PART-22
Mahi on the other side, started going in depression…….Shabd was not even ready to talk, while her mom and dad were the same……Whenever she tried to talk, they would be busy with their work…….She had also found out about Kripa and was devasted for her as well……Her dad had shouted at her saying both the sisters have been a huge disappointment for them and they could never forgive them for all they did……Mahi resigned from the Job and went to the park a few miles away everyday and sat there for a long time looking at the kids until 7 or 8…….She would drive back in the evening, eat if she felt like and sleep……Krish would mostly be asleep by 7.30 after Shabd fed him and told him a story…….She did not even try to go to their room after a month and slept alone…….No one noticed her detoriating health or knew about her Job…….And her health worsened, when she once saw Shabd hugging Suhani laughing at Krish for some thing……..She hardly ate any thing and was just alive for names sake…….She went to the parks on Sundays too and sat there in any weather……Even if it was cold, hot or rainy……It did not much affect her any more……
Shabd on the other side, had no mood to go to her and tell her any thing else……He kept himself busy worrying about Krish and left Mahi to her Job….which he noticed that she was even going on Sundays…..He liked Suhani's company better than Mahi's, but no one knew that they considered eachother more as a brother sister…….He started going to college for 2-3 hours daily after a month just for study, but spent most of the time home…..He was not planning to do the job, till Krish went to school, which was after 3 years…..He too came to know about Kripa and was shocked to know about her and Josh's relationship…..He hoped some day, she gets the person she loved and be happy…..She was a wonderful person by heart and he was sure, that there must be reason for what she did…..He hoped some day Gayatri, Suryabhan and Pratham would forgive her…..he had called Josh and he had told him all about her……He felt sad for her……
Gayatri and Surya were just surviving……There was not much to smile in their house as it was before……Sneha had joined the school and Gauri had joined office last month……Surya was devasted and took early retirement, spending his time in reading Indian epics…….Gayatri also spent all her time in reading and praying for her daughters……Hoping some day everything would be ok…….
Pratham was worried about Kripa as well, though he was angry…..He knew how emotional she was…..He did not know anything about her……He could ask Josh, but did not have enough courage to go against his dad's wish…….And Mahi, he still could not belive that she would be so career minded that she would leave her son this way…….He was aware of her ignorance, but never thought she could do this….he supported Shabd in this and never questioned him, for ignoring Mahi for last one month…..Gauri was going on with the flow taking care of her family, without a word……She was worried about both Mahi and Kripa as both were in some type of problem…..She wanted to help them, but could not……Kripa was out of reach…..and Mahi was in between the people who were verymuch angry on her……She had noticed, that Mahi had not even come home from long time, neither did she meet at her home…….
S: Shabd……Suhani called out urgently one day, when she found Mahi lying on the floor……A full bottle of sleeping pills lay empty by her side…..Shabd looked at Mahi with horror…….
Sh: Mahi….Mahi…..he called out holding her face…..Sweat covered his face looking at her lifeless form……Suhani……911 call karo….Abhi……he said…..rubbing and calling Mahi……
Within minutes the paramedics were home and looking at Mahi……Shabd looked at them with concern, his hands shivering nervously……
P: Was your wife was in some sort of depression, Sir…..they said checking her out…….Shabd looked at Mahi stunned…….
S: We had few marriage problems……but….I am not sure……She was ok a day or so ago…..goes to work regularly…..Paramedics nodded…..
P: You can accompany her in the ambulance if you want…..we need to take her soon…..Her condition is bad and it might have been a while since she had taken the pills…..he said giving her couple of shots immediately and taking Mahi in the stretcher…..
S: Suhani tum isse lekar ma ke yahan chali jana aur unhe khabar de dena……Suhani nodded looking at Mahi with fear……..Shabd ran with Mahi…..taking her cold hands in his….He looked at her face, that is when he noticed black circles around her eyes……She was thiner than before…..She looked totally different from the women he had seen couple of months ago…..He regretted his anger towards her, though his actions were justified…..he regreted ignoring her……His eyes filled with tears…….
They reached the hospital soon and Mahi was taken inside……Police was here to investigate the matter as well as it was a case of sucide…….Shabd answered all their questions until they satisfied………They asked the place where Mahi worked in and called them to know, if there was some problem in the work place and Shabd was in for a surprise……Mahi had resigned from the Job a month back……15 days after Krish came back home from the hospital…….Then where did Mahi go everyday including Sundays was a mystery to them……The doctors were out soon and physcologists were called to evaluate the condition of Mahi…….Doctors said that Mahi was critical…….She might loose her life…….Shabd was shocked to hear this…….Gayatri and Surya were behind him and looked stunned at the doctor…….Shabd moved back step by step in disbelief…..his hands shaking a little…….And hit the wall behind him……Doctor looked at them sympathytically and went away…….
