MaAn OS : O Re Piya!
Anupama tossed and turned in her bed, restlessly. The night was aging yet she was wide awake and wordlessly decided to accompany the moon in its night duty.
Helpless at her failed attempts in trying to sleep, she sat straight. Her eyes skimmed through her room, the outline of the furniture and her other belongings stood out even in the darkness. Everything was just the way she left a few days ago, except for herself.
She ran her hands over the freshly made bed and the hem of the comforter she was ducked in. She chuckled, nostalgically. Her painstakingly found rented-home, her sole idea of comfort a few days ago, ironically is providing her anything except comfort.
Her eyes flew back to the wall holding up the keys of her house on an artistically decorated 'Morpankh' key holder. The silver detailing of her embossed name shone under the moonlight creaking through a diagonally placed window.
A faint smile enriched her face as her memories took her back to the day when Anuj had gifted her the customized keychain of her name. It hadn't been more than 4 hours since she had returned to her home after a final see-off dinner with Kapadias and ever since all she could find herself thinking about were the Kapadias, more so, a special Kapadia out of them.
Nowadays, she doesn't need any cue or reason to think, or more specifically daydream, about Anuj. She's getting pro at it.
The helplessness, the disappointment, and the sadness on Anuj's face were vivid in Anu's memories when she urged to move back to her home. Not that she felt any better but she had to steel herself in taking the plunge. She can't invite blames and pointed fingers at Anuj's pristine name, at the purity of their friendship which is blossoming into something more than she could ever fathom.
She heartily cherished the love Kapadias showered her with. Mukku even went ahead to protest dramatically in her quest to stop Anu from leaving. The little girl tried all the tricks down her sleeves to stop her and sat hanging her lips down when nothing worked. Anu had to bribe her with her favorite dessert at the end.
Throwing away the quilt, Anu headed to the kitchen knowing well she isn't getting a wink of sleep tonight. Her own home felt estranged and she was lost. She might as well seek some peace in her fav 'Adrak wali chai' if it spares her from whiplashing back to Anuj's memories. For some odd reason, everything around her seems to be on the mission to do so.
Just when Anu was about to keep the pan over a burner, the doorbell rang. Her startled eyes soon glimmered with hope; the hope of seeing the face they had been devoid of since 5 hours, longest so far in recent times. Keeping aside the work at hand, she headed towards the door with new spring in her steps.
"Annuuu!!" The youngest Kapadia surprised Anu with the chirpy squeal of her name.
"Mukku, tu?"
Anu couldn't complete expressing her astonishment when Mukku threw herself over Anu and showered her cheek with tiny multiple kisses, subsequently. Engulfing the little furball in her embrace, Anu welcomed her affection with a soft smile. Her eyes still lingered over the space behind Mukku, searchingly.
Mukku didn't wait for Anu's invitation and barged inside her room, dragging Anu along, blabbering some or the other things down the hallway. Anu kept on staring at her with a soft gaze until Mukku felt trapped and plonked over Anu's bed with a deep sigh.
"Stop looking at me like that. I missed you, okay! I couldn't sleep without you in my own freaking house."
A full-blown smile enriched Anu's face that sparkled under the unadulterated adoration of this grown-up child. Mukku, who had her head downcasted like the typical child at fault, dared to peek through her lashes and was instantly uplifted seeing Anu smile. Her contagious smile soon bloomed over Mukku's face. Anu is slowly becoming her idea of peace and happiness.
Feeling a bit more confident, Mukku held Anu's forearm and pulled her towards the bed followed by a mild echo of Anu's surprised squeal in the acute silence.
Soon, they both settled over Anu's bed; Anu was half-sitting against the headboard with her legs extended forward while Mukku snuggled over her lap, facing away. Anu ran her hand over Mukku's unruly hair, affectionately. She couldn't be more thankful for having a dear companion on this silent yet chaotic night. So what it is not the one she was unknowingly waiting for, right now even his closest clone would do.
Anu didn't get the time to react to her disobedient thoughts as the sole inhabitant of her thoughts decided to grace her most unexpectedly.
"Anu, tum theek ho? Why didn't you lock the door and.." Anuj's deep voice cut through the silence of the night as he reached her room, visibly bothered about a possible breach in security. Only to remain rooted at the threshold by the adorable picture presented to his eyes.
"Jab hum jaise followers nahi reh paae Anu ke bina toh Anupama fanclub ke admin se toh expected tha," Mukku took the liberty of teasing her brother, poking her tongue out.
Anu was too flabbergasted to react. Her slightly parted mouth and widened eyes still trying to process Anuj's presence, conflicted in their perception of dreams and reality.
Swaying over his heels, Anuj stood indecisively, vacillating between entering or leaving. It was a lame idea to come over to Anu at this hour of the night but his restlessness got the worst out of him and now he's in a soup. Mukku is going to be remorseless in her teasing.
