Please read the note in the above post.. (Do not skip!)
Chapter 23
'Ya Phir mere Dad ki beti?'
She stood still as the words continued to ring in her ears.. Her thick eyelashes fluttered and she shut her eyes at the words hit home! He knew..
A surge of rage shot through him when she didn't retaliate to it reaffirming his suspicions..
He balled his fists and spun around, with his back facing her..
Heer had been through a lot all her life.. First her father had left her when she was only two, followed by her mother who had breathed her last in front of her eyes.. She barely even remembered them both..
She'd been taken away by Vanshika and raised by Virat's maternal uncle and his wife, two complete strangers who had tried their best to make her feel at home..
She was truly grateful to them for having supported her when she had no one to call her own..
She had often cried herself to sleep on many lonely nights, wishing for a family, to call her own..
However, six months back, her life had taken a turn, for the better..
Vanshika, her father's first wife and supposedly, her step-mother had offered to reunite her with her father's family.. Though, she hadn't spent too much time with the lady, Heer was mature enough to realise that Vanshika was trying her best to overlook and forgive her father's mistakes..
And try as much as she could, Heer couldn't change the fact that her father had left Vanshika and gotten married to her mother, Priya.
Unable to contain her curiosity and distaste for her own father, Heer had once questioned Vanshika about what it had been that had led Vikram away from her and her sons..
And the truth had been even more tragic; more painful to bear.. She couldn't help but feel sorry for both her mothers and her father.. They had been caught in the storm, when fate had struck and snatched away their happiness..
And that was the day, Heer and Vanshika had both truly appreciated each other's presence and worth in their lives.. To Heer, Vanshika was no less than a fairy Godmother, who had granted her, her most beloved wish..
While, Heer, was her salvation.. She hoped, her late husband, would be at peace somewhere in a far away world, knowing that Vanshika had kept both his families closely knitted together..
And, then, when the ice between her and Virat was broken, Heer couldn't have asked for anything more.. She'd been on cloud nine, the day Virat had called her, his 'Heeriye.." She felt belonged.. She had yearned for a sibling, a friends' love all her life..
And when destiny had offered it whole-heartedly, Heer had grabbed at it with both hands..
Today, 6 months later, as she stood in front of her half-brother shooting her accusing glares, she realised that fate had struck yet again and was threatening to snatch away her family, yet again..
She fought back her tears and took a step towards him extending her arm, when he spun around abruptly and jerked it away, "Don't.. Koshish bhi mat karna.."
He advanced towards her and held her shoulder, "Dr. Heer Vikram Vadhera, right?"
Heer gasped and shook her head, begging him for a chance to speak.. Virat, however had been hurt beyond repair today,
" Teen.. sirf teen saal ka tha main, jab Dad humein chodkar gaye the.. Aree, mujhe to unka chehra bhi yaad nahi hai.. Maine Mom se, Bhai se sawaal kiye, lekin kissine mere sawaalon ke jawab nahi diye.. Lekin aaj, achanak mujhe pata chalta hai, ki mere Dad ne MERI MOM ko tumhari Mom ki wajah se choda tha.."
Heer's head shot up at that, every cell in her throat wanted to scream, That's not true!
Virat let go of her shoulder abruptly and looked her in the eye,
"Lekin ab tum wapas kyun aayi ho? Kya tumhe laga ki mujhe apna Bhai banakar, jhoothi humdardi jatakar, meri help karke, tum hum sab ke dil mein apne liye jagah bana logi?"
She couldn't take his accuses anymore; his words sliced through her like a steel knife.. She stepped forward and held his palm, "Bhaiya.. Please.."
Virat knew he was hurting her; he realised that they were bound to each other by a strange bond. They had been happy together; Virat had found a confidante in her, when he'd needed someone.. She had been 'His person' and now that the truth had come crashing down on him, he felt let down.
He spun around and waved his palm in front of her,
"Leave me alone, Heer.. Please mujhe akela chod do.."
She fumbled for words daring to step forward each time, he stepped back.. Hot tears rolled down her eyes, pleading with him to hear her out once,
"Virat Bhaiya, please ek baar meri baat to suniye.. Aap.."
He snapped at her, "Heer.. Just go.. Go!!"
She jerked back as he spun around and walked to the swing, punching the iron chains, which held it in place. She gasped at the sight of blood streaming down his fist; yet couldn't gather herself to approach him..
She turned around and had taken a few steps, when she froze in her tracks!
Manvi stood in front of her, with misty eyes, oscillating her gaze between the brother-sister duo.
Heer gulped and walked past her, only to have been held back by her.
Manvi had walked out with dinner for both of them, having convinced Jeevika that they probably had some important matters to discuss. She had been nervous about Virat finding out about the cancer; but what she had just witnessed left her stunned..
