The world swam around Naina….her mind and senses numb….her body paralysed….her heart was beating….and that made her feel that she was alive….was she feeling his touch….or trying to believe that it was him standing there….or she was looking into…and at the same time making a failing effort of not looking into those eyes…..
Aalekh stood rooted….thoughtless….unable to move and speak….it was the last thing he wanted to happen….especially now, when Naina was trying to smile…..he didn't know the feeling….
But before anyone could speak or move, Pooja's talkative cousin came in and switched on the light…..
"Main kahoo kithe gayee kudi!!(looking at naina's dry hands and water running from the tap) Mine ek baat kahee thi, mahendi te paani nahin lagana! Saadi Poojji di mahendi kaisi khil rahi hai…..dekhya tusi?"
Naina's hands hadn't touched a grop of water….she attempted to hide her hands, but….
"Dekhuun to,(grabbing naina's hands) tere haath pe rang kaisa chada hai! Hai rabba inna sona! Inna sona rang to Pooji de haathon par bhi nahi laga kudi! Bilkul dulhan ke haath…. Aur tu Sharma ke ithe andhere vich kyun chali aayi, tere pati da pyaar is rang sa gehra hai tere vaste…"
Naina stood there, expression less…..numb….
Pooja and the others came running, as they heard the commotion!
"Oye Pammi, ki hoya?", Pooja, Huda, Ali and Yudi came running out…..and they too stopped dead, as they saw the goings on……whatever Pammi was saying wasn't completely false….but still how weird things were…..there stood naina, somehow looking extremely beautiful, with a face full of pain and torture, her hands with red-dark mahendi…..her hair falling on her face….her eyes with an unreadable expression….fear, anger, sorrow, pain, ridicule, hatered, disgust and at the same time, shyness, longing, questions, trust and love…..Naina did look like a bride! And there he stood in front of her…….the man who changed their fiery little Naina forever…..who broke her trust, who killed her faith, who murdered her love in the bitterest possible way!
Pammi turned to Raj, and said in a very obvious way, "Yeh dekh Poojji, ki kar rahi hai yeh teri sahelli! Ek to mandap chood k ithe ekele chali aaye…..(pointing at Raj)….aur tu, Khotya, inni soni chand si janani nu chad ke, kithe tha tu? Aur dekh, tune zarasa haath hi lagaya….aur kudi da chehra gulabbi ho gaya…."
Naina lost control….but she had long back stopped crying….she couldn't bolt her emotions anymore…..she let go….couldn't hold the ground….she fell on her knees…..her expression unchanged……
"….ab theek hai…jo hua", ignorant of the situation, Pammi continued, "chal oye, ab iski baaki ki mahendi nikalva de….."
A lot of things happened as she said this, within an interwal of 2-3 seconds. Huda, his teeth crenched, tried to step ahead….but Ali held him back, and gave him a 'don't-make-a-scene-it-will-b-worse-for-naina' look. Aalekh tried to say something, but rather took a step towards Naina. Worse happened when,
"No!", said Naina, finally, slowly, in a low voice…..and her eyes red, and blazing, ran towards the house….all but Aalekh ran after her, one after another.
Aalekh and Rajveer stood there…..both quiet…..Aalekh's eyes had an army Major's interrogative look, undecieded whether the subject was innocent or guilty.
With a minute….Raj, feeling that he couldn't conceal his emotions and outburst anymore…..walked away……but…..Aalekh still stood there……wondering…..
……if it was a tear that he saw was shining on Raj's face!
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