Parineeta

Bundle Of Joy

Okay so as promised.. The winner i.e the one who answered my question was thamannamanan1.
Congratulations... So i found my first dedicated reader.. I know sab ho but I've decided to record my readers now.. So this chapter is dedicated to thamannamanan1.
Hope you enjoy..
Happy reading..
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It wasn't really a good idea to walk alone down and across the streets. It was tiring as hell. Most importantly it was boring.
It was already seven and i was quite a distance away from Malhotra mansion. Two hours was a huge time. Abhi tak toh i would've reached home, taken bath, and relaxed my tired legs had i been with him. I know i could've easily taken a cab but being the rather careless soul i had forgotten my purse at home. That reminds me I'll have to go to Murthy Mansion as well to get my purse.
But how could he even do this to me. I said i didn't wanna go with him but did that mean he can leave his wife alone on the streets to stroll down and reach home. Just because he was with Alya, i didn't want to be a nose poker because she already looked pissed at something and who knew, me accompanying them could've irritated her more but does that mean he'll forget me and forget his responsibilities towards me.
I looked at my phone for one last time before it died out of battery completely. No calls, no messages. Like seriously didn't he even care. Its been two hours since I've been walking alone and it was kind of getting dark now and my legs had finally decided to give up.
I located a small park kind of area where i still could see mothers running behind their kids. I entered the park and sat on a bench close to the entrance. There were not only one or two children but many. It seemed as if they were on a picnic.
I was admiring the innocence of the children playing around when something soft touched my feet.
I looked down to find a ball lying near my feet. I turned to the sides if someone was looking fir it and i found a little girl of probably three years standing there. She looked at me hesitantly though her eyes held some yearning to say something but she wasn't speaking.
I picked up the ball and she placed her finger on her mouth probably wondering what i was going to do to her or the ball.
"aapko ball chahiye.."i asked her sweetly and she looked at me with more hesitance in expressions.
"batao chahiye!"i asked her looking at the ball and then back at her. She nodded slightly.
"phir uske liye toh aapko idhar aana padega!"i smiled at her and she took a few baby steps towards me.
"aap toh bhot pyaare ho aapka naam kya hai.."i asked her as she stood a few feet away from me. She looked at me and then looked around as if looking for someone.
"mumma ko dhund rhe ho.."i said and she looked at me nodding in a no.
"phir.."i asked bending closer to her.
"c.. Chhavi mam ko.."she said in a sugary voice and then looked behind her but there was no one. Not even the children that had been playing around sometime back.
"aapka naam kya hai.."i asked now holding her closer by her waist. I knew she had gotten lost or maybe the rest had left leaving her behind. But i couldn't let her know that.
"chhavi ma.. Chhavi maam.. Kaha gyi.."tears welled up in her eyes as she looked around in the empty Park. The darkness had set in by now and it was getting scarier for her. I could feel her shiver.
"mil jaegi.. Pehle aap apna naam batao.."
"Medha."she said slowly, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Medha..yeh toh bhot hi sweet naam hai.. Pta hai Medha pera naam hai Nandini..."i said picking her up gently in my arms.
"Medha aap kaha rehte ho.. Aapke mumma papa ka naam kya hai.."i asked her and she looked at me blankly.
"mumma papa.. Nai hai.. Chhavi mam.. Ke paas jaana hai.."she said shocking me. She was an orphan! My brain clicked.
"achha aapko pta hai.. Chhavi mam na humare saath hide and seek khel rhi hai.."i said and she looked at me blankly as if i was speaking spanish.
"vo na chhup gyi hai.. Aur hume unhe dhund na hai.. Agar humbe unhe dhund liya toh hum jeet jaege..hum jeetenge na Medha.."i said and i could see a hint of smile on her lips.
"chhupan chupai?"she asked me her voice holding some excitement.
"haan.. Toh hum unhe nhi jeetne denge.. Aur agar aap usse roge toh unhe toh lagega ki hum haar gye.. Par Medha tog jeeyegi na!?"i said wiping the tears of her chubby cheeks.
"achha aap mujhe batao.. Aap kaha rehte ho.."i asked her and her expressions told me she had no clue.
"koi baat nhi abhi raat ho gyi hai na.. Abhi aap mere saath chalo.. Phir hum kal ek saath unhe dhindenge aur unhe out kar denge thike.."i said and this time i could see her smiling completely and happily.
I picked her up in my arms as i walked out of the park. My legs still but this bundle of joy in my arms kind of gave a boost to my energy.
I knew i had to take a cab back home if I had to get her safe.
....
We reached home within fifteen and i wondered had i been walking it would've taken me another hour to reach home.
"Medha baby..yeh hai mera ghar andar chale.."i asked her as i signalled the cab driver to wait. He gave me a weird expression when he heard me asking such a question to the kid. I understood what he must be thinking, that this kid is my own child and thus I'm a mad woman telling my girl about her own house as if she didn't know, but little did he know that she wasn't mine and never could be.
I walked in the house and Nyonika ma pounced on me ignoring Medha who was still in my arms looking horrifically at Nyonika ma.
"Nandu.. Kaha thi tum.. Tumhe pta hai hum sab kitma pareshaan ho gye the.. Manik tumhe dhund ne ke liye gya hai.. Usne tumhe kitne calls kiye oar tumhara phone switched off tha.. Kaha thi tum.."she said. Hearing that he was worried about me i fake chuckled.
"ma.. Agar usse meri itni hi fikar hoti toh vo mujhe akele aane hi nhi deta.. Ma yeh aap accept nhi karnachahte ya aapko pta hi nhi ki i hold no place in Manik's life.. Uski priorities ki list mein mai nhi hu.."i said forgetting that i still had someone who was totally new to all of this chaos.
"Nandu.."she tried.
"nhi ma.. Its high time ki ab aap aur mai hum dono yeh baat maan le.. Aur uspe vo responsibilities na daale jo vo lena hi nhi chahta.."i said as i finally felt a soft tapping on my cheeks. The smallest hands patting my cheeks to gain attention felt so warm.
I looked at Medha and she placed her head on my shoulders.
"Nanni aunty.. Gussa nai kalte!"she said her tiny hands hugging me.
I couldn't help but smile at her way of calming me down. She looked so adorable while she hid her face in the crook of her face. And the best part was the way she called my name in her sweet voice.
"Nandu yeh kaun hai.."ma asked and i instantly remembered that i had the cab driver still waiting.
"ma mai aapko sab btaungi.. Par thorhi der mein.. Bhaar ek cab vaale bhaiya hai aap unhe pay kar dengi.. Please.."i requested her and she nodded as i moved ahead with Medha towards our room.

