"tum kitne pyaare ho!! bilkul apne baba jaise.... vahi aankhein, vahi naak, vahi hoth....vahi chehre pr tej..... sab bilkul tumhaare baba jesa h.... baba thoda pareshaan the na.... isliye tumpar gussa nikal gaya.... tum ro mat.... vo tumse bohot pyaar krte h.... apne bache se bhala koi gussa hota h kya?? nahi na...." the lady craddled the little baby in her lap brushing his nose with hers while the baby giggled, "kitni pyaari muskaan h tumhaari, bilkul tumhaare baba jesi...." "mmm....uhm..b...." the baby tried to catch the lady's face with his little hands..... and the lady laughed seeing his failed attempts, thus, raised him a bit so that he can touch her.... the baby played with her cheeks using his little fingers and smiled, the lady's eyes were filled with tears seeing the fate of that little baby, who didn't get the chance to see his mother, to get her love, to get the needed warmth of her lap.... Manorama and Ishaani were astonished to look at him playing happily for the very first time after his birth and that too in an unknown lady's lap......

Koyali shouted from outside, "choti bahuraani, Manorama ji, sab log aa gaye Barrister babu ko le kr!!!" Both of them looked at each other with wide smiles on their faces and rushed out of the room immediately while the lady whispered, "ANIRUDH aa gaya!!" she too immediately moved out of the room.....

All the men entered with lifeless Anirudh, who was actually surviving but has already lost his life..... Som and Batuk were supporting him by his shoulder and he was dragging his feet like a soulless body..... Ishaani came forwards with an aarti ki thaal in her hands and rotated it around him while he was least affected..... she was going to put a teeka on his forehead when he held her hand in mid and all looked at him questioningly, he slowly said, "rehne do choti... zaroorat nahi h iski mujhe!!!" 

Ishu: pr dada aap maut ke muh se wapas laut kr aaye h.... ye to zaroori h na...

Anirudh chuckled and said, "fir to ye tum kog laga lo.... kyuki ab poori zindsagi iss zinda laash ka bojh jo uthana h tum sab ko...."

Ishaani and others went quiet but seem like their eyes wanted to say a lot and words were flowing through them in form of tears.....

He stepped inside the house when Ishu shifted aside to give them way, and there the lady was standing with baby in her arms..... all gasped seeing her while Anirudh still not said anything, just smiled a bit and widened his arms, this made all of them shocked even the lady too was shocked..... but soon they got back to normal when Mini came in front who was standing behind the lady and they understood that he was calling Mini not the lady....... Little Mini took her baby steps towards him and he knelt down to embrace his only lifeline now...... he was smiling a bot knowing that he still has a reason to live..... but she was not showing any emotion on her face, but someone truly said, "eyes never lie" her eyes was depicting her pain..... she came to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kept her head on his shoulders while he tightly hugged her and stroked her hair soothingly....... "Angel!!"

Mini: naaraz h aapki Angel aapse!!!

He sighed and chuckled, "aaj kal sab aapke dadda se naraaz h baby!!" she broke the hug and looked into his eyes who contained the same pain she was having...... she just leaned forward and kissed his cheeks and he smiled and kissed her forehead...... and stood up.....while Mini took her steps back looking straight in his eyes...... she looked at the lady and took the baby in her arms and moved back to him while he turned his face..... "ise bhi thoda pyaar kr lijiye dadda!!" He looked at her listening the pain in her voice which he can't bear, at least not at this point of time..... he looked at the baby with no expression on his face, he forwarded his hand towards him making all the family members happy, but soon their expressions changed when he didn't touch the baby, instead, his palm landed on Mini's cheek and caressed them lovingly and slowly moved away from their giving a last glance to the lady........ A drop of tear escaped from Mini's eyes but she immediately turned her face to hide them from the family but accidentally she faced the lady and she saw those tears flowing down her chubby cheeks..... even the family knew why she turned her face but couldn't do anything!! Mini left from there with the baby in her arms......

The lady came forward wiping her tears towards the family..... all of them looked at her suspiciously trying to interpret her evil intentions behind her fake emotions..... She came forward and bent down to take kaka's blessings when he stepped back and sternly said, "iss ghar ke logo me aur kuch bardaash krne ki shakti nahi bachi h... to tumse vinti h ki humaare parivaar ko aur dukh dene ki koshish mat karo SAUDAMINI!!!"

Som came forward and held her hands pulling her out of the house...."aap yahan aayi hi kyun h, humaare rote chehre dekhne ke liye??"

Manorama came forward to her rescue and immediately pulled her hands from his clutches....

