Shivaay reached home. After dinner he was passing by dadi's room. She was sitting before a radio and was listening some old songs. He smiled and was about to go but stopped hearing the next song.
Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se Yun Mulakat Ho Gai
Phir Kya Hua Yeh Na Pucho Kuch Aisi Baat Ho Gai.
As the lyrics hit his eardrum only one face appeared infront of his eyes was Anika.
Wo Achanak Aa Gai Yun Nazar Ke Samne
Jaise Nikal Aaya Ghata Se Chaand
Chehre Pe Zulfein Bikhri Hui Thi
Din Mein Raat Ho Gai
Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se Yun Mulakat Ho Gai..
He remembers the first meet of theirs. When she took off her helmet and her hairs flung open. He smiled at that. But suddenly his mind questioned "Why are thinking about her?" With this he went to his room and lied on his bed.
He closed his eyes and again Anika's face appeared infront of his eyes. He opened his eyes with a jerk.
Shivaay's Mind: tu Anika ke baare mein soch raha hai?
His Heart: because I think I like her
Mind: whattt? No you can do that. Teri life sirf ek hi ladki hai aur woh hai Aditi.
Heart: haan par what is wrong in liking someone?
Mind: off course it's wrong. Tu Aditi ko dhokha nahi de sakta.
Heart: par pyaar mein everything is fine, isn't it?
Mind: what the hell? Ab yeh "pyaar" kahan se aaya? Tu sirf Aditi se pyaar karta hai. It's just an attraction. Ussne kuch baate kya kar li you mistook it as love?
Heart: par....
Shivaay: shut up!!!!
He jerked up on the bed and was breathing heavily. He held his head but frowned feeling something on his shoulder. Looking up he found himself numb seeing her.
Shivaay(chocking voice): A...ADITI
Yes it is Aditi. She standing before him in white floral fairy like gown with a beautiful smile adoring her face.
Shivaay stood up from the bed. He raised his hand to touch and check if it is real or not. His hand was shaking. Aditi holds his hand to which he smiled with tears and hugged her.
Shivaay: tum aa gai? I missed you. Kyun gai thi mujhe chhod kar?
Aditi: I am sorry Shiv
Shivaay broke the hug.
Shivaay: kya sorry? Tumhein pata hai tumhein kitna yaad kiya hai maine?
Aditi: mujhe sab pata hai. Main yahan kuch lene aai hun
Shivaay: kya?
Aditi hold his hand and pulled it but he didn't moved a bit but another Shivaay from him came out and stood beside her.
Aditi: main apne Shiv ko lene aai hun. Jo maine kar diya. Now you are free please move on.
Shivaay(shocked): kya bol rahi ho tum?
Aditi: jo sach hai. Shiv you love Anika par tum meri wajah se yeh accept nahi kar rahe ho.
Shivaay: Aadi...
Aditi: please Shiv. Mere liye. Please move on. Apni life mein khush raho. Jo Anika ne kaha tha ekdum sach hai I don't like when you cry. Woh bhi meri wajah se.
Shivaay: par Aadi I love you.....
Aditi: yes I know you love me. Par Anika ko ek mauka do please. Woh tumhein mujhse zyada achi tarah samajti hai. She will keep you happy. Infact jab tum usske saath hote ho then you smile. Woh hassi tum mere saath hote the tab bhi nahi aati thi.
Shivaay remembers how he smile when he is around Anika. A small smile crept on his face.
Aditi: see tum abhi bhi smile kar rahe ho? Please Shiv promise me. Tum ek mauka zarror do de Anika ko, apne aap ko. Promise me
Shivaay(sighed): okay. Sirf tumhare liye. I'll give a chance.
Aditi smiled and kissed his forehead
Aditi: thank you Shiv. Aur tum meri chinta mat karna. Main apne Shiv ko leke ja rahi hun jo mujhse pyaar karta hai aur usse chhod ke ja rahi hun jo Anika se pyaar karta hai. Bye Shiv
Shivaay(with teary eyes): please don't go. Bas panch min please
Shivaay hugged her and Aditi rubbed her hand on his back.
