ANUGAAMINI- The Boundaries

3. Someone Else's

Anupamaa peeped out of the window of the room that she was instructed not to leave by her mother. She looked around at the preparations and blushed.

The mandap was ready and Panditji was busy sprinkling Gangajal around and chanting some mantras. She had helped in the preparations enough before finally getting ready.

She shut the door from inside and sat on the chair near the mirror and slid out a photo from under the newspaper. Stared at it as if she is a video that's paused. But she couldn't keep on looking at it for more than a few seconds.

"Damaad ji aaye to unko aese mat ghoorne lag jaana jaise uss din photo ko dekh ri thi... Samjhiii!!! Sabke saamne accha nahi lagta hai Anu."

She remembered it and blushed. Her heart was beating faster. She pulled out the photo again and looked at it for quite a long time and noticed for the umpteenth time how handsome he looked. She pressed the bridge of her nose as her mind was filling of his thoughts.

Let me watch him as much as I want now then if I can't do it in front of everyone.

~

"We are invited Anuj... The Shah's are our neighbours.", Arunimaa informed him.

"Maa... I don't want to come... How to see her... I... I... Just... To... See... Her getting married...", he cried inconsolably.

"The choice you made... Is tougher than this... You have to see her daily... Dressed up like someone else's wife from... Tomorrow. You can always come to us and tell us you won't be able to do this anymore and we'll send you off or shift...", she convinced him.

"I don't think I would ever be able to walk out willingly. I can never.", he replied.

"You need to be stronger than this then... You are coming with us... And this is not optional for you... You won't start tomorrow... You'll start today if you want to stay here... Or else we can't let you... You can't let your love overpower you... EVER!!"

He felt that excruciating pain in his heart but he had made this choice - he wanted to be near her forever even if it's for the sake of living her life just not with her.

"It's paining me... She'll just... Just for forever be... Someone else's... I love her love her love her sooo much... Plea... plea... please An... Anupamaa... Don't...", he sat on the ground and cried.

She sat by him and hugged him. "If you want to stand your ground EVEN NOW after knowing what you'll feel... you have stay strong. You can not sway even for a moment coz your one moment might reveal your feelings and... The repercussions you... Know well... I won't repeat. Do it for love's sake... Put yourself through this and see if you could manage.", she tried helping him out.

He wiped his tears and woke up. He set his hair and looked at her.

"You are right... I'll have to habituate myself to this and what could be a better start than... THIS....", he said looking down at the wedding card.

Vanraj
Weds
Anupamaa

"I'll come to her wedding...", he said with conviction though tears had swelled his eyes up since the past few days.

~

Knock!!

Anupamaa opened the door and greeted her best friend, "DEVIKAAA..."

"You look beautiful Anu...", Devika praised.

"Thenk you... Tujhe inki photo dekhni thi ne... Idhar aa...", she called Devika near the mirror.