CHAPTER 2(B)
"Dau! Bhai!" Devika waved to her brothers, as she dragged her suitcase along with her.
"Hey kid!" they both hugged her in greeting, and Govind took her suitcase. "How are you?"
"I am fine, how are you both?"
"We are good, Chutki. We are good."
"Great." Govind looked about as if searching for someone.
"Bhai? You okay?"
"Yeah I am. Didn't you come with a friend?" He asked, without thinking.
"I did. Why?"
"Nothing." He stowed the suitcase in the back of the car and then got in the driver's seat.
"Really, now?" Devika was skeptical.
"Yes?"
"BHAAAI!"
"Nothing, Chutki."
"Why are you interested in a friend of mine who is accompanying me?"
"Kanha wants to meet her." Ananta smirked at Devika.
"What? No, really?"
"DAAU!"
"Bhai, tell me!"
"There is nothing to tell." He hoped she wouldn't pick on the half-truth he'd just said. She usually could.
"By the way, Bhai? Dau?"
"Chutki?"
"You have to help with moving into our flat. The university accommodation."
"When?"
"In a few hours. You will come, right?"
"We will, we will, don't worry."
"Why, Kanha? Want to meet Chutki's friend?"
"DAAAUUU!"
It's great to be with them again,' thought Devika, smiling at their banter.
A few hours later...
Vasudha and Revathi were busy setting the flat. Revathi and Devika got along very well. Vasudha though had a feeling that Revathi will play a bigger role in Devika's life, bigger than what they all thought.
Revathi seemed suitably distracted though, very unlike her own self.
"Revathi, what's wrong?", asked Vasudha, gently nudging her cousin.
"I don't know Sudha. I feel like today will change my life. Something huge is going to happen today", said Revathi.
Vasudha tilted her head at Revathi, and then said, "Maybe it does have something to do with your vision on Dau"
"I also think the same. But they are also connected to your dreams on Govind as Krishna Bhaiya. I know it", said Revathi.
"It could be, considering Dau happens to be the elder brother and all", said Vasudha, smirking.
"Sudha, stop sassing", said Revathi.
"Can I ever?", questioned Vasudha, raising an eyebrow. \
"Never", said Revathi, grinning.
Vasudha rolled her eyes at her cousin, but her mind was whirring with a variety of thoughts.
Govind has an elder brother, Anant. What if..', thought Vasudha. That would make my dream true, and maybe explain why I am so attracted to Govind'
"Padmaa, come!", called Revathi.
"Coming Reva!", said Vasudha, still debating within herself.
Vasudha was getting increasingly nervous and calm. She knew that he was close by. She knew that she will be meeting him. As the time came closer, the happier she became. She knew she will blush, but she wasn't ready yet to think of the consequences. All her mind and heart were telling her was that he was coming, and her soul already seemed content with that. What was the thrill she felt when she saw him? The content she felt when she as much as thought of him? Why could she compare it with her love for Krishna?
Hai Hridhayaeshwar! What can I do? What should I do? Please guide me', thought Vasudha, her eyes closed in prayer, visualizing His beautiful face.
He was walking towards her, a mischievous smile on His face. She felt herself look at Him, all the love in her heart visible on her lovely face. Both of them stared at each other, one with mischief, the other with longing, both with pure love. And suddenly, she saw Govind standing there, dressed in Pitambar, mukut in pace, and the same mischievous smile on his lips.
Vasudha jerked out of her trance when she heard Revathi call out to her.
"Padma, you okay?", asked Revathi, concerned.
"I am Reva", said Vasudha. "Come on, Vika will be here soon"
Revathi knew that something was warring inside Vasudha, but she also knew that Vasudha will tell her soon.
"Bhai!" said Devika, from the door. "Comeee! Vasudha and her cousin would already be there."
Govind smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. She was shifting in to the accommodation provided by the University, and Govind and Ananta were helping her with stuff. She was with Vasudha, and Vasudha's cousin was joining them in helping. Little did his Chutki know how much he wanted to meet Vasudha.
"Coming, kiddo," said Govind, stepping into the flat. He froze at the door. He saw her. Right there, across the threshold. Vasudha. Just as he remembered her. More beautiful, if anything. His eyes met hers, and he lost himself in them again.
They engaged in the now familiar eye to eye battle. And, this time, he realized, somewhere, that this time, it was here for longer. Forever, he thought. Wait, stop, Govind. You just met her, dammit. Don't jump your gun. Still, he had an inkling that this was more. More than he realized.
