Hi all... How was the week... I had a terrible week with less time spent on IF...😆 Sorry that I am disappointing you people with my irregular updates. But I guess you will have to tolerate this for two more weeks, till I arrange a internet connection for me... 😳
Previous Parts:
Part 1 - Page 1; Part 2 - Page 3; Part 3 - Page 6; Part 4 - Page 9; Part 5 - Page 12;
Flashback 1: (1.1-1.3) - Page 16; 1.4 - Page 23; 1.5 - Page 26; 1.6 - Page 30; 1.7 - Page 33; 1.8 - Page 35; 1.9 - Page 38; 1.10 - Page 41; 1.11 - Page 45;
Part 6 - Page 48; Part 7 - Page 53; Part 8 - Page 58;
Flashback 2 - Page 62;
Part 9 - Page 65; Part 10 - Page 68;
Flashback 3 A - Page 73; 3B - Page 76; 3C - Page 79; 3D - Page 81; 3E - Page 86; 3F - Page 89;
Part 11 - Page 94; Part 12 - Page 97;
Flashback 4 - Page 97
Part 13 - Page 103;
Journey into Bani's thoughts: 1 - Page 107; 2 - Page 111; 3 - Page 114; 4 - Page 118
Part 14 - Page 120; Part 15A - Page 125;
Here goes the next part-
Part 15B
Young Bani was returning back to her home as usual. Jai stopped her from behind saying he would drop her at her house. Bani waited for Jai to bring his cycle. As usual, she took care to sit in the cycle. Jai started riding. Bani was speaking this and that while Jai was riding. Suddenly at one moment, Bani lost her balance and fell down. Jai rode away without knowing that Bani was left behind. She was so caught up in the pain that she swallowed to control it that when he raised her head to look up, Jai was totally out of sight. Bani looked around everywhere. She was lying in the road alone. She stood up on her feet and looked in the direction where she was going…… Suddenly she was caught up in a swirl and she was taken to a different place…. Bani looked around to see a different place. Never in her life, had she been to such a place… She looked around…. It was so rocky. She climbed and walked in some way where her feet let… Atlast she became tired and sat at one point of time. She was panting heavily. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her. Bani turned to the direction of the voice. Her eyes widened.
"Aunty…!!!!!" She exclaimed. She saw Uday uncle following Krishna aunty.
"Tum yahaan kya kar rahi ho?" Krishna asked.
Bani then realized where she was. "Pata nahin… yahaan kaise aa gayi!!!"
"Jai kahaan hai?" Krishna asked.
Bani pouted her lips. "Woh mujhe chodkar chala gaya!!!"
Uday laughed.
Bani frowned and asked, "Aap has kyun rahe hai?"
"Tumhari baat sunkar…"
"Kyun?" Bani frowned again.
"Jai tumhein chodkar kahaan ja sakta hai? Ek din tumhare paas hi toh aana hai use…" Uday said affectionately, yet mischievously and teasingly.
Bani for a second was surprised, then said, "Woh… mere paas aayega…?!!" Then, after a thought, she added, "Nahin, nahin… woh mere paas nahin aayega…"
"Aise kaise?" Uday and Krishna asked in unison.
Bani looked at both of them and blinked, "Use main pasand hi nahin hoon… Woh mere paas nahin aayega…" she said softly shaking her head.
Krishna felt bad for her. She came near Bani. She affectionately held her face in her palms. "Meri baat par bharosa hai na tumhein?" She asked. Bani thought for a split second and nodded her head. "Main keh rahi hoon, woh zaroor aayega…"
Bani repeated with her head lowered, "Woh nahin aayega…"
"Woh zaroor aayega…" Krishna repeated.
"Hum zabardasti nahin kar sakte…" Bani said looking at Krishna.
"Zabardasti kyun? Woh khud hi aayega…" Krishna said confidently. "Jab woh aayega, tum uska khayal rakhoge na?" Krishna asked.
"Woh mere paas nahin aayega…" Bani said and ran away from both of them… She ran and ran paying no heed to Krishna's and Uday's voices calling her from behind… She ran and ran till she fell down flat on her face…
Bani opened her eyes all of a sudden. She saw a ceiling. She felt her eyes heavy. They closed by themselves. She tried to keep her eyes open. Slowly, she sensed pain in her right hand. She tried to fold it, but she felt her arms heavy. She turned to her right. Her eyes widened and then her forehead frowned. She blinked her eyes continuously and saw the person sleeping with his head placed near her right arm seated in a chair nearby. She was not able to believe. But the question was – what was he doing here? Was he here because she had got hurt because of him? Or was it because aunty and uncle wanted him to be here? She did not know the answers. She just stared at the face lying beside her, blinking occasionally.
