DEV's POV
"jiju.." i turned around to see elina, my sis-in-law standing with my cup of coffee, and i mentally suppressed the images of sonakshi doing that for me!!
"han bolo elina.." i encouraged her to speak.. they had been avoiding all sorts of communication with me after my outburst after sona's departure!! This was her first attempt to have a conversation with me ever since...
"jiju.. woh mashi ka phone aaya tha..." and my hands stilled, my heart started pounding in my ears, how was she was all i could think about... "sona ki tabiet bahut kharab h... use high fever hai and woh koi dawai nahi le rahi hai... mashi mesho, ne sab kuch try kr ke dekh liya but woh mann hi nahi rahi hai.. mai bas yeh kehne aai thi.. kya aap aaj sham ko ja kar try kr sakte ho??" my heart fell, the love of my life was literally suffering, this was the reason why i had kept this thing a secret for so long!! I sighed and looked up at elina who was placing my coffee on my bedside table...
"maa baba ka aaj koi plan hai... i mean aagar sona ghar pe akeli hogi toh mai ussse baat kr sakta hoon.." she just smiled and nodded and left.. i sat back in the chair and thought to the beginning of all this... the last fortnight had definitely been my personal hell!!
"maa mujhe tujhse kuch baat krni hai" i dashed inside my mother's bedroom.. ever since the news of sonakshi's pregnancy being a false alarm had spread like wild fire.. my mother had impossibly been pestering sonakshi to bring her a positive news... but little did they know, she just couldn't!!! So finally when sonakshi had broken down the night before, and told me about the kitchen politics, i had decided, it was time my mother knew the hard reality...
"haan beta bol.." she had said..
"maa tu sonaskshi se yeh bacche ki baatein karna band kr de.." i had said calmly a part of me hoping she would just agree and bury the hatchet but
"kyu beta... ab mere dev ki aulad ka sukh toh mujhe sonakshi hi de sakti hai na.. or kya galat kr rahi hun mai..." she had argued, trying really hard to prove her point...
"maa maine kaha na tu use yeh sab mat bol.." i had said trying really hard to keep my calm..
"par kyu dev, agar tu mujhse kuch chupa raha hai toh abhi bata de..." she had stood up and refused to buy my words!!!
And that was it i still don't know what got into me and just why i shouted so loud "kyuki woh maa nahi ban sakti!!"
And just then, we had heard a crash indicating some broken crockery and i had turned around to see sonakshi standing there like a statue... she had ran away from there and locked herself up in our bedroom, even though my mother was beyond shocked, she had stood there by my side till the time my wife, or, an empty shell of my wife had finally opened the door... i had tried coaxing her to speak something, at least a word, but all my attempts had failed, it was as if i was speaking to a zombie,- only a much calmer and non blood thirsty version of a zombie- after almost 2 hours of trying, she had spoken 4 words that shook my entire being.. "mujhe ghar jana hai.." her words still resonated through my ears, ringing, a constant reminder of the emptiness she had left behind... i remembered what had followed next, i had driven her to her parents house, and dropped her there, and as soon as she was in she had ran upstairs and locked herself up.. and baba as usual had jumped the gun, making me the bulls-eye, but i had tried really hard to keep my calm and narrated them of her medical condition and what had transpired at my place!! To say they were stunned, was an understatement!!
Wiping her tears asha maa had said "tum tension mat lo, sina ko hum kuch nahi hne denge!! Hum sab hai na tum dono ke sath!!" her words, meant to reassure, just didn't do the much needed work, and saying my part i had left my in laws place!! I was practically having the worst phase of my life, my wife was a walking dead body and my mother just could not fathom my need,to still be with my wife!! I had explained her all the various methods through which we could have a baby, but, i believed she needed some time!!
A sharp knock on my door pulled my out of my reverie, "come in" i said and it was keechu bahiya,
"bahiyaji aapse koi lawyer sahib milne aaye hai!!" i nodded and picked my my file and headed in the study to discuss some important matters!!
It was 7:00 pm and just like i had planned, with maa and baba, they had left 15 minutes ago to attend a Bengali poetry meet!! I rang the door bell and my lovely wife opened the door, she looked pale, her eyes had dark circles and her frame looked frailer than usual!! "mr dixit" she said
"dev" i interjected and i had seen that spark in her eyes but before even a fraction of a second it was replaced by the same lifeless stare!! I composed myself and raised my hand to her forehead and checked her temperature, she was hot, she pushed my hand away and stomped inside and i followed her lead and said "yeh kya hai sonakshi tumhe bukhar hai, chalo upar!!"
she stopped and turned around gave me a heated stare and said "or aapko kaise paat aap doctor hai??"
i was prepared for a feisty sona so i just shrugged and said "nahi, par meri biwi doctor hai, or uske sath reh reh kar mai bhi thodi bahut doctori karna seekh gaya hoon!!" she turned around again and went and sat down in front of the tv... picked up the remote and started randomly flipping through the channels, i sat down beside her and started looking at her...
after a few minutes of silence she said "aap vapis kab ja rahe hai?"
"mai vapis tumhe dawai khila kar hi jaunga!!" i said folding my arms in determination!!
