CHAPTER - 13
Akash took Ananya to his home to confess their mistakes to Sulekha.On seeing them together at that time and that too in that worried and tensed state,Sulekha was too very worried.She asked,"Tum dono is waqt yaha aur vo bhi is condition mein?"Akash replied,"Vo daadi...hume aapse kuch zaruri baat karni hai."He couldn't meet his eyes with her since he knew that Sulekha wll be very angry on hearing what Akash was going to say.She asked,"Bohot pareshaan lag rahe ho???Baat kya hai??"Akash tried to say many times but he could not frame any words.So she asked Ananya,"Ananya beta tu hi bata na kya baat hai?Ye to kuch bata nehi raha hai??"Ananya,was in a condition much worst than Akash and she stammered,"Vo daadi...vo...vo main..."Akash stopped her in the middle and said,"Vo daadi humse na ek bohot bari galti ho gayi hai jo shaayad maafi ke qaabil nehi hai."Sulekha's brows squeezed and she asked,"Kya matlab?Kaisi galti?"Akash said,"Vo daadi...vo..."He took a deep breath and then said,"Daadi vo...daadi vo Ananya...daadi...Ananya pregnant hai."It appeared like the earth moved away under Sulekha's feet.She neither could react nor she was able to stand properly.She held the sofa's handle and sat on it.Akash continued,"Daadi...vo jab hum farmhouse par ghumne gaye the na,to vohi par hum dono ke beech...Ye bachcha hamaara hai daadi aur hum isey khona nehi chahte."Sulekha said,"Maine hamesha teri har zarurat ka khayaal rakkha,teri parvarish mein kahi koi kami nehi ane di,phir aaj mujhse aisi kaunsi galti ho gayi Akash jo tune aisi galti kar daali."She looked at Ananya and said,"Aur Ananya tum??Maine jab tumhe pehli baar dekha tha to laga tha ke tum bohot suljhi hui larki ho,par tumne???Tumhe pata bhi hai tumhaari is galti ka nateeja,Akash se bhi kahi zyaada tumhe bhugatna hoga."Akash lowered his head and replied,"Sorry daadi."On hearing the words of apology from Akash's lips,Sulekha stood up at rage and yelled,"Sorry???Is baat ka matlab bhi samajhte ho tum dono??Tum dono ko koi idea bhi hai ke tum logo ne kiya kya hai??Apni izzat to khatre mein daali hi daali hai aur saath mein is bachche ke bhavishya ko bhi khatre mein daal diya hai.Tum dono ki shaadi to hone hi waali thi na,phir shaadi se pehle ye sab???Kuch din bhi tum dono se bardaasht nehi hua?Kabhi socha hai ke Ananya college kaise jaayegi??Kuch dino baad sabko pata chal jaayega ke ye ma banne waali hai.Tab???Iska jeena haraam ho jaayega.Now Iam really sorry to say ke maine tum dono se aisi irresponsible harkat kabhi expect nehi ki thi."Akash held her hand and said,"I know daadi humse galti hui hai aur hum is baat ko maante bhi hai,par ab hum kya karenge.Hume kuch sujh nehi raha hai.Please hamaari madat kijiye."She said,"Ab main kya madat karu tumhaari?Apne pero par apne hi haatho se kulhaari to tum dono ne hi maari hai."She looked at Ananya who was weeping and standing like a big guilty.On seeing her,Sulekha really felt very bad.So she said,"Ab tum dono ne koi aur raasta hi nehi chora bajaaye iske ke jitni jaldi ho sake,tum dono ko shaadi karni paregi,apne liye nehi,is bachche ke liye kyuki main nehi chahti hu ke is khaandaan ka aanewaala waaris aur mera parpota ya parpoti najaayaz kehlaaye.Isiliye..."She gave a look to both of them and said,"Tum dono ki shaadi agle hafte hi hogi aur aaj se aur abhi se Ananya,yehi rahegi kyuki main is haalat mein apni aakho se dur hargiz nehi hone dungi.Ananya aur teri jabtak shaadi nehi hoti tabtak vo mere kamre mein rahegi aur Akash abhi ja aur jaakar uska saara samaan lekar aa."Akash nodded his head and was very relieved.When Sulekha left for inside,Akash said,"Aaj bohot light feel kar raha hu,kyuki maine aaj sach bola hai.Ab chinta ki koi baat nehi hai.Ab sab kuch thik ho jaayega.Tum yaha araam karo,main tumhaara saara samaan lekar aata hu."Saying Akash left from there.