Same time Pratham got the call from Kripa…….He heard her voice with disbelief…….
P: Kripa…..
K: Bhaiya, Mahi…..Mahi ko kya hua…..she asked with tears……Pratham looked at the phone confused…..
P: Mahi?
M: Mahi thik hai na bhaiya?…..please…..bas itna bata dijiye…..please…..
P: Haan…..Mahi thik hai Kripa…..Tum itni ghabarayi hui kyun ho…..aur tum kahan ho…..he said looking at the number……
K: Mein rakhti hun bhaiya…..papa ke kehne ke bavjud apne aap ko rok nahi payi……aur kuch nahi kahungi…..I am sorry to disappoint you all…..she said putting the phone down…..Pratham looked at the phone stunned……
P: Kripa…..Kripa…..He looked at the number and frowned…..he checked through net for the number and was stunned to see that it was India's number…….She was in India? Not with Josh…….? His phone rang again and Gauri was on the line…..
G: Pratham…..Mahi……Mahi huspatal mein hain…..Uski jaan khatre mein hai……she took the sleeping pills…..she said crying……Pratham got up stunned…..He could not believe it……Kripa had called asking about Mahi…….
P: Kaunse hospital mein hai woh? Aur Krish?
G: Krish aur Sneha mere paas hai…….she said crying…..
P: Tum chinta mat karo Gauri…..Mahi ko kuch nahi hoga…..he said with tears and ran out of the office……He was in the hospital in 20 minutes and found Gayatri crying……He ran to them and she hugged him tightly while Surya consoled Shabd……
Sh: Saab meri wajah se hua papa…….Mujhe dhyan dena chaihiye tha……Aise usse gusse mein ignore nahi karna chahiye tha……Meri wajah se Krish apni ma ko kho raha hai……He said sniffing as tears flowed his eyes……..Surya looked away with tears……..Pratham's eyes filled with tears……
They all waited here for a long time…….Hours dragged by, still Mahi was out………The doctors and nurses were struggling to keep her alive…….A day passed by and then two and at last after 2 full days, slowly Mahi stabilized…….The doctor said that they were successful enough to save Mahi, but she was in depression and her mental health was very bad……They even told them that her hemoglobin was too low and they need blood for her and were waiting for the blood bank for the same…….Even though she was out of danger, they weren't sure about how far she is depressed or how it has affected her brain, which they could only be sure after she is awake……Shabd was devasted……How had he missed these signs……How had he stayed so aloof, till things got so out of control……He had accused her of not caring for Krish, but what had he done……He had done the same thing…..He could not believe that his anger had led her to the death bed……
After another day and a half, Mahi slowly opened her eyes…….Pratham was with her at that time……Shabd had gone home with Gayatri and Surya after they all requested him to take some rest……..Pratham got up immediately seeing Mahi open her eyes……he ran out and informed the doctors, who were with him soon…..Mahi looked at everyone blankly and then looked far away……as if she was in her own world……Pratham frowned at her and called her name……But she did not respond at all……..She kept staring the other side…….He looked at the doctors who were checking and asking her questions, but she did not reply a single answer…….The doctors looked at her worriedly…….They told Pratham that they have called the specialist and they will look into matters…….Pratham looked at Mahi with tears……
P: Mahi……Mahi…..Dekho, aise hume darao mat…….Kripa bhi bichari daar gayi hai……Pata nahi usse kaise pata chala ki tumhari tabiyat thik nahi……Yahan dekho meri taraf…..Mahi……He said…..but there was no response….Pratham sat there stunned with her hands in his kissing her hands lightly…….He could not believe this was happening...
The phycologists and couple of more doctors one of whom was neurologist were called and they checked in the case…….They then diagnosied it as Depression and recommended starting some pills for starters and they would see as the time goes by…….The doctors recommended that Mahi stay for another couple of days in the hospital and they would do the tests and then see further……..Pratham informed his parents and soon Shabd, Suryabhan and Gayatri came to the hospital……..Mahi was awake, but was looking blankly, without a blink…….Shabd, Gayatri and Suryabhan tried to talk to her, but she slowly closed her eyes without a word and fell asleep soon……Two days went by and Mahi was almost robotic……..The nurses struggled to make her do her regular tasks and take her for doing some tests……Shabd and others were almost in tears looking at her lifeless form……..At last 3rd day, doctors told Pratham, that Mahi was well and was being discharged, but asked to keep tight eye on her as she might try to attempt sucide again, due to depression…..Pratham nodded and called his parents……He told them that he was bringing Mahi home and not to come to hospital……..
