-OS: Valentine Day-

Onu tried closing his eyes again but that didn't help: Everytime he closed his eyes he'd see his Mishti's face. And everytime he saw her face, his heart began to ache for her.

Onu heard noises from outside his window and got up. He made his way over to his window and stood there, staring out of it. In the distance he could hear people cheering, as if there was some kind of party.

Onu sighed. The closest he got to a party at the Asylum was when dinner was being served!

He strained his eyes to try and see if he could see anything in the distance. He couldn't see anything properly. Just the vague colour of red all over the street. As if it had been decorated.

Red? He thought to himself, looking away. Why was everything red? What did red mean? He turned to have another look.

"Anurag?" a voice called as his door unlocked. It was the same nurse who gave him his food every night. She was the only nurse he liked in the Asylum. The others were mean. He should find out from her. She would know. She would tell him.

He heard the cheering again and walked up to the nurse as she walked in. "kya hua Anurag?" she asked as he took her arm. "ruko" she said putting the tray down then followed him to the window. "kya hua?"

He pointed to his window. "kya? Yeh awaaz?" she asked and Onu nodded "party to hogi na? Aaj jo itna bara din hai" she smiled. Anurag looked at her, confused. Special day? What was so important about today? The nurse smiled warmly when she noticed he was confused. "Anurag, aaj Valentine's Day hai!" she told him and he turned to her again. "haan!"

Today was Valentines Day? He didn't even notice where the days came and where they went, so how was he supposed to remember Valentines Day?

Onu made his way back to his matress and sat down, staring into space. "kya baat hai Anurag?" she asked sitting with him, noticing he was upset.

He turned to see the writings on the wall behind him and ran his fingers over it. "Tujhe teri Mishti ki yaad aarahi hai kya?" she asked and Onu nodded, slowly turning to look at her. "tum khaana khao phir hum sochte hai ke tumhaari Mishti ke liye kya karsakte, acha?" she asked and he nodded.

There wasn't any point. There was no point in doing anything for his Mishti. She hadn't been to see him in all the time he was there, why was he going to do anything for her now?

"Jaldi se khaana khao. Main abhi aayi" she smiled and got up, walking out and closing the door behind her.

Onu looked at the tray of rice and vegetables that the nurse had brought him and pushed it away. He was in no mood to eat.

He rested his head back on the wall and closed his eyes. Mishti. His Mishti. Only she could get him out of there. And she hadn't even been to see him.

