Horizon- A RoNakshi Short Story

Part two

Sonakshi stared at the bundles of joy sleeping comfortably in the crib. She has dressed them in the blue knit wear she made for them. Having a baby, she never thought before that she would go through that, but now she had two. Two identical baby boys and she had her heart filled with love.
She smiled alone looking at the pouts they were making in sleep. Those mini humans indeed carry so much vibrance and happiness that she has forgotten what she went through during this five years.they indeed have arrived to heal.
With that she remembered how everyone on her social media platform reacted the once actress sonakshi rastogi becoming a mother. Everyone congratulated her and complimented that they both have taken her looks, and she didn't know how to explain her happiness reading them all.But before all,The moment she first held them two in her arms was the most special moment of all.she never was going to forget that hour.
Two months have passed since their birth now,and the journeyhas been amazing. Staying up at night to put them to sleep, waking up in the midnight to change their diapers, or sometimes anshu among the two get hungry so that she has to stop everything and feed him, everything as a mother was just too hard to be explained in words.her mobile gallery was full of their pictures and videos and every now and then she had to upload them to iCloud because she was running out of space all thanks to her numerous clicks. She chuckled alone thinking of what she has become.then only she realized that sonakshi rastogi has started to smile a lot again during these two months. All thanks to her anshu and ayush.
She walked to the window and looked at the sky, it was february but the cold winter seemed not to end at all. Could it be spring soon please? She thought. My Bachchas should be seeing some sun rays soon. This cold climate worried her because ayush was very easily catching cold every now and then. Earlier she loved winters but she now have changed all her aspects for them. She remembered the weather forecast today, they were warning about a snow storm. Muniya pata nahi kahaan hogi she thought to herself. She was her support in this far away land from home.mumma has sent her here two years before to help her out. It's been hours since she went to get the groceries,where is she till now? Ek baar call kar ke dekhu? She though taking her mobile to the hand. That's exactly when she heard the door bell. She started running there adjusting her tee shirt and dragging her shorts up from the waistband, fearing that the next bell would wake the naughty two up and poora ghar sar par utalega dono neh.
"Arey rukho muniya rukho.Hamesha kehe rahi hoon ki chabi lekar jau lekin kabhi sunta hein kya meri. Useless." She was screaming running through the stairs and down the hallway. Her messy bun came off loose and her hairband slipped off but there was no time to pick it up. Holding the door knob and she turned it open,panting to catch her breath.
"Kitna intezaar karwaayi haan? Mujhe toh laga ki tum kabhi nahi aaungi muni..."
She snapped off as she opened the door with so much of banters but she could not finish what she was saying. Stopping on the track,she got frozen and she couldn't put down her breath that she took up.
"sorry...tume thodi intezaar karwaaya.lekin mein yeh nahi kaha ki mein kabhi nahi aaonga." Came the reply. She stared at the view infront of her eyes,unable to say anything.
"Congratulations,sonakshi." She heard the voice telling, handing over the flower bouquet which she mechanically took to her arms.
"Rohit?"
Was all she could utter from the little courage she mustered.
Yes it was him, doctor....I am sorry,surgeon rohit sippy standing infront of her five years and two months of absence. He had aged,not old,but gloriously.still that smile remained intact,but only thing was that it didn't glisten his eyes anymore like in the past. Not even the thick framed glasses he was wearing could cover it up for him. That much she could catch up staring at him till now.
"Erm...hello sonakshi.." he called her out waving his hand infornt of her face. She shot back to the reality.
"UK mein andhar nahi bulate?" He asked promptly.
"I am sorry,andhar aao." She made a smile and requested showing him the hallway from her hand.
He walked passed her and she walked a bit in forgetting to lock the door even. He turned back to see her and looked over her shoulder.
"Bahar bohot thand hein.i don't think it's wise to leave that door opened." He told. She nodded in a hurry and went back to close it,mentally slapping herself. What is wrong with me, she told herself.
Once she was returning he was watching here and there of her living room while hanging his coat at the wall holder and she fisted her hands trying to be strong and stood behind him.
