Part 6: The Living
Dutta grabbed Naku and held her close to him. With an emotional and shaky voice, Naku explained that she never meant to betray his trust like this. She tried to continue, trying to release all the guilt and fear she had felt for so long. And Dutta hushed her, as he pushed her away gently, and looked into her eyes. He was seeking something in her eyes, making sense of it, and he smiled at her. Dutta put his hand on the side of her face and grabbed onto her braid lovingly. "Chal" he said as he stood up and extended his hand to her. He did not say anything about her face, about her beauty...he just took it all in, and put it in its rightful place--a part of the woman he had already fallen in love with.
The drizzle continued making the path slippery. Dutta held onto Naku, and led her, turning around occasionally to help her make her away across the mud and hilly terrain. The rain drenched their clothes. And it also did something else...it cleansed them, cooled down their fears and anger, and prepared them to start something together, something they both wanted and dreamed of deeply--love.
An hour later, Dutta and Naku emerged near the edge of the jungle. The openness of the land before them stood in stark contrast to the endless green of the jungle, the branches, the bushes, the endless confusion of where to go. At a distance, the Don emerged from his car and beckoned to them. Other cars were there as well, and it was only after a few minutes that Dutta made out who was before him. Baji ran towards him, closely followed by two of the bodyguards. But as he drew closer, Baji's sense of relief, his emotional release at seeing his closest friend, his brother alive was replaced with a confusion. A face looked out at him that he did not recognize. He knew all the while running that Naku was with Dutta, but the shock of seeing a different face rendered him speechless. After looking at Naku's face, Baji looked at Bhao. And for a moment, anyone could understand what a close bond the two friends had, as Baji hugged Bhao. "Mere ko pata tha...kuch nahi ho sakta ap dono ko, " he said. He quickly gave Bhao a confused look, as if he was thinking about something, and Bhao with his eyes told him to wait. Baji turned to Naku, "Naku, tu thik hain, na?" Baji led the two of them back to one of the cars.
One of the bodyguards got into the driver's seat, and Baji sat next to him. Naku sat in the back, and Dutta followed. Both were exhausted. The accident, the trek through the jungle had wiped them out physically, but had awakened them spiritually, emotionally. Hence, despite the sense of physical relief, there was a stirring in their souls, a new feeling in their hearts. Naku and Dutta sat close to each other, and Naku lay her head on Dutta's chest. She felt this peace with him. Dutta responded in kind, putting his arm around her, and his head against hers. Baji looked back, amazed and confused at the sight before him. Both soaking wet, holding each other, with their eyes closed almost meditatively. Baji got on the phone and said "Tayi, Bhao aur Naku thik hain. Hum thodi dir mein ghar pochenge." He listened to the voice on the other end, answering her questions.
Dutta's eyes opened sometime later, to see that they were nearing the town and the niwas. Naku had fallen asleep in his arms and he began to wake her. "Naku..Naku" he said gently, until she began to wake. She looked confused, and searched his eyes..."ghar pochnewale hain", he said. Both sat quietly until the gates had opened to Patil Niwas.
Aai Saheb, Kala, and the rest of the family had gathered, anticipating Dutta's arrival. The bodyguards first walked in and stood along the sides of the doorway. Dutta followed with Naku and Baji closely behind. Tears flooded Aai Saheb's eyes as she saw Dutta. Everyone stood up, and walked towards him, but their eyes fell on the girl walking behind him...Naku. Her face. Kala's opened her mouth, and looked questioningly at Baji, saying what is this? Why did you not mention this to me? Baji looked away. Aai Saheb hugged Dutta, thanking God that her son was back home safely. "Maussi kaha hain?" he asked. Kala answered "woh kitchen mein hain". "Usko bolao" he said to one of the servants standing nearby watching the commotion. Kala and the rest of the family took turns hugging Dutta. In the meantime, Babi and Sethji rushed out of the kitchen, their eyes desperate to see her safe. Babi saw Naku wet and free of her makeup, but it did not matter. Her beti was safe, she was back. Naku hurried towards her mother and hugged her. You could hear and see the tears of joy and of their reunion. Despite his family talking to him, part of Dutta's attention was diverted to Naku, whom he wanted to be his wife in this house. Kala and the others saw that Dutta was preoccupied and they thought they knew the reason.
"Maussi, Naku ko leke jao apka kamare mein" he said. Naku looked at him, not wanting to leave him, but she went. Amidst all these people, a part of Dutta and Naku yearned to be like they were in the jungle, alone and together.
"Bhao, yeh kya...?" Kala asked, giving shape to everyone's curiosity and suspicion upon seeing Naku.
