Chapter 1

Mana

@cynicalities

Once again, Aniruddh, Pari and Ashnoor's absolutely incredible performances have lead me to writing a story in the middle of the night. If I ever end up making a career out of writing, I might have to give the entire credit to these three. 😂
So, on occasion of Aniruddh's birthday, here's a sincere attempt at yet another story from Hanuman's perspective.
This story is a little longer than my last one, with three parts. I'm posting Part One now. I don't have an exact schedule for updates, but my goal is to post all three parts before Monday's episode so as to avoid my story interfering with the actual show. 😅

I hope you like it! 💞

...

Ke Raaste Abhi Badal Se Jayenge

Chapter 1: In The Hospital

The doctor walked out of the observation room and Hanuman and Babita both rushed towards him.

"Kya hua Minnie ko?Woh thik toh hai na?"
"Aapki beti ka appendix rupture ho gaya hai. Waise toh ilaaj na kiya jaye toh yeh kaafi serious ho sakta hai, lekin aap fikar mat kijiye. Minor operation hai, jaldi thik ho jayegi woh."
"Operation..."
"Doctor sahab, aap woh operation, jo kuch bhi jaruri ho, kijiye aap, bas Minnie jald se jald thik ho jaye."
"Jee, Inspector Hanuman. Operation ke liye aap dono ko consent form pe sign karna padega. Main bahar kisiko bol deta hu, woh aapko batayenge kya karna hai."

The doctor left. Babita was trembling with fear and worry. In any other situation, Hanuman would have did something, said something to calm her, to support her. But could he do that now? Was he allowed to say anything?

"Hanumanji, yeh kya ho gaya? Aap se baat kar rahi thi woh, tab tak sab thik tha, achanak pata nahi kya hua usko, mere toh kuch samajh me nahi aa raha-"
"Aap tension mat lo, woh bohot achhe doctor hai. Aur unhone kaha na, minor operation hai. Uske baad toh ekdum thik ho jayegi woh."
"Are minor operation kaise? Operation toh operation hota hai na. Kabhi pehle itni bimar nahi hui hai woh, or aaj aise kaise..."

The woman at the reception called them to complete the hospital's admission formalities. Babita filled up her details, signed, and pushed the form over tohim. "Dono ka signature chahiye unko."
Hanuman took the pen and form from her. Name, address, contact details, his consent to Minnie's operation, the usual. But one word stopped him in his tracks. "Relation to the patient", the form asked. And hadn't that been the story of his life for the last few months? Everyone seemed to have that question; how was he related to the mother and daughter? The court, the society, Ashok Khurana, Khatri, even the media people interviewing Babita. Truth be told, he himself would have liked to know, what was he to them? His feelings aside, what were they to him? Tenant-landlord didn't cover it, friends seemed too casual, there was no official name for the bond they had with each other. Minnie had called them a family, but then he had messed it all up. But right now, it wasn't important, was it? So he did what the three always did when faced with this question. He left it blank.

"Aapne relation toh likha hi nahi. Main likh deti hu. Father na?"
"Jee, woh... Minnie ka father na hu main."
"Toh aap iss consent form pe sign nahi kar sakte. Aap please unke father ko bulaakar laeeye."
"Jee unko toh na bula sakta main. Aapko uske maa ki ijajat toh mil gayina, woh rakh lo aap. Minnie ke papa ki ke jarurat hai?"
"Hospital ki procedure hai, sir. Mujhe unki signature leni padegi. Aap please unko bulaeeye. Woh sign nahi karte tab tak hum ilaaj start nahi kar sakte."
Her words and Babita's fearful gasp at them were enough to make Hanuman mad.
"Are aisa kaise procedure hai aapka yo, patient ka ilaaj hone se rok rahe ho aap. Uske baap ko uski fikar na hai, uska ilaaj ho, na ho. Likhiye, relation likhiye aap, main hu Minnie ka father. Aap bas uske operation ki tayari kijiye."

