Posted:
Heyllowš¤... ermmm š³... it's my first attempt on AnSh... thanks to my two wonderful friends, Melli di & Reva di, who encouraged me to post it here otherwise I wudn't have done itš³... neway, coudn't find a proper title for it as of YET!... but wanted to post it before today's epi airs...why? well, read it & find out yourselfš... ok... enough saidš¤... feel free to shoot me after reading it... I'm all yours š¤
Part 1 - Page 1
Part 2 - Page 5
PART 1
"What do you think you are doing?" she backed off... "I want you to come back to me!...and I promise, will never ever give you a chance to complain..." Jagdish took a step forward as he tried to cup her face... "Stop it..." she slapped his hands away..." Didn't I make myself clear the other day? ...I threw all your memories out of my life... you don't exist for me anymore... so, do NOT expect me to have anything to do with you ever... Stay away from me.." Anandi cleared out and walked past him when she felt a strong grip around her left elbow and the next moment she was pulled back to her spot...
"Is this because of that bloody Shiv?... He rejected you, damn it..." his eyes were burning red as he clenched his teeth... "But I accepted him... I tell you, don't even go there, Jagdish!... and don't touch me.." the girl warned him as she struggled against his touch... "Why? ... Do you love him? ..." the sarcasm was clear in his intention as he continued "why don't you like my touch anymore?...what about him?...Did he ever try to--" ..."..You are disgusting.." Anandi cut him off as she finally released herself... the man completely lost his track, but was not ready to give up... he was ready to crap out anything to get his way ... but she already had enough of his nonsense for the day as she thought...
Although Anandi made it clear for everyone the reason behind Shiv's sudden change of mind, a part of her still remained reserved as she was hurt by his decision... the man, who extended his hand to support her at every single step whenever she needed, did not even bother to think about her before taking such a step like calling off the wedding ... Despite falling in love with him, a part of her wanted to call off the wedding herself at that very moment, as the sudden turn of event made her worried about their future... she was scared to be a part of another failed marriage, where fine compatibility and trust became a question mark ... But then she thought about his love for her, all those times he had stood up for her, to give his support... and decided to let him choose whether he wants to enter her world or not ... because she knew it was no more her choice to make since he already set up his mind of stepping back from her life...
Anandi was instructed to stay in the house for suffering from febricula, while rest of the family members along with Meenakshi and Shiv had to go to the mandir for a special aarti as Sumitra had come back from the US... other Shekhar members were in Mumbai for shopping as they wanted the best for their son and daughter-in-law... however, to make things worst, Jagya decided to stay back at the Singh mansion to get on her nerves... and Anandi cursed her bad luck...
The man had lost his brain long time back, and arguing with him for someone like Shiv was out of the question... so, she decided to leave the room to diminish his existence around her ... before she could move out of his sight, he got a hold onto one end of her dupatta when he actually meant to grab her arm...the pallu already slipped off her head but she managed to grab the other end... "What are you doing?" Anandi was shocked as she watched him crossing all the limits of insolence.... "Let it --" the words got lost as she watched her dupatta being yanked off her clutch and was now lying on the floor... "I'm not done yet!" pushing her back, he grabbed her both hands and held them against the wall behind her...
She could hear nothing as her eyes were fixed on the piece of fabric lying down on the floor... totally horrified ... as if she did not belong to this cruel world anymore... it was when two fresh drops of tear rolled down her cheeks, Anandi turned her face to the man, whom she once claimed to be in love with ... and here he is ... just happened to expose another terrible side of him ... the pain didn't come from the blood of her wrist which got pierced by the broken piece of bangle ... it was due to the inhuman sight of him that shook her to the core... and she thought she lost her voice too...
"Disgusting?" he repeated the last word while forcing himself to get her attention... "Tell me what sin did I commit to be treated like this?... I admit, I made mistakes ... everyone does ... big deal! ... we are not some Gods here... but hey! I begged before my family for forgiveness but not even a single sympathy that I received in return ... they treated me like trash in front of everyone ...I literally had to live a life of a thief... ALL because of YOU!.." the streams of tear continued to flow their way down her face as she listened to him quietly, all puzzled... "...for heaven's sake, it is MY family... THEY were supposed to make the decision and NOT YOU!... if it was ONLY to them, sure, they would have forgiven and accepted me long time back...BUT NO! they have become a bunch of bloody puppets of your so called love that My Family had to take YOUR permission to forgive their own blood...and you think I will let you get away with it?... NEVER! " his anger bursted out ... finally he let out everything that was in his mind and heart...
She was beyond shocked, confused, and terrified to even react to his words... all those caring and repentance were a part of his play? all were to take revenge on her? ... then what was it 5 minutes ago?... giving him one more chance in her life! convincing Shiv to get her back! what was that for? ... her mind refused to cooperate with her heart and both failed to solve the puzzles... right then she got her unpleasant answer... "..Yes, I want you back... I will NOT lose you to that Shiv for anything... even if it means I have to cross all the boundaries to make you mine without your consent... I almost convinced him to leave you but at the last moment, you had to ruin it yet again..." his sarcastic tone taunted her..." how could you even choose him over me?... I did not forget the humiliation he put me through by putting me behind the bars... taking you out of his life is supposed to be a pay back time for him...but don't worry, I'll make him pay for all of it..." he confessed... at that very moment, she found herself to be an object ... a very pleasant trump card with which one can turn someone's life upside down...
