MN - The Fragile Magic ** Epilogue - Pg 140. - Page 46

I just wait for him to call me mama .. it would be so amazing na mayank", kanchi snuggled to mayank and he was stroking her hair, "hmmm .. "

"kia hmmm?, you are not excited when the baby will address you as papa/", she raised her head to look in his eyes and he was smiling, "ofcourse I am , but a little less then you", sticking his tounge out he received a punch from her.

"pata hai mayank, i just can't wait", she brushed her hands over her swollen stomach and before the tear rolled down her eyes, it was captured by mayank' lips, "I understand .. you will get your share of happiness kanchi .. I promise"

"mayank .."

Just then the soft voice brought him out of the painful past and turning his head he found that nupur was standing dumfounded, staring at the pile of cigeeartes scattered on the ground.

"kia hua?, ap aisey kyun?, she took the ciggerate from his hand and threw it away, "achaank kia hua mayank, aisey smoking kyun kar rahe ho ap?'.

"jao yahan se nupur please", he jerked her hand and turned towards his face away,

"ap ko pata hai k main nahin jaon gi until you don't tell me what happened?", she now made him face her by cupping his face and saw tears and helplessness on his face, "kia hua mayank,", she took a step forward and mayank closed his eyes.

Unable to control the endearment contracting in her heart, she placed her arms around him and within seconds he hugged her back.

She could feel her shoulder getting wet from his tears, and she was softly rubbing his back. Standing under the moonlight, with chilled breeze flowing, the terrace of their room was presenting a picture of heaven, but in heaven ' no one cries.

"kia hua mayank, please batiye na ", she could feel loosing on her own strength, and breaking from the hug, she saw that his eyes were red and removing all traces of tears from his face, she made her sit on the terrace swing, and as she sat beside him, he placed his head on her shoulder and snuggled to her, and for the first time, there was no awkwardness ' not even for a second. Nupur entwined their fingers and held on him tightly.

Mayank was staring blankly at a point and nupur was stroking his hair, waiting for him to speak on his own, she knew he would tell her and he did.

"kanchi was an orphan", his voice broke the silence, and nupur felt her heart sinking once again ' it was again about Kanchi.

"she grew up in an orphanage, and all her life she longed for a family, she just had once wish, just a wish of a family",

He was still staring at the point and nupur made sure she didn't lose her grip.

"I never wanted a child so early in our married life, but it was kanchi who wanted a child, she was crazy about her child, totally crazy, I have seen her counting every minute", his voice was falling weak and nupur's eyes were dwelling with tears too.

"she longed for the moment when her child will address her as mama",

Here nupur realized what the problem was and why did mayank react like this, but she understood his reaction, and without feeling bad, she turned her grip strong,

"but that moment never came in her life, pata hai nupur, she didn't even see Rahul, she just died, she died giving life to Rahul ..", he left his words in between and nupur also didn't know what to say and how to convey the pain she was feeling seeing mayank like this.

"meri kanchi aisa kyun hua nupur?, how can God be so cruel?, how could he snatch her away just when all her dreams were about to come true?, aisa kyun hua nupur?", he was desperately asking looking in her eyes and nupur never felt herself so chained as she did seeing mayank question her like this.

"mayank ..

'us k hisey k khushi usey kyun nahi mili?,", he raised her head from her shoulder and nupur quickly wiped her tears,

" us k hisey ki khushi tumhain kaisey mil gayi nupur?".

His voice was desperate and nupur felt earth being pulled away beneath her feet.

"bola na nupur,, Rahul ne usey maa keh k kyun nahi bulaya?, kanchi ku nahi ye khushi mili tumhain kyun mili?'

"agar kanchi ko ye khushi nahi mili tu is main mera kiya kasoor hai", nupur left his hands and her eyes suddenly turned blood-shot.

He stared at her with blank eyes and nupur didn't care about the tears which were flowing down her cheeks with gushing speed. She never knew she would feel this way ' she actually felt her heart breaking down in a million pieces with that look of jealousy in his eyes.

She was about to step down the swing when she felt a pressure on her hands, turning she found that mayank had placed his hand over her fingers, and was looking down upon their hands.

Again she was shocked that how well he understood that he was sorry, again unable to control her heart, she sat back and hugged him again.

"sorry, mera wo mtlb nahi tha", he said in a low voice and nupur stroked his back, "it's okay", her voice was equally weak and this time mayank moved away a bit, to look in her eyes, "sorry nupur, per main kia karon, I have seen her waiting so much and then she just went away on the verge of her happiness, main ..

"it's okay mayank ,.. I understand", she wiped off his tears and hugged him again.

This time the hug was long, and very tight, with mayank's fingers dipping in her skin and nupur's nails leaving a mark on his neck.

"mayank ..", after a while she said and mayank moved a bit away,

"agar kanchi ko us k hisey ki khushi nahi mili tu kia kia ap Rahul ko bhi us k hisey ki khushi nAhi do gey", she rubbed her thumb over his cheek and he was still clueless over her context.

"Rahul is very afraid that u didn't like him calling me mama, for the first time I saw his eyes so hollow, please us k samne .. mian ..