Before returning to the office again,Akash brought Ananya's luggage from her orphanage and and send it to Ananya and then went to office.Sulekha consulted to their family priest and fixed Ananya and Akash's marriage on the next auspicious day that was after one week.It was decided that they will be married in the temple first and then their marriage will be registered.After that,with proper arrangement,they would have a lavish social wedding.When Akash heard about the plan,he said,"Par daadi ek problem ho gayi hai."Sulekha asked,"Kya?"He replied,"Mujhe ek business deal ke liye Canada jaana hai.Bohot important hai ye,but don't worry main shaadi se pehle aa jaaunga."Sulekha asked,"Par ye deal teri shaadi se important to nehi hai na??Agle hafte hai teri shaadi Akash,uske baad chale jaana?"He replied,"Main jaanta hu daadi,par ye deal bohot important hai.Agar ye deal hamaari company ko mil gaya na to kamsekam agle do teen saalo tak hume kisi bhi foreign company se deal karne ki zarurat hi nehi paregi."Sulekha was not ready to agree on this since,that marriage was much more important for her.He understood her feelings and so he said,"Main jaanta hu ke aap kya soch rahi hai daadi,par main ye sab Ananya aur apne honewaale bachche ke liye kar raha hu.Main chahta hu ke mera bachcha jab is duniya mein aaye to usey kisi bhi cheez ki kami na ho.Vo jo maangega vo uske bolne se pehle uske paas ho.Please daadi ye aakhri deal,uske baad jabtak main apne baby ka chehra nehi dekhunga,main ye sheher chorkar kahi nehi jaaunga."Sulekha looked at Ananya and asked,"Kya tujhe is baat se koi problem hai?"She replied,"Nehi daadi par waapas aane ke baad delivery ta agar isne ek bhi abroad trip li to main waapas home mein chali jaaungi."Sulekha warned Akash,"Yaad rakhna Ananya ki baat ko."Akash nodded his head.
The day before leaving for Canada,Ananya was very upset for Akash.He knew that Ananya didn't want him to leave her for any reason not even for one day.Akash came to Ananya in Sulekha's room and tried to persuade her.He said,"Bas 2-3 din ki hi to baat hai.Uske baad main waapas aa hi jaaunga na.Tum itne din bhi mere liye wait nehi kar sakti ho?"Ananya replied,"Baat ye nehi hai na Akash.Baat ye hai ke mera dil nehi maan raha hai Akash.Mujhe is baar bilkul bhi achcha nehi lag raha hai.Mujhe ya mere bachche ko aisho-araam ki zindagi nehi chahiye hai Akash.Hume bas tum chahiye.Kya hoga itne paise kamaakar??Tum baad mein chahe jitney abroad trip par jaana chaho chale jaana,par is baar nehi."Ananya half lied down on the bed.Akash then put his head on her stomach and then lightly knocked on it and said,"Hullo baby,main tumhaara papa hu.Dekho na tumhaari mamma nehi maan rahi hai.Ab mamma ko thora manaao na ke mujhe is baar jaane de,iske baad jabtak tumhaari mamma nehi chahegi,tabtak main kahi nehi jaaunga.I promise."He then acted as if trying to hear what the baby was saying and said,"Kya kaha???Oh!!Papa ja sakte hai."He raised his head and said to Ananya,"Dekha baby bhi yehi keh rahi hai ke main ja sakta hu.Please ab to maan jaao na Ananya."Akash's each and every act with the baby had already touched her heart and so she said,"Achcha thik hai!!!Par 2 din se ek din bhi zyaada nehi."He replied,"Promise!!"He then said,"Dekho Ananya,isse pehle ke hamaare aane waale baby ke liye tum koi naam socho,main tumhe pehle hi bata deta hu ke agar mujhe beti hui na to uska naam Koel hoga and that is final aur agar beta hua to...tum koi bhi naam soch lena,kyuki mujhe baby boys mein zyaada dilchaspi nehi hai.I want a baby girl."Ananya nodded his head and said,"Thik hai thik hai abhi jaao,varna kahi agar mera mood dubaara se kharaab ho gaya na to main phir tumhe kahi bhi jaane nehi dungi Mr Akash Saluja."Akash bowed before her and said,"Ji Mrs Akash Saluja.Abhi chalo khaana khaane,ab to tumhe double double khaana hai.Aadha apne liye aur aadha baby ke liye."Akash took her with him to the dining table.Next day,Akash had a flight and Ananya dropped him to the airport.Before going inside,Ananya said,"Apna dhyaan rakhna,khaana time par kha lena aur so bhi jaana time par aur ha sabse important mujhe har roz phone karna bina bhule."Akash replied,"Ha ha thik hai,karunga.Ab main chalu??Tumse zyaada jaldi to mujhe hai waapas aane ka par jaaunga nehi to waapas aaunga kaise?Achcha!!Bye and I love you."Ananya smiled and waved his hand and said,"I love you too!!"He too waved his hand and then left inside the airport.
