Ranjha

OS - 2 : a thousand years

A Thousand Years
— alternate universe OS (happy)

×

It was an average evening in Ahmedabad.
The calendar struck at 2008.
And the clock struck 7 in the evening.

Anupamaa stood in the kitchen, exhausted with the day's work.
Baa was at her favourite place, the swing in the living room, watching a daily soap.
Anupamaa wished to join in, but the work was overwhelming.

She had not been feeling too well all day, but the work had to go on.
Toshu and Samar were sitting with their grandmother happily watching the serial.
A three year old Pakhi was in the bedroom, colouring in a colour book.

And Vanraj had not returned from work yet.
She sighed as she walked out of the kitchen and headed towards the bedroom.

She sat down on the bed, feeling the exhaustion draw upon her a little more.

"Mumma! Mumma look at my colouring!", She heard her daughter.
She forced a smile as she picked up the colouring book.
"Waah! Yeh toh bohot hi sundar hai! Meri Sweetudi toh ekdum bhest hai!", She said with all the enthusiasm possible.

"It is best, Mummy!", The young child pipped up.
"Ha.. ha. Wahi.", Anupamaa said warmly as she kept the book back on the bed.

Devika had called a while ago.
Apparently there was some vampire movie in the theatre and she wanted Anupamaa to join her.
Knowing the constraints of her house, she had clearly denied.

"Pakhi! Dekh tera cartoon aa raha hai!", Baa called on.
"Aayi!", The three year old said cheerfully as she abandoned her colouring book and ran to her Baa.

Anupamaa sighed.

Now she would have to finish Pakhi's colouring homework.
Along with the school project that was scheduled for submission on Monday.
Tomorrow was a Sunday and she knew she'd be stuck in the kitchen all day.

Why do these schools even give such homeworks? Don't they already know it's not the little children, but the parents who do it?

Anupamaa stood up, looking at the clock.
Vanraj had said he would be late.

"Naha leti hu.. shayad behtar mehsoos ho.", She thought as she headed into the bathroom.
She turned on the shower and simply stood under it, letting the cool water slide down her.

"Tum samajhti kyu nehi ho?! Mujhe kaam hai aaj-"
"Toshu ke Papa.. mai toh bas-"
"Anu waqt nehi hai. Mai chalta hu. Baad mein baat karenge.", He had said before swiftly walking out of the house.

They were accustomed to saying a gentle "bye" to each other.
And he hadn't even turned back as he strode out.

Although it was nothing major, it had made her sad all day.
Probably a reason why she felt so sick.
Did she not deserve even an ounce of his attention?
If he had work, so did she.
They had not even spoken in days because of his hectic work schedule and her unending household chores.

She heard a knock at the door.

"Aati hu.", She said, sighing.
There was another knock.
"Arrey kaha na aati hu!", She snapped in heartbroken anger.

The knocking happened again.

She clenched her jaws.
She turned off the shower and walked down to the door.

"Kaun hai?", She asked.
"Batman.", Came the reply.
She narrowed her eyes, recognising the voice.
"Batman ji, aap apni Batwoman ke paas jaiye.", She said in annoyance.

"Anu, yeh koi tareeka hai kya? Kholo na!", Vanraj said, standing outside.

He had just tip toed into the house, shut the door of the room and hearing the sound of the shower, knocked at the bathroom door.