"Beto na....rohit." She said having a little pause before taking his name again. He smiled and sat down starting with a shaking question shot at her.
"Husband nahi hein ghar pe?"
She composed herself a bit before answering.
"Wo yahaan westminster mein nahi rehete. Kaam ke silsile kuch din ke liye Scotland jaa chuke hein."
He gave a nod.
"Kese....dhoonda wo mere...I mean that I live here."
"Mujhe kuch conference attend karna tha yahaan actually.issliye aaya aur yaad aaya ki tum bhi hoon UK mein.Mere dost yahaan rehete hein.medical school ki.tum toh celebrity hoon toh aasan se pata laga usse ki tumari ghar kidar hein."
"Out of everywhere in England? Was that so easy to find?"
"Well jo pic tumne upload kardi do mehene pehele bachche ki saat. Wahaan location mention kardi tum remember? It said Westminster, England So yeah."
She gritted her teeth at her stupidity. After five years of thinking ,of healing, of moving ahead she thought she had been strong.but here totally opposite was happening. She forced a smile again.
"Speaking of which,where are they? I actually came to see them. They looked so cute.ab toh thoda bada honga hein na." He said looking around.
"They are sleeping.abhi abhi toh sulaayi."
"Sweet.mein thoda wait kar sakte,if it's ok with you."
"Haan of course....it's ok.tum yahaan rukho mein kuch lekar aati hoon. Kya lenge? Chai coffee?"
"Black coffee,without sugar."
She nodded,walking to kitchen. She needed an escape for a while.the man who couldn't stand the bitterness of karela,was now wanting black coffee with no sugar. How more could he have changed? She wondered leaning to kitchen counter after switching the kettle on.
Rohit stared at sonakshi who walked away. He had been managing to stay strong all this while from the moment he saw her first in five years at the doorway awhile ago. But he alone knew the agony he was going through. How much he wanted to held her in his embrace. How much it itched his hand to be extended ahead to hold her arm like those times. But could he? Doesn't she belong to someone else now.his mind was alerting him for yet to believe in a miracle,but he knew he was trying to console himself may be. He sighed, knowing that he cannot ever move on from her, his taqdeer as he had once decided for all.
He looked at her who was bringing his piping hot coffee.That distance helped him take a good look at her all over, and his mind was sinfully betraying him. That black tee shirt and the white shorts she was on, he was seeing her like that for the very first time.he gulped down seeing her perfectly shaped legs and his eyes stopped at the anklet she was wearing on her left foot. He tried to think about something else to divert his attention damn his mind was troubling him with the next thought.and the thought was that she doesn't look post partum at all. Well he was a cardio thorasic surgeon but his obstretic knowledge wasn't that bad either. For her looks she didn't look like she is a new mother.
While handing over the coffee to him,she wondered if he was checking her out while she was coming from a distance. She looked down at herself and suddenly a very strange awkwardness evaded her mind. She remembered that he had never seen her like this and she felt so underdressed at that time. She cursed her for choosing to wear an almost a little longer than a butt short at a day like this. Well mein kya karu,kissko pata tha ki ye yahaan aane waale hein. She then thought trying to calm down.seriously I thought I have become stronger with years but I was way too strong back before five years,Now I am behaving like a teenage who is completely I don't know what. She told herself.
He sipped his coffee and smiled at her again.
"Masters complete kiya?"
"Almost.research submit karli pichle hafte mein. Thoda dher hui cause bachche ke saat you know.time ki kuch problems aayi.convocation hein do hafte ki baad."
"Sonakshi Rastogi,The cinematographer then. Congratulations in advance."
"Thanks rohit. Bataao tumare baare mein."
"Same old surgeon at Sukhmani sippy hospital. But thodi advanced hoon.i am also a professor now."
"Wow goodness,thodi nahi bohot advanced hogaya hoon ah,kese pukaru ab tume? Professor rohit sippy is it?"
"Rohit hi kaafi hein." He smirked.
"I am so proud of you rohit."
"Me too,about you." He said.
