Chapter 14
After getting ready for office, Malhar woke up Moksh, "Moksh utho. School nahi jaana kya?"
"Baba bas ek minute," Moksh's eyes were still closed.
"Aadhe ghante se Baba bas ek minute yahi keh rahe ho tum," Malhar said, "Theek hai. Mat utho. Vaise Aaj main tumhe school ke baad Agni ma'am se milaane le jaane waala tha kyonki aaj mujhe late night tak kaam karna hai aur Aai Baba Nisha Tai ke saakharpore me Amravati gaye hain to fir Ghar me koi nahi hoga tumhara khayal rakhne ke liye. Magar theek hai. Tumhe to school hi nahi jaana fir tumhare mere office jaane ka plan bhi cancel. Tumhe main Pawar ke ghar chhor aata hoon."
"Aap mujhe Agni aunty ke paas le chaloge?" Moksh got up with a jerk, "Sacchi?"
"Main kabhi jhooth bolta hoon kya," Malhar said, "Chalo jaldi se brush kar aao."
After sending Moksh to brush his teeth, Malhar was preparing corn flakes for Moksh. Suddenly door bell rang.
"Is vaqt kaun aaya hai?" Malhar thought to himself. Earlier he'd think it were Saarthak Kaka but he had become a different man now. It appeared to Malhar that everyone around him had changed and became a different person leaving Malhar alone stuck in past.
Malhar opened the door.
"Moksh beta!" Sampada barged in calling for Moksh in a sing song manner.
Sampada hugged Moksh tightly but Moksh clearly was not liking her forced embrace. Malhar was fed up of Sampada but even after everything, he couldn't change the fact that she gave birth to his son. How much he hated Sampada, it was morally not right for Malhar to separate a child from his mother. But yet he couldn't bring himself to trust Sampada.
"Moksh, ye cornflakes chhoro," Sampada took the bowl of cornflakes and dumped its contents in dustbin, "Dekho main tumhare liye kya laai hoon."
Sampada produced a box of pastry. Moksh loved pastry but he didn't like how Sampada threw the food his Baba had made for him.
"Main nahi khaunga!" Moksh said and ran away.
"Malhar. Kucch bolo ise," Sampada said.
Malhar was angry how Sampada threw the cornflakes but time was running out. The milk he bought was finished in his morning tea and cornflakes. And he didn't have the time to cook food for him now as Moksh's school bus would come in 15 minutes. With no option left, Malhar took the pastry box from Sampada and called Moksh, "Moksh Beta. Le apne Baba ke haath se to khaayega na."
Moksh couldn't refuse Malhar.
Sampada said, "Malhar main tumhare liye bhi boondi ke laddoo layi hoon. Zara taste to karna."
Making Moksh eat the pastry, Malhar took a laddoo.
Sampada took her phone out and silently clicked pics.
"Bewakoof Malhar! Khud apne hi haathon se apne bete ko maarne ka intezaam kar raha hai. Laddoo me mile chemical se Malhar ka mental balance bigdega aur Moksh ki custody mujhe mil jayegi. is pastry se Moksh ke brain clot aur bada hota jayega. Fir Moksh gaya apni Kalyani Aai ke paas, aur mere diye gaye saboot saabit kar denge ki Moksh ko Malhar ne hi ye chemical diya h. Fir Rane khaandan ki saari daulat mere aur Atharv ke naam kyonki ab to vo Ahir bhi paralyzed hai."
"Malharji," Malhar saw Kalyani in his hallucination, "Sampada ke baar baar aapko dhokha Dene ke baad bhi aap use Pillu ki Aai ki jagah de sakte hain. Aur mujhe apne bete ko dekhne bhi nahi de sakte?"
"Kalyani!" Malhar staggered getting up.
"Baba," Moksh held Malhar's shirt.
"Kalyani! Tum laut aayi?" Malhar said walking towards Sampada.
Sampada made a disgusting expression and got aside leaving Malhar to fall down on floor.
"Sam aunty! Kucch kariye na please?" Moksh held Sampada's hand.
"Tere baap ko paagalpan ke daure aa rahe hain to main kya karoon?" Sampada jerked her hand away and left the house smiling to herself and thinking her plan was finally working.
