FF An ugly truth part 35 pg 97 1.7.11 (new) - Page 58

My goodness Ranjana, you have rendered me speechless. What an incredible chapter.

Please update soon. Can hardly wait for the next update.

Take care.

Hi

hey renu...

Nice part! Real cilff hanger there! Cont soon! Thanks so much! You're doing a great job ji!

wat an amazing update....

Truth is out to Bani? Who sent Bani he parcel her ex- Brother in law? Will Jai be able to handle the situation?

They say woman is an enemy of woman.So true. Why did that lady have to insult bani after inviting her at her home?

Bani instead of being upset or hurt for herself cares about massi having to face it.


Plz update soon. Eagerly waiting for next part.

Oh my God !
Bani's worst fears are coming true.
Hope she gets strength to face it.
Waiting for the next update

Jai worst fears have come true.😭

thank you guys for the lovely messages. I hope you will like the next part too. please ignore mistakes and let me know what you think.

Love,
R

ps. WARNING! part is very long😆

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Masjid Dha Day, Mandir Dha Day
Dha Day Jo Kujh Disda
Par Kissay Da Dil Na Dhawee
Rub Dilaa Wich Wasda

Tear down the Mosque, tear down the temple
Tear down every thing in sight
But don't break anyone's heart
Because God lives there

(Bulleh Shah http://www.theselfloveproject.com/2009/12/04/bulle-shah/)

part 28

a few hours earlier

Mamaji, what is this?' Raveer whispered in a heavy voice when he confronted his uncle. 'Aap ka aff' ' he couldn't even utter the word that was left unspoken between the two of them. 'Who bhi Bani ke behen ke saath? How could'' For the first time in his life Jai seemed so small in his eyes. Very unlike the man he had always looked up to, first when running around as boys, then trying to imitate him as a teenager and making horrible attempts at painting himself, and later as his role model when he became an adult. Jai Walia could do anything, anything he wanted, but Ranveer had never expected that Jai Walia could do this too. The pained man sitting on the sofa in the hotel room with his face buried in his hands couldn't be his uncle. His uncle could never do something like this, could he? Then why were these photo's showing these images of him and Bani's sister..what was her name again?

'Mamaji.. why? I mean, how could you?'

'I'm not'I'm not cheating on Bani.' A pained, raw voice answered. 'Par, maine usse ek baat chupaayi hai.'

'mamaji, baat kya hai, kamsekam mujhe to bataaiye. I promise'mai kisi se kuch nahin kahunga.' Ranveer pleaded when he heard Jai's voice laden with sorrow. 'Mai Bani se''

'Mai Pia ko pehle jaanta tha Ranveer. Mai usse shaadi karna chaahta tha.' Jai swallowed a lump back in his throat. 'Mai Pia se pyaar karta tha..kuch 8-9 saal pehle aur usse shaadi karna chaahta tha. Par uski shaadi kahin aur tey ho gayi. Uske papa ne manah kar di thi, kyunke mai ek middle class larka tha.' Ranveer shook his head. Mr. Dixit'uncle, could never do something like that. They were not like that, but Ranveer didn't interrupt Jai, fearing that he would break the mood Jai was in and see him shatter.

'Pia ke bataane ke baad Nattu bimaar ho gaya. Mai usko bacha nahin saka. Mera beta, mera dost chala gaya.' Jai sobbed for the first time in front of Ranveer. ' Mai uske liye ek kafan tak nahin khareed paaya'Pia se milne gaya to pata chala ki uski shaadi ek ameer larke ke saath kar di gayi. Mujhe apne hi gareebi se nafrat hone lagi' He spoke bitterly.'

Mai ek failure tha aur wohi rehta agar mai Dubai nahin gaya hota. Jaanwar ki tarah raha, kaam kiya, khud ko dau pe lagaya aur finally laut aaya. Saat saal baad Pia phir mili. Delhi me. Aur wahan mujhse shayad meri zindagi ki sab se bari galti huwi.' Jai ran his hand through his hair in frustration so roughly it could come out in his hand any moment. But Ranveer didn't stop him. He stayed quiet in a corner of the room and looked at Jai.

