FF: Ek Rasta, Alag RahiPt.78Pg. 90 03/01 - Page 34

Part 54

Dev could see a flicker of ray coming from the edge of the tunnel, he has been looking for something, something valuable, yet he couldn't figure out what it is. He is getting close, just few more steps, then he would know. Then he saw a big crystal clear box with a girl inside, struggling to get out. The moment he saw the face, he froze, what is Radhika doing here?. He swiftly came near her, calling out her name, she didn't budge but kept struggling. He did everything to break the glass but he didn't make it. Suddenly she looked at him, a ray of hope sparkled in her eyes, she smiled at him then faded away, tears rolled from her eyes. A sound of faint cry, entered his ears, he knew she's crying. Then she gave him a last sad smile before going away, she was gone.

His eyes flung open bringing him back to the reality, he was just dreaming, thank god, but the sound of faint cry was still there. He looked sideways only to find Radhika sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head buried in it.

She felt two pair of hands, holding her shoulders, she glanced up, and even with her blurry eyes she didn't miss the concern and love in his eyes.

"Dev.." She muttered quietly before hugging him. He hugged back tightly, caressing her back. His own eyes filled with tears, he can't see her like that. It cringes his heart whenever, he see her in pain, it's worse than her fights. He wanted to stop this, he wanted to ease her pain, he wanted to give her all the happiness she deserve. He wanted to punish those who made her desperate. She is not the Radhika he had meet just couple of days, the one who always fights and annoys. There is a very sad person masked in a happy person.

"Main..main..kado theek.houngi??" She asked still crying in his arms. (when will I recover??)

"Tum jald hi theek ho jaogi, sweetie.." Dev said gently while stroking her back. She pushed him back, he startled and glanced at her. (you'll recover fast, sweetie..)

"Sab yeh kehde yah…sab kehde tu theek ho jaungi…sunny..meet..doctors..saare kehde tu theek ho jaungi..par koi nai kehda kad..main sab bhul kyu..nai…kyun yaad aunda?? " She said angrily.

(everybody says that..everybody say I'll recover..sunny..meet..doctors..everyone says you'll recover..but nobody says when..why don't I forget..why I still remember??)

"Sweetie..tum theek…" he said while approaching her but shoved him away.

"Jhooth…sab jhooth…tusi vi chad..chad jaana mainu…chale jaana tusi vi…main bohj yah tuhade layi…tuhade parivar layi..sunny layi..bohj yah..main bahut bada…bohj yah..saaryan layi.." Radhika said then buried her face. (lie..everyone lie..you'll also leave..you'll leave me…you'll also go…I'm burden on you..on your family..on sunny..i'm burden..a big..burden..on everyone…)

Why is saying like that?? Why does she think I'll leave her?? She think herself as a burden, not only for me or my family for Sunny too??

"Sweetie, meri baat suno.." Dev said while removing her hands from her face. He cupped her face with a smile and wiped her tears with his thumb. He looked at her eyes, kept reading it until he found nothing but only sadness.

"Baby, tum mere liye bohj nahi ho, nahi kabhi ho sakti ho, tum mere parivaar ke liye bhi bohj nahi ho nahi Sunny ke liye..hum sab tumse bahut pyar karte hai..tumhe apna maante hai..tum toh humare ghar ki jaan ho haina?? Aur tum yeh kabhi mat sochna ki main tumhe chod kar chala jaunga..main kabhi bhi tumhe chod kar nahi jaunga balki tumhare har sukh aur dukh mein main humesha tumhe tumhare paas tumahre kareeb khada milunga, yeh mera promise hai.." (Baby you're not burden on me, nor will be ever, you're burden for my family either and not also sunny..we love you a lot..we treat you like family..you are the life our family right?? And don't ever think I'll leave you..i'll never leave you but I'll always be with you in every happy and sad moments, it's my promis..)

"Pakka wala promise???"

"haan, sweetie pakka wala promise.." he replied fondly before kissing her forehead. He removed the hair locks blocking her face and looked in her eyes which were red and swollen.

"Chalo ab yeh rona dhona band karo..warna main tumhara naam sweetie se crying baby rakh dunga phir mat ladna mujhse.." he said teasingly while adjusting her hair. (now stop this crying or else ill change you name from sweetie to crying baby, then don't fight with me..)