Mano; kya kar rahe ho Som??? esi badtameezi?? vo bhi humaare mehmaan ke saath.... Roy Chauidhary to ese kabhi nahi the....

Saudamini smiled and uttered, "SOM!!! tum Som ho?? bohot bade ho gaye ho.... Batuk kaha h?? vo bhi to bada ho gaya hoga na??"

Batuk angrily came forward and said, "ye raha Batuk!!! dekh liya na?? ab please jaiye yaha se, pehle hi sab socne samajhne ki shakti khatam ho chuki h humaari, isse pehle me kuch galat kar baithu... aap nikaliye yaha se.... please!!"

Mano: aap sab inke saath esa kyun behave kr rahe h?? ye to bohot achi h... aaj Anirudh humaare beech h to inki wajah se......

Bin: ye kya keh rahi ho tum Manorama..... jaanti nahi ho kon h ye aurat!!

Mano: haan... nahi jaanti me inhe.... pr shayad pehchaan gayi hoon.... ye ek bohot hi nek dil insaan h....

She moved towards kaka and said, "kaka aapne mujhe Kaali maa ke mandir bheja tha na... chadhawa chadaane.... mujhe ye vahi mili... or me hi inhe yaha le kr aayi hoon.....

Ksj: to fir tumhaara dimaag kharaab ho gaya Manorama bahu.... insaan ke roop me naagin h ye.... pehle bhi humaare parivaar ko khaane ki koshish ki h isne...iss baar for aayi h.... zaroor kuch chal raha h iske dimaag me.... or tum ise yaha humaare ghar le aayi....

Mano: pr kaka inhone Aniorudh ke liye bohot kada tap kiya h mandir me..... mene khud dekha h..... agar me inhe jaa kr nahi batati ki Anirudh theek ho gaya h... to pta nahi or kab tak ye ek per kahdi rehti... jalta kapoor haath me le kr..... poori mandir ki seedhiyon  me khoon bhare pero ke nishaan mene khud dekhe h.... inke pero ke chaale or haath ki stithi dekh kr aap khud jaan jaenge ki kitna kada tap kiya h inhone.... shamshaan ghat se madir tak nange per daudna or for waha jaa kr niswarth tap krna aasaan to nahi hoga na..... me nahi jaanti ye kon h... aap sabka kya rishta h inse..... kyun aap sab inse ese baat kr rahe h.... pr ye mandir me kade tap ki wajah se behosh ho gayi thi.... isliye me inhe yaha le aayi..... ab humaare Anirudh ke liye inhone jo bhi kiya  usnke badle me inhe zakhmi haalat me mandir me to nahi chod skti thi..... isliye le aayi... aapko mene sab bata diya h... agar aapko sahi nahi laga to maaf kr dijiyega.... or jo aap chahe vahi kariyega........

All were surprised to listen to her... they looked at Saudamini who was standing there bowing her head down and tear stricken face.... she spoke slowly, "aap log chinta mat kijiye..... mein yaha kisiko pareshaan karne nahi aayi thi.... bas Anirudh se mil kr jaa hi rahi thi.... do din pehle hi jail se riha hui thi.... pr yakeen maaniye mera.... jail me rehne ke baad vo puraani Saudamini mar gayi h.... ye Saudamini vo nahi h jise aap jaante the.... me to apne ghar wapas aa rahi thi.... pr yaha aa kr pta chala ki mera to ghar hi bik chuka h.... socha Anirudh se fir se dosti karungi..... pr yaha to mahol hi alag h... ye haveli pehle jesi lagti hi nahi.... yaha ke log pehle jese nahi lagte.... "

Mini came from behind with crying baby in her arms, "Ishu maasi.... baby ro raha h bohot..... aap please dekhengi ek baar...." Ishaani nodded and took the baby in her arms and cradled him  but he didn't stop crying.... instead cried more loudly..... "ye to chup hi nahi ho raha h..."

Som: kese chup hoga Ishii..... apni maa to vese hi kho chuka h... or baba ne to isse pehli nazar me hi muh mod liya.... shayad iss nanhi si jaan ko bhi pta h ki iski janm sadhaaran nahi h iss parivaar me..."

Saud: esi baat nahi h Som..... maana Anirudh abhi thoda shock me h.... pr vo theek ho jaega to bache ko apna kega... dekhna tum.... aakhir khoon to apna hi h uska....

