Debanya Diaries

A Painful Nostalgia

"WHAT?!"

Debu gasped in disbelief. Ananya smirked as his eyes widened up.

"Is it true?" Debu stuttered stunned.

"Yes. Today Naqabposh will show me his face!" Ananya said confidently smirking.

"How?"

Debu asked as he never mention of showing her his face. Though she had warned him of doing something like the fire accident from before.

"That's none of your business!" Ananya snapped, "Now get out of my way!"

Ananya snapped and dragged her wheelchair away. Debu sat on the place stunned. The roots of suspicion in Debu's mind grew deeper. Ananya was now one of his odds. Actually since start she was his odd. Her sweet face and rude nature hiding her cautiousness. Her pretend to be clingy to hide her cat like instincts. Her attitude of calling Baalveer and now Naqabposh for every problem despite believing in self dependency.

"Hah.." Debu sighed brushing his hair with his hand, " And now... her eagerness to see Naqabposh's face... just so dangerously interesting!" Debu mumbled.

*Get out of my way!* *That's none of your business!*

Ananya's words despite being sounding normal somehow gave him threatening vibes. Now Debu even as Naqabposh have no choice but to keep the track of this sweet yet wild cat.

"Raaste ka to pata nhi Ananya! Par ab tumhara har business mera business hai!"

Debu stood up and walked back to his home. Other hand Ananya returned back to her home was happier than ever. She managed to threaten Naqabposh and also befriend him. Her squeals could be heard from the outside her window in the alley. As the time passed, Ananya eagerly waited to meet Naqabposh. Debu on otherhand was working on his magical riddle given by Sarvakaal. As attempted to try a different method of finding a clue, someone snatched it.

"ACK!"

Debu gasped and looked up in the direction. It was Karuna. Mortified Debu jumped up.

" I am shining but not wise..." Karuna started to read the riddle.

"Maa!" Debu called out attempting to take the diary back.

"Aha! Na!" Karuna quick on feet walked away from him reading it curiously.

"Maa! Wait! Listen to me Maa!" Debu called out following her still mortified.

"I burn but I am not fire...." She read further.

"Maa! Maa!" Debu stuttered as Karuna read it aloud.

Karuna now curious seeing her elder son who was barely twenty and lost his memories writing something like that. To her, it sounded more of a romantic poem that what it actually is. She couldn't hold the curiosity and questioned him in sweet teasing voice.

"What are you writing Debu?"She questioned walking away again.

"Maa! Its a crossword puzzle!" Debu spouted.

"Ooohhh! Crossword puzzle!!" Karuna smiled as Debu became red.

"Yes..." Debu muttered restless to get hold of the diary.

"But crossword puzzles are published in newspapers. But you're having a diary!"

Karuna asked barely holding her 'you know' smile. Debu became speechless. He quickly thought of an excuse. But Karuna being mother of three quite smart witted kids got her thoughts further. Suddenly her mind clicked something.

"Debu!! Kahi Ananya ke chakkar mein tum sher-o-shayari to nahi karne lage!?"

Karuna gasped with stunned yet teasing smile. Debu went completely red. His ears turned visibly red and he stuttered. Karuna smiled even more wide seeing Debu stunned like that. She squeezed his cheek feeling the flushed heat. Debu snapped out his thoughts and retreated with an excuse he came up with.

"No Maa! Its really a puzzle! See for yourself!" Debu requested.

"Really!" Karuna gave him a look.

Debu nodded. Karuna impressed with his confidence began reading. After reading start two parts, Karuna realised that it was a riddle. Otherhand Debu waited for Karuna to confirm and return the diary to him. But Karuna had no plans to heeding to his plan. Karuna after reading the riddle insisted on helping him solve. Debu already mortified by Karuna finding the riddle further deteoriated as sh insisting on helping him.

He was sure if this kept up, Vivaan and Timnasa might suspicious. So he took a decision unaware this might become a pathway leading to something major. Debu managed to stop Karuna from reading futher.

"Maa! Listen to me Maa!" Debu stopped Karuna.

"Hm?" Karuna looked at him.

"Well... this is a poem..." Debu pretended to be shy.

"Hmmm?" Karuna hummed as her lips widened to a smile.

"I was feeling shy to admit it to you Maa!" Debu lied.

Karuna smiled as Debu fidgeted in restlessness. Karuna pulled him down to sit. He was stunned.

"Why were you shy to your mother!" Karuna chuckled.

"Huh?"Debu stuttered.

"Take this and complete it!"

Karuna excited even more opened up the diary again. Debu finally realised that writing the riddle in the diary was the worst of any decisions he made till that time. Karuna was too excited reading the riddle. She completed the riddle and became astonished and nostalgic.

Aree wah mere Mirza Ghalib! Waah!

Karuna praised. Debu with every passing moment was suffering a small heart attack. All he was desperate was of tearing the page with riddle and throwing it down in dustbin.

"You know I also used to write poems in my college times!" Karuna shared excitedly.

"R-Really Maa?" Debu stuttered not very interested.

"That's how I had met Khushi's father!" Karuna suddenly said.

Debu paused his thoughts for a moment. Karuna had a smile yet it seemed sad and painful. Her lively eyes suddenly went lifeless and teared up. Debu felt the sad aura.

"Maa..." Debu muttered increasingly worried for her.

"He was a good poet and a known magazine writer other than a small part time worker." Karuna continued, " We fell in love but decided to stay away for our family's sake. Coincidentally, we were matched together and we hit off. We got married and had khushi. We promised to be together forever."

"..." Debu silently heard her.

"But that day never came. He broke promise and in a day our lives changed. Khushi was three when he passed away." Karuna revealed.

"Maa...Baba... you miss him alot right?" Debu asked trying to be considerate.

"Very much... but for sake of my only kid, I decided to move on and live for ones who were there with me." Karuna continued.

"Maa..." Debu held her hand trying to comfort her,

"Anyway! Leave and complete it!" Karuna changed the topic as she wiped her tears.

"Maa that's-"

"And next time don't hide these from me! I love reading!" Karuna chuckled.

"Maa!" Debu sighed breaking into a small laughter.

"But still... tell me one thing Debu?" Karuna asked.

"Yes Maa!" Debu again fixated his eyes on diary.

"You like Ananya?"