US - Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 7

*5th December, Mumbai*

Muskaan finished her cup of coffee, grabbed the keys and walked out of her apartment to Anshuman's, wondering if he was back or still in Delhi. She found the maid ringing the bell continuously, but there was no response from the other side. Muskaan shook her head and smiled at the woman, who had a hand wrapped around her daughter of around five years.

"Didi bhaiya bole the monday tak ghar par honge nahi aaye?" The lady asked, picking up the broom and asking her daughter to sit in a corner, to which Muskaan shook her head and called the little girl towards her on the couch. 

"Pata nahi didi, phone nahi lag raha", Muskaan answered, swiping her tongue over her dried lips, worry occupying her mind again. According to his last text, Anshuman was supposed to land late in the night at around three. She had been calling him since five in the morning, and there was no response yet.  

Riya had called her up an hour back, wondering if her brother was back, and her negative response just caused the Ahuja to worry a little more. She looked at her phone again and dialled his number, trying her luck. 

"The number you are trying to reach is currently switched off. Please try again later." The automated voice caused her to let out a frustrated sigh. 

"Mumma Mumma" The little girl ran behind her mother, and Muskaan smiled a sad smile looking at her.

"Amma Amma", A seven-year-old girl ran behind her aunt, following her cousin. Her grandmother stopped her and gave her a disgusted and angry look.

"Amma nahi chachi bol" The sixty-five-year-old lady's sharp voice made the girl flinch and nod. Her eyes were lost and confused.

"Nahi nahi maa ji usse amma bolne dijiye please", Her chachi pleaded, but her grandmother scoffed and walked away.

"Kuch nahi hota idhar aaja baccha", Her aunt called in her soft and loving voice.

"Amma mujhe bhi" The little girl smiled at her aunt with newfound happiness at the dinner table. She had finally found someone to address as her mother, just like all her other friends and cousins.

"Kahan tha Sukh ko, chitra se shaadi na karein, khud toh awaara ban kar ghumta rehta hai, ek beti aur humare sar chod gaya"  

"Maaji Chitra bhabhi ki kya galti hai? Wo bohot acchi thi aur agar mushkil ke waqt mai apne bete ko aap nahi samajh sakti toh kya faayeda, unki ek beti ko toh dur kar hi  chuki hai aap" The little girl heard her uncle defending her dad. 

"Haan sab tarafdaari karo, abhi peekar aayega tab dhyaan rakh lena"

"Rakh lenge maaji, dhyaan rakh lenge aap Muskaan ko ek shabd bhi mat boliye bas"

"apni maa se baat karne ka tareeka bhul gaye ho kya?" Her grandfather roared as he walked out of his room.

"Uski amma wo nahi hai, uske papa ab iss ghar mai koi value nahi rakhte? Samjhe. Muskaan beti aap chachi ko chachi hi bolengi," Her grandfather said, and she nodded.

"Jisko iss ghar ke tareekon se problem hai wo ye ghar chodkar jaa sakta hai," He said, and her aunt and uncle's family cowered back. Never taking a stand for her again.

It was late in the night when a seven-year-old Muskaan felt the space on the bed beside her dip. She was alert and startled for a second before she realised it was her father, and she relaxed her shoulders. Her eyes were not sleepy; sleeping at night was never a thing for her. She had always been scared of the dark and wanted someone to be beside her. Hence she usually slept daytime, with the bright sun shining through the window. But yet she tried, every night she tried her very best to fall asleep until she would either fall asleep after tossing and turning for hours due to exhaustion or, on some nights, she would get up and make a drawing till it was time to get ready for school.