Part # 26
After two days of thinking, Ashna's new plan is now on. She has simply stopped going to office and chills at home instead. She doesn't even answer calls from office which obviously leads to a mess and soon Adil had to intervene!!
Adil: Ye sab kya hai?
Ashna, who was munching a chocolate and reading sum magazine, looks up.
Ashna: Kya sab kya hai? Ye chocolate ya magazine? Khair jiske bhi bare me puchh rahe the, maine bata hi diya ki ye ek chocolate hai aur ye ek magazine!! Abhi jao, am reading abt Tom Cruise!!
Adil: Tom Cruise?
Ashna: Yeah, he is coming to India na. So usike bare me likha hai, kaafi bada article feature kiya!!
Adil: (not at all amused) I thought u liked Johny Depp.
Ashna: I do but u have to admit Tom Cruise looks gorgeous!!
Adil: What? How can a man look gorgeous? (and then he realizes it was not the conversation he wished to have) Well, whatever!! Main iss magazine ya chocolate ki baat nahi kar raha tha. Main to ye janna chahta hu ki tum 2 din se office kyun nahi jaa rahi ho?
Ashna: Ohh wo!! Actually maine decide kiya hai main office nahi jaungi.
Adil: What?
Ashna: Kya what? Hindi & English me bola maine, am sure u are well versed in both Hindi & English!!
Adil: Shut up Ashna!! Tum ghar pe baithke kya karogi?
Ashna: Kyun? Duniya me housewives nahi hote kya? Wahi banungi. Waise the better word is 'house-maker'. (and she grins)
Adil: Kya bakwas kar rahi ho?
Ashna: Bakwas nahi kar rahi hu Adil. Main sach me phir kabhi office nahi jaungi.
Adil: Tum aisa nahi kar sakti.
Ashna: Kisne kaha? (and she answers her question even before him) Ohh sorry, tumne hi to kaha. But come to think of it, main aisa kar sakti hu Adil. Kaam karna naa karna...ye meri marzi hai. Aur mujhe kaam karna achha nahi lagta ye to tum jante hi ho. Tum chaho to mujhe ghar se nikal sakte ho, I think that's the most u can do to me!! (she stated confidently knwing well that he was never gonna do that)
Adil carefully takes in the look on her face. She was smirking at him, clearly challenging him!! His heart skipped a beat as soon as his eyes met her undeterred ones. She was certainly different from that confused angry girl whom he had married. She had sumhow evolved to be calm and confident. Adil wondered where she had learnt these traits from.
However he decided to cum straight to the point!!
Adil: Chahti kya ho tum?
Ashna: Now you are talking!! But then, tumhe apne sawal ka jawab pata hai na? I mean, main bahut kuch chahti hu. Bataya tha maine tumhe uss din. Do u really want me to repeat all that? Waise to repeat karne me mujhe aitraaz nahi hai, but I doubt if I remember everything!! Bahut kuch kaha tha na!!
Adil: Just shut up Ashna!! Tumhe mazak lag raha hai sab kuch?
Ashna: Nope, ye sab mere liye mazak bilkul nahi hai Adil, par shayad tumhare liye hai. Its you who are not taking me seriously!!
Adil: (takes a deep breath) You knw what, tumhare office jane se ya na jane se mujhe koi fark nahi padega!! Its all the same for me. You can just go to hell.
Ashna: Oh I wud love to. Its just mujhe guarantee chahiye ki tum bhi hell me hi aaoge, warna agar heaven me pohuch gaye to main akeli bore ho jaungi na!!
Adil: Phirse mazak!! You are yet again joking!! Zindagi ki har mod pe mazak mat kiya karo Ashna, kyunki jab zindagi mazak karti hai tab hassi nahi ati, balki aankhon ansoon behne ki zidd karte hai.
Ashna: Agar aisi baat hai to unhe behne dena chahiye ryt? Waise tumhe maine kabhi rote hue nahi dekha!! Are you trying to stand by the fact that men don't cry?
