It was an usual morning in the Shah House. The sun poured through the small window into the courtyard of the house where Vanraj and Toshu sat discussing about the prospective investment opportunities while Baa was busy in peeling the peas for preparing lunch. She sat on a small stool fiercely removing the peas from their skin constantly muttering in anger something about how she has to do all the work in the house inspite of having a daughter in law.

Household chores were something that Baa always considered a women especially a housewife should excell in and used to constantly reprimand Anupama for not doing it properly by finding little flaws or making them up just to trouble her while she herself hated doing it.

Although with Anupama leaving the Shah House after divorce and Kavya becoming her daughter in law, she had to get used to doing them by herself. Initially Baa tried to make Kavya do the household chores by reminding and taunting her that she is now a bahu and should get used to this type of work along with office. However she realised in a few days that Kavya was not the one who can be guilted into doing something she doesn't want to and household chores were one of them. Since then Baa has got used to the fact that she might have to do all the work in the house with no help from anyone just like Anupama has done for 25 years.

She was still seperating the peas in frustration when Kavya entered into the courtyard with a tray in her hand. She brought and put the tray down on the centre table when all three of them looked up at her in surprise.

Kavya saw the confusion on their face and decided to address it.

Kavya:- Aap log mujhe aise kyu dekh rhe hai?

She questioned.

Vanraj:- Kavya yeh chai tumne banayi hai?

He asked surprised that his wife who doesn't like to even step in the kitchen for getting a glass of water has made tea for them.

Kavya:- Ofcourse V mai nhi banaungi to kaun banayega..

She answered handing him the tea cup.

Baa:- Toshu aaj suraj devta kha se nikle the?

She taunted Kavya.

Kavya:- Come on Baa....ek to maine itne pyaar se aap sabke liye chai banayi hai aur aap abhi bhi mujhe taane de rhi...

Baa:- Haan to chai hi banayi hai....bol to aise rhi jaise samudra manthan karke amreet nikala ho...

Kavya rolled her eyes at her comment.

Toshu:- Waise sach me Kavya....it's a surprise....isse pehle tumhe kitchen me kabhi dekha nhi...aaj kuch special hai kya?

He asked still finding it hard to believe that Kavya would make tea for them.

Kavya:- Aap log aise kyu bol rhe ho jaise mai kbhi koi kaam karti hi nhi....

She said in annoyance.

Vanraj:- Karti ho but ghar ke nhi...

He stated and Kavya rolled her eyes again.

Kavya:- Fine whatever...aaj to banaya hai na...to please apne in taano se meri mehnat waste mat kariye....

She said handing Baa and Toshu their tea cup.

Kavya:- Aur waise bhi mai aaj bahut khush hoo.....

She stated and went to sit beside Vanraj with a cup of tea in her hand.

Baa:- Kyu?

She asked taking a sip of the tea.

Kavya:- Bas aise hi Baa....aaj bahut dino baad office me sab accha ho rha...

Vanraj smirked realising what Kavya was talking about.

Baa:- Hayee...yeh kaisi chai banayi hai tune....ise shi se ubala nhi...

Baa complained making an irritated face.

Kavya:- Baa maine dudh dalne ke baad ise 10 minute tak ubala hai...

Kavya stated in annoyance.

Baa:- Pakaya hota to yeh chai itni safed nhi hoti....

She criticized.

Kavya:- Baa maine ise shi se ubala hai....aab mai kya karu agar chai patti ka rang nhi aaya to...

She said in exasperation.

Baa:- Anupama bhi to isi chai patti se chai banati thi uski to barabar banti thi....

Now Kavya was irked hearing Baa compare her to Anupama for the thousandth time and she lashed out.

Kavya:- Baa bahut ho gaya haan.... enough is enough....jab dekho aap mujhe Anupama se compare karti rehti hai...

She yelled in frustration.

Vanraj:- KAVYAA

He shouted.

Vanraj:- Baa se tameez se baat karo...

Kavya:- V abhi tak mai inse pyaar se hi baat kar rhi thi lekin inko pyaar hazam hi nhi hota...jab dekho tab taane marti rehti hai aur galtiyaan nikalti rehti hai bas....

She complained to Vanraj and turned towards Baa...

Kavya:- Aur Baa aap...yeh jab deko tab aap mujhe Anupama se kyu compare karti rehti hai.....Anupama aab aapki bahu nhi hai mai hoo....to aapko aab mere haath ki chai peene ki aadat daal leni chaiye ya fir khud banane ki....

She warned Baa whose face turned red in anger looking at Kavya misbehaving with her.

