that right now his thoughts are lingering around the threshold of restricted area . Does her thought to lingers around the same threshold or it has already crossed its threshold. Something that he never allowed his thought to do.
"Kitna maja aayegaa na Hum teeno ko" She said looking at him with excitement.
"Teeno?" Said Dev looking at her with confusion.
"Mai ,Tum aur Vivi"replied Ananya casually and returns back into her talking.
"Vivi?" He asked straightening himself.
"Ha .Hum Europe jayenge to Vivi ko chor ke thori na jayenge. " She said casually." Usse kitna achcha lagega na......" She said.
"Ek Minute, Minute.Hum dono ke saath Vivi bhi chalega" Said Dev emphasising his words as if he is hearing something wrong.
"Are Ha..." Speaks Ananya dejectedly and Dev shake his head with slight smile. She can be sometime thick specially when it comes to Vivan.But finally she understood.
"Sirf Vivi ko le jaungi aur Khushi ko nhi to usse bura lagega na" She said and he immediately turns towards her with look of disbelief.
"Per phir sare bachho ko bura lagega. Hum na sab ko le jayenge. Per unke parents utni dur le gane ki permission denge kya? Hum unke parents ko bhi le jayenge . Per then Europe trip jyada mehanga ho jayega na .. Hum Europe nhi Kashmir chalte hai .waha bhi snkwfal hota hai na ..."She continues and he starts looking at her with more and more disbelief.
"Aur Hum Manav ,Mehar ,Maa ,Papa aur sid ko bhi le chalenge .Kitna maja aayega na"She said jumping on her seat from the thought.His seats starts changing into amusement on looking at the childlike excitement on her face .
"Per itne sare logo ke saath Kasmir me bhi jayada kharcha hoga. Hum ek kaam karenge. Hum rooms kam book karenge." She continues the process of being tensed from her own questions and being excited after giving the solution. Smile starts forming on his face , looking at the pure Happiness on her face.
"Sare couples ke liye ek ek room aur baki logo aapas me adjust ho jayenge.Do room bachho ke liye, Boys le liye ek , Girls ke liye ek .Aur Ek room me Girpade ji, Dadaji ,Manav,Sid aur TUM so jana ."
He looks at her raising her eyes but she continues..
"aur ek room me Karuna Aunty ,Padmini aunty, Mehar ,aur MAI jaungi. Kya hua ?" She asked when she looked at him who is looking at her with raised eyebrows with a slight smile on his lips.
"Pura Hopeless Samjh rakha hai na" He said with lopsided smile .She blinks several times looking at him with confusion.
He laughs and pull her toward himself. She too slides toward him , coming back into her previous position.
So how was the chapter?