Ch 7
Anuj was getting ready in a haste, after all he was supposed to reach Anu's house. Coming downstairs, he saw his mother all set, he asked, "Maa, aap bhi aa rahi hai?"
"Haan, bilkul, main bhi toh dekhu apne bete ki pasand, mere hone wali bahu ko!!"
Hearing that his face heated up. "Maa, kya aap bhi..."
"Chalo, der ho rahi hai!"
It was a quaint house, with a warm, homely feeling to it. Anuj knocked at the door. Anu's mother opened the door and seemed to recognize him as her daughter's classmate. She greeted them with a sweet smile, "Jai Shri Krishna, aaiye na andar, aaiye - baithiye..."
"Jai Shri Krishna, ben, mai Asha hoon, Anuj ki maa. Aur aap Anu ki maa hai na..."
"Jee, mera naam Kanta hai..."
Just then Anu came out in the hall, bringing two glasses of water in the tray. Handing over the water, she touched Asha's feet, seeking her blessings.
"Sada sukhi raho beta!! Waise main Anuj ki maa hoon, yahi paas mein kuch kaam tha, to socha milke chalu.."
"Maasi, mai Anupama hoon - "
"Haan beta, mai jaanti hoon, bohot suna tumhare baare mein, bohot acchi bacchi ho beta!!"
An amused smile played on her lips as Anuj cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly feeling embarassed.
"Aap dono upar chhat par jake padhai kariye, vo behtar hoga, vaha par jagah badi hai, shanti se kaam kar paoge, aur hum dono gupshup karte hai," Kantaben remarked. Nodding, both of them headed upstairs.
"Kitne pyaare bacche hai na..."
"Haan, sahi kaha aapne.."
The college assignment work was completed by the two. Asha had long left by then.
"Mai chalta hoon ab..."
"Ruko beta, kuch khaake jao."
"Nahi maasi, woh thodi der pehle aapne diya to tha, aur kafi der bhi ho gayi hai, toh phir kabhi."
Just then, Anu's father arrived back home from work. Anu introduced him and Anuj to each other. Her father was thoroughly impressed with his humble manners.
Anuj left. Later that night, Anu's mother told her, "Ashaben bahut acchi hain, aur unka beta bhi, kitna shaant aur saumya swabhav ka hai..."
"Hmmmm...." Anu replied noncommittally, a smirk playing on her lips, as the memories of him thrashing the local goons with a hockey stick drifted across her mind.
A similar scene unfolded at the Kapadia household. Asha was telling everyone about Anu, as they had dinner.
"Kitni sanskarshil ladki hai, tumhari pasand acchi hai, kehna padega."
"Yeh toh bahut acchi baat hai!! Anuj, tum kab puchne wale ho usse?" His father playfully teased him, as he looked away bashfully.
Anu's father was taking a walk after dinner. "Aao beta, shatapaavali acchi hoti hai, tum bhi aao." He called out to Anu, who promptly joined. He had been observing her, his dear child, the apple of his eye, around her friend Anuj. He had watched their interaction before he left. He knew his daughter's mind like the back of his hand. She had feelings for him, now whether she had realised this or not, was a different story altogether. He resolved to confide this in his wife.
A few days later, when he invited the family over for lunch, to know more about them, they all hit it off instantly. They were genuinely nice people. That same night, his daughter had again accompanied him for his routine walk, this time of her own volition.
"Mai poore dil se Anuj se pyaar karti hoon, papa." She had confessed, albeit hesitatingly. "Mujhe pata hai, beta."
"Kaise?? Yeh maine aur kisiko nahi bataya, naa Anuj ko, naa Maa ko. Phir..."
"Tum meri beti ho, tumhare mann mein kya chal raha hai, yeh janane ke liye mujhe tumhare kuch kehne ki jarurat nahi. Aur woh ladka accha hai. Tumhe pyaar hai, toh bataa do usse."
Anuj seemed to be a very sweet person, and quite in love with his daughter. This was confirmed when a couple of weeks later his parents invited them over. The prospective match of their children had been the subject of their discussion.
"Dono ek doosre se pyaar karte hai, mujhe lagta hai ki wo sahi hain ek dusre ke liye. Aur aapki beti to kitni sushil aur sanskari hai, mujhe toh aisihi bahu chahiye thi..."
"Aapka beta bhi... aur sahi kaha aapne, hume bhi iss me koi aitraz nahi."
"Ab bas dono ko ek dusre ko sab bataane ki deri hai."
"Haan, ek baar yeh ho jaye, toh at least engagement karva denge dono ki." Deciding to wait for the children to approach them for permission for an engagement, they all agreed to keep mum about their discussion.
Both Anu and Anuj were unaware of this, having been at the college at that time - unaware that their parents had agreed to their union, even when they were yet to confess their feelings for each other, a fact which anuj sought to rectify soon.
Tbc
AN: I know, yeh wala chhota hai, aur kaafi late hai, kind of a filler, but next wala better karne ka try karungi pakka.....
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