Part 13
Knock Knock Knock
"Mayank, I'm so sorry. Gunjan needs me, I'm so sor -" Nupur rambled, opening the door hurriedly to find Gunjan standing at her door.
"Mayank?" Gunjan asked, her face mirroring the confusion. Then she took in her sister's appearance.
She was dressed in a resplendent gown, and red rubies. She smiled – their mother's. They both loved this set. She had worn it for her wedding.
And then she'd given it off to Di – because she knew how much Di missed mom. She had never really known mom, but Di had and this set meant much more to Di than it could ever do to her.
"Gunjan?" Nupur asked, shaking Gunjan from her thoughts.
She shook her head and threw her arms around Nupur, "Di …" she muttered, sniffing softly.
Nupur hugged her back instantly, "I missed you, Gunjan" she said, her voice heavy, "Come in" she said, stepping aside.
Gunjan walked in and smiled, taking in the mess that the room was in, "Di! This is just so you" she commented softly, bending down to pick up the clothes strewn across the room.
" I was getting ready for the – " Nupur started speaking, then seeing the look on Gunjan's face, she stopped, " never mind" she stepped forward to pull her sister in a hug, " are you fine, Gunjan?"
Gunjan wrapped her arms around her sister and nodded, "I'm fine, Di – where did you have to go – did I spoil your plans?"
Nupur frowned at Gunjan, "don't talk to me as if we're strangers" she said firmly, going to sit down in the bed.
Gunjan smiled at her, "sorry Di. I wasn't thinking" she offered, crawling into bed, and hugging her knees against her chest.
Nupur smiled at her sister, "What's wrong Gunjan?" she asked. Gunjan bit her lip as she looked at her toes, everything was the honest answer. But she couldn't tell Di that – she couldn't tell Di the truth now – not when she was getting ready to go somewhere.
Her decision was made.
"Nothing, Di. I just wanted to –" she started saying.
"Say that again" Nupur said, scooting closer to Gunjan and placing her fingers beneath her chin, "Say that again, Gunjan"
Gunjan looked up at her sister – Nupur was looking at her intently, cross eyed, as if scrutinizing her.
Wordlessly, Gunjan shook her head – She couldn't lie to Nupur. She was a fool to have thought she could.
"What makes you think you can lie to me, and get away with it?" Nupur said in a firm tone, cupping Gunjan's cheek, "You always get caught when you try and lie to me, remember?"
Of course she remembered.
Di's 5th birthday
Gunjan stood in the corner, looking up at Bui and Bauji talking in hushed tones. Her glasses slipped from her nose to her forehead – she'd told Bauji that they were really big – Bauji had said that it was good for her eyes. She'd agreed.
Bui crouched down before her and smiled, "Gunjan, Beta. You remember that doll Nupur saw in the mela?"
She nodded her head fervently, Bui smiled, "Your Bauji wants to buy Nupur that doll as her birthday gift"
Gunjan smiled widely, "Bauji!" she bounced to her father and hugged his knees. Bauji placed his hand on her head and smiled, "haan beta, Nupur is crying for that doll na?"
Gunjan looked up, " Haan, Bauji. Di kab se ro rahi hai..." she said with a pout and a tilt of her head.
Bauji picked her up, " Tumhare Di se bolo ki Bauji use bahut pyar karte hai" he said, kissing her cheek. Gunjan nodded, " Ji" she said respectfully.
Bauji let her down, and she danced her way to Di's room.
" Gunjan!" Bauji called her back. She stopped and turned. Bauji walked up to her, " It's a surprise. Don't tell Nupur that she is getting the doll"
Not understanding why she had to keep it a secret from Di, she nodded because her father was telling her to do so.
Nupur smiled in sweet memory, "You remember how you blurted Bauji's doll surprise in my fifth birthday"
Gunjan gasped in surprise, " Di! I was just thinking about –" she trailed off, " I'd seen you crying and –"
"Bounced on the bed to hug me!" Nupur said.
" And when you asked me why I was so happy I'd blurted that because you are getting –"
Nupur laughed at the memory, " and then remembering what Bauji had said you'd stopped talking, crawled off the bed and ran to a corner of the room, sucking on your thumb" she said fondly, " kitni cute thi, by god" Nupur leaned forward and pulled Gunjan's cheeks.
Gunjan giggled, " thi? What do you mean kitni cute thi?" she said, narrowing her eyes at Nupur in mock anger.
Nupur chuckled, "and when I'd asked you –"
" Asked?" Gunjan chortled, " Di – you emotionally blackmailed me!"
Nupur ignored it, "You finally said Bauji had planned it as a surprise. My Dulhan Gudiya"
Nupur sobered up immediately at the though of her dulhan gudiya – All through her childhood she'd played thinking of herself as the dulhan gudiya. The dulha changed with age –sometimes the ice cream waala – she'd get free ice-creams for life! Sometimes it had been the theatre waala – free cinema tickets for life! And when SRK entered her life – it had always been Raj.
And now that was never going to happen – No ice-cream waala, no theatre waala, and no Raj!
"Di?" Gunjan prodded, shaking her from her thoughts. She shook her head, as if doing that would shake off her sorrow too, she thought in self mockery.
"Toh haan, stop lying to me and out with the truth. Kya hua?" Nupur asked laying her hands on Gunjan's.
Gunjan sighed and looked down at her toes. Nupur's brows narrowed, hooking her fingers under her sister's chin, she tipped it up, "Do your toes interest you more than I do, chashmish?" she said in a Samrat impersonation.
That did it! The control that Gunjan had managed to keep all around her broke the instant Nupur did a Samrat act. She dropped her head on her knees and said in a muffled tone, "Samrat doesn't love me anymore Di"
"WHAT?"
Gunjan nodded without lifting her head. Nupur shook her head and scooted close to her sister, "You're being silly, Gunjan. Look at me"
Gunjan looked up and shook her head, "No, Di. I am not being silly. This is not just another fight. It's huge"
"Whatever it is, Gunjan. It's not bigger than the two of you – your marriage…"
Gunjan sniffed and shook her head, "He says he wants my happiness, but he doesn't mean it"
For the first time in her life, she thought Gunjan was being stupid, "That's not true – Samrat loves you" Nupur said desperately, clutching Gunjan's hand.
"He doesn't want our baby, Di"
"Of course he wants your –" Nupur stopped talking and stared at Gunjan, "what did you just say?" she asked slowly, her eyes fixed on Gunjan's.
Gunjan bit her lip and nodded, "I'm pregnant – and he doesn't -" Gunjan was pulled into a bear hug before she could complete the sentence.
"Congrats!" Nupur exclaimed, unbridled joy evident in her tone, "Gunjan, you're going to have a baby!" she semi shrieked in happiness, cradling Gunjan's face in her hands. Her sister was going to be a mother - a little baby!! Nupur though excitedly, her eyes shone and her face just lit up and a huge smile spread over her face.
Gunjan smiled sadly, "Haan Di. If only my husband showed at least 10% of the happiness that you did" she said sadly.
Nupur bit her lip – she had protected Gunjan all her life. She wasn't making an exception now just because she was married, "Where's Samrat?" she asked determinedly.
Gunjan shook her head vehemently, "No, Di. You won't talk to him" she said firmly.
Nupur sighed – "fine. You talk to him, first" she agreed for Gunjan's sake. Mentally she made a note to talk to Samrat – this was insane – he did not want a baby when his wife was pregnant – he really didn't know what he was messing up. And she had a feeling that he would understand if she spoke to him.
Really spoke to him
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