PART 66
Kripa regained consciousness at the Hospital. She looked around, her head still felt light, she was disoriented for a few moments, mumbling: Angad? Prateek? turning her head around to look for them!
Then she realized she was in a Hospital since a blue-uniformed Nurse was attaching some gadget to her bare stomach. An Arab lady doctor wearing a head-scarf was gently prodding her belly with a stethescope.
The doctor smiled at her: Salaam! I am Dr. Afreen! Apkey liye khushkhabri hai….aap Maa banney wali hain.
Ohhhh! Kripa was quite stunned! Her life had been in such turmoil for the last 2 months that she hadnt even suspected her recent bouts of nausea, dizziness and weakness to be the result of pregnancy.
She touched her bare stomach and smiled slowly……Angad….he would be so happy and excited…and so would Prateek. He would have a sibling and playmate.
Dr. Afreen asked her the date of her last monthly…..she tried to remember….so much had happened in the last few weeks, she had to think really hard. Then she remembered! The last time had been in Delhi, a few days before they left for Hongkong.
She told the doctor….who nodded and said: Hum abhi aapka Sonogram karengey. Phir bachchey ka status aur pregnancy ki duration ka sahi andaza hoga.
The nurse finished attaching the little suction-pads to her stomach….and hooked it to the Ultrasound machine. The doctor applied a jelly-like cream on her stomach, then monitored the fetus with the ultrasonic probe.
Hmmm, Bachcha toh durust hai lagta hai, aur size ke hisaab se kareeban dedh (1 ) se do mahiney ka hoga. Kam se kam chhai haftey (6 weeks) ka toh hai"
Kripa blanched…..her heart leaped suddenly...... DO MAHINEY…..iska matlab…..iska matlab….JOSH? Nahin….yeh nahin ho sakta…..lekin kyun nahin ho sakta? Sydney se lautney ke baad Josh ne mujhey ek raat ke liye bhi akela nahin chhoda tha. Aur…..Hongkong mein bhi toh…..uss raat jab main Zaib ko lekar pareshan thi….tab bhi main Josh ko rok nahi payi thi. Hey Bhagwan! Ab kya hoga? Main kaisey Angad ko bataaoon ke yeh bachcha Josh ka hai….lekin yeh Angad ka bhi toh ho sakta hai. Yacht mein hum jab phir se miley…..uskey baad 6 haftey guzar gaye. Lekin uskey 5-6 din pehley hi Josh ne bhi toh……
She was so confused…..so disturbed! She didn't know who the father of her baby was….it could be Josh, it could be Angad! How will she find out? Should she ask the doctor? No, that would be too embarassing! Maybe they could do a DNA test on the baby even before its birth. She had read somewhere it could be done!
Dr. Afreen noticed her distress: Kya hua, Mrs. Khanna. Aapko koi taqleef hai kya?
Kripa signalled with her eyes she wanted privacy to talk to the doctor.
Afreen asked the nurse to wait outside, when the Nurse left the exam room., she turned to Kripa: Haan, ab batayiye aapki pareshani kya hai?
Kripa didn't know how to say it, she began hesitantly: Doctor, dedh mahiney pehley merey pati guzar gaye, uskey baad mainey Angad se shadi kee….kya aisa koi tareeka hai jissey mujhey pata chaley yeh bachcha merey marhoom pati ka hai ya Angad ka?
Dr. Afreen looked thoughtful for a few moments: Dekhiye, Prenatal DNA testing se bachchey ko khatra ho sakta hai, aapko bhi, miscarriage ka chance hai, so we don't recommend that. Lekin agar jaanna bahut zaroori ho toh paanchvey mahiney mein hum sample nikalkar test karva saktey hain. Lekin usmein bhi kaafi khatra hai. Bachchey ke birth ke baad aap asani se DNA testing karvaa sakti hain. Ab faisla aapkey haath mein hai….kya aap yeh risk lena chahti hain?
Nahin……Kripa shuddered and closed her eyes at the mention of miscarriage….Nahin ….main koi risk nahin lena chahti.