The time,when Akash was living at Canada,he always used to call Ananya,almost 3 times a day.He did a lot of shopping for the baby and Ananya.After the flight landed,Akash informed Ananya of his return and then told her that he will talk now directly after coming home.Almost 4 hours passed by,but Akash didn't return and Ananya became very tensed.She was continuously walking and walking but her tension increased more and more.Sulkeha said,"Ek baar aur phone karke dekh na.Itni der to nehi hoti hai airport se ghar aane mein."Ananya called again and that time,the call was picked.The convo :-
A :- "Akash ho kaha tum???Kitni der laga rahe ho ghar aane mein?"
S :- "Hullo,ji kya aap ghar ke members baat kar rahe hai?"
Ananya was a bit taken off on hearing the voice of some unknown person.
A :- "Hullo aap kaun hai??Ye phone mere mangetar ka hai."
S :- "Actually ye phone jinka hai,unka bohot buri tarah se accident ho gaya hai.Gaari ulat gayi thi aur driver to on the spot hi mar gaya hai.Bas itna samajh lijiye ke saasein chal rahi hai.Aap log please jaldi aa jaaiye."
He then gave the address of the hospital.The phone fall from Ananya's hand and smashed on the ground.The shock of Akash's news was so unbearable for her that she would have fallen on the ground if Sulekha would have not grabbed her at the right time.She asked,"Kya hua??Kya hua bol??"Ananya replied,"Vo..daadi...vo...Akash...vo...Akash ka accident ho gaya hai daadi."Saying she broke in Sulekha's arms.It was not Sulekha's age to bear that pain.But on hearing that she was not able to take the shock and too started crying on imagining how could she leave if something happens to Akash.She felt so helpless right at that time.Her heart was completely filled up with bad thoughts,but somehow,she managed to drove those thoughts away and by taking Ananya,she rushed to the hospital.More than Sulekha,Ananya was broken and all the while on the way,Sulekha was comforting her.When they reached the hospital they enquired about Akash and they were shown the cabin.The nurse came to them and informed that he is needed to be operated since he was injured ery badly and his brain was the one,which was badly affected.Sulekha signed up the form and the operation was started.Sulekha said to Ananya,"Bhagwaan ne mera beta aur bahu mujhse cheen liya.Ab vo mera pota mujhse nehi cheen sakte."After 2 hours,when the operation was over,the doctor came out and said,"Operation to successful tha Mrs Saluja,par..."Ananya asked,"Par kya doctor???Kya hua mere Akash ko?"The doctor replied,"Accident ke vajah se unke dimaag mein kaafi chot aai jiske vajah se..."Sulkeha yelled,"Jiske vajah se kya doctor?"He replied,"Jiske vajah se ye coma mein chale gaye hai."The last words of the doctor fall like melted iron nails on Ananya's ears.The words were echoing again and again and the more it was echoing,the more her feet appeared to be heavy.She couldnot tolerate anymore and fainted on the ground.
[ FLASHBACK ENDS , BACK TO PRESENT ]
Ananya's chain of thoughts broke on the ringing of the phone.She was in her office.She picked up the call.The convo :-
A :- "Hullo!!!"
D :- "Hullo main Akash Saluja ka doctor bol raha hu."
Ananya's each and every cell became excited on the expectation of a good news.
A :- "Ha boliye na.Koi achchi khabar hai kya??Mera Akash kaisa hai??"
D :- "Maine isiliye aapko phone kiya hai.Patient ne movement dikhaayi hai aur mujhe aisa lagta hai ke unhe abhi hosh aane waala hai.Aap jaldi aa jaaiye."
The conversation ended with a mute Ananya having tears of joy in her eyes as she had passed all the tests of God with distinction and her life was soon going to wrap her in his arms.
CHAPTER - 14
Cricket
