Mohini

"Mohini, stop worrying so much and stop walking up and down this living room. I might just be hypnotized and not in the right sense, I am telling you." Smirking and sipping tea, my husband was cracking a joke while I was all worried here.

"Laugh all you want, Shekhar ji! I am really worried and cannot stop worrying unless I see my daughter. She was so nervous before she left home to meet Shiv!" I tried to explain my situation to my husband, hoping he would understand my plight.

"Ok, will you sit down please?"

I let out a huge sigh and glared at my husband and then sat down on the couch opposite to him.

"Shekhar ji, she should be home by now. I am worried for her. What if she again has a panic attack. I hope Shiv did not bombard her with questions. Oh Mata Rani, please give himmat to my daughter! What if she has met with an accident. Kisi ki buri nazar lag gayi hai usko. Last time, she got hurt in that chain snatching incident"

himmat - strength

"Calm down Mohini and don't talk about ill fated things ! I know you are her mother and you cannot stop worrying but can you at least limit it? Anjali must be on her way back and I am sure everything must have gone well." Shekhar rarely expressed anger and even now he was very cal, and polite but I didn't miss the hint of I understood all that he was saying but a mother's heart wasn't ready to just stay calm.

"I know, I understand, Shekhar ji ! I will be calm only when I see her standing before me safely."

"Hmmm. Ok, I was thinking once Anjali beti has spoken to Shiv, we should go and meet with Shiv's father. That ways, we will see their home as well as find about his younger brother too. I don't want to take any chances this time. That fool had a older brother who we never saw during marriage because they said he is busy with his family and there is some dispute going on. I want to ensure Shiv's family is avidly what they are claiming to be. "

"Ji, you are right. I want to see everything for myself this time..." I was cut off by the jingling voice which belonged to my daughters keychain as the key from the keychain was unlocking the door.

"Anjali aa gayi. Let me see her." I turned around and there she was. My precious daughter smiled at us and I am sure that send another 1000 watt smile on my face as my heart swelled in happiness looking at her.

I wanted to ask her so many questions but she interrupted me - "I will tell you everything. Let me freshen up first, please?"

"Yes, beta. Go quickly before your mother pounces on you!" My husband replied to her.

"Mohini Ji, thandak mil gayi tumhare kaleje ko ? Beti muskurate hue ghar aayi hai."

"Ji, Shekhar Ji. Whether you agree or no, I am sure you are too happy and calm only now. She is your princess after all."

He smiled and nodded at me. Anjali was really our world. I then headed towards the kitchen to start preparing for dinner.

******************

Anjali

I wanted to tell my parents everything about Shiv's first marriage as that had been worrying them and I think rightly so but before that I just wanted some time with myself. In the shower, as hot water ran down my spine, I reminisced the conversation with Shiv. I felt quite at ease after meeting with Shiv. He not only didn't ask me uncomfortable questions, but he also managed to calm me. The smile that played at his lips in between was serene. It made me feel something that I couldn't explain.

I had to tell him about to Manish. He deserved to know my past just as I somewhere had a right to know his. But how was I going to tell him all of that? Would he understand? How would he react? Would he as a man understand how broken I am and would he take me in after knowing that?

As the same question began swarming my head like bees, I realized my biggest and immediate next worry was to tell him about my past.I stepped out of the shower, put my night suit and then draped the dupatta around my shoulders just as was my habit and finally walked out to the living room to talk to my parents.

Ma informed me that she had put some lentils and rice in the pressure cooker and that we were going to have it with some left over spinach curry from afternoon. I wasn't fussy about food, not after the days when there were meal options available but no company to eat with.

I relayed Shiv's story about his marriage to my parents as Shiv had told me. My father let out a sigh while my mother had been rubbing my back in soothing manner.

"Hmmm, we will need to verify everything that Shiv has told you", My father said.

"What do you mean Papa? Are you implying that Shiv could be lying to us?"

"No, I don't think so. But the fact that nobody knew when Aniket tried to find out is not going down well with me. Maybe, Aniket missed something but I don't see any harm in checking one more time." My father looked old and fragile and I absolutely hated when they were worried sick about me.

"Papa, he spoke with sincerity and it didn't seem like he was lying but I think I get your point." 

"And that's fine. If Shiv has shared the truth then it should be easy to double check." He was looking at Ma who was nodding. 

My mother looked at me and raised her eyebrows, "Did he ask you beta?"

"No, Ma. In fact he did I could tell him when i was comfortable." I replied. 

"You will me him again and you will tell him, right?" She asked almost fearfully.

"I don't know how to tell him, Papa and Ma." 

"You will know when it's time. I am not worried. Your mother is also not worried about this." My father shook his head and then turned to look at my mother. 

