Chapter 28

Chapter 23 (B)

 

                    "Maine Taani ko bachpan se dekha hai. Jab se usne hosh sambhaala hai, usne hamesha tumse pyaar kiya hai. Sirf tumhare hi sapne dekhe hain. Woh toh Mumbai aayi thi sirf tumhare liye. Ghar mein sab uske Jodhpur chod kar jaane ke against the. Phir bhi sabse ladh jhagad kar aayi woh yahan. Jis ladki ne tumhare maamle mein kabhi koi compromise nahin kiya, imagine my surprise jab mujhe pata chalta hai ki woh tumhe chod kar kisi aur ke saath life guzaarne ke liye tayyar ho jaati hai."

Her eyes were brimming with tears but she continued, "Taani ko har cheez mein compromise manzoor tha Rey, but tumhe lekar nahin. Phir kaise woh apni life ka itna bada samjhauta karne ke liye maan gayi? Kabhi socha hai tumne?"

Both stood silent for a minute. Then Rey said slowly, "Usne kaha tha ke woh mera pehla pyaar nahin ban sakti kyunki mera pehla pyaar sirf dance hai. Usne Sharon se kaha tha ke woh meri life kharab kane ke guilt mein nahin jee sakti."

 

Niyati smiled. "That's so like Taani. Tumne wahi dekha jo woh tumhe dikhana chahti thi. But Rey, tum toh samajhdaar ho! You live in a city like Mumbai for God's sakes! Yahan tikne ke liye you have got to be smart! Tou have to pick things up! Kya tumhe Taani ka nature bilkul samajh nahin aaya? Uske kapde, uska behavior, ladkon ke around uski awkwardness. You never realized how orthodox she was? Usne Mumbai aane ka ek decision itni mushkil se liya tha, aur tum chahte the ki woh apna career banaye."

Rey looked shocked. Ise ye sab kaise pata?

Niyati continued, "Tum kabhi Jodhpur aaye? Tumne kabhi hamare sheher ka mahaul dekha? Hamare ghar ki soch dekhi? Shayad tab tumhe idea milta. We are not the way we are by choice. Humein bachpan se hi sikhaya jaata hai, ke ek ladki ka asli ghar uska sauraal hota hai; uski asli jagah kitchen aur uska asli career pati ki sewa. Hamare dimaag mein is lesson ko aise drill kar diiya jaata hai ke hum ise hi sach maanne lagte hain. Aur karte bhi kya? Ghar k bahar kabhi kadam nahin rakha tha. Duniya kya hoti hai pata nahin tha. Jo humein hamare maa-baap ne sikhaya, humne use hi sach maan liya."

                    Rey continued to hear with rapture. It was his first insight into Taani's life and he wanted to know it all. Fulfilling his wish Niyati continued after wiping her tears. "Tum chahte the ke woh career-oriented bane, independent bane. I admit tumhari soch bohot achi thi. Shayad tum sach mein Taani se bohot pyaar karte the kyunki koi kisi ke baare mein aisa nahin sochta.Har kisi ko ek submissive partner chahiye, jo bas unki haan mein haan milata jaaye. Yahan tak toh sab thik tha, par tumne apni baat manwaane ke liye fake break-up stage kiya."

 

          "Tumhi batao?" She asked walking right up to him, "Mumbai mein ek saal kya bachpan se batayi huyi seekh par bhaari pad sakta tha? par how would you know? Tumhe itni fursat kahan thi Taani ka bachpan jaane ki!" Gathering herself she kept going, "Tum pooch rahe the na ke meri problem kya hai? Tumhara intention nahin tumhara tareeka meri problem tha. Tumhara Taani ko independent banana ka tareeka galat tha. Isliye I keep saying ke tum Taani ko samajh nahin paaye. Woh tumse itna pyaar karti thi ke agar tum use bas keh dete, nahin maanti toh force karte that you want to see her independent. tumhare liye woh definitely sab kar jaati."

