Writer's Note :

Hello Lovely People!!

Posting here after a long time due to prior commitments. Apologies for the same. Thankyouu to each and every one of you for being patient with my delays. It really means a lot to me. Here's the New Chapter!!!

Hope you like it.

PS. - This Is Going To Be An Emotional Ride...Have Your Tissue Boxes Ready🫣♥️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The warmth of sun fell on her face and woke her up. The sight of around 25-30 people standing right in front of her felt unrealistic. She rubbed her eyes harder and opened them properly now. The view of two eyes burning with rage looking straight, froze her to death. She held Anuj's arm in fright, who was still sleeping but woke up with a jerk and wore his spectacles to see clearly.

The truck halted in the Shankar Nagar Colony in front of Mr. Kanji Lal Mehta's residence. It was his son's wedding and he booked the wedding decorators from Surat. The driver came out and opened the back of the truck. It was loaded with lots of materials which had to be unloaded ASAP as he had to leave for other deliveries too. Mr Mehta asked for the neighbours to help and one of them helping there was Vanraj Shah. He stood on the road keeping the unloaded items from the truck.

As soon as the pile of pillows was unloaded, he saw Anupamaa and Anuj sleeping next to each other. The sight blew his mind. Never in his dreams had he thought that he would see Anupamaa like that. Any person thinking logically would know that it must have been some emergency for them to land in such a situation but it was Vanraj Shah, the most impractical man in history. His anger was increasing by 10x every second.

It was a small colony, people started murmuring gossips in each other's ears as soon as they saw them. Anupamaa at that moment felt, dying would have been better than facing such a huge embarrassment. She knew they did no wrong and the turn of events that led them in that truck but all these people who were familiar with her roamed with a matchstick in their hands.

It won't take time for them to create stories and telecast all over. Her life would become talk of every house, like a daily soap. Her body went blue with extreme shock. Anuj who was equally stunned with the sudden development of events, kept his calm and looked at her, assuring her that he would manage everything.

Baa who was coming back from the temple saw the crowd gathered near her house and came to check the matter of astonishment and buzz. The sight astounded her too and she shouted at the top of her voice -

"Anupamaaaaaaa"

Pushing everyone aside she came right in front of the cargo bed of the truck. Anupamaa was already short of breath, hearing Baa's thunderous roar, she almost fainted. Anuj held her and brought her out of the truck. He looked around, the damage had already been done. Every single eye was looking at them in confusion and astonishment.

Anuj's quality to think straight even in the worst situation was his most impressing trait. He gestured the people calmly to leave and give them privacy. Although he was calm but his face expressed his adamance. The whole country knew Anuj Kapadia. The way he lived could never reveal that this was the same guy who appeared in the newspapers everyday for all the good reasons.

They knew how respectable and powerful businessman he was and not some roadside romeo. All of them disintegrated immediately. But the "Mohalle wali aunties" whose whole life depended on gossip stuck their eyes and ears on the window of their houses.

Anupamaa took a sigh of relief looking at the people go away but that didn't last for long as the worst was yet to come.

Anuj patiently requested both Baa And Vanraj -

"Baa Ghar Chalke baat karte hain"

Baa came and grabbed Anupama's arms suddenly and started shouting -

"Jab tum logo ne muh kaala karne se pehle ek baar bhi nai socha to mai yaha baat karne se pehle kyu sochu. Teri himmat kaise hui Anupama mere khandan ki izzat uchalne ki. Apne pati aur bacchon ke baare me Ek baar bhi nai socha is paraye mard ke saath gulcharre udane se pehle. kaise kiya tune aisa....."

Vanraj came forward looking at her as if would kill her.

"Tum mujhe bewafa keh rahi thi naa ab khud kya kar rahi ho. Mai shuru se jaanta tha tum is aadmi ko pehle se chahti thi....Mujhse to kabhi pyaar hi nai kiya tumne isliye chutkara paana chahti thi naa."

Tears were flowing down her eyes constantly. She couldn't believe what she heard. She knew Baa didn't like her but hearing that abuse from her mouth and those words of Vanraj calling her disloyal towards their marriage broke her into million pieces. It was worse than being betrayed. Her soul knew how much she loved him and how devoted she was towards their marriage and all the relations that came with it.

Anuj stepped forward and stood between Vanraj and Anupamaa but the huge man didn't budge an inch. Anuj asked him to calm down -

"Vanraj tumhe poori baat pata nai hai. Tum shant ho jao mai sab batata hoo. Anu ki koi galti nai hai."

Vanraj got even more irritated seeing Anuj protecting Anupamaa.

