"इतना तो किसी ने चाहा भी न होगा,
जितना मैने सिर्फ सोचा है तुझे!"
Kapoor Apartment-
The morning In the Kapoor apartment was quite beautiful with the naughty kid doing her naughty antics to get her Mimi's and Shi Maa's attention. Soon it was time for Nandini's college, so she made her daughter ready first so that later she won't disturb Ishita and she also have to go to playschool. .Getting ready Anahita came running in the kitchen and twirling in front of Ishita she asked in her toddler voice ...
Anahita:(with actions) Shi Maa!! How am lottint?
(Looking?)
Ishita Smiled beautifully and patted her cheeks lovingly.
Ishita: My angel is looking just like an Angel, Cute Angel!
Anahita grinned widely, then showed her cap.
Ana: Shee, Shi Maa, Tap!
(See Ishi Maa, Cap!)
Ishita: Oh wow! You wore a Cap too? So Cute!!!
Anahita bobbed her head in yes cutely and then Nandini came out all ready for her first day, as yesterday she went for some document verification. She was looking simple and elegant in a plain Kurti with black leggings and her hair tied in a simple High ponytail looking simple yet beautiful.
Anahita:(looking at her Mimi) Mimi! Sho petty petty!
(Mimi! So pretty pretty!)
Nandini:(kissing her cheeks) Thank yu mera Mimi ki jaan! Aacha, now come let's have breakfast then you have to go to school too, haina?
Ana:(grinning) Yeshh! Shul! I'll meet Kiala, and.. and alsho Plia!
(Yes! School! I'll meet Kiara and also Priya)
Nandini:(smiling while feeding her) Haan? Are they Iti's friends?
Anahita cutely nodded her head in yes and started talking about her friends whom she love and play with, and Nandini and Ishita were chuckling at her.
Soon done with the breakfast, Nandini left as Anahita's school timings are at 10 and it's just 8:30 am!
Nandini: Ishi Maa, mujhe aaj aane me thoda late hoga, so please aap Anahita ko pick kar aayegi?
(Ishi Maa, I'll be bit late today, so will you please pick Anahita up?)
Ishita:(glaring) I won't! Go!
And she turned huffing in anger making Anahita giggle and Nandini sighed and back hugged her.
Nandini: Okay, Sorry Ishi Maa! No Please, you have to pick Anahita up from her school, okay?
Ishita smiled and kissed her forehead and fed her Spoon of curd and sugar for her new start. Nandini took her blessings and kissed Anahita's face lovingly to which she too kissed her Mimi's cheeks cutely. Nandini was at door when her daughter called her she turned and sat on her knees in front of her.
Nandini: What happen bache?
Anahita:(sheepishly) Mimi, All Besht!
(Mimi, All the Best!)
Nandini got all aww on her sweet daughter and kissing her cheeks once again thanked her and left the house..Soon she reached the bus stand and started waiting for the bus to arrive. Soon bus arrived and she took her ticket and sat on a window seat and opened the newspaper looking for some vacancies for a part time job.
Although she got her admission on scholarship, but she have other expenses too! And she doesn't like taking any kind of financial help from Ishita as according to her, she have already done alot for her, something that not even her family could have! She sighed and marked the vacancies for part time job.
Earlier she used to work In a Hotel as Receptionist which was a full time job. But as she decided to complete her study as she wants to give all the luxuries and ambiance to her daughter which will only happen when she will complete her graduation and get a good job. So she left that job and now she needs a part time job so that she can earn enough..
After some forty minutes, she finally reached her stop, Space!
Taking a deep breath, she entered the premises with a confident face! It's not that she is not nervous. To be frank she is scared. Space is not a small Institution.. It is The number one college in Mumbai. So she knows who and what kind of students it is filled with! At First when she got scholarship from Space she was all ready to skip this, if not for Ishita who made her agree as this is the best for her daughter's future.
And she can do anything for her daughter.
Anything!!
Then facing her own fear is not a big deal for her!
Muttering to herself that she is doing all this for her daughter, she entered in the corridor area avoiding all the gazes she was feeling on herself. Straight a-,way she went to her class after fetching the schedule from the administration office. She chose to sat on the last second bench which was vacant. Sitting on it she fetch out the book and digged herself in it untill the professor entered in and started taking the class.
After attending some two to three classes, she moved to the college outer ground area, where she saw very few students were there. She went to a tree and sat under it, as it was a huge wide tree. She fetched out the book she is reading nowadays and started reading it.
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Meanwhile, Fab Five after attending one class got bored and decided to jam for sometime. They entered in the Jam room. And now it's being half an hour when they are trying to make some music, but everytime Abhi either forgets the tunes or just lost somewhere. And this was making everyone worried and Mukti pissed.
Mukti:(loudly) What the fuck is wrong with you Abhimanyu? Either just tell the truth or just tell the truth!
Abhi looked at her and then at everyone, and he could see the concern everyone have for him in their eyes, but he didn't said anything making Mukti and now Navya too more angry.
