Kripa
and Kunal were seated in the kitchen when Gayatri bustled in. 'Good morning to
both of you. Kripa, I see that you have slept till late and I'm extremely glad
for that.' At that, Kunal started giggling. 'Nani, if I ever sleep till late I
get scolded. If mama sleeps till late, you're almost congratulating her.
There's no justice in this house,' Kunal muttered with a smirk.
His favorite ladies burst into laughter and Gayatri pulled his ear. 'You naughty boy! You want to sleep in every day and your mother is up and about by six-thirty every morning. If you ever become a doctor, I'll pat you on the back for sleeping till late, alright?'
Kunal sighed, 'Seems like I have to be a doctor after all, otherwise I'll be scolded every morning.' Kripa just adored this little guy. He brought so much life to this house. His innocently naughty gestures always made her feel special for some reason. She had to be special to deserve such a son. They had a quick breakfast and packed the picnic basket. They were heading for a nice walk on the hills of Nainital and have a wonderfully relaxing day.
They caught a taxi to the foot of the hill they wanted to climb since Kripa did not feel like driving. She didn't want to feel responsible for the car. She was dressed in a simple aqua blue Punjabi choodidar. She didn't like wearing clothes with a lot of embroidery done. Gayatri on the other hand wore jeans and a shirt. Kunal was wearing Spiderman clothes.
They started up the hill with Kripa holding the basket. She started thinking about Angad but stopped herself on time. This was her and her baby's time. Nobody would come in between their precious moments. Although memories were really important to continue living, making new ones was equally important. She gave Kunal her whole attention. They talked about various things as the group walked uphill. They played Antakshari and sang at the top of their voices. They played 'I spy' and Kunal talked about his school life.
He wanted his mother to relax for a change since she was always up and about doing things. He had hardly seen his mother relax. She was happy enough when she was with him, but she went into despair if she had no work or no Kunal to bug her. He wanted to know about his father but he never asked his mother about him. He wanted to know what a father-son relationship was but he never voiced his thoughts. His mother would have told him anything if she had thought he needed to know. He completely trusted his mother. She would always make the right decisions. 'All I want to see is her happy,' he thought when the group fell in silence. He wanted his mother to be well loved and satisfied with her life. He knew she had no regrets or any complaints but he felt his mother deserved better. He had seen how other children's parents were and he wanted his mother to share that special relationship with someone.
They had a picnic on the top of the hill two hours later. Kripa and Gayatri had prepared the vegetable sandwiches and got milk. They sat in a trance staring at the beautiful hills around them. The beauty was too serene to be touched. They did not want to degrade the beauty by saying anything. They sat in silence munching on their sandwiches. Their thoughts were all on different people. Gayatri was thinking about Suryaban, Kripa about Angad and Kunal about his mother's happiness.
All of a sudden Kripa got up and walked behind the tree. She got hold of a dead spider and walked behind Kunal. 'Kunal,' she said nicely. He looked back and screamed. The spider was right in front of his face and Kunal hated spiders whether dead or alive. Was his mom getting crazy? Kripa threw it away and burst into laughter. Gayatri joined Kripa and Kunal thought his two women were out of their minds. What was so funny about spiders?
He started chasing his mother until he caught her and they both collapsed on the ground giggling. Kunal started tickling his mother as he knew that was her greatest weakness. Kripa was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. He finally took mercy on his mother and stopped tickling. Gayatri just stood beside them capturing these moments in her camera. She just loved her daughter and her grandson.
They walked down the hill chattering and laughing when it suddenly started pouring. The group seemed not to care about the rain that was drenching them and started singing rain songs. They all walked hand in hand and the flushes on their faces seemed to say that these were the happiest moments of their lives. They all got downhill and sat on the sidewalk in the rain. They were too exhausted to move and did not care about the number of cars that were there and the number of people who were staring at them. One of them was Angad.
Angad saw her. After a decade, he finally saw her. She was sitting with her mother and a boy who was around eleven or twelve years old. They looked worn out and were laughing their heads off. It hurt. Why was he even looking at her? Why was he even inviting the pain he had carefully hidden in the depths of his heart?
There was some song playing in the background. He tried to think of what song it was. He thought it was familiar for some reason. He remembered. It was 'Khoya Khoya Chand' by Alka Yagnik and Babul Supriyo. The song she was in love with a decade ago. He saw the boy stand up and offer his hand as if inviting her for a dance. Angad laughed. The boy had to be shorter than Kripa. He couldn't be too short but short enough. He thought this was one of the tenderest moments he had ever witnessed.