After all was said and done, Hanuman wondered if he had crossed a limit. Minnie was ready to leave his haveli and his life, now he had put himself down as her father in her hospital forms. He didn't even know of Babita approved of it. Was she angry? Was she okay with it? He didn't dare turn around and find out. Neither did she say anything. She just looked at him for a few seconds, her face unreadable, and then walked to where Minnie was being carried to a room.He wasn't sure if he should follow. He wasn't sure if his presence was welcome or if it would just aggravate the situation. In the end, he stood outside the door, waiting, till the painkillers finally brought some relief to Minnie and she fell asleep.

… 

When they finally wheeled Minnie away for her operation, both Hanuman and Babita were a worried mess. There had been multiple calls back and forth to Minnie's grandparents, to Naeem Bi and Lala. Sitting outside the operation theatre, they waited desperately for someone to walk out of that theatre and tell them that everything was okay, that their daughter was fine. Because as far as the hospital was concerned, she was their daughter, wasn't she? In ideal circumstances, being called Minnie's father would've made him very happy. After all, he had considered her like his own daughter since long ago. Now? Now that same thing made his stomach flip with trepidation.

...

By the time midnight rolled around, the operation was done and everything was fine.Minnie was still unconscious due to the anesthesia, Babita sitting on the edge of her bed, her hand caressing her daughter's hair, Hanuman standing there awkwardly. Both were extremely aware of each other's presence, albeit for very different reasons. Neither of them knew what to say to the other.

Babita raised her hand to her forehead and let out a slight groan.
"Aap thik to ho jee?"
"Ha woh bas, kal subah se sar me thoda dard tha, uparse aaj itni bhaagdaud..."
"Ek kaam karo aap, aap bahar aaramse baithke thoda rest karlo aap. Do teen din se bohot jyada upset ho toh apka dimaag bhi na ab thak gaya hoga. Aap rest karo, tab tak main baith lunga yaha Minnie ke paas."
There it was again, the confusion on Babita's face on hearing him call Minnie by her name, not as Veer Balika or Queen Victoria. She looked like she wanted to ask him why but decided not to. He would have loved to explain, to wipe that confusion off her face, but what was he going to say? Your daughter found out about my feelings for you and now she wants to have nothing to do with me? It was better to not say anything at all.

...

In the morning, when Babita had stepped outside the room to call Minnie's grandparents while Minnie rested, Hanuman sat there in a chair, beside Minnie's bed, his hand over hers, his thumb rubbing comforting circles on the back of her hand.

 Sitting there, Hanuman tried to make sense of his own emotions, tried to find out what his own thoughts were. He was worried sick about Minnie, but he was also worried about the mother-daughter leaving the house. The way Minnie looked as if she was actually considering taking up tenancy at Khatri's house... That meant she was very serious and firm about her decision, and not just acting out of anger. She would make it happen. And her mother? However hard Babita tried to be strict with her daughter, she always gave in to Minnie's decisions. Did that mean they would actually leave? Could Hanuman handle it if they did? He didn't think so. What if he promised Minnie that he'd forget all feelings he had about Babita? Would that be enough? Would that make her reconsider her decision? He had already lost Imarti. His heart wouldn't be able to bear the blow if he lost Minnie and Babita as well. Now that he had gotten used to a life with them, to people and happiness and laughter, he would never be able to live in an empty haveli. He would gladly forget his feelings, keep them aside, if that meant Minnie would reconsider leaving from his life. 

So deep in thought, he was suddenly brought back to his senses when Minnie awoke and yanked away her hand from his. They looked at each other for a moment and Minnie turned her head away, her eyes moist.

He should say something, but what? There were too many things to be said, too many issues to be resolved. Where would he even begin?

"Babes kaha hai?"
"Bahar baithi hai woh. Phone pe baat kar rahi hai. Main bulake laata hu unko."

He got up. This was a cop out, and he know it. But he dreaded the conversation that was coming.

"Ek minute, ruko aap. Mujhe aapse baat karni hai."

Well, that settled it. He had to face it now.

