Sarja told his mom that Niru had agreed to get married to him and his mom was on cloud 9 when she heard that. She did want a girl from the higher society, afterall sarjerao bhosle was smart looking... not that she dint find Niru suitable for her son, but she got worried lookingat her baba.
"Re, sarja, uske baba ki dimaagi halat thik nahi hai, tu phir bhi ussey shaadi kar raha hai. "
"Haan maai, main ussey pyar karta hoon. Ab dekho, main jaanta hoon ke Niru tujhe bhi bahut pasand hai, isiliye ab yeh baat keh kar mood kharab mat kar"
She smiled at him. "Thik hai, nahi karti... accha sun, agar tujhe aur Niru ko aitraaz nahi, toh tum dono ki sagaai isi hafte mein karadein?"
"Mujhe toh koi aitraaz nahi maai, Niru ko bhi nahi hogi. Usne shaadi ke liye haan keh diya na. Bass" he spoke casually and smiled at her.
What followed there afterwards were the preparations for the engagement. They were to get engaged in another three days. When Niru was told about the engagement date, she was hesitant. But when chandu told he to say yes, she agreed though she was shocked.
There was a hustle bustle in the neighbourhood about sarjerao getting married soon. And three days passed very quickly. Finally the day of the engagement arrived.
All relatives and close friends were invited. Niru's baba couldn't be a part of the engagement as he was getting his treatment done in the hospital. Chandu was also present among the crowd
Niru was brought to the hall where all of them were present. She looked stunning in the red saree and all of them had their eyes fixed on her. But Niru's eyes were fixed only on one person, Chandu...
"bahut acchi lag rahi ho, lekin agar thoda zyada smile karti toh aur bhi acchi lagogi" saja whispered in her ears as she came and stood next to him.
She smiled a little broader, but sarja could clearly tell that she was not happy.
"mujhe pata hai ke tum kyun itni sad ho. Baba ko miss kar rahi ho na" Niru looked down, she preferred not to say anything.
"arrey chinta mat karo. Humari shadi pe baba zarur aayenge. Baba ke bina, hum dono ki shadi nahi hogi. Thik hai?"
She smiled again. The reason for her sadness was the whole engagement ceremony itself, and no one other than chandu knew this. She looked up at chandu, who was smiling at her.
"itna befikar kaise ho sakta hai yeh? Kya isse bilkul farak nahi padtha ke jahan usey hona chahiye tha, wahan sarja khada hai? Kya chandu mujhse sach mein pyar karta hai? Pyar karta hai bhi ya nahi? Woh toh aise muskura raha hai jaise kuch hua hi nahi, jaise aaj uske liye khushi ka din ho.. jaise aaj uska koi sapna sach ho gaya ho..."
"beta.." susheela said, snapping Niru out of her thoughts. "sagai ka samay ho gaya hai... chalo chalo, ek doosre ko anghooti pehnao"
Niru blankly followed her instructions. She dint know where life was leading her... a few months back she was in chandu's arms when he declared his love for her. And now she is getting engaged to sarja.
"nahi, main sarja se shadi nahi karna chahti. Main chandu se pyar karti hoon. Main itni saari zindagiyan kharab nahi kar sakti" she thought to herself. But before she could say anything, the rings were exchanged. Both of them were now, officially a couple. They were engaged. And soon people started crowding round them to wish the newly engaged couple.
"congrats sarja... congrats Niru" chandu wished them when his turn came to wish them.
"arrey yaar, maine toh tujhe thank you kaha hi nahi. Aaj teri wajah se hi toh hum dono ek huye hain." And looking at niru "Niru, tumhe pata hai, yeh anghooti bhi chandi ne hi chuna hai. Sach yaar chandu, tu nahi hota, toh hum dono ki love story kabhi aage hi nahi badti" he said this as he placed his arms round Niru on her shoulder.
Chandu felt a sharp pain in his chest when he touched Niru. He felt like ripping sarja apart, he was already boiling in anger. Niru sensed chandu's discomfort.
"main abhi aayi" and she excused herself and went into the kitchen. Soon sarja was once again surrounded by his friends and cousins, and they began to tease him. Chandu grabbed the opportunity and followed Niru to the kitchen.
He entered the kitchen and went to her. She was backing him while she was lost in thoughts. He hugged her from behind.
"kyun chandu? Kyun kar rahe tum aisa? Kya ab bhi kahoge 'mujhpar bahrosa karo'? mujh mein ab aur himmat nahi hai. Na main tumhe kho sakti hoon, na hi sarja ko takleef mein dekh sakti hoon."
"main jaanta hoon Niru. Aur main abhi bhi yahi kahunga ke mujhpar bharosa karo. Sirf sagai huyi hai, shadi nahi na"
"tumhe yeh sab khel lag raha hai? Yeh shadi hogi toh koi bhi khush nahi rahega"
"yeh shadi nahi hogi Niru"
"sarja ko bahut dard hoga. Maine pehle hi kaha tha ke sach batao, lekin tum meri baat hi nahi sunte the. Ab dekho, sagai ho gayi..." she said with tears in her eyes.
He broke the hug and turned her towards him; she was now facing him and both looked into each others eyes.
"i love you, aur yeh mera wada hai, dilwale dulhania le jayenge" he said and giggled. She too smiled. She trusted him more than self. He brushed his fingers on her cheek and tucked the hair behind her ear. He traced her neckline, collar bone, throat and her chin with his index finger. She shut her eyes, in anticipation, waiting for what was to come next. She sure missed chandu and so did chandu miss her...
He placed his hand on her bare waist and sensuously caressed her waist... she leaned to him and brushed her lips near his ears and this was enough to make him lose his senses. He pulled her more close if that was possible and hugged her tightly. He sealed her lips with his. He did not bother that the engagement celebrations were going on in the hall and that they were romancing in the kitchen. All he knew was that he wanted to remain close to her. She broke the kiss .