"Jo bhi hua, Tayi, hogya." He told them briefly about Babi's decision to hide Naku's true face, her reasons, and Naku's inability to tell him. He told them that she had told him the truth in the jungle, and that he accepted it, and that they should too.
Kala asked how Bhao can be so trusting, "Bhao, ap bhul gaye ke usne dhoka diya". Bhao was in no mood to discuss this anymore, he was tired, he did not want anyone to question Naku. Dutta told them that he was going upstairs to change and rest, and that he would be down later. He motioned to Baji to come upstairs as they had to talk about Anna.
Bhao walked up to his room, and it all felt different. Everything felt different, even when he was walking into the niwas. How the jungle and its confusion and isolation had made things so much clear for him. He was in love with Naku.
Baji stood near Dutta and asked the very question he had wanted to ask from the minute he saw Dutta and Naku emerging from the jungle.
"Bhao..yeh kya hua...." Dutta interrupted him saying that the jungle had removed many of his misunderstandings and had enabled him to see things differently. He told Baji of how he and Naku had depended on and helped each other to survive, and how he had realized his feelings for Naku.
Baji was shocked at this last admission from Bhao. Dutta was wringing his hands, trying to find the words to explain, and turned to Baji. "Naku meri patni hain..." He left it at that, and walked to the washroom, faintly aware at the confusion he may have caused in Baji's mind.
After bathing, Dutta changed his clothes, and lay on his bed. He closed his eyes, the exhaustion finally getting to him. But his mind replayed his time with Naku in the jungle, his past actions against her, and her admission of her love for him. His heart stirred, but soon sleep overtook him.
Dutta woke up a few hours later, acutely aware that he was now alone. He got up, looked into the mirror, and stared at himself...at all the changes that could not be seen in the mirror--those in his heart and soul. Again, his thoughts went to Naku, and he walked down. He saw that his family was still there--worried at the condition of his physical health, and deeper down, at the state of his mind. His attention to Naku, her well-being, had raised eye-brows, and all were certain something had changed within him and it made them very uneasy.
Aai Saheb, Kala, Leela and the rest encouraged Bhao to sit and eat something. He said that he would, but that he first had something he needed to do. Bhao went to Babi's room, where Sethji was silently playing, and Babi was watching her beti sleep peacefully. Babi approached Dutta, out her hands together, and thanked him for saving her daughter, and thanked God for saving Dutta for her daughter could not live without him. Dutta was caught off guard at hearing something so personal, but he understood the love with which it was said. Sethji was looking at Dutta, in awe and amazed at all the scars on his face. Dutta smiled at him, and told Babi that he wanted to spend some time with Naku, that he needed to talk to her. Sethji and Babi left the room, and Dutta closed the door a few moments after he was sure they had gone. He looked at Naku, sleeping peacefully on the bed and his emotions once again overwhelmed him. The last few hours of not being with her, of not having her with him was something he had felt acutely, as if he was missing something inside of himself. He walked towards the bed and sat down on the side. Dutta turned to look at her, and he just took all of her in. He stayed that way for a few minutes, and then with his hand touched her hair and face. Naku roused from her sleep, feeling the touch, knowing it was Dutta. She opened her eyes and looked at him, and she smiled. Her hand soon reached out and she touched his face, and then slowly went back. Dutta felt a desire to just be with her, to lie next to her, to feel her next to him, as he had felt her with him in the jungle. Surprising himself, he leaned towards Naku and lay down next to her. To an outsider the scene would have been just impossible. Bhao lying next to Naku. They faced each other, as they had that night in the jungle and held each other's hand.
Kala and Aai Saheb had noticed Babi and Sethiji out and about, and Bhao nowhere to be seen. But they suspected, they knew. Kala approached Babi, "Kaki, Naku so rahi hain?" "Nahi, she woke." But Babi did not say any more, about Naku or that Bhao wanted to speak with her. Naku had told her of what had happened in the jungle, how she had revealed the truth to Dutta, how they had been honest about his feelings for her.
Under the pretense of being worried about Bhao not having eaten, Kala asked Baji to go find him. Babi looked at Baji, and then looked away. Baji pretended to go through the motion of finding him. Almost a half hour later, Dutta secretly emerged from Naku's room, and without explaining his where he had been, he sat down to have dinner. He also asked Babi if Naku was awake and if so, to take food in to her as well. He told them that neither had eaten much during their ordeal. Babi was pleased that Dutta had accepted and loved Naku.
His family watched him eat, and he was acutely aware of their curiosity at his attitude and behavior towards Naku. To head off anymore interference, he told them that he had accepted Naku as his wife. There was a harsh silence, a shock that permeated through the niwas like nothing else.
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Hope you liked it. More to come in part 7
