Chap 17:
Raghav is sitting on the couch of his room. His room is completely dark. His mom left his room saying that she is ashamed to have a son like him. She is ashamed to think that her own blood had betrayed an innocent girl. She did not give him a chance to explain himself.
It is said that dawn comes after dark night. But Raghav's life again sunks in the darkness. He is
again on the verge of losing the things which are left to him. He had lost his father, Trisha,
Kalpana, Kamla Ma and now his own mother is not ready to listen to him.He wants to explain the things but his mother has denied to talk to him. Why is life so unfair to him?
Sammy walks into Raghav's room and switch on the light. Raghav's eyes which got accustomed to darkness start blinking because of sudden light. Raghav asks sammy to switch off the light, as he is accustomed to darkness. Raghav's words triggers some past memories in Sammy's mind. He is hearing this words from him after a long time, precisely after 23 years.
Flashback.
in his senior school, sammy is forced to share his camp with a rude arrogant boy during some summer camp. The boy is silent and full of arrogance. Sammy does not like him at all. Sammy tells this to Trisha. Trisha who is brought up by and with her brother Sammy, is a tom boy. she is a carefree soul which is kept in a girl's body. Sammy shows the boy to him. Trisha assures her bro that she will take care of him. Sammy asks Trisha not to beat the boy as principal had already given last warning about her. At night in camp, Someone comes into sammy's camp and throws light on Sammy and other boy's face with torch. Sammy and other boy wake up. Other boy just stares at intruder and shouts to switch off the light as he is accustomed to darkness. And the intruder starts laughing ' now get urself accustomed to light because I hate darkness'. sammy hearing his sister's words switches on the light and gets the shock of his life seeing his sister as a clown. The other boy is shocked to see a clown at the odd hour of night in the camp. sammy questions Trisha about her new outfit. Trisha looks at the other boy ' I think your camp-mate is little sad, his eyes are saying this . So I thought to cheer him up.' Sammy looks angrily at Trisha 'He is not my friend'. Trisha retorts ' You said me not to beat him. So I am making peace with him and now you have problem in this also.'The other boy is listening all this and looks at Sammy and clown with girly voice. He asks ' you both are planning to beat me'. and Trisha says ' Not yet but if you continue to be rude and arrogant with my bro, I will beat u. I am a kickbox champion' and trisha poses as she is ready to fight. The other boy could not help but smiling . Trisha looks at him ' You look good when u smile' and extends her hand ' I am trisha' . Raghav, says the other boy. Raghav and sammy shake hand. Trisha is about to leave when she turns to Raghav - ' I hate darkness.' Raghav asks Sammy - 'is she really a girl' and Sammy bursts into laughter.
Flashback - end.
sammy is again hearing the same thing from Raghav. Sammy asks Raghav what happened to him and Raghav yells : Just leave me like everyone. I am bad no I am worst. I don't deserve to be loved, to be cared. I just know how to hate and I deserve hate only. Just leave me like everyone did, like mom did. leave me alone. Sammy is not aware of Raghav and his mom's confrontation. he does not know what to do ? he can't see his friend broken. He leaves from Raghav's room as he is aware that Raghav needs some time to calm down.
sammy goes to gouri's room . Gouri is sitting on her bed being upset. She is fighting an inner battle.
Sammy : Gouri aunty, I want to talk to u about Raghav.
Gouri : I don't want to talk about him . He had insulted my blood. He cheated Kalpana.
Sammy : Aunty, Raghav alone is not at fault. I was also part of that.
Gouri looks at him shocked : you are also part of all this. I did not expect this from u.
Sammy : We are sorry aunty but you have to listen Raghav's side of story also. I am not defending me and Raghav. But you have to know complete truth.
