चेहरा क्यूँ मिलता तेरा यूँ ख़्वाबों से मेरे
ये क्या राज़ है
कल भी मेरी ना थी तू ना होगी तू कल
मेरी आज है
तेरी है मेरी सारी वफ़ाएँ वफ़ाएँ
मांगी हे तेरे लिए दुआएँ दुआएँ
ले जाएँ तुझे कहाँ हवाएं हवाएं
ले जाएँ मुझे कहाँ हवाएं हवाएं
ले जाए जाने कहाँ हवाएं हवाएं
Malhotra House
Morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of the Malhotra mansion, filling the house with warmth and the comforting aroma of freshly cooked breakfast. The dining table bustled with the usual morning chaos - something that defined the family more than silence ever could.
“ Maa mai late ho rhi hoon aur pichle teen din se mahadev ko goli de rhi hoon ki aungi mandir aur agar aaj nhi gyi to mahadev khud hi aa jayenge ,” she announced breathlessly while rushing across the living room, her pooja thali trembling slightly in her hands as her anklets chimed with every hurried step.
Kriti looked at her daughter with a mix of exasperation and fondness, holding a plate in her hand.
“Arey ye khana to khake jaa , pagal kahi ki humesha jaldi m rehti bilkul apne papa pe gyi h ,” she said, giving Saumya a stern but loving stare.
From the other side of the dining table, Dinesh leaned back in his chair, his eyes twinkling with quiet pride as he smiled.
“hn hn biwi ji beti bhi to meri hi h.”
Across them sat Anika, already halfway through her breakfast, completely unbothered by the playful banter unfolding. For her, this was a familiar morning melody - one she had grown up hearing, one that made their house feel alive.
Suddenly, Anika’s phone beeped. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened her results, her heart pounding loudly in her chest.
“Maa papa,” Anika shouted while checking her results.
Both parents immediately turned towards her, concern and anticipation flashing across their faces.
“Kya huaa betaa,” both said in a unison.
For a second, time seemed to freeze. Then her face lit up like a thousand diyas.
“AHHHHH mai pass ho gyiiii ,” she grinned, her eyes glistening with happy tears.
“Ab mai finally banglore jaungiiiii ,” she exclaimed, running forward and hugging them tightly, her excitement spilling over like a child who had just touched her dream for the first time.
Pratap House
Meanwhile, in the grand yet disciplined Pratap household, the morning held a different rhythm - orderly, composed, yet filled with its own warmth.
“Akash kab tak sota rhega uth jaaa ,” Shiv said, standing near his younger brother’s bed, arms crossed, though his eyes held a trace of affectionate annoyance.
“Bhaiyaaa do min aur,” Akash mumbled, dragging a pillow over his head in desperate surrender to sleep.
Without another word, Shiv pulled away his blanket. The sudden cold shock made Akash tumble off the bed with a thud.
“Bhaiyaaaaa,” Akash groaned in pain, glaring at him dramatically.
“Ab jaldi aa jaiyo Varna papa hi ayenge uthane.”
Akash instantly scrambled up, fear acting faster than sleep ever could, and fled into the bathroom while muttering complaints under his breath.
Just then, a firm voice echoed through the corridor.
“Shivvv,” his father called him.
“Ji papa,” Shiv replied respectfully, adjusting his cuffs as he entered the room, his posture straight and composed.
“Beta aaj ek business party h vahan humare sabse important investor Dinesh Malhotra bhi ayenge to unse zarur milna,” his father said, his tone carrying both authority and expectation.
“Ji papa.”
As Shiv stepped out, another voice followed him, softer yet equally commanding.
“Shivvvv,” his mother called out.
“Ji maa,” Shiv said, already halfway across the hallway.
She spoke while arranging dishes neatly on the dining table, her hands moving with practiced grace.
“Beta maine ye akash k pass hone ki mannat mangi thi mai abhi mandir jaa nhi paungi tu chala ja.”
“Theek h maa,” he replied simply, yet his voice carried a quiet promise as he joined everyone for breakfast.
