Toota Taara
(Owner of this graphic: kaqpsuik)
Know that I loved you from the start
Know that I believed in who we are
I never dreamed my life this way
Don't wish upon a falling star
Love will remind us who we are
I dreamed a dream so much is changed
Wake, you've been sleeping
And tell me what to believe in
You fell so far you should have been a star
Before the light begins to fade
I was hoping that you'd show me the way
To never ever be afraid to change
Wake, you've been sleeping
And tell me what to believe in
Wake, you've been sleeping
You pushed too far now you're bleeding
You fell so far you should have been a star
The light that you've been keeping inside
Will guide you on your way.(Artist: Jet from the movie Spiderman 3
"Maama, do I have to go?" the little girl clung to her mother and cried, her little body shaking.
"Beta it's only for a little while, you know I have to go away and masiba can't look after you. You will like it at Ranomasi's house and you get to play with Varun bhaiya everyday."
"No! I don't want to stay with masi. I want to stay with you." The girl pummelled her small fists into her mother's chest.
Bani with effort held her daughter's fists and turning her voice up a pitch, "Ganga stop it! We talked about this before. You know why I can't take me with you. I promise you will like at masi's house and you won't even miss me."
Ganga pushed herself away from Bani's chest and slid on to the floor. The tears stopped and her face turned red and she screamed, "I hate you…I hate you. You don't want me. Daddy doesn't want me. Nobody loves me." Gange ran off to her bedroom and shut door hard and flung herself on the bed and started crying again.
Masi who had heard all while in the kitchen, came out and looked sadly at Bani, who sat gazing at nothing, her face stone cold. Masi laid her hand on Bani's shoulder, "Meri baat manjaye Bani, aisa naa kaar baachi ke saath. Jo hoga mei sabh kuch sambhal lugi…tu theek hojegi jaldi se. Bhagwan pe bharosa rakh."
Bani brushed masi's hand off, "Thak gayi hoon mei Bhagwan se bhi. Kitne baar meri pariksha lega…kya bigada meine kisika…harbaar kyun mujhe bhogatna hai. Dosh kisika aur saaja mujhe."
Masi ran her hand down Bani's back, "Aisa maat bol, himaat harjayegi toh kaise theek hogi. Kyun nahi usko keh de ke woh unki papa ke paas…"
"Nahi masi! Aapko maloom hai ke woh abhi bhi mujhese naraaz hai aur samejte hai ke Ganga Daksh aur meri beti hai. Itne saal baad bhi woh saach nahi samaj paye. Nahi mujhe Ganga dil nahi todna...jeene do usko apni asha ke saath…baith karne do uske taro ke saath. Ek din uska sapna sayaad saach hoga."
When Rano came to pick her neice up, she found Ganga sitting on a chair crying silently. Masi was sitting next to her with her arm around Ganga. "Where is Di?" Rano asked.
Masi didn't say anything but pointed towards the bedroom. Rano walked quietly and knocked on the door before entering. Bani was curled up on the bed, gazing at the wall. Rano sat down and put her arm around her, "Di."
Bani sat up and hugged Rano. "Aa gayi. Thanks Rano. I hope she won't be any trouble. I will phone you when ever I can."
Rano gazed with pity at her sister, "Are you sure you want to do this? You realize Ganga may get hurt more when she finds out the truth."
Bani shook her head, eyes moist with tears, "No Rano. It's better this way. Hopefully by the time she knows the truth, may be Jai will have formed a bond with her and will be there for her."
Rano gave a deep sigh and hugged Bani once more, "Promise you will phone if there is anything else I can do for you."
"Promise." Bani smiled and stood up, "Now go before I give in…"
Bani stood at the window and watched as Rano led Ganga to the waiting car. Tears rolled down, now she could cry freely and not worry about Ganga seeing her broken down. Masi came and stood by her. Both of them watched until the car disappeared from the view.
Six months………
The morning sun filled the room with light as Ganga woke up. As usual, she opened her drawer and took out the photo of her mother and herself taken on her last birthday. She kissed the photo, "Good morning mama. I hope you are feeling better today. I was worried last night when I talked to you. You sounded sick but you said you were just tired from work. You know mamma today is Saturday and Jai mama is going to take us to the farmhouse for the weekend. I forgot to tell you last night. He is not so khadoos any more. I think he likes me a little." Ganga put the photo away and jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.
Breakfast was a noisy affair, Ganga and Varun kept up non-stop chatter. Jigyasa as usual glared at the kids and Jai now sat and listened to their chatter with a smile on his face while pretending to read paper. Initially he had tried to stop Ganga from talking while eating but was forced to relent. Now he would miss the kids if they were missing at meal times. Jigyasa had tried hard to get Jai to kick Ganga out of the house but had failed. Jai had fallen for the sob story Rano had weaved about Ganga's mother being seriously ill and had no one to take care of Ganga and so had asked her for a favour.
Jai had found over the months Ganga somehow filled the void in the home left by the death of his twins. She seemed to liven up the atmosphere. But there were days and night when he had found her tucked away in her room crying silently clinging to the photo. He had left her alone and never asked her why she was crying or who was in the photo who made her cry. One day at night he had seen her looking at the stars and talking and he had asked her what she was talking about and she had innocently said, "I am talking to my father. I don't know where he is so I talk to the stars and hope he can hear me." Jai had taken it mean her father was dead but Ganga set him straight her father had left her mother and gone away and never returned. Jai had silently cursed the fool for leaving a abandoning his family.
