MISTAKE- A Blessing In Disguise

MISTAKE- A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

CHAPTER-1

Once upon a time... leave it! A young girl was sitting in front of the window of her room thinking about something deeply while watching the sun go down like every day. She knew that this sun would surely come back tomorrow. It won't forget its duty and we shouldn't forget ours. This is what was going on in her mind.

"Nisha! Nisha beta!

She put up a veil on a her head as she heard someone calling her. Yes this girl is Nisha sitting in a suit. She was about to leave to meet the source of call but stopped on her tracks as the source herself came.

"Nisha beta! Namaz ka waqt ho raha hai.

Ni- Ji ammi! Aap chaliye namaaz ke baad khaana laga doongi.

The lady is Afreen. Afreen's husband, Shahid, has a habit of having food just after doing his evening prayers. And that is when the family gathers and has their dinner.

Nisha went to the kitchen to look at the preparations for food. Just then a little boy comes to her.

Little boy- Chachi! I am feeling hungry. Khaana tayyar hai?

Ni- Jee haan chote ustaad. (pulling his cheeks)

Little boy- Chachi ab hum bade ho chuke hain.

Ni- You are only 9 years old dear.

Little by- I know but I know that I am old enough to love you.

Ni- Acha ji! Aap na mummy se saath baithkar serials dekhna kam kar dijiye.

Little boy pulled out his tongue.

Ni- Badmaash!

Nisha started running after her while the veil was still on her head. The little boy was running when he suddenly collapsed with the head of the family, Shahid Khan. He is a really strict man but the most lenient father for Nisha.

Sha- Yeh aap kya kar rahe hain Rizwaan?

Rizwaan- Sorry dadu, by mistake.

Nisha's veil came off her head but she didn't notice it. Shahid looked at Nisha and told this to her through gestures. She murmured a sorry and put the veil back on.

Sha- Khaana tayyar hai?

Ni- Ji aboo, bas lagana bacha hai. I will come in a minute.

She was about to leave when she heard a voice- Zaroorat nahi hai Nisha, humne kar diya hai.

She turned to see her bhabhi, Rabiya Khan. Ayesha is a school teacher. She teaches in a renowned missionary school and is of a very loving and caring nature.

Ni- Thank you bhabhi!

Rabiya- Humne kitni baar kaha iski zaroorat nahi hai.

They smiled. Afreen was looking at all this from far. Shahid saw her and went to her.

Sha- Kya baat hai Afreen? Sab khairiyat?

Afreen smiled and replied- Humaare zamaane mein auratein padh bhi nahi paati thi. Unhe ek bojh samjha jaata tha but dekhiye ab. Humaare ghar ko do aurton ne sambhaal kar rakha hai.

Sha- I know. Ayesha aur Nisha, dono ne apne patiyon ko alag alag mainon mein kho diya hai par fir bhi chehre par apna dard aane deti.

Nisha works as a project manager (software engineer) in a renowned company, Cap Gemini, in Pune, where they live. Even there she wears suits. They all had their dinner laughing and giggling. Now everyone went to finish their works. Afreen and Shahid, in their room, were discussing about Nisha and Ayesha.

Afreen- Kya hum Nisha ki doosri shaadi nahi kara sakte?

Shahid- Tab tak nahi jab tak Nisha aur uske shauhar ka talaaq nahi ho jata hai

Afreen- usko 2 saal ho chuke hain. Pata nahi kahan hai. Legally toh they are divorced in this case since the husband wife have been living separately for the more than six months.

Shahid- You know Nisha won't take this into account.

Afreen- Can't we give them this freedom to allow them not to put veil?

Shahid- I would have allowed but we belong from a different family and from a different time. This is what we have been taught and this is what we should teach as well. We should do everything remaining in our limits. We should love them immensely but this much freedom is not good.

Afreen- On one point you consider them your daughters and on the other you can't even allow them to wear western clothes. They might have worn very rarely and that too when really necessary. Why can't we give them freedom?!

Shahid- Let's not discuss about it. It is a rule and we can't change rules since we are no exception.

Afreen- We can be one.

Shahid- (angrily) Afreen, enough is enough! We can't allow them and that's it.

Afreen went out of the room in anger. She went to Nisha's room to talk to her. She knocked on the door. Nisha was working on her laptop when she heard the knock.

Nisha looked at her and smiled- Ammi, aapko poochne ki zaroorat nahi hai. (closing the laptop) Aur aapko itni raat ko? Sab khairiyat?

Afreen nodded- Kuch baat karni thi. Free ho?

Ni- Aap meri ammi hain, aapko toh hukum karna chahiye. Aaiye na.

Afreen went inside and sat beside her on the bed.

Afreen- Beta, uss baat ko 2 saal ho chuke hain and legally are not married. You can say that you have been parted for more than 6 months.

Ni- (smiled) Ammi, aapko maine ussi din keh diya tha ki main aapki beti bankar reh rahi hoon, bahu nahi. I love you.