"Bhai, aapko bhi neend nahi aa rahi thi kya? Vaise Annu bhi jaagi hui thi."
Well, his sister doesn't believe in proving him wrong, ever. And he could see the start of it, already. Stupid idea! Stupid man!
Tentatively peering at Anu for any sign of discomfort at his presence, Anuj sighed in relief. Anu's face was blank, devoid of any indication for him, at least there wasn't any unease.
The damage was already done and there was nothing he could do to overturn the events. Why not capitalise on it?
Wordlessly, Anuj walked ahead. Reaching the other end of the bed, he climbed over and joined his fav duo. All the while, Anu's dazed gaze followed his movements. Mimicking Mukku's position, Anuj sprawled over the bed inching closer to claim his right over Anu's lap. He pressed his cheek against her thigh, hesitatingly.
A jolt of sensation rose through her stomach that somersaulted. The daze his charisma created broke abruptly and Anu resumed to breathe on earth. While Mukku was facing away, Anuj looked directly into her eyes. Both lay on the opposite sides, using each of Anu's thighs as their pillow.
"Ab sukon aaya na, bhai?" Mukku's deliberate jibe was royally ignored as the two parched souls were on their own voyage of exploration.
Anuj's fervent gaze never left Anu making her nerves all the more unsettled. He slid his cheek slightly upwards over her thigh and snuggled closer to make himself comfortable. A very subtle action leaving a humongous mark on Anu's simmering nervousness.
Nothing remained hidden from his prying eyes. Exploiting the situation further, Anuj tugged at Anu's pallu. His cheeky smirk grew as he traced his hand down towards its hem, bunching, squeezing, and tucking the piece of cloth between his cheek and the back of his hand.
Anu, not expecting any of the ministrations, was overwhelmed with a lot many emotions. Not understanding how to respond, she went with the flow of the moment. Their eyes locked for the longest of the time they could remember.
Unable to take in more of the unfamiliar commotion he's bestowing her heart with, Anu veiled his penetrating gaze by the curtain of her hand spread over his eyes. His smile went wild and he could imagine her face embellished with a coy smile.
Using his free hand, Anuj held Anu's hand bringing it down. Brushing his lips over her palm delicately, he placed it over his chest. She couldn't resist any of it. Wanting to say something, Anuj stopped at the nick of the time realising they had an adorable intruder around.
Anu had her heart in her mouth, expecting something flirtatious from him followed by Mukku's teasings. That had been the set template for quite some time. And surprisingly, she was getting used to it.
Her phone beeped at the odd hours. One look at Anuj fiddling with his phone, she need not guess the sender of the text.
Reaching out to her phone across the side table, she slid it open excitedly only to be greeted by a wave of genuine emotions.
'I missed you so much, Anu.'
She had to blink back multiple times in order to check her emotions spilling down her eyes. They are her's to cherish, she can't afford to lose even a drop.
"Kiss?"
"Huh," Anu and Anuj exclaimed together, unable to believe whom of them uttered it.
"Annu, meri good night kiss?" Mukku's voice made way for an embarrassed smile on both of their faces, making them acutely aware of the manifestation they were trying to elicit.
Anu engulfed Mukku's head from behind and squeezed in pure adoration, placing a series of tiny kisses over the top of her head. Mukku squirmed under her love and happily chirped a good night.
Anuj kept on staring at Anu, more ardently than ever. His eyes seeking much more than his words could ask. Before Anu could conclude on how to react to his passionate gaze, her cellphone beeped again.
'Mujhe kuch nahi milega?'
She had to squeeze in a large bout of air inside lest she forgot to breathe. Her body was doing an average job of hiding her nervousness. The most traitorous of all were her cheeks, changing their colors faster than she could blink.
Anuj was having none of it. His eyes kept on urging for her to act on his demand, first of many to come.
Anu bent down swiftly, kissing over his forehead. She wanted to get done with it double quickly but couldn't beat Anuj's reflexes. He caught her retreating head, hovering over his face, by fanning his hand behind. His fingers toyed around her braids as she waited in anticipation.
Craning his neck upward, he dared to place a tender kiss by the side of her nose, just above her lips, almost scared to break her if applied more pressure.
Cherishing the veneration of his touch with her closed eyes, Anu did not attempt to move. Not even when Anuj had left her head and instead held on to her hand around his neck.
A loud beep of her phone broke her trance and she fumbled to locate her phone.
'Now it's a good night đ'
Anuj's cheeky message read, making her blush more if that was even possible.
"Ofho Anu, Bhai ke hote hue bhi yeh kaun gadha tumhe itni raat ko messages kar raha hai?"
Throwing their heads back, the trio laughed like a maniac stirring the stillness of the dark night, filling it with the sound of their affection and the light of their love.
*****
Hello,
This was pretty long, I know! I hope you have enjoyed it! Please let me know your thoughts about the same.
Sports
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Cricket
Hindi TV Shows
CID
6