AkYa FF - The Knock of a Smile Last Chapter & Epilogue,PAGE - 45 - Page 16

CHAPTER - 9

Ananya hugged Muskaan tightly and said,"Lene aaye hai iska kya matlab hua?Jab man kiya bahaar sarak par chor denge aur jab man karega lene aa jaayenge.Kya samajhte kya hai ye log apne aap ko?Aur in logo ne aisa maan kaise liya ke main inhe apni bachchi de dungi.Hargiz nehi dungi main."Akash asked Ananya to stop and asked,"Aap log itne mahino tak kaha the aur bachchi ke ma baap kaha hai?"Anjali replied,"Anu ke mummy papa yani mere bare bhaiya bhabhi ki ek car accident mein death ho gayi thi.Tabse hum hi hai Anu ke rishtedaar.Vo bhaiya bhabhi (Anu's uncle-aunt) Miami mein rehte hai,hamaare wahaka business sambhaalte hai.Main ghar mein akele Anu ko lekar rehti thi.Ek din hamaare ghar par hamla hua to kisine mujhe behosh karke hamaare ghar se saare jewelleries aur Anu ko kidnap karke le gaya.Jab mujhe hosh aaya to dekha ghar ka saara saamaan bikhra para hai.Maine Anu ko bohot dhundha par vo kahi nehi mili.Tab maine Anuj bhaiya (Anu's uncle) aur Sunita bhabhi (Anu's aunt) ko phone kiya,to vo log yaha jald se jald aa gaye.Hume usey bohot talaash karne ki koshish ki par vo kahi nehi mili.Kuch hi dino pehle hume khabar mili ke Anu yaha hai to hum unhe lene chale aaye."Ananya said,"Mujhe kuch nehi pata par main apni Muskaan ko hargiz inhe nehi dene waali.Muskaan meri beti hai."Anuj said,"Dekhiye Mrs Saluja main aapke jazbaat samajhta hu asal bare bhaiya ke will ke mutaabik hamaari saari jaaydaat ki 90% hisse ki ab ye ek lauti waaris hai.Ye hamaari bhatiji hai.Please hume hamaari bachchi lauta dijiye."Ananya cried out,"Nehi dungi main,pichle 4 mahino se apne seene se laga kar paala hai maine usey.Ye ma bolti hai mujhe.Main nehi dungi apni beti kisiko bhi."Karan took Akash aside and said,"Dekh Akash main samajh sakta hu tum dono par is waqt kya guzar rahi hogi,par main bhi kya karu,kanoon ke haatho majboor hu.Inhe bachchi lautaani hi hogi.Please tu bhabhi ko samjha."Akash's eyes were filled with tears but he had no other option left.He replied,"Mujhe kuch samajh mein nehi aa raha hai ke main karu to kya karu.Abhi abhi to khushiya aayi thi ghar mein Muskaan ke saath ab bhagwaan phir se humse usko cheen rahe hai.Ek taraf Muskaan ka future hai aur ek taraf meri biwi jo is kadar Muskaan ko lekar possessive ho gayi hai ke uske bina rehna bhi uske liye mushkil ho jaayega.Main samjhaau kaise usey?"Karan said,"Par ab jo karna hai tujhe hi karna hai."Akash nodded his head.

