Hello Everyone! Extremely sorry for the extremely late update. I was busy with my boards. I also didn’t constantly remember that I post this story on this platform also and when I did remember, me being the lazy goose didn’t try to do anything about it. So sorry everyone. From now on I will try to post regularly. Hope you remember the storyline.
A small gist of what happened in the previous chapter: I wrote about Shivaay’s feelings and thoughts about Anika’s disappearance. He feels at home when he travels through the abandoned road as he relates to it. He gets home very late and so he expects everyone to have fallen asleep already. But he finds Bhavya waiting in the dining area for him. (P.S Bhavya is asleep when he finds her in the dining area)
Here you go with the next chapter.
FAMILY
Bhavya checked the time once again. 10.30 p.m. They have been waiting for one and half hour already. Shivaay always came late these days. And because of that he skipped his dinner too. So, one or the other person will wait for him to make sure he eats.
Taking her eyes off the clock, Bhavya looked at her choti bhabhi, Gauri, who was sleeping on the dining table. Sighing, she went towards her and woke her up. Gauri woke up quickly and searched all around.
” Bade bhaiyya aa gaye?”, she asked.
[Has Bhaiyya returned? (Bhaiyya is a term used to address brothers)]
Bhavya shook her head in denial and said, ” Nahi bhabhi. Bhaiyya abhi tak nahi aaye. Apko jaake sona chahiye. Mein wait karti hoon unkeliye. And mujhe usme koi problem nahi hai. Please jaake aaraam kijiye”.
[No, Bhabhi. He has not returned yet. You should go and get some sleep. I will wait for him and I have no problem in it. Please go and take rest (Bhabhi is a term used to address sister in law)]
Gauri smiled at her. Bhavya cared so much about her. And she knew she needed sleep. Her hand automatically went to caress her baby bump. Yes, she was pregnant. During this time, she cannot afford any carelessness. Already they had lost some dear ones and the happiness and originality of their family. Only this little angel or Anika bhabhi can bring back the lost life to this family. There was very less probability of her Anika bhabhi’s return. So, she relied on this little angel inside her.
Gauri nodded her head and stood up slowly. Bhavya immediately helped her. And slowly they both made their way towards Rikara’s room. After making sure Gauri was okay, Bhavya came downstairs continued waiting for Shivaay.
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Gauri
Just as Gauri was about to shut the room door, she looked across the corridor to see Shivika’s room. It was Anika’s idea to get three separate rooms for the three pairs on the same floor itself. Gauri could feel herself becoming sad. The intensity of the feeling inside her chest kept on increasing. She lost her sister in law. She lost her sister. She lost the one person who had welcomed her with open arms and showered her with love and care. Gauri shut the door and turned around slowly. This was not the time. She had a baby inside her. She cannot let herself think about any negative things. Wiping the tears she didn’t know she had shed, Gauri made her way to the bed side table. Opening the top drawer, she took out a photo album. The family album.
A smile crept in her face as she saw the front page of the album. It was the photo of Shivika, Rikara and Ruvya. It was one of the best captures of the entire album. Shivaay was laughing with his head tilted backwards while his arms were around Anika’s shoulder. Anika was sticking her tongue out pointing towards the espresso in Shivaay’s hand. Om was smiling slyly as he tickled Gauri just when the photographer said cheese. Rudra was making a cry baby face as Bhavya snatched the protein shake bottle he had in his hands. According to Rudra, a perfect family picture should have all the family members. And he said he considered protein shake an important part of his life. So, he had brought a big tin of protein shake powder to pose for the photo. The protein shake was obviously thrown out of the frame by Bhavya.
Gauri sat on the couch as she laughed at the memories. It had a become a habit for her now. This album helped her laugh and forget the painful memories. It contained photographs of different occasion. All credits goes to Rudra. He made sure to take atleast one photo in every important event. Be it the day Gauri gave her first English speech in front of the whole family or the day Shivaay sang after practicing for weeks. Though the former was amazing, the latter turned out to be a laughter session. Each and every photo was filled with memories. Gauri saw every photo, forgetting about her sleep and also the time. She filled the little angel inside her with every detail she remembered. Little angel knew about her chacha chachi, bade papa badi ma, nana nani and everyone very well.