"Aap aise mat samjhiye ki ab se sab ho gaya toh mera decision kuch change ho gaya hai. Hospital se discharge milega tab main le jaungi meri Babes ko, aap se dur. Main aise hurt hone nahi dungi meri Babes ko."

Tears had welled up in her eyes again. That utter broken expression was too painful for him to watch.

"Dekh, chhori, jo hua, jaisa hua, usme teri galti toh na hai kuch, ib yo tere ankh me aansu na dekhe jayenge mujhse. Maine bohot try kiya, ki yo jo line hai, jo boundary hai, woh par na ho. Par ke karta, baawla mann hai, kisi ki sunta kahahai. Tujhe abhi bata deta hu, ib agar tu chahti hai ki main tum dono se dur rahu, teri mother ke baare mein jo sochta hu woh sab bhul jau, toh yehi sahi. Par tu aise relation todne ki baatein na kar. Mera tujhe ya teri mother ko hurt karne ka, ya tum dono ke beech aane ka koi intention na hai. Nahi mera koi aisa intention hai ki bhai main unko convince karu ya unpe koi jabardasti karu. Jo jaisa hai so hai, abhi unko kya decision lena hai woh unpe chodd diya hai maine."
"Decision unpe chodd... Matlab Babes ko ye sab pata hai? Yeh kehna chahteho aap?"
"Main bas yeh-"
"Aap bas kya? Woh sab janti hai ya usse bas andaja hai, kya kehna chahteho aap exactly?"
"Dekh, ib unko kitna pata hai yo toh manne bhi na pata. Lekin itna bol sakta hu ki puri tarah se andhere me na hai woh. Andaja toh hai unko."
"Nahi! Main nahi maanti. Usko kuch pata nahi hai, usko pata hota toh woh bilkul nahi rukti uss ghar me. Mere Babes ko kuch nahi pata!"

Before he could reply, Babita entered the room with a few tiffins in her hand.

"Are, Minnie beta, uth gayi tu? Kaisa lag raha hai abhi? Abhi main Beeji-Dadu se baat kar rahi thi, puch rahe the ab tabiyat kaisi hai teri. Woh bhi pareshan baithe hai ghar pe. Waise, Hanumanji, woh... Naeem Bi ne khana bheja hai. Khaa lijiyega aap."
"Rehne do jee, bukh na hai manne.."
"Aap aisa kyu keh rahe hai? Kuch kha lijiye na. Thaane se aane ke baad directly yaha aana pada tha. Aur aaj phir din bhar aap bhi toh yaha baithe the. Kal shaam se kuch nahi khaya hai aapne."
"Lekin-"
"Lekin vekin kuch nahi sunungi main. Please khaeeye aap."
Hanuman dared to look up at Babita, but she didn't seem to have noticed the look of surprise and the tears her words had brought to her daughter's eyes.
"Kamaal karte hai aap bhi. Kuch nahi khayenge or phir aap bhi bimar padjaate toh? Kaise sambhalti main aap dono ko? Umm, mera matlab tha, aap bhibimar padte to problem ho jaati. Please kha lena aap. Main woh Minnie ke dawaai ka puch ke aati hu."

Hanuman had no choice but to eat in an awkward silence and a lot of guilt.

...

Hanuman left Minnie's room for a minute to wash his hands. Before he could enter again,he overheard the hospital's orderly talking to Minnie.

"Beta, yeh kuch documents hai, inpe aapke father ki signature lene hai. Aap de dengi unko yeh?"
"Mere father ke signature?"
"Haan, woh Inspector Hanuman Singhji. Unhone aap ke form pe ek signature miss kar di galti se. Dekhiye wo Relation wale column ke niche. Please unko keh dena woh sign karke reception pe leke aane ke liye."

Oh no.This was not going to end well. Hanuman looked inside the door and saw Minnieread the form.

"Relation to the patient: Father."

Minnie looked hurt, angry, and worst of all, she had the exact same look that she'd had when she finally told him the reason for her anger. Betrayal. He had betrayed her in the worst possible way in her books, and now there was no redeeming himself.

...

Read Chapter 2 here.

Read Chapter 3 here.