okay guys here we go, i apologize for any spelling mistakes, short length and anything else that becomes an issue while you read. Thank you very much for all your lovely feedback on the last chapter.😉
Chapter 17Walking along the corridors of the house baaji carries Nakusha and Baabis bags as they walk behind him, nakusha noticing the light of duttas office still lit as they pass the room pauses for a second. Baaji and Baabi stopping turn to nakusha as she stops behind for a second baaji prompting her. "
Kya hua naku chal naa..?" baaji notices the way in which nakusha seems to be distracted.
"Aap log challo mein aati hai." Baaji and baabi take account of dutta and agree to wait for her at the entrance of the house. Nakusha watches both of them walk into the corridor and then turns towards the office.
As nakusha silently steps into the office, further pushing open the partially closed door her footsteps take her into the warmly lit room. Dutta sat in his black armchair with back facing towards her nakusha could make out the back of his figure, his head rested back on the headreast of the black leather chair. Nakusha taking a slight swallow unsure weather or not she should approach him her eyes search the room in thought for a second. Putting all thoughts and doubts a side nakusha slowly approaches the centre of the room. Walking around the dark wooden desk nakushas eyes happen to fall upon a bottle of alcohol…and short crystal glass that was half filled with a dark shade of liquid. He had been drinking, as nakusha thinks of speaking..something about the silence in the room is finds odd. Cautiously taking a step..closer around duttas armchair just enough for her to see the side of his expression before she beings to talk nakusha notices duttas face dropped back into the headrest of the chair..his eyes closed..the ease In his posture told nakusha that he had fallen asleep. For a split second naksusha questioned herself to whether this was a good thing or not. Was she realived that she didn't have to confront him now or was she more worried about that fact that she was unable to speak to him. The tangled thoughts in her mind, clear on her expression nakushas looks over his expression for a second, reaching for the table lamp that sits on right hand side of the desk nakusha flicks the light off leaving the room quietly.
Morning rays of sunlight Dutta finding himself waking up in his office chair with a painful sense of alcohol effecting his body, a severe headache alongside the aftermath of yesterday. Dressed in a very scruffy version of his black attire, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, that overcoa carried in right hand dutta walks the corridors towards his room. Feeling an pounding headache dutta presses the fingertips of right hand tightly to the temple potion above his nose for a second. letting go he drops his arms by his side in a sigh and continues to walk towards baaji Is walking towards him from the opposite end of the corridor.
Dressed in a royal blue shade of kurta. baaji looking for dutta as ever his words or full of an upbeat enthusiasm but as he notices the strain on duttas face he tones down his voice a little, reminding himself of the current scenario.
"Bhau mein terich ko dhund raha tha woh songhad wali deal final karni hai.." Just as baaji is about to suggest that they do it at a later date Duttas instruction as ever is concrete.
"Aadhe gante mein baat karte hai baaji." baaji agreeing with a nod takes a note of the distress on duttas expression the slight laze in his tone of voice.
Walking into an empty bedroom duttas expression apt per his pain throws his black overcoat onto the sofa and heads for the wardrobe. Opening one side of the cupboard he opens a lower compartment that held his first aid kit and other medications. Rustling through the content unable to find the container of aspirin dutta sighs for a second irritated at once he raises his voice..
NAKUSHA!! … unable to find what he was looking for dutta take a look around the room to find the unusual. The norm of a morning, the dia at the ganpati idol in the corner of the room would be lit, his attire, breakfast would be in its place. just before dutta can continue to raise his voice Madhu enters the room just In time. Standing in front of him with a tray that carries a glass of diluted medication dutta narrows his eyes for a second as he wonders how she knew of what he was looking for.
Madhu with a smile looks down at the tray in her hands
, "Yey leighjyey bhaiya"… dutta picks up the glass and begins to drink from it..
"Aap bhul gayey naa ke bhabhi apne ghar gayee hue hai? isleiyey aaj ke din aap meri zimadari ho." This was news to him, she had never told him that she was going away? Did she not think it important to at least let him know..?? not giving it anymore thought dutta dismisses the thought and heads towards the washroom.
As dutta walks out of the washroom dressed in a fresh version of his black attire. his hair gelled back in water still carrying that partially bearded look he sees madu putting down a breakfast tray on the tea table. Dutta perfecting the sleeves of his kurta silently finds himself a little provoked at madhus question. "
Vaise bhabhi kal hein vaapas aayeygi naa bhaiyay??" not lifting his eyes from the task at hand duttas words a little irritated..
