Completing her midnight rounds, that included patients from nearly half-a-dozen different departments, gunjan made her way back to the common room. An unearthly eeriness had filled the air in the common room, that made gunjan much more restless. It had been a long tiring day for her, though not physically, but of courseâŚmentally!
In the past seven yearsâŚIt had never been so, that gunjan even for a single second, had felt uninterested in her job of being a doctor. However demanding it may have been, but she lived every moment of it with full dignity and dedication. "48-hr shiftsâŚback-to-back surgeriesâŚreporting on duty at the most odd hrs of night"âŚshe had done everything with the same affectionate smile on her face. But toniteâŚtonite seemed different!...
For it was not just about sitting some extra hrs in her cabin, checking on an unending queue of patients or going in for a third or fourth surgery in a rowâŚbut it was much more than that! It was about the biggest decision she had taken for her life so farâŚthe catastrophe that loomed upon her married lifeâŚit was about her first divorce hearing!
Placing her stethoscope and lab-coat carefully on the table, gunjan slumped back into a couch. The moment she surrendered herself to it, a wave of acute exhaustion beckoned her senses. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. But only for the worseâŚas soon as gunjan closed her eyesâŚall the predictable scenes from the impending divorce hearingâŚshe and samrat putting allegations on each otherâŚnegotiations on their late father's propertyâŚand the judge at-last declaring her divorced from samratâŚ.all like some frenzied screen transitions of a poorly edited movie, splashed on her mind. Within a flash of a second, gunjan opened her eyes and sat straight.
Seeing gunjan wake up so suddenly, Riddhima, who had just entered the common room a few moments ago got startled. In a trance, Riddhima dropped her weighty book she was reading, on "Orthopedics" and moved to gunjan's side.
"Gunjan what happened bachchaâŚtu theek hai na??" riddhima asked as she caressed a terrified gunjan.
Seeing herself still in the common room and seeing riddhima sitting next to her, gunjan came back to reality and realized that what all she saw was just an illusion of her overstressed mind. She touched her eyes and realized that they had turned moist. "If just a thought of it could move her to tearsâŚwhat will happen when all this will take place for real??" gunjan thought as a shooting pain began to knot her stomach. She shrugged with discomfort.
"Relax gunjanâŚjust relax" riddhima tried to comfort gunjan as she made her drink some water while rubbing her back.
"GunjanâŚI know dear what u r going through right now. I know that its not at all easy for you." Riddhima said to gunjan pressing her hand.
G: I don't know di whats happening to meâŚ!!I m losing grip!! (Gunjan moved her hands in her hair due to frustration) I cant tell u ki is waqtâŚis waqt main kitna akela feel kar rahi hoon di!! Aisa lag raha hai jaiseâŚjaise mujhse koi meri life ka ek bahut important part cheen kar door le jaa raha ho. I don't know di main kya karoonâŚits soo difficultâŚmaine kabhi nahin socha tha ki meri lyf mein kabhi aisa bhi ek waqt ayegaâŚjab main...jab main..(unable to speak a word furtherâŚgunjan broke into a weep and threw her head onto riddhima's chest)
"Pls help me diâŚ"gunjan wailed " pls help me out of this mess!!"
Riddhima kept on caressing gunjan for a few more momentsâŚtill she had vent it all.
R:GunjanâŚI understand your condition. Main janti hoon ki tu is waqt kya feel kar rahi hai. But gunjan ye jo bhi ho raha haiâŚye bhi to tera hi decision hai na. Baby you did your best to save your relationship with samâŚto save your marriageâŚbut when nothing worked at all, it was only then, that the two of u came to this decisionâŚhaina!
"I know diâŚu are rite. It was my decision only, and I still have no regrets about it. But diâŚwhat pains me the most is that, tomorrow⌠with my husbandâŚI will also lose my best friend forever. I will lose my saviorâŚmy samrat! I will lose that one friendship of my lifeâŚwhich means everything to me. I wishâŚwe hadn't marriedâŚatleast he would have been there for me as my lifelong friend" gunjan wept as all the childhood memories of her and samrat's friendship began to dance in front of her eyes. She felt an irresistible crave to sweep back to those beautiful days of their carefree friendship overpowering her sensesâŚmaking her vision go blur with tears.
At this point of time, Gunjan's words, her tears, could no longer let riddhima remain unaffected by them. Her eyes too felt moist seeing her in this condition. But she knew that she wasn't supposed to do that, rather she needed to console gunjan in every way possible.
R(trying to act as casual as possible): GunjanâŚI can understand babyâŚI understand everything what's troubling u so much. But you just try and not think about it. Sometimes its better to leave certain things to destiny. Sometimes that's the best option.
G(After a span of a silence):I thinkâŚI think u r rite di. I should just leave it to destiny. Whatever will happenâŚwill be for good. I will take everything the way it comes inâŚcoz finally what all happens is in no way under our control. So there's no use thinking abt it and taking unnecessary tension.