Manvi realised that she couldn't side with one of them, at the moment.. She glanced at Virat and it pained her to see him hurt.
All these months, that she had known him, she had always seen him, hide his true feelings behind a faade and spread smiles around. However, tonight, was the first time she had had a glimpse of the real Virat, who wasn't immune to hurt and pain..
Something sharp pricked at a far corner of her heart, when he had slumped on the swing behind Heer. He had always been there for her, whenever she had needed him.. He had always understood her unspoken words and truly been her Partner, through thick n thin.. Tonight, it had to be done by her..
She glanced at Heer and gently squeezed her fingers, reassuring her that things would get better.. She had an inkling that there was definitely more to all of it, than what met the eye..
Heer acknowledged her unsaid words and walked out of the gates, glancing at Virat one more time.
Virat felt a weight shift next to him and slowly lifted his chin to find Manvi staring at him, with teary eyes. He looked away, not being able to withstand her piercing gaze. She held his arm, determined to make him talk, "Partner?"
He swallowed his words, upon hearing the soothing tone in her voice and shifted his head to look at her..
She sighed and placed a palm on his knee, "Baat karna chahte ho?"
Virat wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to her at the moment; but then again, who was he kidding.. He knew, she would definitely understand him; he just felt it..
He rested his head against the swing,
"Ussne mujhe, hum sab ko itna bada dhoka diya, Manvi.. Main usse apni behen, apni acchi dost maan ne laga tha, lekin ussne, itna bada raaz chupaya.."
A part of her wanted to reply back, but she withheld herself for the time being. She simply looked at him, waiting for him to continue. And he did;
"Maine Mom ko itne saalon mein kabhi khush nahi dekha hai.. I know, ki woh sirf dikhava karti hain, mere aur Bhai ke saamne.. Bua aur Dadaji ke taane, daant aur kadve bol sunkar bhi ansune kar deti hain..
Kyun? Kiski wajah se? Sirf iss liye, ki unke pati unhe chodkar chale gaye the..
Mujhe aur Bhai ko bataya gaya tha, ki Dad border par shaheed hue the; lekin sach toh kuch aur hi hai.. Dad, Mom ko chodkar gaye the; innke liye.."
Manvi picked up the photoframe placed beside him and couldn't help but compare Heer to her mother. They both had the same pair of honey-brown eyes..
Virat stood up and ran his fingers through his hair,
"Itna hi nahi, unhone Heer ki Mom se doosri shaadi bhi ki.. Aur unki ek beti bhi hai.. Aur hum teeno, itne saalon tak ek badi family ka hissa rehkar bhi incomplete hain.. Sirf aur sirf, unki doosri family ki wajah se.."
Manvi shook her head and walked towards him; she stood in front of him, with her arms firmly crossed over her chest,
"Viraat.. Tum poori baat jaane bina, nateeje par pohonch rahe ho.."
He shot her a confused look while she nodded her head,
"Hmm.. Aur kya? Maana ki Heer ko aap sab se yeh baat chupkar nahi rakhni chahiye thi.. Lekin kya tumne iss baat pe gaur kiya, ki Vanshika Aunty khud Heer ko ghar lekar aayi thi.."
Virat's head shot up at that and it dawned upon him that his mother knew.. And the realization brought along pain with it,
"Mom.. Mom ko sab pata tha.. Phir bhi woh Heer ko ghar lekar aayi.. Usse humari family ka hissa banaya.. But why?!"
Manvi raised her eyebrow,
"Exactly.. Ab jaao, aur Aunty se baat karo.. Yahan aise baithkar apne dimaag ke ghode mat daudaao.."
He rolled his eyes at her choice of words; he trusted Manvi to come up with such light-hearted one-liners..
She walked behind him as he settled on the grass, dialing his Mom's phone number.
Heer had been walking on the deserted roads, with tears streaming down her face.. Every moment spent with the family flashed in front of her eyes.. Dadaji, Swamini Bua, Inder Chachu-Chachi, Viren, Jeevika, Manvi and Virat's faces kept flashing in her mind.. She wondered if everything was going to be snatched away from her, one more time.. Was she going to be orphaned, again?
Would they hate her, once they found out about her true identity?
She looked around and realised that she had reached the Ganga Ghats.. She slowly made her way to the very steps, she had occupied earlier in the day and rested her back against the stone wall..
Her eyes fell on glowing earthen lamps in the water ahead of her and she recollected incident from the evening.. She wondered if this was all destined to happen..
Destiny had always been cruel to her.. Just when she had extended her arm to grab her share of happiness, it had snatched it away from her..
Another lone tear rolled out of her eye as Virat's last words echoed in her ears.. She drew her knees closer and buried her head, sobbing to her heart's content, unaware of the phone buzzing next to her for quite a while now..