"yah phir main sunny se keh dunga ki who tumhe sherni mat pukara kare..kyunki sherni roti toh nahi who toh daharti hai..jaise tum pehle karti thi…" he softly held her chin "sweetie, tum sirf haste aur ladte hue achi lagti ho, especially tab jab mujhse ladti ho, kya tum mujhe purani wali Radhika dongi?? Who Radhika jo mujhe tang karne ka koi bhi mauka nahi chodti thi?? Jo baat baat par mujhse ladte hai?? jo humesha hasti hai aur dusro ko hasati hai..dongi nah??" She nodded her head in aggrement.

(Or I'll ask sunny not to call you lioness..cos lioness doesn't cry but roar..just like you do before..sweetie you look nice when you laugh and fight..especially when you fight with me..will you give me back my old radhika?? The one who doesn't leave any chance to irritate me?? The one who always fights with me..the one who laughs and make others laugh..will you??)

"Okey, now give me a smile.." She gave him a big bright smile.

"That's my girl.." he added teasingly "Friend..". This time she chuckled and shaked her head.

"Thanks Dev" she sniffed then she astonished him by adding "aap duniya ke best boyfriend hai…" (you're world's best boyfreind)

He grinned proudly and was about to say something, but got interrupted by the knock at the door. Whenever I try to confess, I always get interrupted..where is this Arnav?? Why isn't he answering the door?? He's still sleeping?? Should I check the door??

"Dekhiya nah kaun hai??" She said after hearing the constant knock. (see whose on the door??)

"Okey, main dekh kar aata hoon, tum mooh dholo.." He said and moved to answer the door. (okey ill answer, you wash your face)

"Mr. Dev Purohit??" a boy asked in a hotel uniform.

"Yes??"

"Mujhe Mr. Singh ne bheja hai aapko yeh dene ke liye.." he said while forwarding the letter in his hands. (Mr, Singh send me here to give you this)

"Unhone kaha tha ki isse sirf aap hi padna kisi aur ko mat dikhana.." (he said only you read it not anyone else)

"Akele kyun?? kya who kahi gaye hai??" (why alone?? He went somewhere??)

"yeh toh unhone bataya nahi par who ek ghante pehle hi nikal gaye the..unhone kaha tha ki aapko yeh dedena aur naashta main kya chahiye puch lena..aapko naashte mein kya chahiye??"(he didn't told me, he left an hour ago..he said give it to you and ask for breakfast..what you'll want for breakfast??)

"nahi humein naashta nahi karna, Mr. Singh kab wapas ayenge.."(no we wont take breakfast, when will mr. singh come back..)

"who do din baad hi wapas ayenge.." (he'll come after do days..)

"Oh okey, thank you.."

"Toh aap naashte men kuch nahi lenge??" He shaked his head. (so you wont take breakfast??)

"Okey, Sir, enjoy your stay.." he said and went away. Dev closed the door and opened the letter. He was just in the first line when he heard another knock. As soon as he opened the door, his face fell, he gave a frustrating sigh.

"Sunny, you're the perfect gentleman…mujhe aur saaman dono chod kar bhage chale aaye..saman kitna bhara hai…pata nahi Radhika tumhe kaise survive kar leti hai" Vishakha said complainingly while struggling with the bag. (sunny, you're the perfect gentlemen, you left the bag n came here..you know bag is so heavy..i don't know how radhika survive with you..)

Sunny chuckled and took the bag from her hands, effortlessly, then spoke "Diet zyada nah kariya kar..andar jaan aungi…nale tenu pata yah radhika ke case mein mujhe kuj yaad nai rehda..chal.." Sunny said and went inside without inviting him. (Don't do much diet..you'll get some strength..n you know in radhika's case I don't remember anything..let's go..)

"Hey Dev, how's Radhika??" Vishaka asked. Atleast she noted his presence, Dev thought.

"She's fine.." Dev said smilingly.

"Doesn't look like!!" Sunny said when he saw Radhika coming out of the bathroom. He kept staring at her, he couldn't help but felt pity at her state. He had enough of these episodes, he doesn't know what he will do just to stop those episodes, to make her forget everything she suffered. He always wished she could have amnesia for real, so she wouldn't cry at her fate. Dev is his only hope now, if everything went fine with the plan.

