Chapter 4
A/N: Honestly, I wasn't supposed to update till Friday. But then we got the much awaited news on Khamoshiyan, plus its Manjari's birthday, so I thought of updating a bit early!
OMG OMG OMG Mohit is finally coming back! When I read it on TB yday I was like holy CRAP this has got to be the best day ever! Ask Jen, both of us literally went nuts yday on twitter! It was seriously the BEST DAY EVER!
Manjari, this is a small gift from me to you! Its too dramatic and full of emotional drama, but well, I didn't really have a choice! 😳 Happy Birthday! I pray you had an awesome day, and you have an even better year ahead!
This is the chapter where Sam and Gunjan finally get married! Writing this was DAMN tough, cause I had to try and understand the sentiments of Bhui and Bauji, and write down dialogues from their POV, plus show how MaYur and Sam react to the entire thing..poof! But I took over 3 days, wrote it on paper first, and then typed it out, so technically I wrote this twice! I hope it was all worth it in the end, and it turned out good! Do press the like button if you liked it, and please read and review! I love to read all your comments! 😳 The longer, the better! 😛
If you want an insight into small details about the fic, I'd suggest you read my replies to all your wonderful comments. In some of them, I've let out tidbits of information regarding characters and plot line.
Also, a small reminder. I'm gonna stop the personal PM reminders by the end of this month, so if you want PMs, send me a buddy request or drop me a PM. Thanks!
PAUSE RIGHT HERE.
Before you read this chapter, I request you to read the important note on Page 16. Link: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/fan-fictions/2846857/the-life-and-lies-of-mr-and-mrs-shergill-upd-23-07?pn=16
PS: The pace of the chapter is fast, cause I didn't wanna focus on all the rona dhona and drama. Actual story starts AFTER their marriage, which is why I need to speed up the pre-marriage portions. Hope you all understand what I'm trying to say.
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(Terrace, Bhushan Mansion, Morena)
To Samrat and Gunjan's immense shock and astonishment, Bhui was standing at a distance of about 5 feet from the two of them, eyes blazing in fury as she glared at the two of them. Samrat and Gunjan realised that Bhui had misunderstood their actions, and was perceiving every thing in the wrong way.
(Mayank and Nupur)
"Mayank, tum bhi naa! Kya zaroorat thi mere itne kareeb aakar dance karne ki?" asked a disgruntled Nupur, as Mayank stroked her hair affectionately.
"Kya Nupur! Pehle toh tum mujhe khud dance floor be bulati ho, aur jab main tumhare saath dance karne aa gaya, tab tum yeh sab keh rahi hi? Such a hypocrite!" laughed Mayank softly, as he was rewarded with a whack on his head.
"That's IT Mr Saddoo! Mujhe tumse koi baat nahi karni! Let me go!" screeched Nupur, as she squirmed in his arms, struggling to get out of his embrace.
"Gunjan!"
Mayank and Nupur sprang apart as they heard Bhui's loud and menacing voice, jerking them out of the little haven that they'd created for themselves. They looked at each other in fear as they ran towards the source of the sound.
(Samrat and Gunjan)
"Besharam! Aaj subah hi Champa aur Roopa mujhse is sab ke baare mein bata rahi thi, lekin maine socha ki meri Gunjan toh aisa kuch kar hi nahi sakti! Accha hai Gunjan, aaj tune mujhe galat saabit kar diya!" spat Bhui vindicively, as Gunjan burst into tears.
Samrat was at a loss as he didn't know what to do. His heart tore to see Gunjan in such a vulnerable state, and he inched closer to her, and held her hand tightly in his own, trying to tell Gunjan without words that he'd always be there for her.
Gunjan flinched when she felt Samrat grab her hand, and she immediately pulled her hand out of his grasp. This altercation between Samrat and Gunjan didn't go unnoticed b Bhui, who's anger just elevated.
"Bhui, aap galat samajh rahi hain. Humare beech aisa kuch nahi hai." said Samrat hesitantly, as he tried to defend Gunjan and himself.
Bhui's anger knew no bounds when she heard that statement of Samrat's.
