Manjha A String of Complicated Relations

Unexpected Encounter

It was happening all too fast but if you ask Shambhavi, she would have said that everything was painstaking slow. Yash Narayan Vashisht was standing before her eyes and all she could do was stare at him.

Time stopped for her and everything flashed before her eyes. She was young and her father was present in their lives, then he left them in Mumbai, then her mother's tear-stricken face, then her mother's last few days, then the struggle they had to go through. Every scene crossed in front of her eyes, one after the other.

Shambhavi was struck with a fire inside herself, burning so bad that she felt like screaming but no one could see the fire, nor could anyone listen to her heart-wrenching screams.

Aniket noticed the change in her, her face had gone from being radiant to painful, the smile that was there just moments ago had been replaced by a thunderous expression along with tears in her eyes, eyes which were full of mirth earlier, were now full of fire. He really could not make out what was happening.

Aniket looked back to see what was in her line of sight and he saw Yash Sir. He could not understand why Shambhavi was looking at Yash with such a mixture of emotions, ranging from hatred to pain to sadness.

He saw Raghav's face and the disappointment in his eyes. He also saw Arti's face and she held unshed tears in her eyes. Suddenly, all of it clicked in his mind. He knew who Yash was to Shambhavi and he could not believe it.

Shambhavi could not say anything, could not do anything. She just looked on as Aniket was seeing her with concern and surprise evident from his form. That meant he did not know who Yash Narayan Vashisht was to her, though he figured it out in the moment.

Yash had turned and he saw a young girl in her early twenties. For a second, he was taken back in time to a person he had cherished more than his life. But how could that be, he thought, how could Sakshi stand in front of him now?

His face went from confusion to recognition as he saw a bit of himself in the girl standing in front of him. She was as beautiful as her mother but she had his tall frame. She had his sadness in her eyes as well.

And suddenly, a girl of about four years of age flashed in front of his eyes. She was hiding beneath the bed. Yash sneaked inside the bed and the girl looked back at him with fear in her eyes. He extended his hands to the girl and she shook her head in negative, "Meri brave Jaan ko apne baba pe bharosa nahi, aa jao meri jaan baba kuch nahi hone denge. Promise koi apse kuch nahi bolega." And the girl took his hand and came out.

Yash broke away from the last happy memory of his eldest daughter and then he looked at the young woman standing in front of him. He could not believe his eyes. It was his Jaan, his Shambhavi. All grown up, looking beautiful, standing tall as a cadet in the Indian Army.

He wanted to go towards her to ask her how she was, to hug her and beg for forgiveness, but he was afraid. Afraid that she would vanish, afraid that she would run away and afraid that she would reject him.

He was certain that she would reject his apology. He was certain that she would run away but he still could not stop himself from calling her name out, "Shambhavi?" he said in a mere whisper but she heard it.

He called her name out and Shambhavi felt as if someone had punched her in the gut. She took a sharp intake of breath. He sounded the same, he still called her name in the same way but he was different at the same time.

A drop of tear fell out of her eyes then another did and eventually a dam broke free. Yash was also crying and so was Arti but none uttered another word. Yash looked on as Shambhavi's tears started flowing freely and he could not help himself, "Jaan?" he said, taking one step towards Shambhavi.

Shambhavi put a hand out in front of her, a firm sign telling Yash Narayan Vashisht to stop where he was. She was having trouble catching her breath. Everything around her had started to fade away. She turned around and left the room as fast as she could.

She vaguely remembered Advith and Anisha calling out to her. She remembered her strides to the outside of the building and then she broke into a run. She ran all the way to her room which was located on the other side of the campus. She could not stop herself from reminiscing all the memories she had of her father, the good, the bad, and the awful. She could not stop remembering her mothers' cries.

She reached her room, locked it and looked around to find her panic pills because that was what was happening. She was having a panic attack. She had started getting them after her mother had passed away but they eventually ebbed away too. But that evening her wound had been sliced wide open once again.

Fingers trembling and her breaths coming out shorter and shorter, she found her meds and took them. She could breathe again but she could not stop herself from shaking, she could not calm herself down.

So, she did what she thought would let out her emotions, she started throwing the stuff around the room. Anything that came in contact with her hand, she threw at the wall, imagining it to be Yash and his family.

Unbeknownst to her, Aniket ran after her as Arti requested that he should do so. When Advith saw him, he stopped him and asked what had happened. Aniket gave a brief explanation and asked if he had seen Shambhavi. Anisha told him that she went towards the dorm and all of them ran to the dorms.

Aniket reached Shambhavi's room and he could hear things being thrown, and her cries as well, but the door was locked, Anisha tried finding the key but she was taking too much time for Aniket. So, he broke the door.

Shambhavi was throwing stuff at a wall and for a few moments Anisha, Advith, and Aniket just watched her cry and hurl things at the wall or in the air. Aniket came to his senses first. He stepped towards her and held her hands from behind and crossed them to lock them in his hold.

Shambhavi fought against Aniket's hold and gave a few side punches to his abdomen but Aniket did not let go. Shambhavi tried to keep fighting him, she really did, but his warm embrace and his words of comfort made her resolve weaken. She gave up and slumped against his back, her knees gave away slowly they both sunk down to the floor.

Shambhavi kept crying with her back plastered to Aniket's front while holding on to his hands. Aniket was soothing her while crying himself. He could not see her like that. Never had he seen her so utterly broken. He did not have the strength to see her like that but he knew that he had to be strong for her.

"Bahut Dard ho raha hai, Aniket Saans line main, dil ke dhadakkane main, har ek cheez dard de rahi hai, main nai kar sakti aur ... ab air nahi hota bas please, main thak gai hun... mujhse nahi ho raha aur... please, Aniket," Shambhavi cried her heart out while trying to tell Aniket everything but she could not form the right words. Aniket had understood anyway and stroked her hair while telling her sweet nothings. 

Shambhavi's panic meds had taken their effect and her breathing became normal. She relaxed against Aniket and slowly fell asleep even though she had not stopped crying. Aniket sat there with a sleeping Shambhavi in his hands for a few minutes. Later he got up, picked her and took her to the bed. He laid her down gently.

Advith and Anisha witnessed everything and wanted answers but they were more concerned about Shambhavi's health right now.

Anisha had stepped forward and looked around for the medicine when she saw the bottle open; she knew that Shmabhavi had already taken them. She started picking up the stuff which was strewn all across the room. Advith also helped her.

Aniket took her accessories off and then her heels. He cleaned up her face with makeup wipes.

He looked at her after that, and even though she was in a deep medicine induced sleep, her tears did not stop Aniket kept wiping the tears off her face but it was of no use, they just kept coming back. Anisha put water in front of Aniket, he smiled at her and took the water gulping it down in one go. He noticed that he was also crying which was quite rare.

He was going to say something when Advith said, "It's better if we go back to our rooms, it would not only be indecent but also against the rules. We will be leaving tomorrow, early in the morning. I will see to that but for now, we need to leave, Aniket. Before anyone notices us here."

Aniket was about to protest, "I will keep an eye on her, Sir. If she wakes up or anything, I will call you," Anisha said sweetly.

Aniket knew they were right, so with one last look towards a sleeping Shambhavi, he decided that it was for the best to leave.