"Sunny, main pighal jana yah.." Radhika said when she noticed his constant staring. (Sunny, I'll melt..)

He sighed and spoke "tenu pata mainu gussa aun diya yah..mera dil karda saarayan nu maarda jinane teri eh halaat kiti yah.." (you know im getting angry..i wish to kill all those you became the reason of your state..)

She hissed and replied "Koi faiyada nahi hona..dil de zakhm tah nai bharne..naale jail wadiya jagah nai hegi.." (no use..wounds in my heart won't be healed..n jail is not a nice place)

He grinned and said "Aho, chadigarh wali bakwas si..delhi wali wadiya si…" (yeah, chadigarh one was not nice but delhi one was nice)

"tum dono ki batien kab serious se mazak mein chali jaati hai pata bhi nahi chalta..Dev tumhe koi zyada pareshani toh nahi hui??" Vishaka said while gesturing that Dev is around. (how swiftly your serious talk changes to joke nobody even recognizes..)

Dev was so shocked to hear their conversation about jail, he was so close to believe them, actually he believed only Sunny in a jail not Radhika, but when Vishaka spoke, he was relieved. But the sentence which he hardly understood, repeating those words over and over just to get the exact meaning, where Sunny confessed he wished to kill who became the reason of her bad state caught his attention. So my assumption was right, Sunny knows her before she even came into my family.

"Dev?? Are you here??" Vishaka repeated.

Dev jerked, spoke, "hu?? Tum dono yaha kyun?? hum toh wapas aane hi wale the.." (hu?? You two here?? We were coming..)

"who hum Radhika ke liye pareshaan the..par hum tum logon ke kapde le kar aaye hai..jao nahalo.." Vishaka said and handed him the bag. Suddenly she noticed a piece of paper in his hands, she frowned.

(we were wrried about radhika..but we brought ur clothes..go take a bath..)

"Dev, tumhare haath mein kya hai??" (Dev, whats in your hand??)

"Kuch nahi.." Dev said and stuffed the paper in his pocket. (nothing..)

"Radhika, tum pehle nahalo, yeh lo!!" he said and handed him the bag. She took it then took her clothes, then went inside the bathroom. (Radhika, you take a bath first..)

"Yaar, iss kamre da malik kaun yah?? Bada aamir lagda yah..dikhaiyi nai dinda??" Sunny asked while admiring the room. (who's the owner of this room?? he's so rich..not showing up??)

"koi acha insaan, naam nahi puch paya..ab dikhaiyi bhi nahi dega..woh do din baad ayega" (such a nyc guy..i didn't ask his name..you won't be ablw to see coz he's coming after do days..)

"acha..mainu laga bada sharmila yah, iss karke saamne nahi aunda..phir teri raat kidan rahi??" Sunny asked. (oh, I thought he's so shy, that's why didn't show himself..so how was your nyt??)

"Bahut achi nikli..great experience..kabhi socha nahi tha ki radhika itni depressed hai.." (it was nice..great experience..never thought she's so depressed)

"ab toh lag gaya pata..waise kal raat hoya ki si??" (now you know..BTW what happened??)

"nightmares?? Bas who chilla rahi thi aur ro rahi thi plus apne aap ko kisise bacha rahi thi, sapne mein..phir jab uth gayi tab bhi rone lagi..god, maine kabhi kisi ko iss halaat mein nahi dekhi..usse hua kya hai, jo who aise hai??" (nightmare?? She was shouting and crying plus she's trying to save herself from someone in dream, when she woke up she was still crying, god, ive never seen anyone in this state what happen to her, why she's like that??)

Sunny merely smiled then spoke "use PSTD hai, psychological bimari hai, jisme insaan ek haadse se bahar hi nahi nikalta..jisme who uss haadse ko phirse jeeta hai.." (she have PSTD, it's psychological disease, where a person couldn't come out a trauma..he relives it..)

"Aur Radhika ke saath ek nahi aise kayi haadse hue hai jisse Radhika ab tak nahi bhula paa rahi hai..Dev chahe who bahut khush rehti hai par who adaar se bahut dukhi hai.." Vishakha said sadly. (radhika didn't experience once but so many times that she couldn't forget till now..dev even though she seems to be too happy but she's so sad from inside..)

