FF : Bas Pyar Ho Gaya | Part 32 pg 153 updt 11.12. 2016 - Page 8

Part 4 :

As soon as the plane touched Mumbai airport, Priya was engulfed with a mixed set of emotions: one part of her was happy that she was back with her family, but another part was full of apprehension as to how to break this news to her ailing father. Throughout the journey neither of them could speak anything... and Ram could very well sense what Priya was going through.

Ram dropped Priya at her house , and before leaving , he held her hands and tried to assure her : Look Priya.. abhi uncle ko jagane ki koi zarurat nahi hai. Tu chup chap jake thoda rest le.. and don't be tensed please. Subhe main aur Ma aake baat karenge uncle se...

Priya nodded her head and went inside silently.

Next morning as soon as Sudhirji got up, Gopal kaka broke the news to him : Sahab .. kal raat Priya beti aayi hai..

Sudhirji could not believe his ears: Priya ?? Arey mujhe toh kisi ne bataya bhi nahi .. Kaise aayi woh ? Sanjay bhi aaya hai ?

Nahi sahab.. damadji nahi aaye bas beti aayi hai Ram beta ke sath. Raat ko aapko uthane ke liye mana kiya tha is liye nahi bataya... Gopal kaka informed.

Thik hai.. abhi mujhe thoda uske paas leke chal... Sudhirji said eagerly .

Gopal kaka : Woh so rahi hai shayad..

Arey tu leke toh chal.. mujhe aise hi dekhna hai use...Sudhirji instructed ...attempting to get out of bed.

Gopal kaka lifted Sudhirji out of the bed and helped him into the wheel chair. This wheel chair has been a part of Sudhirji's life for around a year now, after he suffered a partial paralysis because of a major stroke. And yet he was not complaining, because he was a reasonably satisfied man. His only daughter was married and settled, while he himself as well as his business was being properly taken care of by Ram who was no less than a son to him. Though he did not go to office himself, but was working from home, and was very much aware of every small happening within the company and was still responsible for making all the major decisions of the company, along with Ram.

Sudhirji peeped into the room of his daughter, to find her sleeping peacefully. With a big smile in his lips and a hint of tears in his eyes, he came back to his room, to get ready for the day.

Priya had not slept in the night well, and was fully awake when Sudhirji peeped into the room. Once Sudhirji left, Priya took her phone and started texting Ram.

Priya : GM... uth gaya tu ?

Ram : Hmm abhi utha..

Priya: Kab aa raha hai.. Papa already uth gaye..Abhi main room mein hoon .. bahar jaungi toh sau sawal puchenge.. and I cant handle that..

Ram : Relax Priya..abhi aata hoon.. don't worry..

Sudhirji sat for breakfast when the door bell rang.. it was Ram with Krishnaji and Pihu.

Sudhirji smiled at Ram : Arey buddy... itni jaldi uth gaye tum... Priya toh abhi bhi so rahi hai shayad...

Ram smiled and sat on the breakfast table. Krishnaji and Sudhirji exchanged greetings.

Pihu ran and jumped into Sudhirji's lap.. Dadu...Priya aunty kaha hai .. mujhe unke pass jana hai.

Krishnaji said: Pihu.. beta aap Priya aunty ke room mein jao.. aur unhe jaldi se utha do.

An excited Pihu jumped out of Sudhirji's lap and ran away to Priya's room..

Arey Ram.. maine toh socha tu Priya ko surprise dene wala hai waha jaake, par tum dono ne toh mujhe hi surprise kar diya... Sudhirji smiled and continued ... Yeh achanak bina bataye Priya ko leke aaya tu..

Woh .. buddy...Ram started in a hesitant voice... aisa hai ke Priya ko main humesha ke liye wapis leke aaya hoon..

Sudhirji looked at Ram in utter surprise: K..K...Kya..kya... bol raha hai tu...

Ram and Krishnaji exchanged a look...

Krishnaji slowly started explaining what had happened .. as Ram sat next to Sudhirji , holding him by his arms. Tears started rolling down his eyes as Sudhirji heard what his daughter has faced : Sab meri galti hain... maine hi galat ladka dhundha uske liye.. Khud apni hathon se apni beti ka zindagi barbad kiya!

Nahi uncle...aap ne toh mujhe zimmedari di thi yeh shaadi arrange karne ka.. Ram heaved a deep sigh...Main hi thik se pata nahi kar paya Sanjay ke bare mein..

Maine bhi toh humesha pressurize kiya Priya ko shaadi ke liye...Krishnaji added dejectedly ...Aur phir...

Before Krishnaji could finish, Pihu rushed in pulling Priya's hands with her tiny palms : Papa .. Papa.. Pata hai aunty ne bola ke woh ab kabhi mujhe chod ke nahi jayengi.. woh ab humesha humare pass hi rahengi..Kitna maaza ayega na Papa..

Ram got up and carried Pihu into his lap.. Yes baby.. bohot maaza karenge. Ab chalo main aapko garden mein ek cheez dikhata hoon..

Ram took Pihu away, assuring Priya with a little gesture of his eyes that he had spoken to Sudhirji. Krishnaji got up and pulled Priya into a hug..Meri bachchi.. itne dino se kyun nahi bataya hume kuch bhi ? Kyun akeli sahti rahi sab kuch?

Priya replied with moistened eyes: I am sorry aunty.. ab main kabhi aapse kuch bhi nahi chupaungi...