He thought back to their first Valentines Day together. It was even special because it was their first one after they got married.

~~~~~~~

Taani was putting the laundry into her cupboard when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Taani"

"Haan Onu, bol"

"Kya kar-rahi thi?"

"Main? Kuch nahin" she said simply

"Meri yaad kar-rahi thi?" he asked and Taani smiled to herself.

"Arre Onu, mere paas faaltu time to nahin hota hai tujhe yaad hi karti rahoon"

"Kya?! Faatu time?!" he exclaimed

"Onu, bol na, kyun phone kiya?"

"Maine tujhe yeh kehne ke liye phone kiya ke tu jaldi se tiyaar hoja"

"Tiyaar?"

"Haan"

"Lekin kyun?"

"Ab Taani, log tiyaar kyun hote hai? Bahaar jaane ke liye!" he said stating the obvious.

"Lekin Onu... hum kaise.."

"Hum kaise kya? Dekh, main pehle se bohat ghussa hoon, aur ghussa mat dila mujhe"

"Ghussa?" she asked

"Haan"

"Lekin kyun?"

"Taani, aaj Valentines Day hai, pata hai tujhe?"

"Haan, pata hai!" she said, her voice becoming irritated herself

"Pata hai tujhe aur tune mujhe wish bhi nahin kiya"

"Maine wish nahin kiya?!" she exclaimed "dekh Onu! Tune bhi nahin kiya!"

"Main to kaam main busy tha! Tu to ghar pe thi, tu karsakti thi"

"Kya?!" she exclaimed. "ab iska kya matlab hai??"

"Acha, yeh sab choro. Aayeghi na?" he asked softly.

"Onu, main kaise aasakti hoon? Ghar pe..." she complained

"Main kuch nahin sun-ne vaala. Tu tiyaar hoke gaari main aah varna mujhse baat mat karna!"

"Lekin Onu..."

"Main intezaar karoongha"

"Onu meri baat sun..."

"Byee!" he ended the call

"Onu..." she trailed off before realising he had ended the call. She sighed before putting the phone down. She smiled to herself and shook her head then got up to see Neelu at the door.

"Neelu Maa?" she said surprised "aap? Yahaan?"

"Mm" she nodded walking in "Onu ka phone tha?" she asked smiling

"Haan maa, vo..."

"Jaanthi hoon" she smiled "jaa, tiyaar hokar jaa"

"Lekin maa, main kaise..?"

"Kyun nahin? Teri patni dharam banta hai ke tu apni pati ke baat maano. Ab jao. Yeh mera order hai"

"Maa..."

"Taani" she said sternly

"Jee maa" she smiled and Neelu hugged her.

"Hamesha khush raho" she said touching Taani's cheek.

Taani got ready and made her way downstairs cautiously, hoping not to bump into Shekhar and explain where she was going. That would be far too embarassing for her!

"Bohat sundhar lagrahi ho" Neelu said from behind her and Taani smiled, turning to her

"Maa, main jaoon?" she asked

"Haan, jaa" she said and Taani left.

She got into the car that was waiting for her outside and the driver drove off. Ten minutes later the driver parked up in a side street, the middle of nowhere. Taani began to panic. "Dada? Hum yahaan kahaan aaye?" she asked him as he opened the door for her.

"Anurag Babu ne kaha aap ko yahaan laane ke liye"

"Acha" she said getting out of the car and looked up to see some steps leading up to an old building.

Taani made her way up the stairs and smiled when she saw a candlelit table set for two in the garden.

She approached the table but Onu was nowhere to be seen. She glanced around but nothing. She looked down at the table and smiled at the effort he had gone to, just for her.

Taani picked up a few rose petals from the table and shook her head.

She heard footsteps from behind her and smiled to herself, not turning to face him but she heard a CD play.

O Re Piya, Haye,

O Re Piya.

He turned her to face him. "acha laga?" he asked, putting her arms around his neck for her

"Bohat acha" she told him smiling

Urne Laga Kyun,

Mann Bavla Re

Aaya Kahaan Se,

Yeh Hosla Re.

O Re Piya

O Re Piya.

"bohat sundhar hai" she looked around, in awe

"Aur hona bhi chaahiye" he said resting his forehead on hers as she turned back to look at him "pata hai kitna time laga yeh sab karne ke liye?"

"Bohat kaam karna para?" she asked

"Haan. Bohat" he pouted, making her chuckle.

Nazren Bole

Dil Ki Zubaan

Dil ki zubaan

Ishq Maange

Ishq chaah

Kohi toufaan

Chal vahaan aahiste

Ishq naya hai

Pehla yeh caada

Humne kiya hai

O re piya hai

Onu gazed into her eyes and rocked her from side to side slowly.

"Chal" he said taking her hand and led her to the table to pull her chair out and she sat down before he sat opposite her.

He took her hand and presented her with a small box. "Onu... Yeh?"

"Tera Valentines Day gift"

"Lekin Onu, iski.."

"Taani.." he said sternly

"Onu, sach main, yeh sab kaafi hai mere liye" she said pointing around her

"Pata hai mujhe" he said taking her hands in his. "lekin main tera pati hoon" he said with a smile, making her smile too. "Mera farz banta hai ke main apni Patni ke liye kuch acha khareedoon Valentines Day ke liye"

"Onu.." she smiled and he gave her a look. She sighed before taking the box from him.

Onu watched her as she opened the gift. Her eyes lit up and a huge smile appeared on her face when she took out the bracelet that had the words Mishti clearly engraved on it. She looked up and their eyes met as they both exchanged smiles.

"Happy Valentines Day Taani" he said making her smile as he lifted her hand to kiss it.

~~~~~~~

Onu opened his eyes when he heard the door open. He saw the nurse walk in and the silhouette of some woman behind her.

"Anurag? Tune khaana nahin khaya?" she asked softly and he shook his head, wiping his eyes. "chalo, kohi baat nahin. Maine kisiko apne sath laya hai. Vo tujhe khilaadeghi" she smiled.

Onu looked up at her, confused then followed her gaze as she turned to see the lady still stood in the doorway.

Onu turned to face the wall uncomfortably. He didn't have visitors so who was this woman?

"Anurag? Dekhoghe bhi nahin ke kaun aaya hai?" the nurse asked and Onu shook his head "Anurag?"

"Onu?" a familiar voice said tearfully. and Onu lifted his head at once. That voice...

No. It couldn't be.

No. He was just thinking about her too much that he was imagining hearing her voice.

Onu shook his head as if he was trying to get her voice out of his head.

Onu ran his fingers over his wall. Mishti. Where was his Mishti?

He saw a hand appear on his and realised that it was the lady. He looked at her hand then spotted something familiar on her wrist. It was a bracelet.

He recognised the bracelet. It had the words: Mishti engraved on it. It was the bracelet he gave his Mishti. Onu left the woman's hand on his and took her wrist with his other hand.

The lady ran her hand over his cheek, wiping away his tears as he slowly looked up and met her eyes.

"Onu?" she said tearfully. It was her. His eyes filled with tears as he closed his eyes and opened them again just to make sure he wasn't dreaming again.

No, it wasn't a dream this time. It was actually her. It was his Mishti. She'd finally come.

He slowly got up, helping her up by her shoulders as he did. His eyes didn't leave hers. He leant forward to wipe her eyes. She was crying.

He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly, tears falling from both their eyes, both not ever wanting to let go