Hey guys. ..exams still going on. ..2 more to go. ..so next update on Friday. ..This is only half of the chapter I wrote. ...working on the rest...so changing it into a SS
CHAPTER 2
Adarsh walked into the resort . Finally it was over. The sangeet ceremony had been a short one but to him it seemed to be a lifetime
It had been torture to his already bleeding heart. He had stood there watching as she danced with Karan. It was nothing like the performance they had given at their sangeet. It was too mechanical without any emotions , he thought. But then she was going to marry him. Be his forever. It made him want to cry.
When it was over he had left as soon as possible. Abhay had stayed back with his friends. Aman had remained with him . Simmi had accompanied Adarsh back to the resort citing headache which was probably Chottu ' s idea to see he was not alone, he thought.
"Bhaiyya, aap theek ho? Mein nahin jaanti thi ki Swadheenta. .."Simmi asked.
"Chottu jaanta tha, hai na? " He asked.
Simmi remained silent for a moment and then said " aapne kuch kiya kyun nahin? "
" Kya karoon? Kis hak se? " Adarsh asked.
"Bhaiyya Swadheenta uss Karan se pyaar nahi karti hai shaayad. Shaayad woh ab bhi aapse. .."Simmi started
"Nahin Simmi. Kuch nahin ho sakta. Its over. Woh mujhe kabhi maaf nahin karegi. "Adarsh said. "Kya tum uski jagah hoti to maaf karti? Chottu nahin tha uss waqt. Par tum ne to sab dekha na? Phir bhi?"
"Swadheenta bahut acchi hai. Aur phir Abhay kehta hai ki jab pyaar ki baat ho to insaan kuch bhi kar sakta hai. Jaya bhabhi ko hi dekho. Pehle woh itni naaraaz thi Bhaiyya se jab unhe uss internal enquiry report ke baare mein pata laga. Lekin time ke saath unka mann bigal gaya. Shaayad Swadheenta bhi aapko maaf kar de." Simmi replied.
"Par mom ne ab tak dad ko maaf nahin ki Simmi.And she is so like mom." He said walking towards his room" thodi der mujhe akela chhod do."
Once inside the room he locked the door . He couldn't hold himself together anymore. From his bag he took out the letter she had left for him years ago. He carried it with him always. It was her last gift to him. Gift of torture. He deserved it. He had hurt her so much.
That day was supposed to be a new phase in their life. Not just them. Everyone. Jaya Bhabhi and Jaidev Bhai were finally coming close. Simmi and Abhay had been accepted into the family. Mom was happy. He had always been afraid of hurting her but she was happy with his choice. He had been excited and overwhelmed. She had looked ethereal. Sparkling eyes. Glowing. He had been left breathless. He felt he was the luckiest man on earth.
And then the storm had hit. Simmi had told him that Abhay had gone somewhere and wasn't back yet. He had joked that he would smack Chottu once he was back. She was sitting a little away from him. He heard her ask Maami why Asad hadn't reached yet. Where was Champ? He knew that she loved him just as he loved his Chottu.
They had been asked to come to the mandap. A few minutes more and they would have been married. But that wasn't to be. A single phone call had changed it all. Even after all this time Adarsh could still feel the pain he had gone through that day and the pain he had given her.
****Flashbacks ***
His phone rung just as he was getting on the mandap. Jaidev Bhai gave him the phone.
" yeh Kya jiju. ..aaj bhi phone? " one of her friends asked.
He looked at them apologetically.
" Phone pick karo " she said smiling.
Smiling at her he had received the call.
"Sir DCP Sinha ko goli lag gayi. Unki condition bahot critical hai. Hum unhe hospital le jaa rahe hain. Jaldi aayiye. " the caller said.
He felt his world crumble around him. He looked at her confused face, his mother standing a little away talking happily, Simmi hustling about a huge smile on her face. How would he tell them? The phone slipped from his hands and he saw his brother take it. A look of pain passed between them. Their little brother was shot. He had to go to him. He just ran towards the car not turning back to see what was happening. He was about to go inside to get the car keys when his brother came out running holding the keys . On the way neither of them talked.
