The Concluding Part:-
Milind went out to meet his friends… they were all gathered in the center of the chawl and from where Milind was standing he could see Prachi, Sukruti and Massi through the window of his house. Milind simply overwhelmed at the way the day had turned out for him… for him and Prachi, he chided himself seeing Prachi happily chattering away with the two. '…kya kehete ho, Milind?' nudged Ali… Milind wasn't even following the conversation 'Huh? Theek hai agar tumlog kehte ho to…' he trailed off seeing the reaction of his friends… he cursed under his breath, that wasn't a satisfactory answer he assumed… he tried to be as general as possible to the question of his friends… but failed. 'Milind Bhai?' Pakiya asked in confusion… but by that time Milind's best friend, Ali had figured out Milind's object of distraction. Looking at a confused Milind he broke down into laughter and said 'Tu kahe tho Prachi Bhabhi ko bulale? Shayad tera dyaan yahan par ho!' 'Chup be, Saale!' Milind said whacking his best friend on his head… but by then the entire gang broke into a jig around Milind. The commotion gained the attention of the Prachi, Sukruti & Massi…seeing Milind in the center of it, they came out… Sukruti asked what was going on… even as Milind tried to stop him from answering, Pakiya declared 'Bhai ko Prachi Bhabhi ke bina ek pal bhi chain nahi…Apun log ke sath rehkar bhi Bhabhi ko yahan se goor rahe hain'. Prachi was thoroughly embarrassed and looked at Milind who gave her a sheepish smile… her plight wasn't over yet, Sukruti said 'Arre yahan par bhi wahi haal hai… Bhabhi ka dyaan khane par kum aur Bhaiya par zyada tha'. More teasing and hooting came Milind and Prachi's way. Prachi excused herself saying the dhal must be cooked by now. She went in and wondered how did Sukruti note her? She thought she had been discreet as possible when she asked Sukruti to move to the side and took over her place near the window and continued cooking. She had wanted to see Milind in his elements, wanted to experience his days in the chawl, along with his friends… and kept stealing glances at him while she cooked and had seen having a whale of a time with his friends, smiling & laughing…simply carefree. She had never seen him like this... there was always one issue or the other , business or at home that had was weighing on his mind. She got out of her thoughts when she heard Sukruti and Massi giggling endlessly at what had happened. The whistle of the cooker got them back to their cooking.
Outside the celebration had stopped, because the person Milind was waiting for had come. Milind had been thinking he had to do something for the chawl that has given him so much… they had been his extended family… helping out eachother at the times of misery and celebrate eachother's happiness. This is what he loved about Mumbai, its Spirit… it was something he sorely missed when he was way and he had traveled enough to conclude there cant be another city like Amchi Mumbai. But like always, Mumbai's monsoon was trying times for its people… and particularly his chawl, which was a low lying area… which meant more water logging during heavy rains and the drainage was pathetic… which meant the water took longer to recede…and the roofs had a massive problem due to leakages. He wanted to do his bit for the chawl that had given him so much. That was the discussion he was having with his friends when Prachi by the window stole his attention. He wanted to sponsor a people's initiative program to look into the problems of the locality. He wanted to start with his own Chawl that needed a good drainage along with water proofing for its roof. Mr. Sharma, was a govt official with the Mumbai Muncipal Corporation….Milind had invited him over to have a look at the area and advise him on the government procedure that were required to get underway his plan. Having surveyed the chawl, the official gave them a set of instructions and more important an undertaking signed by the residents and Milind's own commitment to sponsor it. After Mr. Sharma had left, Milind told Ali to get an undertaking signed by all the chawl residents. By then Sukruti called him for lunch. When he about to leave… Ganpath handed him the Dahi Handi Shagun.
