Chapter 7 - Bachke Rahena Re Baba

Kajal is sitting on the sofa in her living room with her mother, Alka beside her and her father, Brijesh, standing behind them. In front of them, there is a table, simple in design, covered with a faded cloth. A tray with tea, some samosas, pakoras and biscuits is placed on it. Across from them, on the sofa two men, one in his early 40s, other in his late 60s and a woman in her late 50s are sitting. A second woman is sitting in a plastic chair near the edge of the table.

Alka and Brijesh think the only way to fix Kajal’s life is to get her married. So, they called their local marriage broker, Sumitra, who arranged an alliance for her, with a man 20 years older than her. In normal situation, it wouldn’t be an issue to get a proper alliance for a girl like Kajal. But because of incident with Kalash, that doesn’t seem to be possible now.

Alka: To hum rishta pakka samjhe?

Kajal looks at her mother helplessly. She doesn’t want to get married, at least not to a guy two decades older than her. But her parents are adamant.

Mr. Yadav the father of the guy replies.

Mr. Yadav: Ji Rishta pakka karne se pahele accha hota agar hum len den ki baat kar lete to.

Kajal tries to protest but her mother stops her.

Brijesh: Ji ji bilkul.
Mr. Yadav: Ab dekhiye hum lalchi bilkul bhi nahi hai. Hume zayada kuch nahi chahiye. Bas bacche thik se aur khushi se rahe paye. Maa Baap ka to itna farz hota hi hai.
Alka: Ji ji bilkul.
Mr. Yadav: Bas ek ghar, dono ke rahene ke liye aur ek gaari jisse Lalit office aa ja sake.

Alka and Brijesh’s faces turn grim.

Brijesh: Ye aap kya kahe rahe hai bhaisaab? Isme to lakho lag jayenge.
Mr. Yadav: Ha to? In sab me to aisa hi hota hai na.

Unable to tolerate any longer, Kajal stands up.

Kajal: Bas bohot ho gaya.

Kajal’s sudden reaction startles everyone. Alka stands up and tries to stop her.

Alka: Kajal, baith chupchap.
Kajal: Nahi Maa.
Alka: Kajal.
Angad: Sahi to kahe rahi hai woh Aunty ji.

Everyone’s gaze shift to the door. They see a man standing at the door. He is decently dressed, looks like someone who has a respectable job. He takes off his sunglasses and slowly enters the room. Kajal recognizes him as he comes closer. It is the police officer she met at the café yesterday. Her face stiffens. But before she gets chance to say anything, Mr. Yadav starts…

Mr. Yadav: Bhai kaun hai tu?

Angad points at Kajal and says…

Angad: Ji main inka honewala….

He pauses for a second and glances at everyone. They are watching him with curiosity and perplexity. He smiles and finishes his sentence.

Angad: Colleague hu.
Kajal: Kya?

Angad takes out an envelop from his pocket and hands it to Kajal. Kajal opens it and takes a look at the paper inside.

Brijesh: Kya hai ye?
Angad: Ji main Kajal ke liye ek job offer le kar aya hu.

Mrs. Yadav protests.

Mrs. Yadav: Are humare ghar ki bahuye shaadi ke baad naukri waukri nahi karti.

Kajal replies at once this time.

Kajal: I am sorry, aunty ji. Main aapke bete se shaadi nahi kar rahi.
Alka: Kajal….
Kajal: Kya Kajal Maa? Aapne abhi suna na ke inhone kya maanga. Ghar aur gaari. Hai humare paas itne paise, inke liye? Nahi na. To kyu time waste karna?

Alka doesn’t say anything, anymore. Neither does Brijesh. Both of them know Kajal is right. Even if they sell everything they have, there is no way they can collect enough money for a house and a car.

Kajal then looks at Angad and returns him the paper.

Kajal: Aur jaha tak sawal hai aapke is job offer ka, mujhe koi interest nahi hai isme. Aapko kya lagta hai ke mujhe kuch samajh me nahi ayega? Ye sirf ek damage control hai. Aap sirf public ke samne apne police department ki image thik karna chahte hai. Isiliye aap mujhe ye job offer kar rahe hai.

