3. A Dark Corner
'Arnav'. there was something I wanted to ask you,' her voice was pale.
Arnav drew her near and examined her forehead. It was normal now, but strangely she was shivering, her voice was choking midway. He gathered her near him and stroked her hair. 'Khusi is there anything that is bothering you? Please tell me sweetheart, what it is?' he drew her nearer.
'It's nothing like that, I mean, do you have any business trips in the coming week?' she sounded nervous, her eyes refusing to meet his.
He twitched his brows; she was waiting for my trips? 'Yeah, there's one, day after, I will be back by Sunday' he sounded disappointed.
The whole night I thought why she asked me this. She wasn't like this before. I married her to save her and my sister's life. When I came to knew about Shyam; I had known that Anjali would never be able to live without him. He had dangerously scowled on me that day; he had promised me that he would destroy my life. Khusi's family had insulted her; they had held her responsible for their beloved Shyam's disappearance. I offered to marry her; strangely I didn't think twice when they insulted her for something that wasn't her fault at all. She kept quite and the ceremonies took place. For two days she neither talked to me nor did I try. Slowly as time passed by, we were attracted towards each other. Or was it only me? Today when she told me when my business trip was, I felt she wanted to stay away from me. But she wouldn't mind when I touched her or pulled her towards me. I was disappointed; did she love anyone else?
The day of the trip came and he bid her goodbye. She sent Jai Prakash home.
'Jai Prakash how's your mother?' she tried to ask gaily.
'Ab who theek hain, bas woh arthritis ka problem,' he said wiping the table. 'Why don't you go and see her?' she sounded nervous.
'Mein jaa sakta hoon memshaab?' he sounded more than happy. 'Yes of course, you can, please!' she smiled. He said he would return by Saturday. With that, she closed all the doors and crumpled on the floor.
She was looking paler than yesterday, I called the doctor and he told me to wait outside. When he came after half and hour, he said her condition was getting worse. It felt like each passing minute she was being taken away from me. I looked at her through the glass outlet on the door, her lively color had faded. I wondered how a stroke on her head could have caused this.
The doctor called me in his chamber and asked me to wait. He came in after sometime, with a huge envelope in his hand. He took a few sheets and held them in front of me, they were reports.
'Mr. Raizada, your wife was fed huge amounts of sleeping pills, powdered, with her food in the lunch probably, everyday.' I was shocked to hear that, Jai Prakash was too innocent to be thought the one to mix the pills; I have to ask him about it.
When I drove to my home, I passed the temple where she would come to daily before marriage. . I came out of the car and for the first time I entered the temple; my shoes left outside. It was the same temple where I had bandaged her ring finger on that day. It wasn't for me that I came; it was for her, if she had faith in God, these prayers would be for her, on behalf of her. I would do this till she gets well; this was my responsibly for my better half.
I came home and saw Jai Prakash crying silently and arranging the room. He wiped off his tears and when he saw me, and started with his job again, I went forward and put my hand on his shoulder; he turned back and broke down.
'Agar memshaab ko kuch ho gaya toh?' he was crying, silently.
'Unhe kuch nahi hoga, Devi Maa hain na,' I was surprised at the mention too. Jai Prakash looked at me in disbelief, and then he smiled a bit.
'Jai Prakash, do you know when Khusi took her lunch, did you serve her?' I was curious.
'Nahi shaab, who toh humesha apna khana khud garam karti thi aur akele khati thi. Pehle aisa nahi tha, par kuch dino se who khudhi kar leti thi.' The last line caught my attention; she was changed during these few days.
I left him and came upstairs.
On my way to trip, the flight was seeming strangely quite to me. Nor the ramblings of the others bothered me, nor the announcements. My thoughts went back to her; she couldn't meet my eyes when she mentioned the trip. Why was that? I checked in the hotel that night, my meeting was tomorrow, and the day after I would be backing home. Did she want me to go back?
Once I was freshened up, I received a call from her; just when I was about to call her asking if she had been taking food, I eagerly took it but it was cut immediately. I tried calling her; but then I checked the clock, it was 11 in the night; she must be sleeping. Usually she would call me up and check whether I had eaten or not; and then she would eat. But I was happy that she was sleeping now; taking care of herself.
