19. The Box

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He got an idea n ran to his dad!
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Papa....?!!

Hn anujjj? Tumhari maa mangyin kya?

Nhi par ek plan hai mere paas...
Anuj said excitedly

He told him the whole plan ...

Phir jab maa aayengi to unhe aap sambhal lena okay?

Par wo manegi kya?! Kyu pitwana chahte ho yaar mujhe?

Are papa, thoda emotional kardena blackmail wagera karna aur tab bhi na maane to kasam de dena! Easy!

Wahhh anuj!!!! Tu thik apni maa pe gya hai! Chalaki dekho toh...!

He patted him playfully

_______________

The father n son started executing their plan..

Anuj sneaked inside the study room , where sujata was overlooking some important documents n signing some deals.

In dim lamp light where sujata, surrounded by files, sat with her hair tied roughly in a bun , n her regular light cotton sari for bedtime tucked in her waist.
No wonder why his father is ready to do anything for this woman even after so many years of living together

Maa!
Anuj softly called her n sat on floor beside her chair
He lightly put his head on her lap

It was a very gentle n satisfactory moment for both of them
After a whole chaotic day, just a silent moment with each other is definitely so soothing

She set aside all her work n gently caressed his hairs, pecking lovingly on his head
She kept caressing his hairs n anuj nudged more inside her lap

I love u maa!
He said kissing her hands gently

Love u too bittu
She replied while running her fingers in his hairs

Every time when anuj was nervous or scared he would stick to her
Naturally this time too she sensed his nervousness

Though he had come to execute his plan but seeing his mom everything else faded
He just wanted to spend time with her

Kehte hain na bacche jitne bhi bade hojayein par maa ki jarurat to padti hi hai!!

-"congratulations bittu, dekho to hamara anuj kitna bada hogya hai! PAPA banne jaa rha hai. U know bittu aisa lag rha hai kal ki hi to baat hai ki tum hamari life me aaye the, mera chhota sa Baccha.
We had named u Anuj bcz it had both of our names ANil n sUJata, tumhare aanese maano hamari adhuri si zindagi puri hogyi thi!
Ye nayi zimmedaari bht badi aur nazuk hai Anuj, anu aur bacche ka bht khayal rakhna acche se... Apne papa jaise banna okay?? "

Hmm...
Anuj hummed

Kal se anu tumhare paas rahegi haina, to dhyaan rakhnaa uska raat ko, keep pillows in between hn! I know tumhe raat ko ulat palat hone ki aadat hai anu ko lag na jaaye kahin, n tell her strictly to wake u up jab bhi jarurat ho kisi cheez ki, aur tum bhi uthjana turant, apni kumbhkaran wali neend ko goodbye boldo, soliya tumne jitna sona tha tumko, now u are going to be a father, ab to 1-2 saal tak raat bhar duty lagi rahegi.

Arey! Ye kya baat hui ek do saal?

Hnji, night duty !
She chuckled

She softly brushed his hairs n stood up
Went to the almirah n brought a box

Accha anuj! Yaad hai na gaon se vo box k gehne mene anu ko jo diye the usme se kuch rakh liye the...

Hn aapne kaha tha sahi waqt aane par doge!

Hn to aagya vo waqt aagya hai... Ye dekho

She showed him the remaining items in the box
It had a chain with a tabiz sized rectangular thin plate with carvings of animals n gods n many circular smaller plates n spherical metal beads, he had a faint memory of her mother wearing it when she was carrying mukku
The next item he saw was a beautiful silver payal

The one that sujata had given anu on their wedding was of gold n very heavy
Wearing certain marital signs like payal, bicchiya, chooda n mangalsutra was considered somewhat mandatory n auspicious
That was the reason why anupama never took them out at any cost

-khabar che anuj, ye saare gehne hai ne sab pushtaini hai, Baa ko unki saas ne diya tha jab vo garv bati thin, aur BAA(SUJATA'S MIL) ne tumhari kaki ko diye the ankush k time pe aur unhone mujhe, ab Barkha dikri to ye sab pehenti nhi hai , to ab yeh anu ka..
Vo sone k payal bht bhari ho jayenge anu k liye abhi, ye wale lejao aur pehna dena use, aur ye chooda aur ye
(Pointing towards the chain)
Me anu ko puja karke pehnaungi teesre mahine me!

-maa chooda to anu ne pehna hai na?!

- vo shaadi ka chooda hai anuj aur ye box wala bacche k liye hai

-ooohh

- chal ab jaa anu k paas aur pehna de

- vo... Vo... Maa... Papa bula rhe the aapko, unhe peeth me dard hai bht...

- to tum maalish kardo... Jaao mujhe kuch kaam hai... Tum anu ko payal de do phir papa ki maalish kardena, room me herbal oil rakha hai left table ki second drawer me..

-mene bhi voi bola maa... Ekdum same to same,par papa ko to aap janti hi ho, maan nhi rhe vo keh rhe hai aapse hi karaayenge.. Aap..

- bas hon! Khabar che , ye tum dono ki sab planning, me bakra nhi banne wali!!!

-maa,plzzz.. Ek taraf aap apne bete ko apne iklaute biwi bacche se dur kar rhi hain aur dusri taraf aapke pyaar me doobe aapke pati parameshwar ko tadpa rhi hai, itna paap karna theek baat nhi che!!!

- chal chal have.... Itti notanki, baap re...
Ja tu ....!

Anuj made a sad face n was leaving when sujata completed

-apne biwi bacche k paas...

Thank u maaa!!!

He turned with broad smile on his face n ran to anupama

Sujata smiled in solitude

-chalo ab bade kapadiya ji ko dekhte hain!

She cleared the mess n headed upstairs

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Sujata and anil's bedroom/ where MaAn would be staying tonight:

The room was dark, moonlight entered the room through the open balcony door

With chilly autumn winds blowing around, Anupama sat on the balcony couch with earbuds of her ipod plugged inside her ears, she was holding a pencil n drawing something on a booklet

As the ipod played that particular song, her memories took her there, which was though the happiest memory of her life still she didn't want to visit it...

The scenes brought her immense peace but with a deep hint of sorrow too..

She kept the booklet aside n closed her eyes..

The door opened slowly n he entered in...
He quietly advanced towards her n seeing her engrossed he picked up..

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To be continued...

Happy rakshabandhan everyone..

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