After sometime Shivaay was passing by Anika's room he heard her laughing sound. He slowly peeped inside he saw her talking to someone in phone.
Shivaay: itni raat ko kise baat kar rahi hai?
Anika(on call): phir?
...........
Anika(laughing): sachi?
...........
Anika laughed again.
Anika: chalo abhi so jao bohat raat ho gai hai.
...........
Anika: ya good night D.
She hung the call and went to washroom. Shivaay thought who this D must be? But soon shrugging off his thoughts he left.
********
Next day.
The three couple went for shopping. Anika and Shivaay went office. Anika knocked Shivaay's cabin.
Shivaay: come in
She came in with a bright smile.
Anika: hii
Shivaay: aree tumhein knock karne ki zarrorat nahi hai.
Anika: it's okay. Main aapko yeh batane aai hun ke main ja rahi hun
Shivaay: kahan?
Anika: mera kaam khatam ho gaya
Shivaay: haan. It was nice working with you.
Anika: same here.
Shivaay: hmm woh files...
Anika: here they are
She handed him some files.
Anika: so I may take your leave now.
Shivaay(little sad): okay
Anika: woh abhi mujhe kahin jana hai. So mera saman baad mein leke jaungi
Shivaay: theek hai par agar tum kaho toh khanna se keh ke....
Anika: aree nahi main kal leke jaungi.
She got a call. Seeing the caller id she face lit up which was noticed by Shivaay. She picked up
Anika(on call): yes D haan haan aa rahi hun
Hearing D's name he again felt something in his heart. She actioned Shivaay that she is leaving and he nodded unwillingly. She left laughing.
Shivaay(thought): kon hai yeh D? Aur Anika itna hass hass ke kyu baat karti hai uss se
His mind: dost hoga.
Heart: yeh kaisa dost hai?
Mind: jaisa bhi ho tujhe kya?
Shivaay: exactly mujhe kya?
He shrugged his thought off and tried to focus on his work.
Somewhere in the outskirts of Mumbai. Anika stopped her bike in front of a small house.
She entered in. She called out his name "D..... D..... where are you?" She found him in his room. She smiled and went to him.
*******
It was evening Shivaay came home after a tiring day. Jhanvi, Pinky and Dadi were sitting in the hall. He came to dadi and placed his head on her lap. Dadi smiled.
Pinky: Shivaay Anika kahan hai?
Shivaay(frowned): woh ab tak nahi aai?
Jhanvi: roz toh tum dono saath aate hona
Shivaay: haan par humara project khatam ho gaya. Woh toh subha hi nikal gai thi
Dadi: ghar pe nahi aai
Bela and Mahir came. They sat with them. Shivaay sat up.
Shivaay: Bela Anika office(Anika's office) aai thi?
Bela: nahi. Woh kal se aane wali hai
Shivaay: tumhein pata hai woh kahan hai?
Bela: nahi. Infact aaj office jane ke baad meri baat bhi nahi hui.
Mahir: kya hua? Anika nahi aai
Jhanvi: nahi.
Mahir: par woh toh subha hi chali gai thi na
RiKara and RuMya also came.
Gauri: good evening
Shivaay: Gauri tumhein pata hai Anika kahan hai?
Gauri: nahi
Shivaay: Soumya tumhein?
Soumya: nahi.
Shivaay(worried): kahan gai?
Om: office mein nahi aai?
Mahir: Om aaj project khatam ho gaya tha issiliye woh subha hi chali gai thi
Rudra: kisi ne phone kiya?
Shivaay: main karta hun.
He called but she didn't pick.
Shivaay(worried + angry): yeh ladki phone kyu nahi utha rahi?
He again called this time she picked. As she picked he bombarded his questions
Shivaay: hello, Anika kahan ho? Ghar kyu nahi aai?
Anika: hello Shivaay mujhe bol ne toh dijiye.
Shivaay: okay kahan ho tum?
