old FF till chapter 19 - Page 68

chapter 14

After the deeyarvattu ceremony everyone returned mumbai..now the house was decayed and dead once teemed with life and happiness was now lifeless devastated ,there was silence ;a muffled silence like a silence of a cold night all noises swallowed by the dead walls noone moved here noone talked;noone scarcely even breath

rewa panba gulaal kesar lived under the same roof like a stranger. Gulaal was the victim of the circumstances and a anguish both past and present left the traces in her face

she had never felt the way she felt now, not even when vasant died. Her grief then had been sharp, overwhelming. She didn't know what she felt now. If it was grief, then it was a different variety. She felt numbed, distant and cold Panba remained in her room most of the times she didn't ate properly she was pale and weak

gulaal was noticing it but didn't have the courage to face panba. One day gulaal collected her strength and went in panba's room

panaba was reading ramyaan she saw gulaal and overlooked her

gulaal hestitaltely walked towards her she was sitting on the knees

gulaal said "panba aapne bahut dino se dhaang se nahi khaya hai plz kuch kha lijyye"

panba said "kha lungi tum jao"

gulaal asked in low voice "aap naaraz hain mujhse"

panba said "nahi"

gulaal said "panba sach batayi naaraz haina"

panba yelled "kya expect karti ho mujhse gulaal mera beta jo abhi rishto k samjhata bhi nahi hai jiski umar shaadi k layak nahi hai usne tumse shaadi kar li aur tum yeh jaante hue bhi k kesar tumhara devar hai tum usese 5 saal badi ho aur yeh jante hue k kesr underage hai tumne yeh shaadi sweekar kar li kaise gulaal kyu kiya tumne aisa"

gulaal said "panba mujhe galat mat samajhiye panba meine yeh shaadi is parivaar k bhalai k liye ki hai"

panba asked "kaise bhalai gulaal"

gulaal replied "panba diaba ne shart rakhi thi ya to mein is ghar mein kesar k saath shaadi she paused and said ya phir mein is ghar ko hamesha k liye chod kar chali jaau panba mein chali jaati to is ghar ka kya hota rewa k shaadi kesar k padhai maa vasant k sapne bhikaar jaate mein aisa kaise hone de sakti thi baa"

panba said "bikhar jaane deti vasant k sapno ko gulaal kam se kam teri aur kesar k zindagi bikharne se bach jaati arey kya hote agar yeh sapne pure nahi hote bahut saare logo k sapne nahi pure hote koi sapno k pura karne k chah mein itna bada kadam nahi utha sakta mujhe tumse apni parivaar k liye madad is shart par nahi chahiye"

gulaal "baa is sapne se rewa aur kesar k zindagi judi hui hai mere liye yeh har cheez se se badhkar hai"

panba replied" kesar k bhalai k liye yeh kadam liya tune..uski zindagi sawaarne k liye uski k zindagi ujaad di tune"

gulaal replied" nahi baa kuch nahi hoga kesar k zindagi k saath mein aisa kuch nahi hone dungi panba mein ek doctor hun mein is desh ka kanon janti hun mein janti hun is shaadi ka koi vajood nahi hai yeh shaadi betmatlab hai illegal marriage hai yeh"

gulaal continued "panba mein manti hun kesar ne josh mein aakar itna bada kadam utha liya mein manti hun usne bahut galat kiya hai par mein is baat k liye usko itni badi sazaa nahi de sakti...panba ek baar kesar apni padhai puri kar le aur ache se settle ho jaaye mein khud yeh ghar chod kar chali jaungi"

panba said "tu sach mein aisa karegi gulaal mujhse vaada kar tu is rishte ko kabhi nahi nibahaayegi"

gulaal looked at panba

panba said "gulaal mujhe galat mat samajh mein ek maa hun aur har maa ki tarah apne bete k khushiyaan chahiti hai mein chahti hun kesar sahi samay par shaadi kare wo apni pasand k apni umar k ladki se shaadi kaare gulaal mein yeh rishta kabhi nahi apna sakti mein tere aur kesar k is deeyarvatto ko nahi sweekar kar sakti "

gulaal said "mein samajh sakti hun panba"