"I understand, I am sorry , mujhe bachon k samne aisa nahi karna chaiye tha ", he took a deep breath and nupur smiled, "koi baat nahi, we'll handle", he pressed their hands.

"haan, chalo abhi chalte hain ", he was about to get up from the swing when nupur again held his hands, "abhi nahi, main bohat mushkil se sula k ayi hon bachon ko , subha chalen gey", she said with a smile and mayank aslo smiled a bit.

"hmm, thek hai , subha I'll talk to them .."

"hmmm, and now you should also sleep, ap change kar lo, I'll bring saffron milk", she patted his cheek and he smiled.

Entering the kitchen , her tears flowed out again , but she wanted to go back to mayank soon, so quickly wiping them off, she returned in the room with his saffron milk and mayank was already lying the bed, rubbing his forehead.

"utho pehle ap ye pi lo", she sat beside him and adjusting himself in the sitting position, he drank the milk, and placing the glass away he snuggled to her, burying his head in her neck and enclosing his delicate body in his strong arms.

Nupur gently started stroking his head, consequently his breathing was turning deep.

Now she had all the time to ponder over what went between them in the past hour, it was surely painful and heart wrenching for both of them, but what made her content that they both were able to pull through it, they did pull through and she was successful in providing mayank the support he needed.

This thought graced her face with a teary smile, and leaving all her apprehensions behind, she leaned a bit on him and pressed her lips over his forehead.

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"ye bache itna late kyun uth rahe hain aj"?,

Next morning, mayank was pacing in the lounge nervously, rubbing his hands, "mayank aj sunday hai, aj tu late hi uthey gey na , ap breakfast tu kar lo", she was sitting on the sofa and constantly observing his nervousness,

"nahi main bachon k sath hi khaon ga", he yet again started pacing and again and again looking at the door of their room, and just when nupur was again going to ask him to sit, they both heard a noise from their room

"uth gaye bache!!", he shouted in glee and ran towards their room and nupur was just left in awe of him and then followed him.

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"Good morning kids", mayank opened the door and saw both of them were still in their blankets and seeing him, they smiled, but he could sense the nervousness on their faces.

"itna late uthey ho?", he switched on the lights and sat on their bed and both of them came out of their blankets.

"uncle no office today?", pranav asked and mayank pulled him in his lap , "it's Sunday beta!!", he ruffled his hair and Rahul also moved close to him, "daddy you are angry with me na?", his eyes were what nupur told him ' hollow ' and this pricked his heart.

"nahi beta, can I ever get angry on my champ?", he pulled him in his lap too, and kissed his head and rahul's tears started flowing, "then why didn't to talk to me last night?", he questioned in a broken voice and before he could answer, his partner was there for his assistance,

'because last night your daddy was not feeling well, he had to eat a very huge tablet so he was very angry", she came with a smile and both the kids jumped out of mayank's lap, "good morning mummmyyy", they sticked to her legs and nupur sat down on her knees to hug them.

"ohhh!!, mummy a gayi tu mujhe bhol gaye?", mayank pouted and the kids got nervous, "you both didn't even ask how did I eat that tablet", he sighed and nupur was amazed that how cleverly he used that excuse and controlled her giggle.

"how are you feeling now uncle,?'

"daddy was the tablet very huge?, did it taste very bad?"

Both of them came towards him and he again pulled them in his lap, "yes the tablet was very bitter, but still I ate it,', he shifted his eyes to nupur who was smiling, " because I had your mummy with me", he said it with a soft voice and this sudden gesture of affection had nupur initially in shock, but then he returned the warm smile.

"daddy" rahul's voice broke their eye lock, and fumbling they shifted their attention to rahul,

"gi beta?", mayank stroked his head and Rahul swolled a lump in his throat, "daddy, wo pranav .. " he looked at pranav who was trying to hide his face in mayank's arm, "kia hua pranav ko?", mayank asked making him face him and pranav looked at Rahul,

"pranav also wants to call you daddy , can he?",

Mayank looked in sheer shock at Rahul, and then at pranav who was looking at him from the corner of his eyes, but then he looked at nupur ' her eyes were filled with tears and he could clearly see the same pain on her face through which he went through last night.

On the other hand, on rahul's statement, nupur realized what immense pain mayank would have felt. Nitesh's dreamy eyes about his child crossed his mind and she felt her heart clench in a fist.

Mayank kept on looking until she would give him any signal and after taking a deep breath, nupur smiled, and in the same instant tears gushed down her eyes and mayank smiled back.

"ofcourse beta, I AM pranav's dad, ku pranav?", he ruffled his hair and pranav smiled and hugged him, "I love you daddy", he squealed and then Rahul clapped his hands, "yay!!, now we both have mummy daddy", and saying this he also hugged them.

"hmmm, and now I am left out", and saying this nupur also joined the hug and mayank placed his arms around her, and the kids snuggled to both of them.

Mayank looked in nupur's eyes and they were flooded with tears but still she was smiling. His heart contacted with tenderness and he leaned a bit on her, and kissed her wet eye-lash ' as a silent promise to pull out all her tears, while nupur digged her nails deep in his arm-skin.

Chapter 12 - Page 74