~~~~~Part 21: Fountain of Love~~~~~
As planned, all is geared up for the shopping event. Nupur is very reluctant to be part of it and is not coming out of her room. Since last night, she has been trying to come up with a solid excuse to avoid this when suddenly Diya enters the room like a wind.
D: arre tu abhi tak tayar nahi hui. Aunty ne call kiya tha…nikalna hai humain.
N: humain nahi jaana Diya. Please tu kuch kar…yeh sab nahi hoga humse. kam se kam tujhe to samajhna chahiye na!
D: kya..kya samjhoon main Nupur? Mayank aur tere beech jo hua usska kya koi explanation hai? aur woh log…Shilpa aunty, tere mom ..yeh jo itne khushiyan mana rahe hai innko kya kahegi? kab tak taalegi? yeh shaadi yahin hogi…tere ghar ke saamne se Mayank ki baraat guzregi tu kya kar sakti hai? kab tak bhaagegi aur kab tak khud ko inn sab se door rakkhegi? sacchai ka saamna kar Nupur…yeh hai haqeeqat. kuch dino me Mayank ki shaadi horahi hai and thats a fact! tere ghar ke log …usska family k saare log yahan pe gather hue hai uss khushi ko baantnay k liye aur inn sab me tu bhi ek hai. please Nupur..iss khushi ko barbad mat kar. yeh saare log inhe kuch nahi pata aur pata chalna bhi nahi chahiye kuch bhi. please sort yourself out Nupur…apne liye nahi to apnon k liye hi sahi...kar sakti hai na tu? bol?
N: (wipes her tears) haan Diya..sahi keh rahi hai tu. hum apne dard se kisi ki khushiyan kyun barbad kare? hamare saath jo hona tha so hogaya, issme doosron ki kya ghalati hai? tu jaa..hum tayar hoke abhi aate haiAfter a while Nupur comes down fully prepared for the upcoming days…more emotionally than physically. Diya is surprised to see a smile on her face. She realises how fake that smile is but that smile has spread happiness all round her house. Aparna is so happy to see her daughter like before again. They have their regular chitchat before both Diya and Nupur head out to join Shilpa for the shopping venture. During the entire day, Nupur maintained herself well…she participated fully in choosing the bridalwear, the jewellery, all the accessories and Shilpa gave Nupur's choice an upper hand. Everything that was bought was as per Nupur's choice. After a successful and a long day at shopping malls, they return home. The whole house becomes a wedding venue itself with everyone talking either about the purchases or the outstanding activities or the plans. What a buzz all around but even with so much noise, Nupur finds her solitude where she is literally going through a storm…constantly being hit by each and every little thing around her but not letting it show on her face or her eyes. Although sometimes she fails to control her tears but then again she sorts herself out before anyone can notice it. After a while, at the very next available opportunity Nupur makes an excuse of not feeling so well and retires to her room.
Next morning, although she has yet to go out again with Shilpa for other arrangements, she wakes up early in the morning and decides to go for a stroll. Subconsciously she ends up at the fountain park where she notices someone sitting next to the fall. As she gets closer, she sees Tanmay there. Without making any sound, she quietly sits down right next to him. Tanmay notices her but says nothing
N: mil gaya?
T: kya?
N: apne sawalon ke jawab?
T: meri sawalon ka jawab tum ho Nupur
N: hum?
T: haan…tum. per tum bhi iss jharne ki tarha ho. toofan ki aasar hai chaaron orre phir bhi khamoshi ikhtiyar kar rakkhi hai.
N: kabhi kabhi khamoshi me bhi jawab chhupe hote hai. bas saamnewale ki samajhne ki dair hai
T: jis saamnewale ko samajhna chahiye woh saamne nahi hai ab to aur shayed tum usse saamne aane ka mauka bhi na do
N: matlab?
T: meri baat ka bura mat manna Nupur. yeh jo "Mayank" naam hai na! yeh tumhare liye sirf naam nahi..yeh woh jazba hai jisse tumne saalon tak jiya aur aakhir me usse ishq ka darja diya. yeh naam ek aitbaar ka hai jo tumne ek andekha anjaana shaks ko sonpa…yeh naam ek khwaab ka tabeer hai jisse tumne khule aankhon se dekha…yeh naam tumhari wajood ka hissa hai jisske baghair shayed tum khud hi khud se kho jaao kabhi na khud ko wapas paane k liye.
N: (is surprisingly staring at Tanmay) yeh sab tumhe kaise pata?
T: mujhe Diya ne sab kuch bata diya tha Nupur per ussne mujhe bas factual information diya. jo tum pe guzri…jis ehsaas ko lekar tum har roz jee rahi ho usse maine khud se mehsoos kiya. yeh saari baatein uss ehsaas se hi hai. kya main ghalat hoon?