"Good" riddhima said squeezing gunjan's hand as she gave her an encouraging smile.
R: Chal gunjan its really late now. Your duty hours are also over. Go home and get some rest.
Gunjan nodded to riddhima slightly and got up to collect her belongings.
R:And promise me ki tu ghar jaakar bilkul nahin royegi.
G(Her eyes had become all puffy and red due to crying): IâŚI promise di.(she said weakly)
Scene shift(In Armaan's car)
It was almost quarter past 1 and no one could be seen around as Armaan's car ran down the deserted road. Armaan drove the car while samrat laid down almost unconsciously on the seat just next to him. Reason-He had drunk too much!!
"Ohh god samrat what are you doing!!" armaan shouted on samrat as he pulled him back towards his seat to prevent him taking his head out of the window."Kya zaroorat thi tujhe itni peene ki..hunn??"armaan's pitch became louder and louder "Tujhe pata hai naâŚu cant handle more than two pecksâŚphir bhi bina soche samjhe pata nahin kitni chadha li mere peeche se!"
As armaan went on scolding him, samrat made an innocent child like face and started acting like crying.
"TuâŚtu bahut bahut bura hai armaanâŚIâŚI hate you" samrat mumbled in an unclear tone.
"Oh really???abhi to tune meri burai dekhi nahin hai theek seâŚagar ab ek baar bhi sir bahar kiya âŚya koi bhi bekaar ki baat ki to main tujhe yahin chod kar chala jaungaâŚsamajh mein aaya!!"armaan gave samrat a look.
As soon as armaan said those wordsâŚthe mischievous smile on samrat's face vanished suddenly. Till now samrat was just being notorious with armaan but now he was seriously hurt.
"To phir jaa naâŚkisne roka haiâŚchala ja mujhe chod ke. Pehle dad chale gayeâŚkal chashmish chali jayegiâŚphir tu bhi chala jaaâŚ(Saying so samrat literally began to cry like a toddler).
Seeing him like this armaan's heart went out to him. Though samrat was not totally into his sensesâŚbut armaan knew that what he was saying right now, came directly from his heart. For the first time armaan realized that how lonely his friend was.
Mumbling his half-baked wordsâŚsamrat gradually fell asleep on his seat. Seeing him asleep, armaan quickly rolled up the the window on samrat's side to prevent cold air from coming in. He saw samrat's cheeks that still had a few dried up tear drops on them. A lump built up in armaan's throat seeing his brother like friend like this.
"Everything will be fine samâŚsoon everything will be fine" armaan said in a shallow tone as he caressed his fingers in samrat's hair with concern.
Scene shift(Samrat's house)
Reaching samrat's home armaan carefully transferred samrat on the support of his arms to his bed as samrat was totally drunk. Armaan knew that gunjan was still in hospitalâŚso he asked samrat NOT to close the door from inside unless she comes back. But he was thoroughly doubtful if samrat had registered even a single word of his! Escorting him upto his bedâŚarmaan finally moved out of the Singhania mansion and made his way towards his place. He had informed sister mary and john (who lived in the outhouse) to lock the door of the house from outside till gunjan returned. Mary and john did the same and went back to the outhouse.
At singhania mansion(3'o clock in morning)
At 3'o clock gunjan could finally return home completing her duty. As she went near the door, she noticed a lock on it. She looked at her watchâŚit was already 10 minutes past three. She felt bad as she would now have to disturb sister mary and john out of their sleep at such an odd hour of night. But with no option leftâŚgunjan knocked the door of the outhouse.
"Whose this??"sister mary said rubbing her eyes as she opened the door.
"I am sorry sister to disturb you at this time but can I get the keys of the house" gunjan said in her usual warm tone.
"Ohh you are back my child!!Wait I'll just get the keys" sister mary said.
As sister mary found the keys she went upto the door of the main house and opened the lock.
"Thnxxx sister"gunjan said as she gave sister mary a smile of gratefulness.
"Its okk my childâŚu go and take rest" sister mary said carrassing gunjan's cheek.
Bidding gunjan a goodnite sister mary went back to her room. On the other hand, gunjan tried to open the door.
BUT!!...
much to her surprise she found that she could not open it. For nearly 15 minutes gunjan kept on trying to open the door but there was no use. All her efforts failed terrible. gunjan felt irritated!! Already it was half past three and she felt awfully starved and tired. To add to itâŚthe next morning it was her first divorce hearing!!
Seeing no of her efforts working,Gunjan sat down on the staircase in front the door lethargically. She felt drained out and helpless. Tears rolled down her cheeks seeing her own feeble condition. Her life was such a mess! Though it was just about a door being locked from inside and she being forced to sit outsideâŚbut gunjan felt herself deprived and homeless. As that was the only condition which awaited her the next morning. Till now she hadn't even decided about her future dwelling once she will get divorced. She just knew that armaan and riddhima had offered her to live with them for as long as she wished. "It is soo sweet of them to do so much for me"gunjan thought.