"Aisa vaisa kuch nahi hai? Toh Samrat, tu hi bata ki kaisa hai? Aaj toh tum hi keh rahe the naa, ki Gunjan toh chaand se bhi zyaada sundar lag rahi hai? Agar aisa vaisa kuch nahi hai, toh aaj tu iske saath kya kar raha hai? Sham ko uske kamre mein uske saath kya kar raha tha?" hissed Bhui, her eyes flashing in rage.
Samrat and Gunjan's eyes widened in shock, as they realised that Bhui had caught the two of them in her room, when Samrat was helping Gunjan put on the necklace.
"Bhui, aapko sach mein galat famehi hui hai. Main toh Chash..erm, mera matlab hai Gunjan ko neeche bulaane gaya tha! Humari baat par yakeen keejeeye Bhui, hum sirf aur sirf acche dost hain!" replied Samrat, with a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Accha. Acche dost ho. Toh raat ke dedh baje, tum dono is chat pe akele kya kar rahe ho? Dosti nibha rahe ho kya?" spat Bhui, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Samrat was rendered speechless by this statement of hers. If he'd open his mouth and tell the truth, then his friends would come into problem. If he stayed mum and listened to Bhui's allegations, Gunjan and he would be in soup. He was at a loss as to how to get out of this issue.
Nupur had had enough. She couldn't bear to see her beloved sister and her friend being wrongly accused for something which they hadn't even done, when she was the one who was actually at fault. She decided to come clean with Bhui about her relationship with Mayank.
She turned to Mayank and was about to say something, when he beat her to it.
"Humein Bhui ko sach batana hoga." whispered Mayank, his voice devoid of any expression. Nupur's heart swelled with pride and affection, as she realised that Mayank was ready to face the music along with her, because he couldn't see his friends in pain as well. At that moment, she began to look at him in a new light.
Mayank clasped her hand tightly in his own, and with determined expressions on their faces, the two of them walked slowly towards Gunjan, Samrat and Bhui, to clear things out.
As Gunjan looked up to wipe away her tears, she saw her sister and Mayank walk towards her with a determined expression on their faces. She realised that they were going to tell Bhui everything about themselves, and once Bhui found out about it, she'd separate Mayank and Nupur forever, and that would kill both of them. She couldn't let her sister forsake her entire life. The same sister who'd loved her so much, who'd always been there to protect her and take care of her, was walking towards trouble, and she was not going to let her do that. She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it now.
"Yeh sab sach hai Bhui." said Gunjan softly, tears streaming down her face.
Nupur and Mayank left each other's hands as Gunjan's sentence reverberated in their ears. They stared at Gunjan in shock, wondering as to what was Gunjan trying to do by taking the entire blame on her head.
Samrat, on the other hand, looked as if someone had just punched him in the gut.
Gunjan pleaded Nupur with her eyes, begging her to shut up for the moment. Nupur wasn't going to have any of that, and she opened her mouth to tell the truth, when she heard Gunjan speak up again.
"Haan Bhui. Main aur Samrat ek dusre se milna chahter the, toh hum dono yahaan aa gaye. Hum Di aur Mayank ko bhi saath le kar aaye, taki voh darwaaze par nazar rakh paaye, taaki agar koi upar aa jaaye, toh hum sab kahin naa kahin chup jaate. Lekin shaayad dono aapko dekh nahi paaye, aur aapne humein pakad liya." whispered Gunjan, as the others' eyes widened in realisation.
Samrat understood what Gunjan was trying to do, and his heart swelled in pride and affection thinking about Gunjan's selflessness. At that moment, he decided that he'd do whatever he could to help Gunjan save her sister and her sister's relationship.
On the other hand, Bhui went into complete shock. She hadn't expected her nieces to get into such horrible company in Mumbai and get into relationships, especially not Gunjan! She realised that her nieces had truly changed, and she would have to take some serious action.
"Accha. Toh aisi baat hai?" said Bhui, as she walked up to Gunjan, took hold of her hand and began to pull her out of the terrace.
"Chal phir, tujhe toh ab tere Bauji ke paas hi le kar jaana padega." spat Bhui bitterly, as she dragged Gunjan down the stairs. She turned a deaf ear to the protests of Nupur, Samrat and Mayank, as she led them towards the mandir.
Gunjan fell down on the floor as soon as Bhui left her hand, as she let the sobs engulf her completely. Bhui just gave a dirty look to the four friends, as she left to get her brother.