"Muje kyun pooch rahin hai! is ghar mein koi muje kuch bolna saruri thodi samaj ta hai..maan ki karte hai sab…" madhu lifts her posture from putting down duttas breakfast and the table and finds herself amused at her brothers irritation.
Walking towards him madu softly intervenes folding the remaining sleeve of his kurta as dutta looks down over her as she corrects him dutta is just silent. "
Aisa nahin hai bhaiyay aur yey aap bhi jaante ho.." Finishing off perfecting that particular sleeve to his kurta dutta watches as madhu goes onto hold his forearm with a smile.
"Magar ek baat toe hai bhaiyay, aap ghuze mein bohot cute lagte ho."Not impressed by madhus comment yet eased by his sisters way of talking him around things dutta lets out an disapproving sigh…. "
Madhu..!!"..which only leads to Madhu finding the moment that little more amusing.
Dutta sitting down in front of his breakfast hesitantly eats from the plate of poas silently. Noticing the difference in taste dutta eats a small amount and puts the plate back down to the table. Feeling his wristwatch missing in the process dutta gets up from the sofa walking towards the bedside table he opens the top drawer and begins to root through its contents. In the process of doing so dutta eyes fall upon that particular notepad of nakusha's. Taking it out of the drawer dutta looks at the chart she had created.
Three markings on her side of the chart and none on the side she had labeled "Saab."
Dutta's expression creasing at the thought of these feelings that he couldn't identify. Why did he feel this way? After all nakusha was the one who had wronged but for the first time dutta felt a sense of regret. Her words her tearful expresssion still lingering in his mind dutta beings to feel a surge of distaste for being so harsh on her.
Interrupting duttas thoughts baaji stood at a distance close to the entrance of the room carrying some files asks for permission to enter. "
Bhau..andar aa sakta hai kya??"Dutta interrupted lifts his eyes from the notepad looks towards the entrance of the room and nods a silent yes.
Baaji feeling a sense of distress in the atmosphere walks into the room quietly puts down the few files on the tea table and sits down at the apposing sofa to the one dutta was previously seated on.
Dutta walks around towards his seat, sitting back into place his eyes still on that notepad of nakushas he drops it on the table before him..but continues to look over it. baaji noting this prompts dutta, "
Bhau kam shuru kare?" dutta takes a distrancted glance towards baaji and nodds.
Half an hour or so into this process of work and baaji noticing the way in which duttas mind is preoccupied. It was obvious that he was thinking about nakusha. whilst baaji did the paper work he read out certain closes to dutta but he seemed to pay no attention. His eyes focused at a blank point in the room, the fact that he was thinking over other things was visible In those eyes of his.
A knock at the door of the room and duttas eyes instantly drawn towards it but that anticipation to see who it was fades away when Roops enters. Thinking to himself he wonders why he was so keen to react to that knock at the door, was he expecting It to be her?? confused at his own thoughts dutta simply..shakes them off watches Roops approach. She had that look on her expression that told dutta that she was after something. "
Bhau..woh muje aapse kuch poochna tha.."Dutta very softly instructs her to go on, with a nodd even roops notices the way dutta doesn't seem to be as sharp as per norm and so maybe she had picked the perfect opportunity.
"Bhau kya mein baaji ko shopping ke leigyey le jaa sakti hoon woh kya hai naa muje kuch cheese leni hai PLEASE bhau??"Prolonging that please in a very childish way baaji pulls a face at roops as he would end up being the one driving her around.
To both Baaji and Roops is surprise dutta agrees very easily. In all her excitement roops runs towards dutta and places a peck on his cheek
.."Thank you bhau..love you!!" Before running out of the room to avoid any telling off from dutta. Leaving both baaji and even dutta smiling.
"Bilkool batchon jaisi harkat karti hai kein mere ko barobar fasakar gayee hai..!!" baaji noteing dutta to be a little more relaxed turns to him…
"Ek baat bolu bhau?" Dutta nods in approval
, "Tune kabhi socha hai kya..naku bhi toe roops ke umar ki hein hai… use bhi kam. "ab jab roops mein itni saari naadani ho sakti hai toe naku mein bhi toe hogi naa. use bhi toe kabhi khabi khul ke jeene ka maan karta hoga naa?" dutta silently listens to baaji his expression pensive and he already knew what baaji was getting at.