Milind came in and was about to place the Shagun on the table when Massi yelled, 'Kya kar raha hai?' used to Massi's reprimanding him almost all the time since his childhood, he asked a lethargic 'Ab kya hai, Massi?' 'wo Shagun bahu ke haath mein do… itna bhi nahi jante?' 'Mujhe kaise pata hoga…jahan tak main janta hoon…yeh meri pheli shadi hai' he offered with a combo of innocence and mischief directed towards Massi and Prachi respectively as he handed the Shagun over to Prachi. This won him a some trashing from Massi… Milind did what he always did to escape from her beating… he swiftly moved behind her and hugged her so that she couldn't beat him and would let go only when she gives up the thought of beating him. And this worked this time aswell… Massi said 'Tu bilkul nahi sudara na?' 'Main sudargaya tho aap karengi kya?' came a cheeky reply from Milind. But instead of making Massi laugh as he always does…he left her moist eyed. Prachi hinted to Milind through her eyes that it was right time to talk to Massi. 'Yeh kya Massi, aap itna dargayi ki roone laggayi? Mereko lagta hai ki ab apko yeh job full time lene chahiye… shayad 20 years leap ke badh hi sahi aap apne gunde ko finally sudarde' he said trying to cheer her up… but in no avail. Massi broke down unable to control the pain of her own child neglecting her while the kids that she has brought up were giving her so much of love and respect. Milind hugged her and allowed her to cry her heart out… He then wiped off her tears and said 'Ab bas, main janta hoon ki kya huha hai….aur main apko yahan akele rehene tho dunga nahi. Apko humhare saath chalna hoga.' Seeing Massi refuse him and knowing she was too self respecting he made her sit down and knelt down infront of her 'Massi, kya aapne jo humhare liye kiya usse ehsaan kahenge? Nahi na? Tho phir aap aisa kyun soch rahe hain? Yeh ehsaan nahi hai, Massi. Na hi yeh main apne farz ki tarah nibaraha hoon… humhara haq banta hai aap par. Zindagi ne itni kushiyoon diya hai to… aap bas usse pura kar dijiye….humhara pariwar pura kardijiye, Massi. Maan jayiye, Please.' Massi finally relents to Milind's request. Sukruti jumped in happiness and hugged her Massi along with her brother. Prachi stood and watched the three with tears of happiness in her eyes. Massi gestured her asking her to join them. She joined them, but couldn't seem to stop her tears…Milind reached out and wiped off her tears. Milind finally declared, 'ab chale, mereko buk lagi hai' anticipating more emotions to unleash.
The cozy family sat around their modest dining table and Prachi served them. Obviously, Massi couldn't stop praising her bahu's cookery skills and Milind beamed in pride as he ate his food… Prachi seated next to him was happy seeing her husband take pride in her. Massi as Shagun gave Prachi a silver sindoor holder. Seeing Milind completely oblivious, she reminded him he had to give something to Prachi as Shagun as she has prepared food for the 1st time in the house. 'Phele hi de chukka hoon, jiske waje se apki bahu ki hathoon se itna kamal ka khana bana hai…(reffering to his good luck kiss before he left)' 'Aree buddu, Shagun khane ke bhad diya jaa tha hai.. uske phele nahi.' 'Phir se…' he contemplated in mock confusion even as his eyes lit up when he reached for Prachi's hand under the table and held it. Prachi choked on her food because she knew what 'gift' he was talking about. Milind came to her rescue with a glass of water, but still his eyes were dancing in mischief…. Not trusting him any longer. She gently pushed him 'Main theek hoon'… 'Are you sure?' came a his reply which did sound like concern to the others present, but was more of a challenge and Prachi made no mistakes catching that one. 'Prachi, tera 'Shagun' udar raha merepe' he said when all had finished their food and Prachi stood up to clear the table with Sukruti's help. He couldnt help but give Prachi a devilish smile when she pleaded with his eyes to stop flirting around so bashfully infront of everyone.
After the late lunch, the family sat around talking. Massi had stories to tell about Milind and Sukruti's childhood and she did part with some valuable tips with Prachi to keep her fussy husband in check. And Prachi said 'Massi, ab tho aap saath hain… tho koi pareshani nahi hogi' she said with a teasing glance at her husband… 'Massi, mere kilaf tera saath tho kabhi nahi degi' he said confidently. 'Galath femi hai tujhe, Milind… main bahu ka saath dungi…yeh meri bahu nahi beti hai' and hugged her daughter in law. 'Yeh sadu, gissa pita dialogue us Kyunki Saas bhi kabhi bahu ti serial ki hai na? Wo serial abhi tak chalu hai? Ab mere ghar mein bhi Saas-Bahu drama shuru hojayega' he concluded even as he dodged cushions from Massi and Sukruti… who were ardent fans of the show for the last 7 years and Milind would crib everynight when he saw Massi and Sukruti watch that melodrama in high volume. 'Ab aap dono milke please mere biwi ko math bigadiye, please' Thankfully, his wife didnt share the craze for these melodramas...Oh, may be said it too early. 'Nahi main wo serial nahi dekti…par na wo 11 wala serial mujhe acha lagta…esp uska hero, itna acha acting kar leta hai aur phir bahut hi handsome hain' Prachi said. 'KYA?' came Milind fierce reaction… did his wife just call someone else handsome in front of him? And before he could react any further… Sukruti went, 'Arre bhabhi aap bhi Shabbir Ahluwalia ke fan ho?' Prachi nodded with a gleeful smile. Sukruti continued 'Bhabhi saamne se Shabbo aur bhi handsome lagta hai?' 'Shabbo?!?' and before Milind could think of something sarcastic to go with that nick name… he only fumed more at Prachi's excitement on where and how Sukruti had met Shabbir and now even he wanted to know where Sukuri met this 'Shabbo' guy. And to his astonishment and irritation that seemed to have happened in his hotel two weeks back at the launch of a celebrity sports club called 'Boxy Boys'. Prachi was surprised at Milind's reaction in the beginning and had decided to play on to teach him a lesson for all the bhadmashi he was upto the entire day…she couldn't help launghing seeing her husband seethe in jealousy… she knew exactly the thoughts on Milind's mind as he watched his wife and sister talk about this Shabbo dude… he must be thinking of a way to ban Shabbir entering their chain of hotels… and that is exactly what Milind was contemplating 'Saale ko zindagi bhar apne hotel mein kadam rakne nahi dunga' Milind promised himself he needs to catch a glimpse of who this Shabbir was and more importantly he swore his wife would never get the TV at 11. (Nevermind, the guy doesn't know there is a repeat in the afternoon and evening😉😆. That was a hypothetical situation… don't get into logic😕) The family continued their talk while Prachi made tea for them. Sukruti left soon after since she had made plans with Soumya, bobby and Saket. being the proetctive elder brother that Milind is...he gave her a list of instructions to follow including they would be home by 10 and they would take a driver along. Massi also left because Milind said they will leave together the next day…so she had to pack, Milind said he will get his staff to shift her things.
