Vaibhavi
Tears collect near my lashes as the past brutally comes fore. I bury my face in my palms and start howling. I hate him... I hate that man. Why did he come now? To mock me? To laugh on my state? Oh sure, he couldn't have done anything better than that.
Years have definitely changed him. Of course he is the rockstar Veer! I may have been confined to these four walls but I was not out of connect with the world outside. He seemed changed, his unkept hair was now in neat gelled spikes. He seemed to have built a better body.
He has found his happiness, why has he come searching for me? Strange. Really strange.
No matter how much I tried to forget the bitter past it comes out on me... again and again.
Everyone got to know who my father was, I had to leave my college, I didn't get any admission anywhere else. Our neighbours too found out, or let me say Veer made it sure they found out.
Maa was shocked... she had lost faith in me. Everyone berated me. My relatives berated me as they felt I was the reason as to why everyone got to know of our shameful past. But dad was innocent, I was sure of it... I was sure of it.
I stumbled and walked towards my home where my mother sat, aloof from me. I packed my bags and ran away that night. I was determined to find out the clues myself, before that I would never return home.
I was devastated, what had I done wrong? Wrong to the world? Wrong to Veer? All I wanted to do was help a girl from getting misbehaved because I saw myself in her... I saw my maa in her. Whenever maa or I went to ask for help, neither of us was oblivious to the lecherous glances at us.
Was this the price of being good?
I rubbed away the hot tears from my cheeks and stood near tram, waiting for it to stop. I was in Kolkata, I knew Baba had a few associates here. Perhaps they could help? I had thrown away my previous phone somewhere in the deep jungles. I didn't remember anyone's number. I didn't need to.
My mind was distracted with Veer, the destruction of my life, I never paid attention to the noises, nor to the tracks where I was standing. To my horror by the time I turned left, I slipt and my feet came under the tram.
Veer
"Oh no!" Veer cupped his mouth as the nurse shared the details. "The government paid for her, par uske baar Beerda where could she go? Toh she was sent to this home here." The nurse finished.
I staggered back. All my fame, success, money everything seemed null before her. Ram squeezed my shoulders and patted my back. I heard a groan from the room and found Vaibhavi moaning in pain.
"Dai... my hips are paining... mujhe jaana hai... Dai bohot dard ho raha hai..." Vaibhavi groaned in pain while Dai looked on helplessly as she was tending to another patient.
I walked towards her room where Vaibhavi had clenched her eyes in pain. I picked her easily in my arms while her eyes shot open. She clutched my shirt tightly and stared into my eyes. My hands shook by the heat of her body, she was having fever!
"Choro mujhe!" Vaibhavi yelled after a few minutes. "Seedha zameen main girogi! Samjhi! Do minute chup nahi beith sakti!" I glared at her.
"Main marr javungi par tumhare baahon main ek minute nahi rahungi!" she yelled then took quick breaths. "Ek minute yaha rehke tumhara marne ka din nahi badlega, aur iske baad tum jitna chaaho gaali maaro mujhe..." I snapped at her and she took a sigh of resignation.
Ram quickly changed her bedsheets and put in soft new ones as well as installed a table fan. I noticed the frown on her face. "Am damn tired of being treated like nothing and people taking decisions for me. Just because I can't move on my own it doesn't mean that I don't have an existence of myself!" Vaibhavi teared while I looked at her in shock.
"I am not taking decisions for you, you were feeling hurt thanks to the fact that your mattress was all worn out. You do have an existence, else I wouldn't be able to even hold you..." I said, she looked aside while Ram blabbered "Thank God Sir is not like before madam, warna kiss wiss karke.. ahem... aap toh ho jo itni khubsoorat!" he smiled and silenced when Vaibhavi glared at him.
"Did you just flirt with me?" Vaibhavi stared and he gulped and shook his head no "Nahi ma'am, main sir ke saath kaam karta hoon par sir jaise flirt nahi karta! Pakki kasam! Ai shapat!" he rattled off and for the first time Vaibhavi's face crinkled into a little smile.
"Chill Ram... tumhare Sir ko mujhe behtar koi nahi jaanta, flirt... he's dangerous as well... zindagiya nasht karna koi tumhare sir se seekhe.." tears filled her eyes and I felt jabbed straight in my heart.
I lowered Vaibhavi onto the mattress, and something snapped in me. The moment felt so intimate.
Her hands were gripping my shoulders as I hovered over her, keeping her on the bed. Our eyes locked, she stared at me with innumerable questions and all I did was take a deep breath. Keeping her on the bed I switched on the fan and walked aside.
I still had an attraction for her, my beating heart said so. I remembered the time I closed her mouth with my palm. For a second I had thought of keeping the palm aside and kissing her.
I was surprised that even though she looked tired and glum, it hadn't taken away an ounce of her beauty. She still glowed - looking ethereal.
I leaned on to the door as she spoke to Ram, who cracked a little jokes occasionally. Dai came and changed her clothes and I sat on a bench.
"Toh Sir... ab kya?" Ram asked.
"Pata nahi Ram... I want to correct my mistakes, but I don't know how... I want her to be alright... but I don't know how." I pressed my forehead.
"Sir you do know right that she probably wouldn't take any sort of help from you... in fact she hates you. She is just too tired to say that!" Ram shrugged his shoulders.
"Aap jaake usse mil sakte hai..." Dai said and I walked towards a fresher Vaibhavi.
"Kyun aaye ho? Ram ne kaha ki tumne mujhe dhunda..." Vaibhavi played with the little strands of her unkept hair.
"Ek kaam tha Vaibhavi..." I sat on the bed next to her, but instead of anger I found her to be defeated and exhausted.
I touched her forehead gently yet she didn't flinch. "If I had given up to you... tab tum aisa kuch nahi karte na?" Vaibhavi asked, tears collecting near her eyes.
She wiped them quickly and looked at me "You know Veer, jab bhi main aur maa kisike paas jaate the madat ke liye, tab woh saare aadmi mujhe aur maa ko itni ghandi tarha se dikhte the... that day when I saw you teasing that girl... I wish I hadn't shown my morals..."she bit her lips and took in a deep breath.
She jolted in shock as I placed a cool layer of cloth on her burning forehead. "I... I am sorry..." I muttered and she half smiled.
"It doesn't make a difference, maa still hates me... everyone does..." she closed her eyes when I woke her up. "Na... uncle's name has been cleared. He was proven as a just and honest man, kuch hi saal pehle. Aur Natasha and Kabir ki shadi ho chuki hai, in fact they are expecting a second one, pehli waali beti thi." I told and found her face crease into a smile. "Sacchi!" she smiled in delight, her fingers clasping together.
"Par... woh dono... kaise hai... aur tum kaise mile?" She asked and I narrated slightly. "I knew tum khud mujhe kabhi dekhne nahi avoge..." she muttered.
"Nahi Vaibhavi, I thought the two knew where you are... pichle kuch saalon main aisa bohot kam tha ki jab maine tumhe yaad nahi kiya ho. I am sorry for what I did Vaibhavi... I really am..." I spoke and she sighed.
"Usse kya farak padta hai, jo hona tha woh ho gaya... kya tum mujhe maaf karte Veer? Sach bolo... jiss din tum mujhe maaf karoge, uss din main bhi maaf kar dungi. Aur ab baat maafi ki nahi hai Veer... zindagi guzar chuki hai... ab bas yahi soch rahi hoon ki umar kab aaye... aur kab main marr javun..." Vaibhavi turned her head aside.
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