Astha got up the next day with renewed energy. She quickly got ready, offered her prayers and did some prepreparation in the kitchen. Astha also got the puja room ready for her father in law. Looking at the clock, she decided it was time and went to Varad bha's room.
Varad heard the knock and opened the door. He was almost ready for office. "Astha?" Vara d sounded surprised seeing Astha early in the morning. "Is something the matter?"
"Bhai, I need to speak to you. And you must listen to me with an open mind."
"Come in first. Sit." After she sat, "Now tell me."
And Astha vented out her thoughts and gut instinct about Niranjan and Anjali. She also told him how Anjali almost pushed her out of their room in haste, as if she had something to hide. Astha expressed her concern on whatever was happening.
Varad listened intently and thought for a moment. Finally he began. "Astha, I don't know what to say. You may be right but you may also be very much wrong. You cannot go around accusing people like this especially your own family."
Astha felt a little let down. She had hoped bhai would take her side. "Par bhai..."
Varad raised his hand to stop her. "Having said that I am also willing to listen to you if you can prove yourself. You know me. I will definitely stand only for justice whoever it is."
Astha nodded in ascent. "Okay bhai. I will try my level best. Let me start at the breakfast table right today morning."
"Alright." Both of them got up to leave. When Astha was about to go out of the door, Varad stopped her. "One more thing Astha. Let this be between only the two of us only. Don't disclose this to anyone else. Especially not Shlok." Astha didn't know what to say. She just wished she had the sense yesterday. With a nod, she went down to complete the breakfast.
Astha deliberately made only three dishes with potato and wantedly made something else. This should start the spark she thought. Astha as usual set the table after the puja. Her father in law sat at the center of the table. Shlok and Varad sat on either side of him. Today Astha did not sit with her husband. She deliberately waited and served her father in law first.
He folded his hands in prayer and was about to begin eating, when he noticed the new dish. Niranjan looked up from the plate and asked "What is this Anjali? Looks like there is something new today."
That was when Anjali noticed the dish. She immediately started yelling at Astha. "Who asked you to make all this? Can't you follow simple instructions? Haven't I taught you enough by now? You absolutely have no sense." Her anger was quite palpable.
She went on to scoop the new dish out of Niranjan's plate and apologized profusely to him. Her anger gave away to desperation. A small portion of the dish was still in the plate. Niranjan looked at his plate and back at Anjali. His gaze narrowed and his fist clenched under the table. Anjali scrambled again to take the dish off the table.
Only two pair of eyes noticed the slight tremble in her hands. And only Varad noticed the still clenched hands of his father under tha table. To say that he was shocked would have been an understatement. Could Astha be right? He was carefully noticing his parents for the first time. And he definitely did not like what he saw. Not at all.
As Astha said something was on. He hoped it wasn't anything like Astha said. Finally the chaos settled and they finished the meal in relative peace. All of them got up to get ready to work. Varad alone signaled Astha to meet him in the living room.
Astha slipped away quietly without Anjali noticing her. Varad was already waiting near the mandir. "Bhai, saw that? Saw how she shrank in fear?"
"Yes. I also noticed my Baba controlling his anger. His fists were tightly closed as if he was controlling himself with great difficulty." Varad gave her a very perplexed look. "How long have you been noticing all this Astha?"
"Almost since the beginning. But I needed time to seek proof. Else who will believe me? And I myself am not clear what exactly is happening. But am pretty much sure something is on bhai."
"Hmm. Okay this is not the time or the place to discuss this. Let's see. We will both keep a keen watch and see if we get to know something."
Astha agreed and went up after hearing Shlok calling her name. She went in to see him searching for something. "What are you looking for?"
"The black file that I had got from office yesterday." He was still rummaging through the shelves. Astha simply went to the bed side draw and took it out. She replied with the file in her hand. "You just left this lying about on the couch yesterday. I kept it here. Huh! See what your anger brings you to?"
Shlok took the file from her hands and carelessly put it on the bed. He held her wrist and pulled Astha towards him before she moved away. He brought her hands around his neck and placed his hands on her waist. "Shlok..." Astha's eyes darted to the partially open door.
He tightened his hold on her waist, forcing her eyes back on him again. "Okay now tell me where you want to go out today."
"B..but we went out only yesterday." That too with a bad end she thought to herself.
"Hmm...but it didn't turn out the way either of us wanted. Lets erase that and start agin. So?" He was insistent.
"No. Today lets just be in. Lets not go out." He raised his eyebrows at her statement.
"And what do we do here?" He continued without letting her speak. "Though I could think of quite a few things." Shlok's voice dropped several octaves and he almost whispered this in her ears. His thumbs were drawing patterns on her waist.
Astha reacted to his words and his hands. She slightly shivered in need and unconsciously inched closer to him. His strong, male presence was drawing her like a magnet and last night's incident had only brought them even closer. She trusted him enough to know he will never take advantage of her under any circumstance. That gave her enough confidence and more to take the baby steps to intimacy.
The male hands went around her. His right hand pressed at the small of her back slightly, bringing her closer to his body. Astha dropped a feather light kiss on his right cheek and drew away before someone saw them.
"You will see what we are going to do today Shlok. Now go; I know you're getting late." She held the file and his keys and went down with him to walk him to the car. Her mind already began making plans for the evening. She did not want anything to spoil her plans today. And she completely intended to shut her mind off from other things except her husband.
With that decided, Astha strode into the house purposefully with a new found energy.
Part 21
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Udne Ki Aasha
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