WHO IS AKSHAT?

The day was getting darker , Grandma and Meera came inside! Meera saw Raghu carrying a pile of clothes from the veranda and she went to him for help.

She came and said, "let me help you, give some clothes to me I will carry them!"

"Oh no no didi, these are Akshat Baba's clothes! he doesn't like anyone touching his things!"

When Meera heard it, she felt strange and started thinking, "What exactly is this Akshat?"

"Do you need anything Didi?", Raghu's voice broke Meera's trance and she slowly shook her head in no!! She came inside. There were plants in pots in the balcony. Meera walked towards them! She removed the rotten leaves and after cleaning the pots, started watering them!

Dadu had come from outside and had been watching Meera doing all this work for quite some time! Meera was watering the plants with great love, seeing which Dadu's eyes were getting peace! He walked towards Meera and while sitting on the chair, said, "After a long time, I have seen someone working so leisurely!"

"Grandpa, it's you!", Meera said upon hearing her grandfather's voice

"You should call me Daadu like everyone else, I feel a sense of belonging! By the way, you have come to this house only today and have kept yourself busy in work today itself", said Dadu lovingly

"I like doing all these things Dadu, plants are also like humans, just like a sad person is not good, similarly a wilted plant is also not good! And my mother used to say that keeping wilted plants in the house is not a good omen!", Meera said in a low voice while caressing the small flower on the plant!

"You are a very intelligent girl! Akshat had brought these plants when we all went to Banaras last year for a trip! He had bought these on the way back from there!

It is a different matter that after bringing them home, that worthless fellow did not take care of them!”, said Dadu!

Hearing Akshat's name from her grandfather's mouth, those two eyes started moving in Meera's mind again! Seeing her silent, grandfather said, "You do it, I'll leave!" Grandfather left from there and Meera sat there and started thinking about Akshat! Whose name she had been hearing continuously since morning but whom she hadn't seen!

Hey Meera, what are you doing there?" Nidhi said coming from outside, carrying some bags in her hands. Seeing Nidhi there, Meera got up, washed her hands and came to the hall. When Meera came to Nidhi, Nidhi extended a notebook towards her and said, "Take this your one month's notes"

"Where did you get these from?" Meera asked in surprise.

"I met Vineet in the market today. I told him that Meera had not come to college for a month, so he happily gave me his notes!", said Nidhi

Putting the bag on the sofa!

"Why did you do that? You shouldn't have taken notes from him!", Meera said seriously.

"Oh come on Mira everyone knows Vineet likes you and that is why he gave you his notes!", said Nidhi

"I will return it to him tomorrow!", said Meera

"As you wish!", said Nidhi while sitting on the sofa.

Meera kept the book on the table and sat next to Nidhi! Nidhi took out a packet of chocolate from a bag and said, "Will you eat it?"

"You know I don't like chocolates!", said Meera "

"You are the 8th wonder of the world, ahhhhh just like Akshat bhaiya! That means you must be the first girl in the world who doesn't like chocolates. Anyways I brought this for Akshat bhaiya he loves dark chocolate!", said Nidhi putting a piece in her mouth.

By now Meera was tired of hearing everyone's name and this time Nidhi even said that she was like Akshat! Meera got up and left from there! Nidhi was very surprised. Meera left and surprised words came out of her mouth, "What happened to her now? Well, first let me eat the chocolate and then I will ask!" Nidhi put another piece in her mouth!

It was evening and the cold had started increasing. Meera took out her cream coloured sweater from the cupboard and came down wearing it. Grandmother was performing evening aarti in the puja room. Grandfather was sitting in the hall and watching the news on TV. Grandmother was getting interrupted while she was praying, "Please lower the volume!" But Grandfather did not pay any heed.

Meera smiled seeing this scene. In the dining area a little away from the hall, Raghu was cleaning the plate kept on the table. His attention was less on the table and more on the news and his facial expressions were also changing accordingly. Meera came to him and asked him to sit there and watch TV and took the cloth from his hand and started wiping the plate herself. Raghu smiled at Meera's behavior. From there, Meera came towards the kitchen and stopped at the door. Seeing her standing at the door, Radha said, "Why are you standing outside?"

Meera did not say anything. Perhaps she was hesitant to say anything. Radha saw her face and understood her problem. She said, "You must be thinking that we are Brahmins and you are Rajputs. Should I enter the kitchen or not? That is the issue, isn't it?"

"Yes, I am Rajput but I am vegetarian!", Meera said softly.

"No problem, come inside!", Radha said smiling. Meera came inside. The kitchen was as big as a room. All the stuff was arranged in an orderly manner. Seeing the kitchen, Meera had come to know that Radha liked cleanliness. She was looking at everything in the kitchen very carefully. Then her eyes fell on the coffee mug kept on the rack in front. Meera picked it up. There was a picture of a boy on it but his face was not visible. He had kept his hand close to his face, so that only his eyes were visible. Meera turned around and saw a message written on the back - My eyes are enough for you to fall in love with me.

When Meera read it, she felt very strange. As soon as she turned, Radha was standing behind her. Even before Meera could say anything, she pointed to the picture of the mug and said, "My little son Akshat, he does not like to be photographed at all. Nidhi had taken this on his last birthday and gifted it to him!" Meera again heard something new about Akshat and was also annoyed inside. Seeing Meera silent, Radha said, "Put it there!"

"Hmmm!", saying this Meera turned and jerked her hand vigorously just like we throw away things but she didn't throw the mug but put it back. Radha was busy cutting vegetables so Meera came to her and said, "Can I help you a bit?" "No beta I have done everything, I just have to make something for grandfather. Would you like some tea or coffee?", Radha said "No aunty, I would have liked to help you. Anyway ever since we have come we have been feeling like guests!", Meera said innocently "So that's it! Then do one thing, cut the raw coconut kept there into small pieces. Akshat likes coconut chutney a lot. He will be happy", said Radha while putting vegetables in the vessel. "Hmmm!", said Meera and picking up the knife, moved towards the coconut.

She picked up the piece of coconut and used the knife on it as if it was not a coconut but Akshat's neck. This one name had troubled her so much today that perhaps no one else in her life had. No one knew what would happen when the person whose name had troubled Meera so much would come in front of her. After cutting the coconut, Meera went out. She helped Radha in putting food on the dining table and then went to wash her hands and face.

When she saw herself in the mirror after washing her face, the expressions of worry were clearly visible on her face. While wiping her face with a towel, she started saying to herself in her mind: What is this Akshat? His name is on everyone's tongue in the house, everyone just talks about his happiness. Whether it is good or bad, no one is able to know? And then these strange thoughts of hers, who is this Akshat after all?"

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