"Well honestly sorry rohit,I wasn't expecting you here so. Couldn't prepare much. Had I known you were going to come,would have prepared lunch or supper may be."
"Sonakshi please.i thought you left on a note as a friend of me.then why so formal? It's you who said that in the future you will come back,sit and talk with me for five good minutes and go.tum toh kabhi aayi nahi,lekin mujhe toh aa sakte hoon,toh mein aagaya. Lunch ya supper lene nahi lekin tume aur tumari bachche dekh ne keliye...."
She gave an apologetic smile.
"Shaadi nahi ki hein tum?"
"no actually akhele marne ke iraade mein hoon." He nodded in negative with a witty smile.she gave a glare at him.
"Don't be silly,where is raima?"
He kept his empty mug on the table.
"Wahaan hogi kahin,upar." He said pointing to the up. She panicked for a while.
"What? Kya hua usse."
"Arey no no. Airhostess hein toh upar kahi hogi naa. I meant it that way. Mujhe nahi pata wo kahaan hogi,aur jaana bhi nahi chahiye."
They both shared a smile. Years later he still had that sarcasm intact with the comic touch on great timing,she thought to herself.
Their talks halted when a baby's cry started ringing in the house,they both stood up together.
"They are up." She said.
"Come lets go..." he said in return and they both rushed upstairs, had someone who looked from outside would completely have thought they are the parents of the little ones.
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The both babies were up and sonakshi took them to her either arms. She comforted them and tried calming them down as rohit watched over the blissful scenario. She swayed them swiftly in her arms,hushing them and mumbling a lullaby under her breath and rohit just couldn't take her eyes off her. She looked up at him and nodded him,asking to come closer. He took silent steps to them and stood next to her.
"Want to take them to your arms?" She asked. He nodded.
"Can I? Both of them?"
She placed the little cuddles on his arms with a smile.
"Goodness they are so tiny yet. Look at them they are so cute,sona...." he said smiling down at the little ones.
She stared at him a while hearing that last part of the sentence and he looked up realizing what he said.
"-kshi. They are so cute sonakshi."
She smiled as if to say it's ok.unknowingly they both were so close as they both looked down at the babies.
"Who is who now?" He asked.
"Yeh jo kaan ke paas ek black mole hein, Ye anshuman hein aur ye ayushman."
"Okayyyy. Hi anshu and ayush."
He smiled down at them. She was amazed to see him giving the same names to them just in the way she was calling them at home,even without hearing her doing that at least once before.
"Sonakshi...they...don't look like you....have they taken after their father?" She stared at him in a little shock now.
"You are the first one to say so you know,rohit." She said.
"I am sorry,mera honest opinion tha.they look different from you.lekin bohot cute aur bohot pyaara."
"Thank you." She nodded.
"Inke dad Sindhi hein? I mean your husband?"
She stared at him with a loss of words for a while.
"No I mean you know. Lots of Sindhis have that too very fair look even in the boys.mujhe toh dekho,kuch zyaada fair hein. No boasting just telling. And I am not meaning that you are less fair but see.inke complexion mujhse milta hein you know. That is why I asked."
"Eise kuch nahi hein." she snapped, making him understand that he talked too much.
"I am sorry,my curt words have still not stopped at the needed hour.i am sorry mein bohot bada duffer hoon yaar."
"It's ok rohit.don't worry about it. Honest opinions are good you know."
"You can take them now.looks like they are hungry." He smiled handing over the kids to her.
"Eh?" She asked,he noticed a panic in that word.
"Feed karo in dono ko.they are hungry I guess." He said shrugging his shoulders wondering the big deal is what. She seemed lost somewhere.
"I will stay out."
He said walking out and closing the door behind.
Sonakshi hugged the babies to her chest and sat down on the tiny bed,letting her racing heart to calm down a bit.
Walking down the stairs,it was the second weird thing he noticed,the panic in her eyes. He reminisced.
——————————
He came down and walked to the kitchen a bit and that is when he met muniya.
"Rohit Sir,aap?"
"Kese hoon muniya.i think your didi intezar karthi thi tumari."
"Haa wo.thodi dher hua,bahar mausam karaab hein issiliye."