He looked at the screen and sighed aloud, Heer.. Pick up the damn phone!
It had been nearly 4 hours since he had dropped her home.. A hot shower, a video-conference with foreign delegates, delicious food, a chat with his parents; nothing seemed to be relieving him of his anxiety..
Her distraught face and hollow eyes, continued to haunt Prem..
Finally, having made up his mind, he had decided to call her up and enquire if she was better.. But to his annoyance, she hadn't answered a single call nor had she replied to his texts.. He glanced at his wrist and realised that maybe it was too late.. She would have slept off..
He shifted on the bed, drawing the comforter, when he reconsidered it yet again.. Maybe he could call Virat and check if everything was fine back home.. He had almost dialed his best buddy's number, when he realised that it would definitely sound weird, Tum usse kahoge kya? Ki itni raat ko, tumhe uski chinta ho rahi hai? Crap! Virat jhat se tumhara jhooth pakad lega..
He switched on the bed-side lamp and decided to try her cell phone, one more time..
Manvi sat opposite him, cross-legged as Virat waited for Vanshika to answer his call.. He glanced at her and saw her acknowledge him with a gentle shake of her head.
He nodded in positive and just then, he heard his mother's soft voice..
Vanshika had been upset about Heer's call, but then she had brushed aside the thought thinking that such situations were a part and parcel of any doctor's life.. She knew Heer was strong enough to handle it..
But one look at the caller-id, and her forehead creased once again.. Yeh Virat mujhe raat ke bara baje kyun call kar raha hai?
She answered it with her voice laced with concern, "Viraat?"
Virat fought back his emotions and managed to speak, "Mom?"
Vanshika: "Beta.. Sab theek hai na? Itni der raat?"
Virat : "Haan Mom.. Woh aapse kuch baat karni thi.. Toh socha.."
He couldn't get himself to bring up the topic with her; he knew he would end up hurting her unintentionally, "Mom.. Heer.."
Vanshika's sleepy eyes flew open upon hearing her younger one's cracked voice,
"Viraat.. Heer.. Kya? Baat kya hai?"
Virat gulped and felt Manvi's soft fingers on his shoulder, egging him on,
"Mom.. Mujhe Heer.. Aur Dad ke baare mein.."
Vanshika sighed and pressed her lips together, So he knew!
She pressed her temples, "Viraat.. Meri baat suno.."
Virat threw his head back, when Vanshika attempted to offer him an explanation,
"Kya sunoo main Mom? Ussne itni badi baat hum sab se chupakar rakhi.. Aur aap? Aap toh sab kuch pehle se jaanti thi na, phir?"
Vanshika: "Ussne itni badi baat isliye chupayi kyunki woh nahi chahti thi ki, sab usse nafrat karein.. Aur beta, aksar jaisa dikhta hai waisa hota nahi hai.. Sachhai humesha parde ke peeche chupi hoti hai.. Aur yeh parda uthne par sirf takleef hi milti hai, beta.."
Her words had left him even more confused,
"Mom.. aap kiss sach ki baat kar rahi hain? Aur kya parda? Sach saaf saaf nazar aa raha hai mujhe.. Dad aapko, mujhe aur Bhai ko, Heer aur uski Mom ke liye chodkar gaye the.. Aapne itni badi baat humse chupakar rakhi? Why, Mom?"
Vanshika sighed in defeat; she had guarded Vikram's truth from her sons all these years, just so they wouldn't misunderstand their father.. Her fears had indeed come true, today.. She glanced at her husband's portrait on the wall opposite her,
"Tumhare Dad humein Priya ke liye chodkar nahi gaye the, Virat.."
Virat clutched the phone and listened attentively as Vanshika narrated the truth behind Vikram Vadhera leaving his father's house.. His eyes welled up with tears when he heard his mother stifled sobs..
Manvi loosened her grip on his shoulder, even as she offered him support by faking a smile.
Vanshika sniffed, "Unhone mujhe apne saath chalne ko kaha tha, beta, magar main hi unka saath nahi de paayi.. Nahi thi mujhme itni himmat.."
Virat gulped his tears, "Mom.. Please.. Apne aap ko blame mat kijiye.. Aap job hi kahe, Dad ki galti thi.. Unhone aapke hotey hue, ek doosri aurat se shaadi ki.. Aap yeh sab itni aasani se kaise maaf kar sakti hain?"
Vanshika: "Nahi kar sakti thi, Virat.. Itne saalon tak, nahi kar saki thi.. Phir jab meri kuch mahinon pehle Heer se mulakaat hui, tab maine jaana ki main uss bacchi ko sazaa de rahi thi.. Usse uske apne gharwalon se door rakhkar.. Jo bhi hua, woh hum badon ke beech mein hua.. Issmein, tum bachhon ka kya kasoor tha?"
