Chapter 12

Subah ki pehli kiran Sareen palace pe girti hai. Chalo jakar dekhte hai hamare naye shaadi shuda jode kya kar rahe hai.

Shabd sofe pe so raha hai aur woh dheere se apni aankhen kholta hai. Aur dekhta hai Mahi zameen pe bethi apna sir bed pe rakhe soyi huyi hai. Shabd uske kareeb jakar dekhta hai to uski aankh se sote huye bhi aanshu nikal rahe hote hai. tabhi darwaze pe koi dastak deta hai.

Megha: Shabd beta utho subaah ke saat baj gaye.

Shabd pareshan hokar sofe se apna pillow aue blanket bed pe rakta hai aur phir Mahi ko dheeme se jagane ki koshish karta hai lekin Mahi abhi bhi gehri neend me hoti hai is liye Shabd uske kandhe pe haath rakhta hai aur Mahi darr ke mare ek dum si khadi ho jati hai.

Shabd: Mahi.... relax. main hoon.

Shabd: Mom bahar darwaje pe hai.

Mahi darwaja kholti hai aur samne Megha khadi hoti hai. Mahi Megha ke paav chukar aashirwaad leti hai.

Megha: Jiti raho. Sada suhagan raho. Shabd.....kuch sikh meri bahu se.

Shabd aage aakar apni mom ke pair chuta hai.

Megha: Jite raho. bhagwaan tumhari har manokamna puri kare. Wasie manna padega mahi ko jo tuje ek hi din me shidda kar diya. Kya jadoo kiya mahi mere bete pe.

Mahi shabd ko gusse se dekhti hai.

Megha: Main to bas yeh kehne aayi thi ki aaj subaah ki pooja main tum dono ke haath se karvana chahti hoon.

Mahi: Aap chaliye mamma hum bas yu gaye aur yu aaye taiyaar hokar.

Mahi apne beg se apne kapde nikal rahi thi tabhi Shabd washroom se bahar aaa hai.

Mahi: Mujse kehne ki kya zaroorat hai. tum jahan jao jasakte ho tumhari marzi.

Shabd gusse me jooging ke liye nikal jata hain aur Mahi shower lene washroom me chali jati hai.

(aadhe ghante baad in Sareen palace's hall)

Shabd dining table ke chair pe betha newspaper padh raha hota hai. Tabhi wahaan priya aati hai.

Priya: Bhaiyaa, newspaper do.

Shabd: Nahin muje shares ki details padhni hai.

Priya: Nahin. muje fashion colum padhni hai. Mom aap hi kuch samjaye na bhaiyaa ko.

Megha: Ab ise samjane wali aa gayi hai. woh dekho meri bahu aa rahi hai.

Mahi is coming down from the stairs wearing this beautiful saree.

Shabd use bas dekhta hi rehta hai jaise woh koi sapna dekh raha ho. kitni khubsurati, sadgi, massomiyat usne aajtak nahin dekhi.

Megha: Kitni soni lag rahi meri bahu is saree me.

Priya: yeh baat to aapne thik kahi mom lekin patni ko khushi tab hoti hai jab uska pati uski tarif kare. kyun bhabhi thik kaha naa. Come on bhaiyaa dont be so shy.

Megha: Nahin beta. Abhi to puja ki thali sajani hai. Aur yeh shabd abhi tak taiyaar nahin hua. Pooja kaise suru kar sakte hai.

Priya: Mom yeh ab aapki baat nahin man ne wale. Ek bar bhabhi se kehkar dekho.

Megha: Mahi...ab tu hi ise kehde taiyaar hone ko.

Priya: Dekha mom....bhabhi ne ek hi din me bhaiyaa ko humse chin liya.

Megha: Tu chup kar aur chal hamare saath pooja ki taiyariyaan karni hai.

Megha, Mahi aur Priya sab log pooja ghar me taiyariyaan kar rahe hai.

Megha: Mahi, tumhare parivaar me kaun kaun hai.

Mahi: Mera parivaar bahot hi bada hai. Mere dadaji hai, dadi hai, mamma aur papa. mahi achanak wahan rukh jati hai.

Priya: Bhabhi aapke koi bhai behen nahin hai.

Megha: To tumhari shaadi yu is tarah kaise.

(Shabd is standing outside listing to the conv.)

Mahi: Main aapko sirf itna hi keh sakti hoon ki main ek bahot hi achche khandan ki beti hoon aur padhilikhi bhi. Main aapko itna yakeen dila sakti hoon ki main kabhi bi is khandan ki man maryada pe aanch nahin aane dongi. Aur nahi mere hote huye is parivar ko tutne dongi.

Megha: woh sachchi tumhare aankhon me dihkai de rahi hai.

Priya; Bhabhi, aap kahan padhi ho.