"Mein nahin bol raha ke usne jo kiya woh sahin hai lekin naadani samaj kar maaf karde naa bhau."Baaji watches dutta turn his expression away silently, getting up from his seat baaji picks up the files on the table and pauses for a second, reaching in to the chest pocket of his blue kurta baaji takes out a small note and places it on the table before dutta.
"Nakusha ne kal rat ko diya tha tumare leigyey." dutta continues to look into oblivion as baaji leaves the room, turning his eyes back to the table once baaji leaves dutta looks at the notepad and that white folded piece of paper baaji had left.
Picking it up unfolding it dutta reads the only too words on the paper written in blue ink: –
Maafi saab --
Closing his eyes for a moment in a sigh dutta lets out her name in a very silent manner.
...
Back at the basti Baabi approaches nakusha who had been sitting in front of the ganpati idol for some time now. A circular steel plate in baabis hand she sits down next to nakusha who has her back rested against the wall and places the plate on the floor before nakusha.
"Khale naku, tu ne kal raat se kuch khaya nahin hai.." baabi goes on to take some food into a spoon but stops when she hears nakusha
"mein aachi beti nahin hai naa aayi.." baabi is quick to interrupt her "
naku!" feeling nakusha drop her expression on her sholder baabi listens to her silently.
"Hoti toe tuje itna sharminda nahin hona padta.. Maaf kardegi naa mere ko..aayi
...Later into the night Dutta dressed in his more casual white attire rested in his armchair in the porch of the bedroom. Head thrown back eyes closed, his arms rested over the wooden rest of the chair dutta lightly rocks in the chair. Nakushas thought not leaving his mind her words echoing in his ears. "
Bas aapka pyaar dekhna chahti thi saab.." dutta opens his eyes as he hears an inkling of bangles. As dutta drops his expression from the headrest and looks around he sees roops standing there . what wa wrong with him? yet again he was hoping that it would be nakusha? dropping that thought dutta looks over Roops who stands before him with a certain mischievous smiles..hands hidden behind her back dutta narrows his eyes suspiciously as he looks over her. "
Kya hua.?"Roops bring her hid hands forward dutta notces some rainbow bangles on one of roops's wrists and listens to her explaination angling his head comfortably.
"..bhau woh baaji ki vaaje se meine yey churiya try ki aur.. ab nikal nahin rahin hai madat kardijyey na." Roops was always good at putting on this innocent act. Duttas expression at a certain ease, eyes carrying a warm glow he nods stubbly closing his eyes to say "Ok."
Roops with a expressive smile quicky walks towards duttas chair and sits on her knees before him extending her right wrist up to him. Dutta looks at roops is already worried expression and smiles. For a slit second naksuhas expression falls before duttas eyes. The time he had helped her remove her kangans passes by him.
Falling into a deep moment of reminisce Roops finds herself having to prompt dutta.
"Kya soch rahe ho bhau??! Maadat kijyeyna."Dutta snapping out of his flashback regains acknowledgement of the moment and passes a stubble smile at Roops who looks terrified.
…
Meanwhile back in the basti Baabi and sethji fast asleep nakusha sitting on char paayi style makeshift bed tires to take her kangans of, gripping them tightly she tries to twist off the one on her right hand squeezing her eyes tightly.
...
Some time after Roops leaves dutta goes back to resting in his chair however as he shuts his eyes he finds Nakusha expression before him. her words. her tears her smile…her smallest of interactions with him. Unable to find a sense of peace dutta re-opens his eyes straightens in his chair and rises to leave.
Aayi sahib sitting at her bedside puts away her prayer beads into the bedside drawer and closes it when she catches dutta standing at the entrance of her room. Dressed in his white attire, his expression looking drained. Aayi sahib invites dutta into the room,
As dutta walks into the room aayi sahib watches the type of lost expression he carries.
Aayi sahib pats the side of the bed next to her telling him to come and sit next to her however dutta takes a few steps closer to the bed but sits on the floor instead. Placing his head into aayi sahibs lap dutta closes his eyes peacefully.
Aayi sahib looks over dutta a little confused and places her hands through his hair.
Kya hua dutta? she hears a stubble reply.
Aapka beta aaj haar gayay aayi sahib..Aayi sahib a little anxious asks
"Har gayay..? aisa kaunsa dhusman hai joe tuje harasake dutta?" dutta lifting his expression from aayi sahibs lap sits up..scatters his eyes a little in thought as he replies.
