Read at your own risk...it is to do with the today's episode.
Opening and Closing of Wounds
Part E – The Final Wound
Jai Walia looked at the two pair tiny brown eyes staring back at him. He felt as if heart would burst at the amount of happiness he felt. His Krishna and Atharva had come back to him. He looked at the tired face of his wife…his life as he thought of her everytime he looked at her. Bani's face was pale from the exhaustion, the birth of the twins had not been easy. She smiled softly as she pushed back the clammy hair from her face, seeing him now with their babies made tears shimmer in her eyes, all the aches and pain of the pregnancy forgotten.
For a moment her mind flew back to the day she had told him about being pregnant. He had been angry, told her he didn't want any more children, he was happy with his Ganga. The news that she was carrying twins again had run a fear through him, remembering last time she had been pregnant with twins. He didn't want to lose her if complications arose. It took days for Bani to make him accept the fact she was pregnant and she was going to go through with it. It was the day of the ultrasound, when Jai had accompanied her and seen two bearing hearts on the monitor had filled him up with emotions of the two tiny lives that Bani was carrying. After the appointment, he had not gone back to the office but had driven straight to their farmhouse and spent two days with her, talking about and making plans for the babies. It had been the two most wonderful days in her life, she would always treasure.
Jai laid the babies in the crib and sat down next to Bani. Holding her hand he asked, "Tired?"
"Hmmm." Bani just closed her eyes and savoured his presence.
"Are you up to seeing rest of the family? They are all outside waiting." Jai asked, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead.
Bani opened her eyes and locked eyes with him, "Could you send Rano in first so she can help me freshen up a bit and then I will see them."
Jai nodded and left the room and sent Rano in.
Two days later Bani returned home. The family had decorated the house to welcome them in. Masi did arti of family before they were allowed to enter. For a few hours the house was a bustle with people popping in and out of the nursery. Bani was confined to her bed by masi. Bani was not allowed to get up to feed the babies. Of course Ganga was super excited by her little brother and sister and stayed most of the time in the nursery even when they were asleep. Jai spent the minimum hours at the office, preferring to be at home with his family. This time he wanted to make up for all the times he never got to see his babies grow up. It amused masi, dadi and Bani to see him struggle to change diapers, to bathe and dress them. Adi, Ranveer, Rano and Raashi teased him mercilessly about being his kids nanny. Jai good-humouredly took it all in his stride.
It was a surprise when few weeks later Mohan turned up at the Walia house with Meera. Meera was surprised to learn of the birth of the babies. Bani warmly embraced Meera, remembering Meera's generosity towards her daughter.
Meera looked at the two angels sleeping in the crib and for the she felt a surge of jealousy…jealousy towards Bani for getting everything that she was denied…love of a man she still loved bitterly…the family she never had a chance to have because the man she loved did not love her…he was blindly in love with the woman standing in front of her. She had left Walia house knowing she never stood a chance with Jai while Bani was still alive. The year away, she had tried to forget him, tried to forget the time she had spent with him, but it had been a futile…she had become miserable and depressed enough to take an overdose.
Mohan had been furious when he found out. He berated her for walking out on Jai instead of fighting for what she wanted. How could she so easily give up Jai to Bani? Mohan drummed into her for days about trying to win at anything in life at all cost. It's how he had become a successful businessman and still remained so. Mohan's constant nagging had started to sow seeds of hatred towards Jai and Bani. May be if she had been more demanding of Jai, he would have forgotten Bani and become hers. Mohan had learned of Jai having twins and he was filled with rage at how those children should have been Jai and Meera's. He should be the one who should be playing with those kids, his sister's kids.
On the way home Mohan noticed Meera's changed mood and asked her what was the matter. Meera burst out crying and told him how she felt about not being a mother…about not being in the Walia house beside Jai…about not have the love of the man and family she so much desired. Mohan smiled silently and knew what he had to do to get Meera back into Jai's life. When they reached home he calmed Meera down and talked to her calmly about getting Jai back. He told her not to waste tears but instead think of ways to get what she wanted.
After few days of obessing on her situation Meera became a regular visitor to the Walia house. She would spend time helping with the babies or in the house and did not miss and opportunity to be around Jai when he was in the house. The family were relaxed Meera was happy being with them. Masi and dadi had been uneasy not knowing how Meera would be with Bani, after all Bani had taken her place in their life again. They knew Meera loved Jai just as much as Bani did, in fact dadi had confined to masi that she had been happy when Jai had married Meera as she reminded her so of Bani. Meera had many of traits of Bani, same soft spoken, loving and caring about the family.
Even Jai enjoyed Meera's company now. It wasn't uncommon to see the two of them sitting late into the night and chatting while Bani had retired to bed. Meera delighted in this opportunity to spend time with him alone, even if it was just talking while Jai failed to notice the looks of longing Meera cast his way. Away from the house, Meera would burn with jealousy against Bani. Each minute now she spent away from Jai seemed to leave a cut on her heart. At nights she had dreams about Jai and her having a happy life. With the dreams she also had violent nightmares…nightmares where she and Bani were locked in an eternal battle for Jai. When she woke from one of these nightmare, her eyes burned with fury, fury against the woman who was sleeping next to Jai.