Aditi: Shiv I need to leave. Please
Shivaay unwillingly left her. Aditi hold another Shivaay's hand and both smiled at Shivaay and disappeared.
Shivaay opened his eyes and realized it was all a dream.
Shivaay: yeh sapna tha? Was I dreaming? Par I felt her here. Main soya kab?
His heart: jab tu Anika ke baare mein soch raha tha
Mind: hey shut up!!
Heart: Shivaay ab toh Aditi ne bhi keh diya hai. Please move on
His Mind: but it was just a dream. Yeh sach nahi tha.
Heart: haan yeh sapna tha. Par it was her only way to say
Mind: Par...
Shivaay: shut up!!! I have decided main ek chance dunga. Cause Aadi wants that.
He decided to listen to his heart and give one chance. He stood up and went to window. He looked up in the sky.
Shivaay: I promise Aadi. I'll be happy tumhare liye. Main ek mauka zarror dunga. I'll move on. Par tum humesha mere dil mein rahogi. I love you.
Wind blow fast and hit his face. He smiled
Here Anika was getting bored. So she grabbed keys of her bike and drove to the beach. She came and sat on the cold sand. She was just silent and looking at the the moving water.
After sometime she felt someone behind her so she turned and saw Shivaay.
Anika(with wide eyes): aap?
Shivaay: haan main.
He sat beside her.
Anika: aap yahan kya kar rahe hai?
Shivaay: tum yahan kya kar rahi ho? Tum soti voti nahi ho kya?
Anika: nahi I have insomnia
Shivaay: what??
Anika: haan. Mujhe nind na aane ki bimari hai.
Shivaay: kaise?
Anika: reason hai.
Shivaay: aur woh kya hai?
Anika stayed silent for sometime and spoke.
Anika: I was 15 when my parents died. Unka accident hua tha. Aur uss ek haatse ne. Humari zindagi badal di. I lost 3 most important person of my life.
Shivaay: 3?
Anika: haan mere mummy pappa ane mari dhingli (and my doll)
Shivaay: dhingli?
Anika: dhingli matlab gudiyaan. Meri ek aur behen thi. Sahil ki twin, Bhavya. Uss din Bhavya ki tabiyat bohat khabar thi. Toh mummy pappa usse leke hostipal ja rahe the. Pappa ne kaha tha ke "Mithoo hum humari Dhingli ko hospital leke ja rahe hai. Tum Gauri Aur Sahil ka dhyan rakhna". Par.....
He placed his hand on hers.
Anika: kabhi wapis nahi aaye. Uss din ke baad hum anath ho gaye. Ek 15 saal ki bachi badi ho gai. Ussne apna bachpan kho diya. You know mujhe ekdum princess ki tarah treat karte the pappa. Infact hum chaaron ko. Jab hume pata chala Gauri ko sambhalna bohat mushkil tha. Sahil chota tha toh usse kuch samaj nahi aaya tha.
She took a pause.
Anika: par main kamjoor nahi pad sakti thi. Maine pappa se wada kiya tha ke Gauri aur Sahil ka dhyan rakhungi. Hum sadak par aa gaye the. Main samaj gai thi ke agar kuch banna hai toh padhai karni padegi aur usske liye paise chahiye honge. Aur paise ke liye kaam karna padega. Toh main ghar ghar jake kaam karne lagi. Jhadu, pocha, bartan. Jo bhi mujhse ho sakta tha. Din main kaam karti toh padhai kab karti? Toh maine night-school join kiya. Issi wajah se main raat ko so nahi pati. Aadat ho gai hai. Woh toh acha tha ke main itna paisa ikatha kar pai ke hum teenon ki padhai aur do waqt ki roti ka intezam ho sake.
Mummy aur Pappa ke accident ke waqt chachu aur chachi yahan nahi the woh Canada the. Kuch kaam ke wajah se. Toh unhe pata nahi tha. Jab unhe pata chala tab woh turant aa gaye. Par tab humare sar ke upar ek chhat thi. Mere pass ek choti se job bhi thi. But Chachu hume apne saath le gaye. Mere pass scholarship thi issiliye mujhe college fee bharni nahi padi. Maine padhai ki, bohat mehmet ki. Aur aaj mere pass sab kuch hai jo ek waqt par dekhne ko bhi nahi milta tha.
