mjht revisited 2 - Page 3

Bauji peeped in to catch a glimpse of gunjan and swallowing a lump in his throat, sat again and closed his eyes. He was tired. He just hoped this ordeal would be over soon and his daughter would come back.

---------------------------

" bauji, " mayank stood in front of him with a tea cup in his hand ," aap ye pee lijiye. Adhi.."

"mujhe kuch nahin chahiye." Bauji cut him short ,"tumhaare haath se tho kuch bhi nahin. Naahin tumhaari chai naahin tumhaari sympathy " and not looking at him still, continued rudely, " main tum hare jaise ladkon ko achhi tarah se pehchaan tha hoon.

Mayank looked like he had been slapped. He placed the tea cup next to bauji and said after hesitating for a second," yeh waqt shayad in sab baton ke liye nahin hain. Agar.."

"yeh sab baton ki naubat hi nahin aati agar tum nahin hote meri beti ki zindagi mein. Main gunjan ki is haalat ko sahsaktha hoon, par jab ek beti jaan boojke apne pita ka apmaan karthi hai tab sahan nahin hota hain. Aur tum..." Baujo retorted back

"bauji, mera iraada aapko..."

"main jaantha hoon tumhara iraada.Tum abhi mere aur meri beti ke haalat ka faayda uthana chahthe ho. Tum yeh dikhaana chahthe ho ki tum hum sab ke liye kitna kuch kar rahe ho.. Kya samajthe ho tum , mujhe yaad hain ki jab maine tumhe pehli baar dekha tha tab tum kya bol rahe the meri beti ko. Yeh sab dikhaawa abhi chod do. In sab ke mujh par koi asar nahin hone waala hain." Bauji s voice was not high, it was steely and totally reflected the mistrust and dislike he had towards mayank. He had spoken non stop not giving mayank any chance to talk inbetween.

Mayank anyway looked like he didn't know what to reply.

"bauji," adhiraj had come in with a plate ," aap ye khaa lijiye." He interrupted the conversation. And looked at mayank.

Mayank walked out . adhiraj looked at mayanks receeding back and then at bauji. he sat next to bauji and said," chai thandi hojaayegi. Aap peelijiye. Yeh jo bhi aap baat karna chahthe hain aap baad mein kijiye. Subah se aapne bhi kuch liya nahin hain aur pata nahin gunjan ko hosh kab aayega. Agar aap teek nahin rahenge tho nupur ko aur sab ko kaun dekhega? Please .."

Bauji stared at him with a lot of regret, his thoughts- nupur ne isko kyun mana kardiya- was visible on his face. Oddly it irritated adhiraj. He stood up and left saying he would go to eat as well.

-------------------

Mayank went out feeling extremely ..he didn't know what he felt. Insulted? Nahin . pata nahin life mein kab mujhe kisne daanta tha... Bas mujhe shayad aadat nahin hain badon ke daant khaane ka. Maa tho shaayad hi kabhi daant thi thi. Aur aisi tho bilkul bhi nahin. Maa se baat karo? And he dialled his mothers number. It didn't get through. He had informed her about gunjans accident, when she said she would come he had asked her to save her leave so that she could come when he really wanted her. Or when nupur wanted her.

Adhiraj walked out thinking of how bad mayank must be feeling. Mayank was near a window with the phone in his hand. He went to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. Mayank looked at him and forced a smile.

"unki baton ko seriously mat lo mayank. Saare fathers gusse mein aise hi useless baatein bolthe hain." Adhiraj tried to lighten his mood.

"shaayad. Mujhe yaad nahin ki mere dad kaise the. " he replied looking straight at adhiraj and turned to the canteen. Adhiraj with his hand still on mayanks shoulder, both the guys walked quietly to the canteen where the rest of the gang were eating ,each thinking his own thoughts.

Adhiraj thinking how low Mayank sounded and wondering how Bauji could be blind to Mayank s nature. Aur woh bhi is waqt. Mayank nahin hota tho nupur ya hum sab ko bhi sambhaltha kaun. Jab tak woh hospital aaya nahin tab tak hum me se kisiski dimaakh nahin chala tha. mera bhi nahin. Mujhe tho yeh bhi yaad nahin raha ki mujhe police ko witness dene keliye jaana chahiye. Pata nahin kal kya kay honewaala hain police ke saath. Bauji ko dikhtha nahin hain kya- ki in dono ke beech kitna pyaar hain. And looked at mayank , his face not reflecting his hurt.

Mayank was hurt. He felt he had let his mother down. Maa had always taught him to respect elders and all his acid tongue had hardly ever been directed towards elders. Pata nahin shayad mujhe unke saamne jaan hi nahin chahiye. Bas unko pareshaan dekh ke ... bura laga. Chodo , unka haq banta hain gussa hone ka. Agar main unki jagah hota , tho pata nahin main kaise kaise reactions deta.par itne saare galat confusion... main tho unse kuch bhi nahin chahtha hoon. Atleast nupur ke upar koi gussa nahin nikaalenge tho teek hain. Warna woh toot jaayegi. Waise bhi gunjan ko leke sab pareshaan hai.

"nupur ko bauji ki baatein mat batana. Woh..." mayank told adhiraj as they neared the others and adhiraj nodded.

The gang was relatively quiet in the canteen , eating more to kill time and as a duty towards all the others than for themselves.Except Samrat. He sat without eating, without talking and perhaps without listening.

"adhiraj, tumhe chot kaise lagi? Matlab zyaada lagi hai kya? Maine tumse poocha nahin." Nupur suddenly asked . she had forced herself to eat two spoons and then given up .

"its ok nupur. Zyaada nahin hai. bas medicines lena tha. " and explained once again what had happened showing his bandages. Suhaani stroked his arm tenderly.

"par gunjan akeli bahar kyun gayi ? woh tho tum sab ki saath thi na. Samrat, tumhe tho pata..." nupur turned to him.

Samrat got up and walked away, saying as he went," sab meri galthi hain. Yeh sab..." tears filling his eyes.

Mayank followed him in a hurry.

The rest of them , after staring at them for a moment, got up to leave. Nupur went back to the ward with benji while dia stayed with uday and suhaani left with adhiraj to buy his medicines. He needed to lie down too.

---------------------------------