Milind and Prachi sat sipping their tea in leisure. It was surely a long day… but a very happy one. 'Kush ho?' Milind asked Prachi… he knew she was, but wanted to hear it from her… 'Bahut' she said with her whole heart. 'Thank You, Prachi… aaj jo kushiyon humhare parivar mein aaye hain, wo tumhare waje se aur tumse hi pure huhe hain' 'Tho thank you tho mujhe kehena chahiye na… Yeh parivar tho mujhe aap hi ne diya hai' Sitting in the same place from where he had begun his journey, he refelcted on how his life had changed for the better...not in terms of his financial status... but his emotional state... he was far more at peace with himself, he felt loved and cared for and all this was due to the beautiful lady who sat across him, may be unaware of the fact that she had touched his life in everyway. Prachi turned to see Milind who had grown silent and saw him with warm affection in his eyes for her... that filled her heart with unexplainable bliss.
Milind
zindagi mein aaye tum chaahaton ke raste
kaash yeh raste sanam kat jaaye haste haste
sone dildara tere pyar to main vaariyaan
meri ya duvaawa tainu lag jaave saariyaan
Prachi
chaand ho tum chaandani se bheega jaaye mann
jaaneman jaaneman
The warmth that he experienced in this house today…reminded him of the void that his mother had left when she had passed away, and today Prachi's presence in that house seemed to have filled it with the same essence and love. The thought of his mom reminded him, his mom had left behind her bangles for Sukruti and his bride. Somehow with all the tension and the ups and down that their relationship had passed through, Milind had completely forgotten about that. Those bangles were still kept in their safe locker. He went inside the room and took them out and called out for Prachi who was in the kitchen putting away their tea cups. 'Ji?' Prachi said as she came into the bedroom and saw him lost looking at a pair of bangles. When he didn't seem to register her presence… she put his hands on his shoulder, he looked up… his moist eyes broke Prachi's heart. 'Kya hua?' she asked holding his face… 'Ma ki yaad aagayi' he said with sad smile. That was all Prachi could take… if she couldn't comfort him, she wanted to be a part of his pain. Both stood like that a long moment, When Milind feeling a lot more composed, still holding Prachi… showed her his mom's Bangles. 'Yeh Ma ke hain. Baba kehete te ki Ma chahti ki yeh unki bahu pehene…ma hoti tho yeh tumhe bahut phele pehena chuki hoti' Prachi was so overwhelmed at that…but before she took it, she realized even Sukruti had a right over it when she voiced her concern… Milind shook his head, it was so typical of his wife to think of others before her. He waved out another pair of bangles and said 'Yeh Sukruti ke hain. Aur yeh tere' he said as he engulfed Prachi in his big arms and slid those bangles onto her wrist…'aur waise bhi shayad tereko Ma ki ashirwad ki zyda zarurath hai, zindagi bhar unke ladle ko jo jailna hai' he said to lighten the atmosphere… Prachi was still overwhelmed… he placed a soft kiss on her temples… and said 'Aur yeh meri taraf se.. tera shagun jo udar rahata merepe' she nudged him and he let out a fake cry.