Toshu noticed that Baa was getting enraged and tried to calm the atmosphere...

Toshu:- Kavya tum khamakha baat ko kyu badha rhi ho...Baa ko jaanti ho na...unki aadat hai...aur waise bhi unhone aisa kya galat keh diya....mummy tumse accha khana banati hai to hai....

The statement vexed Kavya and she could no longer contain her anger.

Kavya:- Of course Toshu....Anupama bahut accha khana banati hai...

She paused and gave a look to Vanraj that he couldn't interpret.

Kavya:- Aur utna hi accha bewakoof bhi banati hai....jaise usne humari company ka banaya hai...

Toshu:- Tumahara matlab kya hai Kavya?

He asked perplexed.

Kavya:- Yeh tum apne papa se hi kyu nhi puch lete....

Saying this she looked at Vanraj who was already glaring at her in anger as he didn't want anyone to find out about the office fiasco until Anupama was proven guilty.

Kavya:- Vanraj tum Toshu ko uski pyaari mummy ke kaarnamo ke bare me nhi bataoge...

She smirked at him and left the scene.

Vanraj knew that his family wouldn't believe that Anupama could do something as wrong as stealing that too for money. So he was waiting for her to be proven guilty before he can reveal it to them but Kavya in her anger spilled the beans and now Vanraj had no choice but to tell his family the truth.

I am tired of clearing this woman's mess. Now I better use it to my advantage or things will go out of hands.

He thought to himself when Toshu interrupted...

Toshu:- Papa...aap kha kho gaye...aur yeh Kavya kya bol rhi hai...mummy ne kya kar diya aab?

He asked confused yet firm that his mother would have done something wrong.

Vanraj:- Beta batata hoo...aap dono pehle baitho...

He said in a troubled voice and Baa and Toshu sat down seeing the lines of worry on his face.

Vanraj:- Baa....Toshu...mai aap dono ko yeh baat bata ke pareshan to nhi karna chahta tha lekin aab Kavya ne bol hi diya hai to....aab aap logo ka bhi yeh baat janna zaroori hai....

He paused.

Baa:- Kya baat hai beta...tu bahut pareshan lag rha...Anupama ke saath tera kuch hua kya?

Vanraj looked down and spoke in a heavy tone...

Vanraj:- Pareshan hoo Baa.... pareshan hoo....aur Anupama ki wajah se hi hoo...

Toshu:- Papa...saaf saaf bataiye ki baat kya hai...hume aapki chinta ho rhi hai....

Vanraj:- Beta mujhe samjh nhi aa rha kaise batau....dekh mai jo bhi abhi bolne jaa rha hoo...please usse yeh mat samajhna ki mai teri mummy ke khilaaf hoo ya uspe koi ilzaam laga rha hoo...bas maine jo dekha ya suna hai whi bata rha hoo...

He said requesting Toshu to listen before reacting.

Toshu:- Papa....mai aapko bahut acche se jaanta hoo....aap kabhi kuch galat bol hi nhi sakte...please bataiye kya hua hai?

Vanraj:- Beta humare office ke kuch bids ek rival company ko leak hue hai....

Baa:- Kya leak hue hai?

She asked confused hearing the terms for the first time.

Vanraj:- Baa kaise samjhau...samajh lijeye ki humari company me ek chori hui hai....

Baa:- Accha.....lekin uska tujhse aur Anupama se kya lena dena?

Vanraj:- Lena dena hai Baa...kyuki wo chori kisi aur ne nhi balki Anupama ne hi ki hai...

Toshu:- Whattt?

Baa and Toshu were shocked hearing this.

Toshu:- Papa aap yeh kaisi baatein kar rhe hai.... mummy kuch bhi kar sakti hai but chori nhi...

Vanraj:- Beta yeh mai nhi...office ki management keh rhi hai...aur sare saboot bhi Anupama ke khilaf hai...

He explained how Anupama was found looking for the bids in his boss's office.

Baa:- Lekin Anupama kaise....

Vanraj:- Pata nhi Baa....dil to mera bhi nhi maan rha lekin sacchai humari aankho ke samne hai....sare saboot Anupama ke hi khilaf hai...

Baa:- Yeh sach bhi ho sakta hai.....kya pata....waise bhi yeh wo pehli wali Anupama thodi hai...iske to aajkal naye naye rang dekhne ko milte hai...

Toshu:- Papa but mummy aisa kyu karengi....nhi nhi aisa nhi ho sakta....mummy bewkoof ho sakti hai lekin chor nhi....

Toshu exclaimed baffled at Vanraj's revelation.

