Chapter 32

Chapter 27

                   

                    Niyati couldn't sleep. She kept turning this way and that, but her conscience was driving the knife of guilt deeper and deeper in her chest. She had always prided in being the most sensible and just when it came to making decisions. There were times when her resolve had been tried the most, but she had gotten through. How could she be so wrong this one time? She didn't hate Sharon, though she had caused her bhai grief a lot of times. She remained civil with Kria even though she had replaced Taani in Rey's life. Her balance of judgement never wavered so why was it different with Rey? Why did she act the way she did only with him?

                    Was her love for Taani clouding her judgement? Or was it anger? Was she angry that Rey had almost reduced Taani to another Niyati? Took you long enough, her conscience taunted her. She was scared Taani might follow he elder sister's footsteps. And that fear gave birth to the anger the brunt of which was directed at Rey in the morning. And in this emotional tumult, she made the gigantic oversight of waiving Taani's mistakes and completely ignoring Rey's pain.

          Rey's conduct was unforgivable, but allowances had to be made. He also had lost his love. A person had walked out of his life. The pain and void left behind would be unimaginable. Unimaginable? Maybe not for her. Who would know that better than me? she mused darkly. One mistake is sometimes more than enough to change the entire course of one's life. Rey made a monumental mistake. A mistake nonetheless. A mistake in which her sister also was equally responsible. She had trusted and then mistrusted Rey at the wrong times. And both were paying the price for it.

          Since both were suffering, how far was she justified in her outburst at Rey? If both would have been there and she had whacked them both on their heads until sense returned back to them, then she would have been right through and through. She probably would have continued drowning herself in her self- created pool of misery, if her phone wouldn't have started blaring.

 

She looked at the caller id and a painful smile graced her face. Ise hamesha kaise pata chal jaata hai? She chuckled darkly shaking her head.

"Hello?"

"Itni raat gaye kyun jag rahi hai?"

"Ye sawaal main tujhse bhi kar sakti hoon."

"Neend nahin aarahi thi."

"Wahi toh main janna chahti hoon ke aasmaan ke taare ginne ka shauk tujhe kabse chadh gaya."

Niyati remained silent.

"Kya hua Neeti?" Taani asked concerned.

"Jhagda."

"Hey Krishna ji! Shuru hogayi tu? Ab kis bechare ka bura haal kiya hai tune?"

"Rey."

There was complete silence on both the ends that neither wanted to break.

It probably got too much for Taani to bear and she asked softly, "kyun?"

"Tu jaanti hai kyun! What's the point of asking?"

"Nahin jaanti, isliye pooch rahi hoon. Ab please, seedhe seedhe bata. Hua kya?"

Niyati sighed. "Koi ek baat ho toh bataun. Kaafi cheezon ke liye blast kiya maine use aaj. Kuch sahi thi, kuch galat. But ye sab chod, tu mujhe ye bata, tujhe kabse secrets rakhne ki aadat hogayi? Ye toh mera forte tha na. Tujhe toh har baat bolne ki bimari thi? Bhai se kabhi kuch kaha kyun nahin?"

Taani smiled, "waqt bohot kuch sikha deta hai. Rishton ko bachane ke liye kaafi kuch karna padta hai. Tu hi toh hamesha kaha karti thi."

"Meri kaafi baatein yaad hai tujhe."

"Aur tera ghussa bhi achi tarah yaad hai. Kyun sunaya tune Rey ko itna? Aakhir, kis baat par ladai huyi tum donon ki?"

"Teri wajah se lade hum donon."

"Meri wajah se? maine ka kiya?main toh..."Then it dawned on her. "Maine tujhse kaha tha! Ye sab baatein purani hogayi hai. In sab baaton ko ab karke kya milega?"

"Toh kya Rey ko apni galtiyon ka ehsaas nahin dilwana chahiye? You are completely okay with him repeating the same mistakes over and over?"

"Maine aisa kab kaha? Rey kaafi samajhdaar hain. Mujhse toh kayin zyada. Teri class lene ki koi zaroorat hi nahin thi."

"Shayad tu thik keh rahi hai. Lekin phir bhi. Tere saath jo hua uske baad uski class lene waala koi toh hona chahiye tha na? Bhai ko tu jaanti hai, woh kuch nahin bolenge. Toh maine socha main hi kasar poori kardoon."

"Neeti. Tu pata nahin mujhe kaunsi angel samajhti hai jo kabhi kuch galat nahin kar sakti! Pata hai meri sabse badi galti kya thi? Main hamesha Rey ki maala japti rehti thi. Har din Rey se shuru aur raat un par aakar hi khatm. I always thought it was very romantic. But aisa nahin hai. Ulta it is really irritating. Subah se sham Vishesh yahi karte rehte hain. Sometimes it gets on my nerves."

"Tere aur Vishesh ke beech sab thik hai na?"

"Shuru hogayi phir se? tujhe kuch bhi bolna mushkil hai! Haan sab thik hai. Main bas bata rahi thi ke life mein balance zaroori hai. Ye baat mujhe Rey se alag hone ke baad samajh aayi. Rey ki bhi hamesha se same problem thi. Sif dance, dance and dance. Kisi aur cheez ke liye time hi nahin tha unke paas. But ab hum donon samajhdaar hogaye hain. We won't be repeating the same mistakes again."

"I hope you are right. Waise ab soch rahi hoon use maafi maang loon. Bohot khari khoti sunayi hai maine use. I'm sure woh mujhe Phoolan Devi ki koi door ki rishtedaar samajh raha hoga."

"Woh toh tu hai! Aur kya kaha? Tu? Sach mein maafi maangne waali hai? Hey Krishna ji! Aakhir aapne meri sun li! Ye shubh ghadi bhi aa hi gayi!"

"Yahan hoti na, teri khair nahin thi."

"Nahin hoon na wahan, ab toh maze lene de! But seriously Neeti. Tujhe meri battles ladna bandh kar dena chahiye. Tu wahan ek nayi shuruwaat karne gayi hai. Let past be past."

"You know I can't forget things easily. Ek taraf se jo hua acha hi hua. Warna mere dil mein Rey ke liye zeher bhara hua hi rehta. Now with that out of the way, we both can move forward."

"Baat toh sahi hai. Acha main tujhse baad mein baat karti hoon. Vishesh ka call aaraha hai."

Oho? Chal is saali ki taraf se hello aur dher saara pyaar. Chal thik hai. Apna khayal rakhna."

"Tu bhi...bye."

"Bye."

She had just hung up when the doorbell rang.

Confused, she looked at the watch beside her bed and wondered, raat ke 1 baje kaun ho sakta hai?

 

 

 [NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]