The Yadav family becomes a little conscious after hearing that Angad is a police officer as they have openly demanded for dowry in front of him.

Angad: Main tumse jhoot nahi bolunga Kajal. Kuch logo ke liye sachme aisa hai. Lakin MAIN sirf tumhari help karna chahta hu.
Kajal: I don’t care ke aap kya chahte ho. Mere saath jo kuch bhi hua usme police ka bhi haath hai. Aur main aise kisi ke liye kaam nahi karne wali. System kaise kaam karta hai, ye mujhe samajh me achuka hai. Mujhe iska hissa nahi banna.
Angad: Socho tum tumhare jaise kitne logo ki madat kar payogi.
Kajal: Maine kaha na nahi. Ab aap bhi zabardasti karenge mere saath?

Angad Sighs.

Angad: Nahi. Bilkul bhi nahi. Lakin itna zarur kahunga ke tum please ek baar sochke dekho. Main ye letter yehi chhorke ja raha hu. Agar tum join karne ka faisla leti ho to kal police station ajana. Agar tum nahi ayi to main samajh jayunga ke tumhara jawab kya hai.

He keeps the envelop on the table and proceeds to leave, but stops and looks at Mr. Yadav.

Angad: Aapko pata hai na ke dahej maangna ek kanunan jurm hai?

Mr. Yadav doesn’t answer.

Angad: Pata tha. Chaliye.
Mr. Yadav: Kaha?
Angad: Police station. Main aapko arrest kar raha hu, dahej maangne ke jurm me.

The Yadav family starts pleading with Angad to let this go. But he doesn’t listen. He cuffs Mr. Yadav and takes him with him. Mr. Yadav’s wife and son follows them continuing their desperate appeals. Kajal, her parents and Sumitra keep looking at their way until they are out the door, not knowing what to do. After they are completely out of earshot Sumitra speaks.

Sumitra: Tu fikar matt kar Kajal. Main tere liye isse kayi zayada acche rishte le kar ayungi.
Kajal: Aap rahene dijiye. Koi zarurat nahi hai.
Brijesh: Ye kya kahe rahi hai beta?
Kajal: To aur kya kahu papa? Aapne dekha na ke kaise the woh log. Ye isse bahetar nahi la sakte.
Alka: To kya kharabi thi inme?
Kajal: Seriously Maa. 20 saal bara the mujhse woh admi. Aur uske upar se itna sara dahej maang rahe the.
Alka: Ha to tumhare court case ki wajay se hua hai ye sab. Agar tum humari baat maan ke chup rahe leti to tumhari umar ka ladka bhi mil jata aur itna dahej bhi nahi maangte.
Kajal: Please Maa. Wahi purani bahes baar baar nahi karni mujhe. Aap logo ne itna request kiya tha isiliye main in sab se liye maan gayi thi. Lakin abhi jo hua uske baad mujhe aur in sab me nahi parna.
Alka: In sab me nahi parna matlab? Shaadi nahi karni tujhe?
Kajal: Aise to nahi karni.
Alka: Aise karni hai matlab?
Kajal: Kuch nahi Maa. Please ab aap log mujhe force karna band karo.
Alka: Zabardasti? Aur tere saath? Tu kab humari sunti hai? Tujhe to bachpan se apni manmaani karne ki adat hai. 2 saal pahele hi teri shaadi karwa dete. Lakin nahi. Madam ko parna hai. Naukri karni hai. Itna sab kuch ho gaya phir bhi is naukri ka bhoot tere sar se nahi utra.
Brijesh: Are tum shant ho jao.
Alka: Aap to humesha mujhe hi bolenge. Ye nahi ke beti ko samjhaynge.

Brijesh ignores his wife and turns to his daughter.

Brijesh: Beta tumhari Maa waise galat to nahi kahe rahi hai. Shaadi to tumhe karni paregi.
Kajal: Papa main bas itna jaanti hu ke abhi mujhe shaadi ke bareme nahi sochna hai.

Her voice breaks.