'Ma ki koi tasveer nahi hai?' she asked him. 'Tasveer tho nahi hai… lekin ek minute' saying that he pulled out a file from the draw of a study table. 'Chalo,' he said and put it on the bed. He opened it… it seemed like it was a collection of sketches. She asked him who sketches… and was surprised to know her husband does…. She never knew this aspect of Milind. Milind pulled out a portrait very lovingly and showed it to Prachi… it was of his mother. His mother was beautiful, she had this serene and a peaceful face and soulful eyes, she noted her husband had inherited them along with her curly hair and the smile… she did look like everybit an epitome of motherhood and the fact that her son had caught her on that canvas… made that feature of hers stand out. 'Bahut Khubsurat hai na?' Milind just nodded in agreement. To shift his mood… Prachi asked 'apne bathaya nahi ki aap sketching bhi karte hain?' 'Haan shok tha… jab bhi akela bhaita reheta tha…tho karliya karta tha…lekin aajkal fursat nahi milti aur yeh shok kahin ko gaya.' Prachi could relate to it… even her dad used to love painting but he let that go after he took up the business a bit to seriously, she didn't want Milind to do the same. 'Papa ko bhi painting ka bahut shok tha, lekin unhone bhi kaam ke beech painting karna chod hi diya tha…aap aisa math kijiye…fursath nikal hi aayegi, agar irada ho to' Prachi choked because she remembered her dad, sensing that Milind did the same what Prachi was trying to do to him… shift her focus. He showed her different sketches. He seemed to have caught Sukruti's growing up in his sketches, there were lots of Sukruti's, Massi and… she stopped at the next portrait. Milind didn't know how to react as well. The sketch was Ayesha's. 'Wo….' began Milind. 'Main samajti hoon, Milind…mere saath bhi tho aisa hi kuch huha hai na?' Prachi's smile put him at ease, there was a sense of security he saw in her eyes, Prachi knew it from the bottom of her heart that her husband belonged to her now… and she knew he always would… even though Milind never said he loved her, she knew he did… there couldn't have been any other reason for her to feel so happy and at peace the way she had felt over the last few days. When she was alone and thought of Milind's small gestures…she couldn't help but break into the carpenter classic 'I am on top of the world.' They had come a long way in their relationship and faced a lot of ups and downs and one of the issues that they had overcome was the insecurity that they felt with regard to their partner's past and had accepted it as a part of their past even though Neev-Ayesha did have a impact on their present, they had learnt to keep them and their thoughts at bay and respected the memories of that relationship. Seeing through Ayesha's sketches… though Ayesha looked beautiful, Prachi could sense a characteristic sadness that came across. The genuine sisterly affection that Prachi still felt for Ayesha she asked Milind 'Ayesha ko kabhi muskurate huhe nahi dekha… bachpan mein bhi aisi hi ti?' 'Haan. Bahut koshish kiya tha ke wo kush rahe… par mujhse to huha nahi. May be because I wasn't destined to. Bas chahta hoon ki jiss tarah humhe ek dusare ka saath mila hai…. Neev aur Ayesha ke ristey ko bhi wahi dua lag jaye' 'Main bhi chati hoon ki undono ko saare kushiyoon mile' On that note Milind remembered he hadn't told Prachi about Neev's plan. Prachi was pleasantly surprised to know that Neev had purchased a house. Actually the seller of the property was a business associate of Milind and that is how in a casual talk that news had come out. Both of them wished that may be Neev-Ayesha's new home would bring them closer.
And that prayer was answered, well almost! Ayesha and Neev continued their discussion with their interior decorator. By the end of the 3 hours discussion…Ayesha felt as if she could see this house come alive. She felt strange when she thought she was never the domestic kind of a girl, but she had got so finicky with settings of this particular house and that too in a matter of 3-4 hours and Neev obliged all her tantrums infact had gone on to add his bit to enhance her suggestion. It just felt too right, a sensation Ayesha had never been used to…now she began to fear if she will loss it all over again. Neev had gone out to send off the interior decorator and when he came in he saw Ayesha standing in the center of the living room lost in her own thoughts. The 3-4 hours that he had spent with her was surely an eye opener for him. He felt he finally had met the real Ayesha. Yes, she was being stubborn about what she wanted even now, but there was childlike innocence in that unlike her stubbornness just to prove a point. In those 3 hours he knew he had made the biggest decision of his life and had seen the potency of that decision… now he was going to make sure it works right for Ayesha, for him… actually for THEM.
'Ma'am chale?' he asked. On getting silence for a reply… he walked and stood infront of her. She looked at him…gone was all the excitement she was brimming with in the past few minutes… it was now replaced by fear and insecurity he had always seen in her eyes. He never liked it even before because it had a very unsettling feeling about it… he battled himself a lot of times from offering her comfort. But he had stopped all those times, because he couldn't do anything about it… the fear, the insecurity didn't have anything to do with him… but the man who she loved even to this date. But this time there was something different about her insecurity… was he imagining things or were her eyes pleading him to put her insecurity to rest?
