⚠️ Warning: Its an emotional one shot. Starts right after Anuj sees Anupama pregnant and leaves at the end of the prequel
Note: In Blue Italics is the song by Abba 'I have a dream' Dream is in green
~Their Dream~
I Have a Dream, a song to sing
To help me cope, with anything
If you see the wonder, of a fairy tale
You can take the future, even if you fail
The man in the white hoodie eerily reminded her of some far away dream. A dream she had dared to dream awake but had been cruelly quashed by people she called hers. She walked out in hopes of stopping him but her swollen feet and belly sure had other plans. She reached out her hands and then stopped short.... what would she say to him? Would she say that he looked exactly like the person she had seen in that movie shot in the US? Would she say that she had longed to go there and now she couldn't so if she could just look at him for sometime, she would be happy? Would she ask him to stay and not walk away just like her dream had walked out on her? She shook her head to reign in her thoughts. How stupid of her to try and connect to a random stranger... a man whom she knew nothing about just because she lost a dream.
"Mummy..."
Samar's voice broke her reverie. Schooling her face to smile, just like she had been doing for the past few months, she walked inside the room trying hard to get the image of the retreating figure from her mind. Failing completely in the task, she pulled Samar into a hug gaining strength from the innocence of her boy.
***
He brushed the tears that had cascaded down his cheeks at the sight of her. Seeing her pregnant had evoked a million emotions in him. He hit the steering wheel hard with his fists as his heart refused to budge an inch away from her. The mere thought that if he had not been late that day, the baby in her belly would be his made him tremble. His heart yearned for a family... a family with her. His brain told it would never ever happen. As the turmoil in his heart worsened, he rested his head on the steering wheel. A knock at his window brought him back to the world. He straightened and opened the window to see a little boy standing by his car. He got down from the car and looking closely, he realized it was the little boy Anupama was playing with. He felt a thorn prick his heart as the child's eyes told him that he belonged to his Anu.
"Uncle... Did you lose something?"
He looked surprised.
"Woh.. you look just like Mummy did when she lost the passport..."
"Mummy lost the passport?"
"Yea... she was supposed to go to America in aeroplane... then she didn't... she told me she lost her passport... without passport they won't let her inside the big plane na?"
He nodded unable to understand why life always played games with him.
"Did you lose your passport too, uncle?"
"I lost something more valuable than the passport..."
"Oh... don't worry... Mummy always says if it's meant to be we will get it again... You will get it too..."
He smiled at the innocence of the kid. Just like Anupama... his mind added.
"Thank you..."
"You are still sad... do you want to hug me, uncle? Woh... Mummy says if I hug her she forgets all her sadness..."
Reaching down, he hugged the little boy and felt himself drawing strength to keep his dream alive. He whispered
"We will meet again.... someday.... I promise..."
###
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
"Anu.... I have to go"
"Don't... don't.. please don't..."
"Anu... look there..."
She strained her eyes and was able to make out a silhouette of a man in a white hoodie coming towards her. She turned around to see Moti Baa slowly fading away.
"Moti Baa... no... no... I don't have anyone but you... please don't leave me..."
"You have him..."
"Who...?"
She pointed at the man again... the silhouette started becoming clear.
"Anuj..."
She turned around to see Moti Baa gone. She ran around searching
"Moti Baa... Moti Baa... no no no... please... where did you go..."
She sat up on the bed breathing heavily and sweating profusely. The dream had felt real just as it had felt for the past few nights after Moti Baa's death. Just as the other nights, she wrapped Moti Baa's saree around her and slept mumbling the name her beloved grandmother had said
"Anuj..."
***
He felt a sudden tug in his heart and he shut his eyes resting his head on his office chair. He didn't know why but he felt himself thinking of her these days more than he usually did. He had drowned himself in work to forget her. The heartbreak he felt after seeing her pregnant two years ago had been so bad that he had even stopped checking about her with Devika. He had dated multiple women but had never been able to commit as her angelic face would come in front of him every time he tried. He shook his head trying to clear her image when his phone rang. It was Devika.
"Heyya... how are you?"
Taking in a deep breath he said
"How is she... How is Anu...?"
###
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream, I Have a Dream
"What a lovely night...."
She sighed to herself as her head hit the bed. For the first time in days, she felt happy to sleep. She had made some wonderful memories to dream about. She thanked Devika in her mind for the millionth time for pulling her to the party. As she closed her eyes, a particular face from the party loomed larger than the others. Turning around and hugging her pillow, she mumbled
"Anuj Kapadia..."
***
Sleep was far away from him. He had seen the face that had haunted his dreams everyday for the past 27 years. His whole body had burned with desire the minute he had set his eyes on her. Devika had updated him on her divorce but a closer look at her today showed him that she was still not ready to move on. Clicking his tongue, he opened the cupboard and took out the white hoodie he had worn the last time he had met her. A lot had changed over the years. For starters, he didn't fit into the hoodie... but, but... he sighed as he kept the hoodie back into the cupboard and closed the door. Meeting her again only confirmed his fears that his yearning for her had not diminished over the years... In fact it had only multiplied. He remembered what her little boy had told him that day
"If it's meant to be we will get it again... You will get it too..."
