Here's part 2 you guys....
-----The Calm Before The Storm (Part 2)--------------------------------------------------
When Ragini woke the next morning, she felt sore and cramped and tired. Then she remembered that Anmol had been sleeping on that sofa for the past six years! (This one's for the fabulous "Bed lao back bachao" folks ;)) How awful….She was determined to make it up to him somehow and also determined to get to the bottom of whatever was bothering Anmol. Where was he? Not on the bed. Had he stayed in the study all night? Had he come in and seen her on his sofa and left? What must he have thought? No, he wasn't in the study either. She went into the kitchen and asked Guddi casually…."Guddi, tumne Anmol bhaiyya ko dekha hai?" "Didi woh to jogging ke liye nikal chuke…" Ragini was disappointed…she hardly knew why. Ridiculous. "Ragini didi aaj breakfast mein kya banaayein?" "Hmm…Guddi tu Mummyji ko chai deke aaja, tab tak main decide kar leti hoon." As Guddi left with tea for Vasu, Ragini busied herself with breakfast. She would make something special for Anmol, she decided….but what did he like to eat? She was so used to making Tammy and Khushi and Alekh's favorite things. It was their taste that ruled the kitchen. But what did Anmol like?….He ate anything she gave him and praised everything. No, he was partial to gobi ke paranthe….she had noticed that. She wasn't entirely oblivious to his tastes! They had lived under the same roof for six years after all. Gobi ke paranthe for breakfast! As she was chopping up the cauliflower, Guni walked in yawning. "Good Morning chachi! Arrey wah! Kya baat hai! Gobi ke paranthe! Chachu ke favorite! Kay baat hai Chachi, koi khaas occasion? How romantic!" Before Ragini could answer this onslaught of Guni's, Guddi returned and noticed what Ragini was doing. "Gobi ke paranthe? Anmol bhaiyya ke favorite? Layiye, main kaat deti hoon." As Guni and Guddi prattled on about her, Ragini tried hard not to let her disappointment show. Guni was an observant and intelligent girl. Of course she would notice something like that. But, Guddi? Even Guddi knew what Anmol liked?! Ragini felt as though she had been robbed of something precious - knowledge about Anmol that she thought only she had. Everyone seemed to know that Anmol liked Gobi ke paranthe…God! Look at her, getting emotional over cauliflower! What was happening to her? She had to talk to Anmol, she had to know what was bothering him before she went completely crazy.
Soon the children and Papaji came down to breakfast….no Anmol. She served them distractedly, stealing glances toward the staircase every two seconds. Where was Anmol? Why hadn't he come down yet? Surely he couldn't still be jogging? How far was he going? All the way to Delhi? Where was he? Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. She said as casually as she could, "Guni, zara apne Chachu ko to bulake laa…breakfast is getting cold aur unhe bacchon ko school tak cchodna hai." As Guni stood up, Papaji interrupted, "Kya Anmol ne tumhe nahin bataaya Ragini, ya tum bhool gayi? Anmol to aaj ek client ke saath Breakfast meeting pe gaya hai, woh kabka nikal chukaa…aaj bacchon ko main school tak cchod aata hoon." "Oh! Jee hanh….ab mujhe yaad aayaa, main hi bhool gayi, pata nahin aaj kal mera dhyan kahan rehta hai…sorry." She struggled to keep back her tears…it seemed like disappointment was going to be the ruling emotion of the day. Just then Alekh came down to breakfast. "Sorry, sorry, main late ho gaya…Gobi ke paranthe? Tammy ke pappa ke favorite?!" Aaaaarghhhh! Ragini wanted to scream! She wished she had never thought of it….she never wanted to see a cauliflower again in her life!
After the children had gone with Papaji, Ragini roamed about the house distractedly…Mummyji had gone out shopping and Alekh was in his room painting. How could Anmol leave like that without telling her? How irritating of him! What if she needed to get hold of him? What if she needed to tell him something? Why hadn't he thought of that? She worked herself into a fury. She couldn't wait for him to return, she was going to give him a piece of her mind…She was going to be ready for him….Just let him come home. She wouldn't let him get away with this. She would insist…As she planned out all the things she would say to him, she found that she had wandered into their room and opened his cupboard…There was the shirt she had bought him…he hadn't worn it – the tags were still attached…all her anger melted away and all she felt was a deep deep sadness.
She sat in front of her mirror and gazed at her reflection… Why was Anmol so angry with her? What had she done to deserve his coldness? What had she done? What was wrong with her? Hadn't Anmol stood at this very mirror and called her beautiful? Hadn't he insisted on helping her with the clasp of her necklace….She remembered that moment so vividly…Anmol bending swiftly to pick up the necklace before she could, threading the necklace through the pendant with his long gentle fingers, holding it up triumphantly and gesturing toward the mirror, gesturing for her to turn….then his arms going over her head as he brought the necklace round her neck. He was not touching her, but she could feel his warmth, she could feel his breath on the back of her neck as he did the clasp… She remembered his eyes finding hers in the mirror and his intense gaze as he told her was how beautiful it was…..the necklace that is...She felt her heart pounding…so loud that she was sure he could hear it. "Thanks" she had managed to blurt out….she had to get out of there…away from his gaze….
How close he had been then at that moment….when nothing and happened and yet everything had…She looked at herself in the mirror…her cheeks were flushed and her heart was still pounding…
Edited by narangi_77 - 14 years ago
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