He took her hand in his lead her on to the seating area by a huge window… he made her sit and seated himself beside her, held her hand in his and asked her 'Kya hua?' he asked in the most comforting voice. 'Dar lag raha hai' she said as honestly, fighting back the tears, which were threatening to unleash. 'Kiss bath se?' he asked her pulling her closer to him. 'hamesha se jab kabhi bhi maine kissi ko ya kissi cheez ko apna maana hai…wo mujhse chen jaati hai…aur aab yeh ghar… agar yeh bhi…' 'Shhhhhh… aisa kuch nahi hoga… kabhi nahi hoga. Es bhar main zindagi ko tumse tumhara kuch bhi cheene nahi dunga. I promise' She broke down completely…he held her and didnt stop her, she needed to get rid of all the bitterness in her, he wanted all the anger, pain to leave her through her tears. She held on to him seeking peace for her weary heart, feeling defeated yet relieved at the same time… she looked up and stared into his eyes and for the 1st time feeling hope of a new life in his eyes. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but respond to his smile with a smile through her tears. There still was a question in her eyes...will they be able to put back their past and make this last a lifetime? He placed a kiss on her forehead, pulled her back into the realms of his arms and said 'We will survive this, Ayesha… and see we will grow old together sitting in this very place' He then put up an act of how he would be as an old man…coughing away. Ayesha broke into a laugh, she was amazed at how Neev could do way with her fears and make her laugh. Now when she looked at the house,leaning on Neev, held securely in his arms… she knew she had a home, a place which needed her just as much as she & Neev needed it and she promised herself that she would make it the most happiest place for her small family…. Yes, Family!
khwaabon ke iss ghar ki khair kare o rabba
duur talai kalash aur bair kare o rabba
naaz se bade maine kari hai tayyariya
din raat pyar diya nazara utaariya
yeh mohabbat hai ibaadat kabhi ho na kam
jaaneman jaaneman
Neev-Ayesha said a silent prayer and asked God to bless their home as they were making a new beginning in their relationship, In life itself!
Back in the chawl… Milind and Prachi were still going through his sketches… Milind had stories to tell about each one and Prachi was laughing through it. Prachi reached the final one…it was an incomplete one. It just had a pair of eyes… there was something very familiar, very intriguing about them… but before she could ponder on them, her attention shifted to her husband who was seeing that portrait with an indulgent and affectionate smile. 'Yeh kaun hai?' she asked trying to be as composed as possible, but Milind's amused reaction told her that her jealousy had come across. 'Main tho aise hi puch rahi ti… complete huha nahi hai na' He smiled wide… 'around a year back…ek din aise hi mulaqat hogayi… aur uske aankhen mein kuch ajeeb si Kashish ti, bas uski nazar mere zehan mein rehgaya tha…' before Milind could finish what he was saying… Prachi put that file on the bed in force not able to take his dreamy narration of his encounter with this mystery lady a year back. 'He was talking to his wife, didn't he realise that?' she fumed from within. She stood up to go 'tereko kya hua? Kahan jarahi hai?' Milind asked. 'Massi ki pass, dekhne unhe kissi cheez mein help tho nahi chahiye. Aur waise aap apni zehan par zor dijiye… shayad wo chehra bhi yaad ajaye apko aur aap yeh portrait complete karle. Continue, I wont disturb you' She said and walked out. Milind couldn't help but laugh, 'Women!?!'he mused. If only Prachi knew who it was…but serves her right, wasn't she enjoying him going jealous because of some 'Shabbo' now it is probably her turn.
He went back to the day he had met that lady in the portrait… he smiled. He took that portrait and seated himself on the study table… he looked at those eyes, they continued to mesmerize him even today… they looked beautiful even with anger seething in them just like they did 2 minutes back. If there was anyone who could mesmerize him like Prachi then.... it had to be Prachi herself!
He remembered how he didn't want to go to the Shah Mansion for Inder Shah's eldest daughter's Sangeet. But his sister and father were insistent. Making up his mind not to go… he was sitting with Ali in the evening in their fave 'adda', their chawl's tea stall. Seeing Milind irritated than usual, Ali had asked him what had happened… he cribbed about how he was expected to go to the Shah Mansion today and he didn't want to… what was irritating was the war of words that would begin between his father and him later during the day due to that. So Ali told him to go and mark his presence and come back, he is not required to hang around there. So finally Milind left wearing the new clothes his dad had brought him. 'Kya Nautanki hai… Us Inder Shah ki beti ki Sangeet mein mereko kaunsa dulha lagna hai?' he fussed and left without caring to make himself more presentable. When he met his father in the Shah mansion's garden he realized his father was indeed pleasantly surprised that he had come… though he masked it with a reprimand with regard to his dressing style. When he walked into the house along with his father… Inder had come to welcome them. Even though Milind had grown up with an aversion towards Inder and the Shah family, when he met Inder he did see the genuine man that he was, there was a sense of respect for him that Milind never expected to have. In hind sight Milind was thankful that Inder had approved of him on a basis human level and wished Inder was happy to see his daughter married to him.