Mahi was just lifeless…….Pratham and the nurses had difficulty putting her in the car…….He slowly drove home looking at her……she kept looking outside blankly…….Soon, they were home and Gayatri and Shabd were out in seconds…….Pratham opened the passanger door and made Mahi stand……she did not even look at any one…..staring blankly at nothing…..Gayatri looked at her with tears…..
G: Mahi…..she called out…..but Mahi never responded……..Surya patted her back and indicated Pratham and Shabd to take her inside……..They slowly dragged lifeless Mahi inside and in her room……Gauri who had not seen Mahi since last two days was stunned…….She covered her mouth and ran down in the kitchen and started crying……..Gayatri went to her and hugged her……They consoled eachother, knowing there was nothing they could do now other than wait and take care of Mahi.……...After a long time, they composed them self and washed their face……Gauri prepared tea for everyone and gave them their cups……Shabd was also sobbing silently, looking at Mahi, who was asleep………she reached Mahi's room…….She went and kept a hand on his shoulder and gave him his tea, he slowly wiped his tears and smiled a little and took the tea…..But could not even drink a sip…….He closed his eyes with pain…….
Gauri ran to her room and closed the door leaning on it…….Pratham was sitting on the chair with his head resting on the back…..He slowly got up and went and hugged her…….Gauri hid her face in his chest……as Pratham consoled her…..Pratham's phone started ringing and he took the call……It was Prithvi……
P: Pratham, tum se kuch puchna tha…..Mahi thik hai na? He asked frowning…….Pratham looked at the phone blankly and gauri looked up worried……Kripa ne phone kiya tha? He asked with tears…….Gauri stood straight stunned…….He looked at her…..Even Prtihvi was a little stunned as to how Pratham knew…..Hmmm……
Pr: Mahi ki tabiyat thik nahi hai Prithvi……..He told her what all happened and Prithvi was stunned…….
P: Prithvi, Kripa kahan hai…….There was a silence…..Prithvi….
Pr: Woh India chali gayi…..he said with heavy heart……Pratham closed his eyes in pain…..Tears fell from his eyes…….He could not even reach her and console her…..Yeah she had lied, but they should have asked for explanation…..How could his father just throw her out of their lives…..He was angry too, but that doesn't mean that she was dead for them……..
P: Akeli?
Pr: Haan……Josh ne bahot rokne ki koshish ki par nahi mani……He said sadly……..
P: Usse Mahi ke bare mein mat batana…..pehle hi pareshan hai…..Aur bhi pareshan ho jayegi……Woh thik to hai na? He asked slowly looking at Gauri and caressing her arms……
Pr: Pata nahi bahot ro rahi thi…..keh rahi thi ki Mahi ki tabiyat thik nahi hai…..Mujhe phone karke puchne ke liye kaha…….
P: Usse kehna saab thik hai…..hum sambhal lenge Mahi ko……Tum usse kuch mat batana…..tumhe pata hai na ki woh kitna tension leti hai….
Pr: Don't worry Pratham….nahi bataunga…..take care…..hope Mahi jaldi thik ho jaye……..
P: Prithvi, agli baar uska phone number lekar rakhna………He said slowly and Prithvi agreed…….
They kept the phone…….
Pratham looked at Gauri who was looking at him……Kripa ka phone aya tha, parsun, tumhare phone se pehle……he said looking at her…..Mujhse pehle usse pata chal gaya ki Mahi ki tabiyat thik nahi hai…….He said with tears looking away…….Gauri hugged him and closed her eyes…….Nothing was going right since last 2 months……
Pratham at last in the evening went out on the pretext of work and called Josh…….He wanted to know what really happened and why Kripa had lied, till the moment she left.…….Josh slowly told him everything in detail, asking for forgiveness……..When pratham asked him, if he knew who he was, Josh too declined, knowing well how shocked Pratham would be if he came to know about Angad…….He was sure, once Kripa and Angad met, Angad would himself go to them and talk and clarify everything…….Pratham at last kept the phone after making Josh promise, to tell him her contact details if he got any………Josh was happy that atleast Pratham had understood Kripa and forgiven her for the lie…….! Pratham switched off the phone and closed his eyes with pain, feeling helpless……He couldn't do any thing for either of his sisters……..! He couldn't believe that the guy she had loved so deeply had given her so much sorrow…….The day he found out who was behind this, he would throttle his neck for sure, he thought angrily………He closed his eyes and silently prayed for wellbeing of both of them and slowly went home………
Back to Angad, he was in Bombay from last 15-20 days and there was no sign of Kripa any where…..Prithvi had called him saying, Kripa had just called him and she was in mumbai itself……He gave him the phone number, from which she had called, but to Angad's disappointment it was the phone booth number…..He asked all near by people and no one knew about her…….
