You're a feeling that refuses to leave my heart, i know everything that you love and i also know that I'm not on that list.
*****
"My heart aches, when you talk about someone else to me... no i can't help it." Unfortunately Ananya can't say this out loud.
"Is there a girl in this world who says 'no' to The Great Anand Joshva's love?"
"She do... That's why I'm afraid" Anand said this with a slight sadness on his face.
"Haha... Scared you? May I know who that girl is?" Ananya's eyes twinkled in surprise (no with tears).
"You have every right to know. I want you to know first before anyone. She is...." Anand takes her hands and her stomach flips as a volt of electricity travels between her fingers. Anand tried to speak but the ear-piercing ringing of the phone interrupted their conversation. At first he avoided it, but when the second time it rang, it was clear on his face that the sound annoyed him.
Anand turns away with his mobile, Ananya feels a tug in her stomach, like gravity, that pulling her towards him.
Her brain: Don't think too much, you're an ordinary girl who should've been never allowed to compete for prince's hand.
But she keep looking at him and noticed He was very nervous talking to someone on the phone.
"Anu... Forgive me, I can't be with you today, I have to go now" His voice was a bit shaky.
"What happened why are you nervous?"
"It's... Jaju... She falls from... I'll explain after I get home." His tone is very deep and slow, tried to move but Ananya grabs his hand.
"Let me come with you."
Anand had no reason to stop her and he had no desire to do so. After a while with charan's help they took a private plane and took off from there. Anand looks normal on the outside but inside he is very nervous and his heartbeat never slowed down. Although Anand tried to hide it, but Ananya understood very well what his situation was, She holds his hands gently and tries to comfort him. "It's okay... She will be fine"
"Did you know? The day my Jaju was born, she changed me for the better. I had no idea I could...i could love someone so much. I finally understood what it means to love someone unconditionally. Whenever I hold her in my arms, my heart is filled with so much warmth and love that it forgets my troubles and removes my pain. And she..." He starts sobbing.
Ananya wraps her hand around him to provide a emotional support. He slowly leaned into her lap.
*****
Anand jumped out of the car before it pulled into their home's parking lot and rushed into the hall.
As expecting his arrival, his mother stood up quickly as Anand entered.
"Anand..."
Anand's mother tries to tell him something but he ignores her and starts climbing the stairs. Ananya, who was coming behind Anand, flashed a small smile at Anand's mother and talks to her for a while to console her. After that both of them followed Anand to his room.
Baby Jaju was playing with Maria when Anand rushed into his room. As like Anand thought, the child was not hit too hard. There was only a small bandage on the jaju's head and small scratches on her arm. Other than that, no other injuries.
Seeing Anand, Jessica stretched out her hands towards him. Anand quickly ran towards the child and took her in his arms and hugged her. He gently rested her head on his shoulder and stroked her.
"Ma... I didn't think you could be so careless. Can't you even look after this little baby? Let me know if you are too busy, I took Jaju everywhere I went. Don't play with her life again." Anand's tone is a bit harsh and angry. He may say this to Maria, But everyone knows he will mark the Radha.
"You don't worry baby, as long as I'm here no one can hurt you" He cradled the child on his shoulders and patted her to sleep.
Anand's words hurt Radha a lot. After all, she is ready to sacrifice her entire life for that little child. It not have pained her that no one understood her sacrifice but what pained her the most was that even Anand did not understand it. Radha left the room in tears.
Anand's action made Ananya very angry. She really wanted to slap him, but she controlled her anger.
"Anand.... Do you really understand what you are doing?"
"I know what I'm doing... What more important job could she have than taking care of a child?" Still there was anger in Anand's words.
"This is really a big punishment for a small mistake. No one is going to live without making mistakes in life. More importantly, I know how horrible it is to live without a mother." Ananya.
"Stop it Anu... Can't your eyes see the wound on her forehead? How can this little child bear this pain?" Anand gently rubbed the baby's back.
"Oh really... Then did not your eyes see the wound in your mother's hands?" She glared at him.
Anand could not understand what Ananya was trying to say and he was looking at her confused. Then Maria told Anand what happened yesterday.
"I went to church yesterday morning, Your mother had a slight fever and thought she should not be near Jaju, for baby's safety. I left the baby to sleep in the room before going to the church. It was my fault, I didn't understand how the child got to the stairs. At that time, your mother who was working in the kitchen, heard the noise of baby and rushed to the child. In that nervousness, she dropped the hot water from her hands and it affect her badly. But she..." Before Maria could finish what she was saying, Anand handed the baby to Ananya and left the room.
*****
You don't need me to tell you how much Anand had to beg to convince his mother... Don't feel sorry for him... I told you earlier that there are no people in this world who do not make mistakes at all, sometimes even heroes make mistakes. But our hero never hesitate to admit that what he did was wrong.
*****
Once again Ananya gets a chance to hold Jaju in her arms. But every time she gets an opportunity like this, it seems to Ananya that there is no better feeling in the world.
She gently comforts herself on the couch and holds the baby carefully. She places some kisses on the child's wounds and hugs the child to her bosom. Feeling so safe in Ananya's arms, the little child forgets all her pain and drifts off to sleep. Ananya also closes her eyes and starts fully enjoying this feeling of motherhood.
But someone snatches the baby from her arms to spoil her blissful feeling. Before Ananya quickly opens her eyes and sees who it is, the baby starts crying. It did not take Ananya much time to understand who had come.... "Dhanushree"
"Don't you have manners? How dare you hold this child in your arms?" Dhanushree yelled at Ananya.
Ananya was unable to utter a word at that time because of the mixed feelings of shock and grief that had come over her. It is only after seeing Dhanushree that, Ananya remembers that Jaju is not going to have anything to do with herself. Then Ananya felt that she had to run away to hide the tears that were coming out of her eyes. But the child crying and stretching out her arms towards Ananya stopped her from running away. Ananya wanted to take the baby from Dhanushree's arms but she didn't.
"Maybe... I don't have a cheap manners like you." Ananya slaps Dhanushree with her words and moves away with her handbag.
Ananya's heart say to her, "You have no right in this house after all"...
*****
To be continued...