Kajal: Aap log samajhte kyu nahi? Main abhi kisipe itna bharosa nahi kar sakti ke usse shaadi karlu. Sab kuch bhulne ke liye mujhe waqt chahiye.
Alka: Accha thik hai. Abhi tum ro matt.
Brijesh: To abhi kya karna hai tumhe?
Kajal: Main kaam karna chahti hu.
Brijesh: Tumhare saath jo kuch bhi hua woh in kaam ke jaga pe hi hua hai. Aise me hum tumhe kaise ijazad de de?
Kajal: Papa main ghar pe to nahi baith sakti na. Ghar pe baithungi to wahi sab yaad ayega. Phir aage hi nahi bar payungi.

Brijesh considers her point view for a while.

Brijesh: Thik hai jaisa tum samjho.

His eyes fall on the envelop on the table.

Brijesh: Abhi jo ye police wala aya tha ye tumhe kaise jaanta hai?
Kajal: Woh maine bataya tha na aapko ke kal jab main Dhruv Bhaia se milne gayi thi café pe to do police officer aye the Kalash ke suicide ko leke puchtach karne. Ye unhi me se ek hai.
Brijesh: Isne jo tumhe naukri ka prastab diya hai kya socha hai tumne iske bareme? Karogi ye naukri?
Kajal: Pata nahi.

#

It is afternoon. The crowd in the café is growing slowly. People are leaving their workplaces for the day and coming here to blow off some steam. Kajal enters and sits on her usual place. She is still disturbed about what happened in the morning which is quite visible in her face.

Kajal: Lily, please ek coffee dena.
Lily: Kya hua? Ladka pasand nahi aya?
Kajal: Aya na. Mummy ke liye.
Lily: Damn.

She holds Kajal hands.

Lily: I am so sorry. Main coffee le kar ati hu.

Kabir comes out of the kitchen. He has plate in his hands with two vanilla cupcakes with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles. He sees Kajal sitting there as he keeps the plate on the counter.

Kabir: Hey Kajal.
Kajal: Hello Kabir Bhaia.

He can hear the frustration clearly.

Kabir: I am guessing ladke walo se meeting acchi nahi thi.
Kajal: Uncle ji le kar ayi thi ek.

Lily brings the coffee.

Kajal: Upar se itna sara dahej maang rahe the.

Kabir asks while packing the cupcakes.

Kabir: Uske baad kya hua?
Kajal: Hona kya tha? Mana kar diya maine. Mere Maa-Baap ka bas chalta to de hi dete woh jo maang rahe the. Bhale hi sab kuch bechna hi kyu na pare.

Kabir finishes packing the cupcakes and calls Shunty.

Kabir: Shunty.

Shunty quickly responds.

Shunty: Ji Kabir Bhaia.

Kabir hands him the packet.

Kabir: Ye Jenny ke office me de kar aa.
Shunty: Hanji Bhaia.
Lily: Jenny di ne phone kiya tha?

About 6 months after Jenny left, one day Kabir received a call from an unknown woman asking if they did home delivery. He was about to decline since it wasn’t something they did, but then he realized the order was actually from Jenny. She had someone call on her behalf. He didn’t refuse after that and had Shunty deliver the order to the address, which was her office. This became a habit from then on. Every once in a while, Jenny would order something from the café through her colleague, and Kabir would have it delivered to her. Also, every year on her birthday Kabir sends her a birthday cake, hoping that one day she will call him to say thanks. But she never did. They haven’t talked since the day she left.

Kabir: Nahi.
Lily: Okay.

Lily doesn’t ask anything else. She heard Kabir and Chandni’s conversation about Riddhima. She knows the inner struggle Kabir is facing right now. She practically grew up with him. She was 10 years old when her older sister Barkha and Kabir’s older brother Vikram got married. Kabir was 17. Neither of them had parents, so the four of them, along with Kabir’s two best friends, Dhruv and Jenny became a family.

Lily has seen Kabir with Jenny, how they have been each other’s rock. When Vikram died it was Jenny Kabir leaned on. When Kabir took his first contract as Anjaan, it was Jenny who he held his hand and told him that he was doing the right thing. (Of course, Lily didn’t know it then, she found out about this whole assassination business quite some time later.) It is understandable that Kabir is longing for Jenny’s support as he is currently facing an inner struggle involving his feelings for Riddhima.