Sammy told Gouri about how Raghav met Kalpana in his childhood and their friendship started, How Kapoors tried to cheat him for his property, How Kamla Ma helped him to escape from Kapoors.then Raghav came to USA with help of Mr. Mishra. Mr. Mishra was no more saint then Kapoors and he also tried to cheat Raghav. Raghav became aware of it but he had to bear it as he did not have any place to go. He was upset,angry and bitter when Trisha and sammy met him. How a bond of friendship started between them. How they became integral part of each others life. But nothing could erase his painful memories, his hatred. After completing his studies , raghav took over his property from Mishra and started business from scratch.He succeeded in his every venture. His wealth was increasing so his quest for Revenge. Sammy supported Raghav blindly in all his decisions. only Trisha was sane between them. she was not against the revenge but she kept them in a check so they did not do something drastic. They started realizing that she was a girl after all.Raghav took his revenge from Mishra and decided to come India. Trisha was aware of Raghava and Kalpana's childhood bond and She got insecure
.she proposed Raghav.Though Raghav did not love Trisha, Raghav accepted her proposal as he was afraid of losing her. Raghav and sammy came back India leaving trisha in USA and started their plan against Kapoors. Raghav met Kalpana again. They fought, They misunderstood each other. Raghav always tried to keep distance from Kalpana and always ended up bashing her. Kalpana replied him every time in same manner hurting his ego.Raghav Being unaware of his own feelings for Kalpana , Raghav planned to use Pakhi to take revenge from Kapoors. At that time, Trisha came back to India and oneday Trisha died in accident uttering 'Raghav loves Kalpana'.They did not understand that Trisha had seen the truth in Raghav's eyes which Raghav himself was unaware. Sammy and raghav misunderstood her last words and held Kalpana responsible for Trisha's death. Raghav, unaware of his own feelings for Kalpana started
his game for Kalpana. Kalpana fell in love with Raghav and Raghav got engaged to Pakhi breaking Kalpana's heart. Kalpana did not break down and they again played game with her. she tried to escape but they forced her to bend down infront of them. and they got to know the truth about Trisha's death. They apologized to Kalpana but Kalpana did not look back at Raghav and left leaving behind a shattered Raghav.
Sammy : I had seen shattered Raghav, aunty.Then you came in his life and he started to live for u but in these 10 years, he never forgot Kalpana for a single mome. He is burning in penance from last 10 years. He is waiting for Kalpana's forgiveness from last 10 years. Kalpana had moved on her life but Raghav is still stuck there. Don't be angry on Raghav. He needs you. We were brought up without any guidance. we did not have anyone to tell us what is right and wrong. I lost my only family and Raghav lost his best friend Trisha at the hands of fate. We did mistaks but don't punish us so badly, aunty.
Tears are streaming down from Gouri's eyes , her heart is crying for her son who had suffered because of others mistakes and his own mistakes. Her son deserves a chance and She will not let her son break once again.But how can she forgive him knowing what he had done to an innocent girl?
Gouri : I know Raghav suffered a lot and somewhere I am also responsible for it.But How could he be so blind in revenge that he broke a girl's heart? He knows what betrayal means.Raghav himself had faced it and he did not trust anyone again? I am thinking How that poor girl had survived after such a betrayal. and you both are expecting forgiveness from her? If I think as an woman, I can't forgive Raghav. But I am his mother and I can't see him broken.
Gouri goes to Raghav's room and see her son sitting lifelessly on the couch.gouri comes to Raghav. Seeing his mother, Raghav starts crying like a child and hugs his mother tightly.
Raghav : I am sorry mom. I was blind in revenge and hatred. I love her mom .
Gouri does not say Raghav to stop crying. She allows her son to cry his heart out. She knows how much difficult it is for a man to cry like this.
Gouri : Raghav, You had done mistakes and you are sorry for it. Let her know that you are sorry and make her forgive u or destroy u.
Raghav : She is not ready to listen to me and she has moved on her life. I don't want to interfere in her life.
Gouri : No, Raghav , she can't move on so easily. She is also stuck at the spot where she left u
without listening u. Her broken heart did not allow her to forgive u and her upbringing did not allow her to destroy u and she turned blind towards u. She pretended that you did not exist for her.
Raghav : Mom, she is happily married. Hiya and neel are her children. I don't want to disturb her.
Gouri : getting married, having children do not mean she had moved on. She had moved on as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter, as a friend but as herself, she is still stuck there only. She can't move on from there till she settles her scores with u. you have to help her to move on in real sense. She is happy but still there is voidness in her life. You have to help her to fulfill this voidness. your penance will be completed only then.