When Malhar got up after one hour, he found himself on a mat on floor with a blanket over him and Moksh standing with a glass of water.
"Moksh," his throat was feeling dry, "tumhari school bus abhi tak nahi aayi?"
As he tried to get up, Moksh supported him.
Malhar looked at his watch, "Kya nau baj gaye?"
"Baba aap gir gaye the," Moksh was still scared, "Pata hai main kitna dar gaya tha?"
Holding his head in his hands, Malhar couldn't help but wonder for the umpteenth time if living with him was having a huge toll on Moksh's psychological well being. He looked at Moksh's innocent face, scared like a deer caught in headlights. He couldn't entrust Maai with Moksh because Aau Saheb wouldn't leave any stone unturned in killing Moksh as he was a Rane and Anupriya had already failed her in the case of Swara. Kaka was living a vagabond style, never settling in one place, partying and all. He had no other option left: He would have to leave Moksh with Sampada and Atharv, sooner or later. But....
"Baba...main itna dar gaya tha ki main Agni aunty ko phone karne vala tha magar mujhe unka phone no. hi nahi pata," Moksh was saying.
Malhar didn't know if it was a sign by God or not, but something clicked in Malhar's mind. If there were even teeny tiny chances that Agni was Kalyani, he wouldn't have to worry about Moksh but for that first he had to find out the truth...
Malhar phoned Pawar and told him something.
When Malhar and Moksh reached office, Moksh exclaimed, "Wow! Baba itna bada office! Kitna sundar hai."
As soon as Malhar took Moksh towards his cubicle, Moksh began jumping up and down, "Baba! Main Agni Aunty se milne jau?"
"Ruk jaa beta," Malhar said, looking towards the office gate. Ab tak to Pawar ko aa jana chahiye tha? Pawar entered with some people carrying food packets. Taking a food packet with him, Malhar held Moksh's little hand in his and said, "Chalo beta! Chalte hain tumhari Agni aunty se milne."
Malhar knocked the door.
"Come in," Agni said without looking away from the laptop she was working on. She was wearing a black shirt with purple blazer and trousers.
"Ma'am," Malhar said, "Aaj meri baiko Mera matlab Moksh ki aai ka birthday h to main office me sabhi ke liye kucch laya hoon."
"Aaj Moksh ki aai ka birthday hai," Agni said, Moksh meanwhile had left Malhar's side and was clinging to Agni, "Hmm...I see." Agni fully knew today was neither Kalyani's birthday nor Sampada's. She couldn't understand what was cooking in Malhar's mind and why he was blatantly lying without any reason. Malhar never lied.
Agni got on her knees and pulled Moksh's cheeks, "Kaisa hai mera baccha?"
"Full badhiya," Moksh said.
"Madam zara taste karke bataiye to kaisa hai?" Malhar said.
Agni looked at it and said, "Misal Paav?"
Malhar smiled enigmatically. Kalyani hated Misal Paaw. And eating any spicy food would make her cough and with tears streaming down her face, she would be running to eat a chocolate.
Agni sauntered towards her chair and breaking a piece of Paaw, she dipped it in misal and ate it relishly.
"It's quite tasty, Mr. Rane," Agni said appreciatively. Malhar had asked Pawar to add as much spices as he could to Agni's misal paav. He was sure that she wouldn't be able to eat it. But Agni was quite enjoying it. Maybe he was wrong? She was just Agni and had nothing to do with Kalyani.
And Agni by now had fully understood Malhar's plan. It was a cool plan she had to admit but she wouldn't fall for it.
Moksh was running across Kalyani's cabin touching various things when he suddenly fainted and fell down, bringing down the glass figurines on the floor.
"Pillu," Agni screamed, but due to the sound of glass smashing, Malhar could hear only P and he wasn't sure even about that.
https://youtu.be/LZ_YUOr-tYw
Please give your honest feedback about this one. Kahin zyada drag to nahi ho raha? Is it feeling too Over the top? Are the characters feeling too bland? Bilkul Ekta Kapoor serial jaisa to nahi jaa raha? What do you want to see more of/ less off in this FF?
Edited by Autumn09 - 3 years ago