'Pia wasn't happy in her marriage. Her husband would beat her, abuse her mentally. Maine bas usse sahaara dene ki koshish ki'ek dost ki tarah. I couldn't disregard her marriage, no matter what I felt for her. But my visits to Delhi'.I didn't see what Pia's behaviour towards me was. A cry for attention from her husband. He was a busy man, always on the go, I was available'.her marriage was just a small thing now. I thought she still loved me. I had never stopped loving her. To me her husband was the interloper in this relationship, I was right in my own mind. I kept visiting her. Jab mauka mile, jahaan bhi mile. Tab tak jab tak mujhse sehen nahin huwa. Aur maine usse kaha ki who mere saath bhaag jaaye. I had everything arranged for our marriage, lekin woh mandir me kabhi nahin aayi. Instead mujhe ek text message mile, 'mujhe bhool jao'. Jai barely whispered

'Mujhe aaj tak shayed itna gussa nahin aaya tha jitna tab aaya tha. Kuch gussa to Pia pe aaya, usne apna waada jo tora tha, par usse kahin zyaada Pia ka pati, uske ma-baap uske relatives par. Itni ghrina aaj tak maine mehsoos nahin ki jitna ki us waqt kiya. Apni beti ko ek aise aadmi ke hawaale kar diya jo usko maarta tha, peetta tha'aur who bhi is liye kyunki uske paas us waqt paise the. Mujhe lagta tha ki who dari huwi hai isiliye inkaar kaar rahi hai. She needs to see that I will do anything for her, anything ''

Jai gasped for breath, then broke down in soft sobs again.

'Mai Bani se achanak hi mila, uske birthday party par. Wahan maine Pia ko dekha, kush, naachte gaate huwe, jaise who humesha reh sakti agar uski shaadi uske pati se nahin huwi. Mai uske ma-baap ko khoon ke aasun rulana chaahta tha. Pia pehle humesha kehti thi, chaahe who kahe ya na kahe, uski behen papa ki jaan hai. Ek beti ke liye ghatiya pati, doosre ke birthday par shaandaar party. Yeh mujhse dekha nahin gaya. Mausi rishte jorne me lag gayi aur maine kuch nahin kaha, yeh soch kar ke agar Pia ne ain mauke pe sab ko sach bata diya to badnaami Dixit parivaar ki hogi aur Pia mere paas wapas. Par aisa nahin huwa. Usne kuch nahin kiya'maine bhi kuch nahin kiya yeh soch kar ki Bani ke aasoon uske parivaar par qayamat ban kar toot parenge. Aur Pia ant me meri hi hai. Apni behen ki haalat dekh kar woh sab ko keh degi. Aur hum dono phir saath honge.'

Jai looked defeated. As if he had lost the most important battle in his life, but even in the painful expression that was carved in his face, Raveer saw a faint smile.

'Aur Bani. Woh to kuch aur hi nikli. Usne apne ghar me kuch nahin kaha. Ma aur papa ko kuch bhi pata nahin hai. Mera sulooq kitna bhi bura tha, usne ek lafz bhi nahin kaha. I would be very honoured if I would have even thought that it might be because of me, par mai jaanta hoon'She only kept quiet because she couldn't see her parents and my family unhappy. ' the smile faded away again and for the first time Jai looked Ranveer in the eye. 'Jis din Bani behosh hokar ghar me gir gayi thi, ussi din mujhe pata chala ki Pia ne jo kuch kaha, sab jhooth tha. Papa ne kabhi kuch inqaar hi nahin kiya. He didn't even know about me' Jai chuckled without humour at his fate. 'Pia was afraid, she didn't want to marry me because I was from a middle class'no, lower middle class background. She was not pressurized into the marriage. Her husband'he never abused or tortured her. Everything was a lie. My life, everything I had been through was a lie. The only thing that I was left with was the ugly truth that I hurt so many people, stepped over so many boundaries, my parents' values for nothing. And I couldn't even apologize.

