NOTE: I REALLY WANTED TO WRITE SOMETHING FOR SHAURYA.
I POST MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SHOW ON TWITTER BUT HERE I HAVE DWELLED ON A SIDE OF SHAURYA,I BELIEVE EXISTS BECAUSE HE IS A MAN WITH A GOLDEN HEART AND ITS ON THESE LINES THIS OS IS BASED ON.
ON THE SAME TIMELINE OF THE SHOW,JUST WITH A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF SHAURYA SABHARWAL.
SHAKHI OS - CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
"There aren't going to be any lectures of Shaurya Sir for 2 days".
"What?.But I have never seen him taking day off,infact I heard he even conducts extra classes when exams are round the corner to help out the students".
"Hard Luck.Its posted on the notice board.Damn two days without seeing our favourite professor".
Anokhi heard the news as she walked behind those girls.Annoyed at their blatant expression of how attractive,handsome and decent Shaurya Sir was,a rush of disappointment coursed through her as she thought of not seeing him for 2 days.
"Wait!.Where did that come from?.
Nikki you surely are losing your senses,you are only disappointed because he is the best professor in SIAC and his lectures holds a lot of information besides the text book".
"Ofcourse this is what it is.Not at all related to the fact that you want to apologise for misunderstanding him".Her alter ego was quick to respond.
After spending time with Shaurya Sir even though it was the situation that forced them to,Anokhi had admitted to herself she had been quick to judge him.
She couldn't help but she wanted to see for herself if he was fine. A lot had happened in last few days and all she could remember right now is his innate goodness.
Beneath his anger and hurtful words resides love for his mother.She has realised albeit late that she didn't know what had transpired between the mother and son and she had been wrong to say all those words to him.
She hasn't paid heed to his words when he had shared bits of his past but last night as his words replayed on a loop,Anokhi had realised if someday she knew his story,her actions won't be the same.
All she could do now is wait for his return.
"These two days are seeming too long,no Nikki!".
Her alter ego spoke again but she took a breath and marched towards her first class.It was just concern for another human being nothing else.
Meanwhile in the confines of the beautiful district of Kasol,stood a beautiful home stretched in acres surrounded by greenery all around.
A group of girls sat in the garden chatting among themselves and what could be made out as caretakers keeping an eye on them.
"Shaurya Bhaiya Aaj Bhi Nahi Aaye"
"Woh Kabhi Apna Promise Nahi Bhoolte.Baba Ne Bola Toh,Is Baar Woh Busy Hain"
"Toh Woh Nahi Aayenge".
"Shaurya Bhaiya Humse Naraaz Hai Kya?".
"Shaurya Bhaiya Aur Apne Little Devils Se Naraaz,Aisa Ho Sakta Hai Kya?".
Shaurya replied softly and as he knew they would,a loud chorus of Shaurya Bhaiya rang out as they all ran in order to reach him first.
Shaurya felt the familiar wave of calmness spread though his being as be took his time embracing each one of them.
Here he was not the eldest son of the Sabharwals,not the director and professor of SIAC.
Here he was just Shaurya.He smiled and laughed,sang rhymes and danced and did everything he didn't as a child.
All his responsibilities and worries fading away with their gentle touch and pure exuberance
He felt Mishti's tremble,usually the first,she was the last one to hug him today but decided to talk to her later alone.
He made sure to stay in touch with all of his little devils and visit every two months.Maybe she was just upset that he didn't come on the decided date.
"Now who's gonna help me carry the gifts I have got for all of you from the car?".
Shaurya asked and the next few hours were spent with opening of gifts,their endless talks,each of them having their own stories to tell wanting his full attention.
Once dinner was done and as was the ritual every year,all of them gathered in the gazebo outside where a beautiful cake was kept.
Each year he was surrounded by as he called them his little devil's and they celebrated this day together.
None of them knew when they were born and the day that had once weighed heavily on him for years was now the one he looked most forward to.
This year it was happening two days late but he wasn't here to dwell on those reasons.
This was his happy place,his personal slice of happiness and he refused to let anything or anyone jeopard it.
And a big share of credit went to the couple who sat content watching him and their girls celebrate their birthday.
He had started going on solo trips near his birthday wanting no celebration rather solace from his own thoughts and it had been the trip to Kasol eight years back that had changed his life for the better.
He had met Mrs and Mr Dave on his trekking trip,the couple in their late 40's had been warm and welcoming.
Anyone could look at them and tell they were a couple deep in love with each other but it was his visit to their home that has changed his perspective.
Finding two little girls hardly 3 years old he has assumed them to be their daughters but it was with a sense of pride they had revealed to him that they were their daughters just not by blood.
Having no child of their own both of them had decided to open their home for the girls who were abandoned.
Hearing their story and what they were doing ,the gratitude and the responsibility to never disappoint his BadiMa And BadePapa only grew.
He has had roof over his head,the love and care of his BadiMa and Badepapa,Gayatri Chachi while these little girls didn't even know where they came from.
