Arakshi TS : Bittersweet Moment...*Complete pg 8* - Page 4

"Toh aise hui mere aur Sakshi ka Shadi... I didn't intend on marrying her... maine socha ki waqt ke saath sab bhool jayenge... par phir lawyer uncle ne pressure diya and so did the other family members... tab Sakshi ke liye concern tha par yeh nahi ki shadi kar beithoon... par pressure aur woh sab ki wajeh se main Sakshi se shaadi kar liya... par..." I paused for a minute...

"Tab pata nahi tha par ab pata hai... it's just that I was scared... darr ta tha... ki kya sach hai ya nahi... par haan.. ab I know.. I may not be the best for her... but I will be with her...there are many chances ki maybe the relation could have succeeded... if I had tried hard enough..." I said...

"Toh yehi baat Sakshi ko kyun nahi batate?" Ayesha retorted...

Sameer looked at Ayesha and realized the main motto for pushing Arjun to this end... so as to he gives up the feeling of guilt and accepts the fact that he loves her...

Arjun looked at Ayesha... a flutter of emotions went across his face... he half smiled... "Thank you Ayesha..." he muttered...

His face had an added glow now... he got up and looked at the house...

"You do know that Sakshi loves you a lot..." Ayesha said...

"Hmm..." He nodded... but one could see the slight smile lingering on his lips...

"Waise Sameer... main Ayesha ko maarne nahi waala... tu usse apne baho se chod sakta hai..." Arjun smirked and walked towards the house...

Sameer and Ayesha parted.. their faces were red in embarrassment... "Woh.. woh.."

Sameer scratched his head while Ayesha shuffled her feet...

We slowly walked towards the door... Arjun took a deep breath... the two minutes felt like twenty years to us...

When slowly the door opened... we saw an old woman... the splitting image of Sakshi stand before us...

"Nani..." Arjun said softly and bent down to take her blessings... she just nodded.. her hand caressed his hair...

"Arjun bete..." she adjusted her glasses... "Aao... andar aao..." she said softly... "Ayesha beti.. tum bhi aao.. aur Sameer beta... apna ghar samjho..." she spoke...

Sameer and Ayesha were surprised by the simple beauty of the house... it was soft... rustic... beautiful... it gave an essence that Sakshi lived her... and her grandmother... even though they had met during the wedding.. now did they get to see the actual place from where Sakshi got her upbringing...

The trio looked at house... and the walls were filled with Sakshi's pictures... "Itne saare Sakshi ki pictures..." Sameer smiled...

"Woh.. Abhi... Sakshi ke nanu.. unhe photo lene ka bohot shauk tha... aur Tikli... yaani Sakshi ki photo pose karne ka bohot shauk tha..." Her Nani smiled... probably recalling the fond memories...

"Waise bete.. aap dono toh coffee lenge na... aur Arjun beta... chai main kitna cheeni doon.." She said and walked towards kitchen...

"Nahi Nani... in sab ki koi zaroorat nahi... mujhe aap se baat karni hai.. please..." Arjun caught her hand...

"Baat toh mujhe bhi karni hai bete... par pehle chai..." Nani said...

"Aunty... aap difficulty kyun le rahi hai... main chai aur coffee banati hoon... aap Arjun sir se baat kijiye..." Ayesha said and walked towards the kitchen...

Nani smiled and sat on the sofa... Arjun sat on the other side and Sameer sat next to him...

"Sakshi yaha hai..." Arjun asked... his fingers clutched tightly...

"Agar na hoti toh tum yaha naa ate na beta..." her Nani answered...

Arjun nodded... "Nani... woh main.. Sakshi se mil sakta hoon..." he asked softly...

Her Nani took a deep breath... she looked here and there uncomfortably...

Ayesha came back with the tea and coffee cups... she served a black tea to Nani...

Nani nodded "Ayesha beti tumhe kaise pata ki humain kaali chai..." she asked then smiled... "Haan.. policewali ho... yeh toh pata chalega..." she said...

Ayesha sat next to Nani...

Nani sighed and looked at Arjun who was waiting for an answer...

"Beta... ek baat poochu..." Nani asked...

"Haan... boliye na.." Arjun said...

"Sakshi ko kyun choda... naa. usne kuch nahi kaha... baat kya hai?" Nani asked.. "Aur haan... mujhse chupane ki zaroorat nahi.. seedhe seedhe bol do ki kya hua... I would appreciate the truth..." she said sternly...

"Woh... Nani.. hua yun ke..." Arjun described the entire course of marriage between him and Sakshi...

At some point even Ayesha and Sameer were shocked by the stagnant relation of Arjun and Sakshi...

After everything was over Nani got up and walked towards the garden...

Well she had every right to be upset... he had mistreated her daughter... Nani's eyes were full of tears... she sat on a wicker chair took out her purse and from there an old photo of a young man... she caught it near her heart and let the few tears fall...

Arjun sighed... he knew he had committed a grave error... he closed his eyes... wiping off his tears he walked to her Nani...

Sameer was going to go but Ayesha held his hand... "Nahi Sir... ab nahi... let him go and deal..." Ayesha said...

"Sakshi ne ek baar ehsaas bhi nahi dilaya that there are so many issues with her marriage..." Sameer said..

"Hmm... pata nahi yeh mard kabhi apni dil ki baat bolte kyun nahi.." Ayesha said angrily to find her eyes locked with Sameer's...

At the garden...