The moment Bhui left from there, Nupur, Samrat and Mayank rushed to Gunjan, and Nupur engulfed her in a tight embrace, as she tried to calm Gunjan down. Gunjan, on the other hand, just held on to Nupur tightly, as she convulsed in sobs.
"Gunjan, tune yeh sab kyun kiya? Mayank aur main Bhui ko sab sach batane waale the, lekin tune hi yeh sab bakwaas bol diya!" admonished Nupur, as she stroked Gunjan's hair.
"Aapne mere liye -hic- bahut kuch kiya hai Di! Ab meri -hic- baari hai." replied Gunjan in the midst of sobs. She turned towards Samrat who was kneeling down in front of her, a small smile playing on the corner of his face.
"Sorry ya thanks bolne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai Chashmish! Maine kahaan tha naa, tum Morena girls ke liye toh jaan bhi haazir hai! Yeh toh phir kuch nahi hai!" said Samrat softly, as he winked at Gunjan, trying to cheer her up.
Gunjan gave a watery chuckle, as Samrat stroked her hair affectionately, and Mayank kept his hand on Samrat's shoulder.
"Jo tum dono humare liye kar rahe ho..hum yeh kabhi nahi bhoolenge guys." said Mayank softly, his eyes shining in gratitude.
Samrat just slapped his back and gave him a side hug, as he kept caressing Gunjan's hair. Gunjan, on the other hand, had buried her face into Nupur's chest and was sniffling occasionally.
"Yeh sab kya ho raha hai?" boomed a loud voice from behind all of them.
The four friends turned, only to find Bauji and Bhui staring at them, their eyes blazing in fury. All of them stood up, Nupur supporting Gunjan as she was still crying. Mayank tried to talk to Bauji and Bhui to sort things out for his friends, who were doing so much for him and his girl.
"Jee dekhiye unclejee, Samrat aur Gunjan -"
"Mayank. Yeh humare ghar ka maamla hai, aur tum humare mehmaan ho. Behtar yeh hi hoga ki tum is sab ke beech kuch mat bolo." interrupted Bauji coldly.
Mayank faltered, and moved a few steps behind, as he hoped and prayed that all would go well.
"Gunjan. Yeh main kya sun raha hoon?" asked Bauji in a deathly calm voice.
Gunjan swallowed, and turned towards Samrat. Samrat blinked and the corners of his lips turned up into a little smile, as he encouraged her to go on, silently vowing that he'd be there for her.
"Bauji..voh..main..main voh.." stammered Gunjan, as she stared at a fixed spot on the floor.
"Main sun raha hoon Gunjan." replied Bauji in a cold voice.
"Yeh kya bataayegi Bhaisahaab! Aaj raat toh yeh iske saath chat pe thi, kal raat ko yeh iske kamre mein gayi, aur Mumbai mein pata nahi in dono ne kya kya gul khilaaye hain! Humari khandaan ki toh naak hi kata di is ladki ne!" sneered Bhui, daring the four of them to contradict her.
"Kal raat?" asked a confused Nupur, as she exchanged glances with Mayank.
"Kyun Nupur? Tujhe nahi pata ki teri behen kal raat Samrat ke kamre ke bahar thi, aur thodi der bahar choron ki tarah chupne ke baad, voh dono andar chale gaye, pata nahi kya gul khilane ke liye! Voh toh bhala ho Roopa ka, jisne in dono ko kal raat saath mein dekh liya aur subah ki aake mujhe yeh sab bataya!" spat Bhui, giving Samrat and Gunjan a dirty look.
Nupur mentally kicked herself for being so careless and inconsiderate. If it wasn't for her and Mayank's whims and fancies, nothing of the sort would have taken place.
"Mujhe tumhare mooh se sach sunna hai Gunjan." said Bauji expressionlessly.
Gunjan looked up into her father's eyes, only to find them gaunt and hollow. She swallowed, took a deep breath, and said what she had to.
"Bauji, Bhui sach keh rahi hain. Kal raat main Samrat se milne uske kamre mein gayi thi, aur aaj raat hum dono chat pe ek saath the." said Gunjan quietly.