Dhushman nahin hai aayi… nakusha..Aayi sahib putting his words to sense smiles warmly
.. Toe hamare bete ko pyaar hogayay..? seeing a very lost sense worry on duttas expression aayi sahib senses a strong regret building in duttas mind. As ever dutta would act in anger and then reflect later. Aay sahib sensing duttas feeling provides some words of comfort.
"Jab ham kisi ko pyaar karte hai na beta woh kitni bhi badi galti kare hamare jasbaat unke leighyey nahin badalte nahin. Tune kahin na kahin hamesha naku se pyaar kiya hai.
Dimag ghuza karta hai lekin dil dil sirf pyaar karta hai dutta.
Tere dimaag ne thujse ghusa karvayay dutta lekin tere dil toe nakusha ko pyaar karta hai isleighyey abhi bhi tu us hein ke baare mein hein soch raha hai." Dutta thinking over aayi sahibs words closes his eyes for a moment, taking a nervous swallow he reopens his eyes to aayi sahib who watches over him with a smile.
...
Next morning at the breakfast table, dutta sits at one end of the table whilst aayi sahibs sits at the opposing end. Along the left and right of the table the rest of the family members sit in an array. Dutta dressed in his white attire silently eats his breakfast until the house phone rings. A maid hands over the ringing phone to aayi sahib who greets the person on the other end and then confirms it to be baabi. Duttas eyes instantly drawn towards aayi sahib he listens in to the conversation.
"Theekh hai baabi mein bhej dungi use.." saying so aayi sahib puts down the phone.
Nakusha ko lene jaana hai, baaji tu naazta khatam karke turnant nikal jaa.Baaji replies with a "
ho aayi sahib.."Aayi sahib catches duttas eyes that are looking towards her, In response to dutta aayi sahib throws the matter into conversation.
"Hamare yaha riwaz hai ke devar hein bhabhi ko phag phere par ghar leke aata hai." Dutta. As both of there eyes lock for a second dutta approves and goes on eating his breakfast whilst aayi sahib talks to the girls. Leela, madhu. roops "
ham bahar jaa rahe hai toe tum logo ko hein naku ki gra pravesh ki rasam karni hogi dhyan rahe sab theekh se hona chahiyey". The girls agree, reassuring aayi sahib that all would be done per tradition.
...
Mid afternoon As baaji parks up in front of Patil Niwas Nakusha in the passenger seat dressed in her magentia and lime green saari she carried that same apprehension on her expression all the way through the journey. As baaji opens his side of the door to get out he notices nakusha still sat in her seat.
"Chal..naku..!"Nakusha looks his way for a second baaji pauses and sits back in his seat seeing her not react well. "
Kya hua reh naku?" baaji watches nakusha look a little worried as she turns to him.
"Dar lag raha hai baaji.." baaji as ever taking things lightly tries to add some humor.
"Kya reh yey patil niwas hai naku aur tu koi navi naveli dulhan thodi naa.".baaji laughs for a second but sees that concern still lingering on her expression.
"Mujhe toe yey bhi nahin pata ke saab ne muje maaf kiya hai bhi yay nahin..Mein kaise.." before nakusha can go on thinking baaji is quick to reassure her.
"Dekh naku mein bhau ko atchi taara se jaanta hai woh ghusa karta hai toe pyaar bhi toe karta hai na..ab tak sab bhool gayay hoga ho!" But that was just the thing she knew that apart of him deep down loved her otherwise he wouldn't have reacted the way he had but was he aware of that? Meanwhile within patil niwas dutta having changed his attire from that casual white kurta to his black attire stands in front of the the mirror straightening his overcoat when he his fall on the photo frame sat on the dessing table. It was a picture of nakusha taken at the time of there wedding. Dutta had made his mind up after last night, he had feelings for her and he would confront her about them.
...
Meanwhile as naksuha walks towards the entrance of the hallway and is about to put a foot into the house when madhu stops her. "
Waha hein rukhyey bhabhi!" Nakusha a little surprised to be stopped sees madhu approach with a tradional aarti plate inside it rice, a single diya, sindhoor a kalash of rise. Madhu smiles at nakusha as she explains,
"grah pravesh bhabhi..mama ne bola hai ke iske bina aap ghar mein pair nahin rakh sakte". Nakusha smiles surprised she didn't expected this.
