Achi news desk-
a few moments ago
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It was already seven in the evening. Anamika’s steps were moving fast towards home. A thousand things were running through my mind.” Rajiv must have reached home. Children may be suffering from hunger. The maid must also have left after completing the half-finished work.” Suddenly, a voice was heard cutting through the noise of the road.
“Anamika”
Looking back, I saw a familiar face walking towards me panting.
“Sudhir?…”
It didn’t take long to recognize Anamika. How much has Sudhir changed in the last eight-nine years? The pressure has increased slightly. The face is a little pale. Whiteness can be seen in the hair.
“Looks like you didn’t recognize me.”
“Sudhir, how can I forget you? How are you?”
“I’m fine” Sudhir said with a deep sigh.
Now they were both walking together.
“If we have some time, let us sit in the park.”
Anamika looked at the clock and then, after thinking something, said, “Come on.”
“I was transferred here a month ago. When I went to your house, I found that you had moved from there. By the way, you have not changed at all Anamika. You are still so beautiful. How are your parents?” Sudhir asked all the questions in one breath. Anamika’s throat choked as she remembered her late parents.
“Sudhir, within two years of you leaving, mother and father were dead. A brother and sister-in-law sold that house and brought me with them here to Delhi.”
“Where does one stand before God? “Omar has been written by everyone from above.”
Sudhir continued to comfort himself by repeating several sentences. Anamika continued to give short answers. Although she wanted to know about Sudhir, she remained silent because her mind was filled with guilt. Years ago, Anamika had rejected Sudhir’s marriage proposal due to family restrictions.
“Where are you missing Annu?” Sudhir used to lovingly call Anamika by this name, but at this time, Anamika was trembling after seeing Sudhir trying to get close to her. I could not understand how to explain to Sudhir?
“Anu, you will not ask anything about me, where I have been and what I have done in the last eight-nine years.”
Sudhir came forward and took Anamika’s soft palms in his hands.
“You know I’ve always had a transferable job. I’m still wandering from here to there. Just understand this, I have become an expert in homework” and then he laughed weakly.
“Why didn’t you get married?” Anamika finally asked her.
“As far as I understand, marriage is a union of thoughts, words and deeds, and this union already happened with you years ago.” When Sudhir said his words emotionally, Anamika released herself and stood,
“We should leave now, everyone at home must be worried.”
“Brother, won’t you introduce me to my sister-in-law once?”
“Sudhir, a person thinks something, something happens. A lot has changed in the last eight years”
Saying this, Anamika took the metro to Noida. And Sudhir, startled by his strange behavior, was standing there looking at the fast metro and Anamika was sitting in it, who had met him after years of waiting, and who after showing a glimpse had disappeared into somewhere.
Seeing Sudhir’s shrunken figure and condition from the metro window, a continuous stream of tears started flowing from Anamika’s eyes. She was very restless. The well decorated shops on both sides of the road, like the last years of his life, were left behind. Many happy nights were spent wandering these streets with Sudhir, lost in laughter. God knows how many dream houses decorated with colorful imaginations the two of them had built. The decorated markets and glittering streets were equally inviting, but life had moved far ahead.
It was already eight o’clock at night. She was moving towards home with quick steps, but the image of Sudhir, the echo of his words, the pleasant feeling of the smell of his touch was present in her heart and mind. As soon as the bell rang, Rajiv opened the door,
“Is everything alright, Anu? You pressed the bell button so hard I got scared. Well, it takes a while to open the door, doesn’t it?
Seeing the cup of tea on the table, Anamika understood that as per his custom, Rajiv had drunk tea after returning from work. She quickly put on the gown and was about to enter the kitchen when Rajiv stopped her,
“Drink the tea quietly first, then cook.” Rajiv sipped the tea while keeping the magazine’s flush pages on the table like a paperweight, then asked,
“Too late today. Was there a lot of work?”
“yeah”
It felt as if a sip of tea had got stuck in Anamika’s throat. In an attempt to divert the matter, he asked,
“Where are the kids?”
“Ritesh is sleeping and Sonu has gone to Munni’s house in the neighborhood to get a copy.”