"Now, can we get something to eat? I think the dal khichdi must be ready. " 

And so we ate the dal khichdi relishing it with the spinach curry. It was a quiet dinner as all three of us seemed to be lost in our own thoughts. Since Ma had cooked dinner, Papa and I helped clean up the kitchen platform and dining table. We had a maid for doing utensils and mopping the floor but it was necessary to stow away used plates and other utensils in a specific and clean manner for the next day cleaning.  

*****

After dinner, I came back to my room and tried calling Pooja. Her phone was continuously ringing but she wouldn't answer and I wanted to mentally curse her for not picking up my phone. Oh, probably bad idea to curse anyone, let alone Pooja who had so many responsibilities on her including her two children. Her mother in law lived in the same building in the apartment on the ground floor which meant she had to often tend to them. May be, she had forgotten her cell phone at home and the whole family was in her in laws house.

After what seemed like 10-15 minutes of me pacing in my bedroom with the thoughts of how and when to meet Shiv next, my phone rang and the called is displayed Pooja's name.

"Kahan thi?" I answered the phone without any greetings

Where were you?

"I was at home and the phone was in another room." She responded

"And Aarya and Arjun let your phone be when it was ringing? Where are they? Couldn't they just talk to me if you were busy?"

"No, they are with my mother in law on ground floor. I am just going to pick them up. Let me ask Aniket now.. Aniket, can you go and get our kids while I talk to Anjali?" I heard her talk to Aniket while I waited on the phone and giggled. They would often leave the kids with Aniket's parents or Pooja's parents or with us to get some couple time or to get some house chores done. 

"Wait, did you two just? Oh my God, isn't this the story becoming about every other day now?" I blushed and giggled at the same time. I loved teasing Pooja, I even as I blushed as though teasing was also wrong.

"Hmmm. It feels like we finally have sometime after kids. You know how demanding kids have been. They don't even sleep early now claiming they are all grown up. Thanks to Aniket's parents who always take them in and I get all house chores and couple pleasing done." She giggled and then added "I wish ki bahot jald mujhe bhi tumhe tease karne ka mauka milega"

translation - I wish that I can get a chance to tease you very soon.

I must have turned all red and didn't find my voice for next few minutes. I didn't even want to think anything about intimacy while Pooja giggled on the phone just like how I had been giggling teasing her.

"Well, tell me everything about the meeting" Pooja changed the topic and I decided to tell her everything brushing aside her comment about intimacy. Right from Shiv's story to my insecurities and questions in my head to how will I tell him. 

"Calm down, Anjali. I am sure Uncle and Aunty are right and you will be able to tell him all by yourself. You need to accept, it wasn't your fault. All the more, now I am thinking you both are perfect for each other. He is broken too Anjali, surely you understand that. HIs partner promised to be with him for life and broke that promise. Your's was a fraud who didn't even realize what promises he made to you."   

"He is definitely a very calm person. Ok, I might meet him next weekend since the weekdays are just so busy and I need to figure out how I will tell him."

"Anjali, can I ask you a question?"

"Since when are you so formal?" I was amused

"Would Shiv's appearance impact your decision? I mean he is on the heavier side and has a belly."

"Pooja, No! I married a person who was considered a good looking handsome man and you know exactly how he was. So, no I will not factor in his appearance. I don't know how I find him yet but he is not exactly bad looking." 

"Ooooh. Anjali, Can I tease you some please?" She squealed on the phone. 

"No. I won't accept that and besides a lot still needs to be figured out." 

"Anjali, I am so sorry but I need to go. Arjun and Arya are fighting over something and Aniket is in the washroom I think." 

"Haan haan. It's ok. Don't scold them too much now. Leave them with us for the full weekend next time.Good night, Pooja!"

"Sure, Good night" 

Ma walked in with the bottle of water and my laundered clothes just like every night. 

"Ho gayi baat Pooja se ?"

translation - Are you done talking to Pooja

"Hmm. Arya and Arjun are fighting over something so she hung up quickly in the end"

"Ok ok. " Ma sat down beside me on the bed.

"Beta, Shiv ne tumse koi baat na puch ke karke mera aur tumhare papa ka dil jeet liya hai. "

translation - Shiv has won our hearts by not exactly bombarding you with questions

"You know how scared I was. I am so relieved now I can't even tell you. " I responded to her

"Meri pyari gudiya. Aur kya kya baatein hui?" She was resting her head on the headboard while I lied down in her lap with her stroking my hair. 

"Nothing much, Ma. Pata hai wo bahot musukurate hain. " I was finding it easy to talk about Shiv to my mother. WAs this because he was such a genuine person?

"aur tumhe achi lagti hai unki muskurahat?" She asked me

translation - Do you know he smiles a lot.

And do you like that smile? 

"Ma.. he asked me what I thought of marriage. "

"Hmmm , and how did my daughter respond on that ?"

