Chapter 10

TiaMaaaaa

@TianaWrites

~10~

"What would he be doing now?"

She hit her head slightly with her palm.

"Anupama, stop thinking about him..."

She had bid him goodbye only an hour ago and yet every second apart from him felt like eternity. She felt a part of her missing without him by her side. The big hall of the hotel was fairly crowded yet she felt lonely. Ever since she had given her heart to him, she felt incomplete without him. She contemplated whether to call him or not and finally decided against it. Opening the gallery in her phone, she searched for the one photo that she had found herself often opening the past few days. The picture they had taken together after winning the best couple. His shy smile in the picture spoke volumes she had ignored before. Gently, she caressed the picture with her thumb and sighed.... if only... if only...

"Ladies and Gentlemen... welcome to our celebration today..."

The voice of her ex-husband broke her thoughts. She turned around to see him entering the stage holding a woman's hand. Not a woman, she looked more like a little girl, thought Anu. Her eyes shifted to her ex-husband holding her and she suddenly felt protective towards the little girl. He had been behaving decently for quite some time but she still couldn't fully bring her heart to trust him. Something about him screamed deception to her. She wished she could just grab the poor innocent girl in his arms and shield her from the cunning man.

"I want to introduce to you... my new business partner... Scratch that, my partner in crime... The ever gorgeous... Ms. Malvika..."

The girl gave a dazzling smile and opened her mouth to say something when she suddenly stopped as her eyes widened. She jumped off the stage and ran towards the door making the entire crowd including Anu look at where she was going. Her heart stopped for a minute as Malvika leapt behind a dashing man standing by the door all suited up in white. She would recognize the form miles away... It could belong to only one man... Her man... Anuj Kapadia. As he turned around to return the hug, it finally sunk in her clouded brain that the other important person he had mentioned to her was none other than the innocent girl she had felt so protective about... Malvika. 

It didn't take him long to feel her eyes on him. At first he had dismissed it to be a figment of his imagination but a closer look at the people gathered made him realize that she was really there.

"Anuj... Anuj... what are you looking at? I am here..."

Malvika's frustrated voice brought him to reality. He shook his head and asked

"Why are we here...?"

"Oh... I am launching my new business... and this is my new business partner... come... let me introduce you..."

She dragged him towards the stage.

"Anuj, meet my new business partner... Vanraj Shah..."

Anuj felt the world beneath him shake. Of all the people in the world... she had chosen this... this guy.

"And Raj... this is my brother... Anuj Kapadia..."

As an uncomfortable silence prevailed in the room, Mukku looked confused.

"Am I missing something here?"

"Uh... no actually Anuj and my ex-wife are business partners... so we know each other..."

"Wow... that's cool... Anuj you got yourself a business partner?"

He said nothing but looked at the one person who hadn't taken her eyes off him ever since they had entered. Taking in a deep breath, he mustered up some courage and pulled Mukku's hand.

"She is here... I want you to meet her... Now..."

"Okay..."

Taking her towards Anu, he said

"This is Malvika Kapadia, my little sister... we call her Mukku... And Mukku... this is... Anupama..."

Anu watched as Mukku's face as it changed from excitement to recognition... to sadness... to realization... all in a few seconds.

"THE Anupama, Bhai...?"

Anuj nodded and before Anu could say anything, Mukku leapt into her arms and hugged her tightly. Suddenly, her little body trembled as she broke into sobs and Anu out of reflex put her arm around her and gently rubbed her back. Mukku kept mumbling through her tears

"You are here... you are really here..."

As her sobs started to slow down, Anu felt her pull back and reaching out her hand, she wiped her tears and nodded in negative. Mukku smiled.

"You are prettier than I imagined..."

Anu smiled back.

"And you are cuter than I imagined..."

"He told you about me?"

"No... no... he said there was someone very important in his life..."

"Ah... good Bhai... you are learning to keep your promises..."

The sarcasm wasn't missed by Anu but she chose to ignore it. Mukku continued 

"It was a personal thing... I will tell you when we are alone... Sorry, Bhabhi..."

"Huh?"

Her breath hitched and cheeks colored at the word. She looked up at him nervously. He shook his head at the outspokenness of his baby sister and said

"No Mukku... She is my friend and business partner..."

Mukku face palmed and stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"You are an idiot... Bhabhi, this idiot of my brother is head over heels in love with you... will you..."

Anu's eyes shifted nervously to the ground beneath her. She wished somehow she could grow wings and fly away. The red in her cheeks deepened.

"Mukku... Mukku... please... not now..."

She looked up at the 'not now' and glared at him.

"Ok... fine... later then... I am so happy you are here... I love love love you.... so much."

She leapt into her arms again and Anu felt her heart flood with love for the girl in her arms. She felt just the same as she had when the nurse had placed Samar, Toshu and Sweety in her arms in the hospital years ago. Holding her tight she placed a soft kiss on her hair and promised in her heart that come what may she would protect this little girl with her life... for that moment... she became a mother again.

***

Precap: Does Anu go to Anuj's apartment or hers?

A/N: OK people... here is the10th chapter... and I just completed writing the 30th chapter of this story. The story is far from complete. This story is writing itself and I am letting it take over. The story has deviated from the show fully now. There is a lot of drama coming up. I hope you will  like it Mukku's story is totally different from the show here. There maybe a few similarities but not entirely same. You will know in the coming chapters.