Gunjan was still lost in her thoughts of the impending disaster when she suddenly heard a snoring sort of a sound coming from inside the house.
"one second!!.." gunjan tried to concentrate.."Is he inside??âŚsleeping??" she placed her ear near the door. As gunjan focusedâŚshe heard samrat's snores becoming clearer and clearer.
"DAMN!!!" gunjan hit the door hard with her hand. She couldn't believe that samrat had locked the main gate of the house from inside and slept. She started knocking the door of the house while calling out samrat's name as loud as possible. But there was no reply from insideâŚrather samrat's snores became louder. Gunjan felt like killing samrat then and there only. Now she had finally made her mind that her decision of giving samrat a divorce is the best decision she had taken so far.
Time passed like that as gunjan kept on venting out her frustration on samrat's carelessness. She had been left with no other option as well as she didn't want to disturb mary and john from their sleeps once again. Sitting on the stairs like that gunjan finally fell asleep outside the house only.
In the morning at Singhania mansion(at 11:00 am in the morning)
As a frenzied armaan and riddhima drove to the Singhania mansion to search for their lost friendsâŚthey saw gunjan sleeping on the staircase in front of the door.
"GunjanâŚgunjan get up!!!" riddhima shook gunjan trying to wake her up.
"diâŚarmaan! tum dono yahan???what are you doing here???We had to meet at the court na??"gunjan asked riddhima n armaan in a hoarse voice while rubbing her eyes.
"Yes mrs Singhania we had to meet at the courtâŚbut at 9'o clock in the morningâŚnot at 11" armaan exclaimed.
"Whawwtt! Is it 11?? Gunjan looked at her wrist watch in a state of surprise. Her hands flew to her mouth seeing the time. "Shitttt!! 15 past elevenâŚhow come I slept here for so long??" gunjan felt surprised by herself.
R:But gunjan tu yahanâŚghar ke bahar kyun so rahi thi???
G:Don't ask me di!! I feel like murdering him!! He is such the most irritating guy of the world.
R: But hua kyaâŚaisa kya kiya samrat ne??
G:Di he locked the door from insideâŚaur phir besharmon ki tarah andar jaakar so gaya!!
"WHAT!!"âŚ"SHITTT!!!"riddhima and armaan exclaimed respectively.
Seeing armaan's reaction both gunjan and riddhima gave him a "What do you mean" kind of a look.
"Pls gals don't look at me like that. Is mein meri kya galti hai??" armaan said making a face.
R:Ohhh shut up armaan. Just tell why did samrat behave like that.I know woh itna irresponsible nahin hai.
A:wohhhâŚactually riddziâŚ
G:Plsss armaan speak up!
A:Gunjan usne kal raat ko kuch zyaada hiâŚu know!! He drank too muchâŚthough maine use kaha tha ki andar se door na lock kare, but I seriously doubt ki usne kuch bhi suna ya nahin.
R:Ohhh god u guysâŚu r a limit! jab digest nahin hoti to itni peete hi kyun ho!! You all are just the same. Zara si koi problem hui nahin ki chal pade peene!!
A:Riddzi pls daant baad mein lenaâŚpehle Samrat aur Gunjan ki problem solve kareinâŚ
R:What problem solve karein armaan??âŚu know ki aaj ki date postpone ho chuki hai.
G:What!!
A:haan gunjanâŚjust bcoz tum aur samrat court time par nahin pahunche isliye judge ne hearing postpone kar di hai! Next hearing kab hogi ye abhi thodi der mein main call karke pooch lunga.
Hearing all this gunjan sat on the stairs. She moved her hands in her hair in distress, unable to decide what to do with her so unpredictably terrible life. The day she wanted to pass as soon as possible had stranded in her life for an indefinite period of time. She looked totally blanked out.
Seeing gunjan like that Riddhima felt too worried for her. She took armaan aside to have a conversation with him.
R: Ohh god armaan I don't know ki main tumhein kaise samjhaoon. Why don't u guys understand! jitna ye sab delay hoga utna hi Gunjan ke liye is sab se bahar aana aur bhi mushkil hoga. Main hamesha se chahti thi ki kissi bhi tarah samrat aur gunjan apne issues solve kar leinâŚbut ab jab baat yahan tak pahunch chuki haiâŚ.I don't want ki gunjan ab aur kisi bhi emotional trama se guzre. Armman she needs to come over all this as soon as possible. She needs to move on.
A:Riddzi main samajhta hoon what you mean. Main bhi gunjan ka dost hoon aur use is haal mein dekhna mujhe bhi utna hi bura lag raha hai jitna tumhein. But riddzi tum hi to kehti ho na ki life mein jo bhi hota haiâŚ.its for the good! To hosakta hai iske peeche bhi kuch achcha hi ho. Ho sakta hai destiny samrat aur gunjan ke liye bhi kuch aisa le kar aaye jo unki life ko hameshan hameshan ke liye badal de!!!
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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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