[26/10/2018]
After spending some quality time with each other at dinner, the Sinhas return home and retreat to their rooms. In her room, Purva decides to message Karthik to see if he can meet her the following day.
"Kaise ho?" She texts him and waits for his reply.
At the Reddy house, Karthik is happy and restless; happy because he realized that what he felt for Purva wasn't just attraction, but true love and he is restless because he is afraid to think that Purva might not love him. He is lost in his thoughts when his phone chimes. He checks it to see Purva's message and half of his restlessness goes away.
He reads the message and replies, Theek hu! Aur tum?"
Purva sees the reply and instead of answering the question, she types, "Hume tumse milna hai. Kal shaam ko mil sakte ho kya?"
Karthik gets nervous again and replies, "Yes, of course. 7 pm?"
"Yes." She texts back.
Karthik replies,"I will pick you up at 7 then."
"Nahi. Hum tumhe seedhe coffee shop par hi milenge." She replies.
Karthik gets disappointed but says, "Okay. See you. Good night."
Purva feels bad but she replies, "Good night!" and in the silence of the night, she goes to the balcony and says, "I am sorry Karthik. Hume pata hai ki tumhe bura laga lekin abhi hum emotional hoke koi bhi decision nahi lena chahte. Kal tumse milke saari baatein clear kar ke hi ab iss rishte ko aage badhaaenge."
In her room, Anushka comes out of the washroom expecting to see Siddhant working. Instead he is asleep in the bed. She goes to him and sits at the edge of the bed next to him. She looks at her best friend, the man she loved her whole life, and feels content. She smiles thinking about their lives.
"Burin azar waale tera mooh kaala!" comes Siddhant's sleepy yet teasing voice.
Anushka gets startled at first but laughs and says, "Tumhe kaise pata ke meri nazar buri hai?"
"Bilkul waise hi jaise tumhe pata tha. Aur hume yeh bhi pata hai ke ladko ko aise ghoor ghoor ke dekhna achhi baat nahi hoti!" Siddhant replies with a smile reminding Anushka of the exact same conversation they had a while back.
Anushka laughs again and says, "Bhai hum toh ghoorenge. Jab ladka itana handsome, hot, aur sexy ho, toh humse toh control nahi hota! Agar problem hai toh police ko bula lo, mere husband lawyer hai sab sambhaal lenge!"
They laugh, and he tries to get up, but she stops him and gets into bed with him resting her head on his chest. He wraps her up in his arms. She feels the warmth of his embrace and gets lost in the rhythm of his heartbeat. As Siddhant wraps his arms around Anushka a sense of serenity takes over him. In that moment he understands how empty and alone he had been his whole life without Anushka.
They stay like this for a long moment and then Anushka says, "Siddhant.."
"Hmmm?" Siddhant replies.
"I am so proud of you. Aaj jaise tumne Purva ko sambhaala na, usse dekh k ek baat ka toh yakeen ho gaya. Ki jab humaare bacche honge na toh tum ek bohot hi acche Papa.. nahi!" She stops and tilts her face up and says, "Pita Shree banoge." And smiles.
"Thank you. Lekin tumhe "bacche?" chahiye?" He asks.
"Of course, 3 chahiye." Anushka says confidently.
Siddhant is surprised and says, "3? Are you serious? Aur unhe sambhaalega kon?"
"Mein of course! Aur kon?" She says and then adds, "Dekho, tum bas unhe subaah jaga dena, unko breakfast karvaa ke school pe chhod dena, shaam ko unhe school se pick kar ke ghar le aana aur dinner kara ke sula dena!"
"Inn sab ke baad tumhaare liye karne ko kya bacha?" Siddhant asks in utter shock.
"Bohot kuch. Mujhe tumhe supervise karna hoga na. Aise hi thodi apne bacche tumhe de dungi?" She says mockingly.
"Accha?" He asks and starts tickling her. She laughs as he rolls over and pins her under him.
Out of breath, she looks at the happiness in his eyes and holds his face. She slowly pulls him down and kisses his forehead as he closes his eyes to feel her warmth. When he opens his eyes, he sees her looking into his soul. He leans down and kisses her. The soul stirring kiss melts Anushka to the bone as she wraps her arms around him and loses herself in him.
[10/31/2018]
The next morning, Siddhant and Anushka are having breakfast with Gayatri when Anushka's phone rings. She looks at the caller ID and picks it up.
"Good morning Anna! She says, "Kya baat hai? Aaj subah subah phone kiya aapne? Sab theek toh hai na?"
"Kyun? Kuch theek nahi hoga tabhi mein tujhe call kar sakta hu? Bas aise hi nahi kar sakta?" Srikanth replies in return and chuckles. "On the serious note," Srikanth continues, "Tujhe office aana padega."
