Chap 5 Shlok closed his eyes and remembered all the times when Aastha had tried to tell him something. That something was in his arms at this moment. "Thats why she was so hesitant. always running away from me.trying to tie herself to her sanity. trying to keep her feet on the ground." However she had not answered all of his questions. She answered one but raised two more." But this is not the time" he told himslef "I need to let this go for now." He got up slowly and Dhruv ran back to Aastha. Kalindhi bid goodbye to Shlok and taking Dhruv by hand walked towards the car. Aastha walked slowly towards Shlok and looked up at him. "Shlok " she started to say before he stopped her. "he's a gentle soul Aastha" he said to her. "shlok this is what I hav.".. "I know Aastha this is what you've been trying to tell me. However this not the answer to all my questions, you have answered one but you've raised many more in my head. For one, who and where is his fa..". "Mama come on" cried Dhruv. "Shlok I have to go" she said briskly. Stepping a little closer to her he whispered "I want to see you again Aastha and this time I want an answer to all my questions," he said boring his eyes into hers before he turned around and walked away.
Agnihotri mansion...
"Welcome home beta" said Niranjan taking Shlok in an embrace. "We would have come to the airport but Suresh wanted to go ahead and pick you up. Thanks mere bache", Niranjan said turning to Suresh. Niranjan had brought up Suresh like his son after the death of their faithful driver. This created a very brotherly bond between Shlok and Suresh. Suresh smiled and said "no problem baba, bro is home now lets go inside."
"Ma" called Shlok stepping into the house. A graceful woman with a delicate silk sari walked in taking shlok in her arms, "mera bacha" she said. "how are you ma?" "main theekh hoon par tumhare moon par 12 kyon baje hai?" "nothing ma just a little tired." "hmm theekh hai I've prepared all your favorite dishes come freshen up and then we'll have dinner together." ok he said running up to his room. "ma I will help you " said Suresh following Anjali to the the kitchen.
As soon as Shlok reached his room he threw his baggage on the floor and sat on the edge of his bed. Pondering about the past couple of weeks that he'd spent with Aastha. She is the single soul, the only woman ever to have demanded his attention so powerfully. Her delicate hand gestures, her beautiful eyes which could say a thousand words without the help of her lips. She was the most selfless person he'd ever met and now her love for this child, her child, her and...he stood up suddenly.
Who is the father he thought and where is he? He's seen or heard about most of her family, her big brother and parents . No one he hadn't heard of, Dhruv being the exception. Where is her husband and why was she still Aastha Kirlosker , why? If she were married wouldn't her surname be something else? Aastha, he whispered under his breath, how can I stop loving you, how do you expect me to do that? What are you and who are you? How can you belong to someone else?...aaagh he said loudly and slammed his fist on the wall. I need to get the answers to my questions before I lose my sanity. He got up and walked to his bathroom grabbing his towel and bathrobe on the way.
Kirlosker home
Dhruv was sleeping quietly in her lap when ayi came and sat on the sofa beside her. "Yeh lo aastha garma garam chai." "thanks ayi, I needed this, the food was delicious." kalindhi smiled at her. "Aastha I've noticed how you've been looking a little disturbed ever since your return, kya baat hai beta, deal to set ho gayi na so whats the problem?" "Nothing ayi I was missing Dhruv alot". "hmm Dhruv ne bhi mama ko buhat miss kiya, issi liye to kehti hoon beta Dhruv needs his mother and fath.." "ayi please I don't want to go down that lane." "im sorry for bringing on the subject beta but you should think of Dhruvs future. I'm not forcing you but I've seen some realy respective families whom you should mee..". "Ayi please don't start the marriage topic with me ek hi baar kafi thi and im still suffering the wounds from that marriage. Aur uss kaminay ka naam kabhi mat lena ayi, mere saath jo usne kiya, I will never forgive him for it, never. Kalindhi walked upto Aastha and wiping the tears off of her cheeks said, "ok beta I'm sorry now go ahead and get some sleep you look terribly exhausted."
Aastha quietly placed Dhruv on jer shoulder amd wlked upstairs towards his room. After tucking him in his snugly comforter she kissed him gently on his forehead. Standing there she saw her child sleeping blissfully, it made something light upinside her trembling heart. He had tried to take that away from her, he had tried to detroy her child before he was even born, he had the audacity to take her child away from her. The last thought made her shudder to her spine and she heard a thud. Turning around she walked towards the window and shut it very carefully trying not to wake up Dhruv, but just before she did that something in the yard caught her eye. A dark shadow of some sort, a ghostly outsine of a man but within a blink of an eye it was gone. She blinked a few times and looked but nothing was there. "I think I need rest, seeing things silly me" , with that she closed the window and walked out of his room.
When Aastha shut the window suddenly, a pair of midnight dark eyes, blood shot evil eyes closed in frustration. "Damn you" he whispered through his teeth. "Aastha Kirlosker I've come for your doom", he said with clenched fists. "Now you will pay for what you did to me, for insulting me. I Abhay Deshmuk promise to destroy all the remaining happiness in your life". With that said he quickly disappeared into the dark night muttering coherent thoughts under his breath.
Cricket
Anupamaa