Toh theek hai…..Dr. Afreen smiled and wiped the jelly, detaching the probes ….phir aap intezaar keejiye, delivery ke baad hi test karva lena. Lekin meri salaah hai ….aap pareshani door rakhiye….iss haalat mein aapko khushhaal rehna chahiye.
Kripa nodded and smiled wanly, her face pale and tensed.
Dr. Afreen said: Main aapkey shohar ko thodi der mein andar bhejti hoon. Aaj ka din aapkey baby ko monitor karney ke liye yahan rehna padega. Kal subah tak sab theek raha toh aapko discharge kar dengey, Okay?
Kripa nodded again: Shukriya, Doctor!
The Nurse came in and cleaned her up properly, helping her put on the hospital gown. As soon as the Nurse left, Kripa could not hold back her tears . What should she do now? She HAS to tell Angad! She couldn't let him go on believing this was his child! There was a strong possibility it was Josh's …..she HAS to be brave and honest with him.
Why did Fate play such cruel games with her? When she had Angad's child, Josh was with her and Angad supposedly dead. And now Josh was dead and shes with Angad…..but the child could be Josh's.
She plumbed her heart and found she had mixed feelings about Josh's kid……disappointed that it may not be Angad's ….yet in a corner of her heart, she felt Josh was still with them….perhaps in the form of his child.
Angad walked in, almost floating on air…..grinning from ear to ear! He was clearly in a celebratory mood.
He stopped in his tracks, stunned! Kripa was sitting up in bed, crying softly. she looked very distressed!
Kya hua? Jaan? Why are you crying? Arent you happy?
Kripa looked up at him with overflowing eyes: Angad? Doctor ne kaha…..
He grabbed her hands and kissed them rapidly: Haan Jaan, doctor ne kaha hum phir se Mummy Daddy banney waley hain….Prateek ka bhai ya behen aaneywala/wali hai! Tum khush nahin? He asked in surprise.
She looked at his infectious excitement and smiled through her tears: Haan…..lekin doctor ne….kaha….main do mahiney se….pregnant hoon…..Yeh bachcha….Angad…yeh bachcha…Josh ka bhi ho sakta hai"
Angad's face paled, he blinked…..and flinched instinctively….her words echoing in his mind: Bachcha Josh ka ho sakta hai….bachcha Josh ka ho sakta hai"
He looked at her incredulously…..shocked! He was quiet for a few moments. Then he saw her tear-stained cheeks, her pale face, her nervous fingers twisting on her lap……she looked so lost, so weak, so distressed!……
His heart melted with protective love. Kripa was as shocked as he was! He would have to be strong for her sake. He strengthened his heart, pushed away the feeling of shock and hurt assailing it….at the thought of it being Josh's kid.
He sat down next to Kripa and drew her cold, knotting fingers in his hands…..massaging them slowly, warming them in his large palms.
Kripa….meri taraf dekho……he gently urged her to look up.
She looked into his eyes, shining with tender love and warmth : Kripa…..please tum tension mat karo! Yeh bachcha Josh ka ho ya mera…..kuchh farak nahin padta. Yeh janam lega toh hamarey paas hi na ? Yeh hamara bachcha hai….tumhara aur mera. Yeh Angad aur Kripa Khanna ka baby hai….its our child! ….he stroked her cheeks, wiping her tears with his hands.
Ab aansoo ponchh lo……aur muskuraa do….kitni khushi ki baat hai aur tum ro rahi ho? Jaantey ho…Papa aur Aunty sab kitney khush hain? Aur Prateek ko jab hum batayengey toh wo kitna excited hoga…..uska bhai ya behen….uska saathi jo aa raha hai. Abhi dekho… Hum teen se chaar ho jayengey….aur phir chaar se paanch….aur paanch se chhai….phir chhai se saat…….Angad started counting off his dozen kids.
Kripa started laughing through her tears. She lunged from the bed, punching Angad's chest with her fists: BUSS BUSS! Poora army bana dogey kya? Bachchon ka paltan?
Kyun nahin, Jaan? His eyes danced with mischief: The more the merrier! Zyada bachchein ho toh ghar hara- bhara sa rahega!