Three months later, Jai announced he was taking Bani and family to Mt Abu to visit Bani's home. He had repurchased the house back as a gift for Bani and her sisters. Jai invited Meera to come along with them. Jai had the house decorated and refurnished for them, even going to the length of having a nursery done up next to their bedroom. The whole family arrived in Mt Abu, having flown in on the private jet Jai had hired. Tears welled up in Bani and Rano's eyes as they stepped into the house. The home still seemed to echo with their childhood.
bani lay Krishna and Atharva in the their crib and walked into the adjoining bedroom. Jai stood near the window, looking outside. Bani walked up to him and hugged him from the back and whispered, "Thank you so much Jai." Jai pulled her around and kissed her passionately, unaware the door of their room was wide open and anyone could look in. Meera stood and stared at Jai and Bani locked in the kiss. Her fingers curled into fist, the nails digging into her palm. The burning fury made her eyes burn and her head spin. She turned sharply and ran to her room, slamming the door. She lay on the bed breathing heavily, the image of Jai and Bani seemed to have been burned permanently in her mind.
Her hands curled, uncurled as she twisted on the bed. Only one thought occupied her mind, somehow she had to get rid of Bani. Meera feigned headache at dinnertime and stayed in her room. If anyone entered her room she pretended to be asleep. She did not want to see anyone or talk to anyone, especially Bani. That night sleep evaded Meera and she spent the night pacing her room and couple of time, stealthily creeping out of the room to Jai and Bani's room. She would stand outside, her hand resting on the door. The fear of someone seeing her or the occupants of the room being awake stopped her form entering the room.
The next day the family decided to visit the local sights leaving Bani alone with the babies. Masi offered to stay but Bani refused, saying she could manage for few hours without any help. Meera joined them on the excursion too, even though she had a splitting headache from not sleeping at night. The thought she would get to be with Jai had calmed her a little. An hour of their leaving, Jai phoned Bani to find out if she and the babies were ok, only to be chided playfully by Bani about checking up on her so early. Meera watched the glow on Jai's face as he talked to Bani. His laughter bore into her heart, seeming to create a great big hole from which she bled. Suddenly she held her head and swooned, clutching at Jai. Jai who had finished his call, grabbed Meera and steadied her. Meera rested her head on his shoulder. Jai asked with concern, "Meera what's wrong?"
"I have a splitting headache. I thought if being outside would get rid of it but it's got worse. I think I will go home. Do you think the driver could drop me home Jai? Tears rolled down Meera's cheek as she looked with pained face at Jai. Jai wiped her tears away, "Of course. Go home and rest. I will call Bani later to check up on both of you." Meera tried to smile, "Thanks Jai." She planted a quick kiss on his cheek and walked away.
During the drive home, Meera smirked at how easily she had been able to get away from the family. The driver let her out at the house before returning back. Meera entered the house slowly and stood listening for sounds. There was dead silence in the house. She took her heels off and walked slowly towards the nursery. The door to the nursery was open and Meera stepped in to find it empty. Through the open connecting door she saw Bani sleeping with the babies on the bed. She watched Bani's steady breath, her arm lay naturally over Krishna and Atharva. Meera walked towards the bed and carefully removed Bani's arm and picked up the babies and put them in crib. She stayed few seconds to make sure the babies did not wake up. Then with her heart drumming to a staccato beat, she retraced her step back to Bani. Again watching her for few minutes, she stepped into the adjoining bathroom and looked around. Finally she stepped up to the Jacuzzi tub and turned the taps on letting the water rise to fill it up. She stood by the closed door of the bathroom, listening for any sounds. When the tub was filled she turned the taps off and entered the room and looked around.
Not finding what she was looking for, Meera stepped out of her room and made her way to the kitchen. There in the corner she saw stone mortar and pestle. She picked up the heavy pestle and grinned. Peeking into the room she saw Bani was still asleep. Sweat beads broke on her lips as she approached the bed. Wrapping the thick bed covering around the pestle, she gripped and with a sudden force brought it down on Bani's head. Bani's head rolled to the side, her eyelid partly open in shock. Quickly Meera undressed Bani and then dragged her to the bathroom and rolled her in the filled tub and held her down in the water. No sign of struggle came from Bani, the blow to the head having done its job. Meera stayed still holding Bani down, the blood rushing wildly through her she looked at lifeless body of Bani under the water. Carefully taking her hand out and wiping it with a towel, she returned to the room and carefully redid the dragged bed sheets on the bed. She picked up the pestle and quickly returned it back to the kitchen.
Returning to her room, she sat and rocked herself, the adrenaline rush making her wildly happy at removing the obstacle that had stood in between her and Jai. After a couple of minutes she returned to Bani's room and picked up Bani's cell phone and called Jai. Screaming hysterically Meera stammered asking him to come home.
Half an hour later, Jai knelt at the side of the Jacuzzi tub, his eye not believing what he was seeing. A scream rang out of the bathroom as Jai pulled Bani out of the water and beat at her chest. Masi and family stood at the doorway not believing what they were seeing. Meera slid on the floor beside Jai and held him.
The scream had woken up the babies, Ganga who could not push past everyone stood near the bathroom, ran into the nursery and stared at her crying brother and sister. Unable to reach into the crib, she gripped the crib as she cried with them.
THE END
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Anupamaa
