CHAPTER 12
A day to remember
Maan was fuming. His anger was at his peak today. He just couldn't understand how his munni could talk like this about him. To diffuse the anger, he decided he would practice Tai chi. that always worked for him. But that time he just couldn't concentrate on his tai chi as well. His munni's words were stabbing him. He wondered, 'is she the same munni who respected her bhai's every decision? Is she the same munni who had brought happiness to our lives? Is she the same munni whose laughter had brought new aura in this house? No! She couldn't be the same munni...what went wrong? As he thought all these, he remembered the day when Annie had come into his life
(Flashback)
Maan and Daadi were coming out of the crematorium after finishing all the last rights they had to offer to those souls who were everything to them. Maan was still in tears. He was just a little boy for whom his parents were his actual soul and today when he had to burn the bodies to fulfil his duty as a son, he realized that they are never going to come back into his life and in that shock, he completely broke down. Daadi stood by him and consoled him. This was the biggest shock for this happy family when they learnt that Parvati and Rajashekhar Khurana had died in an air crash. They had gone to Venice to attend a wedding of their close client and didn't come back at all. All that reached the Khurana mansion was their half burnt bodies, which Daadi didn't allow Maan to see. They headed back to their car and made their way to the mansion which had been built by Maan's parents as gift to their (maa and pappa for Rajashekar Khurana) Daadi and Dadaji's 25 anniversary.
Maan was staring out of the window of the car, lookind very sad. His usual expressive chocolate brown eyes were blank without any expression at all. Suddenly, he saw something. 'Ravi gaadi rokhiye...' he said. The driver stopped the vehicle. Daadi asked 'kya hua Maanu...'
'Ek minute Daadi...' he said and got out of the car. Daadi followed him looking confused. He was going near a small cliff. Daadi followed him and came near small patch of grass that was on a cliff overlooking river Yamuna. Daadi gasped as she saw Maan carrying a small baby girl in his arms and cuddling it. She approached him and asked ' Maanu...bete...yeh...'
'Daadi dekhiye na...koi is nanhi si jaan ko yaha akele chod kar chale gaye hai...koi aisa kaise kar sakte hai Daadi...dekhiye na Daadi kitni pyaari hai...bilkul meri mumma ki jaise pyaari hai...Daadi hum is bachchi ko hamare saat lekar jaayenge...please Daadi...main isse yaha nahi chod sakta...mumma kehti thi bachche bhagwan ke samaan hote hai..Daadi please...please Daadi...'
Daadi was overwhelmed with emotions at her grandson who was happily cuddling the baby in his arms and laughing along with it. The baby had immediately responded to his touch and was so happy in his arms. She was laughing along with him and they looked like a divine brother and sister. Daadi wiped away her tears and carassed Maan's hair and said 'haan bete...biklul...hum inhe hamare ghar lekar jaayenge...aaj se yeh aapki behen hai aur aap unka bada bhai...aap hume promise karenge ki aap is nanhi jaan ka pura pura khayal rakenge...promise?'
'Daadi...main promise karta hoon ki main meri behen ka pura khayal rakunga'aaj se yeh meri zindagi hai...mumma khud isse mere liye bheji hai...' said Maan, with excitement and happiness twinkling in his eyes.
Daadi said 'chaliye bete...ghar chalenge'is pyaari bachchi ko ghar mein swaagat karenge...' and took him to the car. They headed back to their house, with the little girl peacefully sleeping in Maan's arms.
They arrived at Khurana Mansion and Daadi called out 'Nakul'aarti ki thali layiye...abhi!'
Nakul wondered 'aarti ki thali...woh bhi aaj ke din...' but nevertheless, did as he was instructed. When he came out, he stood rooted to the spot seeing Maan who was carrying a little baby in his arms and was cutely kissing its nose. Daadi smiled at Nakul's surprise and went inside to take the aarti thali out of his hands. She did aarti to the little angel who had stepped into their life and welcomed her inside to the life and home of the Khuranas.
Days passed by and this little girl had become the happiness of Maan and Daadi. They didn't keep any naming ceremony for her in a grand way as Maan hated grandeur. They named her Ahana in a private ceremony consisting of only 2 people: Maan and Daadi...For Maan she was everything. She was a little angel who had come to his life to vanish the void that his parents' death had created. He had become a protective brother and took extremely good care of his baby sister. Never would he let tears come out of her eyes. His day started with Annie and ended with Annie, who always slept next to him. Daadi was constantly increasing her respect for Maan. She knew how he was and the amount of maturity he had in this tender age. She decided that he will be the emperor of Khurana Empire and got all the papers ready and took his signatures. She decided she would be taking care of their business on his behalf until he was ready to conquer it. She took very good and pampering care of both her grandchildren who had now become the sole reason of her living. Never could you see Maan and Annie (wondering why they were calling her Annie...because she pronounced her name Ahana as ana...that turned to Annie as the nick name of Ahana Khurana) apart from each other except for the classes they attended. As the time flew, Maan went to US to complete his studies in UMASS and did an additional course of fashion design while Ahana went to London to do a degree in fashion designing. They both became the emperors of Khurana Group of Companies. From the day Maan took over the business, its expansion became obvious. There was nothing that this man couldn't do. He was all the pillar of support that Savitri Devi and Ahana could get. Ahana grew up to be a charming young woman who supported her brother in all the ways because she knew what he liked and what not. But Ahana failed to understand the real Maan. She only thought him to be an angry young man but she didn't know about the other soft face he possessed because he had never opened up himself like that in front of her.