She took the baby in her arms and cooed sweetly in his ears and he slowed down his crying voice surprising everyone there..... Manorama whispered slowly to kaka, "dekh lijiye kaka.... hu kabse koshish kr rahe the ise chup krane ki.... pr inki god me aate hi ye chup ho jaata h.... kal raat se inhi ki god me khel raha h..... ek baar nahi rota inke paas.... aap hi kehte h na ki bachche bhagwaan ka roop hote h to bhagwaan ko galat femi nahi ho skti.... shayad vo sach me badal gayi ho.... or iss baat ka ehsaas is nnhi si jaan ko h..... aap bhi ek baar mauka de kr dekhiye na kaka..... abhi iss bache ko ek maa ke pyaar ki zaroorat h... pr iske paas vo nahi h.... agar Saudamini ji ke saath vo khush h to rehne dijiye na unhe ......." she looked at him woth hopeful eyes while he didn't flinch a bit..... instead kept looking at Saudamini and the baby playing together happily......

Saudamini handed over the baby back to Ishaani and kissed his forehead...."me tumse jaldi milne aungi... abhi mujhe jana hoga.... tumhaare alawa mujhe yaha koi pasand nahi krta beta.... ilsiye abhi ke liye aap inke saath hi khush raho...." She turned towards the family and joined her hands, "mein aap sabki bhavnaaye samajh skti hoon.... aap chinta mat kijiye..... me jaa rahi hoon.... bas Anirudh or iss bachche ka dhyaan rakhna...." She tried to move when she felt her saree's end stuck somewhere, she turned and saw the little baby clutching her saree's end and continuously staring at her ...... and this didn't go unnoticed by everyone.... she freed her saree from his small fist and kissed his cheek and smilingly said , "jaane do mujhe beta...." she turned and the baby started crying making her tears fall down...... but she immediately wiped them and moved towards the gate, but stopped, "tum ruk sakti ho yaha....." all looked at kaka surprisingly

Bin: daa... aap jaante h na...

Ksj: sab jaante h hum, hume na sikhao....

Bat: kaka aap in pr vishwaas nahi kr skte.... jaante h na kya kiya h inhone dada baudi ke saath, aapke saath, humaare parivaar ke saath....

Ksj: kaha na sab jaante h hum, isne jo kiya uski saza 10 saal jail me kaat kr aayi h vo.... or agar ab bhi koi galti ki to uske liye bhi baksha nahi jaega ise.... hum iss par koi vishwaas nahi kr rahe.... ba filhaal iss bache ke baare me soch rahe h.... agar ye nanhi si jaan iske saath khush h to hume ye iss ghar me manzoor h.... vese bhi Manorama bahu jhoot nahi bolegi... agar vo keh rahi h ki usne ise Anirudh ke liye sachche dil se prarthana ki h... to hum itne nirday nahi ki ise rehne ke liye chat bhi na de sake.... iska ghar Kaushik babu ne khareed liya.... ab kaha jaegi ye... to hum chahte h ki ye yaha rahe sirf iss bache ke liye..... or Manorama bahu ne iski sifarish ki h to ye koi gadbad na kare iski zimmedari hum tumhe saunpte h Manorama bahu.....

Manorama was happy because somewhere she felt like keeping Saudamini with them is not a wrong decision..... moreover she had seen the baby getting a mother's vibes from her.... she immediately agreed from kaka's orders while others stood silent knowing that there is no use of arguing with kaka...

Som: pr kaka..... dada.....

Ksj: use kuch kehna hota to pehle hi keh diya hota..... hume nahi lagta ab use koi fark bhi padta h..... 

Saudamini was more than happy that she can stay with them now, near Anirudh, near his baby with whom she felt connected..... and this all was noticed by little Mini standing in a corner with a stern expression on her face...... she looked at Bondita's photo hanging on a wall beside her with garland on it as if she was talking to her with her eyes and once again tears made their way down her cheeks which she again wiped and went away from them to stay alone once again.....

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A lady is continuously turning her sides lying on a mat as she was trying to sleep in darkness but couldn't, some images were continuously flashing in her mind making her sweat profusely, "tum esa nahi kr sakti.... tum esa kese kr sakti ho..... bhagwaan tumhe kabhi maaf nahi karega..... tum kabhi khush nahi rahogi....." these were the words ringing in her ears continuously as if she those scenes were continuously flashing in her nightmare......

So, congratulations to those who guessed that the lady was Saudamini and sorry for those who still somewhere thought that she is Bondita.... but now one more mysterious lady... guess who is she??? and what do you think about Saudamini. is she really changed or something big is cooking in her mind!!! Did you liked Suadamini's entry in the story??? and what do you think about Mini and her behaviour???

waiting for your answers readers!!! and please comment and vote

Meet you all soon,
Till then,
take care,
bye-bye,
lots of love💕💕💕