But why had she called herself Anamika, I wonder?

Did he just say that!?

-----------------

Ajnabi's POV

You know one such person...

Did I just say that!?

Yes I do know one such person...

The one I met at Mumbai New Writers Interface...

No...I am not a writer...

Why did I attend the interface then, you may wonder!

Well...Let me tell you...

After my accident, I was bed-ridden for at least 6 months as my leg was badly fractured.

In this state, all I could think of was her.

Tu hi tu har jagah, aaj kal kyun hai

Tu hi tu har jagah, aaj kal kyun hai

All I wanted to do was find her and stay with her.

Raastey har dafa, sirf tera pata

Mujhse pooche bhala kyun hai

Romi and Rinki had started to believe that I had gone insane.

According to them hunting for someone, who had spent some time with me to kill her boredom probably, was plain stupid.

But they would never understand those moments meant life to me.

Ek pal pyaar ka zindagi se bada

Aisa mere Khuda kyun hai

I do not know if it was my injured leg or her absence in my life that made me feel lifeless.

Soona soona mann ka hai konaa

Soona soona tere bin hona

I was no more the happy-go-lucky kind.

I had become a despo, who was bothered about only one thing, which is what I used to ask whenever Romi and Rinki came to meet me at the hospital, Did you retrieve the contact data on my phone?

Soona soona mann ka hai konaa

Soona soona tere bin hona hai har kahin par

Tu hai tu nhi hai par

Tu hai o bekhabar

Tu hai har mod par

You remember I called Anamika on March 8th?

When she refused to recognise me, I was completely shattered.

She did not remember me???? She had changed???

Itna to batha

Mausamon ki tarah

Tu badalta raha kyun hai

One fine day, Romi came to meet me with a diary and a pen.

I wondered what's wrong with him.

"Aise kya dekh raha hai mujhe??? Teri is halat me yahi tere kaam ayegi!" he said.

"Kya matlab hai tumhara?" I asked confused.

"Dekha hai khud ko??? Devdas bana baitha hai...Ab is halat me tujhe sharab dene se to doctor ne man kiya hua hai...isliye socha diary aur pen de dun"

"Tu kehna kya chah raha hai mai samajh nahi paa raha...Seedhe seedhe bol...paheliyan mat bujha"

"Suna hai ke pyar me admi shayar ban jatha hai. Maine socha ke tu 4 mahinon tak vella(bekar) banke rahe, isse achha hai ke shayari hi kar de. Kam se kam kuch fayde wala kaam to hoga" he mocked.

"Nautanki saala...mujhe pareshan karna kab chodega?"

"Wo... to..." he said as if in a deep thought "is janam me nahi ho sakta...agli janam me try kar lena" he said with a wide grin.

"Jaan pyari hai to bhaag yahan se...warna meri jagah kal tu is bistar pe hoga"

"Nahi nahi nahi nahi...Ek vella kafi hai hamari biradari me...mai jatha hun"he acted scared and left the room.

Romi, my friend, knows how to make me smile. Lucky me!!!

Lying on the bed all day with nothing to do, I actually had become a vella.

I would do nothing but sulk, thus I had become a devdas

Now could I become a shayar????

Hahahaha...that thought itself had me ROFLing...

Ye Romi bhi pagal hai I thought and opened the diary that he gave.

I simply took the pen and doodled on the first page.

After few minutes of doddling, I noticed that my doodles had formed something.

Anamika I had written beautifully...Trust me I had not intended to...

I stared it for good 10 minutes and then added Dedicated to above it...

In a daze, I turned over to the next page and like a skillful writer I started to convert my thoughts into words

I was in Bangalore for an acquaintance's wedding.

Weddings do not fascinate me but this was one was a close friend from college and I agreed to attend the function on his insistence...

Then I went on and on till I had written everything that happened from the day I met her, till the present day.

It all started as a prank and ended in a book: Char Kadam - walk of life!

What was I going to do with this book?