There was an eerie silence that filled the room after Gunjan's statement. Bauji went up to Gunjan, and they two looked into each other's eyes for around a minute or so. Then, without any warning whatsoever.
*SLAP*
Gunjan fell down onto the floor due to the intensity of the slap, as she burst into fresh sobs, while Nupur, Mayank and Samrat looked on, scandalized.
Gunjan turned towards her father, to find him staring at her, eyes blazing with fury.
"Tumhe andaaza bhi hai, ki tumne kya kiya hai? Kuch hi dino mein poore Morena ko iske baare mein pata chal jaayega! Meri izzat mitti mein mila di!" seethed Bauji.
"Arre bhaisaahab, ise kyun parvah hogi?" spat Bhui vindictively.
"Gunjan, yeh sab karne se pehle tune ek baar bhi meri izzat ke baare mein nahi socha? Tumne apne hi haatho se, apne aur apni behen ka bhavishya khatam kar diya!" hissed Bauji in a strangled voice.
Nupur just watched the scene unfold in front of her with a heavy heart and moist eyes. Every time she tried to say something, Gunjan would hold her hand tightly, signaling her to keep quiet.
Mayank stared helplessly at Gunjan. He desperately wanted to do something and save her from this torment and humiliation, but he was afraid of the adverse consequences. He thanked his lucky stars to have found friends like Samrat and Gunjan, who had put every thing on stake just to save his relationship.
Samrat, on the other hand, was in awe of of Gunjan. For the life of him, he couldn't comprehend what was going on in Gunjan's mind. He couldn't fathom how could she be so selfless and take the entire blame of her sister's wrongdoings and listen to all the taunts and bear the humiliation. She vaguely reminded him of his mother, who was equally selfless, and would rarely bother about herself; rather, she'd do whatever she could to keep her family happy. By this point, all he could think of was how could he alleviate Gunjan's pain, as he couldn't bear to see her in such anguish.
"Tujhe pata bhi hai, ki jab sab ko tere in kaale kartooton ke baare mein pata chalega, toh kya hoga? Teri chod, Nupur ki bhi shaadi hone se rahi!" screeched Bhui, as Gunjan just continued to sob in her sister's arms.
At this point, the noise and movement near the mandir had woken up most of the household, and some of them had come down to inspect the source of the noise.
"Bhui? Tayaajee? Yeh sab kya ho raha hai?" asked a sleepy Dia, as she and Benji towards the group.
"Bhui, sab theek hai naa jee?" asked Champa, as she walked in along with her sister Roopa, who was staring at the scene in front of her with her mouth open wide.
"Tum sab is sab ke beech naa hi pado toh accha hai." replied Bauji quietly, as stared unflinchingly into space.
Benji noticed that Gunjan was sobbing in Nupur's arms, and Nupur herself was crying silently. Mayank and Samrat had identical expressions of pain and anguish as they stared at the two girls. Benji nudged Dia, and her eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene in front of her.
"Gunjan? Oh dear, kya hua? Nupur, Mayank, Sammy, Gunjan ro kyun rahi hai?" asked a worried Dia, as she ran to the two girls and stroked Gunjan's hair in an attempt to calm her down.
"Kyunki Gunjan aur uske aashiq ki chori pakdi gayi hai Dia!" sneered Bhui.
All the newcomers in the mandir (which included Dia, Benji, Roopa, Champa, Chinky, and a few other random people who are of no importance to this fic) stared at Bhui in shock, as they all turned to look at Gunjan simultaneously.
"Bhui, I think you're mistaken. Jahaan tak main Gunjan ko jaanti hoon, voh toh-"
"Jahaan tak hum sab Gunjan ko jaante the, voh aisi nahi thi. Mumbai jaane ke baad hi yeh sab hua. Mumbai jaane ke baad hi yeh itni badal gayi, ki poore khandaan ka naam mitti mein milaane par tuli hui hai!" replied Bauji bitterly, as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
Samrat couldn't bear to listen to all the taunts directed at Gunjan, as he'd just seen how emotionally fragile she actually was. She never showed her true side to anyone, but Samrat had come to realise that her family was the most important to her, and if she fell in their eyes, the thought itself would suffocate and kill her. He decided that he had to do something to save his special friend from all the anguish and the pain.
