Part 7
While Anuj went to freshen up, bapuji made Anu privy to how exactly had Anuj come to reside in Shah house.
"When I, GK and yaadon ki baarat returned from our religious trip, we came to know that Anuj was living in a hotel for the past few days. Apparently there had been a short circuit at the house, and Anuj could have been seriously injured too".
Anupama gasped at this information. How could he not tell her that? And here she was pouting about his lack of attention towards her!!
Baapuji continued," Luckily, Anuj was out of the house then. But he decided to renovate the entire wiring and reinforce the security, and therefore moved to live in a hotel. How could I let him live in the hotel?! He is family too".
Anupama nodded at that but eyed the man sitting at the table with bewilderment. She only had one question in her mind- And vanraj shah complied with bapuji's order/demand without drama??!! Impossible!! Like pigs could fly! Hah!
Anupama shook her head then. "Baapuji, koi tamasha nahi hua aapke iss faisle par?
Bapuji smiled amused at that, “Hua thapar vesa nahi jaisa tum soch rahi ho”
Flashback
“Why will that Anuj live with us?” Leela repeated, offended by her husband’s decision.
“I stand by my decision. And I will entertain no further discussions”, Hasmukh proclaimed,folding his hands behind his back.
“But—
“Let it be, baa”. It was Vanraj who stopped Leela. Leela looked at her son bewildered. Hasmukh looked at him as if he had misheard.
“GKis bapuji’s friend and this is bapuji’s house. And we can easily house one more person. Ghar chota hai toh kya hua, dil toh bada hai na”, And Vanraj smiled.
Leela agreed as expected, but was greatly confused by this drastic change.Nonetheless, as long as her son was fine, she could put up with that anuj for a few days too.
Vanraj felt that back of his head burn. He could overhear the duo talking, and realized that Anupama was staring at him, shocked. He gritted his teeth then. As if he allowed that Snake into his house, willingly!
Raising his downcast eyes then, he foundAnuj leaning leisurely against the pillar as he waved at him, before giving hima face splitting grin.
Insane B@stard. Vanraj cursed with his eyes.
Anuj smirked and his lips moved too.Vanraj’s face went red as he deciphered them.
Anuj whistled as he moved to talk to Anu and bapuji, sparing a side glance at Vanraj. Fateechar.
Anupama bombarded the man with questions as soon as she saw him and he smiled through her scoldings, happy to have her back in front of his eyes. Oh, how he had missed her!
“Scoldings aside, will you allow me to have some lunch too?” Anuj asked pointing towards the table where everyone had seated themselves save for them and Kinjal who was picking up the casserole to serve.
Anupama bit her lips then. She had forgotten that this was Shah house. Baa was going to put her to sleep with her lecture on propriety if she continued behaving like some enamored fool.
“Chaliye baapuji”, She signaled bapuji to move forward and as he did, Anuj leaned closer and whispered, “I don’t mind the scolding either. I will happily have it as desert. Just inform me, my room or yours?”
A cheeky grin followed and Anupama colored, as she whipped her head to glare at Anuj. He did not just!
Anuj skipped ahead quickly, briefly closing his eyes to chide himself. “Control Mr. Impatient! Control! Or one of these days, Anu ki hatt jaegi aur mere gaalon ke saath durghatna ghat jaegi”.He chuckled as he entertained the thought. Dear oh dear, did he have that fetish too?! He shook his head yet again. Back to earth, saste majnu. Back to shah house.
Pulling back the chair for bapuji, ashe smiled at Anuj’s chivalry, the man apologized in his head.
‘Sorry,Bapuji. The decision to house me was yours but I was the one who created these circumstances’.
Anuj recalled how he had tinkered with the wiring and how GK had emotionally twisted bapuji’s heart as he had shared with bapuji about Anuj’s loneliness, how he hated coming back to an empty home and how he urgently had to go back to his village and therefore would not be able to keep Anuj company. All in all,GK had smartly appealed to bapuji’s good nature and Anuj brilliantly played the part of a pitiful lonely man, to earn himself a room in Shah house.
