FF: Partial Amnesia Pt 31Pg145-6th Dec - Page 86

Part 23

23rd January 2011 12:40 AM

"Whats up? You called?" Geeta called back Shaan after 5 minutes of him closing the phone with Mitul

"I called you around 50 times! Where WERE you?!" Shaan said annoyed at the other end.

Geeta frowned in her sleep but realized Shaan would never call her this late had he not had a good enough reason. "I was sleeping." She said shortly. "Kya hua? Is everything okay?"

"Yea well Khanak was having some pains so--- err I wanted to ask you about the ultrasound reports but Mitul told me they'll come tomorrow" Shaan said resignedly.

Biting back the reprimand that she wanted to throw at Shaan for disturbing Mitul on his wedding night, she instead settled with a "Hmm they'll come tomorrow". She heard silence at the other end. She decided to continue, guessing that Shaan was worried. "Listen Shaan----irregular pains like this are nothing to worry about that much---Khanak is on the phase to recovery and these are only normal---" she said trying to put Shaan at ease. When Shaan still did not say anything Geeta went on "Acha Suno why don't you do one thing? Give her xyz tablet and she should feel better theek hain?" Still there was no response at the other end. " Shaan----" Geeta started warmly again, "Khanak had a miscarriage---- her body went through torture that you can only imagine---but it's going to be fine soon---I promise---Shaan you there?"

"Yeaa---" Shaan finally found his voice making Geeta sigh in relief. "I'll give her the tablet----" he said simply and hung up.

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23rd January 2011 01:00 AM

Shaan entered his room to find it in darkness. Khanak had gone to sleep, he thought as he closed the door behind him. Just then he saw the dark figure on the bed that was Khanak get up and sit straight on the bed. Shaan walked over to her side and sat down beside her, switching on the lamp. What he saw was his wife's tear dried face.

"Khanak!!Kya hua? Tum ub tuk soee nahi!?" Shaan said extremely worried holding her face tightly, then realizing what he was doing letting go. All of a sudden Khanak grabbed both Shaan' hands and pressed them tight, her eyes pleading as she looked into his. Shaan was taken by surprise as Khanak held both his hands compactly. "Khanak----" he whispered. "Kya hua----tum---tum royee ho? Kya phirsay dard horaha hain? Khanak kya----"

"Shaantanu-----" Khanak breathed and her voice gave Shaan goosebumps. Not because it was soft, or because it was croaky or timid but because it had something in it which it had NEVER had in it before when she had talked to him: fear. Khanak's voice, that had whispered his name in love, screamed it in anger, hissed it in annoyance, had now uttered it in fear. The sound of his name shook him to the core and made his senses now fear the worst. "Shaantanu----" Khanak repeated, now digging her nails into Shaan's fists . Shaan felt his heart go to the pit of his stomach as he sensed the fear in the voice again, and as he looked into her big eyes, the fear palpable in them too. "Aaap mujhay-----aap mujhay------" she bent her head and touched their hands with it. "Aap mujhay---kabhee chor kar tohh nahi jao gay na----? Aaap humesha----humesha meray saath raho gay naa-----" she said, how pulling his hands closer to her heart as another tear trickled down her cheek.

Shaan fell into a pool of misery hearing those words out of Khanak's mouth. She thought he would leave her? He would leave HER?! He looked at her as though every muscle that twitched in his mouth caused him pain. It was then that he realized why Khanak's voice had carried that fear which had not been there just an hour ago when they were being intimate. He brought his head forward touching Khanak's head and just let it be like that for a while. They both just sat there, hand in hand, head to head, breathing heavily. "Kabhee nahi-----Kabhe nahi Khanak----" Shaan whispered. "Kabhee nahiii------main humesha----humesha tumharay saath rahoo ga----humesha-----" he felt his own voice going croaky as he spoke.

Khanak smiled sadly. His voice had confidence. His voice was reassuring and she felt her fear ebbing away, slowly. Immediately her grip on Shaan's palms loosened. Shaan looked up, released his hands slowly from her loose grip and held her face, wiping her tears again. He shook his head telling Khanak without words not to cry. He didn't trust his voice and didn't want to give his emotions away.

"Yay lo dawaiyee kha lo----" Shaan said reaching out to open the drawer and take out the tablet that Geeta had prescribed. Khanak took the tablet without argument, her eyes not once wavering away from Shaan's face. She took her time to swallow it with water, for the longer she took, the longer Shaan stayed right in front of her. When she finally removed the glass from her lips Shaan took it and made a movement to get up. Khanak seized his free wrist again, making Shaan look up into her eyes. What he saw was an unspoken desire of his wife for him to be with her. 'I want you to be with me tonight Shaantanu' he heard Khanak's eyes say. "I want to sleep in your arms and make all my fears go away Shaantanu, " he heard her eyes again. "Please stay with me tonight-----" her eyes pleaded.

