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Part 1
Kabir sat motionless, reading the message again and again. He went back in time to relive his happy past.
Ananya and Kabir had gotten married after dating each other for two years.Kabir who was already 36 at the time had looked forward to the day they'd start a family. But he knew that Ananya was still very young and he didn't want to pressurize her in any way. 6 months after their wedding she had surprised him by saying that she wanted them to plan for a baby. Her logic was that she wanted a baby early in life while she still had the energy and the enthusiasm to manage both her personal and professional life.
A year later Kunal Kashyap Sharma had entered their lives. He was his father's replica in looks and his mother's replica in personality. He was full of mischief and kept his parents and his grandmother on their toes always. But he was also the centre of their existence, the apple of their eyes.
A month back Kabir had started working on a case to expose an MLA who ran his own fiefdom in the nearby distiict. He was grabbing land, torturing the peasants, killing his opponents. But not a word about this was reaching outside. Laws had no meaning in that district. Kabir had worked very hard to gain access to that area. He was hot on the trail of the story when Ananya had called him to inform him about Kunal's school bus meeting with an accident and him getting hurt.
His first instinct had been to rush to his Kunnu. But he had seen what was happening in the village, the plight of those people. They deserved a voice. Reluctantly he stayed back for another hour and finished the shooting. He then rushed back to Delhi. His phone had died on the way and he hadn't been able to contact Ananya.
After reaching the hospital his life had fallen apart. His Kunnu was gone and for all purposes so was Ananya. He had never thought that the situation was so serious. He kept torturing himself by asking why he hadn't left immediately.
He came back into the present and sprung into action. He had to find Ananya.
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. But he found no sign of her. He relapsed back into his dependence on alcohol. But this time he didn't let it ruin his career. He became a high-functioning alcoholic - a man in complete control of his career while being an alcoholic.
Four years later
It was Kunal's fourth death anniversary. In the days leading up to it he had begun losing control or maybe it was the excess alcohol finally showing its effect. His speech had started slurring ever so slightly.
Things came to a head today.
He had been suffering from a cough for the past few weeks. He kept coughing during his news bulletin. He noticed that he was coughing blood. But he still continued to read the bulletin. And then suddenly he had an aggressive coughing attack, he was spewing blood all over. Ronnie who was now the executive producer immediately called for a break. A minute later he had collapsed.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital. The doctors managed to get him stabilzied. Khalid asked everyone to leave. Over the years Khalid had become a family to Kabir. He was the only one aware of his alcoholic ways. He had tried counseling him but soon realized it was pointless. He stepped back never interfering in Kabir's life but always being there for him as a silebnt supporter.
Dr: Khalid if he doesn't get into rehab immediately he'll die a painful death very soon. You have to convince him.
Khalid: If only he listened to me.
Khalid sighed and went to sit in Kabir's room. A few hours later he went to the cafeteria . He came back to find a woman in Kabir's room gently stroking his hair.And then suddenly she moved away and began making her way out of the room quietly. As she came out Khalid came in front of her.
Khalid. Ananya Kashyap? Or should I say Naina Bajaj? That's your new identity isn't it? Deputy editor for BTM channel. Freelancing for several national newspapers. But a faceless person herself.. The aditya chopra of the news fraternity?
Ananya: How do you...
Khalid: Oh you did a marvellous job changing your identity. Kabir hasn't succeeded in tracing you in four years. Even my sources only managed to "find" you last week. I was just wondering how I should tell Kabir..
Brilliant work going undercover...
Ananya: Finished? Let's talk about Kabir? How did this happen? I thought he was a high-functioning alcoholic in complete control of his life.
khalid: So you know that? Why am i not surpised? Well you should understand that alcoholism takes its toll on the human body. And today of course is..
Ananya: My son's... I know.. Why don't you make him go to rehab?
Khalid: Of course that's child's play, isn't it? And pray how should I do that? If I push him too much he'll leave... and my channel will collapse
Ananya: Why don't you get a co-editor? 6 years back he had agreed to the clause allowing for a co-editor in exchange for a stake in the company. That'll give you more leverage to push him...
Khalid: You think I haven't tried that? But no one has the guts to be co-editor with The Kabir Sharma.
Also why are you lecturing me? Why don't you do something? You are his wife...
Ananya: We are separated. He has no place in my life and i have no place in his.
Khalid: Really? That's why you took the first flight here from Mumbai. You must have left immediately after seeing him collapse during the bulletin.
Ananya: that was a mistake. and you are right i shouldn't be lecturing you.I am leaving.
Khalid: Leave if you want. But you are the only one who has the power to save Kabir from killing himself. And if you don't do anything you'll soon have his death on your hands.
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