Madu places a small tilak on nakushas forehead, slowly circles the plate and dia around nakushas face as nakusha closes her eye for this ritual madhu hears some voices from a distance. looking towards the kitchen madhu sees roops and baaji telling her to stop? Not quite understanding, after a few face pulling moments madu looks up towards the staircase which roops seems to be indicating towards. Turning to it madhu sees dutta standing at the top of the staircase, mobile phone to his ear he seems to be slowly approaching the staircase to walk down. Understanding the hint after some delay madu thinks of the first thing that comes to her head in order to create a moment for nakusha and dutta. "
o no bhabhi meine kitchen mein gas on chor diya!" announcing it quite dramatically madhu passes the plate to nakusha.. aap ek minute yahi rukhyey mein aati hai ek minuite ha bhabhi!!!
nakusha tries to stop madhu but is left in an parculiar situation. Standing at the entrance of the house unable to enter nakusha is stood holding the puja plate of her own grah pravesh.
Waiting for a second or two nakusha eyes the kitchen one or two times and looks a round the house but there is no one to be seen.
Hearing farmiliar footsteps as well as tone of voice that she could never miss nakusha looks towards the staircase and catches dutta walking down it. His concentration on the phone call at hand..nakusha feels a slight rush of nerves as she watches him, she beings scattering her eyes around the house hoping madhu would return soon. Unknown to her the likes of madu..baaji and roops watch from the corner of the kitchen.
As dutta gets to the last few steps of the staircase his conversation too comes to an end. Taking the phone away from his ear pressing the odd button or two dutta puts the phone into the chest pocket of his coat and happens to notice nakusha at the entrance of the house. A little confused at the way she seemed to be standing there with that plate in her hands, no one else to be seen dutta looks around the house for a second and then looks back at her. for a moment nakushas eyes happen to lock with his instantly diverting her gaze as she sees him, nakusha could feel him walk towards her.
Stopping at a close distance dutta looks at nakushas lowered expression. How long had she be standing like this? Dutta looks down at the plate in her hands.
Taking that kalash filled with rice from the plate nakusha feels a sense of surprise and awkwardness as dutta takes the kalash and places it before her on the floor. Stepping back to give her room to walk nakusha takes this as a prompt to enter and putting her right foot forward kicks over the rice and steps into the house. Still avoiding looking towards him there is a strange silence between the two of them but before dutta thinks of breaking the silence..the likes of baaji roops and madhu enter throwing some teasing comments around which seem to have more of an impact of embarrassment on nakusha rather than dutta who continues to watch nakusha.
Late afternoon as nakusha approaches the bedroom with duttas afternoon tea a little hesitant to face him, she hadn't really interacted with him after returning from the basti and this is what made it so difficult. She wasn't quite sure how he would react to her, still feeling a sense of guilt for her behavior a day or so ago nakusha found it difficult to let go of the burden and wouldn't not until she heard him say he had forgiven her.
As Nakusha walks through the bedroom she gets to the porch where duttas had been talking to baaji for some time now.
Dressed in his white attire dutta stood behind the desk, approaching nakusha is just about to put the cup down onto the desk when dutta looses his temper abruptly raising his voice "HAR BAAR GALTI KARNE KI AADAT KAB JAYEYGI TERI BAJI!"
Nakusha finding herself teriffed at the tone of his looses grip over the cup to her hand and drops it.. crashing against the table the content of the glass spills as well as the cup smashing. dutta and baaji both look towards the direction in which the sound had come from. Dutta sees nakusha at once tries to rectify her mistake by trying to clean up the mess. Dutta excuses baaji..and then looks over nakusha who tries to clear the broken glass and spillage on the desk.
"Rehne de ise" Even though dutta has already told her not to bother nakusha continued to try and clear up.
Dutta taking hold of nakushas wrist feels her shiver at his touch, as nakusha looks up at him for a moment dutta sees the existence of fear in her face. Her eyes unsure uneasy her hand continues to tremble in his grip. Duttas tone rather heavy the apprehension on his face visible.
"Kya hua? kyun dar rahin hai?"Getting no response from her he watches her simply divert her gaze in the process he notices the way in which nakushas wrist is plastered. With a sense of concern in those eyes of his dutta looks over nakushas wrist and then back at nakusha who does not look towards him. "
Yey kya hua tuje!???"
...
Edited by jagrutid - 13 years ago
dutta sees nakku cleaning spilled cup dutta try to make her ease and naotice she is scare and asking fo reason and notice her wound waah poori ramayan dutta ne khatam kar di ab pooch rhe hai seeta kaun thi please do next as soon as possible me can't wait 
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