Chapter 17, Weekend spl ( Chapter 16 on pg 47)
I hope so, nehi toh tumhe phir
Again the door opened, Oh Aditya kabhi toh knock kiya karo, Jai turned to see Lalita Bua standing....
Aap?
Ha Jai, lalita bua ignored Bani to take a seat....
Achank keya baath hai...
Achanak kaise beta, humara ek rista hai, us rista ke khatir ayi hu...
Jai pushed Bani into the sofa and went to seat at his chair behind the desk....
Keya chahiye aapko...
Kai dino se mai billo bhabi se kahi rahi thi ki mai Meera ke memory me kuch karna chahati hu, lekin tabh billo bhabi ne tumhara naam leke tal diya baath ko ki tumhara ghao na ubhara jaye lekin abh toh tum shaadi bhi kar chuke ho and shayaad kuch dinno me bhul jayoge ki Meera naam ki koi biwi thi tumhari...
Iss zindagi me toh nehi bhulunga, Jai muttered, Lalita bua did not miss his disgusted look sitting opposite but the words stung Bani, she could not see face, she lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers...
Keya chahiye aapko
One crore rupees to start with, mai underpriviledged woman upliftment key liye kuch karna chahati hu...
You mean sex workers.....Jai asked
Lalita Bua ignored the pun, ha woh bhi I wanted to create a Trust and give benefits to girls who want to start their life all over...
Hmmmmmmm and what will you gain by that....
My daughter's memory will live for ever....
Aren't you satisfied with the memory we have?
Lalita Bua stood up, hello Bani so how are you getting along with Jai, he is a difficult man to please but then he is Jai Walia, achha toh Jai mai chalti hu, cheque bhejwa dena, nehi toh next week mai phir ayungi...after all I have lost a daughter and this much I can do atleast in her memory, tumhara keya ek biwi gayi, dusri a gayi, dusri jayegi…
Thats enough, aapko cheque mil jayega, Jai got up, opened his cabin door and waited patiently…Lalita Bua wiped her eyes, blew her nose…took her time to go out, inspite of not wanting, Bani saw Jai Walia getting angry by every passing minute….
Bani tried her best to go back to their honeymoon discussion but Jai Walia seemed to lose all interest…
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Bani was happy to return to Walia Mansion, except for Jigyasa all the members seemed happy to have her back…
Exams pass karegi na beta? Masi asked
Lagta toh hai Masi...Bani smiled
Chalo bahut khushi hui jankar, nehi toh phir Mt Abu jana parta...
It was when Bani started helping Masi for dinner, she informed her about Lalita Bua's visit to Jai's office...
Lalita woha pahuch gayi…Masi looked angry…
Bani hesitated, ha Meeraji ke memory ke liye kuch karna chahati hai…
Wahi mai sooch rahi hu Munna ka mood itna kiyu off hai, Lalita gayi thi office me….Masi was still muttering the same thing under her breath, hardly paying attention to what Bani was saying….
Lekin masiji isme problem keya hai…
Koi problem nehi sirf Lalita Jai ko Meera ke bare me bhulne nehi deta….
He is not the only one in this world to lose a wife….kitne admi….
Sirf woh baath nehi hai, uske saath jure huwe bahut saare baate hai, beta, jaisa ki…
Arey masi khana taiyyar hai ki nehi, mujhe bahar jana hai, jaldi karo, Anu came in demanding food as she is going for the nightshow of the latest movie…
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In the morning as Jai got up to watch Bani serving him to tea, he wanted to kick himself, yesterday this girl went out of her way to surprise him, wanted to make him happy but instead he was sulking & cursing Lalita Bua, kisliye, for what, he asked, why am I letting Meera and her mother ruin my life once again…..
He picked up his cup and relaxed against his pillow….asked Bani whether she wanted to go for a jungle safari or historical sights for her honeymoon…Bani asked can't she go for both
Bani, ja toh bahut jagah sakte hai, lekin Bani hamara honeymoon hai, agar sights dekhne ke liye itna samay denge toh baki kaam kabh karenge…
Baki kaam? Mai kuch samjhi nehi Mr Walia, Bani stared at the two shirts she had taken out trying to decide which will go with the suit she had chosen for the day
Bani mere taraf toh dekho, samaj jayogi….Bani looked up, Jai held her gaze for sometime and then made a kissing gesture…Bani blushed….Jai got up, started approaching her when the intercom rang….
Bani tumhara phone…
As Bani takes the receiver from Jai,
Jai picks up his clothes to go into the bathroom when he hears Bani speaking
Hello Daksh, kaise ho….ha mai theek thak pahuch gayi….
Jai frowns, he doesn't want to overhear but his legs refuse to move
Daksh, maine maaf toh kar diya tumhe…….lekin….achha…suno Daksh mai tumhe phone karti hu, I am busy now…yes yes, definitely I will call you back…..Bani kept down the phone…Jai went in the bathroom and shut the door quietly…….