There she was, beautiful, enchanting, walking towards Him. Her saree draped elegantly around her, her smile charming, breathtaking. Her eyes holding love for Him. She came forward and touched His hand.
"Bhama", He said.
"Arya", she said.
He was shaken out of his trance. He suddenly realized he had seen her as Satyabhama.
Govind!' he thought, shocked. You thought of Vasudha as Satyabhama, and yourself as Krishna? Are you mad?'
"Bhai, you okay? Come in?"
Govind stepped into the flat, smiling suddenly. He was filled with an elation, a completeness, and something else he couldn't trace. An unknown emotion. Familiar to him, like he knew it, but still instilling in him something new, something fresh.
"Hi, Govind," said Vasudha, smiling.
"Hey, Vasudha." Govind returned the smile. "How are you?"
"Very well, thank you. And you? Still MUNing and debating?"
He smiled as he engaged in small talk with her. Inside, he was singing with happiness. She remembered him! He hadn't quite expected that. When he was leaving Chennai, he had thought that he'd probably lost that one part, something that it stirred in him, but didn't bank on meeting her again. He was surprised at what that small meeting could do.
He watched as she talked, and enthused to Chutki about the flat, about the course, and the fact that she and Chutki and Revathi were sharing the flat. He shook his head when he thought of Dau's skepticism. Dau thought she wouldn't remember him. Ha Dau, he thought. Speaking of, where was his big brother?
Ananta parked the car in the garage, and walked to the elevator. Just then, his phone rang, and he picked it up.
"Hello?" he said, impatiently. "Yeah, tell me." Impatiently, he paced about the lounge, talking. As he walked to the elevator, he saw someone walking out. He froze.
She had the most beautiful features he had ever seen. And she was fair as well. He looked at her, long and hard, and somewhere, his subconscious told him she was staring at him as well. He kept looking at her, as if enraptured. His mind told him she was someone he knew, someone he was deeply connected with. But he hadn't met her.
Her eyes sparkled as she walked towards him. she was his height, she had a teasing smile on her lips, her eyes showed her love for him.
The moment passed, and she moved away. Still dazed, he entered the elevator, and pushed the buttons.
Revathi rushed into the flat, flushed.
"Hey Revathi!", said Devika, grinning.
"Hey Devika", said a slightly distracted Revathi.
"Revathi, Kanha Bhai. Bhai, this is Sudha's cousin, Revathi", said Devika.
"Hi", said Revathi, turning to meet chocolate brown eyes. The second she saw him, she felt like her Krishna Bhaiya was standing in front of her. she understood what Vasudha had been trying to say. After seeing the man in the elevator, especially. She had to get to Vasudha now.
Greeting Govind politely, Revathi rushed to Vasudha.
"Reva, why are you blushing?", asked Vasudha, her expression unreadable.
"I saw him", said Revathi, a little shocked.
"Who did you see?", asked Vasudha.
Just as Revathi was about to answer, they both heard someone enter the house saying, "Kanha! Little one!"
Both of them turned to look at the tall, fair man who entered the flat. Vasudha heard Revathi gasp. Her suspicions were right.
Vasudha was amused seeing the way her cousin was behaving around Ananta, or Dau as she had started calling him. This was going to blossom into something beautiful. Even as she was doing all this, she kept stealing glances at Govind. The fact that they were very much in the same place sent thrills shooting all over her body, but at the same time, calmed her and made her feel complete inner peace. There was something about Govind that gave her all that she felt only when thinking of Lord Krishna. Something about him spoke to her the way she imagined Krishna would.
She turned around, catching his eyes on her. their eyes stayed in the eye battle for a long time, till they heard Devika clearing her throat.
Sighing at her best friend's bad timing, she moved towards Devika to help out, not noticing the strange look her best friend gave her.
A few days later...
"Dau, we are at the reception, can we come through?"
Vika was excited. It was her first weekend at Boston, and she was going out for dinner with Sudha, Revathi and her brothers. She and Revathi got on like a house on fire. It was actually pretty cool how perceptive she was.
"Come, kid. Tell the receptionist."
"Okay!" Vika hung up and turned to her friends. "He asked us to come in."
They were led into a cabin by the receptionist.
"Come in Chutki," said Govind, beaming at Devika. "Hi, Vasudha, hi, Revathi. How are you all?"
"We are fine," said Vasudha, stepping into the cabin. Ananta's eyes lingered on Revathi for a little longer, before she stepped into the cabin as well.
"Little one?"
Devika was frozen at the door. Her eyes were locked with darker ones. She felt a pull to the person in front of her, something she couldn't explain. The world faded. Only the eyes were real. She lost herself in them.
Anupamaa
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