Kripa accepted his hand with love shining in her eyes. Her baby wanted to dance with her in front of the whole world without even caring what people would call him; Mama's Boy. Mother and son danced in a waltz and she thought her heart would burst in pleasure. They danced in perfect unison. She felt a trickle down her back as if someone was watching her. But of course, everyone had their eyes on them at this particular moment. But this prickling sensation was familiar. It was the sensation she felt when Angad looked at her. She panicked at the thought but then relaxed after a moment. Angad would never come to Nainital. He had no reason whatsoever to come to this place. He belonged to Mumbai; the city that never sleeps.
The song was long but that did not stop Kunal from dancing with his mother. He loved his mother so much that he did not care about anyone else. He loved his grandmother too but there was something special about his mother. No matter how exhausted she was when she came back from the hospital; she never hesitated spending quality time with him.
He twirled her and she laughed with her eyes shining. That sped his heart rate. She was going to kill him. Even after a decade she was going to kill him. Her easy laughter had made him want her every night of the decade. He had denied the fact that he needed her for the first couple of years but then he accepted. It would always be there. He couldn't fight his yearning anymore.
He drove away with the memory etched in his heart of Kripa dancing with a boy. She had never looked happier. Perhaps she had married somebody. He sure hoped to God she had married because if she was available he would forget everything easily. But it would kill him if she had married somebody else.
He went to the cottage he had rented for his mother to arrive. He didn't know why Naina Khanna wanted to come to Nainital. She had told him something about roots and wanted to see her birth city. He couldn't understand that. She would be arriving after a few days.
He went to the living room which faced the hills with the most wondrous view ever. He sat on the rocking chair and thought of his last meeting with her.
His favorite ladies burst into laughter and Gayatri pulled his ear. 'You naughty boy! You want to sleep in every day and your mother is up and about by six-thirty every morning. If you ever become a doctor, I'll pat you on the back for sleeping till late, alright?'
Kunal sighed, 'Seems like I have to be a doctor after all, otherwise I'll be scolded every morning.' Kripa just adored this little guy. He brought so much life to this house. His innocently naughty gestures always made her feel special for some reason. She had to be special to deserve such a son. They had a quick breakfast and packed the picnic basket. They were heading for a nice walk on the hills of Nainital and have a wonderfully relaxing day.
They caught a taxi to the foot of the hill they wanted to climb since Kripa did not feel like driving. She didn't want to feel responsible for the car. She was dressed in a simple aqua blue Punjabi choodidar. She didn't like wearing clothes with a lot of embroidery done. Gayatri on the other hand wore jeans and a shirt. Kunal was wearing Spiderman clothes.
They started up the hill with Kripa holding the basket. She started thinking about Angad but stopped herself on time. This was her and her baby's time. Nobody would come in between their precious moments. Although memories were really important to continue living, making new ones was equally important. She gave Kunal her whole attention. They talked about various things as the group walked uphill. They played Antakshari and sang at the top of their voices. They played 'I spy' and Kunal talked about his school life.
He wanted his mother to relax for a change since she was always up and about doing things. He had hardly seen his mother relax. She was happy enough when she was with him, but she went into despair if she had no work or no Kunal to bug her. He wanted to know about his father but he never asked his mother about him. He wanted to know what a father-son relationship was but he never voiced his thoughts. His mother would have told him anything if she had thought he needed to know. He completely trusted his mother. She would always make the right decisions. 'All I want to see is her happy,' he thought when the group fell in silence. He wanted his mother to be well loved and satisfied with her life. He knew she had no regrets or any complaints but he felt his mother deserved better. He had seen how other children's parents were and he wanted his mother to share that special relationship with someone.
They had a picnic on the top of the hill two hours later. Kripa and Gayatri had prepared the vegetable sandwiches and got milk. They sat in a trance staring at the beautiful hills around them. The beauty was too serene to be touched. They did not want to degrade the beauty by saying anything. They sat in silence munching on their sandwiches. Their thoughts were all on different people. Gayatri was thinking about Suryaban, Kripa about Angad and Kunal about his mother's happiness.