Arnav was coming today, he will be home.
The door was being banged by someone continuously for sometime now. She was too scared to open it. And then someone pulled it in; he had the key. Shyam's eyes glistened in the light. 'Khusiji how many times would I have to tell you that there's no point in escaping from me!' he smirked. She took a step back, and her back hit the wall. He took some steps and took out the rod and glared at her. She was terrified to see him; smirking; holding the rod and she ran upstairs to their room; as fast as her legs would allow.
But Shyam turned out to be faster, he held her pallo and dragged her before she could lock the room. And with that, he hit her with the rod; right on her head. She held the head and stumbled; and crumpled on the ground.
'Humne toh sale sahab ko pehle hi bata diya tha Khusiji ki hum unki zindagi ko barnbaad kar denge, par who hain ki sunte hi nahi. Ab aisa kabhi karna padhta hain, asman mein udhta hua admi ko zameen par lana zaroori ho jata hain. Pata nahi unhe kya mila apko humse cchinkar, pyar karna toh who jante nahi, phir kya mila unhe?' his voice was in his usual honey-coat.
'Aur Khusiji aap? Apko kya ho gaya? Kya mila aapko ek aise insaan ke saath shaadi kar kar; jo humseha apko beyizad karna hi janta hain? Par nahi, apko toh unki har baat pyari lagti hain na? Woh jo kahe sahi, aur hum kahe toh galat?' he said in a disappointing tone now.
Suddenly his face turned grave, 'Aur Saale sahab? Jabse aap unhe Lucknow mein mili, unhein kya ho gaya? Aur shaadi? Yeh unhone bilkul bhi theek nahi kiya! Humne toh unki behen ko batana chaha ki hum unki marzi ke bina dusri shaadi kar rahe hain, par woh hain ki manti hi nahi, toh ismein hum kya kar sakte hain? Toh ab inn do bhai beheno ke liye kya kar sakte hain. Humare sale sahab ki sabse jo pyari do aurtein hain, unmien se ek ko agar''' his voice trailed off.
'Toh humne socha Khusiji, ki agar sale sahab ki jaan se bhi pyari PATNI ko agar chot pahuchaya jaye, toh woh toh waise hi mar jayenge. Aur taki swarg ka rasta mere liye khula rahe, meine soch meri patni ko kuch na karke aap ko karoon, aap toh meri kuch nahi lagti na!'
'Sukriya Khusiji, aap nahi hoti toh mein yeh nahi kar pata. Wasie Arnav ne kuch nahi bola jab aap ne kaha woh kab bahar jayenge? Apne kafi acchi tareeke se bahar nikalwa liya unse. Chinta mat kijiye, filhaal Rani saheba ko kuch nahi karunga mein, aap befikar rahiye. Waise apko dar nahi laga akele rehne mein? Lagta hain neend ki goli ka asar hain. Accha hain. Ab yeh ek saal mein meine rani saheba ka dil toh aur bhi jeet liya, aur ab aur kuch mahine mein saari daulat apne naam phir dekha jayege unka kya kiya jaa sake, yeh mujhshe ulajh ne ka nateeji hain.'
He took out his knife and slid through her wrists. Her sense told her wrist was paining; she flinched in pain, he enjoyed the scene and pressed the knife until blood oozed from it. He then left her, and took his things and banged the door.
It felt like he actually reminded me how much Arnav trusted me; no matter what. His words reminded me how much blind faith I have in him; and he deserves the trust. He reminded me when I had adamantly insisted upon joining the job; how much badly I wanted to see his face after he had so harshly turned me down. He reminded me how much I loved Arnav; and how much he loved me.
Jai Prakash came home in the evening, he was busy buying some gift for his memshaab; his mother was so happy seeing him; she told him to buy her something; Jai Prakash knew she would take anything happily he gave, when suddenly a fearful yell came from their room. He looked up, the store was nearby.
He came up the room; and closed his eyes. He wanted his wife; safe, in his arms, and the one who did this to her behind bars. A paper came flying to him, he opened his eyes to see, a neat writing on it.
"I Love you"
'I love you too, Khusi' he tightly clutched the paper in his hand.
Cricket
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