Adil: (totally bugged by now) Seriously Ashna!! Go to hell.
Ashna: Seriously Adil. Accompany me!! (she said in the same tone with another smirk)
Adil was abt to answer back again, but realized she was in no mood to budge. If he didn't stop right then, this would go on and on. So he decided to calm himself down and left.
Now-a-days Adil remained busier and rather more disturbed than ever!! Things were not going his way and this very fact was taking a toll on him. So finally Shekhar decided to talk to him.
Shekhar: Tumse kuch baat karni hai.
Adil: Ye kaisa line hai "baat karni hai". Tum bolna shuru karoge to sun hi lunga na? And of course, tum yaha mera chehra dekhne nahi aye hoge, baat hi karna hoga!! Its so obvious!! Pata nahi sabko kya hota jaa raha hai..!!
Shekhar: Adil just relax!! Mera bhi yehi sawal hai, tumhe kya hota jaa raha hai? Why are u so disturbed these days? Koi pareshani hai kya?
Adil: (smiles sarcastically) And mujhe lagta tha at least tum mujhe aise betuke sawalo se kabhi pareshan nahi karoge!!
Shekhar: Betuka sawal? Adil, I can see ur restelessness, jis tarah se tum hyper hote rehte ho, I'm worried.
Adil: You don't need to worry Shekhar. Agar koi tension hai bhi to main sambhal sakta hu. Main koi chhota baccha nahi hu.
Shekhar: And that's the problem. Bacche to apni pareshani ke bare me turant bata dete hai, lekin tum kabhi nahi batate. Aur main kabhi tumhe puchhta bhi nahi hu, kyunki har baar tumhe dekhke lagta hai jaise tum sambhal sakte ho. Par pata nahi kyun, iss baar...
Adil: Iss baar? (he wanted to hear out wat his only frnd had to say abt him)
Shekhar: Mujhe pehli baar lag raha hai jaise tum tut rahe ho Adil. Tumhe itna pareshan, itna...
Adil: Itna kya Shekhar?
Shekhar: Pata nahi yaar!! Lekin maine tumhe kabhi aise nahi dekha. Tab bhi nahi jab ye company crisis me thi aur tum darbadar bhatak rahe the iske khatir. I think wo kaafi bure din the tumhari zindagi ke...lekin tum tab bhi aise behave nahi karte hai. Kuch to baat hai Adil jo tumhe pareshan kar rahi hai. Jab dost mante ho to apni pareshani bhi share kar sakte ho ryt? Main puri koshish karunga iss pareshani ko dur karne ki, I promise.
Adil: Baat wo nahi hai Shekhar. Kuch takleef bas meri hai, main chah kar bhi tujhe samjha nahi sakta aur naa tu samajh sakta hai. Kabhi kabhi kisi baat ko samajhne ke liye usse jeena padhta hai.
Shekhar: You can at least try me!!
Adil: I am fine Shekhar. I seriously am. I am sorry ki maine itni rudely baat kii...
Shekhar: Oh c'mon. Mujhe teri rudeness ki fikr nahi hai, ho jata hai kabhi kabhi & I understand that. But wat you are doing these days is not something usual. Tum jaisa calm insaan itnaa bechain hai, this is something to worry abt.
Adil: (in a calm tone) Then tu apna worry mission chalu rakh, kuch pata chale to mujhe batana. Till then I wud like to work.
Shekhar: And here you return to your calm & composed avatar, jisse sabko lagta hai you are fine!! But let me tell you, you never fooled me before nor can u do now!! I can feel it, its sumthing serious. You are hell disturbed Adil & this tym I wont just let it be.
As soon as Shekhar leaves his cabin, Adil leans back on his chair. He not only looked disturbed but also fatigued. He closed his eyes and thoughts came rushing to his head, that he cud never share!!
