Chapter 18 - The Gift

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After breakfast, Akshat is about to leave for the restaurant. He stops in his way, looks at Guddan engaged in one work after another, and is engrossed in his thoughts. Savitri Devi comes there.

Savitri Devi - Kya soch raha hai lalla.

Akshat - Soch raha hun ki kadam kadam par galatiyan karne waali Guddan, kab itni suljhi hui ban gayi, kab usme itni sujh-bujh aa gayi. Ya phir shayad woh humesha se hi aisi thi, par sabko kabhi uski galatiyon ke aage kuch dikha hi nahi.

Savitri Devi - Kamiyan toh har insaan mein hoti hai. Bas unn kamiyon se upar uthna hota hai. Sachmein kitni achi tarah sambal liya hai Guddan ne sabkuch.

Akshat - Haan Maa. (smiles) Shayad mujhse bhi achi tarah.

Savitri Devi - Lalla, tujhe nahi lagta tujhe usse koi tohfa dena chahiye.

Akshat - Tohfa? Par kyun?

Savitri Devi - Kyunki jab kisiko shukriya kehna ho toh usse koi tohfa dena chahiye na.

Akshat remembers the shirt Guddan had gifted him as a token of gratitude. He decides to gift her a token of appreciation for all she had done for his family.

Akshat - Par main usse kya tohfa dun?

Savitri Devi - Ab isme main teri koi madad nahi kar sakti, yeh toh tujhe hi sochna padega.

In the evening, in the room -

Akshat - Main kuch laya tha tumhaare liye. (handing him a box)

Guddan - Yeh kya hai?

Akshat - Khud hi dekh lo.

Guddan opens the box, to find a pair of pearl anklets.

Guddan (excitedly, almost jumping in happiness) - Payal? Bahut sundar hai. Humaare liye? Aap laye hain?

Akshat - Wahi toh kaha maine.

Guddan - Hum pehen lein?

Akshat (sarcastically) - Nahin, locker mein bandd karke rakh lo. Payal pehenne ke liye hi hoti hai Guddan.

Guddan takes out the anklets, with excitement and in the hurry of wearing them, drops one of them. Akshat catches it and nods his head in disbelief.

Guddan looks at him innocently, mumbling the word "Sorry".

Akshat - Tumhari harkaten mujhe kuch samajh mein nahi aati. Ghar ki poori zimmedari sambhal sakti ho, par ek payal bina girae nahi pehen sakti. Laao, main pehna deta hun. Nahin toh pehnne se pehle hi todd dogi.

Guddan smiles at his gesture. Now-a-days, even his taunts didn't feel like taunts to her.
Akshat helps her wear the anklets.

Guddan (excitedly) - Hum Maaji ko dikha ke aate hain.

She thanks him and runs downstairs merrily. Half-way through the stairs, she remembers something and runs back upstairs, into her room.

Akshat (knowingly teasing her) - Kya hua? Itni jaldi dikha aayi Maa ko.

Guddan - Nahi. Humein kuch yaad aa gaya. Aapse kuch puchna hai. Aapne toh bataya hi nahi, yeh gift kis khushi mein laaye hain aap? Na humara birthday hai na koi tyohaar hai. (Knowingly to tease him) Matlab aisa nahi hai ki humara birthday hota bhi, toh aap kuch laate humare liye. Pehle toh kabhi kuch nahi laaye aap humaare liye. Bas Maaji hi humare liye kuch na kuch laati rehti thi.

Akshat (pretending not to pay attention to her) - A......Aise hi le aaya. Mujhe pasand aaya toh main le aaya.

Guddan - Pasand aa gaya? Kahan?

Guddan and Akshat - Made for Each Otherजहाँ कहानियाँ रहती हैं। अभी खोजें