Chapter 6

“Namaste Tauji! Main theek hun. Dadi aur Taiji kaisi hain?” her melodious voice spoke into the phone. It had been a while since Rishi had heard his adopted daughter’s voice. Hearing it once again filled his entire being with relief.

“Arre! Tumhari taiji aur dadi ko to lagaa ki humari gudiya humko bhool hi gayi! Bhai ke paas kya chali gayi, ghar ki yaad bhi nahin aayi? Vo to accha hua ki main pichle mahine vahan aaya tha dance competition ke liye. Tumhari sabko bohot yaad aati hai. Bas ab jaldi se ghar aa jao.”

“Tauji, main ghar aana chahti hun. Par nahin aa sakti. At least abhi to nahin. Bas aapse ek baar baat karni thi aur aapka aashirwaad lena hai. Aapko Rithvik yaad hai? Vo bhi Mumbai mein rehta hai, apni girlfriend Asha ke saath. Vo mujhe bataa raha tha ki uski cousin ek american design company mein CEO hai aur usse ek assistant ki jaroorat hai. Jackie se meri baat hui hai aur vo mujhe job dene ke liye taiyyar hai. Aur senior designer ki post tak promotion ki bhi opportunity hai. Bas yahi puuchna chahti thi. Kya aap apni beti ke iss decision mein uska saath denge?” She blurted out, too nervous to stop for a breath.

“Arre beta! Isme puuchne wali kaunsi baat hai? Of course main tumahara saath dunga! Tum apna dream follow jo kar rahi ho! Vahan par practice karogi, tabhi to yahan par aakar Shekhawat Fashion Group ki top designer ban paogi! Iss faisle mein main 100% tumhare saath hun. Lekin, tumne apne bhai aur doston ko bataya? Unhone kuch anab-shanab to nahin kaha?” He asked cautiously. He knew his son and the dance crew were a sore subject for her. Even he had felt the tension between the group and Taani when he was in Mumbai.

“Tauji, bhai...bhai aur baaki sab thoda busy hain. Main unko yeh sab bataa kar aur worry nahin karna chahti. Aapko pataa hai na, jab main talent camp gayi thi? Woh kitna worried ho gaye the mere liye. Bhai ko lagta hai ki main Rithvik aur Asha ke saath reh rahi hoon. Yeh dono mera khayal rakhenge.” she said, and immediately regretted it. She hadn’t wanted to alert anyone at home about the tiff between Swayam and her. Now that she had let that little detail slip, she knew that questions were coming her way.

“What do you mean tum Rithvik aur Asha ke saath reh rahi ho? Ghar kab choda? Kyun choda? Swayam ne kuch kaha kya? Ek responsibility di thi. Tumhara khayal rakhna aur tumhe khush rakhna. Nalayak itna bhi nahin kar paya. Kya kaha usne? Sach sach batao Taani. Tumhe meri kasam.” he thundered. She could hear her taiji and dadi’s voice in the background asking what Swayam had done and why Rishi was getting so angry.

“Voh...voh. Voh, Tauji, thodi si misunderstanding ho gayi thi, mere, Rey aur dance team ke beech mein. Aur bhai ko poore facts pata nahin the, to he supported the dance team. Rey AGS hain par vo Dance Team ke captain pehle hain. To he also supported them. Par koyi baat nahin tauji. Jab tak main vaapis aaungi, tab tak unko thande dimaag se sochne ka chance mil jayga. Phir saari misunderstanding door ho jayegi. Aap dekhna. Aur phir main bhai ko khoob blackmail karungi aur unse khoob paani-puri ki treats lungi.” Her voice choked up at the end, eyes shining with unshed tears, for the brother who she’d never be able to mend her relationship with, for the love she had lost, never to get back and for the lie she’d just told.

“Taani beta, tu sach keh rahi hai na?” he asked, knowing that his child was lying and her suffering was much greater than she was letting on.

“Ji Tauji. Bas itni si baat hai. Main aapse jhoot kyun bolungi?” she said, suppressing her sobs and tears, mentally apologizing.

“Theek hai beta. Tu kehti hai to main tera yeh jhoot maan leta hoon. Par tu mujhe America se aake sach batayegi. Poora sach. Mujhe pata hai tu Swayam to protect kar rahi hai, par vo iss layak nahin hai Taani.

“Thank you Tauji. Mujhe waqt legega, iss sab ko bhulaane ke liye. Par main aapse waada karti hun, India waapas aate hi, main aapko sab bata dungi. Magar aap tab bhai ko kuch nahin bolenge. Unse naraz nahin honge. Unhone jo kaha, jo kiya, unjaane mein kiya. Main kal ki flight se nikal rahi hoon. Parson tak pahaunch jaungi. Wahan jaise hi mujhe phone aur sim milta hai, main aapko call kar dungi. Rithvik aur Asha mere saath ja rahe hain. Unka wahan par apartment hai, hum wahin rahenge.”

“Main naraaz nahin hounga, vo to sach par nirbhar hai. Par main tumhare liye koshish to zaroor karunga. Vahan par apna khayal rakhna. Main tumhari report leta rahunga. Tumse aur Rithvik, dono se. Raat bohot ho gayi hai aur kal tumhe bahut kaam hai. So jao ab. Khush raho.” he bade her and disconnected the call with a heavy heart, knowing that his daughter was going away and might not come back for a very long time, if ever.