Raghav : But how can I ? it may disturb her married life.
Gouri : Raghav it will not disturb her married life, believe me. but it will help her to live again as herself.
Gouri self thinks : I don't know Raghav but I am having a strong doubt that she is not married. Hiya and neel may be her adopted children after all she is a social worker. But I don't want to give u high hopes. But it is very much necessary for both of u that Kalpana forgive u or destroy u.If she does not forgive u or not punish you, you both can't move on ur life. No one can know this better than me. If I had forgiven ur dad that day or slapped him hard for insulting me, I would have been in peace.
Next day in Singhania mansion,
Pakhi is very busy in packing Trisha's bag. Trisha is going to summer camp. Pakhi is yelling
continuously : Tri, do you need this or that..ok I am packing it. sammy and Trisha are enjoying her
antics.
Sammy : Baby calm down. Trisha is just going for 2 days. and she is not like u so she will not need 50 kg luggage. Just pack her important stuff,
Pakhi : Sammy. I hate u. she is just 8 years old. why are u giving her permission to go in a camp. I
am very much afraid for her.
Sammy : She will be alright. Just believe me.
Pakhi hugs Trisha and Sammy : I know but I had not lived a single day without Tri after her birth.
Trisha : oh mom,please let me go. I will call u three times a day.
At Kalpana's home.
Kalpna packed Hiya and Neel's bag.
Kalpana : you both will take care of each other. Will call me in every 2 hours.
Hiya and neel : ok.
Kalpana : Hiya, you will take care of neel and neel, you will listen to ur di.
Hiya : Mumma, we will do what u say. now let us go.
Kalpana : Ok. Lets go. I will drop u and neel to school.
Neel : Mee, Is papa coming to meet me.
Kalpana : yups..sweetheart.
Kalpana and Rahul drop Hiya and Neel to school. They are about to leave when Pakhi and Sammy reach there to drop Trisha. Sammy notices Kalpana but he can't see Rahul's face. Sammy shows Pakhi Kalpana.
Sammy : Kalpana has moved on her life. she and her husband come to drop Chahat and swapnil.
Pakhi : Kalpana's husband? what r u saying ?
sammy looks at Pakhi in disbelief : Don't u know Kalpana is married. Did not u hear in the restaurant what Swapnil told to Kalpana.
Pakhi self thinks - Oh. Raghav and sammy did not know that Neel is Rahul's son. But if I tell him
truth of Neel, I have to tell him truth about Hiya and after Kalpana's confrontation with gouri
aunty, Kalpana is really in bad mood.Kalpana must have come with Rahul only. Thank god, Sammy did not see him. good, Raghav and sammy are thinking that Kalpana is married. They will leave her alone.
Sammy drops Pakhi home and goes to office. Pakhi does not enter into the house and waits for Sammy's leaving. As soon as Sammy leaves from there, Pakhi takes her car and drives away. She has not met her parents from a long time. She wants to meet them. She knows that they did a mistake and they are paying for it. She herself helped Raghav and Sammy to expose her parents but They are her parents . How can she hate them. Her father who loves her a lot, her nettu mom who always failed as her mother. loves her and today she is sure of it after becoming a mother herself. She has seen penance in their eyes. Prem bhaiya had cut off every relations with them and she knew why. Prem bhaiya is hurt beyond words as he used to trust them blindly. He could approve their cheating in business and he himself helped them in such things. But He never thought that their parents could murder someone. everyone did a mistake and so her parents. Murdering someone is more than a mistake, maybe a sin. but It is
said that hate the sin, not the sinner. She can't hate her parents. they deserve a chance to redeem themselves. She knows how much forgiving is important in life. It does not only give peace to the person who begs for it but also ourselves. It reduces burden of pain from our heart.She is driving thinking all these.
On his way to office, sammy remembers that he forgot a file in home. He drives back to home and notices Pakhi's car. Sammy calls Pakhi and Pakhi receives the call.
Sammy : what r u doing darling?
Pakhi : I am sitting in my room.
