Chapter 1
Author's pov :
The train station was bustling with people, some running towards the bridge, some walking by the crowd getting off the train, ayera still seated on her seat looked out the window, her destination has finally came, she is supposed to depart here, removing her gaze from the platform she looked at the curled up child sleeping in her lap, inyan her 4 year old brother-in-law, his tiny fist clutching the fabric of her sweaters sleeves tightly as if the little child was afraid that he would loose her.
" Yunie utho beta dekho hamara station gaya"
"Yunie, wake up sweetheart. Look, we've reached our station "
She tried waking up the little boy gently shrugging his shoulders making him stir in his sleep, slowly opening his eyes still in daze of sleep he sat down in ayera's lap,
" Bhai.....ka ghar agaya? "
"Have we reached brother's home?"
That was the first question inyan asked his dear sister-in-law who wasn't surprised at all by the question , because he was quite a yearner for his older brother always trying to coax his bhabi about his older brother's doings.
where he is, what he is doing, why isn't he living with them at the village and millions of questions a child's curiosity as it is...
" Bas ji agaya aapke bhai ji ka ghar hum iss station par utrenge and then aapke bhaiya aate honge hame pick karne ke liye "
"Yes, sweetheart. We've reached your brother's city. We'll get off here, and your brother should be here to pick us up "
Ayera answered his question in the same gentle manners watching the little brown eyes twinkling in happiness.
how precious
she thought as she made him sit down on the seat while getting their luggage from under the seat which was a dark blue suit case she made him wear his jacket and put his black shoes on his cute little feets,
All this time the child sat there obediently with patience letting her doll him up his mind already in the ninth cloud.
bhai ke ghar jaaenge hum, bhai ke ghar!
the same thoughts playing in the little one's head,
When ayera was done with gathering all her belongings she picked up inyan on her hips as she dragged the trolley bag with another hand while her one hand gripping the little one firmly on her hips.
The passengers boarding this train were almost departed from the train as ayera took her time to get off knowing this was the last destination for the train so it stays plenty of the time on the platform,
A child in her arms, a trolley bag in another she managed to get off the train safely as the kid clinged on his bhabhi for his dear life.
They both were now on the platform as ayera walked towards the bench and sat inyan down,
" Bhai kaha hain?? Bhabi bhai..?
"Where's brother? Bhabi... where's brother?"
Inyan speaked as soon as his feet dangled from the steel bench,
Ayera looked at him and the sudden realisation hit her as if a light bulb suddenly switched on her eyesight,
Isn't he supposed to be here already? Given that he already knows our deboarding schedule.. where is he ?
She took out her phone to see if he had called her or texted anything she has missed
no calls or any messages , what's happening ???
she asked herself in her mind.
She kept the trolley bag infront of her as she also sat down beside inyan who was roaming his eyes all around the platform watching people moving here and there,
His gaze coming back at her waiting for the answer for the question he asked not long ago his eyes filled with a joyful Twinkle of hope.
" Yunie I am sure wo aate hi honge you can wait for bhai right? "
"Yunie, I'm sure he'll be here any minute. You can wait for your brother, can't you?"
He nodded excitedly
Such a cute child
Ayera thought smiling as he bobbed his head rapidly watching his soft fluffy hair dance along.
She picked up him and sat him down on her lap as he leaned towards her embrace his arms curling up onto her arms his head resting on her chest.
She picked up her phone again, opening the chats hoping to see any news
Him: Haan chacha ji ne kaha hai wo drop kardeneg station
par ¹⁸: ³⁰
Her: theek hai ¹⁸:³⁰
She saw the last time they talked was when he came back to Mumbai after 5 days of their marriage, they didn't talk much, not very familiar with each other's company.
The plan for coming to Mumbai to live with him was chachi Ji's . she couldn't watch the newlyweds stay apart it was breaking her heart to see the newlywed bride to be without her groom a devastation indeed as she stated.
Ayera knew that this wasn't chachi Ji's main concern she was the least interested in the newlywed couple's marrige life all she wanted to do was to get ridd of the responsibility to look after her and the little bundle of joy her dear husband has left behind in his late parents home.
Chachi ji was the one who went through all the trouble of booking their train tickets to dropping them off the station in Howrah with her husband .
she told ayera that she had already discussed it all with her husband Ritvik about their move from Kolkata to Mumbai where he was currently residing.
Knowing that ritvik wasn't much of A conversationist she also didn't bothered to reach out to him respecting his boundaries, but today's situation was telling ayera that something was definitely wrong.
Not only her husband hasn't called her in days even thought they were travelling this far, nor he has checked with her for any updates with her situation, knowing his personality ayera didn't bother to worry about his strange behaviour at all but as the whole situation broke down infront of her she felt something was not fitting the jigsaw.