Haan-haan…..main bachchey paida kartey kartey Mumtaz Mahal ki tarah marr jaoongi….toh tum doosri shadi kar lena…apney kisi girlfriend ke saath " she joked with laughter.
Sshhhhh!…He turned serious at once, covering her mouth with his hand: Marney ki baat bilkul nahin….. Lekin......waisey idea bura nahin…..he looked wicked again, his topaz eyes gleaming with mirth: Yess, that's the plan then…. main tumharey liye Taj Mahal banvaa doonga aur phir wo jala hua diary dhoondna padega….shayad koi number mil jaaye"
YOUUU! Kripa glared at him, punched his arms and boxed his ears: KHABARDAAR JO KISI AUR KO DEKHA TOH…..MAAR DALOONGI MAIN….BHOOTNI HOKAR AAOONGI! Humph! Badey aaye number dhoondney!"
Angad laughed loudly and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her lips hard with a smack: Yeh huyi na baat? Ab tum meri Kripa lag rahi ho…..meri Hunterwali ! Zyada roney lagti ho toh lagta hai Kripa nahin, Meena Kumari hai"
Angad……she sighed, grinning….and pulled his cheeks: Tum Hindi movies bahut zyada dekhtey ho….
Isiliye toh itna romantic hoon" he said huskily in his deep voice, winking at her.
She giggled and snuggled in his arms on the Hospital bed. They cuddled lovingly when…
Ahem-ahem…cough-cough….Kya hum andar aa saktey hain? Kalyani Aunty's voice floated in through the door.
Angad sprang apart from her and jumped up from the bed, straightening his shirt. Kripa giggled, then called out: Maasi Jee aap sab aa jayiye.
They all came in then……Godfather, Prateek, Kalyani, Kartik, Javed….all piled into the room with huge grins on their faces. Kripa smiled shyly at them….
Prateek bounded up to her and jumped up on the bed: Mera Bhai kahan hai?
Nani Maasi had already told him he was getting a brother….he expected to see his bro right away in Kripa's arm. He looked around, peeped under the bed: Mama….mera Bhai kahan hai? Yahan toh nahin….
Kripa laughed loudly…..everybody joined in. She pulled Prateek into her arms and kissed his cheeks: Beta, Bhai toh abhi Mama ke peit mein hai….Yahan….she patted her stomach gently.
Prateek stared at her almost flat stomach with fascination….he couldn't imagine how his brother would fit in there. Oh well! The grown-ups were always strange. God knows how Mama was hiding his brother in her stomach!
He got down from the bed, losing interest in the no-show of little brother….and started touching tubes, machines and gadgets in the room. Angad ran after him to keep him in check.
Godfather approached Kripa's bed….she looked up into his emotional face, his tearful eyes. She knew how he was feeling but couldn't express his joy about his grandchild in front of others.
Kripa Beti….Badhai ho. Main bahut khush hoon…..he smiled tremulously…..Aaj main bahut hi khush hoon……he kissed her forehead and blessed her: Sada suhaagan raho aur sehatmand raho aur tumhara bachcha tandrust ho.
Kripa smiled and held his hand for a few moments, conveying her happiness to him. they looked at each other silently for a few moments.
Then Kalyani Aunty came forward, grinning: Beti…..badhai ho…..hum sab bahut khush hain. mujhey toh pehley hi shaq tha…lekin tumsey poochh nahin saki……Lekin sab theek toh hai na? Ab tum kaisi feel kar rahi ho? Doctor ne kya kaha?
Kripa told them the baby was fine, but doctor wanted to keep her there overnight for observation. Godfather looked concerned….she quickly reassured him that everything was alright.…..that was just a precaution as she had fallen to the ground.
Kartik and Javed happily congratulated both Angad and Kripa, who looked every bit the proud prospective parents. All Kripa's doubts seemed to have dissolved with Angad's loving acceptance of their child.
Angad and Godfather spoke to the Doctor and took her medical update. The doc said the fall hadnt harmed the baby….its vitals were normal, heartbeats strong.
She told them it was Kripas' second month…..Godfather glanced at Angad quickly but didn't say anything. He knew Kripa and Angad had met in Hongkong and knowing Angad, anything was possible. GF didn't suspect it could be Josh's child.