He gave a nod.
"Mein sonakshi ke bachche dekhne ke liye aaya. Abi toh wo wahaan upar feed karte hein dono ko."
"Feed karte hein?" Muniya asked with a shocked face.
Rohit made a face in confusion. What is wrong with that. Are they all having any problem with that or are they hiding something. He nodded in positive anyway and went to the living room and sat there looking at the switched off tv. Then he took a magazine and started turning pages of it.
After a while he heard muniya passing the area and climbing up the stairs in a hurry and he raised his eyes from the page without looking back and was shocked seeing muniya's reflection in the tv glass. He saw her carrying two feeding bottles and he quickly turned his head that way to confirm what he saw, and he was right.
He stared at it in confusion.this has definitely something weird hidden underneath. Two months old babies and they are being bottle fed,formula milk? When sonakshi is there. She is not one of those mothers who would have that false impression of loosing their figure if they fed kind of thing. He was sure of that.then why is this. He wondered. He remembered the doubts he had in and out there while back.
While he was lost in thoughts, sonakshi came down. He looked at her with a still confused face.
"Kya hua rohit?"
"Nahi kuch nahi.i was thinking ki mujhe ab jaana chahiye." He said standing up. Sonakshi wondered what had happened to him.
"Rohit did you see outside?"
"Huh? No why?"
"Mausam bohot karaab hein.it has started to snow.aaj forecast mein bhi snow storm ki warning di gayi hein,mujhe lagta hein tume yahaa rukhna chahiye."
"No sonakshi.i cannot stay back,it's not nice either.i'll just go it's okay. I mean before the weather gets worsens I can get to my hotel."
"Ab tum formal ho rahaan hoon rohit.itna bhi kya not nice hein,rukhjao aur jab weather settle hoga uske baad chali jaana."
He opened his mouth to oppose her but she stopped him mid way.
"Please rohit.maanjao.you easily catch cold I know.i don't want you to catch a cold again because of me like before in five years. Yaad hein? "
He remembere the night he waited for her outside the goregaon apartment in the cold and mosquito attacks. He smiled and agreed.
"Ye guest room hein tum yahaan rehe sakte hoon." She said opening a door near by. He nodded walking into it.
"I need to go have a bath. Anshu pee karli aur mere kapde poori gili hui hein. Excuse me I'll meet you for the dinner ok rohit,Koi saroorat hoon toh muniya hongi kitchen pe. Mein jaldi aaunga alright."
She left after saying that.
Rohit went and observe the room and the view outside. Fog was accumulating on the glass panes and it must be clearly shit cold out there. He guessed.
He sat down on the couch and leaned on to the headrest.
Sonakshi rastogi. She was taking control of his emotions in a very rapid manner now. Well she was always in control of that but now that she was near him his mind was doing crazy stuff. He tried to make it register in his head that she is far from him. And on another corner of his head all the confusions were taking rounds. He didn't know what to do anymore. He has come here with the thought of seeing her and her babies.he had no conference here,he came exclusively for this only.his visa matters took a good two months to be solved for him to take the flight to UK,otherwise he would have been here the next day he saw that photo of her with the little babies.
He needed the shower now,he needed to get his mind calmed down. There has been too much things happening today and he needed a break out of it. The fact that sonakshi was here,infront him but inaccessible too troubled him big time. He needed to keep his emotions at check. He went to the washroom and took off his clothes and opened the shower and stood under it, letting the water run down his skin,calming him down for awhile.
Once he was done,then only he remembered that he didn't bring the towel from the cupboard, he searched the washroom closest to find a white bath robe but no towel.he wrapped it around the body and came out to the room and started searching for a towel but to find none.
"Muniya..."
He called her peeping from the door.
"Ji sir?" She was replying from the kitchen, probably busy.
"Yahaan koi towel toh nahin hein naa."
"Sir extra towels daalna bhool gayi mein.didi ke kamre honga towels,kya aap usse maang sakte? Mein yahaan babies ke paas hoon." She replied.
"Chal teek hein mein dekte hoon."
