Malaal-Chapter 9

Chapter 9: 

“And that’s how I am here.”, Rashi concluded.

Ishan had sat quiet for more than an hour, listening to Rashi’s story, some of her tear-breaks, some moments of immense anger and some weak, sobbing moments. He swallowed, to contain his emotions. He was so surprised that Rashi had managed to contain herself, after her life had fallen apart in a day. She loved her husband like crazy, he could easily tell, because whenever she mentioned his name, her lips curved just a bit and then she would shiver with anger. He saw Rashi looking at him in anticipation.

“Umm, see I don’t know what to say, but I know that you aren’t the one to give up. You got to give an answer to life, isn’t it?”, he managed to say. Rashi wasn’t speaking anything. She just looked tired of everything.

Suddenly one thing popped in Ishan’s mind. He put his hand to his mouth in shock. Rashi noticed it and gave him a confused look.

“What?”, Rashi asked.

“Did you think how did your children die? I mean, were they ill or something?”, he asked.

Rashi realised that she had missed a big question. Everyone was so busy in blaming her and she was too busy dealing with the shock that she didn’t even think about it. She shook her head.

“That’s means maybe they WERE murdered. Not by you, but by someone else.”, he said hesitantly.

Rashi couldn’t process this idea. “Why would someone kill my children? What was my children’s fault? Who could’ve any problem with them?”, she said and realised that maybe one person had some problem.

“Kakiji?”, she asked herself. “No, she can’t kill someone for her wishes. No.”, she tried to convince herself. 

But she couldn’t forget how possessive Kokila was for the company. So much, that she was cold towards Parag for years, just because he couldn’t handle the business. She was extremely competitive by nature. Always comparing Rashi with Gopi and declaring Gopi was better. So much obsessed with Ahem’s work that she had even kept Ahem and Gopi away from each other years ago, just because Ahem was getting a bit distracted due to Gopi’s love. If she could sacrifice love between people for the business, can’t she kill two new born babies? After all, she might not have even been attached to the babies yet. She had no choice but to kill Sahir and Samar.

Rashi stood up in rage. “I want to go back to Rajkot. To make her pay for what she has done! I always thought that her strictness with me was just a form of love, but she proved that she only loves her ambition, her power and her authority. She killed my children for that!”, she cried in anger. 

Ishan held her softly and looked straight in her eyes.

“Wait Rashi relax for God’s sake! What are you going to do huh? Modi Family is one of the biggest families of Rajkot. Do you think you would be able to ANYTHING? In fact Rashi, life has given you a new chance, why do you want to go there and get stuck in that rubbish again? You ran away from Rajkot because the pain was too much! See Rashi, revenge eats up a person from inside. Your heartbreak, memories of your husband, your love for him, are already eating you from inside and I can see that in every motion of yours. So please Rashi, get a new beginning. Collect yourself and live as your own self; not some revenge driven maniac.”, he said with conviction.

“Plus, if grief knocks on the doors of your heart, alcohol is always a choice.”, he said and winked.

Rashi stood their without expression. “Yes. He’s practically correct. You just can’t do any against Kokila at all. And if you do, who knows, the man you loved would hurt you more, maybe drive you to death itself. I would try not to dream about revenge but one thing is for sure, I would always keep the hatred for them alive in my heart. Always.”, she thought.

“You thinking about the alcohol? Don’t be shy, I have lots.”, Ishan joked. 

Rashi couldn’t help laughing. 

“Make noodles for yourself and go to sleep. That room from on the left. By the way, if you find some girl stuff there, don’t throw it away, one of the girls must have left there.”, he said.

Rashi looked at him with wide eyes. “Girls?”

“Offo, the girls from my casual relationships. Don’t look at me as if I am a criminal.”, he exclaimed.

“Casual relationships? I mean, just...?”,Rashi couldn’t complete.

“Yes, just sex and low key friendship and all. No expectations. No commitment. Always better.”, he said.

Rashi looked unconvinced. “How can someone not fall in love? I mean, ultimately one needs a person to be there for oneself you know.”, she said.

Ishan smiled. “You just saw what falling in love did to you, isn’t it? And as far as ‘being there’ is concerned, friendship is made for that.”, he said and walked away.

Rashi kept on staring at him behind him.

“Now stop looking at me and sleep, we got to look for a job for you tomorrow. And also send your divorce stuff. Goodnight!”, he said without turning and went to his room.

                 ***********************

“Why are you doing so much for me?”, she asked him.

