[nocopy]
part 14
"Good Morning Di"
Anjali looked up to see Kushi standing near her room entrance, smiling at her.
"Good Morning.. come in Kushi" she smiled
"Are we friends again?"
"No not friends.. sisters actually.. wont you bear with your sister's anger?"
"anytime" Kushi laughed, then noticed some kind of an album in Anjali's hands
"What is this?"
"An Old Album... I felt like looking at it.. Its been ages since I saw these pictures"
"Wow! shall I also? Is this Arnavji?" Kushi got interested immediately
"Yeah thats chote... he was 6 then"
Kushi smiled looking at the pic when a small boy was holding a small Shovel in his muddy hands grinning at the picture.
"He liked gardening then too?"
"Yeah, My mom got him interested in it... He was tough to manage otherwise.. He was a naughty kid"
"I can understand!"
"Thats my Mom and Dad"
"You look like Maa ji... and I think Arnavji is more like papaji."
"yeah people have told us.."
The pictures proceeded to show Anjali and Arnav in their teenage.
"who is this?.." She asked Anjali "this boy is there in most of your friends pics"
"thats Ashok"
"what? You know Ashok ji then as well? he is your childhood friend?"
"Yeah we grew up in the same neighbourhood.."
"I think Papaji's features are more sharper than Arnavji's " Kushi told her, Anjali peeped in see a teenage Arnav learning golf from his father.
Kushi continued.. "Arnavji has Maa ji's features too...which gives him some softness"
"Hmm.. I think its Arnavji's Lips"
Arnav who was passing by, stopped in his tracks, shocked by what he had just heard from his sister's room... Did he just hear Kushi talking about his lips to his sister? He looked pertified into the partly closed room
"and his eyes too.. Hmm its more Kind and Loving.. dont you think?"
Arnav could no longer hold it, He barged in
"kushi! what the.."
But stopped short, seeing the situation was far from what he had imagined.
Anjali and Kushi lifted their heads to look at him
"er.. What are you doing?"
"Actually chotey, Your wife is analysing your features" Anjali giggled.
"why are you both looking at this?" Arnav's voice was bitter, after her recognised the Album
"I dont know, I felt like seeing it again.. after a long time..." Anjali replied.
"Why are you sounding so bitter Arnavji?" Kushi Asked him, she had gone back to seeing the pictures.
Arnav didnt reply..
"Its got a lot of bitter memories Kushi..."Anjali Answered for him
"Bitter sweet " Kushi corrected. "did you both go to the same school?"
"ofcourse we did." Arnav replied.
"No I didnt mean you and Di" Kushi clarified,"I meant Ashokji and Di" her posture was casual, lazily turning around the album pages.
Arnav tensed at her question "not again!" he muttered but he was suprised when Anjali replied with equal ease as Kushi.
"No he went to Carmel and we went to the City Convent"
"Really? I went to Carmel too till my third standard and then.."
Anjali and Arnav guessed what had happened after that
"Kushi!" Anjali held her hand tentatively, while Arnav looked at her with concern, kneeling down beside Anjali and Kushi but kushi continued with a matter of fact tone
"and then, I went to JiJi's school, DVM" She looked at them and smiled sadly "But Di, were you and Ashokji in the same class?"
Arnav looked amused. Kushi had the knack to change the mood in a heartbeat phase.
"hmm, no he is two years elder to me, his sister is my age though...she was my friend , see this is Ashok's sister Aarthi"
"Thats how you got to know eachother? through Aarthi ji?"
"yeah... thats how we knew eachother.. we were friends first" Anjali told her. paused for a moment and then continued "I was 16 when we started seeing eachother"
"what?" Arnav was the first to react, Kushi just smiled looking at her. seeing Arnav's reaction, it seemed, he didnt know this little secret about his sister.
"as early as 16?" Kushi sounded amused.