I tried to distance myself from Bani. Kept giving myself time under some pretence or the other.. just two months and I will tell her and divorce her.. just a day more, she looks so happy, then I would give myself another week because she had a special project coming up. Until I once found her crying and ready to leave my. I couldn't let her go Raneer. 'Jai looked up at his nephew and Ranveer knew that Jai was telling the truth.

'I started loving her and wanted her to stay. So I never told her. I was afraid she would leave me once she found out.

For the first time Ranveer actually saw the tears running over Jai's face. He saw his dejected and broken expression. I don't want to loose her Ranveer.

After a long stony silence Ranveer dared to speak up/ You should have told her mamu. Ranveer had not noticed he had spoken to Jai using the affectionate name he lately used to call Jai with. Aap jitna samajhte hai, utni kamzor nahin hai Bani. Woh bardaasht kar leti. Usko faisla karne ka mauka to diya hota.

aur agar mujhse nafrat karti to?' Jai asked him.' Chali jaati to?' he said wiping the tears from his cheeks while fresh ones burst from his eyes. 'Mai'I didn't want to take the chance Ranveer. Maine Bani se shaadi karke apne zindagi ka sab se bara gunaah kiya hai, par'I will do it again and again. Tum nahin samajhte, koi tumhaare pyaar ka jawaab deta hai to'.'

'I understand mamu.' Ranveer assured Jai. 'Par ab? kisi ne yeh photo's Bani ko bheje hai.' He said showing Jai the pictures that had been inside the parcel. Pictures that displayed a closeness between Jai and Pia. Pictures of them in a hotel in Delhi, in restaurants and other places they used to meet. Pictures of them going inside a hotelroom. 'agar usko mil jaate to'' he left the sentence unfinished along with the presumed outcome. 'Tell her Mamu. She needs to know'from you before she knows it from someone else. She might forgive you for keeping this a secret, but she might not forgive you if she knows that other people are aware of something so close to her and she is the only one who has been kept in the dark. Jisne yeh sab bheja hai woh aur kuch bhi kar sakta hai. Please mamu, tell her..let her decide. Trust her. She loves you a lot.'

'Enough to forgive me?'

Ranveer felt his eyes burn and bravely tried not to cry. He nodded his head eagerly and , what he hoped, confidently. 'Yes.'

**

same time, Mumbai.

Bani walked into the living room with a broad smile. Jigyasa and Aditya looked at her curiously.

'Kya baat hai Bani, Itni khush kyun hai? Jai nahin hai is liye?' Jigyasa teased her. Bani grinned and shook her head.

'apne dost se milne gayi thi. He told me about this wonderful job. I'm so excited. I just hope mujhe mil jaayega.'

'yeh lo, apne dost se milne gayi thi.' A taunting voice came from the sitting area. Bani turned around to see a the plump and gaudily dressed Mrs. Sharma sitting sour faced next to a glaring Mausi. Only the glare was not for Bani. It was for the woman next to her.

'Namaste aunty.' Bani mumbled.

'sach me Savi, teri bahu ki to baat hi kuch aur hai. Apne 'dost' se milne gayi thi. Woh bhi aise.' She said running her eyes over Bani's appearance. Dressed in her favourite pair of black jeans matched with a red spaghetti- strapped top and a black fitted jacket, her hair loose and large hoop-earrings in her ears she looked very casual and very much like a college student. The only thing that betrayed her marital status was the small pinch of sindoor in her parting that only revealed itself when Bani moved her head, and the delicate mangalsutra with small pendant around her neck

' Woh bhi jab iska pati ghar par nahin hai.' The woman commented.

Bani smiled broadly. The taunts from yesterday were still fresh in her mind. She flung the black handbag over her shoulder.

'Aunty. Jab pati ghar me na ho na, tab hi doston se milne ka mauka milta hai.' Bani commented.

The woman looked scandalized and turned towards Mausi. 'Apne bahu ko kuch acche chaal-chalan sikhao, dekkho to kaise khari hai. Kapre to dekho iske.'

The smile on Bani's face broadened even more when she looked at Jigyasa's face going red in anger and Aditya glaring at the woman. She winked at both of them when she walked towards Mausi, who didn't looked very pleased too.