He was already feeling cold from the water drops dribbling down from his hair.he walked to sonakshi's room and knocked it.
There was no response, there was so music being played.he knocked a bit louder and he heard the music volume being reduced.
"Arey muniya aajao...dharwaasa khula hi hein."
He hesitated and knocked again.
"Arey yaar, aa toh sahi. Sunaayi nahi deta kya...."
She replied. He made sure he didn't enter the room and he opened the door half way but stood at the door without going in,hoping for nothing horrid to happen.
His eyes found her who was just after a bath, clad in a red bathrobe and her hair was tied up with a towel to dry. She was applying some lotion on her legs and damn that anklet,it took his attention again. Few water drops were still trailing on and off down her cheek and her attention was not yet on him.
He took a step back from where he stood further,gulping down the thoughts and also the other things that was troubling him.
"Sonakshi." He called her out.
She suddenly raised her eyes,pushing her lotion bottle aside, and their eyes met.
"Rohit. I am sorry mujhe laga ki muniya hi hein."
"I am so sorry. I really didn't want to come in like this.wo mujhe towel chahiye tha aur ek bhi nahi hein guest room pe toh issiliye...."
"No no I am sorry rohit,mein toh nahi dekha wo jaane se pehele. Meri fault hein. Rukho mein abhi deti hoon. Tum andhar toh aao it's ok."
She said adjusting her robe and quickly walking to her closet. Second time.second freaking time. Pehele toh tee shirt aur short and underdressed. Ab toh almost not dressed. Yaar hamesha eise hi kyun hote mujhe to iss ladke ke saat.wow sonakshi kya timing hein tumari. She told herself wanting to bang her head on the closet door.
Ethereal. Was the word that his mind was screaming as he saw her walking to him. Not the anklet rohit,not that. Do not look there and there you go, take the towel aur jaao yaahan se. don't stay back,rohit sippy don't stay back. She was looking irresistable in that red color against her skin but she is a mother and she is a wife,why the hell cannot you get it straight to your head. He cursed himself.
"Yeh lo..."
"Thanks sonakshi. Sorry for the trouble again."
"It's okay.kuch aur bhi chahiye?"
He nodded in negative but then again, he remembered something. Thank goodness he remembered it now,warna phir se aane padega. He guessed.
"Wo sonakshi mere paas kapde nahi hein.i can borrow something of your husband just for today?"
Sonakshi was taken aback.how come that never came to her mind before. What am I to do now, she thought in a panic.
"Wo...rohit. Actually he didn't leave any clothes here. He is...he took everything and went...."
He curled his eyebrows in confusion.
"Strange." He said.
"Wo...mein naa, ill give you a big shirt of mine for you to wear may be...may be with the towel...srif aaj raat tak manage kar sakte hein kya.... "
She mumbled. Her voice trembled down he thought. He somehow nodded and she went to get it. And few minutes later she arrived when he was lost in thoughts for a while.
"Yeh raha shirt tumare liye...."
"Thanks." He took it from her hand and started walking away, she stared at his retreating form in tension. His face had turned different, she could easily guess it. As he reached the door,instead of leaving he turned back to her and all her fears resurfaced she felt.
"Kya chuparahe hoon sonakshi?" He asked once.
"Kya?"
"Kya.chuparahe.hoon.tum.mujhse." He repeated on each word he took, and a tingling sensation spreader all over her being.
"Kuch nahi." She shivered. He started walking to her again. Within few seconds he reached her.
"Tumari shaadi nahi hochuke hein,am I right?"
"What nonsense, what are you talking about rohit."
"Nonsense mein nahi nonsense tum kar rahi hoon sonakshi. Tumari shaadi nahi hui hein aur nahi hein koi husband tumari. Don't deny me now because I know that you are lying.sab sach bataao sonakshi.what are you doing and why are you doing."
"Ek baar bataadiya ki wo Scotland mein hein aur tum..."
"Baad mein gayi tumari husband aur uski scot whatever." He grabbed her from the shoulders.
"Kya hein ye sab. Kya karna kya chati hoon tum?"