Then came the moment he remembered even to date…. March 8th. Fantastic, he remembered the date aswell! There was a dandiya going on and just curious he did glance around the room to catch the glimpse of the Bride and Groom. But there was a huge crowd and he assumed they must be in the center of it. Thoroughly bored and irritated he had stood in a secluded corner with his back towards the crowd. His zero patience had hit a new low when he felt a dandiya stick hit his back. He held on the railings of the stairs trying to control his anger, and then he turned around slightly. There was someone picking up the stick… he shifted his glance downwards and they rested on a pair of the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen… it wasn't just the beauty of those eyes but something else that had intrigued him… he felt his anger fade away almost instantly. He knew it was Prachi. He was probably seeing her after 10-12 years, he never went back to the Shah mansion after the episode in a shsopping mall... he had remembered Prachi with a glasses and in 2 plaits... he had to admit she looked Beautiful and Graceful in a saree. A weird kind of a softness took over when he asked why she forcing herself to play Dandiya when she doesn't want to and before she could even offer an explanation or a sorry… he said 'Rehen de' and went away. He really didn't know why he left the place soon after without even bothering to tell his dad or Sukruti. He was too bugged with the change he noted in himself in that 30 sec encounter.
On his way back… even the crowded Mumbai local train couldn't take his mind off those eyes...as he leaned on the door of the train, the breeze playing through his wild hair, he chided himself at his craziness and decided he was too tired and all he needs is a good sleep and will hit the bed once he gets home. Milind came home… as he entered the chawl he saw Ali was sitting along with his other friends. Watching Milind, Ali walked upto him ask what had happened. Milind said he was tired and wanted to sleep. Ali did find it strange but knew better than to persist with Milind when he was cranky. Milind walked in, didn't bother to switch on the lights… the lights in the common area of the chawl was enough for him to navigate through his small home. He threw his shirt and hit the bed… but he only knew very well that sleep would elude him but he had wished against wish that it wouldn't. He got up and switched on the radio… his favourite song was playing… he smiled, but regretted it in a moment when he heard…
Maula mere, maula mere maula mere, maula mere
aankhein teri, kitni haseen
ki inkaa aashiq, mein ban gayaa hoon
Mujhko basale in mein tu
the song only highlighted a pair of eyes he was trying to push away. As the soulful rendition of 'Maula mere Maula' played in the background… he switched on the light of his study table…and as if he was in daze and had no control of what he was doing… he began to sketch those eyes which had caught his imagination like never before in a matter of 20 seconds. The same calm and peace he felt on seeing Prachi surged into his nerves when he was sketching those eyes. he snapped out of his daze when he heard a hard knock on the door…. Milind put the sketch at the bottom of his file put it back into the draw. At the door was Ali who had come to check if Milind was doing fine…because after Milind had said he needed to sleep, he had assumed Milind had gone to sleep when he saw there weren't any lights… an hour later he saw Milind still awake and working on something with just his study light on through the window. It surprised him because Milind would had never been like this… something had drastically gone wrong at the party and he wanted to check with Milind if he was doing fine. Milind snapped at him when he asked him what happened 'Arre bola na theek hoon. Mera bheja khana bandh kar… kal milte hai… ab ja' just then Mishraji and Sukruti came back… and Sukruti was happy and sad that Milind had come and had left with out a word… she wouldn't stop chattering about how the sangeet had gone and how Prachi Didi looked so beautiful in a saree for the 1st time. 'oh she was in a saree for the 1st time… she looked very graceful in it' a voice in the corner of his mind jumped. 'Bhaiya, aap mile Prachi didi se?' That was it… he yelled at Sukruti to keep her Shah parivar chants out of the house, he had a terrible headache and he didn't want to be bothered. That had silenced all the 3 present there as they watched Milind disappear into the room. Sukruti and Ali asked eachother simultaneously what had happened to Milind… and no one seemed to have an answer. After spending the entire night tossing and turning he finally fell asleep due to sheer exhaustion. What had bothered him was that he knew he wasn't supposed to be thinking like that because he was committed to Ayesha and Prachi was to be married off to someone… but despite knowing all of that, he didn't feel guilty and somehow it just felt too right for his own comfort. But the days passed he was getting over it, or so he thought. Prachi and he had crossed path many a times but the circumstances were anything but pleasant. When he left to Turkey he knew Prachiw as getting married and even he let her throughts pass away saying it was a mere momentary infatuation. Then Prachi had showed up in Turkey and it turned the equation around like never before. He had faced the biggest betrayal when he realized that Ayesha was married to Neev and heard her confess she loved Neev. The spasms of pain was just too much for him to handle…it seemed to him his world had come to an end. He wondered if could ever feel a moment of relief….that was when Prachi's face crossed his mind when he closed his eyes in defeat. He immediately opened his eyes…but he misread the message destiny was giving him with a cold brain… Prachi was going to be the way he would find solace to his broken heart… he would use Prachi to get back at Ayesha he concluded along with teaching Ayesha a lesson, the Shah family deserved one he thought. He immediately put on his coat and headed out into the night insearch of Prachi and found her lost in the thoughts and had shocked her by offering her help he had refused before. He came back to India and proposed Marriage and had got married to her in 2 days time. And the rest as they say is History, he finished as he sat infront of Prachi's incomplete portrait, today!