'Aunty, aap nahin jaanti, Jai mujhe aise hi pakron me pasand karta hai. Kehte hai na: Ghar ki murgi dal barabar. Mujhe to aise murgi hi nahin banna. Kahin aap mere pati ke liye mujhse aachi koi dhoondh laayi to?' she said with an even larger grin,

'Waise bhi mardon ko yeh nahin bataana chaahiye ki sirf wohi aapko pasand karte hai. Aur bhi log interested hai mujhme, options hai mere paas aur isme meri to galti nahin hai.' She sniggered. 'Aunty mai to kehti hoon ki aap bhi mere jaise kuch kapre khareed lijiye, uncle doosron se jalenge aur aap me unka interest bana rahega.'she winked at the woman. Steam was coming out of the woman's ear while Bani heard sniggering behind her back. The woman stood up in anger and looked at Mausi.

'yeh to'aur tum'..tumhaare ghar me mujhse aise baat kar sakti hai yeh?!' she asked angered and annoyed.

Mausi was about to burst in anger towards the woman when she saw Bani shake her head towards her, trying to stop her. The woman huffed and puffed some more when she saw no one supporting her and marched right out of the house.

'Iski to'' Aditya, who never said one bad word about anyone, was ready to stop the woman and do whatever he could to set her straight until Bani started laughing.

'Mausi, aap is se keh dijiye yeh yahaan kabhi na aaye.' Jigyasa said fuming.

Mausi looked a little confused.

'Maine isse bulaaya kahaan tha? Woh khud aayi, mujhse kal ke liye maafi maangne. Kyunki mai wahan se chali gayi. Achaanak yeh.. Sacchi is aurat ko uski bahu hi zeher deke maar degi.' She made a sour face. 'Jab dekho sab ki burai karti hai, bas yehi ek duniya me sab se acchi hai.'

Bani burst out in peals of laughter. 'Kyun, aapko nahin karni hai hai?' she asked arching her eyebrow.

Mausi didn't understand her. 'Kya nahin karni hai?'

'Bahu ki buraai'.kariye na, shauk se, mujhe bura nahin lagega.' She promised the her mother-in-law with her face innocent like and angel. 'Mai bhi kitchen me baith kar aasoon bahaungi.'

Behind Bani Jigyasa and Aditya burst out laughing. Bani saw Mausi's jaw drop abnormally. Slowly she raised her hand and slapped Bani lightly on her arm.

'Abhi ek aur lagaungi. ' she threatened Bani. Bani forwarded her cheek puffed with air but nothing happened. She giggled a lot when Jigyasa stood next to Bani and said: 'mausi is ko sach me maaro, Jai ki buri aadat isko lag gayi, sab ko pareshaan karti hai.'

'Dekha ab huwa na intesting. Saas aur nanad ki sazish'bechaari bahu ab kya kare?' Bani struck a dramatic pose. Aditya rolled over with laughter seeing the 'dramatic' scene in front of him.

'Yeh sab choro.' Mausi said strictly. 'Tum job ke bare me keh rahi thi..kya huwa uska?'

'bahot acchi job hai. Ek project hain jisme bahot potential hai. Usko set-up karne ke liye log dhoondh rahe hai. Lekin sirf aise logon ko hire karte hai jiske paas kam se kam do saal ka experience hai.' Bani said disappointed. 'Phir bhi, maine socha ek acchi application letter likh kar try kar leti hoon. Shayed chance mil jaaye.'

'zaroor milegi.' Aditya answered confidently.

Bani smiled shyly at the compliment. 'Aapko lagta hai? Aap mera application letter ko check karenge, please?'

'Of course karenge.' Jigyasa answered for her husband. 'Tu pehle likh to sahi.'

'abhi likhti hoon!' Bani said promptly and flew up the stairs towards her room.

'Lunch nahin karna hai kya?!' Jigyasa yelled after her.

'I'm too exited to eat!'