This seemed to have provoked something in her and she stood up and said "aap abhi jaeye, mujhe aapke or koi ehsaan nahi cahhiye!!" anger coursed through her,
and i knew right now patience was my key, so i replied"nahi, mai tab tak nahi jaunga jab tak meri biwi ka bukhaar nahi utar jata, and by the way, agar tum room mein nahi gayi, toh mai tumhe utha kar le jaunga!!" i deliberately stressed in the words biwi and utha!!
She just stomped her feet and said "dekhte hai"
that was my cue "tum mujhe challenge kar rahi ho..??"
she was confused and silent for a second, taking advantage of her momentarily lapse of facade i picked her up and placed her over my shoulders, kicking and punching me, she said "mr dixit, aap atameezi kr rahe hai, mujhe neeche utariye..."
i just laughed and said "yeh batameezi nahi, mera haq hai mrs dixit"
"its dr bose for u!!" she screamed i could feel her punches and kicks but i just kept ignoring them, finally we reached her room and i placed her down, she had become oddly quiet when we were mid way, i sat down in front of her and picked up the glass, filled it up with water popped the medicine from the packet and handed it to her, she had again shut down so i tried coaxing her to say something, anything!!
"sonakshi, chalo dawai kha lo..." i had said softly, i moved close to her and kissed her forehead, and said even softly " i love you sonakshi.. or mai tumhe aise nahi dekh sakta... please dawai kha lo...its killing me, u wanna kill me??" she just blinked, tears welled up her eyes, and she held out her hand and i gave her the medicine and she took it... and i kept the glass out of her reach!! She was still looking at, me measuring my move, when i tried to get up she just gripped me hard and broke down sobbing so hard that her frame shook!!
"i am sorry dev!!" she just kept repeating it, and breaking down further!! I kept quiet and let her cry!! "i am sorry dev ki mai maa nahi ban sakti!!"
i just sighed and pushed back the tears that welled up in my eyes and willed myself to stay strong!! When her sobs lessened i loosened my grip and helped her sit straight!! She just looked down silently crying, i put my fingers under her chin and lifted them up, i looked into her eyes and it broke my heart seeing so much of hurt hidden there, i just smiled and wiped her tears away, "iss mein tumhari koi galti nahi hai..." i kept wiping her tears but they just would not stop so finally giving up i said "sonakshi please rona band kar do... mai tumhe rote hue nahi dekh sakta.. pata hai kitna helpless feel karta hooon mai jab tum roti ho?" and she smiled a tiny smile... that was tremendous progress!! I hugged her and said " i love you sonakshi, or mujhe tumhare alawa iss duniya mein or kuch nahi chahiye!!"
we stayed like that for a while and she said " i am sorry dev, ki mai selfish ho gayi thi, or bhul gayi thi ki agar maa bane ka chance maine khoya hai, toh papa banne ka chance aapne bhi toh khoya hai na!!"
i pulled away and smiled at her and said "ab iss barein mein hum koi baat nahi karenge!! Or tum itni badi badi baatein kaise kar leti ho??.. mai toh abhi tak yeh hi figure out nahi kar paya ki tumhare bina sona kaise hai!!! Pata 15 dino, se soya nahi hoon mai... jab bhi neend aati hai or mera hath bed ki side pe padta hai or tum mujhe wahan nahi milti, toh bas mai uth ke baith jata hoon, and then realise hota hai ki tum toh wahan thi hi nahi!!" and she just laughed!! I took off my shoes and climbed the bed and lied down next to her, looping my hand with her waist and she just sat there playing with my hairs... "lie down" i said in mock anger and to my utter astonishment she complied!! I snuggled into her small frame and rested.. i don't know for how long we stayed there, tangled in each other hearing each other breathe, we were interrupted when we heard the bell ring and i skipped downstairs to get the door!! The whole bose family stood there assessing me with sceptical eyes, i just led them in, smiled and said "sona theek hai" i felt their expression relax and soften!! Maa cried and i just hugged her and said "ab aap jaldi se kuch kahne ko do hum dono ko bhuk lagi hai!!" i said
she smiled placed a hand on my cheek and said "abhi laati hoon" dadi just hugged me and took her seat in the hall..
baba just stood beside me and said "mujhe honestly lagta that um sina ke liy theek nahi ho... but aaj mujhe iss abat pe garv hai ki maine sona ke liye tumeh chuna hai!!"
i just could not believe my ears, i bent down touched the man's feet and said "thank you baba!!" by the time i told them what had happened, maa bought me the food tray and i took it upstairs to see sona sitting wrapped like a ball!! On seeing me she straightened up, and ate with me when we were done and i had tucked her in her bed,
as i stood up she held my hand and said "aap aaj idar hi ruk jaiye na.. kal hum sath mein ghar chal lenge!!"
i was overwhelmed, and i said "okay mai ghar bata deta hoon" so after i had informed my mother, i jumped back on the bed and snuggled right next to my wifey, and i slept peacefully feeling at home!! I woke up at dawn the events of last night swirling inside my head, i tuned around to see a beautiful sleeping sonakshi, and i realised this was the perfect dawn of my life!! My relationship with my wife had braved another storm!!
leave your comments and let me know how was it!! hope you like it!! even if not, please let me know!! HAPPY READING!!
Shiv Shakti