He clasped his fingers together and let a tiny ray of hope enter in his heart.
###
I Have a Dream, a fantasy
To help me through, reality
And my destination, makes it worth the while
Pushin' through the darkness, still another mile
As she looked at him swirling the magnet, she sighed. The man in front of her had become an integral part of her life. She didn't know how, she didn't know when... but she knew for sure that she wouldn't be able to go a minute without him. Her day started with his face and she made sure his smile was the last thing she saw before bed. Dreams these days were sweeter, passionate and even a little mischievous. They gave her the freedom to do things her body ached to do around him. Like today, she had woken up with a goofy smile on her face because they had made chocolate fudge yesterday together yesterday and she had fantasized them making something more than that in her bed. Her brain conjured up vivid images of them and her cheeks colored. She shook her head slightly trying to concentrate when she felt his gaze fixed on her. Unable to meet his gaze, she excused herself and rushed out of the room.
***
He looked at her retreating form. Ever since she had moved in with him, she seemed changed. He had not missed her coming to his room, first thing in the morning and sometimes peekng in late at night. She seemed to pay more attention to him. He tried to dismiss it by thinking it was just her concern... still. He shook his head slightly... something was amiss. He had caught her staring at him and blushing multiple times. Everytime he did that, she excused herself. She also seemed to enjoy his proximity more... even seemed to initiate it... like yesterday in the kitchen their hands brushed 'accidentally' more than once and then... she had seen a little chocolate on his fingers and had grabbed it to her lips. Seeing his shocked look, she had quickly handed him a towel and excused herself. He had tried to process what had occurred and finally concluded that it was some medically induced fantasy. He didn't know whether he should push his luck a little further or not. The door opened and he saw her entering the room. Her face was a lot calmer but her eyes refused to meet his. As she bent down to work, he saw that the red hadn't yet left her cheeks. Grinning to himself and assuring that she was worth the risk... he said
"Uh... Anu... you know... we can probably make chocolate fudge again tonight... just like yesterday... uh... maybe you can help me clean up... you did have some good plans yesterday... right?"
She looked up and he pointed slyly to her lips and she excused herself again.
###
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
Just like every year, she visited the garden near the Shah house Moti Baa loved so much. She felt more peaceful than ever here and today was even better as she was to be married to the love of her life in 3 days. She knew her Moti Baa would have been happy. She shut her eyes and whispered.
"You would have loved him. He treats me like a queen. The way you always said I need to be treated. I just wish you knew him."
A sudden vision of memory from a far off dream flashed in front of her eyes. The dream she had long forgotten. The one where Moti Baa left her... the only difference was that at the end instead of searching for Moti Baa, she turned around to see the man in the white hoodie. He came close to her and looked up at her.
"Anuj....?"
She opened her eyes and remembered that was exactly what her grandmother had told her at the end of the dream.
"Am I thinking too much into it?"
Unable to control her raging heart she rushed to his house. She knocked the door fervently.
The incessant knocking made him rush to the door and he opened it to see her standing there catching her breath.
"Anu....? Is everything alright?"
She jumped into his arms and held him tight. He held her back rubbing her hair. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.
"You were there weren't you?"
He raised his eyebrow trying to understand where and when she was asking.
"You were there 17 years ago when I was pregnant with Pakhi... and I had lost my dream... you were the one outside the door.... the man in the white hoodie..."
He moved away and took her hand gently guiding her into his room. He opened the cupboard and took out the hoodie. She nodded happily.
"I thought you were a figment of my imagination all these years... and now you are finally here... and you are mine... not some random stranger I dreamt about..."
He laughed at her statement.
"I was yours from the day I set my eyes on you..."
She stood on her toes and brushed his lips with hers. Trailing her fingers on his face she said
"And now I am yours...."
She placed a kiss at his jaw and trailed her lips to his throat. He suck in a deep breath trying to gain some control that had vanished the minute she started with her ministrations. As her hands reached for his buttons, he grabbed hers and held it tight. She looked up at him and he nodded in negative.
"Not now...."
She sighed and stepped back knowing he was right.
###
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream, I Have a Dream
He drew in a sharp breath as he saw her sitting all decked up as a bride in their bed. He went closer to her and lifted her veil. Placing a gentle kiss, he whispered
"You look beautiful..."
She wrapped her hands around his neck.
"I have waited so long for tonight... Make love to me, Anuj..."
He leant in to comply to her request, his heart soaring... His desire... His dream... His Anu... so long yearned for... was finally his.
###
A/N: Abba is my favorite band. Here is a link to the song.
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