Apart from Lines

1.2 The Unexpected Family

Hey!

She waited and waited, each second for her seemed to be a year.
She was yearning for a parental love, but how was it possible?

She kept her phone on airplane mode, and set her phone beside her, with the recordings playing beside her, while was just crying at her fate.
Her sniffing could be sensed in the whole temple area, perks of desolate areas.
The couple who were fighting, calmed all of a sudden, hearing akshu's sniffs and suspended breathes.

The lady seemed to worried about who's crying at this hour and that too at the temple, whereas the man was busy in his theories, that his mind was coming up with "what if its a aatma, or bhoot? " The very first situation made by his mind, but being a brave at heart he dismissed it.

"Kon ho skta h? " The man questions his wife.

" Dekhe? " She replied.

"Hmmm"

For a second, they forgot the time, they forgot what were their situation.

They walked, following the sniffs and found a girl by the tree, they thought it better to atleast go near her.

This time, fir the very first time, harsh took the Initiative.

He walked upto to the girl and "tum??? " He gasped, seeing her face.

"Aree aap yha? " The girl immediately stood in respect and shock.

"Akshu" Manjari sensed the voice, even akshu's voice was layered with heavy sobs, she could easily find, who it was.

She walked upto the duo!

"Beta, Tu yha kya, abhi, kaise? " Asked manjari, worried for akshara's safety.

Akshara tried clearing her throat, and to behave normal, but seemed her heart had decided, that it will not stop the emotions to burst out.

"Aap btaiye aunty, aap yha aur abhi, ye puja ki thaal? " She said, tried her best to normal.

Before manjari could answer harsh intervened " Vo actually hm ghar ki shaanti ke liye puja krne aaye thee, aur ye mandir seher ki  bahar h toh hmari gaadi khraab ho gyi h, toh fs gye" He reasoned.

Akshara quickly grabbed her car keys from her pockets and showed it was o harsh " Uncle aap meri gaadi se chle jaaiye ".

" Kyu tmhe yha raat bhr jgraata krna h? " For the very first , manjari sense the wall around him breaking.

"Nhi, I mean... " She was cut off by him again
"kya... I mean? vaise tm yha kya kr rhi ho? " His tone seemed to change, manjari was on the verge of fainting seeing her husband behaving so gently.

"Vo.. Vo.. Actually" She wasn't getting words, to explain.

Manjari understood her, stammering and she immediately sat down near her and patted her too, to sit down.
Akshu Obediently sat down beside manjari. Harsh kept seeing the women in front of him.

Manjari gently signed akshu to rest her head in her lap, akshu badly needed someone, she didn't protested she silently laid down, both ignoring harsh, even he seemed to feel lost in something.

"Tu yha kyu thi, beta? " Manjari asked stroking akshu's hairs, Soothingly.

"Ummm? " Akshu replied, as if manjari's question brought her back from her thoughts.

"Kyu h yha, iss time pe? " Manjari asked again. "Tilak wale din jo hua , uss liye ? " Manjari's voice held calmness and motherly feelings.

"Ha, aunty! Mai chup toh reh gyi, pr pta nhi kyu bhaut dukh hua, aur shayad abhi tk khtm nhi hua! Mujhe Abhi ko hurt nhi krna tha... Pr mai sbko niraash nhi kr skti thi! When you all went back, I ran to my room but I wasn't feeling bad for the confusion but was  Feeling  bad for Abhi and for not having anyone by my side, pta nhi kyu  pr iss ek hfte mei ma, papa ki yaad aur abhi ka dil thodne ka dukh, jyada ho rha h. Aaj ajeeb si feelings aayi, ki koi chaiye ma jaisi, jgh jha mujhe ek APNI family mile, apni family" Explaining her situation, she broke into tears, to hide them, she immediately closed her eyes, she couldn't cry, in front of harsh, who was silently watching them.

Harsh sat on the floor,beside  akshu  , loosening his tie he exhaled calmly.
He couldn't figure out himself, what was he doing?

"Tumhe pta h, jinke pass sb hota h, unse bhagwaan kuch n kuch chin lete h, " He paused and continued "Family deta h, toh past de deta h;paise deta b toh health le lete h;khushiyaan de dete h toh, dukh ko line mei lga dete h;kisi bhi happy situation  ko brkaraar heei nhi rehne dete h" He inhaling a deep breathe.

"Pta h akshara, mujhe tum isliye nhi pasand ho kyunki, tumme mujhe manjari dikhti h, mujhe apne abhi ke liye ek modern women chahiye. Pr use tum chaiye, uss din ka confusion jo hua, mujhe bhaut gussa aaya, uski choice pe, pr aaj tmhe iss time pr bhar dekh kr lg rha h ki shayad mai heei smjh nhi paaya tha tmhe. " He continued as if pouring out his point of views.

"Ha beta, mujhe bhi nhi pta tha ki itna bda confusion ho jayega" Said manjari, guilty.

Akshara was just listening to them, she was calm, she was sensing something new, a parental feeling.

"Sorry uncle, mai maafi maangti hu, ki mai chup rhi! Mai nhi chahti thi ki sb lde! Aur aunty galti aapki nhi h! It's of us, abhi, mine, and aaru's, we should have been careful and courageous for our feelings.
Mai bol rhi hu n, ki uss din se mujhe kisi se nazar milane ki taakat nhi h, isiliye mumma aur papa ko miss kr rhi thi. Unki aavaj aaj iss khaali jgh pe sunne aayi thi... Ek baar unke saath jina chahti thi, imagination mei heei sahi"she said sniffing.

"IF you don't mind, you can call us papa and ma.... ";akshara and manjari looked at him shocked; he continued "I meant! I know that we can not take your biological parents place, but we can give it a try" He completed, making akshu more than emotional, she sat upright and hugged him, crying hard, manjari was just adoring them, their newly formed bond, while it took harsh a minute to Reprociate her hug.
It was totally something new, being a father, he never got the chance to hug his sons, due to the distances they had, but akshara seemed to accept him as his fatherly figure.

"Shhhh, chup ho jao, akshu, " Manjari gently patted akshu's back, as she was crying harder in harsh's fatherly embrace.

Manjari seemed to visit heaven, seeing the scene  in front of her.
How sürreal,
Realistic,
Beautiful,
Cute,
Pleasant,
It was just heaven.

Even harsh seemed to changed. Owing to his fatherly feelings that were resurfacing, after years.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Do vote , appreciation and suggestions are welcomed alike!

Peace out!

~😊~