panba "to phir vaada kar mujhse chahe kuch bhi ho jaaaye to kabhi is rishte ko nahi apnaayegi"

gulaal said firmly panba "mein aapse vada karti hun mein kabhi is rishte ko nahi sweekar karungi"

and she made the promise she promised;she promised panba

promise a fatal word ; burden of oath under which gulaal was forced to live; burden of expectation which gulaal was bound to fullfill

someone else was living under the burden of promise; promise he made to vasant bha to look after gulaal ;promise he made infront of everyone to accept gulaal as his wife promise is now like a demeantor with which kesar was wrestling in obscurity and silence he often felt like a bird who was abondoned and dejected by his fellowmate he spend resltess nights searching himself he spend endless day understanding his destiny

it was evening he was sitting on the edge of mountain cliff the place he comes wen he is miserable he was sitting alone

he heard the footsteps and saw vicky and sonu were standing with question in their eyes

vicky came forward he said "kesar yeh mein kya sun raha hun sudhabhahi maa ko bata rahi thi tune shaadi kar li"

sonu said "aur to aur wo yeh kah rahi thi tune gulaal bhabhi se shaadi kar li"

vicky said "wo aisa kaise kah sakti hai"

kesar said in low voice "yeh sab sach hai"

vicky and sonu rolled their eyes

vicky said "tu pagal hai kya?.to hosh mein to ho tu kya kah raha hai"

sonu said "tu sahi nahi kah raha"

kesar replied sadly "sab sach hain sonu"

vicky said "dimaag kharab ho gaya hai tera wo teri bhabhi hai aur tu unse kitna chota hai infact u r underage tu aisa kaise kar sakta hai"

kesar lost his temper he yelled "haan ki hai meine ki hai shaadi aur apne pure hosh haawas mein ki hai mujhe kisi ko koi safai nahi dene aur agar tujhe is baat par sharm aati hai to tu chod kar jaa sakta hai mujhe kiski jarurat nahi hai samjha nahi chahhiye mujhe aise dost"

he left the place in anger

he returned home, as he returned he heard the door bell

rewa opened the door and saw revji and panba standing outside furious and enraged

and angry

she called them in

but revji and poonam were in mood to listen

they shouted "yeh kya sun rahe hai hum"

panba who heard revji came out quickly and said "revji poonamji beithiye samjhati hun mein aapko"

revji said "hum yanha beithne nahi aaye hai hum yeh janane aaye hain jo log kah rahe hain kya wo sach hai.kya aapke bete ne meri beti se shaadi ki hai"

kesar was sacred and poonamba replied "ji"

revji shouted "aap log paagal to nahi ho gaaye aisa kaise kar sakte hain aap, humari jankaari k bina aap aisa kaise kar sakte hain kya soch kar aapne is shaadi ko manjuri de"

hen he turned back to kesar he pulled him with collar and said "tumhari himmat kaise hui aisi ghatiya harqat karne ki kaise soch liya meri bei k aage peeche koi nahi nahi hai aur jo chahoge wo asaani se kar loge"

kesar said "aap mujhe samjhane ka ek mauka to dijeye"

revji said "nahi tumne jo harqat ki hai mujhe uski koi safao nahi chahiye tumhe iski sazaa jaurur milegi"

suddenly he heard a voice "chod dijyeye papa kesar ko" gulaal was standing outside her bedroom door she walked towards revji and said "chod dijeye papa kesar ko, yeh faisala sirf kesar k nahi hai, yeh decision meine bhi liya hai"

revji " kya kaha tu hosh mein to hai yeh tu kya kah rahi hai turning to gulaal"

gulaal said "ji papa sach kah rahi hun mein"

revji was shoucked and hurt he said "to tu mujhe yeh batayegi kya wajah hai k tune ek 20 saal k ladke se shaadi karne ka faisla le liya tujhe isliye itna padhya likhaya tha humne k tu humara naam is tarah badnaam karegi hum rishtedaaro se kya kahenge kuch jawab hai"

gulaal said "papa meine jo kuch bhi kiya hai soch samaj k kiya hai sorry papa aapko wajah nahi bata sakti"

revji "gulaal hum galat faisle mein tumhara saath nahi de sakte tumhe humme aur is rishte mein ek ko chunana hoga"

gulaal said "papa meri shaadi ho chuki hai"

revji was deeply hurt" hum log bahut paraye ho gaye hain naa gulaal...gulaal aaj tune bahut takleef de hai hume?tu aisa kaise kar sakti hai gulaal he paused he was in pain and sorrow

