Hi Friends,
RaYa finally meet today.. and am almost coming to the end of my FF, hopefully should be able to wrap up within 2-3 more updates. Thanks to all of you for reading!
Cheers,
Aditi.
Part 7: The confrontation
The car stopped in the parking and Priya came out with Pihu deep asleep in her lap, followed by Rajat carrying Priya's and Pihu's bags. Rajat opened the door as Priya entered with Pihu.
Rajat: I will leave now.. bohot raat ho gayi hai..
Priya: Do minute ke liye andar aao na..
Raja: Abhi??
Priya: Arre baba, sirf do minute….
Rajat: OK..
Rajat closed the door, and relaxed on the couch in the living room as Priya went inside the bedroom to put Pihu to bed.
Rajat: I m so relieved that Daijaan's reports are fine. Kal unhe shayad discharge bhi kar denge..
Haa woh toh hai.. said Priya as she came out of the bedroom , went inside the kitchen and came back with a small lunch box in her hand…
Priya: Yeh lo….
Rajat: Arre is mein kya hai?
Priya: Gajar ka halwa…Aaj subhe tumhare liye pack karna tha.. but jaldi mein bhool gayi..Chalo abhi tum niklo.. its really late!
Rajat smiled and got up to open the door: Yeh sab toh mujhe is ghar mein hi mil sakta hai..
Us ghar mein bhi milega.. agar tum shaadi kar lo toh..teased Priya standing at the door as Rajat moved towards the lift..
Oh no not again.. I better run away.. Rajat went inside the lift as Priya closed the door.
Priya had been pestering Rajat for quite some time now to get married. But she also knew that Rajat was waiting for the right person who would accept him along with his responsibilities towards Kady and Raina.
Priya opened her purse in search of her phone..
Oh ho.. Daijaan ke reports toh mere paas hi reh gaya.. Yeh Rajat bhi na …..
The door bell rang suddenly..
Rajat hi hoga; reports lene wapas aaya hoga bechara…Priya rushed to open the door.
Arre Rajat yeh reports...she could not finish her sentence…as she lost her speech on seeing the man standing at the door. The man who meant everything to her, the man who in spite of a separation of 5 years kept on influencing her thoughts, her life, her very existence was in front of her.
Raaam…..aap yahan? was all she could utter, engulfed by a mixed emotion of joy and apprehension.
Oh.. Toh pehchana tumne.. Maine toh socha tha ke pehchan bhi nahi paogi..Ram's voice was cold and sarcastic.
Priya looked at Ram as a small drop of tear surfaced on her eyes..
She was familiar with this … the same black suit, the same single colored tie, the same white shirt, the same towering personality and the same anger in eyes!
Par aap toh aaj wapas jane wale they….Priya said in a shaky voice.
Ram: Oh toh tumhe yeh bhi pata tha.. Hmmm.. I know you were not expecting me , you were expecting somebody else correct?
Priya: Aap yeh kya keh rahe hai?
Rma: Oh ho really? Waise mein andaar aayu ya corridor mein hi baat karna hai…
Priya put her eyes down and slowly took a few steps backwards. Ram entered the house and slammed the door behind. The noise of the slamming door was reverberating in the house as Priya shivered in fear.
Ram started in a stern voice: Look Priya, I know you are very happy here.Dont worry, mein tumhe disturb nahi karunga, tumhare life mein interfere bhi nahi karunga. Mujhe tumse sirf ek hi sawal poochna hai, Pihu is mine correct? Woh meri beti hai na?
Ram advanced towards Priya while he spoke. Priya took a few steps back until she was cornered against the wall. She closed her eyes and nodded her head silently in acceptance as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Ram by then had come close to her, holding her by her shoulders and shaking her vigorously…
How could you do this Priya ? Just how could you? Pichle panch saalon mein sote jagte uthte baithte maine sirf tumhare bare mein socha, tumhe pane ki koi umeed nahi hai yeh jaante huye bhi sirf tumhari khwaish ki, aur tumne mujhe ek baar bhi yaad nahi kiya? Ek baar batane ki zarorat bhi nahi samjha ke tum zinda ho aur humari ek beti bhi hai?
Ram was breathing heavily on her face, and Priya could not open her eyes to face Ram's piercing look.
Maine aapko batana chaha Ram lekin situation hi kuch aisi thi ke..Priya murmured, shivering with fear, her eyes still closed, with her lips pressing against each other in an attempt to somehow bear the tremendous mental agony that she was going through!
