Love in Time

Ch.2 I Found Her

*1909*

*Tulsipur ,Bangal*

*RC Haveli*

A heartbroken Anirudh returns back home with his kaka and brother. His baba is also coming after them with his mother.

As soon as they reach home, kaka asks their humble servant Bihari to make some arrangements. His baba also reaches there with his mother. The main hall was cleared and and her mother was laid down there. People start showing up to show their grief. Amidst all this, Anirudh hears the cries. Cries of the one who was responsible for all of this. He was sitting crying near his mother when he heard it.

He got up angrily and went near the baby, laying on a cot.

"CHUP HO JAO.", he shouted and immediately his hands went near the child's neck to choke it. His kaka saw this and came running towards them. He picked up the baby and yelled at Anirudh. "Anirudh kya karne wale they tum?"

"Ye sab isi ki vajah se ho raha h kaka. Agar ye nahi aata to maa kahi nhi jaati."

"BAS. Chup ho jao Anirudh. Tum ghar ke sabse bade bete ho. In dono ke bade bhai ho agar tum aise rone lage to tumhare bhaiyo ko kon dekhega."

"Ye nahi h mera bhai." Anirudh shouted and ran away from there to his room.

He closed the door and sat down crying. Soon he dozed off to sleep.

*Anirudh pov*

When I opened my eyes, I saw a dimly lit room. I didn't know where I was. I saw a door and quickly went towards it. I banged on it and shouted, begging kaka and baba to open the door. I knew they must've locked me here since I misbehaved. But after what felt like an hour my mouth parched and I couldn't shout or yell anymore. Too tired, I dragged myself to a corner of the room and sat there crying.

'Aadmi rote nahi. Aur tum to roy chowdhary ke khandaan se ho. Aise kamzoro ki tarah aasu bahana band karo, Anirudh.' Baba's words were ringing in my ears. Maybe I am no man because I want to cry at my mother's demise.

I had just went to baba because I unconsciously wanted him to console me. But instead he scolded me. And kaka, he suddenly loves that little brat because of whom my mother died. He is looking after Som too. Som is already down with a fever and passed out. When he will know about this news he will also hate that guy.

I was lost in my thoughts, sobbing profoundly when I felt someone was behind me. Finally, they opened the door but I won't go out now. I hung my head low on my knees and cried.

"Tum kon ho? Tum yaha kya kar rhe ho? Ye konsi jagah h?" I heard a soft voice that I didn't recognize. So it isn't them. I cried even more at the thought that they didn't care. Both baba and kaka.

Suddenly, that person in front of me engulfed me in a hug. It seemed like this was a kid and the hair were long. It was a little girl. But I was too drained to care about that. This is what I was asking for from my baba and kaka. My family. They couldn't give it but she did. And it felt so warm.

"Chup ho jao. Rona achi baat nahi hoti. Meri maa kehti h ki rona nahi chahiye. Jab bache rote h to mumma ko bhot bura lagta h. Aur tum to big boy ho. Agar tumhari ma tumhe rote hue dekhengi to unhe bura lagega na."

She spoke again. Some utter nonsense.

"Nahi unhe bura nahi lagega." I sobbed in a low voice. "Aisa nahi hota h. Jab baby sad hota h to mumma bhi sad hoti h."

"Par meri maa to mujhe ab dekh hi nhi sakti." I cried. My mother is not with me anymore. And this girl is reminding me that.

"Kyu? Vo kahi gayi h?" She is speaking again. Why does she speak so much? Still, I answered her.