dadi removed the kangan from khushis wrist...
"tumne soch bhi kaise liya ki arnav sach janne k baad tumse shadi karega..aj se tumhara aur arnav ka koi rishta nahi"
garima "aisa mat kahiye..humari baat ka yakeen kijie"
payal "amma bas..rona band karo"
anjali "dadi chaliye yaha se"
everybody turns to leave ..akash goes to payal
payal "akash hum nahi chalenge..jis ghar me hamari amma ke bare me ye sab kaah jaye..waha nahi reh sakte hum"
mami "chalo akash bitwa"
akash "nahi maa..payal ko meri zarurat hai..mai uske sath rukunga"
mami left the place angrily..
NK ,akash and payal stayed back..
khushi sat down..not saying a word..looking shocked..
NK "khushiji...?khushiji?ap thik toh hain?mai nannav se bat karta hoon"
khushi "nanheji..ap yaha amma ka khyal rakhenge..?hum kuch der me ate hain"
NK "nahi khushiji..mai apko akele kahi nahi jane doonga"
khushi "hamari bat samajhne ki koshish kijie..."
NK "akash yahi hai..mai apke sath chalunga"
khushi refused but NK was determined not to let her go alone..
khushi "chaliye"
they sat in the car..
NK "kahan?"
khushi "shantivan"
NK "what?"
khushi "shantivan k paas ek jagah hai..hume waha jana hai..ap chaliye hum batate hain"
she took him to he same garden where arnav had got her a few days back...
NK "ye kaunsi jagah hai?"
khushi "nanheji ap gaadi me hi rukiega..hum thodi der me aate hain"
NK "magar khushiji..aap.."
khushi "hum thik hain nanheji"
she went upto that tree which was planted by arnavs mom..
she stood there staring at it..
"mamma...hamara rishta kuch din pehle hi juda hai..humne apke bare me kuch samay pehle hi jana hai..jis din arnavji hume yaha laye the us din se apko apni mamma maana hai..isiliye arnavji se milne se pehle apse milna chahte the..apko batana chahte the ki isme hamari amma ki koi galti nahi hai..woh sach me nahi janti hongi ki apke pati shaadishuda hain..
hum ye kehke apko wapas nahi la sakte..kash ap kabhi arnavji ko chodke gayi hi nahi hoti...kaash ap zinda hoti taki hum apse mil sakte..apko sachai bata sakte..aj shayad arnavji shaadi k mandap me nahi aye..par ap toh janti hain na..hum apki bahu hain...ap toh hume sweekar chuki hain na..hum samajh sakte hain arnavji ko sach pata chalne ke baad unpe kya beet rahi hogi..par hume apni amma pe poora bharosa hai..unhone kuch galat nahi kiya hoga mamma...humpe vishwas hai na apko.."
"amma pe poora bharosa hai??mujhpe nahi??" arnav said...
she turned and saw arnav there coming towards her...
"khushi tumhe sach me laga mai tumse shadi nahi karunga?"
khushi "woh dadiji..amma"
arnav "un sabko chodo..mai tumhari bat kar raha hoon.tumhe laga mai tumhare sath aisa karunga?"
khushi "apne kaha tha ki ap woh aurat se nafrat karte hain..hum dar gaye the"
arnav "khushi meri koi bhi nafrat se bada mera pyar hai...jo mai tumse karta hoon"
khushi gave a lil nod..
arnav "sach janke gussa boht aaya tha mujhe...samajh hi nahi aa raha tha kya karun?par fir mai bhi yahi aya...apni maa k paas..kuch samay chahta tha.."
khushi "hum samajhte hain..arnavji hamari amma ki koi galti nahi.."
he moved forward..and said keeping his finger on her lips..
"sshhh...kuch kehne ki zarurat nahi hai...mai nahi janta tab kya hua tha..mai nahi janta kiski galti thi..kiski nahi..bas ye jaanta hoon..nahi reh sakta tumhare bina.."
he repeated "nahi reh sakta tumhare bina khushi"
khushi "par sach janna apke liye zaruri hai"
arnav "suna maine..tumne kya baaten ki maa se"
khushi "hume toh laga apke gusse ki wajah se hum fir apko kho denge"
arnav "pehle hi apne gusse ki wajah se mai tumhari life ke 6 mahine barbaad kar chuka hoon..pehle hi aada sach janke tumhe boht dard de chuka hoon..fir se nahi khushi..arnav singh raizada koi bhi galti do baar nahi karta"
she moved towards him...and hugged him tightly like shed never let go..
"hum apko hume chodke jane dete hi nahi...samjhe aap?itne asaani se peecha nahi chodenge apka..fir chahe ap humse pyar karne ko ek galti hi samajh le"
arnav "acha..aisa hai toh fir ye galti toh zindagi bhar sahi.."
he hugged her looking at the tree...and then at d sky "thanks maa"
khushi still hugging him with tears in her eyes "humne kaha tha na ye sacchaa pyaar hai?"
arnav "toh ye baat manwane k liye aisa zaruri nahi ki tum hamesha roti raho"
khushi punched his chest lightly..
khushi "apse kuch samay bhi door nahi reh sakte hum...apke bina pata nahi kya karte hum?"
arnav "woh sochne ki zarurat hi nahi hai.."
he picked up a stone with a pointed end..and moved towards the tree..
he wrote khushis name next to his..
and wrote FOREVER below that...
she smiled..and took the stone from him and scratched forever and wrote hamesha..
she turned towards him and asked him "hamesha na?"
arnav reassuringly "hamesha khushi...hamesha"
Book Talk
Aami Daakini
10