It was late evening of the next day, and Rashi and Ishan had sent a lawyer to Rajkot to get Jigar’s signatures on the divorce papers. Rashi had signed it and it was an extremely emotional moment for her. Her hands had shivered and she had silently said “No.”, before signing it. On her request, they had told the lawyer to ask for Jigar’s last message to Rashi when he would reach there. Rashi expected it to be something painful obviously but needed it to be proud of her decision to move away from him. To get one last confirmation that his lovable husband didn’t love her anymore.

“Honestly, I’ve been asking myself the same question since yesterday. And I don’t know the answer. “, he laughed.

“I mean, I am flawed, maybe rude, not all-good and a bit selfish too. Do I even deserve to be helped?”, she asked, more to herself.

Ishan gave a puzzled expression. “Well those attributes don’t belong to a real human. Only bahus of daily soaps are like that!” he replied.

“My sister Gopi is like that. And she’s real human for sure.”, she laughed.

“Nah, maybe she was made for a daily soap and ended up in Modi Bhavan. Come on Rashi, live your life on your own terms. As long as you don’t hurt someone seriously, you aren’t flawed but unique. And this is Ahmedabad, you have to fight to survive. Get Rajkot off your mind, be this city’s girl.”, he said and raised his coffee mug.

“And ya, get yourself some clothes for god’s sake. I’m sure that your suitcase is full of sarees.”, he said disapprovingly.

“Yeah whatever. Will do when I get a job. Till then, you would see me like that.”, she said proudly. 

Ishan’s eyes widened. “No way, what would my girls think if they see you? They would say that my taste has worsened.”, he said in shock.

“Shut up Ishan. No girls till I am here. That’s it.”, she said and drank her coffee. 

“Okay, she’s not as bechaari as you had thought.”, he thought to himself and held his head.

            ****************************

“Divorce?!”, Gopi asked the lawyer who was standing infront of the whole Modi family in Modi Bhavan.

“Yes. Here are the divorce papers already signed by Ms Rashi Shah. She’s sent me to take Mr Jigar’s signatures.”, he said professionally.

“She has sent you? Please tell us where is she, we’ve been trying to find her, please.”, Gopi said with anticipation.

“No. I am sorry. I’ve been instructed not to reveal her location. Anyway, she won’t be a part of Modi family after this.”, the lawyer replied, bearing in mind the instructions Ishan had given him.

“You can’t do that. Plea..”, Gopi was saying when Jigar spoke up from the stairs.

“Bhabi, he’s right. She won’t be a member of this family anymore, then why do you want to drag her here. She might be happy with her life. Here, I’ve come to sign the papers.”, he descended and took the papers.

“Jigar! Think for a moment for God’s sake! You can’t kill your relationship just on the basis of assumptions. You both love each other and you can’t deny it.”, Kokila said loudly.

Jigar stopped and thought for a moment. He signed the paper in a flash.

“Jigar!”, Hetal and Chirag said loudly.

“Sir, one more thing. Ms Shah has asked for one last message from you before she parts ways with you.”, the lawyer said.

Jigar smirked. How does his message matter to her?

“Tell her that she won’t exist for Jigar from now on.”, he said coldly.

The lawyer left before anyone could ask him more about Rashi.

Jigar turned around and looked at his family who had looks of disappointment in their eyes. He went to Ahem, who was standing with Gopi in one corner.

“Bhai-“, he said when Ahem turned his head the other way.

“Don’t call me bhai Jigar. Am I really your brother? That you took such a big step without even looking for my advice? Without even sharing your problem with me? And how do I forget that you threw money on a woman, moreover your own wife. I would never call such a man my brother.”, he said in anger.

“Bhai! Do you think all this is easy for me? Huh? Do you think I enjoyed hurting the woman I loved from all my heart? Only if I could tell you what I am going through, what drove me to do this-“, he was saying.

“Then say Devarji! We want to know why you ruined your and Rashiben’s life with your own hands! Why did you hurt my sister so much that she doesn’t want us to find her! Why did you bring her world down in a flash. I won’t let you go to your room and sit there quietly for days, when I don’t know in what conditions my sister is living. She’s alone somewhere. Just tell us why you did this!”, she blasted on him desperately. Everyone in the Modi Bhavan was shocked beyond words. Gopi’s love for her sister was coming out as anger that could drown anyone.

“Varun.”, he muttered to himself. Nobody understood what he meant by that but realisation dawned upon Gopi. 

She knew what had went wrong.

             ****************************

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