Chapter 7

[MEMBERSONLY] [NOCOPY]Part 7 updated on 30/03/21

"Maine apne Jeeva ko... Dhokha diya.." Virat slowly walked out of Patralekha's room as she kept crying sitting in her bed.

Dhokha... Nahi... Dhokha... Nahi

Samrat's words haunted him as he walked in the corridor.

Maine use dhokha diya

Maine apne Jeeva ko dhokha diya

He looked inside Samrat's room and saw Mansi combing his hair with love.

She saw Virat at the door and gestured him in. Virat came inside. He sat beside him in front of the mirror and looked at their reflections. The day Samrat was going to get married suddenly appeared in his mind. That day too they were sitting in front of a mirror as Samrat was getting ready.

How happy he looked that day

"Dekh tera Jeeva. Kitna achchha lag raha hai..." Mansi smiled but she soon teared up, "Lekin Kitna chup chup sa ho gaya hai. Uske muh se Aayi sunne ke liye taras gayi hu. Bolta hi nahi... Lekin Shiva ka naam lena nahi chhoda" Mansi smiled between her tears.

Maine sirf Samrat ko dhokha nahi diya maine ek aayi se unka...beta bhi chheen liya. Sab meri galti hai

"Virat, kya soch raha hai" Mansi looked at him.

"Kuch nahi" Virat replied and got up to leave.

Samrat grabbed his hand

Kya hua Virat? Kuthe?

Virat looked at his hand. No one had grabbed it. Samrat was looking in the mirror and Mansi was combing his hair.

"SAI, ASHWINI KAKU, MOHIT, HUM AA GAYE" a loud voice came from the hall.

"Devyani" Mansi smiled as she heard Devyani's voice, "Samrat uth, teri Devi Tai aai hai." Mansi grabbed his hand and took him down stairs. Samrat looked back at Virat and gestured him to come.

Virat couldn't move.

---

"Main to bahut achchi hu aur trip bhi achchi thi. Humne khoob enjoy kiya. Pata hai Sai hum log itneeeee bade rollercoaster par baithe the" Devyani spread her arms as wide as she could and grinned.

Virat came down slowly and looked at Samrat. Samrat and Mansi had reached there before but Devyani was busy in sharing her adventures with Sai.

"Aur phir..." She suddenly noticed Samrat and ran up to him.

"Samrat, tu wapas aa gaya" Devyani started jumping with joy, "Samrat wapas aa gaya. Samrat wapas aa gaya. Dekho aayi, Samrat wapas aa gaya."

She was clapping hard but suddenly stopped as she noticed Samrat. 

"Samrat, tujhe kya hua?" Devyani made a confused expression and looked at Pulkit who was equally confused.

"Hua kya hai. Samrat kuch bol kyun nahi raha hai." Pulkit looked at everyone.

No one could say anything as Mansi teared up and turned her face away.

"Tum log pehle fresh ho jao. Baatein baad mein ho jayengi" Sonali tried to divert their attention.

Devyani looked intently at Samrat for a few seconds, "Ye bhi meri tarah beemar ho gaya hai. Pulkit, Pulkit, Samrat meri tarah beemar ho gaya hai. Hai na Sai. Samrat meri tarah beemar ho gaya hai na, pata hai mujhe." Devyani grabbed Samrat's hands and looked at Sai.

Everyone had tears in their eyes.

Mansi didn't like what she heard and slowly pulled Samrat back to her.

Everyone else faded for Virat. He simply looked at Samrat as the memories of the two brothers having fun together and playing around in the hall clouded his vision.

"Devyani gupp bas." Bhavani glared at Devyani.

Pulkit stared at her and his blank face made Bhavani look away.

"Samrat! Meri gandi aayi ki vajah se main beemar ho gayi thi kyunki meri khushi meri gandi aayi ne mujhse chheen li thi. Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya? Kisne cheeni? Mujhe batao. Main aur Veeru milkar use punish karenge"

Devyani's words broke Virat's happy dream and he was thrown back into reality once more. He felt himself reeling but held on to the railing of the stairs.

"Lekin Pulkit ne bola hai main jaldi theek ho jaungi. Tum bhi theek ho jaoge. Theek hai?" Devyani smiled.

Virat started climbing the stairs to go away from the suffocation he was feeling.

Sai noticed him going upstairs. She was about to go behind him but Ashwini grabbed her hand.

"Jane de use. Apna man halka kar lene de. Kabhi kabhi insaan ko akela chhod dena chahiye. Usi mein uski behtari hoti hai."

Sai nodded.

Each step Virat took, he wanted to run away from reality hoping the moment he reaches back upstairs he will wake up from this ugly nightmare and the burden that he's feeling on his chest will evaporate.

But it didn't happen the way he thought.

Every step he took was heavier than the previous as he climbed the stairs. He dragged his feet upwards.

Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya

Once he reached the balcony, he slumped down in an empty chair. Tears started flowing as he closed his eyes in pain.

Kya nahi bata sakta Shiva? Aisa kya hai jo tu mujhe nahi bata sakta...Kya hua mere bhai?

Samrat's words echoed in his ears.

"Poochha tha usne, main kyun sach nahi bol paya, us din sach bol deta to aaj..." Virat wanted to scream but couldn't.

"Sab meri galti hai. Jis Bhai ne bachpan mein meri jaan bachai thi, maine usse uski hansti khelti zindagi chheen li...Uski khushiyan chheen li."

Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya

Sab meri galti hai

Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya

His thoughts merged with Devyani's words.

He clutched his chest with his hand.

And kept sitting there, crying.

---

Everything else had become silent. His tears had now dried up but those words didn't go away.

Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya...

Sab meri galti hai...

Dhokha... Nahi...

Main aur Veeru milkar use punish karenge...

Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya...

Main aur Veeru milkar use punish karenge...

Dhokha...

Sab meri galti hai...

Tumhari bhi khushi kisi ne chheen li kya...

... punish karenge..

Those words kept stabbing his heart like a knife. Again and again. His eyes fell on a knife lying there and he picked it up.

... punish karenge...

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I'm feeling so sleepy right now. I really can't wait for clock to strike 12 and announce the new day. So I'm updating tomorrow's part right now itself. Good night.