Anamika set the lunch for Vineet, she finds a few new items apart from what she had cooked, probably Kaushalya had prepared it for Vineet. 

Anamika isn't concerned about it much, after all the lady is his mother and loves him immensely, it's obvious that she would do things for her son. 

Anamika came out of her trance at the voice of her sons. The boys entered the room running and climbed up on the bed. 

“Kya hua tum dono ko, aise kyun bhag rahe ho?” She questions them, finding them gazing at her. 

“Papa ko kya hua? Wo ghar kyun aaye abhi?” Advay questions as Vineet hardly visits home at lunchtime but today he's home even before them and is still in the house.

“Arey wo ghar nahi aa sakte kya?” Anamika questions back, eyeing them. 

“Aa sakte hai pal wo roz toh aate nahi naa aur aaj toh jaa bhi nahi rahe wo.” Ansh says, making a doubtful face, trying to be interrogative. 

“Beta papa ko headache tha na issliye wo ghar aaye the aur unki tabiyat abhi thik nahi hui na issliye wo ghar pe hai, samjhe!” She exclaims, pulling Ansh in her arms.

The boys giggled at her statement, “papa ko headache hota hai toh wo apna kaam chor ke aa jaate hai aur bua dadi kuch kehti bhi nahi par aap toh headache ho toh bhi kaam karte ho, fir bhi bua dadi aapko gussa karti hai.” Advay spoke making a face, the boy seemed to dislike the discrimination. 

“Wahi tohh!! Bua Dadi hi toh kehti hai na ki headache se kya hota hai, uske liye kaun rest karta hai? Fir papa ghar kyun aaye? Unko kyun resht karna hai?” Ansh questions his mother. 

Anamika was stunned at his statement, is her little kids noticing these things? But why? They shouldn't be thinking about this or any other matter going around in the house. 

“Adi, Ansh!! Bache meine kaha hai na bado ke matters mei nahi bolna chahiye bad manners hai.” Anamika scolds him, she doesn't want to corrupt her kids mind at the tender age by burdening them with family issues.

“Fir papa kyun nahi bolte, wo toh bade hai na?” Ansh posed the question, and Anamika was surprised for another time. She doesn't have any answer to the question, so she tells them to go into their room and complete their homework – the only way she can divert their mind. 

Anamika let out a deep sigh as her kids ran out of the room. But Vineet, who was standing at the door of the washroom and heard their conversation, was more than shocked. His sons notice everything and easily make the difference but he couldn't, how? He felt embarrassed, down in his own eyes. He feels a lump in his throat, a hard punch on his core and a few questions bubbled up in his mind, whose answer he needs to find.

He came out of his trance at her voice, he cleared his throat and moved out with a smile. She reciprocates his smile and asks him to settle for lunch, he nods and takes his seat, she serves him his meal. Vineet mixed the rice and forwarded the first spoonful of rice to her, she denied.

“Tum khao main badh mei kha lungi, abhi mujhe baki kaam karne hai aur ye khana tumhare liye hai toh tum kha lo main niche jaa ke kha lungi.” She states, reasoning her denial. 

“Itnsa sab main akele kha nahi sakta aur agar kam pada toh fir le aayenge, lekin wo badh ki baat hai abhi hum dono kha sakte hai itne mei!” He exclaims and gestures to her to open her mouth. 

Anamika was unsure but obeyed him and took the bite. It made him smile but her hesitation made him a little uneasy. 

“Kya hua Ana? Tum itna hesitate kyun kar rahi ho? Hum pehli baar toh saath kha nahi rahe na, fir ye hichak kyun?” He questions her, he finds it really unpleasant to see his wife, hesitating to have food with him, but he clearly remembers in their college days she would insist him to feed her or eat from a single plate, sharing spoon or even have cold drink using two straws from a single bottle. Then what happens suddenly that she's not ready to take the food he offered to her?

“Vineet wo college ki baat thi, tab ka environment alag tha. Tab koi baat ki tension nahi hoti thi, mere paas bhi time tha kuch sochna nahi tha, aur..aur tum bhi aise nahi the. Par aab kuch waisa nahi raha, everything has changed.” Anamika let out a deep sigh as she finished her statement and down her gaze. 

Vineet was astonished by her words,”aab bhi toh jyada kuch nahi bala Ana, I'm still the same, main aab bhi tumse utna hi pyar karta hoon!” He exclaims, trying to justify his love. 

Anamika let out a chuckle, “it's not about love anymore Vineet. Sirf do logon mei pyar hone se hi sab kuch sahi nahi ho jata hai, there is always something beyond it that is needed. Khair, I don't want to talk about it. Tumhari tabiyat waise bhi kharab hai main nahi chahti aur bigad jaaye.” She stated, keeping a full stop on the topic but he wasn't done yet, he wanted to know what is there she doesn't want to talk about and why so? 

“But I want to know!! Aisa kya hai jis bare mein tum baat nahi karna chahti, jisse tum hamesha tal deti ho? Meine abhi bachon ki bhi baat suni, I want to know unhone aisa kyun bola? Kya sach mei tumhari tabiyat kharab ho toh bhi sab tumhe kaam karne ko force karte hai?” Vineet put up the question as he never came across such a matter, he never found her working when in fever. Infact, this days she suffer from frequent headaches or say it is always there and when he used to ask her to take rest she had refused the offer saying it causes her more pain. Then, why do his kids feel their mother is being targeted? 

Anamika was taken back for a moment but she composes herself as she doesnt want to tease him by saying anything which won't be peaceful for him. And one thing that she knows very well is that her husband is very much content with his family and can't bear their separation, so she feels it would be better if she keeps a few things to herself. 

“Bache hai kuch bhi bolte hai, waise bhi wo jyadatar khelne mei busy rehte hai aur shararat karte hai toh unhe chup karwane ke liye main kabhi kabhi jhooth bol deti hoon ki mujhe headache hai. Aur aise mei hi kabhi kabhi bua ji ya Dadi ke saath behes ho jaati hai toh wo galat samajh lete hai, baki aisa kuch nhi hai. Tum lunch kar lo, fir dawai bhi leni hai tumhe!” Anamika finishes her statement and excuses herself without waiting for his response as she knows if their eyes meet, he would catch her lie and she dont want that to happen, at least not now!!

But Vineet wasn't satisfied with her reply, he tried to stop her but the lady almost ran out of the room. Also, she didn't turn up the rest of the day, the plates were taken by the househelp from their room and when he enquired about her, the househelp told him that Anamika is busy with other works, thus leaving him disheartened. 

… 

To be continued…