Chapter 21

Part 21 [NOCOPY]

Suryakant gritted his teeth. She attempts to go back but he grabs hold of her hand.

Riya: aap kya…

She is pushed against the wall making her scream………………..

Alert! All eyes turn to the source of the sound to find Suryakant choking Riya and she attempting to push him off. The music shuts and they rush to her aid.

Riya(struggling to breath): Arj…chodo….

Arjun: Papa!!!

Shweta: Surya kya kar rahe ho?!!?

Sameer and Armaan try to pull Suryakant back whereas Arjun pushes off his hands freeing Riya. She coughs, taking his support to be able to breathe normally.

Arjun(cupping her face): Riya…tum theek ho?

Suryakant struggled to be free of the two men: Chodo Mujhe!!! Main Ise Chodunga Nahi!!!

Armaan: papa what is wrong with you?!!? aap bhabhi ko….

Suryakant: CHUP RAHO!! KOI BHI LAILLA KABHI BHI IS GHAR MEIN NAHI AA SAKTI!!!

Arjun’s brain clicked.

His head jerked to him: kya kaha aapne?

Riya tensed: Arjun…

He ignored her: What Did You Call Her Dad?!

Suryakant stayed silent, still angry, a little confused. The others were bewildered.

Shweta: Arjun kya matlab hai tumhara?

Arjun: Jawab Dijiye!!! Aapko Kaise Pata Uska Naam Lailla Tha?!

The team now somewhat understood what was happening. Suryakant was still silent. His question was confusing him. Another possibility propped in his mind. Did Arjun already know? Either way, he could not tell his family that he had been seeing a prostitute for 5 years.

Riya: Arjun please…

He turned to her, grabbing her by the shoulders. There was fire in his eyes. Never before had she felt afraid of him.

Arjun: how do you know him?

Riya gulped: Arj…

Arjun: Sach-Sach Batao Mujhe Riya!!!

Her eyes moistened: main…woh…

Arjun jerked her: Riya agar tum mujhse pyaar karti ho TOH TELL ME THE DAMN TRUTH!!

Riya glanced at Suryakant. She had not wanted this to happen. She looked at Arjun and lowered her gaze. Her voice cracked as she spoke.

Riya: he…he was the one who….who dropped me back

Arjun felt the world spinning around him. Her words rang in his ears.

“Jaane ke liye koi jagah nahi thi, bas raaste par bhatak rahi thi, aadhi raat thi, aur dimag mein sawalon ki bauchaar, itne mein by chance ek regular customer ne mujhe dekh liya, toh woh mujhe apne saath le gaye, raat uske saath thi aur subah waapis woh mujhe kothe par chod gaya”

“ek regular customer ne mujhe dekh liya…”

His numbness scared her.

Riya: Arjun main…

Her voice broke his trance. He lunged at his father grabbing him by the collar.

Arjun: YOU RAPED A 16 YEAR OLD!!!!!!

The revelation knocked the socks off of everyone.

Suryakant: kya…

Arjun: HOW COULD YOU?!?! AAPKO THODI SI BHI SHARAM NAHI AAYI?!

Riya tried to stop him: Arj…

Ayesha holds her shoulder and nods negatively.

Shweta: Arjun Tum Kya Bol Rahe Ho??

Arjun: Ye Baat Apne Pati Se Puchiye!! (turning to his father again) JAWAB DIJIYE!!!

Suryakant(baffled): tum kya… 16 saal? Mujhe nahi pata tha

Riya: Arjun woh sach keh rahe hai please…

Arjun: Nahi Pata? KOI AGAR CHEEKH RAHA HAI TOH WOH KAAFI NAHI HAI AAPKE LIYE???? (jerking him away) ITNA GINHONA KAAM KAISE KAR SAKTE HAI AAP???

Riya: Arjun please…

Arjun: Ayesha ise baahar leke jao!!

Riya: Arjun…

Arjun: AYESHA BAAHAR LEKAR JAO!!

Ayesha held her hand and led her outside despite Riya’s protests.