Anika: main apne dost ke ghar hun.
Shivaay: okay ek phone toh kar deti sab pareshan hai yahan.
Anika: sorry woh bhool gai thi. Aap log mera wait mat karna mujhe aane mein der ho jayegi. Yehi dinner karke aaungi.
Shivaay: okay
Anika(to D): ayee D aem nai (hey D not like that) (to Shivaay) Shivaay main baad mein baat karti hun. Otherwise he'll mess up
She hung the call without letting him answer back. All were waiting for him to answer
Pinky: kahan hai?
Shivaay: woh kisi dost ke ghar par hai. Late aayegi.
Jhanvi: acha theek hai. Chalo sab log fresh ho jao.
All were to their rooms. Shivaay was still in Anika's thought. "Who this D is?" Was the question which was eating his head. He went to take a hot shower to relax.
His heart: kyu Shivaay? Woh apne dost ke ghar gai hai toh tu kyu itna pareshan ho raha hai? Ussne kaha ke woh aa jayegi then why?
His mind has no answer this time.
Heart: main batau? Cause you Love her
Mind: no it's not like that.
Heart: acha? Toh jab woh aas pass nahi hoti toh tu itna bechain kyu hota hai? Kyu tu usse kisi aur ke saath nahi dekh sakta?
No response
Heart: do you still wanna say that it's not like that?
Mind: haan Cause I don't love her I love Aditi
Heart: yes you do. Par woh past tha. Woh ussi ne kaha tha na ke move on.
Mind: par.....
Shivaay: shut up!!!
He shut the tap and his thoughts. Wrapping towel around his waist he came out and dressed in his kurta.
After dinner
Shivaay was still confused about his feelings.
Shivaay: ab main kis ke pass jaun?
His "Dimag ki batti jali" and he went to dadi. He saw her sitting on her bed and reading some holy book. He laid placing his head on her lap. Dadi smilingly kept the book away and caresses his head.
Dadi: kya baat hai?
Shivaay: kuch samaj nahi aa raha
Dadi(frowned): kya nahi samaj aa raha?
Shivaay: dadi aap hi samja sakti hai mujhe
Dadi: aree par kya samaj na hai tujhe? Das'ta sahi (tell me first)
Shivaay(sighed): dadi maine aap se ek baat chhupai hai
Dadi: kya?
Shivaay: meri shaadi ho chuki hai
Dadi(shocked): kya?? Kab? Aur kisse?
Shivaay: usska naam Aditi tha
Dadi: woh kahan hai?
Shivaay: wahan
He pointed towards the sky through the window.
Shivaay: aap bachpan mein kehti thi na jo log guzar jate hai woh taara ban jate hai. Woh bhi wahin hai in hazaaron taaron mein se ek.
Dadi(shocked): kya??
Shivaay: aur sirf wohi nahi aapki great granddaughter bhi inhi taaron mein hai.
Dadi was numb by now. Shivaay looked at her and sat up. And told everything to her. Her eyes were filled with tears. Shivaay wiped her tears and nodded not to cry.
Dadi: haaye rabba mere pote ne itna kuch saha aur hume pata bhi nahi. Tune hume bataya kyu nahi?
Shivaay: main aap sabko direct milvane wala tha dadi par....
Dadi: theek hai par baad mein kyu nahi bataya?
Shivaay: kya bata ta dadi? Ke maine shaadi karli meri ek beti bhi hai par main unhe bacha nahi paaya.
Dadi: haaye meri ek par poti hai aur mujhe aaj pata chal raha hai. Jab woh..... rab ji mujhse kya galati ho gai ke mujhe ek baar usska chehra dekne nasib nahi hua.
Shivaay: par photo toh dekh sakti hai na aap?
Dadi: dekha
He smiled and took his laptop from his room. He showed her both the photoes of Aditi and Aisha.
Aisha.
Dadi(smiled): haaye kinni soni kudi hai. Bikul tujh pe gai hai.
