Knots came loose and Arjun lunged towards pranav, and managed to move him away from Payal when he was about to inject her.
Losing support, unable to stand on her own feet, payal slumped on the ground.
"GUDIYA...!!!!" Arjun screamed.
He saw from corner of his eyes Aisha and sameer entering. Aisha moved towards payal and with help of sameer pulled her at a side.
"meri behan ko takleef dega tu..."
Arjun started beating plump out of Pranav. he did not see right or left, just went on banging him.
"meri aankhon ka taara hai wo. Usse takleef doge aur mein chup rahunga??"
Arjun banged his head to the piller.
pranav shoved him towards glass tpoi and Arjun fell on it breaking it into pieces. Few pieces fell near payal, who was in her conscious now.
Arjun got hold of pranav and banged him to wall repeatedly.
"jitna...(bang) maarna hai (bang) maarlo..."pranav said to him.
Somehow, pranav managed to free himself from arjun's hold. Arjun's eyes were red with fury, pain. Before he could fathom, he was pushed to wall and strangled by pranav.
"don't you dare beat crap outta me brother in law"
"brother in law my foot pranav. Had I knew you were sikander I would have..."
"killed me?? Sad... you did not for your sister did not tell you..."
"I wont spare you sik... I ll expose you in front of the world""do it if you go out, alive!!!!"
Pranav pulled a glass piece and raised it to jab it to Arjun suddenly he stopped. His gaze went down and saw a piece of glass sticking in his stomach. He felt sharp pain shooting up from his base of spinal cord and travel upward. He saw payal holing another piece of glass in her hand, breathing heavily.
Arjun stabbed pranav again and saw him falling down. Payal swayed at her place but Arjun caught her. he knelt on floor and held her head on his lap.
"gudiya... utho beta... please..."
"bha..iyaa..."
Sameer and Aisha made their way towards them and saw pranav dead. They knelt next to payal and Arjun, tears streaming down their eyes.
"payal... sam... ambulance ko bulao...jaldi... payal please aankhein band matt karo...mere liye payal..."
"sorry...bhai. I... laptop mein...(she sucked breath in) recording hai. Aur... i...bhabhi...ko...na...nahin...bacha paayi... so...rry..."
"nahin payal... aisa matt kaho.. it was not your fault... you risked your life... I am sorry I did not believe you.. said those words..."
"mu..mujhe jaa...na hai..."
"NO...YOU WILL NOT LEAVE MEE... I CANT LOSE YOU PAYAL" Arjun cried.
"Arjun... ambulance is here..."
"sam, help me..."
They drove to hospital.
~~~
"sir, hame police ko bulana padega. It's a case of domestic violence" a doctor blabbered in front of Arjun.
Arjun grabbed hold of his color and spoke with gritted teeth.
"I AM ACP ARJUN RAUTE, AND THAT IS MY SISTER. Go, start the treatment. Warna..."
"Arjun, hold your self. Doctor, ACP sameer Rathod, ETF. You can proceed with treatment. I ll take care of all formalities.."
"oki.." doctor spared a nervous glance at Arjun and went in.
Doctors were inside treating her wounds and checking for any kind of fractures.
Arjun anxiously paced the length of corridor.
"Arjun, relax.. she will be fine..."
"relax my foot. She is injured. She fainted there. all thanks to me... I was sitting there helpless" he banged his fist to the wall repeatedly.
When sameer pulled him aside, he saw Arjun's eyes were red, brimming with tears.
"pata hai sameer, she was closest thing I have after mom. She was a fresh breeze in my life, my lifeline when I did mistakes, my lawyer who would defend me against dad, my co-conspirator, my friend, mother, my motivation my everything. Aur maine? Maine ussi pe shak kiya, I said I have no relation with her. How could I?" he sat heavily on the chair and covered his face in his palm.
"arjun... isme tumhari koi galti nahin hai... you never knew that all these would happen. Did you?" sameer kept a hand on his shoulder.
"tum to sab jaante the naa? Phir mujhe kyon nahin bataya?"
"usne mana kiya tha Arjun. We are sorry..." sameer glanced at Aisha who stood silently, nodded at him.
"no... don't be sam... if I was not immersed in my thoughts and had paid a little attention then nothing of these would have had happened."
Before sameer could say a word, he went near the room where payal was surrounded by doctors.
"maine already roshni ko kho diya hai gudiya... I wont be able to live losing you.. I will not be..." he cried silently. He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw his dad.
"payal ko kuch nahin hoga Arjun... kuch bhi nahin... wo tumhe chod ke kaise jayegi huh?! Tumhare aankhon mein aansu acche nahin lagte.."