"Main use kabhi hurt nahin karna chahta tha. Believe me, mera aisa koi intention nahin tha. Main bas chahta ke woh apne pairon par khadi ho, apni care khud kar sake. Life ke har challenge ke liye tayaar ho sake. I just wanted her to be strong", Rey said earnestly. It was important to him that she understood. He couldn't hurt Taani. Not in a million years.

"Par jaane anjaane tumne use wahan hurt kiya jahan sabse zyada dard hota hai. Rey, sach sach batao. Kya tumne kabhi socha nahin ke Taani ko hamesha ye shikayat kyun rehti thi ke tum dance ko use zyada preference dete ho? Aisa nahin tha ke she didn't know you loved dance. In fact, if I remember correctly, tumhara dance hi tha jisne Taani ko sabse pehle impress kiya tha. You were a dancer before you got together and you continued to be a dancer when you were dating. So tell me? Jab use hamesha se pata tha ke tumhare liye dance priority hai, toh woh hamesha itni insecure kyun rehti thi?"

 

Rey felt as if a time bomb was about to explode. He could feel that Niyati was about to reveal something that was going to shatter every illusion he had put up so far. He was torn. One half badly wanted to understand where he had gone wrong. The other wasn't ready to face the aftershocks of the revelation. But before he could make a decision to either stay or run, Niyati chose for him.

"Taani always considered herself to be mediocre. She always thought she was plain simpleton. Sochti thi ke us mein kuch khaas talent nahin hai. Bhai could dance exceptionally well aur main.."She stopped abruptly and continued "main ..kabhi race mein hi nahin thi. Taani never thought she could be special. Phir uski life mein tum aaye. And use laga uski fairytale complete hogayi. Tumhe pata hai?use bachpan se Cinderella ki kahaani bohot pasand thi. Use lagta tha ke woh bhi ek simple si ladki hai jise ek din apna Prince Charming milega and life will be happily ever after. Bewakoof ko ye nahin pata tha ke ye life hai koi story nahin."

"Khair, uska luck dekho ke uska Prince Charming duniya ka sabse talented dancer nikla. Aur iske saath aaya dar. Dar is baat ka ke kahin tum use chod na do. Kahin kisi din tumhe ye na realize hojaaye ke tum special ho aur woh nahin. That she is just dragging you down.She could bear anything but ye sach nahin ke tumhe uski koi zaroorat nahin. Ke woh bojh ban gayi hai tumhare liye."

Both Rey and Niyati were crying now. Tears streaming down their face. "Tumne exactly wahi kaha aur wahi kiya. Taani ke dil mein jo fear ghar kar gaya tha use tumne haqeeqat mein badal diya. Isliye tumhari manane ki har koshish ko usne accept karne se inkaar kar diya. She couldn't believe you anymore. Use laga hoga tum bhai ki khaatir use dobara rishta jod rahe ho. That you were willing to sacrifice your life but not lose Bhai as a friend. Isliye woh chali gayi."

 

There was silence for a very long time. Rey was trying to process everything that was told to him. Niyati was reveling in the lightness she felt after unburdening herself. As she turned to go, she said without turning around, "Tum janna chahte ho na ki meri problem kya hai? Meri problem ye hai ki jab bhi main tumhe dekhti hoon, mujhe yahi afsos hota hai ki agar tumne woh breakup plan nahin kiya hota toh aaj tum donon saath hote. Khush hote. Mujhe tumhari stupidity par ghussa aata hai. Ghussa aata hai ke kaise tumne single-handedly ek jhatke mein sab kuch khatm kardiya. Afsos hota hai ke tum mere Jeeju ho sakte the."

"Neeti", he called her for the first time. He could feel a strange connection to her. The link between him and Taani. A window into the girl's life he had wronged.

"Niyati!" She yelled, turning around. Her eyes were blazing with the anger that had just simmered down. "Maine tumse baat ki, iska hargiz ye matlab nahin hai ke main sab kuch bhool gayi hoon. Mujhe Neeti bulane ka haq sirf meri family ko hai. Aur unko jo mere dost hai ya jinhe maine permission di hai. Since neither is the case with you, you better call me just Niyati."

Saying this, she walked out closing the door behind her.

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]

anu142016-02-15 06:50:43