Rishton Ka Manjha - MaAn

𝙄𝙓 | 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 |

Trust the magic of new beginnings

One and a half year later

Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad

Ruk ke bhi chal pade magar
Raste sab bezubaan

The serenity was blissful. A lone figure looked ethereal under the moonlit sky with a smile adding to its glow. It was Anupama. This place had her heart and so whenever she is overwhelmed by extreme emotions she would come here. Three figures stood leaning on the cars, at a distance looking over her for her safety. Vikram sighed and walked over to her, "What are you thinking so deeply after celebrating the anniversary of your new journey?" Anupama looked at the serene waters of the holy river and gave a genuine smile. "I am overwhelmed by the emotions. I feel blessed and grateful as I look back at the progress that I have made. I have grown and evolved as a person. I am pursuing my dreams and my passion. This new life is something that I have always wanted for myself." She took a pause and further continued, "I thought that the aftermath of divorce would have other consequences but as they say that whatever happens, happens for a reason. I am glad because the best part of the new journey was connecting back to my old friends. I missed you, Vikram. Though Devika was and has always been there for me, it was your antics and the way you understood me back then was something that I needed the most all these years. I share a different bond with Devika and the same is with you. The level of connection is different for Devika is strong, and sassy yet can be a child at times. The emotional understanding and support was there yet I missed the feeling of being protected and safe. You give me those vibes. We both are similar yet so different in our approaches." Vikram looked on puzzled. "Bhavesh has his own demons to battle with and being a brother he has done more than he could but there's a difference between what a friend can offer and what a family member can offer right? The magnitude of love is different, right? I could not reach out to Bhavesh all these years because that man's mother despised my family somehow. There were moments when I need someone to lean on as there was a nagging fear in that house." Vikram hugged her as a reflex and asked, " So are you coming to the reunion tomorrow?" Anupama looked at him with a poker face that implied her obvious answer. It was so like those times. They burst into fits of laughter.

The ride home was full of giggles as Devika, Vikram, and Samar chatted among themselves whereas Anupama was lost in the flashback as she recalled the mammoth changes that had changed her life for good and how she met Vikram was special. She was yet to experience the most beautiful and transcendental feeling of love at the hands of that one special person through the dice of destiny which had already been rolled out invisible to the mortal world. Vikram and Devika shared knowing smiles for the reunion was going to bring a storm with it as they left Anu's house.

Bodakdev, Ahmedabad

Divorce had been a harrowing affair for the Shah Household. The household had been divided into two groups- ones that supported Anupama and the ones that were against the separation. Bapuji, Kinjal, Dolly, Sanjay Bhai, Samar, Devika, and Mamaji provided Anupama the emotional support whereas Pakhi, Paritosh, and Baa ridiculed her decision. It changed the atmosphere of the Shah Household. The dynamics of relationships had changed overnight. There was a lack of communication. It had more of a spontaneous reaction to a situation rather than analyzing it and absorbing it. The lines of care and control were blurred. They were impulsive rather than listening to other people's views and had an element of intimidation coupled with fear. The core nature was a narrow mindset which was and continues to be unpredictable. Life threw many curveballs that had shaken the family up. It brought the crackled edges to the limelight. Things went on a downward spiral starting with Bapuji suffering a heart attack. Later on, Kavya and Vanraj got married post-divorce. Even though Paritosh had his share of flaws, he and Kinjal got married too. Samar went ahead and pursued his dream as a dancer. The family later faced a financial crunch as Vanraj, Kavya, and Paritosh lost their jobs. Anupama became their savior when she suggested the idea of opening a cafe by upscaling the old rusty garage apart from having a dance academy. The loan and taxes added to their woes as Rakhi Dave was a sordid opportunist. The growth and rise of Anupama in personal and professional spheres of life received acceptance and support from some people whereas it evoked feelings of jealousy and repugnance from the rest.