Arjun immediately hugged his father.
There might have been clashes between them, but at the end of the day they were same blood.
"wo theek to ho jayegi na papa?!"
"ofcourse beta... usse kuch nahin hoga. Agar tum aise himmat haaroge to usse bura lagega naa..."
Sameer and Aisha stood far away and saw the father son duo.
Suddenly the door opened and a lady doctor stepped out. Arjun left his dad's side and went to the doc.
"doctor..."
"she is fine mr. raute. There is no fracture, but her facial muscles are bit damaged. No they can be set right (she added seeing Arjun panic) yah, she needs complete rest. No work and taking stress for next few days..."
"thanks doctor.." he was about to hug her, but at the last split second, held himself back. the doctor who was in her mid fifties, smiled at him and patted his back.
"doctor, can I meet her?"
"yeah... but for now, she is sleeping. She may be up in an hour or two.. you can meet her then"
"thanks doctor.."
As soon as the doctor went Arjun slumped on chair. His father stood at the door and saw his daughter. Sameer and Aisha went near Arjun. Sameer sat next to him.
"she is fine sam,... she did not leave me..." he looked at sameer with a teary smile.
"yeah Arjun...she is your sister... how can she leave you?"
Arjun wiped his tears and asked him
"bdw pranav?!"
"body ko postmortem ke liye issi hospital mein rakha hai. Just a formality. Payal ya tumpe koi charges nahin honge as it was an act of self defense. Aur I have sent a copy of evidences to media which ll be aired shortly. Uske bhole bhale nek businessman ke naqaab ke peeche chipe darinde ko logon ke saamne laana bohut zaroori hai. Aur aaj wo hoga..."
"thanks sameer... thanks a lot..."
"thanks kis baat ka? ab jaa... usse dekh kea a. you are here but tera mind uss ward mein hai... go... I ll handle media outside and give official statement.."
"sameer... ek baat poochni thi.."
"pooch naa..."
"payal, police mein thi right?"
"yeah. But not as an officer. She was sent on only special cases. Otherwise she is just a business official"
"thanks sameer"
"huh??!!!"
"for keeping her safe all the while.."
"chal... jaaa... meet her" sameer pushed him towards the ward.
He then went to arjun's dad.
"sir, aap bhi usse mil lijiye.."
Mr. raute wiped his tears and then said
"nahin beta.. mujhse zyada Arjun ka usse milna zaroori hai... let him. main baad mein mil loonga..."
Sameer just nodded and went towards Aisha.
~~~~~~
Arjun sat next to Payal. He took her hand saw it much paler in front of his hand.
He saw her face, covered with bandages. She looked in peace. He slowly caressed her hair and dropped a light kiss on her forehead.
Tears took no time to make their way out. It hurt him a lot to see her like that.
He did not know how long he sat their caressing her head.
"gudiya, aage se kabhi aisa stunt mat karna. Samjhi? Meri jaan nikal gayi thi... I wont make it if I lose you too..."
"yaad hai wo teddy bear, jo maine diya tha tujhe?! Wo maine sambhal ke rakhi hai... tere jaan eke baad, main usse apne paas rakhta hun.. haan main koi chota baccha nahin hun par... that was very close to you. I stole it and took it to my apartment..."
He wiped his tears, clearing his view, only to make way for fresh batch of tears.
"aur wo anklets?? Payal ke liye payal (he chuckled)...wo maa ke the jo unhone mujhe diye the tujhe tere 16th birthday ko dene... she knew you would miss her... isiliye she wanted me to give it you... tu aaj bhi usse pehni hai naa?!"
Arjun's dad and sameer-aisha stood at door, watching him talk to her limp form.
"aur wo... wo black rose plant jo tu hamesha chahti thi? Tera chehra kitna khil gaya tha jab maine wo tujhe gift kiya... aur..."
He spoke about all the sweet memories they had together continuously.
It was more than an hour and he looked tired. But he refused to move from his place.
He felt slight movement in payal's hands and he called for doctor.
She weakly opened her eyes, blinked to see her surroundings.
"bhaiyya..." her voice was soo weak that Arjun would have missed if he was not paying attention.
"payal... gudiya tu theek to hai naa?!"
He stepped aside to make space for doctor who was checking her vitals.
She nodded at him and closed her eyes.
"she is fine now. koi khatra nahin hai.. all she need is just ample of rest." Payal opened her eyes and smiled at her and beckoned Arjun to come near her with her eyes.