All of a sudden Kripa got up and walked behind the tree. She got hold of a dead spider and walked behind Kunal. 'Kunal,' she said nicely. He looked back and screamed. The spider was right in front of his face and Kunal hated spiders whether dead or alive. Was his mom getting crazy? Kripa threw it away and burst into laughter. Gayatri joined Kripa and Kunal thought his two women were out of their minds. What was so funny about spiders?
He started chasing his mother until he caught her and they both collapsed on the ground giggling. Kunal started tickling his mother as he knew that was her greatest weakness. Kripa was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. He finally took mercy on his mother and stopped tickling. Gayatri just stood beside them capturing these moments in her camera. She just loved her daughter and her grandson.
They walked down the hill chattering and laughing when it suddenly started pouring. The group seemed not to care about the rain that was drenching them and started singing rain songs. They all walked hand in hand and the flushes on their faces seemed to say that these were the happiest moments of their lives. They all got downhill and sat on the sidewalk in the rain. They were too exhausted to move and did not care about the number of cars that were there and the number of people who were staring at them. One of them was Angad.
Angad saw her. After a decade, he finally saw her. She was sitting with her mother and a boy who was around eleven or twelve years old. They looked worn out and were laughing their heads off. It hurt. Why was he even looking at her? Why was he even inviting the pain he had carefully hidden in the depths of his heart?
There was some song playing in the background. He tried to think of what song it was. He thought it was familiar for some reason. He remembered. It was 'Khoya Khoya Chand' by Alka Yagnik and Babul Supriyo. The song she was in love with a decade ago. He saw the boy stand up and offer his hand as if inviting her for a dance. Angad laughed. The boy had to be shorter than Kripa. He couldn't be too short but short enough. He thought this was one of the tenderest moments he had ever witnessed.
Kripa accepted his hand with love shining in her eyes. Her baby wanted to dance with her in front of the whole world without even caring what people would call him; Mama's Boy. Mother and son danced in a waltz and she thought her heart would burst in pleasure. They danced in perfect unison. She felt a trickle down her back as if someone was watching her. But of course, everyone had their eyes on them at this particular moment. But this prickling sensation was familiar. It was the sensation she felt when Angad looked at her. She panicked at the thought but then relaxed after a moment. Angad would never come to Nainital. He had no reason whatsoever to come to this place. He belonged to Mumbai; the city that never sleeps.
The song was long but that did not stop Kunal from dancing with his mother. He loved his mother so much that he did not care about anyone else. He loved his grandmother too but there was something special about his mother. No matter how exhausted she was when she came back from the hospital; she never hesitated spending quality time with him.
He twirled her and she laughed with her eyes shining. That sped his heart rate. She was going to kill him. Even after a decade she was going to kill him. Her easy laughter had made him want her every night of the decade. He had denied the fact that he needed her for the first couple of years but then he accepted. It would always be there. He couldn't fight his yearning anymore.
He drove away with the memory etched in his heart of Kripa dancing with a boy. She had never looked happier. Perhaps she had married somebody. He sure hoped to God she had married because if she was available he would forget everything easily. But it would kill him if she had married somebody else.
He went to the cottage he had rented for his mother to arrive. He didn't know why Naina Khanna wanted to come to Nainital. She had told him something about roots and wanted to see her birth city. He couldn't understand that. She would be arriving after a few days.
He went to the living room which faced the hills with the most wondrous view ever. He sat on the rocking chair and thought of his last meeting with her.
***********Flashback***********
He had held Sonia close to him, his face turned away from the door. Any moment Kripa would come in the room and find him in the compromising situation with Sonia. He wanted to see the look she would give him for that. He wanted to see the hurt that would appear in her eyes. He wanted her to hurt so bad that it hurt him.
Then she entered the room with her face flushed with pleasure. The door did not creak but he did not need to hear her in order to know that she had appeared. His heart had already told her of her arrival. He saw her expression from the window and he smirked. The pleasure had drained and all he could see was sorrow. The thought of giving her pain made him so giddy with happiness that he almost overlooked the pain he was feeling in his chest.
He had expected Kripa to scream or to demand explanations and he was ready with more weapons to hurt her. What he hadn't expected was to see her vision get blurred with tears and her walk out of the room calmly. That was the last thing he had expected from her. Kripa had always been melodramatic but this lack of show of emotions threw him off-balance. It had torn his heart to see that. She deserved it, he reminded himself. She completely deserved it.
***********End of Flashback***********
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