"I will-----" Shaan's eyes spoke back to hers. "I will----" and Shaan switched off the lamp and with Khanak's hand still holding his wrist he came over her, lay down on the bed beside her and spooned her waist from the back. They both fell asleep immediately.

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23rd January 2011 10:00 AM

"Okay Mom----MOMM!! " Khushboo said really loudly to get Madhvi's attention who was BBMing some friend of her's. Madhvi looked up as Khushboo, feeling satisfied, carried on " I've made a list of all the functions of Khanak and Shaan as well as Natasha and Mitul-----"

"No need to have functions for me didi-----" Natasha entered the house and looked at Madhvi, Khushboo and Natasha entered the house and looked at Madhvi and Khushboo brightly. " We'll just have a reception and a fake second wedding " she laughed. "Actually Mitul kay paas itna time nahi hain----so he can't take days off----so we're saving his off days for our honeymoon----" she said sipping the glass of juice she picked up from the table.

"That was MINE!" Khushboo said pointing at the glass of juice in her sisters hands. " And someone looks happy! Where were you last night?! " she raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "You were just going on a long drive! How come you ended up staying away the whole night! Na kisi ko bataya na kuch----"

Natasha smiled at her sister. "Ek minute pehlay toh aap hans rahee thee----" she said ignoring what Khushboo had said. "Mom these pregnanacy issues I tell you---Didi has the WORST!"

Madhvi laughed. Khusboo looked annoyed. "Does anyone even WANT to know the list I made?!" she said iritably.Madhvi and Natasha nodded vigourously sensing danger.

"Okay here it is!" Khushboo said proudly putting the piece of the paper on the table. Natasha and Madhvi bent forward to take a look. It read:

1. 1. Pooja for fixing of the Engagement date
2. 2. Engagement
3. 3. Pooja for the fixing of the wedding date
4. 4. Sangeet
5. 5. Haldi
6. 6. Mehndi
7. 7. Shaadi (Traditional)
8. 8. Shaadi (Reception)
9. 9. A spare day (incase of rain)
10. 10. Ermm ----still thinking

"Khushbooo!! Yay kya hain!?" Madhvi asked shocked looking up at a smiling Khushboo while Natasha went into a fit of giggles. "ITNAY saray function?!

"Er yeaaahhh!" she said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Itnay dino tuk mera beta apni biwi kay bagair rahay ga?"Madhvi asked incredulously.

"What? They'll meet at the engagement won't they?" Khsuhboo said huffily "and waisay bhee YOU'RE the one who's got into this rut of not letting them meet! Toh why are you complaining?" Khushboo looked at Madhvi closely with raised eyebrows.

Madhvi suddenly looked solemn and went into deep thought. "Mera beta---bechara---kal bhee guest room main soya hain----" she finally said. Khushboo shrugged in a You-made-the-rules-mom way and turned to Natasha to discuss the list. "Yay dono abhee tuk uthay kyun nahi hain? Khanak ko uthatee hoon----" she said uncertainly staring into space and talking as though to herself she proceeded towards Shaan's room.

"Didi shaadi main BUHAT maza anay wala hain!----- I need to fix my date for my wedding too---but I'm too lazy now---" Madhvi heard Natasha say to her sister as she took the stairs. Madhvi rolled her eyes at the pile of madness these two sisters sometimes were.

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23rd January 2011 10:15 AM

Shaan woke up with a start when he heard the sound of the bedroom door click. He had been lying down with his arm around Khanak completely enveloping her close to his body. Her hand was still lightly over his wrist as she slept peacefully.Sensing that someone had opened the door and then shut it, Shaan removed his hand slowly from around Khanak's waist so as not to wake her up and went outside the room. He saw his mother standing at a distance, her face fuming.

"Mom---sunay----wohh main-----" he began looking at his mother's angry face which was looking the other way. "Mom I-----I went to the guest room but-----"

"Buss Shaan!" she said shortly, her anger palpable. "I don't want to hear any explanations. There was a reason I wanted you two to stay separately and you just---you just-----" Madhvi stopped apeaking, not being able to find the right words in her anger.

Shaan felt bewildered at his mother's reactionand then the realization came hitting him in an instant; of why his mother had suggested Shaan and Khanak stay separately after confessing their love for each other. His mother did not care about the traditions! She never HAD! She cared about something she felt was more important than that; Khanak. "Mom----" Shaan began holding her shoulders "Nothing happened----Jo aap soch rahee hain waisa kuch nahi hua---I swear-----Khanak buss chahtee thee kay main uskay saath----uskay saath rahoo----Mom uskee tabyat kharaab ho gaee thee-----mainay usay dawaee dee---that's all----nothing happened----" he wanted to make it clear to his mom.