Vanraj:- Aab yeh bewkoofi hai ya chori....yeh to Anupama hi jaane...lekin uski is bewkoofi ki wajah se pure office me mera sur aur nazrein dono jhuk gayi...

He said playing the victim in front of his family.

Baa:- Teri nazrein kyu jhukengi....galti us Anupama ki hai....teri nhi...tu uski saza kyu bhuktega...tu Vanraj Shah hai aur tera sur humesha ucha hi rahega...

Vanraj looked up and saw Pakhi standing at the door secretly listening to the conversation and something crossed his mind.

Vanraj:- Baa.....sur to jhukega aur sirf mera nhi...hum sabka...kyuki hum kuch bhi kar le...hum Anupama se zindagi bhar ke liye jude rehenge....wo jo bhi karegi uska asar hum par padega...

He paused.

Vanraj:-Bas mujhe isi baat ki fikr hai Baa...jab yeh baat bahar aayegi to hum sab ki kitni badnaami hogi....aap aur bapuji mohalle me sur utha ke nhi chal payenge....aur Pakhi aur Toshu....mere bechare baccho ko na jaane duniya ke kitne taane sunne padenge...Toshu to fir bhi bada hai...lekin Pakhi....wo to school me hai...jab uske friends aur classmates ko pata chalega ki uski maa chor hai....to kya izzat reh jayegi meri beti ki....

He looked at Toshu and Pakhi and the look on their face told him that his plan is working.

Vanraj:- Baat sirf meri hoti Baa to mai seh leta...lekin baat mere parivaar ki hai...mere baccho ki hai....aur mere baccho ki takleef mujhse bardaas nhi hoti....

He sighed pretending to be frustrated because of Anupama.

Toshu:- Papa...

Vanraj:- Haan beta...

Toshu:- Kya is embarassment se bachne ka koi tareeka nhi hai...

He asked worried of how embarassing it would be for him in his office if the truth comes to light.

Vanraj:- Shayad hai...

He looked at Pakhi who was still standing near the door.

Vanraj:- Maine suna hai ki board members bol rhe the ki Anupama agar apni galti maan le aur sach bata de ki usne kitne paise liye kise wo bids leak ki.....to wo koi strict action nhi lenge....na koi case karenge....sirf Anupama ko job chodni padegi....

Toshu:- To hum mummy ko bolte hai na ki wo galti maan le...kamse km hum is embarassment se to bach jayenge....aur job ka kya hai...waise bhi unhe wo cheeze nhi karni chahiye jo unse sambhlti na ho....

Vanraj:- Beta hum use galti manne ke liye kaise bol sakte hai...aur waise bhi wo humari baat sunti hi kha hai....agar wo kisiki baat maanegi to wo sirf Samar ki...

He paused and looked at Pakhi before continuing.

Vanraj:- Ya fir Pakhi ki....

Toshu sighed realising there is no way Samar and Pakhi are going to ask Anupama to do something like this while Pakhi has something else going on in her mind.

Pakhi looked at Vanraj sitting with his shoulders down and with creases on his forehead. He is worried for them, she thought. She can do nothing to ease his troubles or maybe she could, she thought to herself and left.

Vanraj looked at her retreating figure and knew exactly where she was headed to.

The unpleasant sound of vessels crashing on the kitchen floor stirred up Anupama and she sat up straight on her bed. She stretched her arms wondering why Devika is in the kitchen this early in the morning when her eyes wandered to the wall clock and widened on realising that she was late.

Anu(to herself) :- 9 baj gaye....mai itni late kaise ho gayi....wo bhi office ke dusre din hi...jaldi taiyyar ho jaati hoo nhi to traffic me fas jaungi....

She stood up from the bed at once and paced her steps towards the washroom but stopped midway when the realisation hit her.

She knew Vikram never meant it and only said those words for the sake of protecting her but they refused to leave her sub conscious.

Anu(to herself):- This is not going to go anytime soon.

She sighed and went to the washroom to fresh and up.

A few moments later, she stepped out of her room and went to the kitchen to find the source of noise that woke her up. The sight she saw left her open mouthed.

Anu:- Devika...yeh kya haal bana rakkha hai?

There was Devika standing near the kitchen counter completely drenched in besan trying to make something that Anupama couldn't figure out.

Anupama moved closer to have a better look and saw her kitchen was in shambles.

Anu:- O Maadi re.....Devu yha kaun sa toofan aaya tha?

She asked in a stern voice looking at the mess Devika has created while Devika made a puppy face that melted her.

Anu:- Devu...tujhe kuch khana to mujhe jaga deti....mai bana deti na...aur yeh tera office jaane ka time hai...tu yeh sab kya kar rhi hai...