"Abhi... mujhe yeh hi darr tha... pata nahi...aap mere saath..." her Nani stopped to find something warm near her feet...

Arjun was on his knees... his hands rested on her knees.. he had his head down and he seemed to be crying...

"Arjun bete... kyun waapas aaye ho..." Nani asked... patting his head slowly...

Nani.. please... I swear main Sakshi ko khush rakhoonga..." Arjun promised...

"Beta... baat khush rakhne ki na hi tha na hai... baat yeh hai ki tum dono ki beech koi communication nahi hai... usse waapas le javoge... par kya araam se baat karna shuru kar doge? Apne zindagi main iss rishte ko kaise aage badhaoge?" Nani asked...

Arjun was in thoughts.. it's true he wanted to take her back... but he never thought about life after that...

"Dekho bete... pyaar... sirf bahe milake ya haath pakadne se nahi hota... pyaar woh hota hai ki agar koi chup rahe toh uske paas beith ke uski kaaran jaanoge... pyaar yeh hai ki chuppi main bhi saare baat bol jaye... pyaar yeh hai ki ek dusre ko ehsaas dilana ki woh uske jeevan main kya maine rakhta hai... yeh sab kar pavoge beta?" Nani asked...

Arjun was in a loss of words...

He looked at Nani and before he could say anything she asked...

"Beta.. tum samaj sakte ho ki jab Tikli tumhai chup chap dekhti hai.. ya phir usske cup main kitna dood aur cheeni hota hai... ya phir kab woh apne baal ko apne kaan ke peeche rakhte hai... hai na?" Nani asked... Arjun nodded...

Nani wiped the tears of Arjun softly "Par beta... kya tumne usse ehsaas dilaaya ki tum sab samaj sakte ho?"

Arjun nodded no...

"Beta... tere Nanu aur meri shadi na arranged marriage thi... woh mujhse pyaar karte the... par mujhe pata nahi chala... shadi ke do mahine baad... tere Nanu aise behave karte the.. jisse mujhe shak hua... jaise jab main chai banati thi unke liye toh woh mujhe dekhta tha... phir jab main mud ke dekh ti toh woh purposely kuch aisa karta tha jaise woh mujhe yeh feeling de sake ki woh na jaane ki woh humain dekh rahi hoon... jab ki woh chahte the ki mujhe pata chale ki woh humare liye kuch ehsaas karte the..." Nani said... her deep brown eyes holding a far away look...

Arjun looked into her eyes and understood the depth of what she meant...

"I know beta ki Roshni ko bhoolna aam baat nahi... aur yeh bhi jaanti hoon ki ab tum Tikli se mohabbat karne lage ho... aur yeh bhi maloom ki tum baat nahi kar sakte... dikkat hoti hai na apne aap ko kholne main... kyun..." Nani asked...

Arjun held the edge of her pallu like a small boy and fiddled with it... "Darr..." he said...

Nani caressed his head and told him... "Beta... Tikli tumse itni pyaar karti hai ki agar tum mote, batsoorat bhi hote na... tab bhi utni hi pyaar karti... aur woh tumhain kabhi nahi chodegi... dard iss baat ka hai ki tumne usse kisi aur ke saath shadi karwana chaha... apna dil khol do uske saamne... tab shayad baat sudhre..." Nani sighed...

Holding her soft hands which hand slight wrinkles of her age he spoke "Bohot pyaar karta hoon usse... itna ki... apna jaan bhi de doon uske liye... ghalat tha main Nani... ghlat... iske baad cheezein sirf uske mutabik hogi... agar woh mujhe waapas apnana chahe toh wohi hoga... main uska saath kabhi nahi chodunga... bas ek baar mujhe apni Sakshi se milne dijiye.. please Nani... mm..main...aa..aur... jj..jee nahi ... pavunga..." he broke into sobs... even Nani started crying...

In the living room...

"Isme gussi ki baat kya hai... hum logo ko shayad darr lagta ho ki agar jiss se hum mohabat karte hai usne inkaar kar diya toh..." Sameer reasoned...

"Acha... yeh dar kisi aur cheez ke liye kyun nahi... encounter ki samay toh full on action se jaate ho tum log..." Ayesha flared...

"Kyunki woh dimaag se kiya jaata... par pyaar... woh toh dil se... ek baar de diye... aur agar toot gaya... toh usse jodne main waqt lagta hai..." Sameer said...

"Aur jo pyaar ek ladki ki aankhon main jhalakti hai... woh koi dekh nahi sakta kya?" Ayesha told...

Sameer held Ayesha's hand and looked into her eyes... "Ayesha... why are we discussing this?" he said softly...

Ayesha realized her slip and looked down... "Maybe for the reason you protected me from Arjun's anger..." she said softly and got up... "Main.. kitchen main..." she said...

Sameer let go... "Main kuch na bolkar Arjun ki ghalti toh nahi kar raha hoon na..." he thought...

As Ayesha walked into the kitchen... "Main inn chote chote signals ko ignore karke Sakshi jaisi ghalti toh nahi kar rahi hoon na?"

In the bedroom

After God knows when Sakshi stirred... her eyes felt drowsy... God when did she sleep so soundly... as she tried to move she understood where she was... her room...

In her home.. Nani's home... that's why she felt at peace... few more tears fell from her eyes... she turned aside to sleep... to see something... someone looking at her intently...

There was only one person in the world who would cross his arms across his chest and look at her silently...

Only one person whose orbs looking through her would make her every fibre in her body come alive...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------