It was Tony who came an uneasily and told Rano, someone was here to see her and Ganga. When Rano asked Tony to bring them in, Tony told her the person refused to come in. Rano excused herself and went to the door. Masi stood outside looking pale and tired.
Rano rushed to her, "Masi kuch hua, aap andar ayeya na."
Masi shook her head, "Nahi Rano. Meh baas Ganga ko lejana chahti hoon Bani ke paas. Bahut weak hogaye hai…doctors kehte Bani ke paas abhi bahut kaam din hai. Mai nahi chati ke Ganga ke bina dekh woh chale jaye."
Tears spilled from Rano's eyes, "Aisa maat bolo masi. Di ko kuch nahi hoga."
Masi just shook her head. Rano turned and wiped her eyes and went back inside. She called Ganga to follow her and brought her outside. Ganga ran to masi and hugged her tight. "Dadi, I really missed you. Aap ne kabhi phone bhi nahi kiya. Mamma aagaye."
Masi smiled, "Haan beta, mei tujhe uski paas lejana chati hoon. Ayegi meri saath?"
Ganga looked at Rano, "Can I go masi?"
Rano nodded her head, "Go and phone me when you want to come back. I will come and pick you up."
The thought of going to the farmhouse was forgotten by the excitement of seeing her mother. When Rano walked back into the house alone, Jai looked at her, "Where did Ganga go?"
"Her mother doesn't have many days left and her dadi wanted to take her to see her mother." Rano answered quietly.
Jai put his paper down. "Rano why did you let go alone? Why didn't you go with her?"
Controlling her tears, Rano looked at him stricken-faced and just shook her face and ran upstairs. Jai looked bewildered after her. Jigyasa shouted aloud after her, "Mood off kaar diya farmhouse jaane ka. Bhaiya kya aap kyun unki sabh baite sach mante hai. Kuch nahi pata hume Ganga ke bare mei aur apne itne din usko yahaan rehne diya. Uski dadi toh thi phir Rano ko usko yahaan kyun ke aye."
Jai losing his temper, "Jigyasa stop going on about it. Mujhe haak hai mein kya karu ya na karu issi mere ghar mei. Shaadi ke baad tune bhi yahaan rehna pasand kiya…maine maana kiya hota toh kya karti?"
The red colour seeped over Jigyasa's face, she threw her napkin on the table and stormed off. Jai cancelled their trip to the farmhouse. Ganga did not return to Walia mansion.
Ganga sat with masi next to the hospital bed where Bani lay sleeping, opening her eyes occasionally for few minutes. Try as hard as she could, she could not tell her daughter things she wanted to say. Instead she would look helplessly at Ganga crying while Ganga would wipe her tears away telling her to stop crying and nothing was going to happen to her mom. Ganga refused to leave Bani's bedside, admonishing masi for making her go with Rano in the first place. Masi was surprised at Ganga's strength, yes she had cried initially, but when she saw tears flowing out of Bani's eyes she become her mother's comforter.
Several days had passed and Ganga had not returned. Jai returned home every evening expecting to be met by her smiling face only to be disappointed. Couple of times he had asked Rano only to be told Ganga had refused to come back, wanting to stay near her mom.
Few days later Jai saw Rano dressed in a white sari coming down the stairs, he couldn't help but ask who's funeral she was going to. On hearing Rano say she was attending Ganga's mother's last rites, Jai asked if he could come. Rano looked at him intensely for few moments, "Will you have the courage to look at Ganga's mother's face? Rano asked.
"Why not? Death is always sad and if I want to come to comfort Ganga. I have missed her this few days she hasn't been here."
Rano and Jai entered the small apartment where Bani had lived. Jai was shocked to see masi sitting with Ganga next to the body on the floor. His steps faltered for some reason…not wanting to be here anymore. Rano sat down next to masi. Masi looked at Jai but did not say anything. She turned her eyes back towards the body. Ganga watched Jai standing by the door for a few moments and then she stood up and came to him. "Will you not come and sit with me? She asked tearfully. She held her hand out. Jai put his hand in hers and let her lead them back towards the body. Jai flinched as his eyes fell on the Bani's face. He looked accursedly towards Rano and then masi.
Sparks of anger flitted inside his eyes…anger at being left in the dark…anger at Rano not confiding him about Ganga. Five years ago he had behaved inhumanely towards the person who was lying dead before him. Yes he had been a monster that day…and for some times after but over the years he had come to regret what he had done. He hated Rano at that moment for not understanding him one bit. Ganga tugged at his hand and whispered, "Isn't my mom beautiful?" Tears rolled down his eyes as he choked to say, "Yes."
Later at night Jai sat in front of masi and Rano as masi told him everything that had happened in Bani's life. The truth that hurt him the most was when masi told him Ganga was his child. Bani had lived the five years hoping he would come back to her…always believing their love was strong enough to pull him back to her. With tears in her eyes Masi looked at Jai, the despair in her voice made his heart constrict, "Do you know Jai, whenever Ganga saw a falling star, her one wish was always to see her mother and father together."
THE END
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