N: nahi Tanmay. sach maane to humnain khud bhi kabhi apne baare me aise nahi socha
T: nahi socha to socho Nupur. kabhi yeh bhi socha k jis khoye hue rishte ko kabhi na paana tha woh achanak se kaise tumhare zindagi me aagaya? kabhi socha k tum dono ne saalon se ek doosre ko nahi dekha phir bhi tum dono uss manzar pe saath mile jahan pe shayed woh log bhi pohunch nahi paate jo saalon ek doosre k saath bitatay hai. mohabbat Khuda ki dain hai Nupur…na har kisike kismet me hota hai aur na har kisiko raas aata hai. per tum dono ki kahani to kuch aur hi nikli (he smiles)
N: hum kuch samjhe nahi
T: samajh aajayega Nupur…apne aankhein bandh karo aur phir se apne dil ki awaaz suno jo duniya ki shor me kahi dabb gayi hai. tumne hamesha apni dil ki suni…to phir aaj apne zindagi ka itna bara faisla haalaton ko dekh ker kaise kar liya? ekbaar apne dil se to pooch liya hota
N: dil ne hi to itna bara dhokha diya hai. kaise bharosa kare hum isska?
T: dil kabhi dhokha nahi deta Nupur…haan haalat kabhi kabhi aise maahaul paida kar jaata hai k humain apne hi dil pe shubhah hone lagta hai. kash hum haalaton se parey hath ke apne dil ki sunn paate…kaash!
N: aaj tum yeh sab kya kahe jaarahe ho Tanmay. thik to ho na?
T: tumhari yeh jharna behudh khubsoorat hai. yahan se kisi sawal ka jawab to nahi milta per haan dil ki saari baatein zubaan per aajati hai. ek hosla milta hai yahan aake k saacchi mohabbatein kabhi nahi haartay…k duniya me abhi bhi iss jazbein se barhkar koi aur shay nahi.
N: ghalat keh rahe ho Tanmay. sacchi mohabbat ka iss zamane me koi mol nahi….khatam hai mohabbat…bas naffrat hai..
T: kya tumhe pata hai k naffrat bhi hum unhe hi karte hai jinhe bepanah mohabbat karte hai. yeh dono jazba ek hi ehsaas ki do rukh hai bas. jab mohabbat beintehayi hudh se guzarti hai to woh naffrat ki muqam pe apna sir kabhi na kabhi jhuka jaata hai. aur uss naffrat ki jazbe me ehsaas hota hai k humnain kisiko kitna chaha hai. tum bhi apne naffrat me jhaankogi to tumhe mehsoos hoga k Mayank ko kis deewangi k hudh tak pyar kiya hai tumne
N: kya farq parta hai isse…hamari deewangi duniyawaalon k liye tamasha bannke reh gayi. kya khoob jag hasayi hui hamari..
T: pata nahi Nupur per agar ho sake to bas ekbaar apne dil me jhaanko aur dekho…jiss par yeh ilzaam lagaya kahi woh khud to duniya walon k liye tamasha nahi bann gaya? aur agar khud per..apne dil per se bharosa uth gaya ho to Khuda se poocho k kyun milaya tumhe usse jo duniya ke bheer me kahi kho gaya tha! kyun woh saare ehsaas ko jagaya tum dono k dil me k iss hudh tak tum khud ko bhula baithi. agar juda karna tha…alag rakhna tha to aise hi rehne dete, kyun milaya? aur agar Khuda ne milaya to hum bandey kyun unnke marzi k khilaaf lar rahe hai? jiss mohabbat ko unho ne phir se jagaya usse hum insaan kyun mitaane per tulay hue hai?
N: (staring at Tanmay again) humnain tumhe aisi baatein karte kabhi nahi suna Tanmay. yeh sab..?
T: main yahan se jaa raha hoon.
N: jaa rahe ho? kahan??
T: jahan se aaya tha. jaa to main pehle bhi gaya tha per tumhe bataker nahi jaa paaya. ab bataake jaa raha hoon. uss waqt to main laut aaya tha per ab lautnay ki gunjaish nahi koi
N: kyun gunjaish nahi? humain kuch samajh nahi aaraha…kahan jaarahe ho aur kyun?
T: kyun ki Nupur ko Tanmay ki nahi..Mayank ki zaroorat hai…yeh baat Nupur ko samajhne ki dair hai bas
And he leaves promptly leaving no chance for Nupur to comprehend what he just said or to respond or further question him. Tanmay has always been supportive and more of a guide for Nupur. Someone that she could easily open up to and share her feelings but she never saw this aspect of him. It felt like he was going through some kind of confusion…leading to pain perhaps. But whatever he said…cannot be ignored.
For the next few days…even with the wedding chores, she cannot help but constantly think about what Tanmay said but after that day Nupur never saw Tanmay again.
-Neela-
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