Aastha came just thought of taking a round of all the rooms before Rani came for cleaning. The doors of all the rooms were locked and the keys were among the bunch of keys she had. The kitchen was next to the drawing room. It had no door. Aastha went to the kitchen. The black granite platform was all brown with dust. She looked around and remembered the old days. How she used to watch her Aai and Ajju prepare her favourite dishes. Aastha looked at the refrigerator. She opened the door to find a couple of bottles containing water. Aastha was just feeling all the things she had been closely associated with. She was about to leave the kitchen when she found the wrapper of a biscuit pack lying on the floor. "How did this come here?" she wondered picking it up. She then came out of the kitchen and climbed up the staircase to reach the rooms upstairs. The rooms were locked. Aastha forgot to get the keys with her. She went downstairs. The bunch of keys was in her bag. Aastha was still carrying the biscuit wrapper in her hand. She just dumped it in the side pocket of her bag, took the bunch of keys and climber the stairs skipping the alternate ones. Aastha reached the guest room which was the closest to the staircase. It was Ajju's room earlier, but after she passed away, it became the guest room. Aastha tried the keys one by one till the door was unlocked. Just like other places, there was dust everywhere. Aastha just looked around for a while, she checked whether the lights and fan were working, but they weren't. She checked the cupboards. They were empty. Aastha came out of the room. The next was Avdhoot and Kalindi's room. She unlocked the door and was surprised to see a much cleaner room. There was just a thin layer of dust. "How is this room so clean?" wondered Aastha as she stepped in looking around. She opened the cupboards. They too were cleaner compared to the other room. The bed was neatly covered, unlike the other room. Aastha pulled out a drawer and found a pen inside it. She recognised the pen very well. "Baba's pen? How is it here?" she wondered. She took the pen in hand. This was the pen Avdhoot was searching for a few days before his accident.
"Aastha, have you seen my pen?" he was saying as he searched it. Then Aastha had given him some other pen she had saying, "Leave it, Baba... Use this pen.."
Aastha was surprised seeing the pen in Pune. "How did this pen come here? This was with Baba a few months ago... I remember very well!" Aastha couldn't understand. "Was Baba here in Pune? But he never said anything... He would have told me if he was coming to Pune... He knew how much I would have love to come here with him... And if not baba, then who?" Aastha was totally confused now. She then opened her room and that to was as clean as Avdhoot and Kalindi's room. Aastha was surprised to see a door of her cupboard slightly open. Aastha hurried towards the cupboard to look inside. But it was empty. Aastha didn't understand what all this was...
*****
Shlok opened his eyes to see that he was in a hospital. There was slight pain in his head and his head was heavy. He saw Niranjan and Anjali next to him. The doctor came to check Shlok.
"I want to go home!" said Shlok suddenly.
The doctor was surprised and so were Niranjan and Anjali. "Mr. Shlok, you need rest. It is better if you stay in the hospital for atleast a couple of days, rather more" replied the doctor.
"It is urgent, doctor... Please" requested Shlok.
The doctor looked at Niranjan and Anjali. They were silent. They had nothing to say. They knew Shlok would not listen. The doctor said, "Okay, fine... But I reccomend you to stay here for atleast 18 hours under observation"
Shlok was happy. Calculating everything in his mind, he said, "So, I can leave tomorrow morning by 6-7 am right?"
Shlok was very excited. The doctor nodded reluctantly.
"Hold on, Aastha... Just a few more hours..." he thought.
*****
Aastha was lost in her thoughts. How were these two rooms cleaner? How did Avdhoot's pen get here? How was the door of Aastha's cupboard open? Then she remembered what the old lady in the neighbourhood had said. Well, I have been here since past 12 years... I always thought that the owner of that bungalow came here frequently... Like every 3-4 months or so... I see light there for a day or two every 3-4 months... I only say what I see! Was she telling the truth? Did someone really come here every 3-4 months? Who? Avdhoot? All these questions were revolving around Aastha. But why? What was this all about? Aastha then remembered the bottles in the refrigerator. She realised something and ran down to the kitchen taking the pen along with her. She looked at the refrigerator. She had failed to notice a few minutes ago that the refigerator was working! The switch was on. The bottles contained water. Aastha couldn't believe all this. Someone was actually entering their home! And if it was Avdhoot, why didn't he ever tell Aastha? Did Kalindi know about it? And why would Avdhoot come here every 3-4 months? Aastha's eyes watered in frustration and disbelief. She remembered something. She ran to her bag to get the biscuit wrapper. She was impatiently searching for the date of manufacturing on it. She was shocked to see that pack of biscuits was just 6 months old! She became restless now. Her breathing became rapid. She was just looking around here and there madly, knowing not what to do.
Just then the bell rang. Aastha looked at the clock on the wall. It was 1:30 pm already. "It must be the maid, Rani..." thought Aastha. She suddenly realised something. She looked back at the clock. "The clock too is working... After so many years... Who is it? Who is vising this place?" Aastha was feeling helpless. So helpless as never before. She was feeling very lonely. She was missing Shlok badly now. "Where are you Shlok? I need you... Please come to me... Please!" The doorbell rang again bringing Aastha out of her thoughts. Aastha checked through the eye-hole and opened the door to find Rani stanting there.