She looked down her lap seeing inyan still staring at the bunch of people moving stuff from the train's carriage cart ,
at least he is busy with his attention hooked
she quickly dialled her husband's number as it ringed for a minute only for it to ending on a voicemail,
Why isn't he picking up??
She called him again, then again and again all the times the call was disconnected with the voicemail, she tried to text him next
Ayera: where are you? ⁰²:¹¹
Ayera: we already have reached? ⁰²:¹¹
Ayera: why aren't you picking up the phone? ⁰²:¹¹
Ayera: are you busy with traffic?.are you here yet or not?⁰²:¹¹
Ayera: i am currently on platform no.3 ⁰²:¹²
She saw all her texts being delivered but he hasn't read any of them , the train has reached the station for almost 30 minutes now and all the passengers had deboarded the train on their way to their next destination as they existed the platform premises.
Ayera checked her phone again to see if there was any news from her husband but nothing. A sense of weird anxiety grew inside her chest as she now dialled her husband's chacha's number the call ringed for a minute as he picked up the call
" Hello chacha ji? "
"Hello, Uncle?"
" Hello...? Haan beta ayera? Aap log pohoch gaye? "
" Ji chacha ji"
"Yes, Uncle."
Ayera answered as soon as the man from other side of the phone asked her about whereabouts before chacha ji could say anything ayera intrupted him
" Chacha ji hame yaha pohoch kar aadha ghanta hone ko hai aur wo abhi tak yaha nahi aaye hai "
"Uncle, we've been here for almost half an hour, and he still hasn't come."
She said looking down at inyan who was now playing with the hem of his sleeves still not bothered by his surroundings
" Kya? Ritvik waha nahi hai? Par usse to waha already hona chaiye tha maine usse kaha tha ki wo kuch samay pehle hi waha wait kare tum dono ka "
"What? Ritvik isn't there? But he was supposed to be there already. I told him to reach early and wait for you both."
Chacha ji explained as he had handled all the train tickets and schedule. ayera could hear chachi ji asking in the background what's the matter she also seem concerned now
" Nahi chacha ji aur unka phone bhi nahi lag raha hai hum kabse unka hi wait karrahe hai"
"No, Uncle. We can't reach him on the phone either. We've been waiting for him all this time."
She explained her many trials of reaching out to her husband, chacha ji now sounded more concerned he said something about he will try calling ritvik by himself as he hurriedly ended the call.
Ayera looked down at her phone as she checked again if ritvik has at least seen her texts
no replies still....
" Bhabhi wo dekho Blue train! "
"Bhabi, look! A blue train!"
inyan called out to her his finger pointing towards another passenger train that was on their sight.
" Yesss yunie blue train! "
"Yesss, Yunie! A blue train!"
She mimicked his enthusiasm as he giggled watching her play silly, even in the short period of knowing each other inyan and ayera had grown to be fond of each other, as if they were attached deeply.
ayera adored the brown eyed child more than anyone she had held affection for , it was no less for inyaan also he was like a baby chick all day trailing behind ayera with his
bhabi this ,bhabhi that!
not that ayera disliked any of the disturbance.
They could have given me his adress at least, it's not that hard to book a cab and move around the city
Ayera thought in her mind as she tried to say before coming to Mumbai that it wasn't necessary for ritvik to pick them. as trying not to disturb his already hectic schedule as he has, but chachi ji had strictly said not to such thing as she was a newly wed going there all alone by herself wasn't graceful at all
He should have come to pick us up from Kolkata if it was about grace and fullness!
She mimicked Chachi ji's taunting tone in her mind she wasn't a woman who blindly depended on anyone, liked to do her work on by herself when it wasn't necessary to involve any next person she kept it to herself,
Busy in her thoughts her trance broke when she heard her phone ringing when she picked up hoping it to be her husband but to her disappointment it was Chachi ji,
" Hello?."
" Ayera beta? "
"Ayera, dear?"
" Ji Chachi ji? "
" Beta Ritu to phone hi nahi utha raha hai beta? Pata nahi kaha hai? "
"Dear, Ritu isn't answering his phone at all. I have no idea where he is."
Chachi ji went on saying how she had clearly talked to him about picking her up from the station even though she was taunting ayera the days she was in their family home, her voice still filled with worry and concern.
" Beta tum ek kaam karo wahi rehna theek hai ! tumhare chacha ji us nalayak tak pohochne ki koshish karrahe hai pata nahin kaha gayab hai wo ladka! "
"Dear, just stay where you are, alright? Your uncle is trying to reach that useless boy. Goodness knows where he's disappeared to!"