"...Let me go..." Anandi somehow managed to plead in her low broken tone... it seemed like she would collapse on the floor any moment as the sudden turn of the event failed to support her mental as well as physical state... "... Not so easily... just because you are the head of the village and manage to make others dance in your tunes does not mean I will have to be one of them... I'll show you what I AM CAPABLE of doing... and mind it, I don't CHOOSE to live upto anyone's expectations..." Jagdish was about to push himself against her when she cried out loud in pain, terror, and disgust, "Maa" ... if only Sumitra was there to wake her up from such a ruthless nightmare...
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'Anandi?' Sumitra whispered to herself as she stepped in the mansion with everyone... She did not need for a second call to recognize the anxiety in her daughter's voice as she headed for Anandi's room as fast as she could leaving others to follow her...
It seemed like the entire world suddenly got disappeared under her feet as her eyes fell on the awkward position the poor girl was in, right against the wall... all thanks to her son... Anandi's moisten eyes caught hers and she called out in her weak broken voice, "Maa"... "Go to your room, NOW!" Gehna ordered Nandu as she did not want the boy to witness such displeasing scenario... but little did she know that the damage was already done ...
It was Bhairon, who grabbed the collar of his shirt from the back and pulled him away from her... if only he had the power to throw him far far away from her life.... "wait, listen to me, dad, please" it was too late for any justification as he was being dragged out of the room... "Bhairon.." Basant tried to make his younger brother calm down as he witnessed things had already gotten out of hands then... "..Bhai Saab, Enough!... not today please ... definitely not today..." Bhairon shut him up, not ready to listen to anyone's plea at that moment ... "..and you... How dare you touch her?..." turning to the young man, he continued pulling him by the collar towards the main exit of the mansion...
After collecting the dupatta from the floor, Sumitra rushed to Anandi and safely wrapped it around her shoulder... it took her a moment to realize what just happened, then finally she collapsed on the floor breaking down right into her mother's protective arms ... she buried her face in her chest and sobbed more openly ... in the meantime, Gehna took her right arm and started dressing the wrist... tears rolled down her face as she silently applied medicine to her wound... if only she had something to heal the girl's broken heart ... something, that could erase these disastrous minutes of her life... but sadly, there was nothing she could do to even share her pain ...
Everything had just fallen apart around her... It seemed like she messed up the experiences of her life... all these years of her merits and values have cheated on her... the calculations of unconditional love had turned out to be all wrong... the terms called belief and trust have managed to screw her over in just a fraction of time... Mrs. Kalyani Devi managed to settle herself in the corner of the bed behind Gehna... not a single word of anger, grief, curse, or apology came out of her mind as she stared into space ... she failed to understand him yet again ... her mind got occupied recollecting all the moments with this one young man during the course of her life... if only she could erase them from her memory land... forever ... he did not deserve to stay in there ...
A moment later, Meenakshi took the place beside the elder lady on the bed ... she did not know what to say or do... the unexpected scenario kicked everyone out of their mind ... walking out on the scene like that did not seem right to her... besides, she did not feel to leave watching the girl in such condition... for the first time, her heart went out to her... She wanted to give her a warm hug and say 'everything will be fine', even if it turned out to be a lie in the future ... all she wanted to give her would be daughter-in-law was a ray of hope ... and then it clicked her as she froze on the spot for a moment... daughter-in-law ... 'Shiv' she whispered in her heart and turned back to find him standing against the door with his left hand holding onto the door frame for support ...
Holding Anandi close to her heart, Sumitra turned around to check on her mother-in-law when her eyes caught the sight of him ... standing there, all alone by the door ...the lady turned her face away from him as she lowered her gaze and wondered if she would ever be able to meet his eyes again... She was in shame ... ashamed of giving birth to a beast... she closed her eyes thinking of it as the biggest sin she ever committed... if only she could dig the ground under her feet to hide there forever and never show her face to the rest of the world.....
Perhaps it was the first time, she failed to read his eyes and mind... and it scared the hell out of her ... this was definitely not the reaction Meenakshi was expecting ... at least not from him... his eyes were lost into space, he was not angry, not even upset.... what was he feeling then? ... and she found him quietly stepping back from his place with his head lowered as if he wanted to hide himself away ... the next moment, he disappeared from the picture ...
************************************
Embarrassing her was the last thing on earth he wanted to do at that very moment... his heart would stop beating every time her anxious eyes flashed out in his mind.... only the moon was giving him a light of peace as he kept his room dark with all the lights turned off... sitting on a classic wooden armchair, Shiv leaned back and rested his left elbow on the arm of the chair to let the hand support his forehead as he was abstractedly giving it a slow massage...
