Jhanak: The Story of Us

Restitution

The next morning

"Jhanak, I have no face to ask for your forgiveness. I just hope that you will please help me help you just a bit. Please, Jhanak."

Jhanak remembered Aniruddh's words last night even as she traced the edges of the grey HP Laptop on her bed. Imagine her surprise when she woke up to him knocking and asking to be let in, that he had brought Mimi along with him. Jhanak had cried herself to sleep after returning from the market to find her book torn to shreds, and it didn't help that her rodeo with sir ji at the market left her feeling all sorts of wasted. 

There was something about his tears that scared her enough to run away. He was one of those people that she was certain she could never truly hate. And she hated that cowardly part of herself - the tendency to make up excuses for his bad behavior.

But last night, he had forced Mimi to apologize to her and even more shocking, had knelt to ask her to forgive his family because she was ever so good and ever so filled with kindness. Again, Jhanak was certain that there was something about sir ji that scared the shit out of her. Now, she had woken up this morning to Shyam da knocking on her door with a laptop and a new copy of her books that Mimi and Rumi had torn yesterday, as well as a message from Aniruddh that he would please like to talk to her before the whole family this morning. Apparently, he had gone out after to buy them for her, probably as another means of apology.

But all Jhanak could think of was why her? Why was a master wasting so much effort on a servant like her?

Maybe she would never know. Jhanak slowly rose from the bed, the laptop in her arms, her mind made up. She was going to have to return such an expensive gift to Sir ji. It wasn't worth it to give something so nice to her; she didn't want any more problems or humiliation from his family who assumed that all she wanted was to latch onto their precious Aniruddh. 

Jhanak was scared and rightly so. But perhaps, what scared her most was that she would get there and Sir ji would agree with them too, that yes, she wasn't worth all the effort either.

**************************************************************

Aniruddh had a bitter smile upon seeing Jhanak descend the stairs with the laptop in hand. A part of him had wished that she had taken it, but the Jhanak he knew was very careful so that it came to this. He didn't know why it affected him so much that she was being cautious of him.

Or did he, Aniruddh asked, looking at his family who had various shades of negative expressions all because they saw what was in Jhanak's hand. They didn't even try to hide it and he thought it was a mighty effort of Bade Papa and Choton that he hadn't gone crooked all the way. Speaking of Choton, he had left to work so early, so that Aniruddh couldn't tell him his plan.

"Haha, Ani! You bought a laptop for Jhanak! Good, Good!" Appu excitedly clapped before leaning in for a hug on the couch. He hugged her, happy to her smile.

"Thank you, Appu di. You think I did excellent?" As he asked, he locked gazes with Jhanak, who was quietly standing beside the couch. He searched for some understanding in her gaze.

"Yes, yes!" She gave up and looked away, huffing under her breath that he dared to look at her with those eyes. Jhanak didn't want to lock a gaze with this man ever again. She trained her sight on the marble floor and stretched out her hands with the laptop in them.

"Sir ji, thank you for your gift. But I don't want it."

"Hey, you girl! How many times have I told you not to act clever? Well, I don't blame you, I blame my son for being so deceived by your drama! Take that laptop and just get away from here!"