FF: Separate Journeys, EPILOGUE, Page-20 - Page 11

Part-13

Jai stirred in his sleep, only to be restricted in his movement…the last thing he remembered was he and bani climbing the steps…after that everything went blur, he forced his eyelids to open up, feeling severe head ache…with great difficulty he sat up, still trying to open his eyes…he looked around to find darkness…he rubbed his eyes stifling a yawn…suddenly his eyes fell on the clothes strewn haphazardly all over…his eyes grew wide in horror as he turned his head to see bani sleeping peacefully…he looked down to his state of undress…for a moment his mind went numb…he glanced at bani's soft face, the dried tear strains still etched on her face…a slight smile had adorned her lips…he leaned towards her…pushing away the tendrils of hair…she looked content…after gazing at her face for a complete moment he brushed his lips with hers…he had never felt like this…never so nice… he just felt like watching her till eternity… his soft face suddenly scrunched into a frown and then to a melancholy thought…he had taken advantage of her, she was not in her senses, he wasn't too, his male ego argued…but it was his fault…he shouldn't have done this…he had taken away her virginity from her, you are her husband came another argument from inside…no, he wasn't, their relationship was just namesake, they were never husband and wife…never…he groaned moving away from her…he had failed her, he had failed her trust, he had failed her friendship…he had failed the respect she had for him…picking up his clothes he got out of the bed and wore them quickly…

Somewhere he felt ashamed of his deed…though he was not in his conscious self but still, he ought not to have done this extremity… how would he face her tomorrow…he ran his fingers though his hair…frustrated…

"I am sorry bani…" he muttered going out of her room hastily… …

*******

The bright sunrays filled the room with glorious light…bani yawned…

"Jai…" a murmur left her lips involuntarily…she rubbed her eyes, twisting under the sheets; she carried her weight to sit…she looked at the clock in horror, it was eleven…she clutched her paining head…she had slept so long…she became curious as she saw her clothes thrown about…she felt herself to be naked…stricken with horror she wrapped the blanket around herself firmly trying to gauge the situation, yesterday she was with jai they had walked to her room and after that she went blank…her heart skipped a beat as she thought about the unexpected…did she…sleep with jai…she shut her eyes, groaning loudly…what would he think of her??? She cursed herself…why did she land up herself in all this mess…? To her utter disbelief she wasn't that horrified as she had expected to become…even though she couldn't remember anything, but her intuition told her that it must have been beautiful…she let out a deep sigh…rocking herself…for how many hours she sat there she didn't realize…

*******

Bani stepped out of her room almost after lunch…she adjusted the dupatta of her salwar kameez properly… she felt a certain ticklish feeling inside her bubbling heart…her eyes automatically searched for jai…but a part of her feared that this would lead to an unknown path on which both of them were not ready to walk…this was a crossroad, either they would walk together from here or they would go on their separate journeys again…her face fell, but it was a fact and she had to accept it no matter what…she slowly descended the stairs…maybe she should talk to him…after all it was nobody's mistake…they were not in their stable state…

"Maam, why are you so late today…I was about to call you…you didn't even go to the orphanage…" Tony said as he saw bani walk down unmindfully…

"I got up late Tony…" bani said…

"Shall I serve you lunch…"

"Hmm…where is jai…" she asked hopefully…

"He has gone to Chennai, some urgent work…I have told him to cut down on his work but no…only a month ago her had come back from Europe now again he has gone…" tony shook his head going into the kitchen…

Bani took in a deep breath, so as always he had fled…why does he avoid circumstances…she picked up the phone, Should she talk to him??? She contemplated keeping the phone down…she hated to admit but she feared his reply…now with her father dead, and buaji away, he might just end this uncertain, directionless relationship… she pushed the food served by Tony running upstairs…

*******
Piya Jaise Laadoo Motichoorwaale
Manawa Mein Phute Ho, Manawa Mein Phute Ho
Har Le Jaaye Unake Do Batiyaan
Jag Saara Chhute Ho, Jag Saara Chhute Ho
Piya Jaise Laadoo Motichoorwaale
Manawa Mein Phute Ho, Manawa Mein Phute Ho
Piya Jaise Laadoo

