FF: Lootera ~ Last Chapter on page- 85~ - Page 7

"Where have you been?"

Bihaan jolted to a stop at an invisible Thapki's voice.

"Out. Where---What are you doing?"

"I made your favourite breakfast." Bihaan peeped inside the kitchen where Thapki was sitting in front of the stove. She had tied her hair above in a messy bun but most of her silky hair had come loose out of it. She had flour in her cute little nose and side of her cheek and she couldn't look more beautiful. Bihaan mentally stop himself before his thoughts could go deeper into that direction.

In few fours he had gone she had changed the whole map of the kitchen. She had cleared part of it and placed a rug there making a makeshift dining space.

She pointed at the rug, "Come, sit here. Look what I have made for you".

"What is that?" Bihaan asked skeptically looking at the white stuff Thapki was serving him.

"It's p-payasam. Your favourite."

"Where did you get the milk?"

"Oh...yes you must pay L-Laluji for this milk."

"YOU WENT TO THE VILLAGE ALL BY YOURSELF??WHAT IF YOU GOT LOST??...WAIT...Lalu asked payment for this milk?? FROM MY WOMAN?" Bihaan exploded still standing.

"Calm down O big bad wolf" Thapki tugged his hand from her sitting position and made him sit forcefully. "I w-woke up and you were not here, I got w-worried" Thapki said in her baby voice. She handed him his plate of hot piping payasam and rotis.

"Mujhe bolkar jana c-chahiye tha na? Anyways from next time you must w-wake me up before leaving the house. Mujhe t-tumhari chinta hoti rehti hai" At Bihaan's astounded expression she urged him to eat.

"Eat while it's still hot and tell me h-how is it?" Bihaan took a bite and it was pure heaven. His tastebuds exploded, it was so yummy, he almost moaned in pleasure.

Thapki was looking at him with a hopeful smile waiting for his praise. Bihaan schooled his expression and said, "Not bad"

Not bad? This was the best thing he had ever tasted in his lifetime of whatever as much as he could remember. But he didn't know why he wanted to keep this girl away from him, not let her build her hopes around him. He saw her smile falter a bit but she quickly hid it and got busy into making more rotis for him.

Bihaan cleared his throat and tried to shake away his guilt, "So you went to the village?"

"No, I wanted to. I s-started to go there but then I got lost in the f-forest, I was on verge of t-tears when Laluji found me. He was going to the t-town in his cycle to sell his milk. But he t-took a detour when he heard my c-cry of help and came to investigate. H-He was so nice to give me a l-l-lift here. He even gave me some of his milk."

"Did he now?" Thapki didn't notice the slight stiffening of Bihaan's voice.

"Yes, you must p-pay him for his milk though he didn't want the money and t-thank him for what he did for me. He even c-consoled me that you must be in one of your business' m-meetings with your friends. He is such a sweet heart."

"He is, isn't he?" Bihaan said in a sweet voice vehemently tearing his roti with unnecessary force.

"Yes, he said he will c-check up on me on his way back, if you are not back, he will keep me c-company."

"Looks like I really need to thank him personally" he said gnashing his food in his mouth.

"Yes, please see that you do. He is r-really--"

"Sweet, I know." Bihaan tried to curb the unnecessary anger he was feeling. He was damn sure it was not jealousy. Because there was nothing to feel jealous about. This girl can find anyone sweet , it was her life, her thoughts, if she found a dark like mortar, gap-in the teeth, cow smelling man sweet, who was he to complain. He was fine...completely fine...but Lalu won't be...he would need crutches...real soon...

Thapki nodded her head and served him some more payasam.

"I am already full--"

"Please have some more, how thin you have b-become... Last night when I--"

"I told you to stay away from my bed...you didn't listen..."

"I listened but you were having a n-nightmare...and when I went to calm you down, you hugged m-me tight and didn't let me go, so I slept b-beside you."

"I don't have nightmares" Bihaan said stubbornly when he knew it was a lie, nightmares and migraines were the only consistent things in his life and offcourse his epic panic attacks. He hoped the girl wouldn't be here by the time he had his next panic attack...he didn't really want her to see his feral face.

Thapki didn't reply just looked away fiddling with the pots and pans.

"Thapki---" this was the first time he called her name and she turned to look at him with a big smile.

"woh ...where are you from?"

"Oh you are ready to k-know about your life? You and me, we are from D-Delhi, actually I am from Agra but you are b-born and b-brought up in Delhi and after our marriage ---"

"kitni bolti ho tum...answer only what I ask..."

"okay"

"How come you were in the jungle alone...so far from home?"

