Written In Stars (Ashlok version) Sample

Ch 55

Delhi

Astha sat down on one of the lawn chairs after placing tray on the table. Then, She poured tea and handed the cup to ayi and then poured one for herself. It was getting colder here in evenings.

Astha,''Ayi do you need your shawl?''

Anjali,''No. Its fine. its really beautiful here in't it,its garden is the best feature of this house?''

Astha nodded.

Anjali,''any intersting neighbours?''

Astha thought about it,she never had the time or opportunity to meet any one of them,'' Not really ayi, everyone keeps to themselves here. I have no idea who lives next door.''

Anjali was silent for a moment,''yes, it must get busy with your college and all. I was thinking to throw a party here, I will invite the people I know from our institute and some of my old friends, you can invite your friends from college too.''

Astha went quiet for a moment,''There was only one good friend and she got married and shifted to Mumbai''.

Anjali frowned,'' ok, what about shlok's colleagues?''

Astha nodded,'' I will make a list'' but she doubted ayi would like meeting many of them.

Anjali put her tea down on table,''astha what is worrying you?''

Astha sipped down her tea,'' nothing ayi.''

anjali,''astha!'

Astha put her tea down and paced a few feet then came back,she wanted to ask ayi for help but what to tell and what to not tell?

Anjali got up and paced with her. Astha walked with her, anjali was quiet now waiting for astha to speak.

Astha finally said,'' ayi, I know its silly but it just keep thinking that I was not shlok's first choice and he will always want swathi.''

Anjali looked straight and asked,''are they still in contact?''

astha,''no but he wanted to marry her and he ended up with me instead.''

Anjali smiled at that,''history does repeat itself. Same thing happened with me and your baba.''

Astha was amazed,''really but who did he wanted to marry?''

There was almost a nostalgic look in anjali's eyes,''not him, me, I was engaged to marry someone else from my birth but he changed his mind and eloped with a girl from our college and I landed with your baba.''

Astha tried to digest that for a moment, she would have never guessed,''then how did..''she trailed off it was ayi,she could not ask the questions bubbling in her mind for her.

Anjali,''you must be thinking how did I got over him? i never did, his memories just faded in background , now that I look back at it, I can't believe I was ever sad over the fact that he chose someone else over me.''

Astha,''baba knows about it?''

Anjali nodded,''he helped him elope,his dad found out, he brought him to our house and asked for my hand for him.''

Astha forgot her own worries,''how cool ayi, its like some novel.''

Anjali laughed,'' It does seem now... but the fact is its not what life ''could'' be,its what life gave me and it was better than I expected, I fell for my husband over time, it laid a foundation on which I can stand and face anything and now in my old age I can say it was written in stars for me.''

Astha slowly said,''I have heard a man never forgets his first love.''

Anjali,''I am not a man, so I don't know but being a mother I can safely say,he never loved her.''

Astha remain quiet.

Anjali,'' no,he didn't or he would have gone after her, he is very possessive,even more than my other kids, he would have married her anyway, eventually everyone would have forgiven him. But yes, they were close, she was the sort of girl, he knew he could manage, and you know how he tries to control every situation.''

astha remained quiet, anjali patted her on head,'' I am not lying, do you remember how much he tried to maintain contact with all of us after he went to states, he obtained special permission from your school principal so he could talk with you daily. I have never seen him put in that kind of interest or effort with swathi but it was his decision,so I agreed.''

Astha nodded slowly and started walking again.