5.30 PM…..She looked at the clock and again feels annoyed "pata nehin apne aap ko samjhtey kya kya hai…super man..huh"…she mutters in frustration n tries to read her fav novel. Cudnt read a line, closed it and stands near the window. A faint smile appears on her face……..its raining outside…again the smile disappears …."pata nai shiv kab aayenge…tabiyaat v theek nehin thi…..esi haalat main v kaam kaam aur kaam…" she mutters again…..Shiv's face with naughty smile flashes in her mind….his lines with a smirk before going out "anandi mujhe kuchh nehin honewala….abhi toh aapne super man bulaya mujhe…kyun" .
The smile appeared again on her lips….. a sudden urge to get drench in rain…took her to the garden….the rain drops tickled her…..she jumped…..danced….hopped like a kid….splashed water….laughed her heart out……..still something missing….the thought came to her mind…she stopped….closed her eyes….suddenly a grip around her waist……warm breaths near her neck…...its familiar… she shivered …..A familiar whisper …."utla chor kotwaal do daantey…." …the husky voiced teasing….she smiled.. …….she was turned around…..her waist was wrapped…again his whisper…"I love you anandi" …She felt his warm breathings on her face….her heart was racing…her lips parted bit…after few moments…there was no movement…..She opened her eyes n stunned….Shiv was not there…She was dreaming…she realized….the smile faded…..an emptiness overpowered her..she stood still…….
Suddenly she felt… it's not raining now…..but she cud see its raining……..She confused…looked up…saw an umbrella was covering her……"utla chor kotwaal ko daantey" …….the same voice came from her left side…..his voice…she turned her face n dumbstruck …..He was teasing her with a huge grin…..She was trying to get it was dream or not…he burst out in laugh "kya hua chori pakdki gayee toh hosh udd gayee sarpanch jee ki…mujhe subha lecture suna rahi thi aap ki esi barish main bigna nai chahiye". She was still looking at him like a dumbo. Suddenly he sneezed hard…that made her back to her sense…its not dream…and…and….her CS seems ill….she took the umbrella n dragged her CS to CH while he was laughing with sneezing hard continuously.
She glared at him…ordered him to change asap n went to change her wet saree. She come out…n saw her husband was grinning while sitting on sofa….She fumes…."aap ke liye kadha lati hoon abhi"….the grinning disappeared from her cs's face….while going towards the kitchen…she heard his muttering "khadoos sarpanch". She giggled.
She went back to her bedroom with her special kadha. She giggled again…her hubby was sleeping on sofa..or he was pretending in the fear of bitter kadha…she came near….looked him..he was looking like an innocent baby…seems really sleeping….She sighed…caressed his cheeks…suddenly realized his skin was burning in high fever….She called the maid….to help her to settle him on the bed… She panicked a bit…called lal singh to come fast.
After few mins…She opened the door hearing the door bell..it was jagdeesh at the door step."anandi who lal singh aa nehin paya…toh…"……She didn't listen to him fully n hurriedly called jagdeesh to check him.
After few hours….She was constantly looking at her cs…changing the wet strips…still worried as the medicines were not that effective. Jagdeesh's constant assurance cudnt wipe the tension…her eyes were stuck at her cs's dull face.
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"main yahin hoon jab tak shiv ka bukhar uthar nehin jata"………jagdeesh came out from their room on the excuse of drinking water…...His heart was aching with the flashed….how shiv stirred in the high fever …..anandi was trying to set his pillow to settle him..in the process shiv put his head on anandi's lap unconsciously. Anandi's deep sigh…her caressing shiv's hair….the flashes made him suffocated…..
He collapsed on a chair….noticed some books…on the side table…realized its anandi's books..her notes…her name was written…Anandi Shivraj Shekhar….he turned over few pages…n smiled thinking…her hand writings were not changed…same beautiful hand writings…he recalled how his frds used to tease him abt his bad handwriting whenever they saw anandi's handwriting on his notes….coz his handwriting with anandi's always looked like oil in water..…suddenly he saw a different style of handwriting in the notes….as beautiful as anandi's but different…ohh..he realized shiv was helping anandi in making notes for her higher studies…….the suffocation surrounded him more when he looked at the anandi and shiv's wedding picture hanging on the wall….the blissful smile on anandi's face…Shiv's hand around her shoulder…as an symbol….She is his wife…his lawfully wedded wife….