He ran inside the hospital and saw one of Abhay ' s officers standing there. He ran towards the OT where his brother was being treated.
" How is he?" He asked the doctor unable to look at his brother.
" unhe 3 goli lagi hai. Woh nikaal rahe hain. But internal organs damage hue hain aur sar pe gehra chhot laga hai. So I don't know what we will be able to do. " the doctor said.
He couldn't take it any more. He had always been severely protective of his Chottu. He was his playmate, his best friend. He couldn't lose him.
"Yeh hua kaise? " he heard Jaidev ask the officer.
" Abhay sir ko bombs ke location ke baare mein pata laga aur hum log use diffuse kar rahe the. Unn terrorists mein se ek ne unhe goli maar di. Jab hum wahaan pahunche to that terrorist was trying to escape. Humne use ek goli maari and now he is being treated. We have kept him sedated. " the officer explained.
Adarsh felt the anger rise in him . That criminal was being treated? The officer in him might know that was the right thing to do but right now he was only a brother. He would kill that creep.
At that moment he saw his family come in . Simmi looked hysterical. She was inconsolable and fainted. While Jaidev Bhai and Bhabhi took her to the doctor he saw his mom break down. He couldn't hold himself together anymore. He had to do something.
" Mein us se milna chahta hoon " he told the officer.
The officer hesistantly took him to the room where the criminal was kept. Looking through the glass he got the worst shock of his life.Asad.
" Yeh ladka? There must be a misunderstanding " he said.
" No sir. Sir ko shoot kar ke bhaag raha tha. Humare logon ne goli maar di. " He said.
It couldn't be true. Adarsh sat down shocked. But then he remembered how Asad had insisted on not postponing the wedding. Why hadnt he reached his sister's wedding? Anger shot through him as he thought of the betrayal.
" Adarsh "he heard her call.
He turned to her crying. She came to him and put her hands around him comfortingly.
" Abhay theek ho jaayega " She reassured him.
And then he saw them coming. The criminal's parents.
" Abhay. .." Haider started.
"Mere bhai ka naam mat lena. Get out before I kill you " he shouted.
" Adarsh Kya hua tumhe? " she asked shocked.
" Swadheenta they are traitors. Their son shot my brother. " He shouted.
" Kya? Yeh Kya keh rahe ho tum? " She asked incredulously.
He dragged her towards the room and explained. A doctor came out and informed that the police could take Asad away in a few minutes. By the time his family had reached there and they too were shocked.
" My son can't do this " Maamu protested.
" He can and he did. We have seen how dangerous he is that night at Colonel Deshmukh's..." he heard his father say.
He walked to her. She was standing in front of the room.
"Can I speak to him once? Please? " She asked.
He knew it must have been a great shock to her and he gave in. He thought she wanted to give Asad a piece of her mind. But 5 minutes later when he walked into the room he saw her crying Asad's head on her lap. She was consoling the criminal. He felt a sharp pain. She wasn't with him.
She looked up at him.
"Adarsh Asad ne kuch nahin kiya. Woh innocent hai. .." She said.
" Oh. So this creep is saying the truth and the entire department is lying. Wow. Swadheenta ye tumhe bewakoof bana raha hai as always. " He said trying to attack Asad.
" No. Woh mujhe jhoot nahin bolega. You are scaring him. He is a child. "
He looked at Asad looking frightened. He didn't feel any compassion. At that moment the police came in a grabbed Asad who created a commotion calling out to his Freedom to stop him. She looked helplessly at him and ran out behind Asad and his parents while his family looked on shocked.
He grabbed her hand furiously and said " you are my to be wife. You say you love my family and me. So today you make a choice. Meri biwi banke mere saath do ya phir apni so called family ki. Choose Abhay or Asad. "
She looked shocked and said " yeh Kya? I can't choose. Dono mere bhai hai. I love them both and you are my life. Adarsh please don't this ".
" No . Tum mere Chottu ko bhai maanti ho to uske gunekaar ko nahin bachaogi. " He said.
She looked at him for a moment.
"I choose truth" she said pulling away from him and going behind Asad.
******
He had heartbroken and too angry to see anything. He had left her alone and now here he was all alone.
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