Days passed into months…And 4 months passed by….Mahi was no better than the day they bought her home……While Angad was unsuccessful in finding Kripa…….Prithvi got a phone once from her, to ask about Mahi, but that was it……..They never received her phone again……Prithvi had stopped her to ask her address, but she had kept the phone without answering…….!
One day when Shabd was sitting in the kitchen eating some snacks, he saw Mahi coming down…..He looked at her stunned…..but she was not looking at him…..She just climbed down and went out and before he could know what she was doing, she took the car and started driving……Shabd horrified tried to stop her, then took the other car and followed her and tried calling her……..But she was not in conscious mind……She drove around 10 miles, while Shabd chased her and asked her to stop………But she never listened……..And then she stopped at the same park she stopped always…….Shabd was surprised to see her stop and got down immediately……He ran behind her calling her……but she did not listen and walked straight ahead and then sat down before the pond looking at the ducks…….Shabd frowned at her and went next to her calling her name…..But she never responded……..He sat there next to her and looked at the place…….He could sense that Mahi was well aware of this place and had come here before…..he looked at Mahi….who stared at the pond……He sat there quietly for an hour and then two…..But Mahi did not move,…..He tried to talk but no response came…..His phone started ringing and Shabd told Pratham what happened……He asked them to come, so that some one could take the car back…..Pratham told him that they would be there soon and Shabd sighed in relief………
Pratham came and saw shabd sitting besides Mahi…..And Mahi was just staring ahead…….he raised his eyebrows and shabd shook his head…..Surya came from behind…..He gave them the keys of his car and indicated them to go…..They nodded and left them, looking at Mahi sadly……
Shabd was amazed that Mahi did not move for next three hours…..She kept staring ahead….It was around 4 and he could see many people coming in for exercise and jogging and kids playing around……Mahi just kept looking at them all…..Couple of couples came and raised their hands to her nodding at him……Shabd was surprised……A elderly women came and smiled at Mahi…..
W: How are you dear……You came after a long time……Mahi looked at her and smiled lightly and Shabd looked at her stunned…….
Mahi looked down and just sat there…….He stopped the lady and asked if he knew Mahi…..and she told indeed she knew because she used to meet everyday and sit here for hours till dark, may it be in hot sun or rain or cold……She was here all the time…….Shabd then was sure that this was the place Mahi used to come all the time, when he thought she had gone to work……He looked at Mahi with regret…….He was equally responsible for her condition……After 4 hours, Shabd was tired…..He looked at Mahi…..
S: Chale…..Mahi….Krish intajar karta hoga……
M: Nahi….koi mera intajar nahi karta…..krish bhi nahi aur shabd bhi nahi…..she said staying put in her seat, not getting up at all, looking straight ahead…….Shabd looked at her shocked……This were the first words she spoke since the day in the hospital when Krish was ill……..And his eyes filled with tears…….Her words piercing his soul…..She was hurt…..Hurt so deeply that she stopped thinking about anything all together…….Blocked every one from her mind, so she would not hurt anymore……Yeah, she had been wrong, but she had been hurt by Krish's illness too……And he had added to it, ignoring her……He sat next to her without a word, until he felt her head on his shoulder and saw her asleep……It was around 8 and almost dark…...He closed his eyes in pain…..He gathered her close to him and hugged her, slowly lifting her in his arms……He made her sit in the passenger seat and buckled up and drove home……..
Everyone was waiting for them at home…..They looked at him worried, when he carried a lifeless Mahi up……..He slowly made her sleep on the bed and covered her up, kissing her forehead lightly…….When he turned around, he found everyone looking at her with concern…..They all slowly walked down and Shabd told them all about today……Gayatri hugged him as he closed his eyes with pain……She said he was not alone and they too were culpript and they have to face this together…….They had always known that Mahi was stubborn, but they shouldn't have ignored her or atleast seen the signs of something being wrong……..They should have scolded her and made her realize instead of ignoring her……..It never had been this way and Surya, Gayatri, Kripa or Pratham had always, made her understand and scold her and make her realize her mistakes………But suddenly their indeference had taken its toll on her……..And she just couldn't take it……….It wasn't Surya and Gayatri's fault either, as they had already been depressed due to Kripa and listening to Mahi had just made them too indifferent to her feelings……..
