Love with a Stranger(Complete)

17

"Aunty! Aunty aap kahan ho?", Sana screams as she enters the Shekhawat house.
Shalini comes out of the kitchen and smiles seeing her.
"Sana, come in bache. Sit down. What will you have? I am making pakoras. Khaogi?", she asks as she comes closer.

"Uff, aunty, pakora chodiye. I have hotter and interesting news to share with you. Sit down now.", she says as she holds her wrist and takes her to the sofa to sit with her.
"I will listen to you but first.."
"No aunty, you need to hear this. He came. Yes he came to meet me last night. I forced him to come and he did. He is alive like I believed. He came..", she says in excitement.

"Sh..chup..abhi nahi. I will talk to you later. Not now.", Shalini says with misty eyes.
"Aunty, he accepted he called you and me. He always checked on you.", she still continues.

"Who checked on you?", they hear a voice.
Shalini looks up the stairs and smiles to say,"You have woken up. Come, I want you to meet a special person."
Sana keeps quiet, staring at Shalini, trying to guess who the young guy is.
"Sana, meet my son, Shantanu. And Shaan, this is Sana.", Shalini introduces them both.

Shantanu is tall, fair with broad shoulders, black short hair cut in army style. He wears a brown t-shirt and trousers. He has shining brown eyes, sharp nose and a nice smile. Sana could see his resemblance to Shalini.

"Hello.", he says with his hands behind him as he comes down the stairs to stand in front of Sana.
Sana smiles meekly and replies with a hello.
She says,"Your son is back. Nice. I didn't know. I will leave now. I can come later."
Shalini stops her by saying, "Sana, bache wait. Why don't you stay for lunch? Then we can talk after that."
"No aunty, I will leave. I will have to move out of the hotel, so I need to pack my things. Your son has returned after so many days, you must spend time with him."

"Please stay Mam, I insist. Isi bahane I will get to enjoy the company of a beautiful, sorry two beautiful ladies.", Shantanu says with a smile.
Shalini smiles at her and says,"Yes beta. Stay for lunch. We both want that."

"So how did the two of you meet?", Shantanu asks as they sit on the dining table, having lunch.
"Sana helped me in the temple. My head was reeling and she, like an angel, came and held me right on time. Otherwise I would have fallen down and hit my head. Then she gave me water to drink, helped me till the car. Bahut pyari bachi hai, sab ka dil jeet leti hai.", Shalini replies.
Shantanu shakes his head,"I have told you thousands of times, not to keep fast. But you never listen to me. Agar aap ko kuch ho jata then?"
He turns towards Sana and says,"Thank you."

Sana shakes her head, "Isme thank you kaisa. I was there at that time, so I just did what anyone in my place could have done. I should thank God, I got to meet her there. I found her there."
She looks at Shalini, thanking her angels for it.
Shantanu says,"No, actually nowadays, people don't care to help others. I really am thankful to you. I don't have anyone else but her. I stay away and always remain worried for her."
Sana couldn't stop to think, what will happen if he finds out that his brother is alive. Will he be happy or angry?

"Waise Mom, you didn't tell me, who keeps a check on you? Who called you both?", Shantanu asks.
Shalini looks at Sana and says,"God checks on me. Sana was talking about God."
"Really? And what about the calls? Does God himself call you both?"
Sana starts to laugh, "Shantanu, you are really funny. How can God call us? I had gone to the temple today and Panditji told me that he had called us both about a puja. He only told me God is always there to check on us. I was telling aunty that."

Shalini nods her head with a smile.
Shantanu stares at her and says,"But why do I have the feeling that you are hiding something from me? There is something you are not telling. What is it Mom?"
"What? What will I hide? Just my pressure. It has increased a bit. Nothing else. Sana, what were you saying about moving from the hotel?", Shalini asks to change the topic.
"I have decided to stay in Mumbai for a few more days. So I am thinking about renting an apartment.", Sana replies.
Shalini says,"Then you stay here na. I mean our outhouse is empty. You can stay there na. What do you say, Shaan?"
Shantanu says,"Yes. That is actually a good idea. You will have company too. Please Mam, don't say no."