"Kaise samjhau Shekhar ko? Kya samjhau? Maine ghalti hi itni badi kii hai ki ab uske bare me sochne se bhi darr lagta hai. Aur jis bare me mujhse socha nahi jata uss bare me baat kaise karu? Wo kabhi nahi samjhega, koi nahi samjhega!! Main khud nahi samajh paa raha hu, to kisi aur ko kya kahu? Kash hamesha ki tarah bas iss baar bhi tum chup reh jate Shekhar!! Lekin socha jaye to ye uski ghalti nahi hai ki. Kayi saal bina kisi sawal kiye mera saath diya hai usne, aur aaj bhi bas mere liye hi soch raha hai. Dost jo hai mera!! Lekin mujhse ye dosti bhi nahi hui."
And as a teardrop threatens to escape his eyes, Adil tightens his jaw. He opens his eyes and adjusts those droplets in his eyes!! He cud not afford to break down!!
Here Shekhar, whose head was now crowded wid some willingly invited thoughts, cums across Rishabh and the first thing that cums to his mind is their last conversation. So he talks to Rishabh.
Shekhar: Mujhe sach sach batao, hamari last conversation ke baad tumne Adil se kuch kaha, ryt?
Rishabh: Ab ye 'kuch' ka kya matlab hai? What exactly are you trying to ask?
Shekhar: I am just trying to ask ki mera itna samjhane ke bawjud tumne kahin Adil se kuch kaha ya nahi? Did u do another stupidity Rishabh?
Rishabh: Arre yaar. Maine uss bare me Adil se koi baat nahi kii. But why do you ask?
Shekhar: Kyunki Adil uss din ke baad se hi pareshan hai. Did u see him or what?
Rishabh: Haan dekha maine usse, lekin I think wo hamesha hi aisa lagta hai, serious & thoughtful types!!
Shekhar: Jee nahi, ye uska usual seriousness nahi hai.
Rishabh: To phir? (now he gets a lil serious) What's wrong Shekhar?
Shekhar: I donno. But I definitely feel something is not right. Wo kaafi waqt se aksar pareshan rehta hai, kayi baar mere mann me sawal uthe lekin...
And somwhow Shekhar drifts off to those innumerable moments when he thought he shud ask Adil something or other!! Recently there had been quite a few incidents when Shekhar was completely unable to comprehend Adil's actions!! There was a time when Adil wanted to conceal every detail of RGI & Sehgal Groups from Ashna. Shekhar was even asked to double check her every move. And then she was unnecessarily & suddenly moved to the Sehgal Groups!!
Shekhar still remembers the awkwardness btwn them when Ashna joined the office first. He had thought it was becoz of the unusual situation in which they got married. And also eventually they had shown gr8 comfort wid each other!! But now Shekhar wondered if the equation was truly that simple. Becoz as far as he can connect, Adil wud be always extra hyper whenever Ashna was concerned.
Rishabh: (snaps him out of his thoughts) Lekin kya Shekhar? Aur kinn sawalo ki baat kar rahe ho?
Shekhar wondered for a moment if he shud share his thoughts wid Rishabh. But the very next moment the thoughts seemed absurd. Ashna was a very sweet person and Shekhar was sure she cared a lot for Adil, so she cudnt be the cause of his trouble any way!!
Shekhar: Nahi kuch khas nahi. Main shayad yuhi soch raha hu. Tum batao haal chaal kaisa hai?
Rishabh: Haal chaal?
Shekhar: Haan, I mean ghar pe sab thik hai na?
Rishabh: Haan Shekhar. Sab thik hai. Lekin mujhe samajh me nahi aa raha hai tum itna pareshan kyun ho rahe ho? If there is sumthing, you can tell me.
Shekhar: Nahi yaar koi baat nahi hai. Main abhi chalta hu.
Rishabh: Waise ek minute!!
Shekhar: Kya hua?