Suryakant: beta mujhe…

Arjun: MAT BULAIYE MUJHE BETA!! AAP MERE TOH KYA KISI KE BHI BAAP BANNE LAAYAK NAHI HAI!!

Shweta(angrily): Arjun Enough!!! Kya Bole Jaa Rahe Ho??! Pita Hai Woh Tumhare!!!

Arjun shivered in anger: NAHI!!! NAHI WOH MERE KUCH BHI!! AAP INKI SIDE KAISE LE SAKTI HAI?!?! HE CHEATED ON YOU GODDAMMIT!! HE’S A CRIMINAL!! MERI BAAT PAR VISHWAS NAHI TOH PUCHO APNE PATI SE KI KITNE KOTHON PE SO KAR BAITHE HAI!!!!

Suryakant: Nahi!!! Maine Shweta Ko Dhoka Nahi Diya…Sach Mein Shweta Maine…Woh Toh…

Arjun: Dhoka Nahi Diya?!?! Abhi Bhi Explanation De Rahe Hai Aap?!!?!? EK 16 SAAL KI NABAALIK LADKI KA RAPE KARNE KE LIYE BHI JUSTIFICATION HAI AAPKE PAAS?!?!?

Suryakant: maine…maine uska rape nahi…main toh…

Amidst the war of words, Armaan tugged at Sameer’s hand. He looked at him. He had tears in his eyes. He looked questioningly at him with worry lines on his face. Sameer sighed and nodded, confirming the reality. The ground slipped away from beneath Armaan’s feet. He couldn’t believe his father could do something like that.

Shweta(crying): Surya? Tum…

Suryakant defends himself: Nahi Shweta! Main Sach Keh Raha Hun! Maine Kuch Nahi Kiya!! woh ladki toh, woh ek prostitute thi…bas isliye…

Arjun balled his fists: WOH EK BACHI THI!!!

He desperately tries to defend himself: beta mujhe nahi pata tha ki…

Arjun: Enough! Bahot Ho Gaya Aapka Naatak! Maine Kabhi Sapne Mein Bhi Nahi Socha Tha Ki Aap Aisi Harkat Kar Sakte Hai, Jo ACP Arjun Rawte Pure Shehar Ko Insaaf Dilata Hai Usi Ka Baap Ek Rapist Hai?!?

The allegation was too much to handle: nahi beta main nashe mein…

Arjun: MAINE KAHA MAT BULAIYE MUJHE BETA!! SHARAM AATI HAI MUJHE AAPKO APNA PITA KEHNA MEIN!!

Suryakant teared up: Arjun…

Arjun: AAJ KE BAAD MERA AAPSE KOI LENA DENA NAHI HAI SAMJHE YA SAMJHAU?!?!

He ran out of the house. Shweta collapsed on the nearby chair in shock. Armaan and Rathore rushed to her. Sameer gestured to the others to follow him to make sure he didn’t land up in trouble.

Armaan: maa! maa please sambhalo khud ko

Suryakant: Shweta..

Armaan blasted: Aur Kya Kehna Hai Aapko!? Please just….Just Go From Here!!

Shweta: Nahi! (her voice cracked) sunna hai mujhe, kyun kiya tumne aisa Suryakant?

Suryakant: maine kuch nahi kiya Shweta…woh Shekhar mujhe waha le gaya tha, business mein stress tha and I was drunk, mujhe nahi pata woh sab kaise hua, maine sirf tumse pyaar kiya hai Shweta please meri baat ka vishwas karo

She stares at him numbly. He pleads her. She doesn’t respond to him in anyway. Disheartened, he left to the bedroom.

In the garden-

Riya was crying on the ground as Ayesha tried to comfort her.

Ayesha: Riya please shaant ho jao, tumhare

Just then she saw Arjun coming towards them with red eyes. Riya looked up hearing her stop. Arjun looked devastated as he slowly walked to them. Ayesha stood up and stepped away. He sat beside her. They stare at each other with tears in their eyes. Droplets rolled down his cheek.