*****
Shlok was getting hiccups constantly. He was very restless because of it. Anjali gave him water to drink, but the hiccups were not stopping. Niranjan was rubbing Shlok's back gently. Shlok somewhere felt that Aastha needed him, that she was missing him... And that was the reason for the hiccups... Shlok didn't believe in all these things, but this time however he felt a deep connection. He just closed his eyes and said in his mind, "Aastha... Be strong! I will be there soon... Trust me, I am with you!" And the moment he said that, the hiccups stopped. It might have been a mere coincidence, but still, Shlok felt great.
*****
The first thing Aastha asked Rani was, "You are Rani, right? Is Nalini aunty at home right now?" Rani replied that Nalini had left with her mother-in-law when Rani finished her work there. So there was no one at their place now. Aastha cursed her fate. She desperately wanted to meet the old lady. Now she had to wait till they returned. "Do you have any idea when they will return?" she asked Rani. Rani thought for a moment and said, "They had two bags with them... They have given me a holiday for two days... So I guess they will return after two days..." Aastha was very upset knowing this. She had no choice but wait.
Aastha, with the help of Rani, cleaned the home well. It was evening by the time it was all done. Aastha paid Rani for the work and Rani left.
Aastha was feeling hungry as ahe had no lunch. She went out to eat. She again tried calling Shlok from the booth but couldn't reach him. Calling Aditi was out of question as she had strictly told Aastha not to call her. Aastha could do nothing but have patience.
*****
Aastha was tired by the end of the day... More mentally than physically. But she had to stay strong. And more importantly she had to stay alert. Aastha had decided to catch the person who was sending her those letters in Shlok's name. Astha had decided to stay awake whole night. She had to find out who it was!
Aastha switched off all the lights to show as if she had slept. But She was sitting just inside the main door in the drawing room with a long stick in her hand for defense. She sat there silently, waiting for the shadow to appear in the window as it did last night. Her eyes widened as she saw someone move past the window. He heart rate increased. Very carefully, she opened the main door, but still it made some sound and Aastha heard footsteps running away from her. Aastha quickly went near the ,as fast as possible, but she lost him yet again. She could see a fresh cigarette butt lying there below the window... It was still burning red. Aastha coughed as the smell entered her breath. "Who is it!! Why don't you come and face me, you coward!!!" she shouted. But it was of no use now.
Aastha got back inside and still sat there awake waiting for the person to return. But that didn't happen. Aastha was feeling really tired and sleepy now. Yes, she tried to stay awake.
Aastha had almost fallen asleep when the creaking sound of the gate made her open her eyes. She checked the time. It was a few minutes to 6 am. She heard some movement outside the door. She became alert. Just as she saw the person approaching the door through the eye-hole, Aastha instantly opened the door and attacked the person with the stick before he could know what was happening. The person was soon lying on the ground as a result of the sudden attack. Aastha pressed him down with her full body weight. She saw he had brought an envelope. So he was the person sending letters to Aastha in the name of Shlok!
Aastha saw his face and recognised him. he was the same person who had given her the letter in the train. "Who are you!!" she asked pressing him down, "Why are you doing all this?! Tell me!!" she yelled.
Aastha was surprised to know that he was Shlok's elder brother, Varad. Aastha knew Varad since childhood, since he too was in the same school, elder to them by 3 years. But Aastha had not met him after the school days. She didn't have any idea how Varad looked now. Aastha was embarrassed at her act and she apologised to Varad for having attacked him. Varad said it wasn't her mistake and he understood her fear. He told her the reason behing all this.
Shlok had gone to Mumbai to meet Aastha at the railway station and accompany her to Pune. And Varad too was with Shlok in Mumbai. But Varad had to wait in Mumbai for some official work. On the way to the railway station, Shlok met with an accident unfortunately. Varad was the first person to reach to Shlok after the accident. Shlok told Varad to support Aastha but not let her know about the accident as he didn't want her to be tensed. So, Varad wrote the letters to Aastha to keep up her hopes and to tell her that Shlok was with her. But Varad could not meet Shlok later, as he had to stay in Pune to look after their business. Varad didn't get an opportunity to tell Shlok about Aastha.
Aastha's eyes watered as he heard all this. "How is Shlok now? Is he alright?" asked she desperately.
"He is better now... And recovering..." replied Varad. "Aastha, you come with me to our home right now... You seem really exhausted and you need rest..."
Aastha wasn't ready initially, but later agreed to go with Varad.
On the way Varad received a call. "Oh you all are home? Great, I will be there in another 20 minutes!" he said and the call ended.
*****
Varad and Aastha reached the "Agnihotri Mansion"... Aastha stared in awe at the huge palace-like structure standing proudly in front of her. Varad took Aastha to a room directly. And as Varad pushed open the door, Aastha's happiness knew no bounds... The person whom Aastha was waiting for was there in front of her! He seemed a little weak, but the smile on his face and the tears in his eyes told her that he too was as happy to see her. "Shlok!!!!" cried Aastha in excitement as she rushed ahead towards him. Shlok was relieved seeing Aastha fine. Both just kept looking into each other's eyes, forgetting the world around.
Finally Aastha was with Shlok... Now she had nothing to fear... She knew Shlok would always be with her...
*****
Edited by ..optimist.. - 9 years ago
Bollywood
Anupamaa