Kajal: Jenny kaun hai?
Lily: Kabir Bhaia ki school friend.
Kajal: Kabhi dekha nahi use yaha. Ati nahi hai kya?

Kabir waits for a moment before answering.

Kabir: Nahi.

The wistfulness in his voice makes Kajal realize that this is a sore subject for him, so she changes the topic as Shunty leaves with the packet.

Kajal: Aur upar se ye police wale.

The mention of the police quickly sends both Kabir and Lily into their alert mode.

Lily: Kyu? Kya kiya unhone?

Kajal takes a sip of her coffee before answering.

Kajal: Are woh kal aye the na do police officer yaha Kalash ke suicide ko le ke puchtach karne, us me se ek woh kya naam tha uska Angad ya aisa hi kuch woh aya tha aaj subha ghar pe.
Kabir: Aur bhi kuch puchna tha use?
Kajal: Nahi. Woh mujhe job offer dene aya tha.

Kabir and Lily share a look.

Kabir: Job offer?
Kajal: Ha. Technical Expert ka. Police department me.

Lily laughs sardonically.

Lily: Damage control.
Kajal: Maine bhi yehi kaha.
Kabir: Zaruri nahi hai ke aisa hi ho.
Lily: Matlab?
Kabir: Matlab ke it could be possible ke woh sachme teri madat karna chahta hai.
Kajal: Aapko sachme aisa lagta hai?
Kabir: Ha. Riddhima aur Angad dono honest police officers lagte hai. Aur Riddhima ne already teri madat ki hai, Kalash ke confession ke telecast ko na rok ke. Isse to yehi pata chalta hai ke woh ek acchi police officer hai.
Kajal: Aur khubsurat bhi.

Kabir’s cheeks turn red while Lily hides her mischievous smile.

Kabir: Umm… kya?
Kajal: Come on Kabir Bhaia. Aapko kya laga ke mujhe kuch samajh me nahi aya? Are woh sadak ke uspar jo dukan hai uske dukandaar ko bhi samajh agaya hoga ke aap dono….
Kabir: Bas baat kar rahe the. Aur kuch nahi.
Kajal: Yeah right.
Kabir: Tu na mujhe chherna chhor aur apne bareme soch. Mujhe lagta hai ke tujhe Angad ka offer accept kar lena chahiye.

Kajal’s face becomes serious.

Kajal: You really think so?
Kabir: Ha. Kyuki mujhe nahi lagta ke tere liye possible hoga Kalash ke company jaise kisi dusre company me kaam karna. Police force will be a change. Sirf itna hi nahi. Tujhe iske liye physically train bhi kiya jayega, jo age jaake teri khudki raksha karne me madat karegi.

Kajal still looks unsure.

Kabir: Lakin jo bhi faisla lena hai tujhe lena hai.

Kajal nods. After that they talk about other things while Kajal finishes her coffee. She leaves a few minutes later. Kabir looks at her way with a worried expression. Lily says in low voice.

Lily: Paheli baar aisa hua hai that we got personally involved with someone related to an assignment. It is not good.

When Kabir initially told Dhruv to approach Kajal, he didn’t intend to get involved with her personally like this. The plan was that Dhruv would keep an eye on her until Anjaan carried out his mission and then disappear from her life. But that didn’t happen, they grew close. Kajal was in a bad place and Dhruv felt bad for her, so he brought her to the café to change her environment. The others couldn’t avoid her either. They felt compelled to show her support and Kajal, though unresponsive at the beginning, let them in quickly as she didn’t have anyone to rely on, not even her parents. Her mother cried most of the time, lamenting that there is nothing left in Kajal’s life anymore while her father kept a stern face. So, she was lonely. And even now, when everything is over, she doesn’t have anyone else she can’t talk to. She still needs their support, they can’t just leave her like that. But at the same time, it is really dangerous to keep in touch with her.

Kabir: We can’t leave her alone.
Lily: I know. Lakin we have to be careful. More than we ever were. Sirf Kajal ki wajay se nahi. Isiliye bhi ke is time pe Mumbai Police Department ki best officer humare case ki investigation kar rahi hai.
Kabir: Yes. We are in the most vulnerable position right now.