"Actually, Aarthi thought it was late...She used to say those days that her brother would pop out the question anytime... he took three years to ask me...He wanted to get into Medical college badly, finally when he was thru with admission, he came to give me the good news and thats when he finally asked me..." Anjali told them both, her eyes and her smile lost in those yester years.
Kushi and Arnav looked at eachother. Kushi had a smirk which told him "didnt I tell you? My plan worked!" Arnav smiled at her proudly.
"you know kushi!" Anjali told her suddenly "After Ashok got into the medical college,everyday, he used to come and see me during lunch breaks... we used to meet outside the school, his college was some 25 mins drive to my school. so he used to bring his lunch box too and we used to have our lunch together in the little park opposite my school"
"Oh thats why you stopped joining for lunch with me? you told me that I had grown up and I had to have lunch with my friends" Arnav asked her incredulously.
"yeah you were 12 then..." Anjali smiled.
"but that was not the reason, you wanted to have lunch with Ashok... You cut me off.. too bad" Arnav teased her with mock anger.
"Yeah" Anjali laughed " Actually my school was kind of strict in these things, meeting boy friends during school time, outside the school and once one of my teachers caught us both and I lied to her that he was my cousin and I forgot my lunch box at home and he brought me food.. the teacher asked where the box was... Ashok took out his box and gave it to me.. that day he had to forego his lunch because of my lie..from that day, he used to always tease me that I would deprive him of his food when we get married..."
Anjali was lost in memories, but quickly caught herself, startled that she had shared about her once upon a time dreams, dreams which came close to reality but stayed a dream nevertheless.
"I cant believe di!"Arnav told her "I have told you all my secrets, atleast until my teenage years and you didnt tell me this.. I thought you started going out with him only during your college days" Arnav told her trying to iron out the ackwardness
Anjali laughed
"No chotey, you were young, I didnt want to spoil your mind"
"As if,that would stop him from getting spoiled..." Kushi muttered
"What did you say?"Arnav demanded
"Nothing"
Anjali was laughing at their banter when her mobile rang.
"Hello...what happened shyam ji, Where are you? I was trying to reach you for three days? you told you are leaving the town and didnt even try to call me for once... I was little worried...what? no what happened?... I dont know really? ... why would I be happy if you didnt call?...No seriously tell me... I dont have any idea... what? divorce? No... I didnt... I dont know, ... My brother?... No there is a serious misunderstanding...No please shyamji Listen to me... No ..."
she listened into the mobile for 2 mins longer and slowly dropped her hands down.
Kushi and Arnav stiffened when they realised the call was from Shyam. The tension grew listening to Anjali's conversation.
"Chotey" Anjali's voice was a bare whisper "Did you try to apply for a Divorce for me and Shyam?"
"Di!" Arnav's eyes gave him away and anjali broke down into sobs.
"He's saying everything is over between us...that I have made this seperation easier for him... He is saying he wanted to get out of this for a long time now.. he.. he doesnt love me anymore...nor does he care for me..." she told them inbetween sobs...
"di, please...dont cry... he is not worth it" Arnav tried to console her desperately, while Kushi held on to Anjali while she cried
But Anjali ran towards the bathroom and shut herself in.
Arnav and Kushi stared at the bathroom for sometime.
"How did he know?" Kushi broke the silence between them
"He is a lawyer Kushi...he has got contacts... I know he will come to know somehow or the other, before the documents are sent to him"
"that slime of a man... How cruel he is to call her and talk to her like that"
"Its good in a way... her mirage is finally broken... She will be alright"
Anjali came out of the batroom after full twenty minutes and found Arnav and Kushi waiting for her.
Her face indicated that she had cried herself out, But now, her eyes refelcted that her mind was clear, and her face was calm but determined.
"Chotey, I think its time..."
"For what di?"
"For the family to know about our secret"
Arnav nodded.
"But Di..." Kushi started to speak
"No Kushi, the family has to know... Gather them... and it think the Guptas have to be there too"
With that she strode off towards the hall with her new found resolute determination
to be continued...
Edited by abavi - 12 years ago
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