He gave Muskaan to Mrs Saluja and took Ananya to their bedroom.He said,"Dekho Ananya ab problem ye aa gayi hai ke agar humne Muskaan ko unhe nehi diya to ye hamaare khilaaf case kar sakte hai,to isliye..."She said,"Isliye ka kya matlab hai?Main case ke dar se apni bachchi unhe de du?Main itni kamzor dil nehi hu Akash.Main uske liye har kisike saath larne ko tayyar hu,par Muskaan ko main khud se dur hargiz nehi karungi."Akash said,"Main tumhaari taklif samajhta hu.Main bhi koi ye sab kehkar khush nehi ho raha hu par main bhi kya karu,ye Muskaan ke future ka sawaal hai."Ananya said,"Muskaan ka future hamaare saath hai.Arey ye log kya samjhenge.Muskaan mere bina ek pal nehi reh sakti.Unko kya pata ke Muskaan ko kis waqt kis cheez ki zarurat hoti hai?Vo log uska khayaal meri tarah nehi rakh paayenge."Akash tried to explain her but she was not ready to listen anything.She pushed Akash away from her and said,"Mujhe kuch nehi sunna hai,kuch nehi samajhna.Mere liye ek hi sach hai ke Muskaan hamaari beti hai aur hum hi uske asli ma-baap hai aur agar tumne mujhse meri beti ko cheena to tum mera mara hua muh dekhoge samajh gaye Mr Akash Saluja!"She then left for her parents' room where Muskaan is there.Akash thought for a moment and decided that the matter will have to be handled in some other way.He went outside and asked Karan,"Kya inke paas koi saboot hai ke ye log sach keh rahe hai?"Karan replied,"Inke paas saara saboot hai.Inhone mujhe dikhaya hai."Akash then took Anuj outside there house.He then said to Anuj,"Dekhiye Mr Sahay,actually meri biwi Mus...I mean aapki Anu se itni attached ho gayi hai ke vo usey aap logo ko dena hi nehi chahti.Isilye meri ek request hai aap log aaj raat ko 10 baje ke baad aaiye,tab Muskaan so jaati hai.Main tab aapko aapki amaanat saup dunga kyuki tab Anu ko aapko le jaane mein koi problem nehi hogi kyuki vo ek baar so jaati hai to subhe se pehle nehi uthti aur rahi baat meri biwi ki.I'll hande her.Please meri baat maan lijiye."Anuj accepted his request.

When they left,Akash went to Ananya and said,"Ananya maine unko bol diya hai ke hum Muskaan ko unhe nehi denge chahe vo kuch bhi kar le."Ananya became very happy and said,"Bohot achcha kiya tumne.Hum bare se bara wakil karenge Muskaan ke liye."Akash nodded his head and asked Ananya to feed Muskaan as it was her dinner time.So everyone sat for their dinner.While having his dinner,Akash was continuously staring at Muskaan and Ananya and how happy they were with each other and Akash would be the one who would snatch their happiness away from them.After dinner,Ananya made Muskaan sleep.Akash,on the other hand was there in the kitchen.He made a glass of milk for Ananya and mixed sleeping pills in that and said,"Mujhe maaf kar dena Ananya par mere paas aur koi raasta nehi hai."He then took the glass of milk to his bedroom and gave her the glass and said,"Tum kitne dino se thik se soyi nehi ho Ananya.Ye lo dudh peelo aur so jaao."Ananya took the glass and said,"Tumhe meri kitni parvaah hai na Akash."She emptied the glass and lied down on the bed.After that,Akash went inside the washroom and cried his heart out by covering his mouth.After a long time,he washed his face and returned to his bedroom.He checked and found Ananya to be in a deep sleep.He then opened his wardrobe and started packing Muskaan's belongings.After fininshing packing,Akash called his and Ananya's parents in the hall and told them about his decision.Mrs Saluja asked,"Tu kaisa aadmi hai?Arey jab Ananya subhe uthkar dekhegi ke Muskaan uske paas nehi hai to vo paagal ho jaayegi.Kya bolega tu kal subhe usko?"Mrs Rawat said,"Akash beta ye kya karne ja rahe ho tum?Please mat karo aisa."Akash said,"Main majboor hu.Main ye sab apni khushi se nehi kar raha hu ma.Ye mera farz hai.Muskaan ne jo hamaari zindagi mein aakar hamaare khaalipan ko dur kiya hai,uske baad main itni bari beimaani uske saath nehi kar sakta."Mrs Saluja said to her husband,"Aap aap hi samjhaaiye isey."Mr Saluja said,"Main Akash se sehmat hu.Jo ye kar raha hai vo insaaniyat hai.Main apne bete ko nehi rokunga.Tum Ananya ki ma bankar soch rahi ho kabhi apne bete ke taraf dekho,kitna dard bhara hai uski aakho mein.Jo ye kar raha hai usey karne do aur rahi baat Ananya ki to hum sab hai na."At that moment,the door bell rang.Akash went towards the door and opened it and found Anuj and Anjali were standing.Akash asked them to come inside and then went to his room.He slowly removed Ananya's hand from over Muskaan and picked her up.She moaned a little and then again fall asleep.Akash's tears were unable to be stopped by him.He pampered her a lot and rained kisses on her face.With teary voice,he said,"Apne papa ko maaf kar dena beta.Iam so sorry."He wiped his tears and went outside.Anjali took her from Akash's arms.Akash said,"Main uska saamaan..."Anjali replied,"Uski koi zarurat nehi hai.Uska saara saamaan uske ghar mein hi hai."Akash also brought her doll and said,"Ye uski favourate doll hai,iske bina vo kabhi nehi soti aur ye letter rakkhiye,isme usko kya kya pasand hai,kaise khilaana hai sab likha hai.I know aap logo ko sab pata hai par itne mahino mein bohot kuch badla hai na to..."Anuj said that he would be waiting for her in the car.After Anuj left,Anjali said,"Aap logo ko Anu se bohot pyar ho gaya hai na?Main samajh sakti hu hamaari Anu hai hi aisi."Before leaving,Anjali looked at Akash meaningfully and said,"Ek baat kahu aapse Mr Saluja.Meri bari bhabhi kehti thi ke ma ki mamta kabhi khaali nehi jaati.Aapki patni Ananyaji ki bhi nehi jaayegi.Aapne kaha tha na ke aap Anu uske asli ghar jaaye chahte hai to aaj main bhi aapse vaada karti hu Anu apne asli ghar mein hi rahegi hamesha."She smiled and left slowly walked outside.Akash kept on staring.At one moment,he felt like running behind Anjali and stopped Muskaan from going away,but he stopped and came inside.He dragged himself inside his bedroom and lied down beside Ananya.He traced the bed on the portion where Muskaan used to sleep as if he was trying to feel her.He looked at Ananya's innocent sleeping face which was killing him more and more.He grabbed Ananya's hand tightly and apologized to her in his mind.