"Rohit....chodo lo mujhe."
"Sach kaho tab chod lunga..."
"Rohit..."
"Sach kaho sonakshi."
"Haa.haa.haa.nahi hui hein meri shaadi.ab kush? Ab toh chalo jaao yahaan se."
"Kyun eisa kiya tum phir.iska matlab Ye bachche bhi..."
She pushed him back and raised her index finger at him.
"Wo dono mera hi hein rohit.ek lafz bhi nahi kaho unke kilaaf do you get that? Don't you dare say anything about my babies."
"Unke kilaaf nahi kahunga mein kuch bhi... lekin bina shaadi...."
"Kyun. Eise kyun nahi ho sakte hein rohit. Eisa kyun nahi ho sakte. Tum mere ghar mein guske mere bachche ke baaremein keisa kuch ulta seeda kahenge? Haa?"
"Baat palatna mat sonakshi. Ulta seeda nahi kehe rahe hoon mein,tumse pooch rahe hoon....."
"Kya mein iss duniya mein pehele ladki hoon jo eisa kuch kardiya. Haa? Kitna single mothers honge duniya mein tume toh pata hona chahiye nahi? Medical field mein hoon aur..."
"Kaun hein uske father phir? Tum eise akhele kyun hoon..."
"Donor insemination Naam ki koi cheez hota duniya mein aaj kal."
"Wahi kiya toh tum pregnant ho jaata sonakshi. Don't lie to me over and over again."
"Toh tum ta kya mein pregnant ki wakt? Eisa bakwaas bolne ke liye."
"Tum pregnant hoti naa sonakshi, toh tum in dono ko janam deta. Agar tum in dono ko janam dehi diya,toh do mehene ke baad iss tarha nahi hoga. You don't look post partum at least a bit. And you cannot fool me in that."
"Keise kahoonga tum eisa Haa? Tum to ek heart surgeon hoon,obstretician toh nahi hein naa."
"I didn't fall from the sky to directly onto being a cardiothorasic surgeon ok,mein bhi medical school ki normal procedure follow karke aaya hoon for your information.waha gynaecology and obstretics bhi skikha jaata hein,nahi patata toh ab jaan lo...tum mujhe dokha nahi de sakta. Chahein poore duniya se jhoot bolo,lekin mujhse se nahi sonakshi. Now accept the fact and tell me the freaking truth you are trying to hide."
"Un dono mera hi hein aur isske alawa mujhe aur kuch nahi kehena." She was stubborn and stuck to her ground. They both breathed fast in anger and after years unknowing to them,they were seriously fighting.
"Toh feed kyun nahi karti tum un dono ko. Haa? Itne chote bachche ko formula milk kyun feed karte hoon tum. Haa? Batao kyun? itna jhoot kyun ho sonakshi? Itna jhoot kyun?" He screamed at her,that was the first time he was so intense on her,those red eyes and tears of anger shook her but she was not ready to give in yet.
"Rohit ye na meri zindagi hein,meri marzi hein,yahaa tak ki meri bachche hein. Mujhe jo chahiye mein kar sakte hoon aur tum mujhse sawal nahi kar sakte. Do you get that. We have walked past that time where you had all those rights on me. Ab aur koi right nahi hein tume mujhpe aur naa koi effect hein tumari mere upar.get that clear to your head."
He gritted in anger hearing all those. Her each word pained him now and that pain was reflecting him in anger. He turned back and walked to the door while she stared at him,panting hard.she knew he would leave now. She turned her back to him. Still her heart was beating so fast.
She then heard that He closed the door with a thud. She shut her eyes in pain,tension,anger and frustration.good that he went. She sighed.
The next moment a strong pair of arms grabbed her from the waist and twirled her back even before she could think of anything. She landed on his chest and then only she knew that he had never left though he had closed the door.
Breathing hard,she looked up at his straight face, those red eyes piercing her with a gaze that was oozing out so much of feelings she couldn't depict. He bent down reaching her level in eyes and spoke one last line before things were about to take a different turn tonight.
"Dekte hein.kitna kam effect hein tum par mere."