Nothing but read it whenever I wanted to be close to Anamika.

Then what made me think of publishing it???

It was Manvi, my secretary, who suggested I publish it.

She must have read it while sorting out my cabin, I have a very bad habit of leaving my things here and there you see.

Firstly I was annoyed that she read it without my permission, but the ever sweet girl took it very lightly and said: "I think she must read it too Sir"

"Who she?" I asked.

"Anamika" she said.

"There is no Anamika. It's all an imagination" I said not wanting her to know.

"I have been working with you for years now Sir, I know you inside out" she said confidently.

Her confidence had me give up and I said "What difference would that make?" referring to her suggestion of Anamika reading the book.

"She will know how much you love her"

"That is not going to change anything either. She has refused to recognise me"

"You can't lose hope because of one phone call Sir"

"It is of no use Manvi. It is too late now. She might not even remember me"

"If I were you, I would have published this book"

"What if you were Anamika?"

She mumbled something to herself...If I am not wrong she had said "I wish I was"

"Pardon" I said asking her to repeat her words.

"I mean if I was her and read this book I would be glad to know YOU LOVE ME" she said looking deep into my eyes.

I paused for a while.

Was it her answer or the look in her eyes that had me thinking?

I was still thinking when she excused herself and left my cabin not before saying "Please give it a thought Sir. This book could change lives"

This book could change lives

Could it?

Probably!

Whose lives?

Mine and Anamika's...or many more!

These thoughts had not left my mind for days when I happened to see an ad of Mumbai New Writers Interface.

It was basically creating a platform for New Writers who were struggling to publish their works.

I found it as a golden opportunity as well-known publication houses and writers of India were attending the interface.

I had given a brief outlook of my book when one of the Chief Guests, who was basically from the business world but had a passion for writing, approached me and expressed his interest in reading my book.

He had asked for a copy but I did not have one at that time.

He gave me his email id and requested me to mail him the copy.

For some reason, he looked desperate.

So I mailed him a scanned copy of my book.

I met many publishers there, but very few showed interest.

Coincidentally it was on 6th Feb that a publication house wished to meet me.

6th Feb, the day I met her

I wanted to spend this day in the same place where I had met her, Bangalore.

As you know, I had been fighting with myself against calling her.

Every single day I glance at her number in my contact list, trace my thumb over her name, reminiscing the amazing moments I spent with her but never dared to press the call button.

May be I was scared of rejection.

Yes I was!

''WHY DIDN'T I STOP MYSELF FROM CALLING HER TODAY???

Am I ready for another heartbreak?

Somewhere in the corner of my heart I still hoped she remembered me."

I thought when I went against my instinct and called her a week before our anniversary.

Until now I had believed that our story is complete, but after talking to her I realised that the story was never complete.

Teri meri baki hai kahaani

It was never complete because it spoke only about my side of story. Her side of story was missing.

Now I was determined to complete this story

That is why when Manvi told me that the Publsihers were willing to meet me some other day, I said

"Unse kaho ke kahani abhi adhoori hai. Ye kahani 14 Feb ko poori hogi"

Teri meri adhi hai kahani

And to do that I had to be at the same place where the story was left incomplete

Aa gayi wo mod par

Tu gaya jo chhod kar

She had refused to accept her love for me, I don't know why

Mere dil ko thodkar

Kya mil gaya

From what I had gathered from the phone call, I knew she wanted to be with me but still refused to

Paas ho to bura, door ho to bura

Aisa mere Khuda kyun hai

Her coming to Bangalore left me with no doubt that she loves me and that brought me here to Delhi in search of her.

Now I have a very few hours left.

The only ray of hope is the person I met at the writers interface.

I fished out my phone and punched the keywords on google

CEO OF THE YEAR RKB

CEO of the year, RKB, to get his lifetime Valentine on this Valentine's Day

Did it just say that!?

-------------------------To be continued------------------------

Zor ka jhatka haye zoron se laga?????

Love it??? Hate it???

I would love to know it