Devika:- Wo Anu...mai actually tere liye teri favourite khandvi bana rhi thi but....

She looked at the kitchen and then at the Khandvi.

Devika:- But yeh pata nhi kya ban gaya.....

Anupama was stunned by this sweet gesture of Devika. No one in her family in 25 years has ever bothered about her mood or feelings and here was Devika....her best friend....who is cooking her favourite dish to cheer her up instead of going to work.

Anupama took a piece of Khandvi from the plate and tasted.

Anu:- Umm....thoda sa geela hai...but tasty hai....

Devika:- Sacchii?

She exclaimed in excitement.

Anu:- Haan....bahut bahut...bahut tasty hai...

She said with warm smile.

Anu:- Lekin tujhe is samay office me hona chaiye na....tu yha kya kar rhi hai?

She raised her eyebrow in question.

Devika:- Wo maine aaj office se chutti le li...

Anu:- Kyu?

Devika:- Kyuki meri jaan....aaj hum jayenge bahar shopping aur ghumne ke liye... girl's day out you know....

She sounded ecstatic while Anupama knew what she was trying to do.

Anu:- Hum khi nhi jaa rhe....

Devika:- But kyu....Anu yrr tu please aaj bore mat kar...chal na....bahut din ho gaye bahar gaye hue hume....

Anu:- Devu...mujhe acche se pata hai tu yeh sab kyu kar rhi hai....lekin tujhe office me hona chahiye...tera itna bada project shuru hua hai...aur tune sirf mera mood theek karne ke liye office se chutti le li...Not done Devu...

Devika:- Anu maine tere liye nhi khudke liye off liya hai....mai whi kaam karte karte bore ho gayi hoo yrr...I need a break...aur agar mai tera mood theek karne ke liye bhi kar rhi to kya fark padta hai ek hi din ki to baat hai....

She tried to sound as convincing as possible but Anupama caught her.

Anu:- Devika...pehli baat mai bilkul theek hoo....haan thodi stressed hoo but itni bhi nhi ki tujhe office se chutti leni pade..

Devika:- Anu...yrrr

Devika rolled her eyes at the statement.

Anu:- And I appreciate tu mere liye itna kuch kar rhi hai....but Devu...in sabme agar tera kaam chutega to tujhe kya lagta hai mujhe khushi hogi....aur rhi baat meri...to mera mood shopping karne se nhi kaam karne se theek hoga...

Devika:- Aur tu kya kaam karegi...office to tu jaa nhi sakti...

Anu:- Kisne kha ki sirf office jaake hi kaam hota hai...

Devika:- Mtlb?

Anu:- Tune yeh jo toofan laaya hai kitchen me use sametna bhi to kaam hai...

Devika shrugged in embarassment.

Anu:- Aur tu bhul rhi hai ki mera ek aur office hai?

Devika:- Wo kaise?

Anu:- Dance Academy...

Devika smiled.

Anu:- College aur office ki wajah se mai dance academy ko pura time nhi de paa rhi thi...but aab jab tak college nhi khulte tab tak time hi time hai....to usse pehle mai dance academy me jitna time de sakti hoo dena chahti hoo...

Devika was surprised to see Anupama's positive attitude.

Devika:- Yrr Anu....tu itni kharab situation me bhi itna sabr aur positivity kaise dhund leti hai....

Anu:- Waqt aur zindagi dono ne sirf yhi to sikhaya hai...

She said with a deep voice that expressed some unsaid emotions.

Devika:- Hmm....to basically tu mere sath shopping nhi chalne wali....

She questioned to lighten the mood.

Anu:- Bilkul nhi...aur na hi tu jayegi...tu jaa aur jaake office ke liye ready ho...mai teri banayi hoo Khandvi tere liye pack karti hoo...

Devika chuckled.

Devika:- Accha theek hai mai jaati hoo office but kuch bhi hoga ya koi bhi problem hogi to just call me...okay?

Anu:- Haan...pakka aab jaa already kitna late ho gaya hai...

Devika:- Hmm...aur Anu tu chinta mat kar...sab theek ho jayega...

Anupama nodded while Devika went to her room to get ready.

Anupama finished cleaning the mess Devika had created in the kitchen and some other household chores before setting off for her dance academy.

She has not given dance academy her undivided attention since the internship started and that was the reason the trainers she hired were neglecting their job. There were tones of things that were pending to be done in the academy and she decided to complete them before she again gets busy with her college. She started with buying some props for the dance performance her students had to give in a college and then headed to the academy.