Kripa stayed overnight at the Hospital, Kartik, Angad and Javed guarded her like hawks. They forcibly sent GF and Kalyani home , Prateek needed his rest so did the elders.
Prateek was whining a bit for Mama but Nani Masi promised him 2 stories of Rajkumar and Pari and he agreed at once to sleep with her.
The next morning, Kripa was discharged and went back to the Villa with Angad and Kartik. Kalyani fussed over her like a mother-hen, feeding her all sorts of healthy food. Beti, tujhey jo cheez khaaney ki khwaish ho, mujhey batana. Main banakar khilaoongi"
Kripa smiled tremulously and hugged Aunty: Maasi, ab aap hi toh meri Maa hain….aap mera kitna khayal rakhti hain"
Kalyani hugged her back silently….she had found her lost daughter in Kripa. It was her joy to look after her and Prateek.
Chal ab yeh doodh pee le…..she forced Kripa to drink a big glass of milk.
Kripa scrunched her nose: Itna sara doodh? Mujey doodh peena achha nahin lagta….Maasi, main dahi khaa loongi.
Prateek laughed and clapped his hands: Hahaha.... Mama ko doodh peena padega….HAHAHA!
He found it hilarious that Nani Maasi was forcing Mama to drink milk. He quickly gulped down his own milk and wiped his milk mustache: I'M FIRST! MAMA LAST! HAHAHA….I WIN, MAMA!
Kripa laughed: Very good Beta! My GOOD BOY!
Ab aap bhi peeyo….he demanded, hands on his waist.
Theek hai….she sighed, held her nose in her fingers and gulped down half the milk, then almost puked….
NO MAMA, NO CHEATING! POORA PIYO….
Okay Baba! Thoda waqt toh do na…..she controlled her nausea and drank the rest of the milk somehow!
Angad clapped from the door: SHABASH! GOOD GIRL! Ab apni moochh saaf kar lo….he laughed.
She grinned and got up from the chair, walked to him and wiped her milk mustache on his sleeve.
Yeh kya? Angad protested.
Dad honay ke kuchh toh duties nibhao…she giggled and tweaked his hard, male cheeks….poora taqleef main akeli uthaoon kya?
Toh bolo na kya seva karoon? He leaned and whispered in her ears: Bedroom mein chalo, main tumharey pair dabaa deta hoon!
Pair ya aur kuchh dabaogey…Badmaash! She whispered back, pinching him. "Jaao, zyada masti nahin…doctor ne manaa kiya hai…no exercise till 5th month!...... She winked at him and laughed, passing him into the hallway.
He followed her, sighing: Main exercise ki baat kab kar raha tha? Main toh seva karna chahta hoon….apni Biwi ka.
She laughed and showed him her thumb (thenga) and went to the terrace, where she settled down with a fashion magazine in a chair, enjoying the warm sun of October.
Angad called Prateek and they went down to the lawn to play a rowdy game of soccer while Kripa watched them from the terrace.
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That night, they stood in a close embrace on the moonlit terrace after Prateek had gone to bed.
Kripa looked at the waning moon, suddenly assailed with doubts. What would happen to her family? The shadow of Damodar's violence always hung upon their heads. What kind of life would they give their children? Always watching their backs? Travelling with high security?
Angad, kya hum yahan se bahut door nahin jaa saktey? Mujehy apney bachchon ke liye bahut fikr ho rahi hai….wo Damodar….
Ssshhh…uss manhoos ka naam mat lo ….ab toh tumhey har waqt khushi ki baatein sochna chahiye. He stroked her hair strands, comforting her…..Don't worry, Sweetheart! Papa hain na….he will take care of everything! Papa ke rehtey huey koi hamara ya hamarey bachchon ka baal bhi banka nahin kar sakta. Trust me on this one! Tumhey apney Papa per bharosa hai na?
She nodded, looking up into his luminous eyes: Haan, Papa per bhi aur tum per bhi. Poora bharosa hai mujhey! Thanks Angad!
Thanks kis baat ki? He kissed her nose….laughing softly.