Madhvi heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry beta----Mujhay Khanak ki condition pata hain----iss liyay I was just worried----tum ja kar Geeta say kyun nahi mil laitay----wohh tumhay err--- achay say advice karay gee----aur Khanak kay baray main bhee-----Khanak ko bhee lay jao saath-----" Madhvi said. Shaan nodded relieved that his mother had understood.

"I'll just go and take a shower----" he said and saw Madhvi raise his eyebrows. "In the guest room MOM!---" he said pointing towards it and moving there too. Madhvi smiled at the retreating figure of her son.

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"Natasha jee---aap yahan?" Khanak said in shock as soon as she climbed down the stairs and entered the kitchen. She had whined and finally convinced Madhvi that she did not want to go to the hospital again and she hated it there and that she was getting married and had a lot of preparations to do. Shaan had looked at her with his intense gaze when she was denying her pain to Madhvi and she had looked down, seriously intimidated. Shaan had then left to meet Geeta alone. Perhaps this was better, he thought. He could easily talk about Khanak without having to disguise the baby talk.

"Khanak WHEN are you going to start calling me Natasha? Tum Shaan ko bhee Shaantanu "jee" kahtee hon?!" Natasha exclaimed making Khanak blush and smile shyly.

"Acha Natasha aap yahan? Apkee toh kal hee shadi hui hain----" Khanak said.

"Haan Khanak---Mitul hospital gaya hain---toh socha didi say mil loon----kitni moteee hogaee hain didi! Mujhay yaad hain jub tum-----" Natasha stopped abruptlu suddenly, her expression one of horror. She was going to talk Khanak's pregnancy and had just stopped herself in time. "----jub tum nay ---err didi ko----err bataya tha kay kaisay pata chalta hain kay larka ya larki ho-----ermm pait ko dekh kar----you need to see Didi's stomach----" she finished lamely, now beginning to sweat. It was a close shave. Khanak was looking at Natasha suspiciously."

"Acha theek hain----Dhulwadi main toh har aurat pait ko dekh kar bata deti hain----" she said proudly.

Natasha smiled in relief. "Aur err mujhay kuch meetha banana sikha doh please----Mitul ko meetha buhat pasand hain---" she said shyly that was not expected of her.

Khanak looked at Natasha fondly. "Natasha jee----er mera mutlu Natasha---" she said when she saw Natasha raise her eyebrows sternly. "Aap----aap toh Shaantanu say----Shaantanu say buhat pyaar karti thee na----phir kya hua?"

Natasha had been expecting this question anytime now. She sighed and put the spoon and pan down on the slab. "Nahi Khanak----mujhay bus----bus lagta tha kay main Shaan say pyaar karti thee----- sirf lagta tha----laikin such toh yay hain kah---kah mainay Shaan say kabhee pyaar hee nahi kiya----sirf ek doosray ko jaanna pyaar nahi hota Khanak----ek doosray ko samajhna bhee zaroori hota hain----main usay jaanti toh buhat ache tarah thee----laikin usay samajhtee nahi thee---par tum---tum usay samjhtee hon----aur wohh tumhay-----yay sacha pyaar hota hain----aur aj main tumhari aankho main jo Shaan kay liyay dekhti hoon na-----who main apni aankhon main Mitul kay liyay dekhti hoon-----"she finished logically.

Khanak smiled at and held her hand taking her by surprise. "Main buss---buss apko thank you kahna chahti thee----" she said softly, her voice full of love. "Aap nay humaray liyay jo kuch bhee kiya----uss kay liyay----thank you----" Khanak sniffed.

"God Khanak tumko bhee didi kay mood swings ka attack par gaya hain" Natasha said reproachingly. Khanak snorted with laughter. They both hugged each other, sharing a sentimental moment. "Khanak!!" Natasha squealed, breaking off the hug and trying to cheer things up. "Tumharee shadi honay wali hain!!!" she said excitedly holding Khanak's shoulder. "SHADIII!! You have GOT to see the list that didi has made for you! You just HAVE to! ITNAY saray functions! Dusk ay kareeb toh hongay-----it's going to be the wedding of the century! Oh and the joota chupai----I have an excellent plan for that----and the mandap'blah blah blah----and the sangeet blah blah-----didi is already freaking out about her clothes----and Shaan----" Natasha went on and on and on. Khanak stopped listening to her mid way and just stood and stared at her happy face. She said a silent prayer to keep Mitul and Natasha always happy. Then said another pray to keep her and Shaantanu always happy.