After all the chaos in the evening and the blame game now, it was dinner time and the family took their respective seats for dinner. Shanti bua and Dadi were still upset and angry while the kids seemed normal. Anamika and Kaushalya were serving food to all.

The family had just started with their food when a person walked in. The person is none but a beautiful lady. 

She is Vedika Babbar, Vineet’s business partner and a good friend as well. Shanti Bua and Dadi’s choice for Vineet. They still want them to get married somehow. Anamika knows it and that's what makes her dislike Vedika. Whenever she sees Vedika her heart starts thumping loudly and aggressively, she finds herself getting uneasy. 

She thought it's just because of the previous facts but today she is much more conscious over the matter. Ansh has pointed out that he compared Anamika with Vedika. He accuses her of not giving him enough love like Vedika does, he even says that he loves Vedika more than her. This hurts Anamika and she ends up slapping him, which becomes a matter of argument then and now the lady is here again. 

Vineet rises from his seat and pulls the lady in a warm hug. 

'’How are you, Vedika? Kahan gayab ho jaati ho tum suddenly?'’ Vineet  questions as they part the hug.

Vedika smiles at him sweetly,'’you know na main kitni jaldi bore ho jaati hoon chijon se. Last month itna jyada work load tha aur fir itne meeting kar ke main bahut bore ho gayi thi toh socha ek break lelu. Toh bas chali gayi. Par dekho wapas aate hi sabse pehle tumse milne aai hoon partner!'’ She exclaims and giggles at him, Vineet laughs at her words but Anamika wasn't pleased. 

She (Anamika) finds the kids staring at Vedika with joy and excitement knowing the lady must have brought many gifts for them. Her husband is already busy with the lady leaving his food uneaten while Bua and dadi are all ready to welcome the lady in the house by any means. 

Anamika finds anger building inside her but ignores it, she doesn't want to create any baseless issue in front of Vedika. She asks the kids to eat their food, and also offers Vedika to have dinner with them but she refuses.

'’Thank you so much Anamika but I'm full. It's already 10, main dinner kar chuki hoon.'’ Vedika replied sweetly, Anamika forced a smile on her lips and nodded. 

Anamika fed the kid while the other family members also had their dinner. Meanwhile  Vineet was busy chatting with Vedika. 

Time passes, everyone disperse to their respective rooms. Vedika too rises to go but calls the kids before leaving, Anamika doesn't  want them to be around Vedika still she lets them go as she doesn't  find it appropriate to stop them. She just stood near the dining table and watched how Vedika pampered her kids, showered them with chocolates and toys. Tears build up in Anamika's eyes realizing the fact that she's not that capable to give all those things to her kids to get their attention or love. Her value is not more than a nanny, who's only taking care of them. 

Vedika takes her leave after a moment, the kids run to their room, giggling while Vineet takes his seat to have his meal. Anamika warms the food and serves him, he stares at the food and then at her. She was not looking at him but busy cleaning the table from the other side. 

'’Tum nahi khaogi?'’ He asked gazing at her, Anamika glanced at him once and shifted her gaze to the table.

'’Mujhe bhookh nahi!'’ She replies briefly. 

'’Tumne sham ko bhi kuch nahi khaya tha, abhi bhi nahi khaogi toh kaise chalega?'’ Vineet says in concern. 

Her pale face tells how hurt and angry she's. He doesn't know what Ansh exactly said to her but it certainly hurted her badly. He can see the drops of tears around the corner of her eyes. 

'’Tum kha lo mera bilkul bhi mann nahi hai khane ka.'’ She told him and moved to the kitchen to place the dirty plates in the sink, when she returned he was gone, the food plate was lying on the table untouched. 

Anamika let out a deep breath. How can she not love him? How does she hate him for this? Every time they have a fight, things push her to hate him all because of his nature towards her in every argument and when she decides she will not be taking any initiative towards him, he ends up doing something she can't resist. At the moment, she is not in a state to confess if she even loves the way she used to but what she knows is she still wants him around, no matter what. 

She sits there for a moment, she can't let him sleep on an empty stomach. So, she winds up her work and warms the food again. She serves it and covers them with another plate and heads to their room. 

As she enters the room she finds him working on his laptop, he lifts up his gaze and shifts back. Anamika placed the food plate on the table and shut down his laptop.

'’Khana kha lo pehle, fir kaam kar lena.'’ She says as she takes away the laptop, Vineet watches her silently for a moment. 

'’Agar tum kha rahi ho toh lets have it together otherwise rehne do, mann mera bhi nahi hai khane ka.'’ He states while looking at her. 

'’Main badh mei kha lungi saare kaam nipta ke, tum kha lo.'’ She said in a calm tone. 

'’Okay, fir jab tum khaogi toh hum saath mei kha lenge tab tak mera kaam bhi khatam ho jaayega.'’ He replies, he is more stubborn than her. 

Anamika sigh and secure her seat,'’fine, let's have it now.'’ She gave up and served the food in two plates. 

Vineet smiles, he takes his plate and takes a spoonful of rice but forwarded it towards her.

Anamika refused to take it but he insisted, so she gave up and took it. She feels tears brimming up her eyes so she down her gaze and concentrates on her plate but Vineet already noticed her tears, it makes him feel guilty. 

He held himself responsible for all her pain and sorrows. He knows he never support her, which gives his family a chance to taunt her. No matter how hard he tries to reply to Bua and Dadi but words never come out of his throat. She takes it all as an accusation or intention to hurt her. She doesn't even like Vedika, he knows that and it's quite fair but at the same time how can he stop Vedika from visiting them? She's a good friend more like a family, he doesn't have any good reason to stop her. 

He is puzzled, he doesn't know how to act or comfort his family. Being a single child of her parents she has seen all the luxuries but in his home, she's captured like a mouse. And he doesn't have any clue to solve the problem. Though he wants to try, but he doesn't want to go against his family as he has already upset them by marrying a girl of his choice and now he doesn't want to hurt them again but the family is not treating her nicely yet he's holding on himself to keep the family united. 

Vineet comes out of his trance when Anamika nudges him and asks him to concentrate on food. He nodded but couldn't stop thinking about her, after all she matters a lot to him. 

…

Anamika entered the room finishing up her work. She finds Vineet setting the bed, she smiles slightly at him and moves to the washroom to change while her headache was all ready with its effects. 

Vineet settled on his side after a few moments, Anamika stepped out of the washroom and secured her seat. Vineet switches off the lights and closes his eyes still thinking about her when he feels her snuggling to him, in the next moment she embraces him while keeping her head on his chest. He can feel wetness around his chest, she's crying, she's hurt badly and he doesn't know why. He was guilty now, embarrassed too, to give her suffering. He thought to converse but when she starts sobbing he turns to her and holds her securely in his arms, the least he can do at the moment.

..

To be continued