ooops! i didn't mean to end it there 😛 there's more to it at the end!😉
Tulsi found herself smiling at KT & said, "Mujhe nahi pata tha ki meri bachchi itni sayani ho gayi hai. Lekin baaki ki cancellations to karni hain na (I didn't know that my girl has become so wise. But we still have to do the rest of the cancellations)." KT said mischievously, "Ji, who sab to karna hai. Aakhir main kitna kaam karun akeli? (Yes, all that has to be done. After all, I can't do ALL the work by myself." As Tulsi raised her hand gesturing playfully to hit her, KT ran & hid behind Baa. Tulsi was in the middle of asking Lakshya & Nakul to do all the cancellations when KT said from behind Baa, "Waise main mazaak kar rahi thi (By the way, I was kidding)." Then she came over to Tulsi & said, "I already took care of all that."
***
Everyone had gone to sleep but Manthan lay awake in his room. He couldn't sleep as he thought of all that had taken place earlier. He got very irritated at sleep not coming so finally decided to take a stroll in the garden. He made his way down quietly & once again all came back to him that he was avoiding. He was extremely cross at himself. "Why?" he asked himself. Manthan did not know what had overcome him. He was outraged at the thought of him showing emotion in public. Why did he do that? Was it because he had felt Bhoomi's pain? But he had cried a 2nd time in Karan's arms, the one thing he never imagined he would do. Did he still care that deeply for his father? Manthan knew that he had never felt so happy in his entire life as he felt after Karan hugged him & told him he was proud of him. It was as if Manthan had waited all his life to hear those words from his father & had been craving for his attention.
He had not seen his Tulsi Dadi notice his tears and it was a good thing. As he still didn't like her much but then again he had been nicer to her lately. And according to Manthan, nice meant refraining from talking back or saying anything hurtful while still giving the nasty & full of dislike glances & making it obvious at the same time. Tulsi, however, had noticed this change. And she was all the more delighted. She knew something was bringing about a change in Manthan but she didn't know what. She prayed to her Thakurji that whatever it was, may it continue to bring about a positive change in him. As he was lost in his thoughts he didn't realize when he ended up walking to the patio & sitting on the swing. He sat there for quite a while & was so lost in thoughts of his changed behavior that he didn't hear someone approaching. As soon as that person came to stand behind him, a sweet smell engulfed his senses & he closed his eyes; only to see the same set of captivating eyes he had been seeing so often these days in his dreams. He smiled unconsciously with his eyes still closed, not wanting those eyes to vanish. He seemed to loose himself in them every time he saw them & they made him forget all his woes & took him into a dreamland.
Someone cleared their throat & brought Manthan back to earth. He certainly wasn't pleased & when he turned around with annoyance, his face instantly acquired the angry & annoyed look. This was the last person he wanted to see this moment & was about to put it into words when he heard, "Woh…woh main…tumhare liye…tumhare liye yeh lekar aayi thi." He looked down at her hands that were holding a small bowl with a yellowish paste in it. He was about to address her with the precious "Ms. Gawar" but all that came out was, "Yeh kya hai?" She hesitated and kept her gaze on the earth, "Ddddd…dava," she gulped as she stuttered.
Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