Sammy is shocked hearing this. He just cuts the call and starts following Pakhi's car. Sammy is
shocked to see that Pakhi's car stops infront of Mumbai central jail. Pakhi goes inside Jail and
comes out after a while and faces Sammy who is waiting for her.
Sammy : Did u come to meet ur parents.
Pakhi(in a calm and determined tone) : yups..I am missing them so I came to meet them.
Sammy : Pakhi you know your parents are murderers.
Pakhi : I know that. you don't have to remind me again and again.They are paying for their sins.
Sammy : How can u meet them?
Pakhi : Everyone does mistake and everyone deserves forgiveness. I love my parents.I can't give them more pain.
Sammy : But why did u hide this from me? you should have told this to me. I would accompany u, Pakhi.
Pakhi : are u not angry with me for meeting my parents?
Sammy : How can I ? I am also a father and a human being who committed some mistakes. I will never want
to lose Trisha's respect and love.
Pakhi : I am sorry Sammy .
Sammy : Just promise me that you will not hide anything from me.
Pakhi self thinks how can I promise u that Sammy, I can't tell you about hiya and Kalpana.
Sammy : what happened? what are u thinking ?
Pakhi : nothing sammy. lets go.
After dropping Hiya and Neel, Kalpana and Rahul go to a cafe. Kalpana is upset becoz of mrs. Gouri Singhania and Rahul is trying to cheer her up. Rahul offers her to take her in a art exhibition at lunch and kalpana readily agrees.
At lunch, Rahul calls Kalpana and informs her that he is busy and can't accompany her for the art
exhibition. Kalpana who is determined to go for art exhibition asks her PA Mrs. Sharma to accompany her.
At art exhibition, Kalpana and Mrs. Sharma are seeing the paintings and A painting caught Kalpana's eyes - A girl with tears in her eyes is standing facing a boy who is smiling. and then Kalpana notices the caption of the painting. It is written - ' Please name this painting. It is my favorite creation. I will give this painting to the one who will understand the depth of it'. Kalpana goes to help desk and submit her entry. she wants this painting as she is feeling that it depicts her story.
After a while, Painter comes there and introduces himself : Hi, I am prem Kapoor and I painted this. I did not want to sell it becoz it is very dear to my heart. But I want to give it to someone who can understand the hidden meaning behind it. Two people have understood theme of the painting and interestingly, I know both of them from my childhood. One has suggested ' Betrayed in love' and other one has suggested 'Hurt myself betraying you'. Kalpana, you only notices the tear in girl's eyes and suggested first title. But you forgot to look at the boy. His smile is fake but his eyes sadness is more vocal than girls tears and the person who suggested second title is none other than Mr.Raghav Singhania.
Kalpana looks at Raghav and then tries to leave from there when prem again announces her name : Kalpana, Mr. singhania wants to give u this painting. Please take it.
Kalpana does not want to create a scene and goes near Prem and Raghav.
Kalpana : I don't want this painting any more. But it is nice to meet u Prem. Your paintings are
awesome.
Prem : Am I seeing dream? Kalpi is praising me.
Kalpana : No actually I had learnt to differentiate between real and fake. Neem is bitter but it is
very useful and some poisons taste sweet. We should be very careful to choose what is good for us.
Kalpana leaves from there . Raghav is standing there hurt.
Prem : Mr. singhania, you can keep this painting. I know Kalpi will not take it.
Raghav : Thanx, Mr. Kapoor. I hope Kalpana would have understood the meaning of your painting.
Prem : If I would have understood the meaning of this painting earlier?
Precap :
Hiya, trisha and neel play a prank in the camp.
Raghav is driving and Kalpana is leaning her head on Raghav's shoulder.
Note :
I hope I am not dragging this. I can't help myself from giving insight of each character as I think
every character is important. I hope you all are not finding it too boring as Ragna is still missing.
But the way I portrayed Kalpana's character, Ragna will be delayed. I hope in next chapters, I can
give some ragna interactions.
Thanks for ur appreciation.
Do comment and hit like button if u want me to continue.
Criticism and suggestions are welcome. I am looking forward for constructive and genuine feedback.
Sorry for spelling and Grammatical mistakes.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
All things Korean
Ganesh Kartikeya