"Actually, after your accident police and the forest ministry o-officers tried to find you in this forest, but they c-couldn't...everyone presumed you are...well... I knew you are a-alive so after the police came empty h-handed I decided to look for you myself. I was l-living in the Ramada Forest Resort for last 2 months; I even have a guide Ramu Kaka. He usually takes me to the v-villages where I continued to look for you----"

"So where was Ramu Kaka yesterday when Chanda abducted you?"

"woh Bauji ordered me to c-comeback...so Ramu Kaka went to get my return ticket and I sneaked out trying to find you one last t-time."

"So it is your habit, disregarding your own safety ..."

"It is not like that, I am very c-c-cautious usually...look what happened, because I was a-abducted yesterday, I found you." She said happily.

"And if I didn't reach there on time, you'd be entertaining my brothers all night long and right this moment you would probably be wishing you are dead if you were still alive by any chance..."

"But you came and s-saved me like you always do...you are my hero." Thapki smiled and said matter of factly.

"This is where you are mistaken, I am not a hero, I am your worst nightmare."

"If you say so..." Thapki shrugged and began to tidy up the kitchen.

"Your family must be worried about you..."

"yes ...Bauji and all must be worried sick by n-now"

"Bauji?"

"Your dad...he l-loves you a lot , he will be ecsta---"

"I didn't ask for an essay" Bihaan didn't want to know about his past life or any relations he had. He didn't know why he felt wronged by them all; he was feeling one strange irrational grudge against his so called family... he was not yet ready for them...

"Get ready Thapki, I am taking you to the town from where you can call your family and let them know you are safe."

"Okay but can you tell me by what time we will be back?? I was thinking of washing the---"

"Don't you want to go back to them?"

There was a pause and then she replied, "Only if you come with me"

"I am not ready yet."Bihaan was quick to reply.

"Then I will stay here with you until you are ready."

"This place is not right for a girl like you."

"Why do you keep saying that? My place is anywhere with y-you. I will never leave you again." Thapki said heatedly.

"Okay let me take you to your family then. I want to meet everyone. I have changed my mind."

"YOU HAVE?--I mean you are r-ready to come with me to your h-home?" Thapki said looking astonished.

"Yes, why? Don't you want to introduce me to my family?"

"Yes...yes off course." Thapki said averting her eyes. Bihaan could clearly see the girl was lying. This girl didn't even learn how to lie properly. Whatever her reason behind lying Bihaan was simply not interested, he just wanted her gone. He planned to put her on a bus to the city. She could never find her way back to this place,or back to him... he could bet on his life.

2 hours later...

After 20 minutes of sitting alone, waiting for Bihaan, when the bus was about to leave, Thapki finally realised what Bihaan had done. She had started to worry when time began to pass and he didn't return but her heart was not admitting Bihaan could do this to her. He had cold bloodedly dumped her. He boarded the bus with her, sat with her few minutes and then said he saw an acquaintance of his through the window whom he needed to talk to and left her. And that was it. He never returned.

The bus began to move and Thapki screamed for it to stop. She didn't want to cry, she knew this Bihaan had completely forgotten her, didn't love her anymore but it still hurt. She descended from the bus and wiped off her tears. She would not cry, no matter what she would not admit defeat. She would make him fall in love with her again, she would make him remember their love, she vowed to herself. After months of living like the dead, after months of prayers, God had returned her husband to her. She would not let him go ever.

-----------

It was almost sundown when Bihaan returned to his hut. He didn't know why he was feeling so empty inside. He knew what he did today was absolutely the right thing to do. But still he was missing the girl, the unconditional love she kept bestowing on him which he didn't deserve, her cute faltering babbling, her smell, her smile, her softness...her...everything UGHHH. Bihaan groaned... he should just stop thinking about her...that was what he had been trying whole day long...to not think about her...

Something was not right. There was a light shining out of his room's window. Did the girl light one before they left for the town this morning? He definitely didn't. And why was the window open?As he drew near, he saw...

Thapki was sewing a tear on one of his shirt by the window concentrating hard on it.

"YOU" Bihaan couldn't help but scream.

She calmly looked up from the task at her hand and then went back to it as if nothing happened.

"YOU...YOU... YOU" Bihaan couldn't form a sentence such was his fury. Thapki calmly continued her work.

"YOU COME OUT OF THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW" he roared.

Thapki came out and stood leaning on a beam which supported the roof of the hut.

"What? What happened?" She asked nonchalantly.

"YOU..."

"Yes...me...what?" Thapki replied flippantly.

Bihaan tried to compose himself control his anger.

"HOW?" he managed at last; something which was different than the word 'you'.

Thapki didn't pretend to not understand what he was asking.

"Laluji. He gave me a l-lift. He is such a sweet, dear, dear m-man." She replied.

5th part