Situation? Ram removed his hands from her shoulders and swirled his fists in the air in frustration….
Aisa kaun sa situation tha Priya jo ek patni apni pati ko uske zinda rehne ka khabar nahi de sakti thi? Tumhe agar mujhse azadi chahiye thi toh mujhe aise hi bol deti, mein tumhare khushi ke liye woh bhi kar deta. Lekin tumne meri beti ki baat kyun chupayi Priya? Kyun use mujshe alag rakkha ?
Ram main manti hoon ke maine aapki beti ko aapse aalag rakkha par believe me I…..
Thud.. before she could finish there was a noise from the bedroom followed by Pihu screaming aloud: Mamma…………….
Both Ram and Priya rushed into the bedroom. Pihu had fallen from the bed and was crying in half sleep..
Ram was the first to reach out to her. He picked Pihu from the floor right into his arms and started consoling her..
Ram: Kya hua beta? Kaise gir gaye aap ? Kaha laga aapko?
Yahan.. Pihu pointed out to her elbow still sobbing in half sleep.
Ram: Oh ho.. kuch nahi hua…Ram started to caress her elbow slowly.
Pihu suddenly opened her eyes fully and saw Ram. Immediately her face lightened with a broad smile:
Phonewale uncle!
Ram embraced Pihu tightly in between his arms. From the very touch he could feel she was a part of him, his own blood, he did not need any certificate from Priya or even God to realize that!
He whispered in a broken voice: Uncle nahi beta Papa.. main aapka Papa hoon!
Sachchi? Aap mere Papa ho? Pihu looked surprisingly at Ram and then turned towards Priya for confirmation..
Pihu: Mama phonewale uncle hi mere papa hai?
Priya was standing near the bedroom door, watching Pihu and Ram. She had deliberately tried to keep Pihu away from Ram, but today as destiny had brought the father daughter together, she was undoubtedly the happiest one around! Though she had tears in her eyes, she managed to sport a smile on her face …
Priya: Ha bachcha.. Yehi tumhare Papa hai..
Pihu: Par aapne toh kaha tha ke Papa kho gaye hai aur woh abhi kabhi nahi milenge? The little one looked at her mother in utter confusion..…
Ram turned and gave a silent look towards Priya, as if to try and read her mind. What would have prompted Priya to tell this to Pihu?
Ram: Aisa kaise ho sakta hai ke main meri gudiya se na milon? Main toh roj Bhagwanji se kehta tha ke mujhe meri gudiya wapas chahiye. Aur dekho aaj mujhe Bhagwanji ne aapse mila hi diya.
Pihu: Maine bhi toh Bhagwanji se kitni baar bola ke mujhe Papa se milna hai
Ram could sense Priya sobbing and looked towards her. She had hidden her face inside her palm, and slowly walked out of the room.
For next 15 minutes Pihu bombarded Ram with 50 questions at least…
Aap kaise kho gaye? Aap toh itne bade hai na?
Aap abhi humare sath hi rahenge na?
Ek hi bed pe main , aap, mummy aur tiger.. kaise soyenge?
Mumbai kitna door hai?
Aapke paas bhi mummy hai.. meri mummy jaisi?
Aap mujhe kitna pyaar karte hai?
Aap mujhe roj school se lene ayenge?
Aapko kaun aloo ke paranthe bana ke deta hai?
Ram kept on answering her patiently, taking help of "Bhagwanji" most of the time to tackle the difficult ones. It was well past 12, and there was not a tinge of sleep in Pihu's eyes. Ram tried to put Pihu to bed and coax her to sleep.
Pihu finally slept, clasping Ram's fingers in between her two palms tightly, with a faint smile lingering on her face.
Ram was in deep thoughts….
Pihu ko kitna kuch pata hai mere baare mein.. Priya ne hi bataya hoga. Toh phir… Aur maine abhi Priya pe kitna chillaya, uske baare mein ulta seedha socha. Nahi nahi… Priya kabhi bhi aisa nahi kar sakti..woh kuch toh batana chahti thi.. ho sakta hai ke uski apni koi wajay ho.. . Jo bhi ho, abhi mujhe Priya se baat karke sab sort karna chahiye.. ..
Ram slowly took out his fingers from Pihu's hands, put the comforter properly on her, kissed her lightly on her forehead and got up from the bed…