Nyonika ma paid the cab driver as she tried dialing Manik's number which was busy.
"madam.. Vo bachhi aapki hai.."the cab driver asked and ma didn't know what to say.
"bhot hi pyaari hai.."he said and smiled as he drove off. Nyonika ma nodded in approval remembering the way Medha had calmed my down.
She was on the steps of the mansion when a car screeched into the front porch and a puffed up Manik came out.
"samajhti kya hai yeh larki apne aap ko.. Isse kya lagta.. Saari duniya iske aage pichhe ghumegi.. Pta nhi kaha chali gyi hai.. Phone bhi switch off kar diya.. Itna late hi gya hai.. Kaha dhundu mai pata nhi.."he mumbled as he walked towards ma.
"Manik.. Nandini ghar aa gyi.."she said without letting him speak and in seconds she had all his attention but before she could say anything she heard me calling out to her followed by a few giggles. Manik looked at her questioningly and she signalled him to come in.

"maa!" I called out to Nyonika ma as i made Medha sit on the washroom counter. She needed a shower and that was clearly visible on her tired face.
I turned on the washbasin tap and put her legs into the basin while she was busy playing with water.
I was happy with her. She had made me forget all my problems in life and just enjoy every moment with her. Maybe this was what amma always talked about, that you would forget all your worries when you have your bundle of joy in front of you. But here what the most surprising fact was that Medha wasn't mine but i felt a connection with her. She had managed to do what nobody could. I don't know what it was but in a very a little time she had managed to own a big corner of my heart.
"Medha.. Yha se hilna nai.. Okay.."i said and she smiled in the mist adorable way while i notices that she was simultaneously busy catching water that ran out of the tap.
"Medha baby aap yeg kya kar rhe ho.."i asked finally not able to resist.
"mai.. Paani pakalli hun.."she answered and i smiled at her innocence .
"achha yhi rehna mai abhi aayi thike!"i said and headed to the washroom door.