Strange, he thought at how many times unaware he had uttered that Prachi and he have a future together. He remembered how scandalised his dad looked when he sarcastically told him he doesnt need to be indebted to Inder, because Inder Shah hadnt given his daughter's hand in marraige to him. And then he had challenged Alaap aswell on similar grounds. He wondered how strangers seeing them together had noticed they were made for eachother, His business associates and the constable in the Jail addressed Prachi as his girl Frined when she came to bail him out. Wait a minute he told himself... Didnt he also feel the same when he met Prachi? Now having the right to accept it without feeling guilty or wrong, he admitted he did feel a instant connection towards her that day of her Sangeet... and a year later... her she was in his house as the Love of his life, as his Wife!
Prachi was right… he needed to finish this portrait. He pulled out his mobile and played the song that was his inspiration back then aswell, Maula Mere Maula. He had never heard that song after that day and even though he had downloaded the song on his phone he never listened to it. A year later for the 1st time he pulled out his pencil and began completing the sketch and he beamed with pride when it was done… this undoubtedly was his best work ever. He had lost track of time when Prachi walked in still sulking and called him for dinner at Massi's place… 'Arre itni dheir hogayi, waqt ka pata hi nahi chala' he said and Prachi walked away before he could get up and accompany her. Obviously, she fumed he would have lost track of time, she had seen him admire his work when she had walked in.
At Massi's place Prachi was being cold to Milind and even Massi had sensed it. 'Kahan tha tu, akele kya kar raha tha ghar mein?' Massi reprimanded him. 'Rehen dijiye na Massi, inhe kuch bule fasane yaad aagaye honge'. 'Massi, gas pe kuch raka hai kya? Jal ne ki bu aarahi hai' he said. Prachi looked draggers at him getting the message and walked back into the kitchen. 'Ab kya kiya tune uske saath, itna naraz kyun hai?' 'Aaise hi Massi, kuch nahi' Prachi slammed the plate of puran poli infront of him and sat down next to him. she ate her dinner quietly even as Massi and Milind chatted about the shifting of Massi's things in the next two days. Since it was already past 10… they bid Massi good night and returned to their home. He did call Sukurti to ensure they were back home... well they were on the way, so he was relieved.
Milind bolted the door and went in and saw Prachi standing by the window looking at the waxing moon. Milind watched her for a long time… all over again thanking his destiny for making her a part of his life, actually for making her, his life! He walked to her side and she turned to walk away. He had enough. He held her by her wrist as she crossed him. 'Prachi…' he said but she refused to look at him. He put his index finger under her chin and made her look at him. There were tears brimming in them…with anger or hurt even Prachi couldn't say. He knew he had pushed this prank too far… she was upset. 'Wo sketch ek bhar dekhle… puri hochuki hai' 'Mujhe nahi dekhna' came an adamant, unlike Prachi reply. 'Ek bhar... mere liye' he asked again with a puppy face. Now she was sure to take a look at that sketch and shred into pieces… she walked to the table where the sketch had been placed upside down. She turned it around and before looking at it… she looked at her husband who was smiling, 'oh he had pushed his luck far too much' she said and looked down at the portrait and kept staring at it. It was….HER?!? Shocked and surprised she looked at her husband.
Milind walked to her and said… 'kyun ma'am ab usko phadne ka irada nahi hai?' Prachi observed the eyes… no doubt she had found it familiar when she saw it…but she never thought it would be her for a moment because he said it was a year back… but then how? She was still confused. As if answering her doubts he said… 'yeh us din ki bath hai jab main tere ghar aaya tha… tere sangeet par. Yaad hai, Dandiya khelne ke bhaje tumne usse mujhe maara tha?' She couldn't believe her ears… that had left such a mark on him? And she had thought that only she was intimidated by the stare that he had given her and walked away without even giving her a chance to talk. And after that whenever they had met, he did scare her with his intense gazes…but still somehow she had managed to stand up to him everytime….she herself didn't know from where she had gotten that courage from.