Rishabh: Wo...(he hesitates for a moment & then gives up) jane de!! Its nothing!!
Here Ashna was having a nice relaxing day at home. She wudnt admit it but deep down she knew she loved to be this lazy. Doing nothing was her fav thing to do. And this tym it slightly served a purpose too. She was slowly & successfully cornering Adil.
"Ab aisi bhi kya zidd hai Adil? Tum maan kyun nahi jate? Mujhe tumhe pareshan karne me itna bhi maza nahi ata, tumhare chehre pe shikand dekhna mujhe achha nahi lagta. Aaj kal kaafi bujhe bujhe rehte ho tum, isiliye apna next step thoda delay karne ka socha hai. Ab tum mere dushman to ho nahi, so I can give you sum time. But I really hope you will give in soon Adil."
Ashna suddenly remembers her father's diary which she took from her house two days ago. At first when she read abt Adil in it, she was irritated. But now she is interested to knw wat her father thought abt her husband. It will be like knowing Adil from another point of view.
So she again went thru the words that her father had written abt Adil.
"He seems to be a gud kid."
"Kid? Haan ye word perfect hai Papa!! Aapka damad baccho se kam nahi hai. Bahut hi nakhchara types hai. Wo to main aapki wajah se fass gayi, warna kabhi shaadi nahi karti isse. Lekin ab jab shaadi ho chuki hai to issi se kaam chalana padega!! Isiliye sudharne ki koshish kar rahi hu."
Ashna now goes thru the next pages which she hadn't read before. There were some incidents written abt her. Ashna went thru them quickly to reach sum more instances abt Adil.
"Aaj Adil ko mere cancer ke bare me pata chal gaya. Wo to Ashna ko batane jaa raha tha, maine last moment pe rok diya. Pata nahi kyun, main abhi bhi usse ye sab batane ko tayyar nahi hu. Wo filhaal yaha hai bhi nahi, ek trip pe gayi hai. Aur main nahi chahta uska maza kharab ho jaye. Shayad uske wapas an eke baad bata du!!"
"Ashna wapas aa chuki hai aur ye baat pata chalte hi Adil phir se usse batane ki zidd karne laga!! Lekin main abhi bhi tayyar nahi hu, apni beti ka murjhaya hua chehra dekhne ke liye. Kitni khush hai wo aaj kal, maze karti hai. Aise me kaise kahu? Maine Adil ko bhi samjhaya aur wo samajhta bhi hai, par hum dono hi jante hai, Ashna ko bata dena hi sahi hoga!!"
"Jab pata tha ki yehi sahi tha to kyun nahi kaha? (Ashna closes the diary as her eyes get moisty) Uff, main kya rone baithi hu yaha? (and she wipes her eyes) Mujhe laga tha aapke nazariye se Adil ko dekhungi aur mere nazariye se compare karungi. Maza ayega!! Waise bhi main aksar confuse ho jati hu Papa, jo kar rahi hu wo thik hai bhi ya nahi."
Ashna lies down on the bed emerged in her thoughts and eventually drifts off to sleep. Rashi had woken her up at noon to have lunch but opening her eyes slightly, Ashna just said she wud have it later and went to sleep again.
In the evening, Adil comes home to get a few files when he finds Ashna asleep at the odd hour. And as soon as he comes to knw she hadn't had her lunch yet, he gets angry. He thought it was another of her plans to trouble him. So he wakes her up rather harshly!!
Ashna: Ohho, problem kya hai tumhari? Sone kyun nahi dete?
Adil: Kya natak laga rakha hai? Lunch kyun nahi kiya?
Ashna: Lunch?
Adil: Haan lunch. Yani ki dopahar ka khaana!! Kyun nahi khaya?
Ashna: Dekha nahi tumne? Main so rahi thi.
Adil: Khaana khaa ke nahi so sakti thi?
