When Shakshi enters the room, she finds Anamika on the bed, gazing at nothingness.
Shakshi sits beside Anamika and cups her face.

''Kya baat hai beta? Main jabse aai hoon dekh rahi hoon tum kuch pareshan si ho, kuch baat hai kya? Vineet ne kuch kaha tumse?" Shakshi questions, though she wanted to ask if Vineet is happy with the news or not but she finds it would be too harsh and also interfere in their personal life.

Anamika immediately holds her hand,''nahi mummy aisa kuch nahi haig!! Main bas kaam ke wajah se thodi pareshan hoon, ek project ke liye aur kuch nahi. Aur Vineet toh waise bhi mujhe kuch nahi kehta!!" She lied as she doesn't want to involve anyone in the matter, the main reason is she's fearful. What if the others too refuse to accept her child knowing her husband doesn't want a child then why should they accept it!?

But Shakshi doesn't seem to be satisfied with her reply. She can read Anamika's eyes and worried expression which clearly says she's trying to hide something.

''Anamika, main nahi janti aisa kya hai jo tum bata naji rahi mujhe par mujhe lagta hai ki aab mujhe tumhe kuch chijen batani chahiye kyunki main jitna iss chij ko tumse bina bataye rakhungi tumhe hi aaj ya kal uss se takleef hogi.'' Shakshi commences to word her emotions and disclose a few things to Anamika while she keenly looks at the elderly lady.

''Vineet bachpan se hi bahut ziddi hai, wo apne siwa kissi ki nahi sunta chahe kuch ho jaaye. Agar ek baar wo kuch keh de toh ya toh usse wo chij chahiye hi aur nahi milli toh phir kabhi uss insaan se ya jis wajah se usse uski man pasand chij nahi milli uss se, wo kabhi usko mud ke nahi dekhega.'' A deep sigh leaves Shakshi's lips as she steals a glance of Anamika who was sitting blankly, trying to understand what the lady is trying to tell her.

Shakshi resumes to complete her statement,
''Jab wo chhota tha toh mujhe laga waqt ke saath ye chij badal jaayegi par aisa nahi hua, wo aaj bhi aisa hi hai. Uski zidd ki wajah se hamare almost har rishtedar se contact toot chuke hai, kyunki usse kahin jana nahi na koi usse chor ke jaa sakta hai. Sach kahun toh pehle meine hi badhawa diya usse par aab pachtati hoon. Beta main bas itna chahti hoon ki tum uske zidd ke samne maat jhukna, mera beta hai isliye mujhe jhukna pada, kai chijon mei compromise karna pada par tum maat karna. Main jaanti hoon uske course ka bhoot aab tak sawar hai, jaane wo kya karega uska par tum bas apni dil ki sunna. Tumhare har faisle mei main tumhare saath hoon!!" When Shakshi gazes at Anamika she only finds her shock and petrified. Perhaps there is something related to the course or the adjustment.

''Mummy aap janti hai course ke baare mei!?" Anamika manages to ask her.

''Haan!! Jab usne pehle bataya ki usse course karna hai aur khud ka business bana hai, hum khush the par fir wo uss course ke liye sab chorne pe haavi ho gaya. Uske papa ki tabiyat bigad gayi suddenly toh wo chahte the Vineet business sambhal le aur course badh mei kare ya fir issi business ko apne hisab se dhal le par wo nahi mana. Course ke liye eo apne bimar pita ko bhi chor ke jaane ko taiyaar tha, jaane fir achanak aisa kya hua ki wo gaya hi nahi. Par main janti hoon wo aab bhi uss course ke piche hai. Tumhari shadi se pehle main jab aati thi room sab karne toh kai baar meine dekha hai usse course ki information dekhte hue. I don't know wo kya soch raha hai, puch bhi nahi sakti warna wo fir bhadak jaayega!!" Shakshi again lets out a breath while Anamika just stares at her, trying to digest the information in her system and joining the different dots.

''Khair, main tumhe dinner ke liye bulane aai thi. Pregnancy mei bhookha nahi rehna chahiye, bache pe asar padta hai!!" The elderly lady told her and held her hand asking her to descend the bed.

Anamika nodded and did as instructed without any denial.  Well, Anamika respects and loves her, the lady has given her enormous love which she never got from her mother and so she tries to abide by whatever the lady says.

Shakshi takes her for dinner, Anamika takes her seat beside Vineet, Shakshi serves her dinner to which she smiles.

''Main soch rahi thi kal ek puja rakhwa le ghar pe, bache ke liye!! Meine Pandit ji se bhi baat ki sham ko toh wo keh rahe the kal ka muhurat bhi subh hai. Tum dono apne kal ka agar koi program ho toh cancel kar lena, kal pura parivaar baith ke puja mei shamil honge!" Shakshi verbalized her opinion to which Anupam nodded but Vineet had to say something  about it.

''Meri meeting hai kal, main wo cancel nahi kar sakta!!" He almost declares.

''Postpone kar do, agar nahi maane toh cancel kar do. Family se jyada important kuch nahi hota aur ye puja hamare nanhe mehman ke liye hai toh uss se important kuch nahi hai aab na koi office na koi meeting aur na koi aur!!" Anupam spoke meaningfully, Vineet still argued that he can't be present in the function to which Anupam raged. 

''Tumhare liye apni wife aur hone wale bache se jyada important meeting hai? Yahan hum uss nanhi hi jaan ke liye puja karna chahte hai aur tumhe kuch padi hi nahi hai, bas apne baare mei sochte ho. Aaj bhi tumhari maa ya koi tumhe ghar mei akela chor ke jaaye wo tumhe manjur nahi par tum sabko chod, meeting kar sakte ho, waahh!! Bahut ache!!" Anupam states, sarcastically.

''Dad!!" Vineet tries to speak but Anupam stops him by the gesture of his hand.

''Tumhe aana hai aao, nahi aana hai maat aao. Waise bhi sabhi ko pata hai tumhe apne mann ki karni hoti hai, sab jante hai khud ke zidd ke samne tumhe kuch dikhta nahi toh kuch jyada fark toh padega bhi nahi nahi. Haan, aab tak sab sirf tumhari maa ko baatein sunate the aab Anamika ko bhi sunayenge par fark toh tumhe fir bhi nahi padega!!" Anupam asseverates.

Vineet gazes at his father for a moment and leaves the table in another instant, almost throwing the spoon on his plate. Anamika just watches them conversing, suddenly the family seems to be so different and weird to her.

Vineet is not how he seems to be, he wants things according to him all the time while his family holds some hard feelings because of his such behavior.

Before the recent time, Vineet never acted such a way with her, he had always been caring and loving, keeping her opinion and thoughts forward and then suddenly he's imposing his thought on her, he wants her to live according to him and she would have happily followed his command had he demanded something else but he wanted her child's life and she can't do it at any cost.

Anamika lets out a deep sigh feeling with a little heavy head, she had her food without any single word while the elderly couple assured her about her husband's presence in the ceremony, to which Anamika just nods.

After dinner, Anamika retires to her room only to find him dragging large puffs of cigarettes on the balcony. His deep heavy breath says how enraged he is at the moment.

Anamika stares at him for a few moments and decides to have a conversation with him, a much needed one!! He had said out his feelings now it's her turn to speak out her emotions.

....

To be continued..