"Haa haa Anu ki kaise galti hogi....Saari galti to meri hai jo maine use ye sab gandagi karne di. Uspe nazar nai rakhi....haina..."

Anuj pressed his fist tightly, he was trying too hard to control his anger.

Baa added fuel to the fire too -

"Tu hota kon hai uski waqalat karne wala. Kya lagta hai iska jo ye sab bol rha hai...Ye meri bahu hai mai ise kuch bhi kahoo tujhe kya."

Vanraj pointed his finger at Anupamaa -

"Anupamaa ye sab ashleel harkate karne se pehle soch to leti ki tum mere teen bacchon ki Maa ho...Zara bhi sharam nai aayi tumhe."

At this point Anuj lost all his control. Any man who respects a woman more than a Goddess won't be able to hear such disgraceful words against her. He didn't know what he was doing or saying now.

He pushed Vanraj Hard with both his hands -

"Bas Vanraj....Anu ke khilaf ek bhi galat shabd nai sununga mai....Warna"

Anupamaa who was already shivering, saw Anuj losing temper for the first time. It was hard to look him in the eye. His face went burning red due to outrage. Vanraj didn't want to calm down either. He balanced himself from the push and suddenly held Anuj's collar -

"Warna kya haa...Kya karega tu...kya karega bol naa....Anupamaa ko chahta hai na tu... isliye ye sab kar rha hai....Kya lagti hai teri....Bol na...kya chahiye tujhe isse...bol"

His anger had no boundaries now, he could have killed Vanraj that day. He strongly jolted his hands away in the air giving him sensations like electric shocks -

"Haaa Haa Haa Pyaar Karta hoo Mai Usse.....Aaj Se Nahi Pichle 10 saalon Se Sirf Anupamaa Se Beintehan Mohabbat karta hoo....Aur agar ek lafq bhi uske khilaaf tumne apne gande Muh se Nikala naa to Kanha Ji ki saugandh bolne layak nai chodunga Tumhe. Maut ke liye bheek mangoge tum Vanraj Shah and I mean it."

Each and every word of his echoed in Anupama's heart, mind and soul. She froze.

"Mai Anupamaa se pyaar karta hoo"......."Anupamaa se pyaar"

She couldn't comprehend what she heard. Her first instinct was to run away and hide at a place where nobody would ever find her. The bombarding emotions were hard to control now.

She rushed towards the exit gate of Shankar Nagar Colony bare foot. While she ran, a drop of her tear fell on the back of his palm and he came back to his senses, no matter how unconscious he remains, her tears always brought him back to reality. This is probably the last time she ran off from these lanes. A lot had changed and much was going to change ahead.

He saw her going away....his heart wanted to run behind her, hold her, tell her how things were supposed to be told or rather never supposed to be told. He managed to hide his emotions for a decade, how did this useless man break him, he cursed himself. He feared the worst and it had come.

Vanraj left his collar immediately after hearing Anuj loved Anupamaa. He was the first person to realise in the world that Anuj Kapadia and Anupamaa were made for each other. The day he saw them together for the first time, although none of the character traits matched but there was a spark between them that his burning wish was to get her back. Although he consoled himself all this while, thinking it won't be possible but the love and passion he saw in Anuj's eyes that day confirmed his defeat even before the commencement of the battle.

He simply walked inside his house disheartened. Baa followed him and Anuj was left alone with regret, remorse and some memories of happy times spent with Anupamaa.

Anupamaa reached Devika's house and luckily she knew the place where door keys were kept for emergency. She opened it hastily, closed it from inside and went towards her room. She locked it too, fell on the floor and cried relentlessly.

All the events from the time she opened her eyes today, her past with Vanraj, her broken marriage, her friendship with Anuj played in her mind like a movie. Never in her life did she expect that she would be accused of cheating when she considered herself the last person on earth to do that.

She was completely torn apart. The obscenity of Baa and Vanraj pierced in her chest like a dagger...She just wanted to die.

Anuj reached Devika's house within 10 minutes. He hustled for his life (Literally). He saw the door was locked from inside. He started pounding it.

He called Anupamaa -

"Anu please darwaza kholo ek baar.... Please meri baat sun lo. Anu please open the door Damn it."

"Anu jo hua galat hua mai maanta hoo. Par bas ek baar mujhe keh do ki tum theek ho yaar. Please ek baar tumhe dekhne do please....Warna Mai mar jaunga.... Anu"

He stood there for 3 long hours but Anupamaa was shattered. She went through an anxiety attack, felt completely numb inside, too feeble to hear or understand anything.