Ho Ik Dil Hai Magar Kyun Rakhata Hai Ghum Kahin
Chaahe Bewajah Magar Tadapata Hai Yeh Har Ghadi
Haan Yeh Kambakht Maanata Hi Nahi O O O
Piya Jaise Laadoo Motichoorwaale
Manawa Mein Phute Ho, Manawa Mein Phute Ho

Pura Naahi Hot Shingaar -2
Jab Tak Lage Na Pi Ki Najariya Ho
Pura Naahi Hot Shingaar Jab Tak Lage Na Pi Ki Najariya
Ik Dil Hai Magar Kyun Rakhata Hai Ghum Kahin
Chaahe Bewajah Magar Tadapata Hai Yeh Har Ghadi
Haan Yeh Kambakht Maanata Hi Nahi O O O
Piya Jaise Laadoo Motichoorwaale
Manawa Mein Phute Ho, Manawa Mein Phute Ho

Jo Tum Kabhi Muskuraaye, (toh Laga Hai Yeh Mujhako
Ke Jindagi Bewajah Nahi Hai Haan) - (2)
Ho Ik Dil Hai Magar Kyun Rakhata Hai Ghum Kahin
Chaahe Bewajah Magar Tadapata Hai Yeh Har Ghadi
Haan Yeh Kambakht Maanata Hi Nahi O O O
Piya Jaise Laadoo Motichoorwaale
Manawa Ma Phute Ho, Manawa Ma Phute Ho
Piya Jaise Laadoo

{Movie: Radio a very interesting song…}

The two hills rose from a thickly wooded landscape of…it was dusk. Afar the crumbling walls of monasteries, temples cluster around a grind of dusty, red earth roads stood…bani saw the children play…usually she would have joined them, but the last few weeks have been extremely torturous, infinite times she had picked up the phone to call him and put it down again lacking courage…he hadn't called either…a thought crossed her mind…what if… …

Bani got up, picking up her bag she left…there were autumn evenings, cold and dull…the weaving network of dreams, the mountains, the glens, the forest...everything which appealed to her once faded away into oblivion…

She walked back home…no it wasn't her home…

*******

Jai sat somberly waiting for bani…the shock of what had transpired that night was too huge to handle, he had immediately left not able to gather the courage to face bani…and may be the questions she would pose…this had become complicated…very complicated…a single event had turned their lives upside down…he wondered why he wasn't able to let go this time…he had let go of his parents' death, his sister's decision, his grave failures, his great successes, but why wasn't he able to let go of bani he couldn't conclude… his gloomy eyes spotted bani entering, she was dragging her feet, the spring in her walk disappeared…she looked lost…

Bani stood in her tracks seeing jai looking at her anxiously…she stood still, unmoving…

"Hey…" he said gently…

"When did you come…?" she asked holding her bag tightly…

"A couple for hours ago…" he bent his head not able to understand what to say…

"Why did you leave…?" bani asked softly…jai looked up to see her…

"I…Bani…I am sorry…I shouldn't have done it…it…" jai fumbled…

"It was a mistake wasn't it???"

"Yes…it's my fault…I shouldn't have taken advantage of you...I am sorry…"

"Even you were drunk…its…just leave it…" she said walking away…

*******

Jai sat in his study trying to work but nothing except bani came to his mind…the silent room was interrupted by a shuffle of leaves, two impatient snaps of a branch…he felt something break inside too…he heard the door open with a loud thud and bani rushing in…

"What if I get pregnant…?" bani asked breathlessly…jai looked at her stunned for a moment… speechless; he opened his mouth then closed it again…

It was an ineluctable moment of fragile affinity…the moment which would redefine things…and seal their fate… …

"Will you ask me to abort the child?" she asked with sporadic eyes, her words overlapping each other in hurry…jai bent his head, lifting it up…

"Will you keep the child…?" he questioned back…in a shaky voice…

Bani's lips quivered…her nose became red, puffing…she ran out of the study… a sob caught in her throat…

Jai covered his face with his palms… …

*******

God bless

Dhani

hey dhani