MaAn- The Night that followed !!

71. Anuj is Disappointed

As days passed by and Anupamaa kept on healing and getting better all mentally, physically and emotionally, a few things started to change. She wasn't unobservant of changes around her all the time day by day, minute by minute and she was unable to help it. Anuj was giving her her space... And unexpectedly a LOT of it. She was asked to take rest and a new teacher, Dimple, was recruited in to substitute her for the time-being.

~

They haven't talked about the incident since they returned from the police station... Neither about the chaos and Umang's instigation nor about the kidnapping nothing! He just one day randomly told Anupamaa that Umang had confessed his crime and is convicted of it too and might have to undergo tests for his unsound state of mind following which the law would take its course. Since the time he had been released from the California Jail he had been on hunt for Anuj only to find him settling happily with Anupamaa and realised she's the same Anupamaa back from college and planned his revenge from both of them at the same time and thinking further that if he gets lucky he could get to lay his hands on Anupamaa too.

~

Past days had been heavy on both of them. Anuj had seen her struggling with post-incident traumatic stress and anxiety and had been with her to help her. She would wake up suddenly a lot of times mid-slumber and shriek out loud. Anuj calmed her down keeping her engulfed in his embrace if he is nearby or else he was called when she turned inconsolable sometimes and nobody but Anuj could turn her manageable.

Little noises were enough to startle her. He would help her with her hair sometimes and other times would help her dress her wounds. Over time those marks were disappearing and he was starting to feel more distant from her. The number of topics he used to share with her were going down tremendously. He didn't wanna overwhelm her with anything including his own condition.

With Devika, Kinjal, Samar and Kanta Maa all there it wasn't much difficult. Though she rooted for him always but even in his absence there were people to handle her quite well and maturely. But Kaanta had to leave after a few days to be with Bhavesh.

~

Quite twice and thrice Anuj had found Anupamaa trembling of some bad dream soaking her face with tears and sitting all curled up on floor or on her bed and would be comforted when Anuj wrapped her in a hug laying kisses atop her head. For the first time when it happened and his first touch on her shoulder - she shrieked real bad but since then the intensity was going down for good and so was the time he spent with her. He was relieved to see her pain and fears subsiding and her smile getting broader with everyday that passed.

Other times he would join her for evening coffee or tea but it wasn't a very routinely thing now as he started skipping it and keeping himself engrossed in his work.

~

Anupamaa had tried stopping him to sit with her so that they could talk randomly like they used to before but he would excuse himself for some urgent meeting or work and she would just sit and watch him walk out of the door. He had never been rude to her but she could feel the distance growing. In quite a short period of time it became so often that she started getting habituated to it though it always hurted her to see that how he has stopped sparing his lot of time for her and would kiss her forehead, pat her cheek and leave.

She wanted to talk to him but was not sure if she should indulge in such mood-spoiling talks in the little time they are spending together nowadays. The time though wasn't little in the sense of ignorance but in the comparison with previous times.

~

While every single person around Anupamaa, whether living in Anuj's and Anupamaa's flats or at their own places, could see how much the incident had affected Anupamaa emotionally and psychologically but collectively failed to notice how much this entire situation had taken a toll on Anuj's mental well-being. The exception being Devika. She could see him struggling with his emotions. With him going silent around everyone she silently read his silence.