Wakeup...

He admired the cute fingers that were serving him coffee.He judged her cleanliness at that very instant,neatly trimmed and polished long sharp nails.Wow!
Slowly his eyes drifted from her fingers onto her hands,then shoulder and then the beautiful diamond studs .. and finally landed up on the pretty face.His heart did a flip flop and sang a quick rhyme..'A face so pretty,oh whatta beauty'.He was spell bound.Her features were sharp and at a glance anybody would say…she was beautiful..Indeed Jaanu was beautiful and Shekar was hooked.

This was their first meeting.. he was initially reluctant and rebelled against an arranged marriage until his parents forced him into this Bride seeing ceremony.Their jathakas were on a 9/10 match which is considered good enough for marrying two different strangers in a hindu community.Then followed this Bride-Seeing or to be more apt Bride-Hunting event.He had fore-warned his mother “Ma , if I don’t like the girl,we are not staying for lunch,we will tell them straight that things will not work out”.He somehow felt,it mere justice to tell it on face if he had no idea to pursue the alliance any further.He was not going to let expectations grow from both ends and ultimately neglect after a month with fake reasons.That’s how our hero is! Smart,ain't he?

He wasn’t very sure if he could share his life with another person, until he stepped into “Anugraha” , Jaanu’s home.Now,the coffee.. yes,he was in love with her fingers and as he grabbed the cup with a captivating smile, a quick “thank you” came out from his mouth.He confessed to her much later,when she demanded a thank you note everyday for their morning coffee..that his gratitude was for not just for that cuppa but to the God's up above for bringing such joy into his life.

Their eyes spoke for an instant and she vanished to her room quickly,for her heart was beating so fast.He could already sense a “YES” from her side.He was waiting for somebody to declare it on her behalf.He grabbed the opportunity when Jaanu’s uncle asked him about his dreams and aspirations in life.He definitely had answers well prepared to impress his would be In-laws.His smart replies,did impress her parents.So was Jaanu,hearing to his every word.

His mom winked and asked him loud,”Shekar,we are feeling hungry,,so what are your plans for lunch?” He declared his answer “Today’s lunch is at Anugraha”.Happiness,Smiles,Feast,Talks,Dates,Music,Wedding followed..Life began for the couple.

Days rolled by…Today, Jaanu and Shekar are a happily married couple.It is their first anniversary.They were invited on a lunch party at “Anugraha”.Shekar always felt like it was the first time he is stepping into his in-laws house…not all son-in-laws feel comfortable at inlaws house do they? Lets put it as the respect factor.His in-laws were equally excited as the couple on this occasion.The feast was indeed a good one though he would never tell Jaanu,he loved his mom’s recipes better.

On the way back home,Shekar and Jaanu were chatting mindlessly,on various topics from price hikes to their appraisal and ratings.'What is this life,if full of care,we have no time to stand and stare" .. Suddenly,their car screeched to a halt.There on the very road,they saw another couple,waving for help.Jaanu was kind enough to persuade Shekar and offered them a lift.Quickly,there were four voices in the car,two couples on their first anniversary.The strangers introduced themselves as Lisa and Roy.They invited Jaanu and Shekar for a quick coffee to their home which was comfortably on the way back.Shekar agreed after some persuasion.The car screeched to a halt for the second time,infront of that giant palace.

The place wore a deserted look..Shekar had this strange feeling that the clouds were a bit more dark shaded over the palace.Half an hour here and back on our romantic travel..Shekar whispered.Jaanu gave a “Yes,Boss” nod.That very moment Shekar and Jaanu stepped into the house,they sensed Roy and Lisa had lost their friendly smile.There was an eerie silence.Lisa and Roy broke the silence with a chat about the co-incidence on meeting another couple on their anniversary.The man-servant of the house had brought “Coffee” with the right amount of sugar for Shekar and Black coffee for Jaanu.Shekar didn’t remember having mentioned their Coffee tastes to the man-servant or to the hosts.Fear gripped his throat.Whats happening? Hellooooo…Jaanu was innocently smiling and chatting about their trip to “Anugraha”,the wedding day gifts they exchanged.And then she asked them ..”Guys! so tell us what did you gift each other on this auspicious day?...common tell me...” The couple replied in unison,Jaanu we had gifted flowers to each other as it was our first “death anniversary” ..It took a minute for either of them to believe what they heard.Shekar quickly looked at his watch..15 more minutes to kill.The clocks seem to have stopped at the instant they entered the palace.He realized that the palace was indeed ghastly and wanted to leave at the earliest.

Shekar started to gulp his coffee as his eyes gazed the walls.They rested on an old painting in the wall for much longer than they should.The face on the painting was so familiar to him,like he had lived with it for ages.His thoughts were rolling back..suddenly,he realized with a jerk 'Its my Jaanu.. but in the costume of a Queen".He felt dizzy.. he was quick to realize the danger and turned back to alert Jaanu.But where was Jaanu? She had vanished !

He couldnot find Lisa or Roy.Small beads of sweat started trickling his face,rushing fervently up and down the entire palace he screamed his lungs out ”Jaanu.. where are you? “.Suddenly, he felt somebody holding his hand.Warmth ! Opening his eyes slowly.. he saw Jaanu.She was standing right beside his bed,bath fresh and said with a warm smile “ Happy Anniversary,Shekar”.A drop of tear peeped from his eyes.”Jaanu,I love you” said Shekar and then a tight hug..just like the first one !