Mahi: Maine bechlor in business manegment top in Delhi University se kiya hai. Muje mere aakhri semester ke liye Australia beja gaya tha wahan ki expo marketing company ke annual project ke liye. Aur unhe mera kaam itna achacha laga ki unhone muje Austalia ki top university me MBA ke liye scholarship di lekin.

Megha: lekin kya.

Priya : Lekin kya mom, Bhabhi bhaiyaa se mil gayi aur unki shaadi ho gayi. right bhabhi.

Mahi just noddes her head when Shabd enters.

Megha: yeh lo ab yeh bhi aagaya. Mahi beta pooja shuru karo. Mahi aarti gana mat bhulna. main janti hoon ki tumhari aawaj kitni pyari hai.

mahi just noddes her head.

Pooja begins. mahi and shabd holding Aarti thali. mahi started to sing.

(Song from Movie banaras)

Mahi sabhi ko aarti dekar use tikka karti hai aur aakhir main bari aati hai shabd ki. Mahi bina Shabd se aankhe milaye use tikka karti hai aur phir shabd aarti leke janehi wala hota hai ki Megha Shabd ko mahi ki sindoor se maang bharne ko kehta hai. Mahi Shabd ki aur gusse se dekhti hai lekin Shabd aage badhata hai. Mahi dheere dheere piche chalti hai tabhi use ehsaas hota hai ki Megha abhi bhi wahi khadi hai. Shabd thali se sindoor apne haath me leta hai aur mahi ki aur badta hai. Woh mahi ke ek dum kareeb hota hai. shabd haste huye mahi ki maang bharta hai aur Mahi ke aankh se aanshu girte hai.

Megha: Ab thik hai. Mahi tum chalo mere saath kitchen me. mahi just noddes her head and looking at shabd left the room.

(In the kitchen)

Megha: to tum naste me kya logi.

Mahi: Kuch bhi. Agar aap bura na mane to main kuch madad kar du. waise main khana achcha bana leti hoon.

Megha: Bilkul nahin. Jab tak tumhari mehndi ka rang nahin nikalta tab tak tum koi kam nahin karogi.

Mahi: Lekin mamma hamare haath me to mehndi hi nahin hai to uske rang ki koi gunjaish hi nahin hai.

Megha: Phir bhi nahin. kal hi tumhari shaadi huyi hai. Waise tumhe khana banana kisne sikhaya.

Mahi: Woh dadi hamesha mamma ko danti rehti ki apni betiyon ko kuch ghar ke kaam shikhao aur papa chahte the ki hum business join kare. lekin phir bhi chutiyon me mamma muje aur Rewa di ko khana banana sikhati. Yeh kehkar Mahi ke aankh me aanshu aa gaye.

Megha: Apne parivaar ki yaad aa rahi hai. to unse phone pe baat karle.

Mahi: nahin kar sakti kyunki maine unke marzi ke khilaf yeh shaadi ki hai. Mamma aapse ek request hai ki aap kabhi mujse meri biti zindagi ke bare me na pooche kyunki main ek nayi zindagi shuru karna chahti hoon.

Megha: jaise teri marzi. lekin aaj ke baad tuje kabhi bhi apne parivaar ki yaad aaye to tu mere pass aayegi.

Yeh kehkar Mahi Megha ke gale lagti hai aur sochti ki kya mera parivaar muje yaad bhi karta hai ya nahin.

Pure ghar me shor machke rakha hai.

Dadaji: Mahi mere chasme nahi mil rahe.

Tabhi Rajveer niche aakar sare gharwale ko bhulata hai.

Yuvi: Per papa aise kaise hum rista tod de. behen hai woh hamari.

Rajveer: agar tumhe usse koi rista rakhna ho to is ghar ke bahir lekin jab bhi tum is ghar me ho main nahin chahta ki tum uske naam ka bhi jikr karo.

Shalini: Aap shaant ho jaiye. sab kuch thik ho jayega.

Rajveer: main office ja raha hoon aur sham ko laute waqt muje koi bhi Mahi ki chiz is ghar me nahin chahiye.

Rajveer aur Yuvi office ke liye nikalte hai.

Shalini: Pata nahin Maa meri bachchi kaisi hogi us anjaan seher me anjaan logo ke beech.

Rewa: Aap chinta mat kijiye wahan Mahi ke saath aur koi na sahi lekin uska pati Shabd uske saath hai.

Dadi: Thik keh rahi hai Rewa. Hum bus uske liye bhagwan ke pass prathna ke alawa kuch nahin kar sakte ke bhagwan use duniya bhar ki khushi de.

(Back to Mumbai in Sareen palace's dining hall)

Shabd: Mom main office ke liye nikalta hoon. muje sham ko dair ho jayegi meri ek meeting hai.

Megha: Koi kahin nahin jayega. Aur maine office baat karli hai wahaan sab log sambhal lenge. Aaj maine panditji ko bhulaya hai tum dono ki shaadi ka murat nikalne ke liye.

Shabd: Shaadi

Part ends on mahi and shabd's shocked faces.