Singhaniya Villa

Anamika dresses up for the day. It's her birthday today and she is supposed to look pretty. She runs out of the room when she hears her mum calling her for  breakfast. As she reaches towards the dining table, she greets her grandpa and sits beside her, that's her place. Meanwhile, the watchman comes with a big package.

"What is this?"  Rajveer asks.

"Sir, it's for Anamika Ma'am."  he informs and moves out of the house.

"Birthday gift! So big!" Anamika chuckles and runs towards the living room where the package is kept.

"Ana!! Don't be so quick. Do you know who sent this?" Rajveer questions.

" Oh Papa! It's my birthday, my friends must have sent it. Let me check." Anamika says and bends to open the gift.

She's quite excited while the elders watch her as she unwraps the gift. She gets excited as it unwraps into a crisp white colored furry Teddy bear. She cups her own face.

" So big! How much I wanted this!"  Anamika says and presses on the heart that the furry toy is holding.

The birthday song echoed in the room, while Anamika chuckles. She embraces the teddy bear like a child does. She loves soft toys so much. Her eyes fell on a paper stuck behind the heart. She takes it out and it is supposed to be a note.

"Happy Birthday, Love. I hope you liked this. And there's one more surprise, long press the heart, and you'll hear it. I love you."

The note ended with Vineet's name.  So this is the surprise he was talking about at night. Anamika is happy, as she pulls out the teddy bear, a diary catches her attention. She picks it up and as she opens, it is a collection of her pictures, her pictures with her friends, even some with Vineet. On the first page, it's named on the name of her friends. And along with the pictures, there's a not attached. It's Vineet's writing, so he collected all of it and gifted it to her. She's elated. She hugs the diary close. She wants to call him and talk to him, but he might be busy. She smiles at her parents.

"See! College pictures ka collection." she shows them the diary.

Her mother likes the pictures and then, they set for breakfast. Anamika places the teddy bear on her bed and leaves for the temple with her grandpa and parents. It's a ritual  which not only is necessary but gives her peace as well.

*****

New York

Devika and Vineet are sitting in the balcony of Devika's room, savoring the coffee that her son just made. They're talking about dreams when Devika says that Daksh didn't fulfill her wishes,which he promised.

"I'll do them for you Maa." her son says.

Devika looks at him, he's an exact replica of his father, he's named on her father's name and he's more like him. Devika smiles at him.

"I know. Only you can fulfill them, Vineet. Because you're a total replica of your dad." She smiles.

"He promised me, he'll be with me, always. But because of some people, he left me alone.". Devika says turning emotional.

She misses him, after all, she loves him and will do so until her last breath. But, he dropped her alone, that too when she was pregnant with their son. She regrets, asking him to wait for one day, when they had already made a plan to leave India.

"I wish I hadn't asked him to stay. He would have been with us. Your father would have been with you." Devika says patting Vineet's cheeks.

Vineet is astonished. She has never told the story to him but today she's saying. He holds her hand

"What happened to Dad?" he asks.

"He loved me. More than his life. But no one understands the love, Vineet. That's the reason I want you to work more. Love things aren't for us." She says.

For her, she has lost her love, and now, she doesn't want to lose her only son. That's the reason, she scolds him when he mentions about India.

" Not everyone is like that,mom! And it's not that the same thing will happen to me. " he looks at her.

Devika glances at her son.

" I know Vineet. I know. But I've lost too much. I lost your dad, but I can't afford losing you. You're my everything. And that is the reason, I stop you from going to India. " she says.

Vineet is astonished. She has never shared her fear with him. She holds her hand.

" India took everything from me, my parents, your dad too. And now, It's only us. I can't afford to send you there. What if they hurt you because you look exactly like your father." Devika says worriedly.

Vineet knows that he looks exactly like his Father. But her words are confusing him. Not everyone or every time is same. Twenty five years have passed by.

" but Maa, it's all 25 years ago. Nothing would happen now. " He tries to reason,but Devika says something that leaves him startled.

*****
India

Anamika returns home from the table. Her parents have thrown a party for her and as she's tired she moves to her room, so that she can be fresh in the night for her birthday party. As she enters the room, she finds the teddy bear. She remembers the note, and presses the heart. After a long press, a deep voice falls in her ears and she is surprised and touched at the same time.

To Be Continued.

What did Anamika hear?

What exactly happened with Ruhana in India?

Stay tuned.