Anushka gets tensed. "Kya hua Anna? Aise achaanak office?"
Srikanth says, "Dekh, mujhe pata hai ki tu Reddy Corporation chodana chahti hai lekin company ki kuch policies hai jo hume bhi follow karni padegi. As an HR head, you should know that every employee needs to give two weeks' notice before leaving. Tujhe khud ki banaayi policies follow toh karni padegi na?"
"Okay Anna. I understand. I'll see you at the office." Anushka says and hangs up.
Siddhant and Gayatri ask her what's happening, and she tells them. Siddhant and Gayatri agree that she should fulfill her responsibilities at the office before leaving the company. Siddhant decides to drop her off at the office on his way to work. She agrees and goes to get ready.
Siddhant and Anushka are about to leave when Purva comes downstairs ready to go to college. Seeing Gayatri, Siddhant, and Anushka there, Purva decides to tell them about her meeting with Karthik in the evening.
"Ma, aaj hume aane mein thodi der ho jaaegi." She says.
"Kyun? Class ke baad kuch hai?" Gayatri inquires.
Purva hesitates a bit but says, "Ha, woh, hum shaam ko Karthik se milne ja rahe hai."
Gayatri sees her daughter's hesitation and says, "Theek hai bete. Bas itana yaad rakhna ke rishte itani aasaani se todde ya jode nahi jaate."
Seeing her mother's support, Purva feels relieved and hugs her. Siddhant and Anushka give understanding smile and leave followed by Purva.
Siddhant and Anushka reach the office but seeing the corporation, Anushka relives the moment when she saw her father commit suicide and with that memory comes back the realization of how her father had built this so-called empire. She feels disgusted and wants to turn back but Siddhant puts an arm around her shoulder walks her through the entrance and to her office.
As they quietly walk through the vast building, they relive the moments they spent in this very space that brought them together after years of separation and loneliness. As they reach her office, Anushka looks at the adjoining cabin where she used to steal glances at Siddhant. Siddhant smiles remembering the same and kisses her forehead. She hugs him in return. Just then they hear a courteous cough.
They turn back to see Srikanth standing there. He smiles and says, "Siddhant, tumhaara cabin ab bhi khaali hai. Are you sure tumhe.."
Siddhant smiles and says, "Hum apni khud ki office mein theek hai. Hum bas yaha Anushka ko chodne aaye the. Ab chalte hai."
He looks at Anushka and says, "Shaam ko milte hai."
She smiles back and nods as he leaves. Srikanth goes to his baby sister, puts an arm around her, and takes her to her office.
In his cabin, Karthik keeps thinking about his upcoming meeting with Purva and keeps getting nervous. Just then Srikanth and Anushka enter the cabin but, lost in his thoughts, he doesn't notice them.
"Purva ke baare mein soch raha hai?" Anushka asks.
Hearing Purva's name, Karhtik gets startled and turns to see them. "Are aap log? Aap log kab aaye?"
"Bas abhi aaye." Anushka replies with a smile and says, "Shaam ko Purva se milna hai usi ke baare mein soch raha hai na?"
Karthik sighs and says, "Ha. I don't know. Jabse usse jaanta hu, tabse usse khud se itana distant kabhi nahi dekha. Woh mujhe sab batati thi lekin ab.."
"Ab usse reality ko face karna hai." Anushka intervenes. "Ab usse yeh realize ho raha hai ke tu shaadhi shuda tha. Karthik, the timing of your relationship was really bad. Emotions mein aake uss ne apne dil ki baat bata toh di lekin ab usse apni kahi baat ke consequences bhi face karne hai."
Karhtik is surprised hearing Anushka say all this and he feels offended on Purva's behalf. "Anu, tu aisa keh rahi hai? Tujhe pata hai na ke meri shaadi se uska koi lena dena nahi hai. My marriage was over just as soon as it started. Nupur se shaadi karna ek bohot badi galti thi."
"I know Karthik par usse toh nahi pata na yeh sab. Uske liye toh yeh sab kisi gunah se kam nahi hai." Seeing Karthik getting upset, she goes to him and says, "Dekh, shaam ko jab uss se milega na toh uski baat sunn ke usse apni baat samjhana." Karthik nods.
"Aur sab sunn ne aur samajh ne ke baad bhi agar uska decision tujh se alag hone ka ho," Srikanth adds sending a wave of dread through Karthik's heart, "toh uski aur uske decision ki respect karna. Uski feelings, uski life, uska future bhi utane hi important hai jitane ki tere."
Karthik, despite feeling scared to lose her, promises his siblings that he will not do anything to upset Purva anymore than she already is and will not break her heart.
They decide to put it all aside and move on to discuss about work.