One thing that she had preserved all her life was her purity. Purity of being a devoted and loyal wife for her husband and daughter in law for her family. She could have been wrong in everything but this was unquestionable. That day her vile husband and ungrateful mother-in-law even challenged without even knowing the circumstances, just out of hatred in front of the rabble.

Anuj lost strength in his legs and fell on this floor holding the door knob, still slowly drubbing it.

At Last, Anuj left losing all hopes of getting to see Anupamaa ever again.

Devika brought the kids with her on her way back to house. She found the door locked from inside, used another key to open it. As soon as she entered Anupama's room her heart sank witnessing her looking like a dead person merely breathing.

She knew something was terribly wrong. She tried to talk to Anupama but she was unresponsive. She held her close. When Anupamaa recognised her touch, she hugged her tightly and repeatedly said -

"Devu...Mai mar kyu nai gyi....Mujhe kanha ji ne apne paas kyu nai bula liya"

Devika tried consoling her. But Anupamaa was wrecked. She cupped her face and said -

"Anu tujhe tere bacchon ka waasta, shant ho jaa yaar."

She stopped immediately thinking about her little ones. She wiped her tears and went out of the room, saw Choti playing in the cradle and Samar playing with his car in the hall. As soon she saw them, she forgot everything else, this was the first time she left them alone for so long. She sprinted towards them.

Samar embraced her and started telling her about all the fun he had with Mukku didi. She kissed his forehead and scooped his face in her palms. She took choti out of the cradle and saw her giggling, all her pain washed away within that moment. She found her reason to live yet again.

The door bell rang and GK opened the door. He saw Anuj standing there having his clothes rumpled, black spot near the eye which was swollen due to tears it seemed, hair completely disheveled and no footwear on.

GK panicked and held him, it was hard for Anuj to walk anymore so he sat on the floor near the sofa. GK gave him water first and sat on the sofa. Anuj leaned and kept his head on his lap.

In the whole wide world GK was the one person who stayed constantly with him when no one was by his side not even his own parents. He was more than a parent to him, his friend, philosopher, guide...his everything. One of the reasons why Gk didn't marry was his little son. He was the happiest making him happy. One person who always looked out for him.

GK ran his hands through his hair and Anuj felt like he was back to life again. Tears were flowing constantly from his eyes, he felt empty inside but yet that moment gave him the much needed solace. GK asked him if he was fine and kept his hands on his shoulders.

Anuj, like a little child who fell and hurt his knee, told the whole story to his mom, told him everything. It was getting hard for him to speak. GK patted his back and asked him to breathe first.

He heard him and clinched him tightly.

"Anoooj Beta...Acche logon ke sath kabhi Bura nai hota. Tune kuch galat nai kiya hai. Teri Anupamaa tujhe Zaroor milegi. Mai kanha ji se prathna karoonga. Tu chinta mat kar."

Anuj tried contacting Anupamaa several times but she was unresponsive. He requested Devika to let him talk to her. She told him that she was too vulnerable and fragile right now to talk to anyone. Whatever happened had scarred her very badly and she needed time to bind herself again.

Anuj's heart feared losing her again. He just wanted to see her once but was helpless.

"Aman tum baat suno....Mere pass abhi jyada teme nai hai."

- Said Anupamaa on landline

"Anupamaa ji please meri Mummy ka B'day Hai. Aap Bas mujhe recipe de dijiye mai khud bana loonga."

- Replied Aman

He was tapping his fingers in jealousy. It was getting hard for him to control now. He pressed the speaker button and said -

"Ek baar Anu ne busy hoo bol diya samajh nai aata tumhe ladke. Jo bhi kaam hai baad me karna. Phone rakho ab"

Anupamaa was shocked at his behaviour. She didn't understand why would Anuj do that. He was a thorough gentleman and such a misconduct didn't suit him.

"Anooooooj....Ye kiya aapne, wo mera classmate tha. Us bechare ko apni Maa ke bday ke liye dhokle ki recipe chahiye thi bas. Kitna bura laga hoga use."

Anuj muttered -

"aur wo jo har chote kaam ke bahane tumhe phone karta hai to mujhe bura nai lagta kya ....chipkoo chaman kahinka."

She gave him a death stare and went inside the kitchen. Anuj couldn't see his Anu upset even for a minute. He went into the kitchen and sat on the counter right in front of Anupamaa, she didn't look at him. He took his phone out and dialled a no.

"Hello Aman Jeee bol rhe hain, mai Anuj Kapadia...Abhi wo aapko rakhke daanta tha naa...Wo hi. Actually mere business me sab theek nai chal rha to gussa aap pe nikal gya haa sorry brother **Anu ke (in very feeble voice). Mai tumhe dhokle ki recipe batata hoo honnn (Anu style) "