"kisi ne dekh liya toh hungama ho jayega. Chalte hain yahan se..."
He nodded and was about to go to the hall but she pulled him back again.
"kya hua? Mood badal gaya? Phir se kuch karne ka iraada hai?" he asked her with a naughty smile.
"nahi, pehle apna chehra saaf kar do, poore chehre pe.. umm rangoli ban gayi hai" she blushed as she indicated him to wipe off the lipstick marks on his face. She went to the hall, only to be followed by him in a while. The day came to an end and it was decided that sarja and Niru would get married off in another 2 days since the pandit said that the next "shubh muhurat" would be after 3 years. Everyone agreed, including Niru who said "yes" only because of chandu.
The next day Niru left from home to go to the cafe.. she entered quietly and saw chandu staring at the photo frame. He was so lost in it that he did not notice Niru coming in.
"chandu..."
He quickly placed the picture inside his drawer.
"Niru? Tum yahan? I mean, sagaai ke baad bhi tum yahan kaam karogi? Aur kal tumhari shaadi hai aur tum yahan?"
"jab main apne hone wale pati ke cafe mein kaam kar rahi hoon, aur mere hone wale pati ko aitraaz nahi, toh main kaam kyun na karun?"
He smiled as she placed her hands on his shoulders.
"sab thik hoga na?"
He nodded his head. She hugged him and got back to do her work.
The next day, she was to get ready in her bridal attire. 10am was the time of the wedding. Sarja was all dressed up, when he got a text message from chandu.
"pahadi wala mandir, abhi, urgent, help"
Sarja glanced at the clock. It was 9am. He rushed outside the house to go to the temple. On the way, he texted Niru.
"chandu musibat mein hai. Main pahadi wale mandir ja raha hoon. Jaldi aaunga."
Niru was worried. She tried calling up chandu and sarja alternatively but all in vain. No one picked the call.
"mujhe jana chahiye. Lekin yahan se nikloon kaise?"
She undressed herself from the bridal wear and wore a simple red churidaar. She covered herself with the shawl, managed to get out from the house, caught a rickshaw and proceeded to the temple.
"Niru, main pahadi wale mandir par tumhara intezar kar raha hoon. Hum yahan shadi kar rahe hain, jaldi aao." she read chandu's message.
"yeh sab kya hai? Chandu keh raha hai ke hum shadi karenge. Sarja kehta hai ke chandu musibat mein hai. Yeh sab... nahi, kuch toh gadbad hai"
Meanwhile, the route which sarja had taken had a road block, n he could not take a reverse since there were a line of vehicles behind his. He had to wait for the block to be cleared.
Niru reached the temple earlier. She saw chandu at the temple. She ran and hugged him.
"sarja ne kaha ke tum musibat mein ho. Yeh sab kya hai"
"shhh" he placed his finger on her lips. "hum dono abhi shadi kar rahein hain"
"tumne sarja ko..." "woh yahan aata hi hoga. Tab usey maaloom hoga. Ab shadi karein??" he asked her. She grinned and nodded her head.
Soon both of them tied the knot and got married in the temple. They sought blessings from the temple purohit and were about to leave the temple hand in hand, when sarja reached there.
Sarja reached the temple and what he saw, shocked the hell outta him. Chandu and Niru were having garlangs round the neck and were coming out from the temple, hand in hand. Niru had a mangalsutra round her neck and sindoor on her head.
"yeh... sab... tum dono.. kaise... kyun Niru??"
Niru left chandu's hand and went up to sarja. She tried holding his hand when he pushed her hand off.
"haat mat lagana" he yelled. "poocha tha maine, kya sach mein shadi karna chahti ho? Tab kyun nahi kaha?"
Niru looked at chandu. And now sarja looked at chandu. Chandu was smiling, infact he was grinning.
"tu kya hass raha hai? Tu toh mera dost than a? Phir yeh sab..."
"dost?" chandu spat out. "arrey tujh jaise gire hue insaan se kaun dosti karna chahta hai? Maine yeh sab tujhse badla lene ke liye kiya"
Niru was shocked as she couldn't understand what was going on. Sarja was shocked too.
"badla? Kis cheez ka badla chandu? Sarja ne kya kiya?"
"haan, kaunsa badla? Kaisa badla haan? Maine kisi ka kya bigaada hai?"
"sab kuch.. tune meri duniya ujaad di... mera sab kuch cheen liya... "
"chandu saaf saaf bolo, sarja ne kya kiya?"
"oh saaf saaf bolun haan?" he looked at sarja and said "thik hai, saaf saaf bolta hoon... SHAGUN DIVEKAR... naam toh yaad hoga tumhe..."
The moment sarja heard the name, he was shocked...
"shagun divekar, yeh kaun hai? Chandu please batao ke kya ho raha hai" Niru cried out.
"Ek minute Niru... Shagun Divekar ke bare mein tumhe khud sarjerao bhosle batayega... kyun sarja?"
Chandu's face turned red in anger and he clenched his fists in anger. Sarja was shocked, after 4 long years he heard this name. He did not even dream that his dark past would come and darken his present. He thought it had all ended, but no, he was wrong. Nothing had ended, nothing at all... after a while, when sarja tried to speak, he looked at chandu.
"tum kaun ho? Kahan se aaye ho? Shagun Divekar ke bare mein tum kaise jaante ho?"
Sarja was already shocked, but when he heard what chandu said, both Niru and sarja were shocked. Niru could not believe that chandu had hidden this truth from her, whereas sarja, well he had nothing to say, nothing to do... apart from recollecting his dark past, of which shagun was a part, a really unforgettable part!!!
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Current Affairs
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