At Temple
The temple courtyard buzzed with devotion - the fragrance of incense, the distant hum of bells, and chants blending with the morning breeze.
Saumya hurried towards the stairs, her breath uneven yet her faith unwavering.
“Hey bholenath apni kripa bana k rakhna aajke baad bolte hi mandir aa jaungi aur aapki bhi to galti h na pehle bulate ho phir kaam de dete ho accha chalo koi baat nhi hehe,” she mumbled lovingly while climbing the temple stairs, her bond with her deity more personal than ritualistic.
Suddenly, her steps halted.
A frail child sat near the entrance, his hollow eyes reflecting hunger and exhaustion.
“didi kuch dedo,” the child said in a tired and weak tone.
Her heart softened instantly. Without hesitation, she knelt beside him, offering the lota of milk from her thali along with fruits, watching him eat with a strange sense of fulfillment warming her chest.
“Mahadev aap pe kripa banaye rakhe,” the child said mysteriously, smiling with a calmness that felt ancient, almost divine.
A strange serenity washed over Saumya. She felt something sacred brush past her soul, though she couldn’t explain it.
“Accha ye to bataiye aapka naam kya h,” she asked gently, watching his now radiant smile.
“Mera naam h ashutosh,” the child looked at her like he held answers she didn’t even know she sought.
Saumya smiled warmly and moved toward the temple entrance. Behind her, the child murmured softly to himself —
“Aaj inhe vo milega jiski ye haqdaar h jo iski taqdeer h.”
Inside the temple premises, Saumya rushed forward, her mind still juggling prayers and apologies to her beloved Mahadev.
Suddenly, she collided with something solid and stumbled backward.
“areyyy yrr subah se bholenath aap yhi kr rhe ho Mai ab Parvati maiya se shikayat kr dungi aapki,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her forehead , only to freeze mid-sentence.
She hadn’t hit a wall.
She had collided with a man.
Shiv stood before her, equally stunned, his sharp eyes filled with disbelief and faint amusement. For a moment - longer than either intended , they simply stared at each other, as if the universe had pressed pause.
“Sorry humne dekha nhi tha,” Saumya said softly, breaking the trance.
“Huh? Umm vo I'm sorry too vo mera dhyan hi nhi gya tha,” Shiv replied, slightly hesitant, though something about her presence unsettled his otherwise composed demeanor.
As Saumya turned to leave, she felt a slight tug.
Her dupatta had gotten stuck in his watch.
Both froze again.
She moved first, trying to free the delicate fabric, but Shiv’s fingers accidentally brushed hers. The contact was brief, yet it sent an unfamiliar stillness through both of them.
“May I,” Shiv asked gently.
She nodded.
Just then, Pandit ji performed a loud shankhnaad. The sacred vibration echoed through the temple, and suddenly a decorative garland loosened and fell over both of them as the aarti began, flames flickering around them like silent witnesses.
Startled, they quickly removed the garland, their eyes avoiding yet searching each other simultaneously.
Unaware of each other’s presence, both stepped forward for darshan and bent to touch the priest’s feet at the same time.
The priest looked at them and smiled knowingly.
“sada suhagan rho beta bhagwan tumhari jodi banaye rakhe.”
They instantly looked at each other, startled, their hearts skipping beats neither understood.
And in that fleeting, accidental meeting, something unspoken etched itself quietly into both their hearts and minds.
Later that night, Saumya sat by her window, the moonlight falling gently over her thoughtful face.
“Pata nhi kon the vo aur itna sab m puchna bhi bhool gyi,” she whispered to herself, lost in thoughts of a stranger destiny had already begun weaving into her story.
Miles away, Shiv lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a faint, unfamiliar smile resting on his lips.
“Pata nhi vo ladki kon thi,” he thought.
And as fate silently smiled at their unawared beginning, sleep slowly claimed them both - carrying dreams neither of them realized they had already started sharing.
[ A/N - ik thoda sa boring lagega ye chapter next chapter accha hoga so stay tuned ]
How was the chapter ?? I know utnaa badaa nhi tha next time I'll try to write more next time.
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