Shivaay: haan. Puri ki puri.
He showed more photoes of them. Dadi smiled seeing that.
Shivaay: par dadi baat yeh nahi hai.
Dadi: haan bolna kya baat hai?
Shivaay: dadi mujhe yeh meri feelings ke baare mein confused hun. Main Aditi se pyaar karta hun. Par....
Dadi: par?
Shivaay: Anika....
Dadi: hmmm..... toh tu in dono ke bich ulaj gaya hai
Shivaay: haan par samaj nahi aa raha kya karun?
Dadi: tu ek kaam kar apni aankhe bandh kar.
He closed his eyes.
Dadi: ab soch tu ek khali kamre mein khada hai (he nodded) ass pass koi nahi hai. Par achanak ek ladki tere pass aati hai. Dheree dheree. Tu jis se pyaar karta hai. Tera dil jisko chahta hai uss ladki ka chehra tere saamne aa jayega.
He imagined himself in a lonely room. As said by dadi. A girl approached him he smiled seeing her but her face was not clear. He looked at her slowly she decreased the distance between him and her. She was wearing a high slit kurti and jeans. Her one hand had a bunch of silver coloured bangles. Her forehead was adorned by a small black bindi. And finally her face was cleared and revealed to be.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Anika" whispered Shivaay with smile on his face. He was still in the world of imagination. Dadi shook him.
Dadi: oyee bata kon tha?
Shivaay(blushed): Anika
Dadi(smiled): bas toh phir tu ussi se pyaar karta hai. Tera dil ussi ki chahta hai. Pyaar kab hota hai bande ko pata bhi nahi chalta. Aur pyaar uss se nahi hota jiske saath hum reh sake. Pyaar toh usse hota hai jiske begair nahi reh sake.
Shivaay: thank you dadi. Itne dinon se pagal hua ja raha hun. Aaj sab clear ho gaya.
Dadi: par iss baar pehle shaadi karna
Shivaay: pehle usse kya feel hota hai woh toh jan ne do.
Dadi: toh kar.
Shivaay: haan par aap kisi ko batana mat.
Dadi: theek hai nahi bataungi.
Shivaay: okay dadi ab aap so jaiye.
Dadi: haan
Wishing good night he left and smiled like a maniac. Anika's face was just in fornt of his eyes but where is she?
Shivaay: ab tak toh aa gai hogi.
He went to check if she is were or not. He went to her room and found it dark and empty.
Shivaay: ab tak nahi aai? Kahan reh gai?
He waited for her in the hall. Continuously looking towards the door and his watch. But slowly he drift to sleep there itself.
*******
Next morning.
Jhanvi and Tej woke up early and saw Shivaay lying on the sofa with one leg hanging down and hands hugging a cushion.
Jhanvi: yeh Shivaay yahan kyu so raha hai?
Tej: Shivaay..... Shivaay..... get up sleepy head.
He opened his eyes and saw them.
Shivaay: aap log?
Jhanvi: haan tum yahan pade pade kyu so rahe the?
Shivaay scanned his surroundings and found himself in the hall. He sat up but a sudden pain arise in his back cause of sleeping in an uncomfortable position.
Tej: say something Shivaay yahan kyu so rahe the?
Shivaay: woh.... main pata nahi. Kab nind aa gai?
Jhanvi: okay koi baat nahi. Tum room mein jao. Thodi der theek se so jao back mein pain ho raha hoga na
Shivaay: nahi it's fine. Main fresh ho jata hun.
He left not to his room but to Anika's. Still he found no one.
Shivaay: abhi tak nahi aai?
He called Khanna.
Shivaay: Khanna Anika aa gai kya?
Khanna: nahi sir maine unhe kal se nahi dekha. Aur unki bike bhi nahi hai.
Shivaay: okay you go.
Khanna left and Shivaay to his room. He thought to freshen up and call her. After about 45 minutes he was all ready in a formal three piece suit.
*****