The next morning, abhinav woke up with a headache.
He tried to remember last night, but was having some blurry flashbacks.
Abhinav : hey akshara ke kanha ji, marr gaya, abhinav tu toh gaya aaj.
Akshara entered with lemonade.
She glared at him making him stand up.
Akshu : good morning, acchi neend toh aayi hogi.
He looked down.
Akshu : yeh lijiye nimbu pani, pata hai sarr dard ho raha hoga.
He took it.
He drank it in one go.
Akshu : ab sach sach bataiye kitni pi li kal.
Abhinav : sorry akshara woh bhai ji ke sath thodi si.
Akshu : bhai ji bhai ji bhai ji, abhinav woh yaha akele hai, unhe bolne wala koi nahi hai, lekin aap toh jaante hai na ki aapko ghar jaana hai, biwi hai ek baccha hai aapka, woh toh accha hua abhir so gaya tha agar jaaga hua hota toh.
Abhinav : sorry akshara, accha mujhe bataiye na kya hua tha kal raat, mujhe kuch yaad nahi aa raha.
Akshu(mind) : matlab yeh bhul gaye ki inhone mujhe I love you kaha tha aur woh kiss....
Abhinav : akshara....
Akshu : nahi aap bass aa gaye aur maine sula diya.
He nodded.
Akshu(mind) : jab tak khud nahi bolenge main yaad nahi dilaungi, par agar kaha hi nahi toh...
Abhinav : kya hua, nikke ji kaha hai..?
Akshu : neelaamma ke saath bahar hai, aap taiyar ho jaiye abhir ke school jaana hai ptm hai.
Abhinav : haa main taiyar ho jaata hu.
She nodded.
***********************************
After breakfast,
They left for school.
In the car,
They saw abhir was praying with his eyes closed.
They chuckled.
Abhinav : aise darr raha hai jaise koi bohot badi shaitani kar di ho.
Akshu : ptm ke din toh duniya ka harr baccha darta hai, main bhi bohot darti thi, though mujhe kabhi kisi ne daata nahi hai phir bhi, aapko pata hai jab teachers meri complaint sirat mumma ko karti thi na, woh unhe hi daat deti thi, aur bade papa ne humesha hosla badhaya hai, next time accha kar lenge.
Abhinav : kismat wali hai aap akshara, mere liye toh padhai ho jaaye wahi bohot badi baat thi, inn sab palo ko jeene ka mauka kabhi mila hi nahi ya yuh kahu toh inn palo ko jeena kabhi mere naseeb mein tha hi nahi, mujhe toh yeh bhi nahi pata mere maa baap kon hai, kaha hai, zinda bhi hai ya nahi, jabse duniya dekhi hai akela hi raha hu.
She kept her hand on his and blinked in assurance.
He smiled.
They reached school and went to abhir's class.
Soon the teacher called them.
Teacher : good morning Mr and Mrs Sharma, good morning abhir.
Abhir : good morning mam.
Teacher : exams next month mein conduct honge, dates jaldi hum circulate kar denge, now about progress, harr subject mein abhir ne accha progress kiya hai, he's a little weak in maths but overall it's good, and about behaviour mujhe kehne ki zarurat hi nahi hai not a single teacher complains about him, I am really proud of him.
They smiled.
Abhinav : thank you mam.
Akshu : thank you so much mam.
***********************************
They were on the way home, she saw him taking a different route.
Akshu : yeh hum kaha jaa rahe hai.
Abhinav : ab itni taarif hui hai toh pizza party toh banti hai with ice cream.
Abhir : yay thank you papa.
Akshu : kya thank you papa, abhinav.
Abhinav : kya Abhinav akshara, kabhi kabhi chalta hai, aaj sirf masti karenge, ek kaam karte hai, pizza phir kabhi, kahi acchi si jagah jaa kar lunch karte hai aapko bhi aaj khana nahi banana padega.
Abhir : mumma please haa kar do na.
Akshu : fine chalo.
They smiled.
He stopped the car in front of the restaurant.
Akshu : Abhinav yeh bohot mehenga restaurant hai.
Abhinav : akshara aap paiso ki chinta mat kijiye, chaliye.
She sighed and nodded.
They went inside and took the seats.
Abhinav : order kijiye, nikke ji karo order.
Akshu : aap nahi karenge.
Abhinav : aap dono kijiye usme mera bhi aa gaya.
She smiled.
They ordered their food.
Suddenly akshara heard a voice which she never wanted to.
Abhinav : yeh toh bhai ji hai...bhai ji...
Abhimanyu looked and smiled at him.
Akshu(mind) : yeh kyu harr jagah mil raha hai, inhe bhi yehi aana tha, aur yaha bulane ki kya zaroorat thi.
Abhinav : bhai ji aap yaha.
Abhimanyu : haa woh lunch ke liye aaya tha.
Abhinav : hum bhi lunch ke liye hi aaye the, aap bhi aaiye humare saath hi lunch kar lijiye.
Akshu(mind) : family lunch ko bhi inhone samuhik lunch bana diya, aapko toh ghar jaa kar batati hu main.
Abhimanyu : arey nahi nahi aap logo ka family time hai aap kijiye.
Abhinav : bhai ji aisi koi baat nahi hai aaiye na.
He nodded reluctantly, akshara sighed in frustration.