Bani dropped her sandals next to the door and threw her bag on the bed as she walked towards the desk in her bedroom. She pulled out some files from the small cabinet under it. Files of the projects she had helped with during her years in university. She quickly glanced through them. There might be some points she could use to illustrate her experience. The heath in the room was unbearable when she opened the windows in the room and took her laptop and sat down in a corner of the room, on the tiled floor. Bani switched on her device and rummaged through the papers she had spread in front of her. She logged in on her e-mail account and returned back to her papers for a while until she saw a name on her screen that grabbed her attention. Her brother-in-law. Pratham Ahuja had sent her an e-mail with and attachment. The subjectbox was left blank. Bani opened the mail and without reading sent the document to the printer installed in Jai's study. Suddenly she remembered that for her last job she had help set-up a similar project and the report she had made was still on her laptop. She sent that to the printer too and went back to reading her projects until someone knocked on the door.

'Mami, yeh aapke hai?' Anu peeked from a slight opening in the door and waved with the documents.

'Oh, yes, thank you!'

'Kya likh rehi hai aap?'

'Application letter.' Bani answered looking up from her laptop, smiling at Anu.

'Ow, then I better not disturb you.'

'arre no 'come, sit down.'

Anu refused. 'Mai to apni project report print kar rahi thi jab aapke yeh papers printer me dekhe. Dene aayi thi. Aur mamma ne yeh bheja hai, coffee.'

She entered the room and handed Bani a steaming cup of coffee.

' Thank you sweety. Project report me madad chaahiye?' Bani asked her.

'Nahin, sab ho gaya. Bhaiyya ne spellingcheck kar di mere liye. Mai chalti hoon'best of luck.'

'Thank you.' Bani returned the sweet smile Anu gave her.

Bani got involved with the letter she was writing in between of taking sips of the delightful brew full of needed caffeine. She kept writing, erasing parts and looking for relevant points to mention in her letter, to convince the readers of her competence, until she felt her back and her neck protesting against the uncomfortable position.

She stood up to stretch when she saw a piece of paper she hadn't seen before and was not familiar with.

She picked the piece of paper up and was surprised when she saw her sister's name on it as Mrs. Pia Ahuja. Her date of birth was listed in a corner and a lot of medical terms were stated. But the end of the scribbling caught Banis eye. It was the result of a pregnancy test. To Bani's shock the test was positive. She never knew her sister had been pregnant. And to Bani's utter horror and shock she found a report of an abortion when she turned the page in her hand. Nothing seemed to make sense to Bani. She couldn't even remember where she got this piece of paper from.

Bani turned the paper time and time again, hoping to find any clue until she saw her laptop opened, showing her e-mail account. She quickly sat down and opened the e-mail that her brother-in-law had sent her clicking on the attachment first. The same two pages appeared on her screen. Confused, feeling like she had barged into something she was never meant to see Bani closed the file and returned to the e-mail which brutally wrenched her life from her and threw it back in her face.

Dear Bani,

I am actually hoping that you have the same e-mail address as you had so I can explain what and why I did what I did, lekin usse pehle, please mujhe maaf karde. I thought long and hard whether to send you the pictures you must have received. But I couldn't think about any other option besides sending you those pictures I had kept with me and I would have continued to do so if you wouldn't have gotten involved in the disgusting scam these people have pulled off. Mujhe is baat ka dukh hamesha rahega ki mai tumhaari shaadi se pehle tumhe nahin bata saka ki tumhaari behen aur uska aashiq kis had tak gir sakte hai.Aur apni in giri huwi harqaton me unhone tumhe bhi phasaaya hai.

Bani maine humesha tumhe apni sagi behnon se zyaada samjha hai. Tum kabhi bhi sirf meri saali nahin, meri bacchi bhi thi. Isiliye maine yeh saari baatein tumhe bataana zaroori samjhta hoon. I never wanted to tell you or your parents about the reason for the divorce, but it seems inevitable now.