Afreen- Par beta poori zindagi humko hi sambhalti rahogi. Waqt ho chuka hai that you leave this place and start a new life with someone else and a new family with some new parents.

Ni- (kept her palm on Afreen's) Ammi, asal baat toh yeh hai ki main iss ghar ko nahi chodna chahti hoon. Aur rahi baat zindagi kit oh isse khoobsurat zindagi nahi ho sakti hai.

Afreen- Nisha, Rabiya's husband died and she can say that she had someone to love her enough to gift her a source of life but what about you? Your husband gave you nothing but pain. He took away the source of your life. Why are you still waiting for him?

Ni- Ammi, he actually gave me a mission for life, you and aboo! And I am not waiting for him. I am living my life to the fullest. This is what makes me happy, you people wearing a genuine smile on your face out of pride in which I have a little share.

Afreen- You are my source of life Nisha. You, Ayesha and Yasir (the little child) Par hamaari galti ki saza tum kyun bhugto?

Ni- Ammi, main nahi bhugat rahi hoon. I am happy. It was not your mistake. It was mine. I am sorry. I thought that we were compatible but actually we weren't. this was the mistake I did. (chahign the topic) Let us not talk about this. I have to leave for homey tomorrow.

Afreen- Apne maayke ko homey bolti rehti ho aur sasural ko ghar.

Ni- Main zyada der toh ghar par hi rehti hoon. Homey is my weekend destination.

They laughed. After sometime, Afreen left for her room and Nisha slept. She woke up and left but the whole time she was thinking about what Afreen said. She thought it was high time that she should move on but she didn't want to leave her home and she knew that once married Shahid won't let her help and Ayesha will be burdened with everything. she couldn't really understand what she should do.

She reached her HOMEY only to be greeted with taunts by Laxmi and Ramesh since she was coming home after 2 weekends.

Ni- Acha theek hai baba sorry! I was really cought up in work.

La- You don't have any time for us these days. You can only see your home. I am jealous.

Ni- (mischievous look) Are you?

Laxmi hit her slightly on her shoulder. Ramesh came in with three plates of upma that he made whenever Nisha visited them since she loved having the one which her father made. It was like she got relaxed because of it. She had always felt peace after having it. They started having it.

Ni- Maa, papa, mujhe kuch baat karni hai.

Ra- Haan bol beta.

Ni- Papa, actually yesterday I had a talk with Ammi about Kabir.

La-(curiously) And as usual she and her husband would have had a talk with Kabir that they have every weekend and she might be telling you what he said that doesn't have even a single word about you or related to you?

Well, Laxmi doesn't like

Ni- No mom, actually it is that she was asking me to...

Ra- (confused) Asking you to what?

Ni- She had asked me to send a divorce notice to Kabir. (they were shocked) Actually me and... well we have been apart for more than 6 months, so legally we are considered divorced. I mean I have a strong point and divorce is done.

Ra- (calmly) So what do you have in your mind?

Ni- I don't know. Actually I am confused. She has been forcing me a lot recently. It is not that she wants to get rid of me but she is just wanting me to have a better life.

La- Where is the problem?

Ni- The problem is that I know that if I leave then Aboo won't take help of a penny from me. He has a high ego problem at such matters and so bhabhi will be burdened with everything. Studies of Yasir, household bills, house rent, taxes everything and that is too much to ask if we want a saving for the better future of Yasir.

La- But they have a young son too. Remember? Your husband?

Ni- Mom you know how he is. He is as useless as 2000 rs. note during demonetization.

Ra- You are his daughter. He won't have any problem taking help from you.

Ni- Male ego, you see!

Ra- This is a very confusing situation. Either you can be selfish and get your freedom or be a household help to them.

La- Arre! What is confusing in this? Nisha you choose yourself. How long will you be an unpaid servant for them? moreover they have so many restrictions. He believed in his friend and what he gave in return is too much to have asked THE VEIL SYSTEM'.

Ra- Laxmi let her decide. This is her decision. (to Nisha) Beta, yeh tera faisla hai. We can't help you with this. We can just suggest you and for the first time I feel your mother is right. You cannot just live by doing work and staring at the moon. Sometimes it gets depressing without anyone in life to love you enough to make you blush.

Ni- Dad, it is not about remmariage because I have stopped believing in marriages as they don't work mostly or they are like a burden. It is about freedom. I want some freedom but not too much that the connection I have with aboo, ammi, bhabhi and the little champ would break.

Ra- Nisha, if relations are strong then a divorce with someone else won't break it and if it isn't then take it as they were never worth it.

Nisha understood what her father meant. She smiled as her father did.

La- Mujhe bhool hi jaate ho!

The trio hugged and later had their upma. While Laxmi went to do preparations for lunch, Nisha and Ramesh played some video games because this was their habit.

Nisha went back home and followed her regular schedule. She was confused on what she should do earlier but not anymore. She went to have her dinner and decided to tell everyone then only. Everyone was gathered in the dining.

Ni- Aboo, mujhe kuch kehna hai.

Shahid- haan bolo beta!