Mujhey tum itna pyaar jo kartey ho……..she hugged him tightly, kissing his chest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neKoK87Fkwk
Vaada raha…..pyaar se pyaar ka
Ab hum na hongay judaaa
--MALE-- Vaada raha (Vaada raha pyaar se pyaar ka
Ab hum na honge judaa) – 2
Yeh meri dhadkanein sun raha hai khuda –
FEMALE-- Chaahe tumhe kis kadar mera dil
Tumko nahin hai pata
Yeh meri dhadkanein sun raha hai khuda –
MALE-- Vaada raha Dono jahaan ko bhula hoon main
Aisi lagi hai tujhse lagan Chaahe kaho ise aawaargi
Chaahe kaho ise deewaanapan –
-FEMALE-- Dil ne kaha, dil ne suna Maine tumhe dilbar chuna –
MALE-- Ab dooriyaan na rahi darmiyaan Kya rang laayi vafa Yeh meri dhadkanein sun raha hai khuda –
--FEMALE-- Vaada raha pyaar se pyaar ka
Ab hum na honge judaa
Yeh meri dhadkanein sun raha hai khuda
Dekha tumhe to aisa laga Mujhko mila manzil ka pata
Chalna hai humko ab saath mein Tumse juda mera raasta –
MALE-- Maine to li hai yeh kasam
Paaoon tumhe janm-o-janam –
FEMALE-- Sajde kiye maine shaam-o-saher Maanga hai tumko sada
Yeh meri dhadkanein sun raha hai khuda –
[YOUTUBE] </><" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"></><'>http://www.youtube.com/v/neKoK87Fkwk"></param><p aram[/YOUTUBE]
****************** ******************************************
The next morning, Godfather came to Kripa with a little box.
Beti, yeh tumhari khushkhabri ke liye meri taraf se ek tohfa….tumharey honay waley bachchey ke liye.
She opened the box….it was a gold chain with a Ganesh pendant.
She looked at her father with surprise: Lekin Papa, abhi toh delivery ko bahut der hai….yeh aap khud usey pehna deejiyega , jab wo janam lega toh…..
Nahin, Beti….tum isey apney paas rakh lo…..main shayad bhool jaaoonga baad mein…..umr dhal rahi hai, sab kuchh yaad nahin rehta"
She turned suspicious, he must be hiding something from her. She held his arm, stopping him from leaving: Papa , mujhey sach sach batayiye…..aap aisa kyun kar rahey hain? Kya aapko lagta hai aap baby ke janam tak yahan nahin rahengey? Hamarey saath?
He averted his eyes, looking guilty. How could he tell her he was going to play THE biggest gamble….with his life? His last stand against Damodar……his last meeting with his lifelong enemy, his Nemesis? It could go off as planned….or everything could go wrong! How could he tell her in this condition?
He quickly turned to her and held her arms : Beti, mujhey kuchh nahin hoga, main kahin nahin jaa raha..…..main toh buss yeh tohfa apney navasey ke liye laya hoon…..I cant wait for him or her to come. He laughed forcibly: Jab log budhey hotay hain toh bahut besabr ho jaatey hain… mera bhi wahi haal hai"
Kripa wasn't convinced totally but she smiled and touched his feet: Thanks Papa! Aapka ashirwaad aur pyaar hi hamarey liye sabsey badi gifts hain. Main issey sambhalkar rakhoongi aur bachchey ko Hospital mein hi pehna doongi.
She touched the Ganesh statue reverently : Siddhi-Vinayak Jee merey bachchey ki suraksha karengey!
****************** ************************************
Nishant Saxena called his crack team to a special meeting. CBI Officers Dhruv, Shanti, Daksh and Neeraj. He gave them special orders, charting the plan of action.
"12 tareekh ko hum Dubai jaa rahey hain….humein khabar mili hai wahan Bajaj aur Pandey ka ek bahut hi zabardast meeting honay wala hai. Yeh ek aitihaasic (historic ) meeting hoga …kuchh bhi ho sakta hai! We have to be ready to catch them red-handed. Un dono ne aaj tak na jaaney kitney jurm kiye hain…..ab unhey kanoon ko jawaab dena padega. Come on team! I want the best action, the best results! Pata karo, Pandey wahan per kahan thehra hai….kahan meeting hogi un dono ki. We have to get all the information beforehand. No last-minute surprises, GOT IT?