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Jai was upset, he failed to understand how can a woman forgive a man who had tortured, o.k. she has forgiven, but how come she is maintaining contact with the same man, Jai knew about first love but is to so strong that inspite of everything she still loves him….the very thought disturbed Jai, maybe it was not a good reason to let Bani go to Mt Abu, lekin Mt Abu toh uski maayeka hai, jana toh tha hi…..no amount of reasoning was good enough to make Jai's heart understand Bani's approach towards Daksh….why did she give this house no. to Daksh, does she now want to maintain regular contact with him……the very thought made him angry and jealous….
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Bani watched Jai having dinner absentmindedly, he was hardly eating anything, for the last 2/3 days he has been like this, last night when she put her arm across him, he jerked her away…keya baath hai, was is troubling him now, after he got out of the bathroom his mobile rang, she heard him talking to someone, she did hear one crore rupees keya mai yuhi de dunga….ha ha I know it is not a big amount for me, lekin I want to see all paper works complete, charity or no charity, I should know how the money is being utilized….he had stood in front of the dresser, trying to arrange his collar with one hand while he held the phone with other, it was then Bani took over, he let her do initially, but when Bani peeped from behind him, and caught his eyes in the reflection, he frowned, nodded and left abruptly from that time Bani has been noticing things are not the way it was a few days back……Jai was frowning constantly, hardly speaking to anyone, Bani could also smell drink in his breath, o.k. he drank but not more than one peg, for the last 2/3 days the intake it seems has increased. Bani was at a loss she did not know what to do, whose help to take as everyone was aware of his mood and everyone was avoiding him as far as possible aur toh aur Aditya uncle bhi, infact Masi was speaking to him a little while ago asking has he found out the reason for Munna's off mood, Aditya uncle raised his hands….
Bani was making bed, wondering when will Jai come to bed, when she heard a knock to see masi standing….
Sone ki taiyyari kar rahi hai tu…
Ji, Bani replied…
Ek baath batah, keya tum dono me jhagra huwa hai kisi baath ka…
Nehi masi, agar huwi hoti toh mujhe samaj me atah why Mr Walia is upset…lekin shayyad usdin Lalita Bua ayi thi…
Woh toh purani baath hai beti, Lalita to aye huye 3 din ho gaye…Aditya ne kaha Lalita ko trust ke paisa chahiya tha, toh Munna is setting up a trust for Meera…
Shayad isiliye…
Shayad isiliye matlab, ha munna jaroor dabayo me akar kar raha hai, lekin woh agar yeh kam kar rahe hai toh upset rehne se faida, Masi asked…
Mujhe keya maloom masi…
Tujhe maloom karna parega beta….tu ja, jakar pooch keya baath hai, study me baithkar pi raha hoga…
Mai, Bani's nervous look was back...
Aur kaun beta, Aditya fail ho chukka hai, aur aisa pehli bar huwa hai, Munna hume kuch nehi bataye lekin Aditya ko toh bata hi deta hai…thora time jaroor leta hai lekin is bar toh usne haad kar diya, muh kholne ka naam hi nehi le rahe hai….
Woh mujhe, mere samne…Bani was stammering badly and shaking visibly…
Masi came up to her….
Dekh beta, mujhe ma maloom hai ki tera pehli shaadi, matlab har admi ek jaisa nehi hote hai, ha Munna jaroor gusse wala hai lekin tere sharir me haath nehi uthayega, utna toh mai janti hu…
Woh mujhe kuch nehi bataye toh..
Koushish karke toh dekh, aur beta har pati patni me jhagra hote hai, darne se kaisa chalega…
Masi squeezed Bani's shoulders, dekh beta, dekh tera saya bahar khari hai, tu kitna lucky hai, ki tere dusre shaadi me, tere saath apna koi hai tujhe madat karne ke liye, Rano, tera aur mera beech ana toh nehi chahati hai lekin apna didi ko chhor ke bhi nehi ja sakti hai….uske saath study tak ja, lekin andar akele hi jana, kiyuki pati-patni ke beech teesra kisi ka sthan nehi hai, agar tujhe lagta hai Meera ki Trust ke liye Munna chintit hai, bata de tujhe yeh pasand nehi hai…
Lekin
Koi lekin nehi beta, admi agar apne aap ne ghuttaa rahega, bimar ho jayega, aur patni hone ke nate tu ye toh nehi hone de sakta….
Bani stared at Masi, she was torn between her love and her nervousness to face an angry person…
Masi called out to Rano who was standing outside, asked her to take Bani upto Jai's study, uske ageh nehi, Bani ko andar akele he bhejna beta….
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Advocate Anjali Awasthi
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