His throat dried….as the suffocation overpowered all his emotions….he saw the tea cup which he didn't able to touch even…..he went to kitchen for water…kitchen was neat n clear…anandi always keep everything neat n clean…she has her special style arranging the kitchen..he cud see anandi's taste everywhere…..he was ashamed of himself recalling how he used to taunt anandi abt hygiene n bad odors.
"aapko kuchh chahiye"….maid's qs snapped jagiya out from his memory lane. "Haan baas pani chahiye tha" he said with a sigh….trying ease himself …he tried to divert his mind …asked the maid "aaj thoda jyada kaam hoga kitchen main….woh anandi abhi…"…maid answered " …haan hamesa anandi bhabhi jee hi kitchen sambhalti hai…aur collector saab bhi madad kartey hain …main jyada tar bahar kaam karta hoon….par abhi kuchh jyada nehin hai kaam…vartan v jyada nehin hain …sayad din main Collector saab and babhi jee kariban har roz ki tarah ek hi thaali se khana kha liya hai…"
His pain..his guilt…came out in form of tears from his eyes…every moment here reminded him his past deeds..he was suffocated to the core…..he came out from the kitchen and saw anandi was coming out from her room..she had a relief on her face…asked him to check shiv…seems his fever was down considerably. Jagdeesh checked him…n said he is fine now….asking her to continue his medicines….he rushed out of CH
Next morning, jagdeesh had to come again to CH…to check shiv again n to give devi maa's prasad given by DS. He saw Anandi was force feeding shiv soup…..who was not willing to take a sip…..thousand needles were pinched in his heart while recalling…how he used to call anandi's care n concern all the act of a gawar. He noticed both of them were lil bit uncomfortable seeing him standing n looking at them. After exchanging the greets…he checked shiv n stated shiv is fine now…needs some rest…Anandi went to bring tea. To ease the discomfort..both chatted abt some random topic…when jagdeesh asked him y shiv went outside in ill health in the bad weather. On his qs …the ans he got ..it again pinched his heart…..
"Anandi ka waqt pehele v barbaad ho chukka hai..padhai ko leke….kaal agar main who form k liye nehin jata toh anandi ka ek saal aur barbaad hojata"……Shiv' words again reminded him his past deeds when he had ordered anandi to stop her study after 10th and to remain like a beendni only. He saw anandi was standing near… ..with tears in her eyes…this time no pain..its tears of happiness…Jagdeesh excused himself n managed to come out of CH holding back his emotions…..
********
She was awestruck ….his protective hands held her…made her sit…wiped her tears…She signed the form as her cs's eyes were encouraging her….A peaceful smile appeared on her lips….but after few moments….it turned into a stern one…as her husband wanted to go to office….She glared….he gulped n went back to the bedroom silently with a big pout….
She went to the room after few mins with a glass of juice….saw her hubby's puffed face…he was sitting on the bed….she cud read clearly he wanted halwa right now…She glared more..he pouted more….his lines….."kudd barish main bheeg rahi thi..main thoda bheega gaya toh itne restrictions…not fair…bahat galat kiya aapne mere sath"……
She knew that he was not intended to make her guilty but a strong guilt made her eyes moist again…She was indeed very rough towards him initially…She sits near him….
"Aap ko pata hai..peheli baar itne saalon baad…baarish main bheegne ki himmat kar payee…arson baad esa laga barish ki boonde mujhe dard nehin khushi de rahi hain…..par ek adhuri khushi…kyunki aaj aap nehin the mere saath….adhuri thi main….aap ke bina…." As her tears broke all the barriers….she buried her face in his chest….
"meri zindegi main aane k liye sukriya shiv"…………She sobbed…..
She cud feel the warm embrace….and his whisper with full of love…
"mujhe apni zindegi main apna ne ke liye sukriya anandi"………..❤️
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Sorry for grammatical errors😳
And
A big 🤗 to muku
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Anupamaa
Dr Aarambhi