Arjun: I…I am sorry Riya…(breaking down) I am so sorry…

Riya nods in a no and hugs him as he cries bitterly on her shoulder. She caressed his hair to console him. She had thought the maximum Suryakant would do was tell her the truth to him but since he already knew, she had nothing to be afraid of. What she had not thought was the fact that would connect the dots easily. She closed her eyes, dropping tears from them. It was her fault. She should have realised what would happen. Unwillingly, she became the cause of his trauma.

It was an eternity before Arjun relaxed. They separated slowly.

Riya: I am sorry…mujhe laga ki woh, woh sirf tumhe meri sachayi batayenge isliye maine…unki baat nahi maani

Arjun sniffed: kaunsi baat?

Riya hesitated a little: he…he told me stay away from you, woh kal mujhse milne aaye the Jeevan Nirmal

Arjun balled his fists: itna sab kuch karne baad bhi woh…ugh!!! 

His gaze fell on her engagement ring. A conflict arose. His heart hardened. He takes her hand in his and attempts to remove the ring. She protests by curving her finger to prevent it from coming out. He looks up. For the first time, he sees a dreadful fear in her eyes. Her neurons fire rapidly. Her head felt dizzy. Her body was ready to give away. She would die if Arjun left her now.

His vision blurred: kya tum us admi ke saath reh sakti ho jiske baap ne, tumhare saath zabardasti ki hai?

Her voice cracked: kya tum us ladki ke saath reh sakte ho jo tumhare baap ke saath soyi hai?

Arjun: nahi….main rehna chahta hun

Riya: main bhi

They hugged each other tightly shedding tears.

The team who was watching from a distance heaved a sigh of relief. Still shaken, but relieved.

Sakshi(tearfully): She met them before na? usne ye baat kaise chupayi? Kitna dard hua hoga use ye dekhkar ki woh jo insaan uski kaali zindgi ka atoot hissa hai usike bete, ke saath woh nayi zindgi jeene chahti hai?

Ayesha: I don’t think she had much of an option

Shree: fir bhi yaar Ayesha, it’s not easy to come out of there, itni mehnat ke baad woh apne pairon par khadi hui aur fir achanak sab kuch firse saamne aa jaana, it’s too much….par undono ko dekh kar na, bahot garv mehsoos hota hai, sab kuch jaane ke baad bhi unke liye sirf unka pyaar mayine rakhta hai, kehne ko aasan hai par asal mein hai nahi

The others nodded in agreement. Just then, Sameer came out in worry.

Sameer(irritated): tum sab yaha kyun (Ayesha pointed to the couple) oh!....(taking a deep breath) thank god!

Liza: sir? andar sab theek…I mean?

Sameer shook his head: pata nahi, aunty ko bahot dhaka laga hai, uncle left, Armaan confused hai…mujhe kuch samaj nahi aa raha, aunty mujhse puchne lagi

Ayesha(cautiously): kya kaha aapne?

Sameer: sach

Ayesha: what?! Why!?

Sameer: main aur kya kehta? Uncle already bol chuke the ki woh ek prostitute ke saath the. mere jhoot bolne se koi farak nahi padta Ayesha

Ayesha sighed.

Sakshi: unhone aur kuch kaha?

Sameer: nahi….isliye toh samaj mein nahi aa raha hai ki unke man mein kya chal raha hai

Chotu was lost in thought all this while. Shree nudged him. He looked back sadly.

Shree: kya hua?

Chotu: Uncle ne bola tha ki he was drunk aur ho gaya

Sakshi(angrily): Not An Excuse!!!

Chotu: main woh nahi keh raha, socho Riya waha kaafi saalon tak thi, itne saare admi, agar woh sirf ek baar ki baat thi toh Riya ko itne saalon baad yaad kaise?

Liza: you mean to say ki…. Woh….woh…

Chotu: ha

The girls visibly shivered. Sameer and Shree are shocked at the new angle.

Shree: kya…kya Arjun sir ko…

Sameer(sharply): nahi! use pata hai ya nahi, whether he figured or no, koi bhi use ye baat nahi batayega. Woh log yaha sambhle hai yahi bahot hai, kahi ye baat unke beech daraar na paida kar de. Tum mein se koi bhi use kuch nahi batayega, is that clear?!

They nodded………………………..