Ranjha

3.3 | Tempest of Destiny

Ishq maange, Ishq Chahe
Koi Toofan.

1800 AD, Surat Characters:

- anupamaa
a mere worker in the mansion of a Raja of the pre British Raj India.

- vanraj shah
- appointed general of army
East India Company

•

When Vanraj and Anupamaa walked into the cafe.
It took both of them a moment to realise where they were.
Anupamaa was quicker to remember this was the very cafe where she had her college reunion.

Vanraj looked around, awkwardly.
Still figuring out how he knew this place.
Anupamaa inhaled deeply as she walked in before Vanraj.
Vanraj looked around, dazed.

He turned around, feeling strange flashes clogging his head.
And then he heard a familiar voice.

Anupamaa had bumped onto someone spilling his drink.
"Ah.. I'm so sorry.", The man replied beaming. She nodded awkwardly.
Vanraj turned to see him.
"Hi.. Anuj Khaiten. And you?", The man asked smoothly.

Anupamaa looked at him taken aback for a moment.
No, he looked nothing like her husband from her previous life. Her instinct told this wasn't him. She knew Anuj was alive and in UK. She had met him when she was way younger. Realising probably they weren't meant to be for any longer than they were, she had learnt to move on.

And she had known her stubborn ex husband would show up some day, like he always did. He would eventually show up.

Vanraj didn't think the same.
He stared at them as Anupamaa awkwardly shook hands with him.

And abruptly everything started making sense.
Every broken memory came together like a twenty seven year long movie.
Everything around him numbed.
His breath caught up.

He immediately turned around, feeling his heart beat differently. He felt the tears itch his eyes, feeling more than he knew he could.

He walked out of the hotel and stood, barely breathing.

"Will we meet again?"
His own voice echoed from afar.
He hadn't heard the answer, the world had blacked out before it.

He shut his eyes, inhaling deeply.
I was playing a losing game, all these years.. I was waiting for someone who was never mine.

He turned to his right, and without another thought, he ran.
He dashed down the footpath, deafened by the cold wind, numbed by the flood of memories that had been locked in him for years.

Anupamaa shook hands and turned to her side.
Vanraj was missing.
She drew in a deep breath.

Did he disappear? Or he remembered?
If he did remember, she had more to tell him.

They did not cross paths without a reason. It was not about just one life, just one birth. It was for more.

Vanraj suddenly stopped, panting for breath on the footpath.
He looked up at the sky, staring at it.

And suddenly he heard a voice, from some distant corner of his mind,

Maybe it's not about this life Vanraj. Maybe you are connected to someone for births altogether. Think Vanraj, how do you know that strange woman in your dreams. Have you met her before?

He stood in silence.
Realising he had.
And that he had tormented and betrayed her.
And he had dared to wish she'd be his this time.

"Mister Mallick!", He heard from behind.
He turned to find Anupamaa, jogging down to him.
"You left me—"
"No! You did!", He shouted.
Anupamaa paused, staring at him.
"You left Anupamaa! I-I cheated and you left! Don't you understand?! Go back to the party! Meet your soulmate!", He shouted, teary eyed.