"Toh maine jo socha tha who sach nikala..Radhika ko ab amnesia nahi haina?? " Dev asked. (so wat I've thought was true, she doesn't have amnesia)

"Haan, Dev radhika nu amnesia nahi hega..kabhi tha hi nahi..woh sab jhooth tha.." (yeah, dev radhika doesn't have amnesia, it was a lie..)

"Kya?? Who jhooth tha??" Dev asked shockingly. (wat?? It was lie??)

"Sunny, tumne Dev ko kyun bataya??" (Sunny, why did you tell dev??)

"ek din eh sach niklana si, aaj nikal gaya.." (the truth wuld come out one day, it's today)

"Dev, please tum galat mat samjho, Radhika ne jaan bhuj kar jhooth nahi bola..usse toh pata bhi nahi tha ki dadi use apne ghar le ayegi..usse laga agar yeh amnesia ka jhooth boldegi toh who use yeh nahi puchegi ki who kaun hai aur kaha se aayi hai..aur who sach bhi batana chahti par darti hai ki who use chod nah de.." (Dev, please don't misunderstand radhika, she didn't mean it, she didn't know that dadi will keep her in the house, she thought if she'll act like she have amnesia nobody would ask her anything..she also wants to tell the truth but she's afraid that they won't leave her..)

"Par kyun?? aisi kya majboori thi??? Aur tum kaise jaanti ho??" (but why?? N how do you know??)

"who..main..im sorry main nahi bata sakti…" (umm..I..im sorry I cant tell you..)

"Dev radhika tenu khud dasugi ki ussne jhooth kyun bolya.. tu please ohnu force nah kari..nahi eh dasi ki tenu pata yah ohde jhooth bare..let her live some days happily before you leave her.." (Dev, radhika will tell you by herself..you please don't force her..n don't tell her that you know about her lie..let her live some days happily before you leave her..)

"main kyun use chod jaunga??" (why would I leave her??)

"kyunki uska attet hi aisa hai..tumhara parivaar yah toh use apneyga yah phir use phirse badnaam karke chod dega.." (coz of her past..you family would accept her or humiliate her again )

"Phirse??" (again??)

"dev tumhe sach pata chale jayega, but please tum Radhika ko galat mat samjhna aur nahi yeh batana tum uske bare mein jaante ho..pretend like nothing happened..please dev yeh request hai..tum use mat puchna who tumhe khud sab kuch batayegi..please??" Vishakha pleaded. (dev you'll know the truth, but please don't misunderstand radhika n don't tell her you know about her.. pretende like nothing happened.. please it a request..dont ask her she'll willingly tell you..please??)

"Okey, par main use bilkul nahi puchunga, agar uska attet itna hi bura hai toh main uske aaj aur kal ko bahut acha banauga, main use pyar karta hoon!!" Dev said firmly. (okey, but I wouldn't ask her, if her past is bad I will make her present and future good, I love her..)

"Oh, Dev thank you so much…you wouldn't regret loving her.." Vishaka said while hugging him.

"tu propose kyun nahi karda??" (why don't you propose her??)

"kyunki who pehle mujhe pasand nahi karti thi aur mujhse dur bhagti toh maine socha pehle use dosti karun, jo maine kal ki, but I think ab mujhe propose kar lena chahiye..jab who mujhe bata degi ki usne jhooth kyun kaha..jab tak who mujhme vishwas nahi karegi tab tak main use propose nahi karungi..waise issi liye aapne mujhe kal raat radhika ke paas akele chodo??" (coz she didn't like at first place and always stays away, so I thought I should befriend her first which I did yesterday, but I think I should propose now..when she'll tell me why she lied..i wouldn't propose her till she didn't trust me..)

"haan, Dev taki tumhe pata chal jaye ki Radhika kitni dukhi hai.." (yes, dev so you would know how sad she is)

"aur kin logon pata hai radhika ke bare mein??" (who else know about her??)

"sirf mujhe aur Sunny.." (only me n sunny)

Everyone went silent, when they heard the bathroom door creaked. Radhika came out wearing navy blue anarkali suit looking extremely beautiful.

"Bahut sohni yah nah??" Sunny whispered to Dev. (she's beautiful nah??)

"Bahut.." he said faintly still admiring her. Sunny smiled and nudged him, bringing him back to the reality. (so much..)