"Bhui, unclejee, I'm extremely sorry. Yeh sab meri vajah se hua hai. Main abhi ke abhi Mumbai waapas chala jaata hoon. Phir toh koi problem nahi hogi naa?" said Samrat.
"Tu toh chala jaayega, lekinn badnaami toh humari hui hai naa? Tu toh Mumbai mein jaake kisi aur ladki ke saath gulchadde udaayega, lekin humari Gunjan ki toh kismat ki phoot gayi! Ab voh yahaan pe kunwari baithegi, aur saath mein apni behen ko bhi kunwari bithaayegi!" shrieked Bhui, as she pulled Gunjan and shook her shoulders violently, before slapping her another time.
"Bhui please! Bas keejeeye!" cried Nupur, as she pulled a convulsing and weeping Gunjan away from her aunt, and tried unsuccessfully to comfort her along with Dia.
"Lekin agar main yahaan se gaya, toh problem kya hogi?" asked a baffled Samrat, as he averted his eyes from Gunjan, cause he couldn't bear to see her in such a pathetic state.
"Samasya toh yeh hai Samrat, ki yahaan ke kaafi logon ne tumhe aur Gunjan ko ek saath dekh liya hai! Morena ek chota sheher hai, aur is chote sheher mein badi badi baaton ko phailne mein samay nahi lagta! Tum toh chale jaaoge, lekin humari izzat ki dhajiya toh ko chuki hai!" snapped Bauji.
"Bhaisahaab yeh kyun kuch samjehgi? Ise toh sab kuch toh jaise bina maange hi mila hai! Arre Gunjan, teri zindagi bhi toh teri maa ki den hai! Agar teri maa ne us din zid nahi ki hoti, toh aaj tu zinda bhi nahi hoti! Agar kisi aur ka khyaal nahi tha tujhe, toh kam se kam apni us mari hui maa ke baare mein sochna chahiye tha tujhe! Besharam!" cried Bhui, as she fell down on the floor and burst into tears.
Samrat couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't bear to listen to the insults that Gunjan had to endure, and the part about her mother had just struck a raw nerve in Samrat. He'd heard her cry her heart out about her mother barely an hour ago, and her family just brought out her past and kept it in front of her. He knew exactly how she'd be feeling at this point, and he had had enough of it. He wouldn't let ANYONE say anything to his Chashmish, regardless of who the person was.
"Aap sab ko bas is baat ki chinta hai ki Gunjan aur Nupur ki shaadi nahi hogi kyunki Gunjan ke charitra par kalank lag gaya hai?" spat Samrat, as he walked over to where the pooja ki thaal was kept. He bent down and dipped his thumb and index finger into the vermillion, and walked up to Gunjan, who was still sobbing hysterically.
Samrat pulled Gunjan out of Nupur's tight embrace, and stared at her with a blazing look on her face. After a short while, Gunjan too looked up at Samrat, her brown eyes wide and questioning, as tears streamed out from them. The sight of the tears tore Samrat's heart into a million pieces, and dropped some of the vermillion into the partition in her hair.
Gunjan just gaped at him in shock, as she touched her head with her fingers. When she brought her fingers in front of her eyes, she was shocked to see that her fingers were tinged with the red color of vermillion. Her eyes widened in shock, as she fell down on the floor due to shock and exhaustion, and fainted.
"Lee jeeye. Ab toh maine Gunjan se shaadi kar li. Ab aap sab ko koi chinta toh nahi hogi naa? Nupur ki shaadi bhi ab aaram se ho jaayegi! Ab aap mein se koi bhi meri Gunjan ko KUCH nahi keh sakta!" spat Samrat, as he looked straight into Bauji's eyes, which had widened in horror on witnessing the scene in front of him.
Samrat then lifted an unconscious Gunjan in his arms and walked off from there, while all the occupants of the room stared at Samrat's retreating figure in shock.
Spoilers for Chapter 5: The Aftermath..
A/N: LOL, at this point when Sam says "meri Gunjan", he says it protectively and as a good friend. He doesn't exactly love her as of yet, but yes, there IS a small soft corner. This soft corner will mature into love as the story progresses, and there's still a long way to go for that!
Edited by -ritchelle- - 13 years ago
CID
29