Navya: C'mon Bhai! Speak up! You're disturbed since yesterday night after talking to Maa and Dad! Will you please atleast tell us, what happened? Or should I just call Dad and ask him?
Abhimanyu:(instantly) No!! Don't call dad, wo actually he said to me yesterday that he is going for some work, so!!
Mukti: Then please atleast tell us the matter with you?
Abhimanyu:(irritated) Tch, Kya h Mukti? I said na, there is nothing! Now can't a person be quite for sometime? You wanna hear no? Then listen, I want some Peace! Can you guys give me that? I request you all!
And with this he moved out of the jam room leaving his stunned friends behind.
Manik:(composing himself) Mukti, don't take him seriously haa? He just..
Mukti:(intruppting him) No Manik, don't side him now! He wants peace naa, fine! Let him have his so called "Peace".
And she too left from there and Navya followed her. Manik signalled Cabir to go with them and he nodded. Manik rubbed his palms on his face and moved out of the jam room.
H
e came to the same outer ground, and moved to the same tree but he didn't noticed Nandini, and sat on the opposite side. He was also tensed for Abhi as he was behaving off from yesterday, and now the way he demanded for peace? It was making him restless. He put his hands in his pocket to find something and when found, he took it out.
It was ciggerate. Although Manik doesn't have any bad habits except for the one, that when he is very much stressed he Smoke, just a puff though, as he feels that it relaxes him somewhat! And nobody knows about this except for he himself!
He took a puff from his cigarette and evoked the Smoke but then heard a soft coughing sound from near. And then he realised that Someone is sitting on the opposite side of the tree. He instantly crushed the cigarette with his shoe sitting in same position.
Manik:(clearing his throat) Well, I.. I wasn't smoking!!
But in response he didn't heard any response to which he looked sideways to check if the person is still there, when he saw the hem of the person's dress confirming that she was a girl and she still was sitting there, so he again sat in the same position.
Manik:(explaining himself) Actually, I don't smoke daily! It's just, whenever I am stressed or sad! But then also not everytime okay! It's just one or maximum twice in a year.
Even he didn't knew why he was explaining himself to a complete stranger, whom he haven't even seen! He just felt like clearing himself. He then heard a soft reply from the girl.
Nandini: Why are you explaining it to me? It's your life, do whatever you wish to do!
And Manik at once recognised the voice. It was the same, same girl with whom he talked yesterday rudely, with whom he collided yesterday.. He wanted to look at her but anyway, composed himself.
While Nandini who was too engrossed in her book to notice someone sat on the other side, untill she found herself coughing due to smoke and she realised someone was sitting there and smoking too! She then heard him trying to explain himself and she realised that who was he! Well why not?
She then again heard him clearing himself and rolled her eyes at his illogical reason of justifying himself.
Manik: Hey! I said naa I don't smoke regularly. Infact once in year. I just smoke when am very stressed. Like very much stressed or in some problem.
Nandini: Yeah right! And after puffing that stick and damaging your lungs and the nature, you get stress free and the solutions of your problem right?
Manik wasn't expecting this ofcourse but he composed himself!
Manik: Not like that yaar, but I guess a little calm atleast?
Nandini: Well then everyone should puff a cigarette or a glass of vodka when they are stressed, no?
Manik: Aree! I said naa, i don't...
Nandini:(completing his sentence) Yeah Yeah? You don't do it regularly only when you are stressed, right? Agar stress-free hona would've been so easy, then everyone would chose this!
Manik was quite after this and Nandini too. She closed her book she was reading and kept it in her bag, but then again heard him.
Manik:(sighing sadly) Toh tum batao, what should I do? I feel restless when anyone in my family or friends are in some problem and I don't even know the reason.
Nandini could feel his helplessness in his voice. Although it was so unlike of her to still sitting here and conversing, but she never realised herself answering him, as if trying to help him.
On the other hand, Manik was waiting for her reply, as if he knew that she have the solution of all his problems with her, still unknown to this fact. When even after two minutes, she didn't got any reply he felt bad, thinking that she is not interested. He was about to stood up when again heard her
Nandini: Everyone have problems in their lives. No-one's lives are stress free, but doing something that will inturn harms you, is not the best of solutions! Whenever you feel stressed or restless or tensed, Talk! Talk about it, to your family, your friends or just simply go and lay down in your mother's lap, there is no safest place than her and there is not better guide than her. So next time when you feel like harming your lungs out, drop that and talk with your mother! You will know what's better!
Manik was sitting there perplexed! It's not like she told him anything new, but the thing that she did was something! He always knew that his this habit whether it's on daily basis or not, is toxic, but he never knew what else to do! But now he does! He was lost and his mother's voice was ringing in his ears, when he was remembering his childhood.
"The love that makes you a better person, without changing you, is The True kind of Love!"
Manik looked at the cigarette and then remembered her words which she spoke a while ago making his heart beat at faster pace.
Manik:(whispered) Is She My The One?
He hastily stood up from his seat and moved to other side where the girl was sitting to find it all empty.
Manik:(looking all around) Where is She? Can she really be, my The One?
Can she?
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2014 words!
♡A