Keeping the cup in the kitchen, Rajiv said, “It’s time for the news. Now you handle your field. “
Anamika was thinking while preparing dinner
“Why did you meet Sudhir today after so many years? I had forgotten it with so much difficulty. At what point has time brought him to today?”
Wandering past the corridors, he prepared the food and, as usual, called everyone to the table. Everyone got there at once to eat. Not even a single morsel came out of Anamika’s throat. My head was full of pain. She became quiet and lay on the bed, but there was no sleep in her eyes. In the past, the loving moments spent with Sudhir started coming before my eyes, both of them used to spend their colorful nights in a hilly place surrounded by a grove of trees, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Sudhir always used to say, “Anamika, look at that, the red sun is setting behind the distant hills and coloring the entire sky with its redness. Likewise, I also want to see you always laughing and smiling.”
Saying, “Sudhir, I also love you very much”, Anamika would also curl up in Sudhir’s arms.
“Anamika. Anamika, brother, who do you love in your dreams? I am here with you.” Rajiv kissed her forehead lovingly and said, “Oh Raj, you are here. I dreamed of you in my sleep.”
As soon as she woke up from sleep in the morning, after completing her daily routine, Anamika left for her job. During this time, Sudhir’s attention was always on his mind. He deliberately caught another bus, and took another route to transport him. But the mind was still disturbed.
On the second Saturday of every month, he would go out for a walk with all the children. This time also the zoo’s program was fixed. The children’s favorite meals were prepared, songs were uploaded on a mobile phone as well as badminton. After collecting all the things they arrived at the zoo.
When someone called to Anamika near the ticket window, she looked back. It was Sudhir. Anamika’s heartbeat increased. Rajiv also stood there and started looking at Sudhir coming towards him with quick steps.
“Anamika, where did you suddenly disappear that day?” Sudhir asked
“I was in a bit of a hurry that day. Come, let me introduce you.”
By now Rajiv and Sudhir’s eyes had met each other.
“Rajeev this is Sudhir. Anamika’s voice got stuck in her throat as she said, “My college friend and this is my husband Rajeev.”
Rajiv extended his hand towards Sudhir but Sudhir kept looking at both of them in surprise and then returned without saying anything. Rajiv’s uneasiness increased further.
“He is a very strange man, why are you so sad?” Rajeev said, “I don’t know where the children have gone. Go, call them.”
Rajeev ran after the children and Anamika ran after Sudhir who had gone away with tearful eyes. The next day Anamika took the old route to go to the office, because there was no fear now. As expected, Sudhir was already standing at the intersection waiting for him. Anamika stopped seeing him from a distance. She was about to turn back when Sudhir stood blocking her path.
“No Anamika, I won’t let you go.”
“Sudhir, move away, what will someone think if they see? I’m married.”
“Yes, but you must answer my question. What was lacking in me, why did you refuse to marry me?”
“I will definitely tell you, if you have some time then sit in the coffee house opposite for some time.”
Sudhir happily agreed. By the time the waiter brought the coffee, Anamika began to say,
“Sudhir, you know that my two brothers refused to keep my parents with them. In such a situation, how could I leave him alone? That’s why I completely refused to get married then. And I had also decided that I would remain a virgin for the rest of my life. Just two years after you left, mum and dad died. I started living with Annu Bhaiya. Although I was winning, my sister-in-law’s behavior towards me was not right. She would often say to her brother, “Either marry her or make arrangements for her to live in another house.”
Finally, one day a brother succumbed to the pressure of a sister-in-law and my relationship with Rajiv, a widower and father of two, stabilized. Now I had two options. Either she would have listened to her sister-in-law’s taunts all her life, or she would have accepted Rajiv’s relationship. I was disappointed, Sudhir. I also wanted to go to your office and find out where you are these days? But I didn’t get a satisfactory answer from there either. Ultimately, after much deliberation, I chose the second option.”
“Rajeev is a good person. Over the years he has given me immense love and respect. Now tell me, how can I betray him?”
“No Anamika, no. Your duty is to take care of your family, I will transfer myself elsewhere. And I will never interfere in your life again” saying this Sudhir got lost in the crowd. We do not know when two tears had soaked the corners of Anamika’s eyes, which she had diligently wiped away.
-Pushpa Bhatia