.he continued "agar tera yahi faisla hai to samaj lena aaj se tere mummy papa nahi hai".he said with coked voice

gulaal was shocked tears rolled from her cheeks she said "papa aap"

revji interrputed in between "nahi gulaal ab aur nahi hum maa baap hai tumhare hum tere achi bhavisya k liye hamesha prathna karenge kabhi tujhe yeh rishta takleef de to tu waapas aa sakti hai par hum tujhe is rishte k saath nahi sweekar kar sakte.hargiz nahi"

kesar tried to say in between but panba stopped him as it was not the time to say anything

revji and poonam left the place in pain

gulaal was tears she turned back and her eyes met with kesar eyes all these days they were anxious, avoiding the sight of each other...but today their eyes met that disclosed the giref deeper than tear hurt painful than wound; the look that she throw towards him was full of agony and hatred and she run in her room..kesar shuddered he went to his room and broke down infront of vasant's photo

he cried "vasantbha sab mujhe galat samjh rahe hain sab ko lagta hai meine bahut bada paap kiya hai vasantbha kaho naa aap sabse meine kuch galat nahi kiya meine yeh sab sirf aapke liye kiya hai" he paused and said vasantbha wo aapka pyaar hai wo aapki amanat hai vasantbha aapke pyaar ko koi kuch kehe kaise sahan kar sakta hun mein koi kichad uchaale kaise bardasht kar sakta tha mein"

he continued "vasantbha humare rishte ko log galat nazaro se dekh rah the agar mein kuch nahi karta to logo ka shaq aur ilzaam aur badh jaate...mein to phir bhi ek ladka hun yeh ek male dominated society hai yanha ladke chahe kitne bhi badi bhul kar le koi kuch nahi kehta magar ek ladki k upar chote sa bhi daag samaj nahi bhulta baar baar usko baizzat karne k bahane dhundhta hai..agar mein aisa nahi karta to wo kaise logo k baatein unke taane sahan karti sudha bhabhi aas podos k log unka saas lena bhi mushkil kar dete...vasantbha meine kuch galat nahi kiya hai samajhaiye naa aap sabko"

and he shattered completely...he cried unknowingly gulaal had heard him she was listening quietly ouside his room but she didn't react may be her tears dried may be she had stopped her battle with her fate and she walked away

next morning sudha bhabhi informed panba that diaba has planned her visit to mumbai...panba heard it and was in deep thought she knew diaba was coming to knew about gulaal and kesar married life. She thought and then went to gulaal's room.

Gulaal saw her and asked "panba aap"

Panba said "gulaal diaba kuch din k liye mumbai aa rahi hai"

Gulaal said "yeh to bahut achi baat hai"

Panba said "gulaal mein chahiti hun jab tak diaba yanha hai tum kesar k kamre mein raho"

Gulaal was shocked she said "panba yeh aap kya kah rahi hai"

Panba said "mujhse kuch bhi mat pucho gulaal jaise mein kah rah hun waisa karo"

Gulaal didn't wanted to hurt panba so she remain silent

Kesar was sitting in the college canteen sonu and vicky came near kesar saw them and didn't react

Vicky said "kesar tu naaraz hai humse yaar tune kaise soch liya hum tera saath chod denge hum log dost hai yaar chahe tu kuch bhi kar hum tere saath hai"

Sonu said "haan hamesha saath rehenge chahe tu north pole mein hi kyu naa chala jaaye"

Kesar smiled with teary eyes. they hugged each other kesar needed the confrontation at this moment

Vicky said "kesar yeh college ka letter hai tere liye peon post karne jaa raha tha ghar hum le aaye"

Kesar opened and read the letter he looked worried and tensed

kesar returned in the evening; he was tired so he went in his room he opened his almirah he was looking for his clothes he took his clothes and shut the almirah carelessly he looked back he was shocked he stood still for the moment

He saw gulaal sitting in his room