I was busy during the expansion of my business and the troubles regarding my sister's marriage at home. I would stay away from home for weeks, sometimes even months and it took me a lot of time to realize and acknowledge that I have played a huge part in the breaking down of my marriage but the catalyst of the break-down was Pia's affair with her old boyfriend. It must be hard to believe for you. Believe me, it was even harder for me to accept it.Pia introduced him as someone she knew from college and I believed her. But the truth was that he was her art-teacher in college Before that he worked in an artgallery. They went around for a while until my marriage got fixed to Pia. After that he went to Dubai and suddenly came back as a rich man. He moved in the same circles as Pia and I went around and I guess that it where they met each other again and continues whatever happened between them years ago. It might be that they continued everything from the beginning, lekin khud ke man ki shaanti ke liye mai is option ko kabhi swikaar nahin kar sakta.I know, taali ek haath se nahin bajti. Meri bhi galati hai. I couldn't give her the attention she needed.

I was suspicious of Pia's actions almost a year before we ended our marriage. Somewhere I got a feeling that it wasn't all right and a look at Pia's phonestatement firmed my suspicions. The pictures I have sent you are made by the private detective I had hired to investigate the situation while I was away when Pia denied upon being confronted. She met the guys, several times a month because he lived in Mumbai. They had dinner at a certain restaurant, then would move to the same hotel every time where Pia would dishonour every vow she made to me.

Even after finding out about her affair I was actually willing to continue with my marriage. Isko meri bewakoofi samjho ya aur kuch par mai Pia se pyaar karta tha. Saath saal ki shaadi mai aise hi nahin bhool sakhta tha. We had so many beautiful moments. Lekin asli jhatka tab laga jab mere Private investigator ne bataaya hi Pia ne abortion karwaaya tha. I got the report. Aur is me koi shak nahin tha ki yeh baccha kis ka tha. Mera nahin par'.

Uske baad mai pagal sa ho gaya. Usi raat mai ghar aaya. Gusse me mai kuch keh nahin paaya. Woh raat shayed meri zindagi ki sab se lambi raat thi. Pia mera intezaar kar rahi thi. And she confessed about almost everything. Where they met, how many times, even that he was waiting for her at that exact moment to elope. I had this sickening need to know, almost everything. And I still don't know why. But I needed to know and she told me everything, except about the abortion. When I showed her what the PI dung up she looked shocked, but what repulsed me was her defending the abortion, stating that the child wasn't mine. She wanted another chance that night and hence decided to confess. That man's continuous persuasion about eloping had probably made her realize the gravity of what she was doing and she told me, but again not the complete truth.

Bani, I have always thought myself to be a very modern man, educated, well-read and open-minded. I could work on my marriage to Pia. I really could. But call me a cave-man or simply a conservative man, I couldn't digest the fact that Pia was about to have a child with another man. And I couldn't handle the fact that the woman I trusted and loved, the woman who promised me her love, support, loyalty stepped over everything I valued and cherished. I wanted to trust her badly, but in the end I couldn't. I honestly tried. After that night I tried for months, but. I couldn't trust her. I turned into a maniac. Wherever she went, I followed her there, I wanted, no, I needed to be wherever she went, needed to know what she did, whom she talked too and what she said. I came to a point that it was the only thing I could think about. And when I had to leave for a business trip I commissioned the same private investigator to keep a watch over her. It was the lowest and most despicable moment of my life. Mai nahin jaata ki Pia us aadmi se mili ya nahin, par ghar pahochte hi I asked Pia to leave. Yes, it was me who took the decision to break the marriage, because as far as I know, and thinking about the ways that night Pia pleaded me to give her another chance, she was dedicated to give our marriage a second chance. Par mujhse huwa nahin. I know it might sound ancient Bani, par mai bhi kya karoon? Mai paagal ho raha tha.

Yeh saari baatein mai tumhe kabhi nahin batata, agar yeh nahin jaanta jo aaj mai tumhe batane waala hoon. Jis aadmi ke saath Pia ne huwaari shaadi ko apne pairon tale kuchla, jis aadmi ka baccha usne girwaaya, who koi aur nahin, tumhaara pati hai. Maine soocha Pia sach me pachta rahi hai, par ab'..un dono ke is ghatiya khel me tumhe bhi shamil kar diya hai. Tumhaare peeth peeche na jaane wo dono kya kya kar rahe honge, shayed wahi jo meri aur Pia ke shaadi ke aar me who kar rahe the. Mujhe us aadmi se koi shikayat nahin thi. Usne mujhse shaadi nahin ki thi, uski koi zimmedarri thi mere taraf, lekin ab'.ghatiyapan ki nayi hadh usne kaayam ki hai.