She turned her face towards him. He saw the pain and suffering she faced. Her eyes were red as if tears will fall like a waterfall but that was not at all possible.
Shivaay: tumhare parents ko tum par garv hota ho ga. Itni mushkil life hai tumhari. Phir bhi hasti rehti ho.
Anika smiled.
Anika: aap kehte the na main bohat philosophical baate karti hun. Aise hi thodi hawe mein lambi lambi chhodti hun. Jo zindagi se sikha hai wahin batati hun.
Shivaay(chuckled): woh bhi hai.
Anika: bohat senti baate ho gai. Koi aur baat karo.
Shivaay: theek hai. Tumne doctor ko nahi dikhaya?
Anika: sab try kiya. Therapies, medicines par koi farak nahi pada. Phir socha rehne dete hai.
Shivaay: but it's not good for your health.
Anika: aur agar roz roz sleeping pills lungi toh health aur kharab ho jati. But I totally fine. Kuch logo ko janm se hi hota hai. It's not that bad either.
Shivaay nodded and they sat their for sometime.
Anika: aur aap yahan kya kar rahe hai?
Shivaay: meri nind uud gai. Aur ek baar main uth jaun phir mujhe jaldi nahi aati. Toh socha yahan aake thodi der beth ta hun.
Anika: acha.
Shivaay: chalo ab ghar jao bohat raat ho gai hai
Anika: raat nahi subha. Its 5
Shivaay was shocked and he looked at his watch.
Shivaay: toh jao ghar.
Anika: aur aap?
Shivaay: main bhi jata hun.
Anika: theek hai. Chalo bye. Office mein milte hai.
Shivaay: ya bye.
They left.
At breakfast time. Shivaay was yawning. He already had 3 cup of expresso. Mahir noticed it and whispered
Mahir: raat ko soya nahi?
Shivaay: nahi
Mahir: kyun?
Shivaay: baad mein batata hun.
Dadi: billu
Shivaay: ji dadi
Dadi: puttar aaj Anika ko ghar par bula lena. Sagai ke baare mein kuch baat karni hai. Maine Geetanjali ko phone kiya tha. Woh yahan nahi hai. Toh ussne kaha ke Anika se baat karne ko.
Shivaay: theek hai dadi. Lunch time pe bula lunga.
Dadi: haan woh sahi rahega. Ek kaam kar Bela, Gauri, Sahil aur Soumya ko bhi bula lena.
Hearing Bela's name Mahir smiled and ShivOmRu gave a teasing look to him.
Shivaay: theek hai dadi
After breakfast.
Shivaay and Mahir left for office.
Shivaay: Mahir tu chala le mujjhe bohat nind aa rahi hai. Thodi der so jaunga. Pochte pochte 2 ghante toh ho hi jayenge
Mahir: haan theek hai.
They sat and Mahir started the car.
Mahir: ek min sone se pehle bata. Soya kyu nahi raat ko?
Shivaay: woh.....
He told him about his dream and the talk with Anika too.
Mahir: my god she've suffered alot.
Shivaay: hmmm.
Mahir: Shivaay tu bata. Do you love her?
Shivaay: I don't know about love but I like her. Tere baad woh pehli hai jisne mere bina kuch kahe mujhe samaja. Aur mujhe samjaya bhi.
Mahir: so you are giving a chance?
Shivaay: yes. Aadi bhi yehi chahti hai. I agree woh sapna tha. Par I think it's her only way.
Mahir: thank god. Tujhe thodi akkal toh aai.
They reached their office.
*****
Guys you all must be thinking ek din mein 4-4 update? Par yeh story maine bohat time pehle likhna shuru kiya tha. And this is the last ab sikha ek do din baad likhungi. So wait till then 😜😜😜
Love Love
M. S.