MaAn- The Night that followed !!

63. An Epoch of Misunderstanding

- ANUJJ...

She shrieked. Samar ran towards her.

- Mummy kya hua aapko..

- Aisa laga kuch ajeeb sa... Jaise Anuj ko jaroorat ho meri...
She rubbed her hand nervously over her sternum.

He patted her shoulders.

- Koi bura khayaal hoga...

She stayed silent. It was not a notion but his sound, heartily and desperately, calling her. She could hear it.

- Ma'am... Ye waala step ek baar phir se bata dijiye please...

She heard and marched towards the dancing arena after capping the bottle. Tips of her fingers touched as she held her hands parallelly in front of her chest. Right hand stretched and she took a turn.

-One...

Left hand repeated as her body swivelled.

- Two...

Left hand back on her waist while other one cut the air in a tilted cut and right heel stretched out parallelly to it.

- Three.

Right hand on her back and her left side conformed to the needs of symmetry of steps.

- Four.

- Thank you ma'am.

She stopped. It was 3:30 pm. Her body was nimble enough to finish the class and rush back to him but time ... Languourous!

'Ek baar Anuj ko phone kar loon kya...'

She thought as her ghungroo- adorned feet moved to the tunes. Her heels tapped on the floor accordingly as she constantly let her heels and toes switch as per the need of the step. Kids followed.

'Kabhi Anuj... Me... Mera phone dekh kar aur gussa ho gaye to? Vo thodi der akele rehna chaahte the... Har aadhe ghante me phone karoongi to... Jhunjla na jaaye... Par mein kya karoon phir... Ek baar kar leti hoon... Ni uthaayenge to dishturb ni karoongi...'

- Chalo bacchhhoon... Aap log paani pi lo... Paanch minute rest kar lo...

She was thirsty but she called him first. The clock struck 4.

'Bas do ghante aur Anupamaa...'

◽◾◽◾◽◾

The phone beeped away from him. He could hear it. He did. He set his palms again on the floor and invested all his might this time... To finally get up. His buttocks ached as he sat. He set straight his spects. Stood on his foot and his knees didn't support at the first go when he had to seek support on the side table making it shiver and the huge flower pot atop it fell and broke. He startled and stepped two steps back in the opposite direction hitting the other side table making the setup meet the same fate. He looked at the broken pieces and bent down to pick them up piercing his three fingers and his right palm as he he tripped with a broken glass piece in his hand.

- AAAHHHH... Anuuu...

He tried hard to reach his phone. Stripped that out and threw it in the dustbin. The call disconnected. Tears running down her cheeks made the vision blurry.

◽◾◽◾◽◾

'Haan meine socha tha ek baar nahi uthaaya to abhi ni dishturb karoongi par... Bas ek baar aur... Iss baar ni uthaaya to... Ni karoongi... Kya pata kuch kar re ho... Utha na paaye ho.. Par mein ek baar to aur kar leti hoon'

His phone rang.
He picked it up with his right hand and looked at her name flashing on the screen with her ever so cute image.

'Anupamaa ♥️
Incoming Call'