Meg shivers in anticipation as Beauty leaves her and Baba alone. He smiles at her impatience. "Puttar, tu bahut kuch karne ki chaah rakhti hai…par kabhi socha hai, ki jo kuch tu kar rahi hai, uska maksad kya hai…?"
Meg: (squinting) Matlab?
Baba: Matlab yeh, ki tune aaj tak itne mantra seekhe, itne tone-totke apnaye…lekin kisliye? Shehr ke ameer logon ke shauk ke liye hi na? Unka thoda-sa dil behlaane ke liye….bas!
Meg: (defiantly) That's not fair! Main logon ki help bhi toh karti thi….
Baba nods with amusement. "Haan…..jaise kisi ko batana ki usse kaunse ghode pe paise lagane chahiye….kiska talaq kab hoga…..kise kis daawat ka nyota milega……aur yeh sab, sirf ek ghante ke 2 dollar mein!
Meg gasps in sheer amazement. "Aap…aapko yeh sab kaise pata…"
Baba only smiles with a mysterious twinkle in his eye.
Meg: (chastened) Toh…toh isme bura kya hai Baba….main un logon se wahi kehti hoon jo wo sunna chahte hai….
Baba: Yehi ko farak hai……tu ab tak logon ko wo batati aayi thi jo wo sunna chahte the….lekin ab se, tu unhe wo batayegi jo unhe sunna chahiye….unki sachaayi…..agar tu sachmuch kisi ka bhala karna chahti hai, toh jo tere paas aaye, uski aankhon mein aakhen daal kar usse bata, ki usne kya galtiyan ki hai aur usse kaise sudhaare….logon ko apni zindagi ki dor sambhaalne ka mauka do….
Meg lowers her head and mulls over what she has just heard. It is apparent that she is taking in something hitherto entirely unrealized by her. While she is thinking, Baba gently passes his hand over her head. She looks up with radiant awe in her eyes. "Yeh kya tha Baba….achanak mujhe bahut light….bahut achcha mahsoos ho raha hai…."
Baba: (kindly) Tujhe naya raasta jo mil gaya hai puttar….(places his hand on her head again) …..waapas shehr ja kar, un logon ki madad kar jo bhatak chuke hain…..aur tere apne raaste, khud-ba-khud saaf hote jayenge….
Meg nods silently and gets up to leave. Just then Baba says, in a firmer tone, "Ek baat aur….Armaan aur Jassi ne tera kuch nahin bigaada!"
Meg is so startled that she gasps aloud; Beauty, trying to listen outside, wonders what on earth is happening.
Meg: Aap……yeh aap kaise jaante…..
Baba: Mujhe pata hai…..yahi wo sawaal tha na, jo tere dil mein itne dino se tha….jisse le kar tu yahaan tak toh aa gayi par poochne ki himmat nahin kar payi….
Meg: Toh sach kya hai, baba?
Baba: (gravely) Un dono ne kabhi tera bura nahin chaaha….aur na hi tere bhai-behen ka….tu Vedika to unse chheenna chahti hai….lekin yeh theek nahin hai….wo usse apne beti maan chuke hai….tu uski bua hai, lekin wo uske ma-baap hai…
Meg: (tears swimming in her eyes) Toh main kya karu?
Baba: (gently) Ghar ja, aur raat ko apne bhai aur behn ko yaad kar…unse pooch ki wo kya chahte hai…..tujhe jawaab apne-aap mil jayega……
A chastened Meghna exits the shack, much to the surprise of the waiting Beauty. She motions to Beauty to start back, and they reach home in silence.
Tomorrow: Revelation