(Present)
As Maan remembered how his munni had brought back the lost happiness, Daadi came inside looking extremely tense and said 'Maan bete, woh ladki ghar chodkar chaligayi hai...dekhiye yeh chitti chod kar chali gayi hai...'
Maan was flabbergasted. As he read that letter he realized that she had witnessed the fight and feeling bad, had left the house. He felt extremely uncomfortable. All his hopes of uniting her with her family had crashed. He didn't know what to do.
Daadi said 'Annie ki wajah se woh bachchi ghar chodkar chali gayi...ab woh kaha jaayengi...isiliye humne Annie se kehdiya ki unhe is ghar mein lakar humne bohot badi galti kardi..'
'KYA?? Daadi aapne Annie ko aisa kaha...'
'Aur nahi to kya...agar woh hamare khoon hote to kya aisa karte?'
'Daadi yeh aapne kya kar diya...maana ki Annie kuch zyaada hi bol gayi lekin aap usse jaante hai na...ghusse mein kuch bhadak thi hai aur phir pachtakar wapas aati hai but aapne usse uski zindagi ki sachchayi kyun batayi Daadi..Annie yeh kabhi bardasht nahi karpayegi...' said Maan feeling very bad.
'Woh aapko aise kaise keh sakti hai...hume aaj bohot bura laga Maan. Woh aapki character par ungli uthayi...arre woh kya jaanti hai ki aap kaise hai? Agar aap nahi hote to pata nahi woh kaha hoti..aapke pyaar ne unhe itna bada kiya..aur aaj woh aap ke baare mein itna bura kaha...'
'Daadi..main jaanta hoon ki Annie ne galat bola par phir bhi main uski aankhon mein aansoon nahi dekh sakta Daadi...woh mere liye sabse important hai Daadi...duniya chahe usse adopted kahe lekin mere liye woh meri behen jisko Maa ne khud bheji mere akelapan ko door karne ke liye...'
'Par bete...'
'Please Daadi main maanta hoon ki us ladki ko ghar lakar maine kuch galat nahi kiya lekin mein uskeliye apni Annie ko dukh nahi pohunchasakta Daadi...mere liye us ladki se zyaada apni Annie important hai...woh aapke liye adopted hogi Daadi but mere liye meri zindagi hai aur agar usse bura laga hai yeh main kabhi bardasht nahi kar sakta...'
Suddenly there was crash and Maan and Daadi looked around to see Annie standing at the door, looking shocked. The black coffee cup which she had brought for Maan lay on the floor, broken with its contents spread around. For a split second she was mute but the next moment she ran and hugged Maan and broke down completely.
'I am so sorr...sorry bhai...mujhe nahi pata tha ki aap...mujhe maaf kar dejiye bhai...I am extremely sorry bhai...Maine aapki dil bohot dukhadi...please bhai...mujhse nafrat mat kariye bhai...mujhse mat roothiye bhai...please I am so so sorry bhai...' she cried on Maan's shoulders. Maan was really hurt looking at his sister cry so much. If there was one thing that he couldn't tolerate was his sister getting hurt. He stroked her head and consoled her saying 'Its okay munni...tum ro mat...pagli, kya main tumse kabhi nafrat kar sakta hoon...nahi munni...kabhi nahi...tumse zyaada mere liye aur kuch bhi nahi hai munni...main kabhi bardasht nahi karsakta ki agar tumhe ya Daadi ko bura laga ho...aap dono mere zindagi hai to kya koi apni zindagi se root sakta hai? nahi munni..main tumse kabhi naraz nahi ho sakta...par aaj tumne jo kiya bohot galat kiya munni...tumhe us ladki ke baare mein aise baat nahi karni thi...'
'Sorry bhai...mujhe pata chal gaya hai ki meri galti kya hai...Daadi I am really sorry Daadi...maine aap ko bhi bohot hurt kiya...please Daadi mujhe maaf kardejiye...mujhse angry mat baniye...please Daadi...main us ladki se bhi maafi maangoongi...maine uske saat bohot galat kiya...tehriye main abhi us ladki ko yaha lekar aati hoon' said Annie and tried to go out of the room but Daadi stopped 'koi faayda nahi hai bete...woh ghar chod kar chale gaye hai...'
'Kya?' Annie was flabbergasted...she didn't know that her momentary anger could cause so much of pain in that girl that she decided to leave the house. All she could think of was bringing her back and nobody except her Maan bhai could do this. She took his hands in hers and pleaded 'bhai please usse ghar wapas le ayiye bhai...mujhe usse maafi maangni hi padegi...tab tak mein khush nahi hosakti...please bhai...usse ghar wapas lekar ayiye...'
Maan was touched. He knew his hair brained sister. This was her usual routine. He smiled and said 'dont worry munni...main usse ghar wapas laonga...sachi...'
Annie smiled and hugged her brother and said 'thank you bhai...you really are the best bhai in the world!'
Maan kissed her forehead and told his Daadi that he going to find that girl; took the keys of his black Bolero jeep and escaped into the night.
PRECAP:
A forest night out!!! Will Maan find his girl?
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