Anuj took his seat then. It had been the right call indeed. He was going to make Anupama his, right in front of these pathetic schemers and none of them would be able to do sh*t.
Shifting his gaze to Anupama, as he saw her taking up the casserole to serve, he held her hand instantly and interrupted,“Anu, you should eat too. You can forego serving for a day or two. I’m sure you are tired too, so please, join us”.
“But then—
Anupama trailed looking towards Kinjaland Anuj smiled. “Kinjal, please sit down”.
Having said that, Anuj fixed hisabsolute fake smile at Kavya and addressed her, “You don’t mind serving, do you Mrs Shah?”
“Why will I do it?! Let Kinjal and Anupama do it!” She barked back pissed. She had been slogging in the kitchen for days, in their absence. Now that they were back, it was only right they took up their tasks.
Anuj quirked an eyebrow at Vanraj in response and Anupama noticed the exchange happen as Vanraj turned to Kavya and spoke up, “Do it, Kavya”.
“But V!”
“Don’t make a fuss. Just do it”.
Kavya stomped her feet in irritation and slid back her chair loudly. For the past two days, she had been trying to fathom this mammoth change in her husband who was usually very noisy, but was unusually well behaved and docile since Anuj kapadia had moved in. Correction- he had supported the move too.She was sure something was cooking between the two men but was still oblivious of the details.
She walked towards Anupama and was about to snatch the casserole when she saw Anuj smiling sweetly at her, and she changed her stance and gently pried the casserole from Anupama and smiled even more sickeningly. “Please sit, Anupama.You must’ve been tired after such a hectic tour”.
“Don’t smile at me like that. I will get nightmares”, Anupama commented with a deadpan face instantly, and Anuj and Baapuji who were the only two to have heard the remark, other than Kavya,sputtered. And well, Kavya just fumed.
“Aao betho, Anu”, Anuj offered Anu his own seat, and her heart swelled at his public display of importance and respect, for her.
She took the seat on Bapuji’s right and Anuj took the seat between hers and Kinjal.
“That’s my seat”, Toshu remarked as soon as Anuj settled and Anuj smiled tightly at that. “I don’t see your name written here, boy”.
Toshu opened his mouth to debate.Vanraj opened his mouth to stop his son. Anupama beat the lot of them. Her words stern and final.
“Don’t misbehave, Paritosh”
“Par main—
“SIT DOWN QUIETLY OR LEAVE”, Anupama stressed and Paritosh clamped his lips as his mother glared at him. That worked alright. A mother’s wide eyed glaring gaze always worked.
Paritosh took his seat between Leela and Vanraj then. Kavya served all andonce she took her seat, the shah table weather became eerily strained.
Usually it was filled with taunts. But since Anuj kapadia had come to reside with them, every meal had become increasingly uncomfortable. The feeling of calm before the storm always lurked.
Anupama munched on the dhokla quietly as she gauged everyone’s reactions.
Theweather at the table was a tumultuous one.
Baa chewed her food as if she was being force fed poison.
Pakhi munched her roti rather quietly, daring not to look up.
Toshu glared at his plate as if constipated, his fingers clenched.
Kavya looked from one corner to another, her expressions half baffled, half amused.
Anupama's gaze flickered all over the table, oscillating specifically between her right and the seat on Toshu’s right.
Vanraj had his patent furrow brow look cast on his face, his jaw clenched tight and his eyes spitting fury as he glared at her right.
The person on her right, the subject and the cause of deathly silence at the table, simply smiled in challenge,his eyebrow cocked as he licked the sauce.
And Anupama still couldn’t believe it.The shahs were hosting Anuj Kapadia in the house!
Your much awaited update is here gals! Do leave your reviews!😃
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