Krishnaji freed Priya from the hug and said softly : Ja abhi bhaisahab ke pass..

Priya sat on her knees, taking Sudhirji's hands into hers.. Papa .. I am sorry .. Main aapko yeh sab tension nahi dena chahti thi..

Sudhirji held Priya's hands strongly.. Priya .. beta I am sorry... Meri wajay se hi yeh sab hua hai. Par beta .. chahe mera tabiyat kitna bhi kharab ho.. main abhi tak zinda hoon.. aur aapne beti ko sambhal ne ki taqat hai mujh mein...

I know Papa.. par you know it hurts. .. my values.. my self respect...kaise yeh sab baatein aapse karti...Priya hugged her father and cried her heart out. She had been accumulating all the pain for last 2 years, and she felt hundred times lighter after sharing it with her father. Seeing the father daughter settling down, Krishnaji took her leave, asking Priya to come down to Kapoor house whenever she felt like.

Priya spent most of the day chatting with her father, sleeping and lazying around at home. She was feeling relaxed, and composed. But then.. she did not have much to do, and was wondering how she would spend her time now that she did not have a job. Her phone beeped, it was Ram...

Ram : Sab thik hai?

Priya: Hmm

Ram : Ek bar aa sakti hai..apni purani jagah pe..

Priya: Hmmm.. aati hoon...

This "purani jagah" was nothing but a small bench at the back of the Kapoor house. Both the Sharmas and the Kapoors had small gardens at the backside of their bunglows, and there was a small back gate separating the two plots. Many a times the members of the two families used the backgate instead of the front gates facing the main road. This small cement bench was a favourite place of both Ram and Priya. Right from their childhood, whenever they wanted to spend time with each other, hide from their parents or discuss something personal.. they would meet there. They used to sit there for hours... sometimes preparing for exams, sometimes playing , sometimes just chatting. This bench was a testimony of their growing friendship over the years.

Priya opened the back gate to enter Kapoor house, and found Ram sitting there. She smiled and sat beside him...

Sab thik hai na.. uncle kaise hai ? asked Ram anxiously ..

Sab thik hai Ram.. really.. thanks a lot! Replied Priya... Papa ne toh kafi strongly face kiya yeh sab...

Dekha.. mujhe pata tha ! Ram smiled ...Buddy ko dekha hai maine.. he is more strong than both of us. Abhi bhi sara office hil jata hai unki ek email se... samjhi..

Priya smiled at Ram and nodded her head in agreement.

Ram continued : Accha sun, kal subhe tu 8.00 baje ready rehna.. mere sath office aana hai...

Priya looked at Ram in astonishment: Office? Main office aake kya karungi.. mujhe toh kuch bhi nahi samajhta...

Arey nahi samajhta toh samajh jayegi.. aisa kaun sa difficult kam hai... Ram tried to explain.. Waise bhi we are planning to start some consultancy on business excellence as well... and I know you have a fabulous experience in that...

Par Ram ... that's academics... aur yeh business hai...said a hesitant Priya

Dekh ... aise hi ghar pe baithe rehna ka koi matlab nahi hai. Usse accha hai ke tu office aa ja...Ram insisted ... Woh business tera bhi toh hai na re baba..

Priya looked at Ram angrily : Arey kya tu tera mera tera mera kar raha hai ? Aajtak maine kabhi yeh sab nahi socha aur tu..

Ok Ok.. mera waisa matlab nahi tha... Ram tried to make up for his words... Par sach much.. mujhe bhi kisi ki zarurat hai office mein. Tu ek bar try karke toh dekh.. pasand na aaye toh phir chod dena ..

Priya was still not convinced : Par I was thinking ke US mein kuch research options..

No way... Ram snapped her in the middle.. Look Priya I am not forcing you ... tujhe jo bhi thik lage woh kar par yaha Mumbai mein humare sath rehke kar. Ab tujhe koi bhi door jane nahi dega... na Uncle, na Ma aur na main. Is liye filhaal tu office join kar le.. baad mein aram se sochna...

Priya gave a thought for a while and said: Ok.. par mujhe tere jaisa 9 to 7 nahi chalega...

Ram gave a questioning look at Priya...

Priya continued: Main subhe Pihu ko taiyyar karke school chodke office aayungi.. aur agar mann kare toh Pihu ke school chutne ke time pe nikal jaungi..baki kam ghar se karungi... Chalega tujhe to bol...

Ram could not control his laugh at Priya's answers: Ha ha ha toh yeh baat hai! Arey tu employee thodi hai... tu toh malkin hai. Par tu itna pareshan mat ho.. Pihu kafi self-sufficient hai..khud hi kar leti hai sab kuch. Tu kyun uske liye...

Priya cut Ram's words: Sirf uske liye nahi Ram... apne liye bhi. Jab shaadi huyi thi tab to maine bhi socha tha ke ek din meri bhi... Priya's voice chocked as she swallowed a big lump in her throat...Ab main jitna time ho sake Pihu ke saath bitana chahti hoon.. please tu mana mat karna...

Ram held Priya's hands into his : Arey.. maine kab mana kiya. Pihu teri bhi to bachchi hai. Tujhe jaisa thik lage waisa kar. Ram paused for a while : Chal ab andar ja... Uncle dhundhte rahenge. Aur haan.. Buddy ke samne yeh rona dhona mat karna please...

Priya wiped her tears, smiled and nodded her head. They both got up and went back to their respective houses...