Part 2
Sh: Ok so ab sab behte, we can sit and talk; now Swayam can also be a part of the conversation.
Everyone laughed and sat on the sofas around the centre table with Krissh in Taani's lap.
Si: So Taani, where have you been?
T: I was in Delhi for the past 2 years, I just got transferred here to the head office, I just came back to Mumbai last week, so am just in the process of moving, settling in etc.
Krissh pulls Taani's hand to get her attention.
T (looks down to Krissh): Haan Shona
Kr: (whispers to Taani, but everyone still hears him) Mumma, yeh sab kaun hain?
T: Beta, yeh sab mumma, mamu aur mamiji ke dost hain.
Krissh gives her a blank look.
T: Jaise aapke play school mein dost hain na, like Sameer and Arjun, waise hi yeh mumma ke dost hain, jab mumma college mein thi.
Kr: Toh mujhse koi kyun nahin mila?
Everyone laughs at Krissh's innocent question.
Sh: Right, Krissh toh aaj ka sabse important guest hai, sabko use milna chaiye hai, right?
Krissh nods his head saying yes.
Sh: Aao, main tumhe sabse milati hoon.
Krissh climbs off Taani's lap and goes to Sharon and holds her hand. Sharon takes him around the circle. 'Yeh Neha Aunty hain' Krissh takes out his hand to shake with hers and says 'hello' and Neha says 'Hi'
Sh: Yeh, Simi Aunty hain, yeh Vicky Uncle and yeh Nilesh Uncle.
Krissh shakes hand with all of them. And then Sharon proceeds onto Rey.
Sh: This is Rey Uncle.
Kr (puts out his hand) Hi, my name is Krissh.
Rey shakes his hand, 'Hi Krissh, I'm Rey'
Sh: Ok guys, as Krissh said, this is Krissh.
Everyone laughed, and Sharon sat back down, and Krissh went back to Taani's lap. The gang started talking about old times and random things and soon enough, Krissh fell asleep with his head on Taani's shoulder, and Taani rocking him back and forth. Rey had excused himself to go to the washroom.
Sh: Taani, Krissh ka dinner?
T: Don't worry bhabhi, main isse khilake laayi thi, yeh Mr. Fussy ko khaana khilaana bahut mushkil hai.
Sw: Taani, put him down in the room na, waise bhi, I'm not letting you go home so late on your own, woh bhi with Krissh
T: Bhai main chali jaungi
Sw: I'm not taking no for an answer, you are staying here tonight, tumhara aur Krissh ka samaan is still in your old room.
Sh: Don't even think of arguing with him Taani.
T (getting up) fine, I'll be right back.
Taani carried Krissh into her old room, and tucked him into bed. Rey came out of the washroom and saw Taani tucking Krissh into bed, but she couldn't see him. Taani sat next to Krissh, kissed him on the forehead, and whispered to him 'I love you Shona' She got up from the bed, turned around and saw Rey staring at her with a smile on his face. He was about to say something, but she quickly quietened him with a finger on her lips, and looked in the direction of the door, he understood her gesture and stepped out of the room with Taani in tow, shutting the lights and the door, she looked back once more to make sure Krissh was comfortable and then finally closed the door.
R: Uhh, woh I was just saying sorry, I didn't know you were going to put Krissh down in that room.
T (smiles): You don't have to say sorry.
R: You are great with him. How old is he?
T: He's three, and about being great with him, it's not me, Krissh is such an amazing child, he just never troubles me.
Rey heard it, that awe that every mother has for her child, he could hear it in Taani's voice when she talked about Krissh, the unconditional, everlasting, unlimited love that she had for her son. Taani looked back at Rey and saw him staring at her.
T: Umm, chale
R (snaps back to reality) Haan
Taani and Rey go back to the gang and they sit around talking some more, then all of them had dinner, and then talked some more. It was like everyone was sharing the past 5 years of their life in the past 5 hours. After, a long time, talks turned back to Krissh.
N: Taani, Krissh bahot hi cute hain.
Si: Yah, he is soo adorable, how old is he?
T (smiled): He's three and very proud of the fact.
N: Taani, Krissh's papa not coming?
Taani froze, but she didn't know why, people always asked about him and they will always ask about him, but every time someone did, she was back there, back in that moment. She took a deep breath.
T: Actually we're divorced, I'm a single mother.
Now, everyone else froze, except for swaron. The whole gang was shocked, especially Rey, this was the girl, who in college wasn't able to do anything by herself, always needed some support from someone, today she was raising a child, and such an amazing child on top of that, on her own.
Si: Oh my god, we're so sorry Taani.
T (smiled): Hey don't be, I have Krissh, he's all I need.
N: Taani, if you minding not, what happened?
Swayam interrupted: Guys, I don't think we'
But Taani stopped him.
T: Bhai, it's ok, it's not a secret, yeh sab humare friends hain, they can know. Even if we are meeting after a few years, friends toh friends hote hain na.
Sw: Taani, but you don't have to..
T (squeezed Swayam's hand to reassure him): Bhai, I'm fine.
Taani then continues to the rest of the group: After graduating from college, I moved back to Jodhpur, and pretty soon, mumma and papa were keen to get me married. That's when I was introduced to Krissh's father, Akshat. Our parents fixed us up, and soon we got married. After about a year and a half, Krissh was born, and I guess Akshat couldn't handle being a father, because when Krissh was 6 months old, he left.
The gang all looked shell shocked.
Taani continues: After some time, I got a divorce based on abandonment. And then 2 years ago, it was no longer possible for me to live in Jodhpur anymore, with those same people, all giving me bechari looks and trying to set me up again, so I left for Delhi, and now I'm back in Mumbai, as my office has transferred me here.
Taani looks at all her friends, Simi and Neha look like they are going to cry, Vicky and Nil had these sad expressions on their faces, and Rey's expression was not readable.
T (cheering them up): Hey guys, its fine, I'm fine, it's a part of life and I've moved on. Can you guys please don't give me those head tilt awww looks, I hate them.
Neha and Simi got up and gave Taani a hug saying sorry and Taani hugged them back smiling. Soon Taani had managed to cheer everyone up and they were all returning to being normal. However, Rey was pissed off, his hand had curled up into a fist and he wanted to hurt someone, Akshat, he wanted to hurt Akshat. How dare he, how dare he hurt Taani, Taani, the most amazing girl in the world, the girl, that even if people got to know her, they should consider themselves the luckiest people on the planet. The girl, whose life deserved nothing but happiness, whose eyes he never wanted to see a single tear in, the girl who had become his life, the girl he had tried to forget, the girl who he had tried to get out of his heart for the past 5 years, and he thought that he had succeeded. That is till he saw her walk through the main door into the house and into his life after 5 years. That's when he knew, he hadn't moved on, he was right there where he was 5 years ago, in love with a girl who had no idea, and now he was in love with a woman who had a three year old child.
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A.N: Next post
Edited by miss_neha - 12 years ago
Book Talk
Aami Daakini
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