PART - 6: REVEALATION...
PART - A
Samrat was strolling in the garden of Shergill mansion... Never has New Year's Eve been so gloomy, so cold, so painful...
Five years ago when he had moved out of this house; forced by the chain of circumstances, a feelings of emptiness, losses, being rejected and unwanted by his mother has ripped his heart...
And only five days ago when he was ready to move out of this house; this place yet once again and this time willingly he was stopped by his mother with a sudden and unexpected announcement that seems more severe...
Time changes, people around you changes, destiny changes... But something has never changed even with the flow of time...
The pain and the loneliness... It is still there but only increased...
Why Candy?? Why did you do this to me, to us??
Everything would have been the same if only you hadn't left us... Samrat, Gunjan, Dia and Ranvijay... They were happy, they were perfect, and they were always a family until the day she left them, forever...
Dia's death and Ranvijay departure from Darjeeling with his parents within one month for Sydney, and everything scattered...
Samrat succumbed himself to the aching grief of losing his first love... He was even more hurt when he found out the reason behind his loss was none other than his best friend Gunjan...
He had distanced her since then, a sort of bitterness had crept in his mind for her... He had pushed her away when she needed him the most, when she was equally a victim of fate...
Four years Samrat had remained silent only because his father had made him promise to never speak out his mind which may tear her heart out into pieces...
But in spite of the promise he had made; Gunjan had to face his cold silent treatment every day without any sort of clue until the day he lost his father too and once again she was held responsible for another death...
And this time he lost all his controls, forgot all his promises... Hidden emotions, rage that was buried inside him for four years erupted washing away Gunjan's every existence...
Chilled air strokes his face while he stands watching the last ray of the day vanishing slowly in a grey line in the western sky...
And one by one artificial decorative light glowed up to evade the darkness and welcome the last night of the year...
Only few hours and another year will pass away making way for a new year, the only difference that this new day will bring a new beginning in his life; in her life as well...
Only few hours and he will be free forever from that one girl whose every existence has been hurting him for years...
Only few hours and by the next sunset she will be gone forever...
The next day has been designed to be Gunjan's wedding day...
It was earlier planned to happen two weeks later only, but the news of Samrat staying back in his house; under the same roof as Gunjan has been quite disturbing to Ranvijay's parents...
And being very well aware of the kind of relationship Samrat and Gunjan had always shared in spite of the last few years distance and not to forget Shekhar Shergill and Indira Shergill's wish to get Gunjan marry their son, the Rathores hadn't risk to lose their chance this time...
And hence on the pretext of various reasons the Rathores has proposed the idea of the wedding that was supposed to happen two weeks later should happen at the earliest date possible...
And what was more shocking to Samrat was his mother agreeing to this absolutely illogical proposal, in fact she was quite delight to hear this...
"It has to happen Sam, then why make delay?? You have been far from me all these years just because of her... And everything will be fine once again when she is gone; and we will have a fresh start as we have promised each other"...
"Don't worry Sam; it's not likely to be a big Indian wedding, just few close relatives and friends... We can manage everything within four days"...
Blood is thicker than water; he had heard, but never in his wildest dream had Samrat expected this from his mother...
She was more than happy to send her Pari away to get a second chance in her life; chance to be with her son...
Was Gunjan aware of all these?? Samrat had wondered; and had found the answer too soon...
Off course she does...
And that's why she had without any second thought agreed to stand out... What could be the best way to repay??
Turning back he observed his house decorated with lights and flowers... All the ladies; friends, neighbour and close relatives dressed in gorgeous apparel and jewelleries had gathered in the hall room of Shergill Mansion...
It's her mehendi ceremony along with Sangeet...
Due to shortage of time the engagement will happen only before the wedding...
It's a completely ladies function and no man was allowed inside which is why Ranvijay was absent from the scene that brought at least some rest in him... He has always been jealous of RV whenever Gunjan was with him and now-a-days the jealousy has quite turned into hatred... Especially since the day Gunjan had made it very clear about RV's stand in her life...
And since that very day they had shared an intimate moment, Gunjan has been successfully avoiding him like a plague... And the worst part was RV was always there sticking with her that too suggested by his mother...
He had tried but failed to get a chance to be alone with her... He needed talking to her; but what he has no idea... The only thing he knew; rather realised that with every passing day he was becoming more restless...
And this astounded him even more... In spite of hating this girl to the core, the sheer possessiveness he had for Gunjan hadn't dimmed a little over years; rather it has increased with every passing days...
Standing in a gazebo Samrat watched her sitting in the hall room through one of the open windows... She was in the centre, gathered around by some fat, overdressed, giggling ladies...
Her both hands were drawn to both sides while two women were busy putting mehendi on her hands...
She was looking pale and yet unbelievably beautiful in her white with maroon embroidery sleeveless anarkali salwar suit... Her dupatta was drawn on her right shoulder while the left one was covered with her long floating hair...
White always suits her and it's her favourite colour... Only he knows how much Gunjan loves this colour; since the day she had seen Dhara auntie's Church Wedding photos...
Gunjan had always dressed her dolls in white wedding gown every time when they had doll wedding; whereas Dia would dressed hers in red bridal wears...
"You know Samrat; me too will dress in white gown in my wedding like Mum... I want to look like an angel like her"... Eight years Gunjan had said those words innocently to nine years Samrat while admiring her mother's wedding photographs...
None of her dreams were coming true and still she was ok with everything; compromising at every step... And this was annoying him even more... How could Gunjan remain so quiet and agreeable with every decision that was thrown on her now-a-days while he was protesting in vain??
"But Mum, Gunjan had always wanted a Church Wedding and RV too knows about it" Samrat had said it aloud to his mother the last night after hearing the wedding details...
"I know Sam, but that was when you people were kids... She is grown up now and sensible enough to differentiate between her childish whims and reality... The Rathore family has their own traditions and I can't ask bhaisaab and bhabi to break their family tradition" Indira Shergill reasoned with her son...
"But Mum..." Samrat tried once more to convince his mother but was cut off before he could speak anything...
"Why are you fussing over this silly matter Sam?? Everything has been arranged already including her bridal wear... The wedding is only day after tomorrow and I don't have any time to waste discussing over this unnecessary topic with the Rathore family especially when there is nothing to discuss and Gunjan has no problem with it"...
All said and done his mother had left then with the bridal saris she had brought for Gunjan leaving behind a bewildered Samrat... He hadn't missed his mother's new indifference attitude towards Gunjan; but never had he heard her calling Gunjan by her real name instead of the fondly name Pari...
Standing there leaning against a pillar, surrounded by mist and chilled air Samrat started to feel lonely; not that he wasn't always one, but in spite of the loneliness deep down somewhere in his heart he has always felt her presence... Gunjan was always there; like an invisible shadow, writing song lyrics, hearing his compositions, discussing every detail about his music albums with Benji whenever she visited Mumbai and yet made it sure never to cross His way...
Her presence was there in His every music...
Her presence was there in His every air...
Her presence was there in His every existence...
Her presence was there in Her absence...
Her presence was there in Her silence...
But tonight he was feeling lonely in every sense... Tonight he will have to speak with her before bidding her a final goodbye...
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Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