Ashna: Nahi, khaana khaane jaati to neend bhi chali jati. Waise bhi mera mood bahut down tha, isliye so gayi.
Adil: Aur sone se mood thik ho gaya?
Ashna: Haan. Tum bhi try kiya karo. After all tumhara mood hamesha kharab hota hai.
Adil: Chupchap utho aur khaana khao.
Ashna: Wo to khaa hi lungi, main tumhari tarah abnormal nahi hu jisse bhukh nahi lagti. But sochne wali baat to ye hai ki tumhe mere khane ki itni fikr kyun hai?
Adil: Tum aur tumhare sawal..!! Just get lost.
Ashna: I did get lost, par tum hi dhundke wapas le aye aur warn bhi kiya ki main dobara aisa kuch naa karu. Ab tum hi batao main kaunsa kehna maanu?
Adil: (takes a deep breath to control his temper) Mujhe bahar jaana hai, so am leaving Ashna. Agar tum sach me utni normal ho jitna tum khudko kehti ho, then pls do have ur meal. Gud bye!!
At 2 o'clock in the night
Ashna is not sleepy at all whereas Adil has just gone to sleep. She keeps changing sides for some time & finally sits up. She takes a look at everything around, it was a winter night. Everything seemed to be in slumber. Even Adil was asleep.
Ashna: (quietly to herself) Uff, abhi neend kyun nahi aa rahi hai? Kab tak ullu ki tarah jaagti rahungi. Ye (pointing at Adil) jo normally ullu banta hai, isse bhi neend aa gayi.
Adil: Jo tumhe bardasht nahi hua!! (now he also sits up) Tum kyun khudse baat kar rahi ho? I am a light sleeper Ashna!! Zara si awaz se neend tut jati hai. Tumhari tarah nahi hu jo dus baar bulane pe aankh khulti hai.
Ashna: You are so mean!! Yaha mujhe neend nahi aa rahi hai aur tum...
Adil: To main kya karu? Lodi sunao?
Ashna: Usse to aur bhi neend nahi ayegi. (she said innocently)
Adil felt like his heart skipped a beat as she stared into his eyes. He was so irritated wid her for the past few days and in fact even now, but still it was a heavenly feeling to have a mere look at her. How he wished the time to stop right now, so that he cud always see his reflection in her eyes!! The moment was perfect being devoid of any of her questions which he never wished to answer!! Only if she cud let it be!!
Ashna: Ab tumhe kya hua? Kya soch rahe ho?
Adil: Kuch nahi. You just lie down and close your eyes, neend aa jayegi.
Ashna: Try kiya maine, not working!!
Adil: Ab work karega. Tum bas aankhein bandh karo. Main yehi hu, paas me. So let urself knw that you are not the only owl, ok?
Ashna: (bites her tongue) Tumne ye bhi sun liya tha? Main to kaafi dhire bol rahi thi.
Adil: Tab to lagta hai mere kaan zyada sharp hai.
Ashna: Hmm, tum me hi defect hoga!!
Adil: Exactly. Abhi so jaye?
Ashna: Ohh haan. Gud night.
After quite some time, Ashna falls asleep. But Adil keeps looking at her.
"Tumse naraz bhi nahi hoya jata Ashna. Lekin ghalti tumhari hai bhi to nahi. Ghalti hai to sirf meri aur kash main tumhe ye keh pata, tumhe samjha pata!!"
Adil's eye then catches the diary beside Ashna. Some pages had been folded for not keeping it rightly. Adil took it in his hand and smoothed the pages. He then caught his name on it and realized it was Mr. Sehgal's diary. Quite unwillingly he read a few words before closing it.
"Aise me kaise kahu? Maine Adil ko bhi samjhaya aur wo samajhta bhi hai, par hum dono hi jante hai, Ashna ko bata dena hi sahi hoga!!"
He recalled those days and gulped in. He wondered whether answering Ashna's questions is truly the right thing to do or not.
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Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
293