That had been the moment when the idea of " Blooming Dales" had been formed and he together with Mrs and Mr Dave has slowly and steadily built this home and here they were.
After that he had made it a point to come here every two months,sometimes sighting issues of work and at times making some excuse.
Noone knew about this place,his frequent trips or his association with it.He did this for his own happiness,his earnings from the research work he did for international universities helping him turning this vision to reality.
Looking at the smiling faces surrounding him all the trouble,the excuses,the hardwork seems worth it.
Jolting himself from the memory lane,he looked around and a frown replaced the smile as he saw their youngest one Mishti trying to blink away tears.
Walking towards her,he bent down to her level and the girl for whom her Shaurya Bhaiya was no less than a superhero asked in trembling voice.
"Am I A Bad Girl Shaurya Bhaiya?".
"No,not at all and why did you ask so?".
"In school my classmates made fun of me saying I was a bad girl that's why my parents left me and I had noone who loves me".
Shaurya felt it was his 4 year old mirror image asking those questions again,the memories flashing in front of his eyes like a reel
"Badi Maa am I bad boy that maa left me?".
Him not eating the cake because it didn't have the flavour and love with which his mom used to make for him.
His classmates vehement questions as he was the only one whose parents never showed up for meetings.
Him trying hard to control his tears as his friends boasted about the special delicasies their respective mother's have made for him.
"See Shaurya today on my birthday made this special dessert and asked me to share it with all my friends.Its yum ".
Finding his classmates mother or father picking them up while he only ever had a driver do that for him.
The nights he woke up from nightmare and there was noone around to hug him and he would sleep with lights on
The times he fell sick but tried his best to not trouble anyone because BadiMa and Badepapa already did enough for him.
The years that followed when with his mother gone and him trying to make sense of it,he would come back home running wanting to talk with his father,to share his result or take his blessings.
Share his doubts,worries and dreams about his future but the door would always be locked and his older self will realise his father was again passed out after drinking.
Years continued with the same routine until he was a little older and accepted his father was as good as absent in his life and his mother had other priorities than being there for her child.
Those few years were the constant sucker punch of being abandoned and neglected made him a grown up much earlier and he learnt to count only on himself.
An adolescent Shaurya would just leave the home after taking the elders blessings and will spend his day in the library and when he was able to,he went on his solo trips so he didn't had to be plagued by all those memories he had buried deep inside.
Shaurya looked at the face of innocence before him but he wasn't gonna lie to her.He held her tiny hands in his and explained solemnly.
"Tell me one thing honestly are you alone?.
You have Baba and Maa here who loves you all so much,you have your sisters and you have me by your side always then tell me how can you ever be alone.You know how much we all love you,rather you are blessed Mishti because sometimes blood relations gives us pain that never fades away".
Shaurya gave her the time to grasp his words and he knew he succeeded when those eyes lit up as she exclaimed loudly.
"Yes Bhaiya.You are right and next time anyone asks me ,I'll tell them I am not alone because I have you all.Now let's cut the cake and I want the biggest slice".
Shaurya laughed merrily seeing her back to herself and it was amongst the cheers and giggles,the trekking trip he took them all to whenever he visited,board games and storytelling,two days flew by.
"Goodbyes are always hard no".
Shaurya turned back to see Mr Dave entering his room and knew this was the time for their conversation.
"Yes but it's accompanied with the promise of seeing them again very soon that it doesn't weigh much.Ill drop them at school and then go".
"Are you fine Shaurya?".
Shaurya heard which was a common occurrence in most people lives but to him meant a great deal for in his life only Mr Dave has been the only person to ask him this.
"I am okay.I didn't mean to say all those words to her but with Anokhi's constant invading in my personal matters when she don't even know half of the story and her turning up on my birthday,All of it just came out".
"Okay here sit down and tell me what happened.You know Shaurya I will always listen,you don't have to keep everything bottled up inside you".
And Shaurya knew that.Over the years Mr Dave had become his sounding board.He always listened and never probed for details.He knew his history even though he never went into details.
So he told him all that has transpired in the last two months but what he didn't expect was him to burst into mirthful laughter.
"Seems like you have your hands full with this new student of yours Shaurya.Whats her name again?".
"Anokhi.No Miss Bhalla,Why do you even want to remember her name?".
"Shaurya you are as important to me as all our little girls are to us.I know you,the hardwork and passion due to which Blooming Dales is home and not an orphanage".
He sat opposite him as he grew thoughtful and continued
"You never loved Shagun and we both know it,your reasons of deciding to marry Shagun were your own but I never bought that and it does seem God may have finally granted my wish for I have always wanted you to find what I did with Mrs Dave".
"I understand your reasons of what you desire in your life partner,I know when the right person comes along who will fill the void in your heart and will love you the way you deserve to be loved,all these notions won't even matter".
"And who knows that person have already entered your life!".
He ended his wisdom with the teasing remark and left giving him a long hug leaving him to the last minute packing.
Shaurya drove back to Chandigarh after endless hugs and kisses with enough memories to last him till his next visit.
It was time to go back to SIAC .
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK✨
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