Ranjha

3.2 | Happily Ever After?

He felt his lips curve into a hollow smile. The beep of ECG, it looked like a hospital.
"Atleast now no one will say Vanraj Shah doesn't have a heart..", He whispered.
His vision was blurred, he couldn't see the face of the saree clad woman before him properly.
"He has a heart.. and in that heart there are thousands of regrets.. and on every regret..", He whispered,
"The name of our relationship is written.."

"Arrey bhaiya! Throw the newspaper properly na! It would've hit my Tulsi plant!", He heard from outside.

Vanraj Mallick sat up immediately in his white t shirt and knee length cargo shorts. The golden sunshine flooded into his room through the balcony. He held his head, shutting his eyes

He looked up and paused.

Vanraj Shah.

He got off the bed immediately and strode out of the bedroom.

The living room was airy, he realised, as he strode down to the wall behind the dining table.
The photographs.

Yuvraj's dad looked exactly like me and had that name. Vanraj Shah.

He thought staring at the photograph. He realised he only missed the moustache, everything else looked exactly the same.
His gaze shifted to the photograph beside it.
Anupamaa.

The girl he met yesterday had a strange resemblance to her grandmother. It wasn't a big deal really, genetic relatives can look the same. But why him?

"Mister Mallick, you woke up?", He heard from behind.
Vanraj felt his heart skip a beat.
He turned to face her.

He did not remember his last female interaction. He was stuck in a rehab for months, before that the only interaction with his ex-wife was at the court, sighing papers.
But ever since he had crossed paths with Anupamaa Shah, he felt like he had known her for years altogether.

The eyes, the subtle smile.. all seemed oddly familiar despite meeting for the first time.

"Vanraj, please. Mr. Mallick is too formal.", He said breaking into a smile.
Anupamaa drew in a deep breath.
It wasn't exactly a good thing to remember everything that had ensued in your past life.

"No.. Umm.. our relationship is formal only.", She said awkwardly as she placed the tea kettle on the dining table.
Vanraj looked down inhaling deeply.
"I apologise..", He mumbled.

Anupamaa looked up at him, taken aback.
He apologises? Maybe he is truly a different man.

"Tea?"
"Ah not really.. the rehab guys never gave it to me so.. I have stopped drinking. Just warm water.", He said looking up.

Anupamaa nodded, realising it's better to keep the boundaries intact.
"Rehab?", She asked softly as she sat down taking a seat.
The seat at the head of the table.
It was intentionally done.

Vanraj didn't seem to care about it as he took a chair on her right.
Anupamaa couldn't keep the images of his past from flashing before her.

The man she had loved for years, known more than anyone else could ever, was here before her - again - but in a different life.
She remembered vowing she'd never forgive him in that birth. But this is literally another life.

She looked down as she poured herself tea.
"Rehab..", He whispered, "It was my son.. lost him.. wife left me..headed to all sorts of mental health issues. Did not have a choice.", He said forcing a fake smile.