Though the pictures made Gauri feel the absence of Anika more and more, it was the only thing that gave her solace. Anika was different from all the other people Gauri had met in her life. Just like her, Bhavya and Shivomru, Anika had gone through so much. But still she always put on a smile and spread the happiness among others. Without her, life seemed different. A hollow feeling was always there. Gauri shook her head to get rid of all these thoughts. Anika would never want her to think like that when she nurtured a child inside. So, she returned back to the album.
Just as the mother continued talking to her child, her stomach crumbled. Gauri bit her lip making her look even cuter. This was the side effect of pregnancy. Cravings. She wanted to eat some dessert. Wishing some sweet would be there in the refrigerator, she made her way down. And that’s how Gauri found Bhavya and Shivaay talking.
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Bhavya
2 hours passed but still no sign of Shivaay. Bhavya started pacing across the hallway as many pessimistic thoughts attacked her mind. She missed her Anika bhabhi. Everything had gone wrong from the time she went missing. And somewhere or the other Bhavya blamed herself. If she had been careful, if she had been smart enough, if she had known something was going to happen, she would have definitely saved her beloved bhabhi. The bright and amazing atmosphere of their home was now dull and monotonous.
Tears welled up her eyes as she felt guilty and helpless. She lost her Anika bhabhi just the way she lost her parents. One moment everything was fine and the next second her life came crumbling down. A tear drop made way through her cheeks.
Little Bhavya and her parents had come out to have lunch. Being an IPS officer didn’t give her father much time to spend with them and so they made complete use of whatever they got. As soon as the car reached the restaurant, Bhavya opened the door and ran towards it excited. Standing at the entrance, she turned to call her parents. And just then a blast occurred. The car, with her parents inside it, burned in front of her eyes. Bhavya ran to her parents but one of the spectators caught hold of her. She cried asking them to let her go. But the man didn’t leave. And she stood there, struggling and crying in a stranger’s arms as she saw her parents die. That was the moment she decided to become an IPS officer. She wanted to shine in the very same profession which took her parent’s life. She wanted to shine in that profession which subjugated her parent’s murder as a mere accident. She wanted to shine as an IPS officer to save the innocent and punish the guilty. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t save an innocent person. She couldn’t save her Anika bhabhi. She couldn’t punish the criminals. She couldn’t punish the culprits behind her bhabhi’s disappearance.
Since she knew the pain of losing someone, she could understand what Shivaay was going through. Her parents were her world. When they died, she felt void and empty. Anika was Shivaay’s world. Losing Anika will kill Shivaay everyday. She never talked to him in detail about it. She couldn’t bring herself to talk about it. How could she expect Shivaay to talk about it?
This was her family. She never had people whom she could call as her friends or family. Shivomru had oberoi family. Gauri had her mother. Anika had Sahil. Everyone, except her, had someone. She had no best friend. All the people she thought as friends, proved her wrong. Everyone were with her either out of sympathy or out of apparent kindness. She was a responsibility and not family.
When she was accepting that she had no one, Rudra entered her life. He filled it with love, compassion, care and what not. Because of him, she got to meet this wonderful family. And because of him, she was a part of it now. The whole family has always showered her with love and care. Husband, lover, brothers,soul sisters and best friends, Papa and ma, choti ma and papa and dadi, she got everyone. They loved, cared and pampered her. She can never repay for all things they have done for her. All this happened because of Rudra. Bhavya learnt what true love is only from these people. They were so important and precious to her that she can never describe it. Yet she had lost her bhabhi. How can she be so careless? Was she really a good police officer? She couldn’t protect her own family. How was she going to protect the people?
Tired of her own thoughts, she went and sat on the dining table. She glanced at the clock once again. It was 1 in the morning. Still Shivaay hadn’t returned. As Bhavya continued waiting, sleep took over and that’s how Shivaay found her sleeping on the dining table.
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Okay so here you go with the update.
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Loads and loads of love,
Hassi^_^