Virat couldn't help but admire his mother's pure heart, "Mom.. lekin Heer.."
Vanshika understood her son's dilemma,
"Beta, ab tak toh tum usse behen maante the na; ab jab tumhe pata chala hai, ki woh tumhari apni choti behen hai; khoon ka rishta hai tum teeno mein, toh kya tumhari feelings uske liye badal jayengi?
Ek baar Heer ke baare mein socho beta.. Tumhare paas main thi, Viren tha, poora parivaar tha..
Lekin Heer, woh sirf paanch saal kit hi, jab ussne apni Maa ko khoya tha.. Family, rishte..inn sabse woh ab tak anjaan thi..
Toh kya hua, agar main usse uske apne ghar le aayi.. Usse apne bhaiyon se milvaya.. Maine, usse apni beti samajhkar apnaya.. Kya maine kuch galat kiya, Virat?"
A part of him, was still unconvinced, yet he realized that his mother and Heer, hadn't been wrong entirely.. They had both suffered a lot; his hurt was nothing compared to what the two women had been through.. And if they had accepted each other with open arms; he wasn't the right person to judge them..
Vanshika smiled when Virat fell silent; she knew he had understood her.. And now that it was over, she was worried for Heer,
"Virat.. Heer kahan hai? Tumne kahi usse.."
Virat's ears shot up at her trailing words and his eyes darted off to the open gate.. Manvi saw a flash of guilt on his face and offered to take the phone call.. He complied and stood up, running his fingers through his hair, cursing himself mentally..
Manvi cleared her throat and spoke up, "Namaste Aunty.."
A genuine smile instantly lit up Vanshika's face, "Maanvi??"
Manvi glanced at Virat's back, "Haan Aunty.. Woh main yahi thi jab Virat aur Heer.."
Vanshika sighed, "Manvi, Heer theek toh hai na? Kahin Virat ne usse kuch?"
Manvi pressed her lips together and clenched her eyes shut,
"Errm.. Aunty actually, aapke bete ne gusse mein aakar Heer ko kuch zyada hi suna diya.."
Vanshika was getting exasperated now,
"Manvi, meri usse baat karvao.. Mujhe Heer se abhi baat karni hogi.. Maine usse janam nahi diya, lekin usski rag rag se wakif hoon.. Woh, is waqt apne aap ko bohot akela mehsoos kar rahi hogi.."
Manvi saw Virat pacing in the garden,
"Aunty, actually, Heer udaas hokar kahin chali gayi hai.." She heard Vanshika gasp and interrupted,
"Lekin aap chinta mat kijiye, main aur Virat usse abhi dhoondhkar laate hain.. Aur aapki baat karvaate hain.. Aap please tension mat lijiye.."
Vanshika was worried about Heer being out alone at the late hour, yet a strange sense of relief washed over her upon hearing Manvi's concern for her and her family.. She realized her son had indeed made the right choice..
Manvi hung up and turned to a guilt-stricken Virat.. He lifted his head and bit his lips, "Manvi.. woh.."
She blinked her eyes and gently shook her head,
"Chalein, Partner? Tumhari hazaaron mein ek behna ko wapas laane?"
Virat chuckled and followed her towards the gate.. He then happened to recollect something and blocked her path when she was about to step out,
"Manvi, tumhari tabiyat theek nahi hai aur itni thand mein?"
She rolled her eyes, attempting to hide her inner turmoil,
"Oye.. Chep ho kya? Main bilkul theek hoon.. Ab chalo.."
They glanced at the house and walked through the winding roads, both calling Heer's cell phone taking turns..
Virat felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off him.. He thanked his stars for blessing him with wonderful women in his life..
He looked at her through the corner of his right eye, as she wrapped the shawl closer to herself.. She looked innocently beautiful and cute with her doe-shaped eyes fixed on the road ahead, her senses on high-alert.. He heard her mutter to herself a couple of times and looked on clearly amused at the girl walking beside him..
Had he not witnessed it himself, he would've never believed that she was the same girl, who could annoy the hell out of him, at times, drive him up the wall with her silly one-liners and antics..
Yet, she had stood by him,when he had needed someone to knock sense into him.. She had made him deal with the matter as maturely as possible..
He saw her scrunch her nose and smiled to himself; She was the one, who made his heart skip a beat with each smile..She was the one for him!
Heer raised her head and wiped her face with the back of her palm.. She shivered slightly with a rise in chill in the air.. She rubbed her arms gently and was suddenly reminded of how she had left the house.. She looked around and realized that she had been sitting at the Ghats for over an hour.. Ghar par toh sabko ab tak pata chal gaya hoga..
She frantically searched for her phone and to her surprise, she felt it vibrate next to her.. She answered it without caring to look at the caller's id..
Cricket
Anupamaa
