The Invincible Love

Is it Love or is it Pity?

And here come the next chapter as promised. Go ahead and enjoy.

Happie reading!

"Wait what? No, Anupama! I want you in my life but not like this." said Anuj realizing what she said.

"Par kyun Anuj? Apki zindagi mein bas yahi toh ek khwahish thi. Phir aap manaa kyun kar rahe ho?" said Anupama surprised by his denial.

"You don't love me. You are just pitying my condition." said Anuj disappointed.

"Par Anuj. Mai shayad phir se kabhi kisise pyar kar hi nahi pavungi. Mujh mein itni himmat nahi hai." Said Anupama helplessly.

"Nahi Anupama! I cannot be in a loveless relationship." said Anuj in a stern tone.

"Par Anuj hum dost toh hai na. Phir kyun nahi ho sakta?" asked Anupama.

"Mai tumhare saath sirf rishte se nahi bandhna chahta. Pyar se bhi bandhna chahta hu. Rishte nibhaye jaate hai. Lekin pyar...pyar toh jiya jata hai. I don't want to be your responsibility. I want to be your love." he expressed his thoughts being honest.

"Aur agar voh nahi ho sakta hai toh mai akela hi theek hu." Anuj stated turning away from her.

And with that statement Anupama was stumped. The respect that she had for Anuj amplified by thousand times.

"Ek aur baat Anupama. I write these letters whenever I feel heavy and want to share things with you but can't. So, these letters are not meant for you to read. These are just my ramblings and it's quite personal to me." he said it in a little offensive tone.

"Ek tarfa pyar karne walon ke paas le dekar bas yahi ek cheez toh hota hai. Ke hum apna dard aur apne pyar ko bina kisike interference ke jee sakein. Yeh haq toh mat chheeno mujhse." Anuj added in a low tone.

Little did these two realize that his love was not going to be one sided anymore. The interference that he wanted to avoid was slowly rearing its head to disrupt his peaceful shell of one-sided love that he had built around himself.

Anupama was clueless as to how she could help him. It then struck her what he had said. He had been writing such letters from past twenty-six years! she thought. That means he has more of these, and she so wanted to read all of them.

Right then Anuj interrupted her thoughts saying in a disappointed tone, "Anupama, dekho bura mat manna. Par yeh khana mai nahi khavunga. Tumne yahi sab sochke banaya hai isse. Isse tum apne saath vapas lekar javo."

"Par Anuj, pehle toh humesha khaate the, toh aaj kya hogaya?" asked Anupama trying to understand what he was thinking.

"Pehle tum mere liye dost samajh kar khana banati thi aur laati thi. But today it's something else. If it would have been out of love, then I would have been the happiest person to have it. But it's not." He said and went back to his workstation.

"Theek hai. Mai le javungi. Lekin ek shart par." said Anupama.

"Kya?" he asked looking up at her.

Anupama had a smile on her face which Anuj couldn't understand.

"Aapne kaha ke aap letters likhte ho. Yaani aur bhi letters hai apke paas." she asked expectantly.

"Voh...voh..." he desperately wanted to dodge her questions, and, in an attempt, he asked, "Anu, voh sab chhodo aur yeh batao ke bapuji ki tabiyat abhi kaisi hai? Tum unko ghar akele chhodkar ayi ho na."

"Bapuji abhi bhi upset hai par theek hai. Aap mere sawaal ka jawaab dijiye." she demanded an answer.

"Haan hai. And I know what you are going to demand further and this time I am not going to give in to your demands. Sorry Anupama. This is the first time I am denying something that you have asked for. But I can't." Anuj said adamantly.

But Anupama being Anupama, she gets her way through what she wants. She knew all the ways to convince her dear friend.

"Theek hai mat dijiye. Aur jab tak aap voh letters mujhe padhne nahi denge tab tak mai bhi khana nahi khavungi. Ab mai jaanti hu ke mujhse judi har chhoti baat apko bhot hi zyada prabhavit karti hai. Mujhe pata hai ke aap mujhe bhooke nahi dekh sakte hai." Anupama was adamant as she pushed her plate of food indicating him that she will not have it.

"Par yeh cheating hai!" said Anuj looking at her defeatedly.

"Dosti mein sab kuch chalta hai." She said with a slight smile.

"Theek hai. Par mai jab chahunga tabhi tumhe dunga padhne. Aur padhne ke baad uspar aage koi discussion nahi hogi." he warned her.

"Manzoor!" she said happily clapping.

"Ab toh bhooki nahi rahogi na? Chalo ab plate uthao aur jaldi se khana finish karo." he said pointing at her plate.

She admired him. His one-sided love of twenty-six long years was so precious to him and he was ready to give up on that in just a moment to make her happy. She started saying "Koi kisise itna pya..." her words trailed off when she realized what she was saying.

"Isse bhi zyada karta hu aur humesha karta rahunga!" he said in a very serious tone.

"Mai apke liye khana order kar rahi hu. Aap bhi please khaa lijiyega." she said taking out her cell phone.

So, does it excite you to read all those letters? Also do comment and let me know what do you think about this chapter?