He sat next to her. payal tried to sit and doctor and Arjun helped her.
"you should not miss payal..." Payal looked at her shocked when addressed as 'miss'.
"doctor..." she said.
"shh!!!! She is right. you should sleep now.." she nodded her head in negative.
"what?!!!!"
"aaj kaun sa din hai?"
"kyun?"
"bhaiyya aaj rakshabandhan hai" she could not believe it was her voice, soo weak and different.
Arjun slapped his forehead.
"main to inn sab ke beech bhool hi gaya tha... koi baat nahin jab tu ghar lautegi to baandh dena... theek hai?"
"no." she pouted and felt stinging pain. She hissed.
"sss..."
"theek to hai naa tu... chup chaap so jaa... rakhi wakhi baad mein"
He held her shoulder and she shrugged it off.
"no. I want to tie it. Aaj tak ek bhi aisa saal aaya ki maine aapko rakhi nahin baandhi?"
"nahin par..."
"please..."
He could not refuse her.
"par iss waqt rakhi kahan se milegi?"
Payal's face fell recalling it was pretty late.
Suddenly sameer took out a rakhi from his pocket.
"ye tumne hi banayi hai naa payal?" he held it infront of her.
"haa..." payal jumped on her bed in excitement and yelped in pain.
"payal!!!" Arjun glared at her and she bit her lip.
"sowwy!! Bdw sam bhaiiya... aapko ye kahan se...?!"
"ye mujhe Shree ne diya. He saw it when he was collecting the videos and gave it to me. Ye lo"
He placed it in her hand and her face fell seeing that.
"bhaiyya, ye to kharab hogayi... ye dekho... isme saree ka tukda atka hai aur design bhi baahar nikal aaya... main isse sambhal ke bhi nahin rakh paayi..." tears welled in her eyes.
Arjun gently wiped her tears and cupped her face gently.
"shh... nahin rote gudiya... thoda design nikla to kya hua? Isme tera pyaar bhara hai aur wo mere liye kaafi hai.."
"par..."
"par warr kuch nahin samji... jaldi mere kalai pe baandh..."
She slowly raised her hands and placed rakhi on his wrist.
"bhaiyya, wo waala gana..." she showed her puppy eyes.
Arjun smiled at her innocence and teased her a bit
"kaun sag aana gudiya?"
"wohin... jo aap hamsha gaate ho... gao na... mere liye itna bhi nahin kar sakte?"
"accha baba... tu rakhi baandh.. main gaata hun"
Payal tried to tie knot but was unable to. Seeing that, Aisha came to her help in tying.
"gaaona bhaiyya"
"haan baba... phoolon ka taaron ka... sab ka kehna hai...
Ek hazaaron mein meri behna hai..
Saari umar hume sang rehna hai..."
He saw tears brimming in her eyes.
"kyun ro rahi ho? Dekho... tu ne rakhi bhi baandh di naa..."
"sorry bhaiyya..."
"kyon?"
"I hurt you a lot naa... pranav se shaadi ki... I am sorry... I am sorry for every thing.."
She sobbed.
"shhh!!!!"
"ab to roshni bhabhi ke kaatil ko bhi saza mil gayi... ab to wo khush hogi naa bhaiyya???!!!!
He hugged her gently
"haan... wok hush hogi... tu khid ko kabhi uska doshi nahin maanegi samjhi?? jo hua usse ek bura sapna samajh ke bhul jaa... we cant let our past haunt us.. tu hi kehti thi naa...?"
"hmm..." she nodded.
"ab meri gudiya nahin royegi... mujhe wo pasand nahin hai. Samjhi yaa... samjhau?"
She chuckled.
"ab soja... kal baat karenge thik hai? Good night"
"good night" said she while Arjun laid her on her back.
"good night papa, good night sameer bhai, good night Aisha... (she turned to Arjun) good night bhaiyya..."
"good night gudiya.." he kissed her forehead as sleep consumed her.
zindagi choti h par zindagi ke rishte anmol hai
har rishte ki apni ahmiyat hai zindagi me
Ek aisa hi rishta hai bhai behen ka ladna jagdna ruthna mnana iski pechan hai
Bhai ne kuch kaha behen ka ruthna
behan ne kuch kaha bhai ka ruthna
ek dusre ke kan pakadkar ek dusre ko manana ek pyara ehsas hai
Masti mazak ek dusre ko dant se bachana apni pechan hai
Ek dusre ke liye kuch bi kr guzarne ki chah rakhna is rishte ki shan hai
(poem by payal didu...)
~~~~~~
the end.
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