Next morning,when Ananya woke up,on not finding Muskaan,she started panicking.Everyone woke up and were scared to face her.Ananya went to Akash and like a mad,said,"Dekho na Akash,Muskaan kahi mil nehi rahi hai.Pata nehi kaha chali gayi.Maine bahaar garden mein dekha,upar chat mein bhi dekha par vo kahi nehi hai.Zara tum bahaar dekh kar aao na."Everyone exchanged their looks with Akash.Akash took a deep breath as if to gather courage and then he grabbed Ananya's arms and said,"Ananya...Vo main..."Ananya was already impatient.She asked,"Kya hua bolo na?"Akash slowly told her everything.After listening,Ananya became total mum.She totally transformed into a statue.After staring at Akash for sometime,she walked back to her room.Akash and others decided to give Ananya some time and some space of her own.They were all sitting in the hall,when suddenly they heard Ananya singing.Akash recognized the song.He said,"Ye to vohi lori hai jo Ananya Muskaan ko sulaate waqt gaati hai."He exchanged looks with everyone and then all walked to Ananya and Akash's bedroom.All were stunned as well as confused to see what Ananya was doing.She was sitting on the bed and made a small doll lie on her lap and was singing the song by patting it.Akash slowly walked to her and sat in front of her and asked,"Ye kya kar rahi ho Ananya?"Ananya whispered,"Ssshhh!Awaaz mat karo Muskaan so rahi hai.Dekho na kitne nakhre dikha rahi hai sone mein.Sab tumhaare vajah se hua hai,bas uski har baat maan maan kar na bilkul bigaara hua hai isko dekho kaise aakhe phaar phaar ke dekh rahi hai mujhe."Akash asked,"Ye kya bol rahi ho Ananya?Kaha hai Muskaan?"Ananya said,"Arey ye dekho na yehi to hai hamaari Muskaan."Akash yelled,"Muskaan ja chuki hai Ananya vo yaha nehi hai."Ananya glared angrily at Akash and then ran to Mrs Saluja and Mrs Rawat and said,"Dekho na ma ye Akash kya bol raha hai ke ye meri Muskaan nehi hai.Dekho ye hai na Muskaan."She then said,"Dekho tumhaari vajah se Muskaan uth gayi abhi mujhe usey phir se sulaana hoga."Akash tried to come near her but she hugged the doll and angrily said to him,"Paas mat aana mere.Tum gande ho."She asked the doll,"Hai na Muskaan?Papa ganne hai na?Ha papa ganne hai.Aaj isiliye papa ki yehi punishment hai ke aaj is kamre mein sirf Muskaan aur mamma soyegi aur papa bahaar hall mein soyenge aur hum papa se baat bhi nehi karenge."She stared at Akash by hugging the doll tightly and then said to everyone,"Ab sab jaao,mujhe Muskaan ko sulaana hai,varna vo phir se rone beth jaayegi.Jaao jaao aap sab jaao."After that she again sat on the bed and started singing the song again by patting the doll leaving everyone especially Akash shocked,confused and hurt at the same time.

CHAPTER - 10