All the officers chanted together: YES SIR!
GOOD! Now u can all go and start on the case.
After his officers left, Nishant sighed silently: Josh, merey dost, terey maut ka badla lena ab bhi baaki hai….uss Damodar Pandey ke aadmiyon ne tujhey bahut berehmi se maara tha…..I wont let him go! I will finish him. And that Bajaj….aaj tak humein jhansa deta aaya hai…ab uski khair nahin….hum usey rangein haathon pakad lengey….meeting with a notorious Don from Mumbai. Do do Mob Boss ek saath……what a CATCH!
Nishant rubbed his hands gleefully. He was looking forward to this assignment!
*********************************************************
Javed finally got news from Raghu's house in Mumbai……
Raghu's elder brother told him: Maa toh wapas aa gayi …..un gundon ne unhey chhod diya….lekin Raghu ka koi pata nahin…..humney Police mein report likhaya hai….wo aaj dus din se lapata hai"
Godfather shook his head sadly when he heard it. He knew Raghu was "sleeping with the fishes" somewhere in the narrow creeks of Borivli. He had got his punishment from Damodar for failing to kill Angad on his wedding night! At least Damu had spared the mother….it seemed Damu was getting softer with age. Earlier he would have killed the old mother too. Godfather thought that was a good sign for his plan!
Javed shed tears for his dead friend and vowed to destroy Damodar and his gang. GF consoled him, assuring him that utter evil like that can never go unpunished!
****************************************************
Damodar and his group of 3 men arrived in Dubai on October 11th and checked into the most expensive Hotel. He had to show off his wealth to Godfather, so he spared no expenses for the meeting. His nephew Mahesh, his right hand man Jaggu and his gun and ammo expert Rocky were with him. They splurged like crazy on alcohol, threw their weight around and generally were a nuisance for their 3 day stay before the meeting.
Don Aziz, the most powerful Don of Dubai and Godfather's personal friend, received Damodar's party and promised to be the neutral party who would select and check the meeting place.
But Damodar wasn't convinced……he wanted Rocky to check the place out too!Aziz was displeased but didn't protest. Godfather had already told him what kind of a man Damodar was….not a human, more like an uncouth, violent beast!
There was a Clubhouse on the city outskirts, by the Ocean. It was surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens….it had many rooms, card-rooms, Billiards-room, a large indoor swimming pool, changing rooms, meeting rooms, Library, Kitchen and Dining-Hall.
That Club was chosen as the meeting ground for the two Mob Bosses. The day before the meeting, 12 men provided by Aziz checked out the grounds, the rooms of the Clubhouse thoroughly with metal detectors, bomb sniffing dogs, they checked out everything possible. Then Rocky and Jaggu went in with their indigenous methods and checked the peripheries for any guns, explosives or other killing instruments. Godfather declined to send a search team. He said he had complete faith in Don Aziz and his capabilities.
*********************************************************
The evening before the meeting, 8 P.M.:
After an early dinner, Kripa and Prateek had gone to bed…..Kripa felt tired and listless most of the time now. Godfather signalled Angad and Kartik to follow him outside. He walked to Zaib's mausoleum and faced the sea. There, in the dark confines of the mausoleum, he outlined his plan to them. Kartik and Angad listened intently, nodding and agreeing. Only a thin sliver of moon witnessed their secret consultations.
***************************************************
Later that night:
Dark clouds had enveloped the thin sliver of moon. In the darkness of the night, two shadowy figures crept up the manicured lawns of the Dubai Clubhouse, hiding behind trees and bushes intermittently. They slipped inside the Clubhouse…..there was utter silence, occasionally broken by the screeching of night owls. Half an hour later, the two shadowy figures slipped out again, unnoticed by the Security Guard snoring in the vestibule of the Club. Unnoticed by two of Don Aziz's men guarding the entrance and exit doors respectively. They had climbed in and out through an open window!
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pallavi
Edited by pallavi25 - 17 years ago
Mangal Lakshmi
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Real Estate
142