"I said that marriage is a commitment between two people to try and make life easier for each other as equals which is to say partners. Just like you and Papa. "

"Ma, kaisa laga hoga na unhe jab unka bacha aur unki wife dono hi unse.." The thought was constantly nagging me. Partially because Shivs marriage was giving him a chance to have a perfect life with a little family which I had been craving for. 

translation - I don't know how he must have felt when his child and then his wife...

"Haan beta, bacha khone ka ghum ka to bada hota hi hai, shayad kabhi khatam bhi nahi hota."

translation - Yes beta, loosing a child is sorrowful and one that might never stop being sorrowful.  

"Ma, do you still reminisce those days when you were second time pregnant?" I asked her.

My mother had told me about her miscarriage before my marriage to Manish as I was crying a lot one night that my parents would be all alone after my marriage. I had asked my mother why she never thought of a sibling for me. I would ask her many times but that evening I really wanted a fully grown up sibling to assure me that Ma and Papa would be fine after my wedding. Ma had then mentioned that they were expecting a second child but then it was a natural miscarriage and they never thought about another child as Ma's health also did not exactly support a second pregnancy. 

My mother looked at a distance and then answered "You know what, I think about it sometimes and I feel sad but the feeling of loss has left me now. It was still early days and then I had you who was all chirpy and starting off with school." She had a smile plastered on her face.

She then continued and her smile fell this time "However, it must not be easy for Shiv and his wife at that time. They were so close to the baby being in their home. Shiv might remember all his life beta just like his wife. If this is how his life was planned, nobody can do anything about it."

I hummed in response. Ma and I spoke about a few more things as the topics shifted and finally she left to go to bed and I turned in for the night as well. I knew it will be a long night with Shiv and my conversation already starting to replay yet again.

***********************************

Shiv

It was nearly midnight when I was tossing and turning on my bed when I decided to just get some biscuits to eat with a cup of anything that would allow me to sleep. I was in the kitchen rummaging through the cookie box when Harshit walked in. 

"Aren't you supposed to be following a new diet regime now that you have started gym?" He asked me with his eyebrows raised and hands crossed across his chest. 

"Huh, true but I can't sleep. Do you want something?" I asked him

"No. Bhai, do you know her story?" I glanced at him when he asked this and turned to look for cookies again.

"Not yet." I shook my head without looking at him

"What aspect will bother you the most? As in, will it even affect you?"

"What has gotten into you Harshit? How are you so mature, sometimes I really wonder." I really did wonder about how he functioned sometimes. 

"Bhai, I want to see you happy." He shrugged while I let out a sigh.

"Is that the reason or do you want to get married as well? Look Harshit, I know nobody including me has even asked you what you want and I am to be blamed for it."

"Bhai, no. I, myself don't know what I want so what will I tell you? But, for now, I want to focus on work and then when I am ready, I will talk to you or Papa. You both are my family." Harshit had those puppy eyes that anyone would melt at.

I immediately pulled him in a brotherly hug. "We are family even though I sometimes feel like I have ignored you for selfish reasons. Do you feel neglected?"

"No, Bhai. You lost a lot and you have remained strong for all of us." 

"Come, let's eat maggi and I will follow diet from tomorrow. I will make some nice maggi for us."

"Bhai, you better be loosing that fat before your wedding." He poked on my belly.

"Shut up! I will loose it all. Wait and watch." 

*******************************

Pooja

"I have put the kids to sleep, finally ! Your kids are one of a kind. But, I am so happy for Anjali. She is happy after meeting Shiv." I was telling my husband as he sat watching night time news on the TV in our bedroom. 

"Hmmm. Shiv is a nice person. I would be happy if they indeed end up together." 

"I want to thank you, Aniket. Anjali and her parents have already thanked you so many times. But, thanks from me as well. You have supported me in helping my friend and you have accepted Anjali's family as my own parental family. Anjali is like my sister and you never once stopped me from supporting her or her parents." 

I leaned back on our headboard and squeezed his hand closest to me. He turned to look at me and then smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "So can I get a reward tonight?" 

I smacked his hand and responded, "Aniket, we were at it few hours ago and now I am tired. Sleep is the best reward you will get tonight."

**********************************************

Shiv

It had been a couple of days since I met Anjali and I had received a text from Anjali early this morning while I was in the gym.

"Shiv, Can we meet this coming Saturday in the evening around 5pm? I was thinking of meeting you at the entrance by the 'Little Angel's orphanage' near your place. There is a small eatery there."

"Yes." that had been my immediate response. And now, I was staring at my phone a couple hours later since my cabin thinking I should have written  - I will look forward to it. Then, I mentally scolded myself for being so impulsive. May be, Yes was just enough.

Will she tell me 

*******************************************  

Thoughts ? Its slightly unedited. 

For some reason, I was thinking a lot while writing this, so absolutely unsure how this has turned out to be. 

Do Not Forget to Vote and Do Share if you like