"...I was wrong..." his voice was stern... the first sentence she got to hear from him ever since he left the Singh mansion...that too came as an unexpected judgement about himself... she deliberately avoided turning on the light before sitting in the corner of the bed right beside him... perhaps because Meenakshi wanted to avoid meeting his eyes... as if was afraid to see his pain ... yet decided to be there for him as she knew he would need someone to share those built up mixed emotions inside that soft heart...
Although his face was hidden behind the shadow of his hand but the voice was concerning... it was stern yet a bit of complaint was there... "...I was so wrong chhoti maa..." he rubbed his forehead and continued "...screwed up my own principles..." he paused to take a deep breath... "...I promised myself to protect her from all those thinking of causing her any harm..." he stopped massaging and turned to his right and faced her... " to protect her from every single thing that could shatter her self-confidence ... every single emotion that could hurt her instinct... but today, I found myself failing in all of them ... fear..." he paused again and closed his eyes as he went back to lean on the chair ... taking a deep breath, he stated "...Those eyes... had fear in them" ... she kept quiet, learning the new discovery of her son about the lady he loved...
"I've never seen her so vulnerable before... She was scared, chhoti maa!"... she lost her words when his shaky voice completed the last sentence, and his strong face had a look of an innocent young boy, who failed to understand the cruelty of destiny... as if failing to balance his mind with heart...
"Shiv, you know it's not your fault" she tried to convince him in her low soft tone... "...I know..." he reassured her "... but what is her fault? ... how can people stoop to this extent to destroy the ones they claim to be in love with?..." his simple innocent questions left her speechless as she thought about the irony behind them... and a glimpse of her past happened to flash out before her eyes for a second... she quickly collected herself before he could catch where his words were leading her towards ...
He wished he could provide her some comfort... gather her in the crook of his protective arms... and say some words of assurance that no matter what happens, even if the world collapses around her, he would never ever leave her side ... speaking of it, didn't he just almost left her alone in her world when he decided to call off the wedding without any discussion? ... He wanted to see her happy, hence entered the sacrificing idea... but how could he trust the guy to not hurt her again when he had been the champion in this field? ... how could he let Jagya manipulate him?... even if he was telling the truth, Shiv should have at least asked for Anandi's consent and let her take the decision... after all, her life was also involved... He felt as if someone had just twisted his heart around when the realization of his stupidity hit him...
"I failed to live upto my own expections... and the feeling of it sucks!..." he covered his face behind his hands ... trying to think of a way to make up to it... but failed miserably ... she put her hand on his shoulder and patted with a light squish... "Hey... things could have been worse but she was fortunate... don't worry, she will get over it..." Meenakshi explained... "Really?... you think so?" he asked like a 2 years old hopeful kid, who was waiting for his Santa to do the magic and turn everything according to his little wishes ...
In return, he got a reassuring smile from her... she knew it was different for him knowing that he had never been exposed to such displeasing and awkward circumstance before ... that too with someone he 'loved'.... so expecting the odd reaction from him was natural ... "... I hope so too... " ... with that she got up to leave when he gently grabbed the end of her pallu... she turned around to find him looking down into space ...
"Do you really feel it will be unfair with me if I choose to marry the girl who got nothing but injustice from life?" he did not need anyone to make that choice for him yet he wanted the support from all those who meant a lot to him ... "I love her, Chhoti maa" that was the only true justification you could give for his feelings... the lady clearly felt the scratch on his wounded heart ... her heart went out to the man sitting across... and she instantly took the place beside him ... "..NO, I don't feel that... anymore.." she tried to sound strong before him...
"... you will hold onto her and lead her to the life she deserves, full of love and respect.. you have been taking care of your every single relationship with honesty and the equation you share with her is a special one and it deserves to be treated that way...with respect, trust and love... I know you will make it work wholeheartedly ... if she deserves the best... YOU, deserve more than that ...and believe me when I say this, you will get what you deserve... and she ...is the one..." Meenakshi smiled with the satisfaction that every single word was right out of her heart... the moment, Anandi chose Shiv over Jagya, she knew her son did not love the wrong person... he chose the right one who respected his feelings above everything and everyone... and that was all she wished for him...
"Thanks" he finally managed to smile... the gratitude was not only for her accepting the girl he loved... it was for being there for him when he needed someone to share his inner conflicts ... "any time, beta" with a smile, she lightly patted his cheek before leaving the place...
The day was horrible... but the loving lady had managed to lighten up his heart a bit... and this was exactly why he is so close to her... however, the restlessness to know about Anandi's condition was still there... he wanted to call her but stopped himself thinking she might need some time to recover... the girl faced a terrible experience and must need some space to get over it... although she always shared her inner conflicts with him but this was a different case where she could only share her emotions with herself and he was ready to give her that space while he would just wait for the time to build a new world around ONLY for her... that would wash away all her bitter past and lead her to the paradise of his love...
luv
Rehana
Anupamaa
