The Girl With No Surname

Part 17 - Just a few more hours

Ahir was shocked at Anokhi's reaction. His mother asked him, 'Kya hua? Uski tabiyat to thik hai na? Ya fir humara istarah aana usko pasand nahi aya?'

Ahir asked her to calm down, 'Aap chinta mat kijiye. Main dekhke aata hu.'

He ran upstairs, wondering what to say to her if she was upset about the entire thing. It wasn't his plan. His parents had been pestering him for marriage for a long time. He had asked them to wait but when they started blackmailing him emotionally, he had to tell them about Anokhi. It was then that they decided to meet her. And came over, without even informing him.

He pushed open the door to her room and found her sprawled on the bed, her face tucked in the pillow. Carefully, he put a hand on her shoulder,

'Anokhi?'

She turned her face at him. It was moist and red. He felt as if someone kicked his stomach. He couldn't even think of hurting her ever.

'Anokhi, I am sorry. Mujhe nahi pata tha ki woh log aise aa jayenge. I know I should have told you, but my parents were pressurizing me a lot. I had to tell them about you, that I can't think of anyone else but you as my life partner....'

'Par main tumhare bare mein aisa nahi soch sakti Ahir. I hope you know that.'

Another jolt, but he managed to take it calmly too.

'Anokhi, aaj nahi soch sakti par kabhi to sochogi na? Agar mere parents ko is baat ka tasalli mil jaye ki we are together, they will leave us alone. You don't have to think about marriage and everything so early... I am not in a hurry at all par unko ye batana zaroori tha na?'

'Nahi batana tha Ahir,' Anokhi sat up, 'Nahi batana tha kuch bhi. Main aaj nahi soch sakti, kal nahi soch sakti, kabhi nahi soch sakti is bare mein. Suna tumne?'

Ahir never felt this disappointed before. His eyes welled up instantly but he controlled himself and sat down beside her, 'Baat kya hai Anokhi? Tumne kabhi istarah se mera dil nhi toda. Aaj kya ho gaya? Kya badal gaya Anokhi humare beech?'

'Sabkuch to badal gaya hai!' her desparate cries broke his heart into a million pieces, 'Sab badal gaya hai. Ahir maine kabhi tumse istarah baat nahi ki cz I respected your feelings. Maine hamesha tumhari feelings ki izzat ki. Par aaj ye sab karke tumne mujhe majboor karne ki koshish ki hai. Ahir main....main....ye nahi kar sakti please. Samjho meri baat ko...'

She paused a little before continuing, 'Woh...woh.....wapas aa gaye hai. Main unse mili hu...woh mere paas wapas aa gaye hai....'

Ahir got up, his hands started to sweat, 'Kaun? Kaun wapas aa gaya hai Anokhi?'

'Shaurya....Shaurya Saberwal...'

The name hit him like a lightning bolt. It was a name he knew. It was a name he never wanted to hear again in his life. It was the name he hated the most.

'Main mili thi aaj unse...Unki accident ho gayi thi.... Unhone mujhe kabhi nahi choda tha....'

She narrated everything that happened 7 years ago, Ahir listening quietly.

After she finished, he asked, 'Kya tum abtak unke saath thi?'

Anokhi thought for a while before saying,
'Haan, main unhi ke sath thi....unke hotel mein......'

Ahir got up, unable to hear anything more. He couldn't let his imaginations run wild as they tortured him. Imagining the love of your life in someone else's arms would plague anyone, no matter how strong he was.

'Main niche jaa raha hu. Tum chaho to aa sakti ho. Aur na chaho to main tumhara khana upar bhej dunga. Goodnight.'

And he left, while Anokhi stared at the wall, wondering about her next step.