'She was still standing by the table… he moved closer to her put one hand on the table and said 'Hamesha se ki tarah kahoge nahi…yeh bhi khoobsurat hai' 'Nahi' she said shyly. 'Kyun?' he asked in surprise? 'Adura hai' she said. 'Adura?' he said and took the portrait from her hand and looked at it… it was perfect what was incomplete he wondered. 'What's missing?' he asked in defeat… 'Khud dekh lijiye…' she said and turned to him…to spot the difference… but acknowledging he is the biggest duffer, she took that the portrait from him…reached out to a red colour pencil and headed to complete the portrait. Finally realizing what Prachi was hinting at, he took that from her 'Yeh mera kaam hai' he said and went ahead to fill colour in her maang. Then picked up the black pencil and effortlessly finished adding a Mangal Sutr around the neck. Prachi was right… now it looked complete, she looked like HIS WIFE. Satisfied with his work, he put his arms around his wife and asked 'Ab?' 'Hmmhmn' she nodded in disagreement. 'Now what?' he asked her in exasperation. Seeing him so flustered she gave a smile and showed him the mirror which was to their side. They turned around and Milind stared at image still not getting Prachi's message (Men, I tell you!)
Finally pointing at the image of both of them together in the mirror, Prachi said 'Wo tasveer puri hai. Prachi apne Milind ke bina aduri hai' Overwhelmed by Prachi's confession, the honesty and the sincerity with which she said it…. He tightened his hold on Prachi…. Placing his face on her head…closing his eyes, he said 'Milind bhi! I Love you, Prachi' This was probably the most difficult thing to say he had thought…but the moment was such that it came out as if it was the simplest thing to say…because it was nothing but the biggest truth of his life. Turning around to face him, she looked into his eyes and said 'I Love You too' He held her angelic face in his hands…and bend down to kiss the pair of eyes that had mesmerized him for what felt like eternity now.
aaghosh mein meri zulf sanwari teri
chahat ke rangon se main maang saja du teri
maahiya ve aaj mainu aaive kyon ve lagda
aashiq je sachha hove roop honda rab ka
ham yahaan hai tum yahaan ho hone do milan
jaaneman jaaneman
As Prachi watched the intensity of desire in Milind's eyes… the crimson tint on her cheeks grew deeper…yet she looked on into his eyes not wanting to disturb the magic spell cast on both of them. Milind traced her angelic features ever so lightly with his finger and finally moved in to kiss her…Prachi closed her eyes, smiling at her reaction, Milind gently kissed her and she wound her arms around his neck tightly. His kiss was making her heart run a beat faster, the movement of his arms on her back made each cell in her body tremble. Milind pulled back and looked at Prachi, There was a moment of silence, then Prachi flung herself on Milind's chest. Sweeping her off her feet…Milind looked at her questioningly as he did that to make sure it was what she wanted too… she gave him a shy smile in response as he laid her down on the bed. The whole world faded out as they celebrated their love…finally two souls had melted into one in the warmth of their love. They spend the night in eachother arms…whispers of love and affections breaking the stillness of the beautiful night.
Everything felt just perfect for Milind and Prachi. They had come a long way to experience the beauty, passion & peace of this moment. Destiny surely had showed them signs of belonging together long before they intended to be a part of each other's lives… it was destiny that guided them through a series of twisted ways to lead them to eachother…now that they had found eachother, they were ready to step into a new life Together, Forever!
A New Beginning awaited Milind and Parchi!
Finally, I managed to wind this up just in time to make it my 1000th post on IF😆. Thank you so very much for being so supportive and encouraging throughout…not only with regard to this particular fictional work… but always! Thank You so very much… Love you all loads🤗.
Cant wind this up without a special mention to Shabbo who has single handedly been the inspiration for me to complete this FF. As I was writing this part I realized how much I depended on Shabbo's skills to bring out the real Milind Mishra…. He brings about a childlike exuberance, gravity, intensity, romance to Milind in every way possible, be it in his body language or his dialect, be in dramatic scene or quiet subtle gestures. Milind's beautifully layered character would not have been justified by anyone else like the way Shabbir Ahluwalia does👏. So Thanks Shabbo and Here is wishing you success and recognition your talent truly deserves.😃
I hope this part was worth your time and energy…I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. And I am sorry if this feel short of any expectations and I am sorry for dragging this 3 part FF to almost two months now
Thank You once again.😃
Lots and Lots of Love and Hugs 🤗
God Bless.
Edited by Ryka - 17 years ago
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