Bani as your brother, I am pleading to you. Get out of this marriage as fast as possible. You don't deserve this and that man does not deserve you. Dekho na'Uska naam, uski poori zindagi mere zehen me is tarah gara huwa hai ki zindagi bhar ka ghaaw ban chuka hai, phirbhi uska naam lene me taqleef ho rahi hai. Apne naam se uska naam hata do Bani. Dhokha aur fareb ke siwaay tumhe kuch nahin milne waala. Tumhaari behen ko koi parwa nahin hai ki who kya karti hai. Usne ek masoom bacche ko, apne bacche ko nahin baksha, tum to uski behen ho. Aur who aadmi'they can reach all limits to cover up the disgusting things they have done and are doing.

Baccha, I am begging you, kisi ke baare me mat socho, bas apne baare me socho. Nikal jao is jaal me se warna tumhaari haalat meri jaisi hi ho jaayegi. Addhoora, adhmara, doosron ke fareb ki aaj me jalta huwa.

Bani, I hope that you will listen to this man who once upon a time was something to you aur Jai Walia ko apni zindagi se bahar kardo.

With all my love and blessings

Pratham.

Bani kept staring at the screen, her fingers refused to move and close the e-mail. A deep, gut wrenching ace spurt from her stomach towards her chest and settled its core there. This is how it felt when people die, she thought. They cant breath, cant move, cant cry. She was going to die right? No one can be in so much pain and keep living. Bani felt herself gasp for breath. Her chest heaved painfully when tears sprung in her eyes. It couldn't be true. Her sister and Jai. No, that couldn't be true. Jai loved someone else before he got married to her. He didn't love Pia. It was false, someone was just jealous of her and her happiness.

But it was her brother-in-law'another part of her mind reasoned. He would never lie to her. And he mentioned things about Jai being an art-teacher before. Not a lot of people know about Jai's life before he made it big. Bani wanted to open her mouth and scream out her agony, but something was holding her back. She couldn't find her voice. She wanted to drop herself on the cold tiled floor, but she couldn't. Her body was rigid. Unmovable. She wanted to break something, throw something, first of all her laptop, but she couldn't. Most of all she wanted Jai. Wrapping his arms around her, holding her and telling her that it was a lie. He loved her. He wasn't having an affair with her sister behind her back. He never had an affair with her sister. He never even saw her sister before they got married. She wanted his comfort, the soothing words that could make her forget everything. He could do that. He did that all the time. Like a magician he took away the pain that surrounded her and replaced it with love and care, a sense of belonging. She wanted Jai to tell her that he only belonged to her, only to her, like he had made her say numerous times when love and desire for each other brought them together. His was the name that rang through her mind all the time, along with a desperate plea for him to come home soon and gather the pieces of her heart that were about to fall apart.

**

What felt like eons later, Bani felt jai's presence in the room. She didn't know what happened and why he returned to soon and she didn't want to know. She just wanted to fling herself in his arms and stay there for ever. She lifted her head from her knee and uncovered her face by dropping her hands next to her and saw him stand in front of her.

It was the expression on his face that made her uncomfortable. He looked'..very unlike the man she fell in love with. The man in front of her couldn't look her in the eye. His proud and broad posture, the shoulder she had cried on so many times were slumped. The face she had kissed so many times was averted. The eyes she had seen herself in weren't looking at her today, but they were looking at the floor. She had slept in those arms, safely. But today they hung limply along his frame. He looked like a guilty man'a criminal.

A fresh set of tears sprung from Bani's eyes. This wasn't her Jai. The man she fell in love with. Bani didn't know what to do or to say to this stranger. To her surprise she found herself hand the pregancy report and the subsequent report of an abortion to him and said. 'It was yours'.