***
Jai opened his eyes once to see whether Bani was sleeping and then closed his eyes immediately. Then, he realized that Bani was awake. He opened his eyes immediately and looked at her – she was staring at his face. Jai lifted his face from the bed and sat in a proper position in the chair. He smiled lazily at Bani. But Bani continued to stare at him. Jai took a deep breath and sighed. He pulled the chair beside the bed and brought his face near Bani. He places his hand on her forhead and stroked her forehead to her hair.
"Good Morning…" Jai said as he stroked.
Bani's eyes were heavy, yet she tried to keep it open.
Jai waited for Bani to say something. But, she did not. He smiled at her and said, "Ghar chalein?"
Aligarh was the first thing that came to Bani's mind as soon as Jai said, 'Ghar chalein?'
Bani asked softly, "Aap… aap mujhe le jaayenge?" she asked referring to Aligarh.
Jai was puzzled at her question. He tried to hide his thoughts. "Haan…" he smiled at her.
"Lekin…" Bani frowned.
"Lekin, kya?" Jai asked softly.
"Lekin, aap toh mere saath aana pasand nahin karenge… Aap toh mujhe chodke chale gaye?" Bani blinked and asked.
Shock was a mild word to describe Jai's condition. He cleared his throat and managed to ask, "Main… maine tumhein choda?"
"Haan… aap toh mujhe chodke chale gaye… Aligarh mein…" she shook her head and said. Jai was completely clueless where the conversation was heading towards. He just let his ears to what Bani was speaking. "Agar ek baar batate ki main aapko pareshan kar rahi hoon, toh main aapko pareshaan nahin karti naa… chodke jaane ki kya zaroorat thi?" she accused him mildly. She continued, "Maine aunty ko bata di… ki tum mere paas nahin aaoge… uncle ko bhi ye baat bata di…" she said as if he was complaining and she was explaining.
Jai swallowed. Then, he managed to ask, "Unhone kya kaha?"
Bani said softly, "Unhone kaha ki tum mere paas wapas aaoge…" and looked at him.
Jai smiled, "Teek hi toh kaha tha… Dekho, tumhare paas hoon." He stroked her hair.
Bani blinked, "Mere paas…?"
Jai smiled, "Haan… tumhare paas…"
They both looked at each other for sometime.
Jai recovered and said, "Main doctor ko dekhke aata hoon…" He got up from the chair and walked towards the door.
He stopped on his tracks, when he heard Bani saying, "Aap bhi mere saath Aligarh aayenge?"
"Aligarh?" He turned and asked her.
"Haan… hum Aligarh hi toh jaa rahe hai?" Bani asked back.
Jai looked at her for sometime wondering what to say. But Bani mistook his silence.
She said, "Toh aap nahin aayenge?"
Jai answered immediately, "Kyun nahin aaonga? Zaroor aaonga… Tum rest lo. Main abhi doctor se milke aata hoon. Teek hai?" Bani nodded her head and Jai left the room.
Bani was left with her thoughts wandering around Aligarh.
***
Jai closed the door behind him and stood at the door for sometime. He tried to understand what Bani was speaking about. Suddenly Aligarh? After so many years? Why, today? He could say something was running in her mind, but was not able to understand it or guess it. He just prayed that he could handle her questions for time being. He walked towards Doctor's cabin.
***
When he returned back to the room, Bani was sleeping. Jai did not want to disturb her. Suddenly, he remembered, that he did not tell Bani about her pregnancy. But… Will she take it in a positive way? Later decided, when she was ready to take his words, he would inform her.
***
When Bani woke up again, she saw Jai sitting in front of her. He smiled at her as soon as she opened her eyes.
He came to her and said, "Doctor ne ghar jaane ka permission de diya…"
Bani's face brightened. She tried to sit on the bed. But Jai stopped her. "Doctor ne kaha kit um bahut kamzoor ho… Tab tak journey nahin kar sakti…"
Her face fell and she asked, "Toh hum kahaan jaayenge?"
"Apna ghar hai na, Mumbai mein…" Jai said.
Bani remembered the house and kept quiet. Jai understood that she was not willing to come to the house.
Jai said softly, "Main tumhein Aligarh le jaaonga, Bani… Promise…"
"Pakka?" Bani asked.
Jai smiled and said, "Pakka."
Bani smiled a little.
Jai felt relieved and said, "Main discharge papers collect karke aata hoon. Teek hai?" Bani nodded and he turned to leave the room.
Bani stopped from behind. "Jai… mujhe bhook lagi hai…"
Jai stopped where he was. Did he hear right? Did Bani really call him by his name? He turned back. He asked her, "Kya?"
She said, "Mujhe bhook lagi hai…"
Jai smiled and thought, may be he was dreaming. But better, it was not a dream. He said, "Khana lata hoon… Thoda pani peeyoge?"
Bani thought for a second and nodded her head. Jai poured a glass of water and tried to help her in drinking. But he got it from his hand and drank by herself.
Jai kept the glass back on place and went to collect the discharge papers.
Thanks for reading 😳
Note: I guess there wont be update tomorrow. I am shifting my house. So will be busy with the packing, etc.