Back to Angad, he was dejected…..He had hired a private investigator to find Kripa and even filled police complaint……But there was no word from Kripa…… Josh and Prithvi were worried about Kripa as well……..Josh had sent many mails, but there was no reply from her……Angad joined the office in India and took care of the business from there…….He just was robotic….going home then office…..Ate what ever the hotel delivered and kept looking for Kripa in near by places……He even went to Kripa's birthplace and the place where she stayed for 20 years of her life…..Everyone there recognized her with fondness, but no one saw her recently……..Disappointed he came back…..He had talked with almost all music directors with whom she had worked with……Went to music schools hoping she might be teaching some where……He even went to her college and asked about her…..But there was no sign of her…….
Shabd left his Phd and took care of Mahi full time……He was with her reading and laughing, took her to walks or just sat with her in the same place she sat for hours……he would take her out to park with Krish and Sneha and try to make her laugh, even though she never responded…..They talked to phycatrist and her treatments were still going on………Atlast after 8 long months…..she slowly started responding to Krish and Sneha…..She would smile or throw a ball some times……Go in their room and keep staring at them while they played…..Come down for lunch and dinner, though she wouldn't speak a word….Go out and sit in patio and keep looking at the flowers in the backyard, which Kripa had planted…….Some times, she would hug Shabd and sleep in his arms or just keep staring at their photo…….And not even notice Shabd besides her…….She went with Shabd for her consultaion and talk with the thearapist every week……And was slowly showing some improvements…..She some times told her how bad mother she was……or some times just told that no one would love her after what she did and curl and cry like a baby………Shabd would gather her in his arms and tell her that everyone loved her……She was wrong and should know it…..She would smile sadly at him and hug him at those moments, but then again look blankly……
It was heart wrenching some times……She would tell the thearapist, how she kept her family aside for her career and lost everything…..and sometimes tell her that she wanted to die, because she was not a good person…….Shabd would walk out of the room with tears those times and the threarapist would control Mahi talking to her, asking shabd to be strong…….
Gayatri tried talking to Surya about Kripa, but he did not respond to it and left the room……Pratham looked at his dad angrily and left for a walk during those times..…….
Finally after a year or so, Mahi was getting back to normal……She spent her days with kids, or some times cooked……Initially Gayatri and Gauri told her they would do it and she should rest……Mahi wouldn't say a word and go away, thinking that they did not want her with them and respected their wishes……..But when the physycologists came to know about it, they encouraged the family members to let her help and feel that she was part of them and was as important as rest and they agreed……..They never said no to her after that, welcoming her to do what she wanted and even encouraged her to do some other work and tried to behave as normally as they could……She did not speak much, but nodded or shook her head when the kids or others asked her something……She started doing most of Krish's work her self……Took care of him…..bathed and fed him……Played with him…...But she was silent……Shabd, started going to college on Gayatri and Surya's insistence, as he was constantly hurting and blaming himself for whatever happened……..They wanted him to have some change and go out and breathe a fresh air, instead of getting more hurt……….Shabd slowly tried to do what they said and diverted a little towards his Phd program and started studying………. he was almost about to finish his phd……
Pratham was worried about Kripa as he did not know anything about her whereabouts…He even talked to Josh and Prithvi to know about her, but they did not have a clue either……He was planning to hire a private investigator to look for Kripa and know about her and Anjali…….He was getting tensed as days passed by without a word from her……..
Angad too after a year was frustrated……..He cursed himself thousandth time……….He was looking out side his office at the sea…….There was no word of Kripa……She was as if disappeared from the face of earth…..Josh and Sheetal were married as well……..Josh called Angad on Anjali's birthday and told him about it…….Angad closed his eyes and for the first time in his life went to a temple nearby and prayed for her and Kripa…...Gayatri too remembered Anjali that day and had prayed for her long life…..She missed Kripa as well and wanted to know if she was well……..It was getting so hard……Kripa had been the one, who talked to her daily, even if they were so far and talked for hours with everyone……But since a year there was not a word from her…...She knew what was keeping her away…….Her dads words……..There was no word of her…….Dadi had also asked her twice about her and she had just said that she was busy…..No one knew about Kripa…….
Parineeti
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
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