Ayera listened as Chachi ji taunted her husband for being careless and carefree and then she finally decided to ask again,
" Chachi ji hame lagta hai wo kuch important kam mein phas gaye honge shayad isliye phone nahi utha rahe. aap aisa kare aap mujhe adress de dijiye mai khud chali jaungi "
"Auntie, I think he must've gotten caught up with something important. That's probably why he isn't answering. If you don't mind, could you just send me the address? I'll make my way there myself."
Chachi ji went silent for a moment and then spoke again
" Ye lo apne chacha se baat Karo beta"
"Here, talk to your uncle."
" Hello beta ayera? "
"Hello, Ayera?"
" Ji chacha ji? "
"Yes, Uncle?"
" Beta tum chali jaogi na sahi address par? "
"Dear, you'll be able to reach the correct address on your own, won't you?"
His voice was gentle questioning with concern ayera explained to him that he didn't need to worry much and she would be fine booking a cab or getting one outside the station.
" Theek hai beta ruko mai dekhta hu Rithvik ne adress bheja tha mujhe "
"Alright, dear. Hold on, let me check. Ritvik had sent me the address."
" Ji chacha ji"
"Okay, Uncle."
Ayera hung up the phone as she finally felt a little bit of tension getting out of her mind for
now i just have to get a cab
" Bhabhi? Bhai nahi aaye? "
"Bhabi... brother didn't come?"
Inyan chimned in as soon as he saw his bhabhi no longer talking on the phone ayera looked at him cooing at his manners.
" Aap mere call ke end hone ka wait karrahe the?."
"Were you waiting for me to finish my call?"
Inyan nodded twice as he smiled at ayera
Soooooo cute!
Ayera thought as she cupped the kids fluffy smooth cheeks planting a gentle kiss on his button nose as inyan scrunched it harder both giggling.
Just then ayera heard her phone beeping notifying her that she got a text she quickly checked who it was as she saw chacha ji had sent her something.
Must be the address
She thought as she checked the text
12/F students council building apartment complex, xxx road xxx
She looked at the address to make sure she wasn't seeing it wrong because if her eyes weren't wrong then isn't this the address of their college's dorm back in Kolkata?
Did chacha ji even check the address before sending it to me?
She thought to herself she quickly called chacha ji to check what is this
" Chacha ji ye to unke Kolkata wale college ka address hai? "
"Uncle, isn't this the address of his college dorm back in Kolkata?"
" Kya? Isne to yahi bheja tha last time"
"What? This is the address he sent me last time."
Knowing her husband's personality as much she had Heard from chachi ji it seems like he didn't share his current address yet with his family members
What an absolute nuisance he is!
" Beta kya karoge ab? Tum wahi rehna theek hai Anjana shehar hai naye log! Bilkul kahi mat jaana mai kuch karta hu"
"Dear, what will you do now? Just stay where you are. It's an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar people. Don't go anywhere, alright? Let me figure something out."
Chacha ji instructed strictly as ayera just agreed trying not to make him more stressed than he already is.
" Bhai nahi arahe hai kya bhabi? "
"Brother isn't coming, Bhabi?"
She heard inyan asking tugging at her sweater sleeves his eyes slowly gathering the shimmer in rims around the eyes
She looked at the kicked puppy ,like face of his and immediately hugged him rocking him gently.
" Nahi to! Aisa kisne kaha mere pyare se yunie se bhai bas aane hi wale hai"
Of course he is! Who told you otherwise? Your brother will be here any minute."
" Par wo ab tak kyu nahi aaye? Kya wo hame apne ghar nahi le jayenge?
"Then why hasn't he come yet? Doesn't he want to take us home?
This time inyan's voice broke as he asked meekly ayera's heart broke into pieces
This Lil babu! And this much sadness???
" Aisa nahi hai yunie bhai zarur kuch kaam mein lag gaye honge? Ya phir wo hamare pyare yunie ke liye koi gift prepare karrahe honge?"
"It's not like that, Yunie. Your brother must've gotten busy with something... or maybe he's getting a surprise gift ready for his favourite little Yunie."
"GIFT!? "
"A gift!?"
as soon as the brown eyed child heard the word his whole body jerked up excitedly his excitement shining through his doe puppy like eyes
Cuteeee!
Ayera thought as she booped his nose again hugging him close to her heart, her eyes roaming around the station as she saw the man from a nearby stall kept staring at her she pulled her trolley bag more closer as she clutched inyan's frame more firmly towards her
Just where the fuck are you?
She thought thinking about the last time she saw her husband a vivid fainting image coming into her mind ,him in his groom's attire , not once during the whole wedding ritual he had met her eyes
Ayera kept sitting there without moving patting the child into her lap back into a light slumber she covered him with her arms as she glanced towards the gate where people were entering and exiting
To be continued...
