This is just my version of how Dhara should have handled the situation. Everyone should have a proper conversation. Everyone should be able to speak out their feelings. She doesn’t even let Krish or Shiva speak out, just because they’re young? Even children should get the opportunity to vent out. Respect and love can’t be forced.
Dhara asked everyone to gather in the dining hall in the morning. Last night she had made Krish and Shiva apologise to Rishita but she knew it wasn’t enough. It probably only increased the feeling of animosity within their hearts. Relationships couldn’t be forced upon people and even if she had made them call her bhabhi, Dhara knew Shiva and Krish didn’t accept her as their bhabhi. They all needed to vent their feelings. Too much had happened in the past few days.
Everyone was sitting quietly, waiting for Dhara to say something. Krish and Shiva were looking guilty because Dhara hadn’t spoken to them since last night. Dhara took out a stick out of her bag. It was the same stick she used in their childhood. They all called it a “feeling stick.”
“Dev, Krish aur Shiva jab chote the aur kabhi bhi ladai karte the toh main unko yeh stick deti thi aur yeh jiske haathon mein hota tha woh apni feelings share karta tha. Pata nahi kaise, par phir sab jhagra solve ho jata tha.” Dhara said. “Aaj bhi main sab ko yeh stick dungi aur sab apne apne mann ki bharas nikalenge.”
“Dhara par abhi yaha koi bachha nahi hai.” Gaumbi said.
“Bachhe nahi hai? Tumhe yaad nahi Shiva aur Krish ne kal raat kya harkat ki?” Dhara asked. “Gaumbi bas. Aaj sab sabko apne dil ki baat khulke bata do. Main yeh roz roz ka jhamela nahi bardasht kar sakti.”
Gaumbi nodded.
“Jise jo bolna hai aaj bol do. Par yaad rakhna ki koi kisi ki feeling leke koi questions nahi utha sakta. Nahi koi kisi se naraaz hoga. Hum sab sunenge bas. Usse zyada kuch nahi.” Dhara told them. “Chalo sabse pehle main hi bolti hu. Mujhse yeh sab aur bardaasht nahi ho raha hai. Har roz koi naya tamasha. Main bas apne parivaar ko saath dekhna chahti hu, par har roz main use dheere dheere bikharte dekh rahi hu. Mujhse nahi saha jaa raha. Itna stress aur itna tamasha mujhse nahi liya jaa raha hai. Koi na koi apni complains lekar aa jata hai mere paas. Aur mujhe bilkul samajh nahi aa raha main kya karu. Main bas apne bachho ko khush dekhna chahti hu. Aur kuch nahi.”
“Bhabhi-” Shiva started, but Dhara stopped him.
“Sirf sunna hai Shiva. Aur kuch nahi.” Dhara reminded him. “Ab next kaun?”
Dev took the stick from Dhara’s hand. “Sab mera fault hai. Mujhse ab yeh guilt nahi saha jaa raha. Har ek din mujhe aisa feel ho raha hai ki mujhe Rishita ya mere family ke beech mein kisi ek ko choose karna parega. Aur mujhse woh nahi hoga. Main Rishita se bohot pyaar karta hu par woh meri family ko samajh nahi paa rahi. Main bohot helpless feel kar raha hu. Meri family mere liye sabse important hai aur Rishita mere uss important hisse ko nahi samajh paa rahi. Main bas itna hi chahta hu ki Rishita mere family ko apna le. Meri wajah se already Shiva aur Raavi iss rishte mein bandh chuke hai. Iss baat ka bohot guilt hai mujhe. Aur Shiva aur Krish pe gussa bhi aa raha hai kal ke prank ke liye. Main bhi nahi chahta ki humari family toot jaye. Par yeh bhi samajh nahi aa raha ki main kya karu.”
Rishita looked angry with some of his confessions but she didn’t say anything. Krish took the stick from Dev’s hand.
“Mujhe Rishita bhabhi se koi problem nahi hoti agar woh hume accept kar leti. Par jab se woh aayi hai, woh bas Gaumbi aur Dhara bhabhi ki insult kiye jaa rahi hai. Mujhse woh bardasht nahi hota. Main apni family ko pehle jaisa dekhna chahta hu, jab hum log ek saath khush the. Pehle jaisi masti wapas chahta hu. Raavi bhabhi ko khush dekhna chahta hu. Respect one way nahi hoti. Agar Rishita bhabhi humse respect chahti hai toh unhe bhi humari respect karni hogi. Woh jab chahe jise chahe kuch bhi bol deti hai. Aur unhe pyaar se samjhaya tha na Gaumbi ne tab bhi woh kaise nahi samjhi? Rishita bhabhi toh hume family hi nahi maanti. Unke liye toh abhi bhi Dev hi sirf apne hai. Toh bhi hum kaun hai? Kal ke prank ke liye I’m really sorry. Mujhe andaza nahi tha ki bhabhi behosh ho jayegi par unhe humara pyaar aur respect jitne ke liye bhi kadam barane parenge.”
Raavi was touched by Krish’s concern for her. She took the stick from Krish’s hand.
“Main yeh waali Raavi nahi rehna chahti. Jab bhi main apne aap ko mirror mein dekhti hu, mujhe ek bechari si ladki dikhti hai. Main woh pehle wali hasti khelti Raavi banna chahti hu. Aap sab se bohot naraz hu. Mana ki Dev ne mujhse shaadi karne ki liye haa kaha tha par aap sab jaante the ki woh Rishita se pyaar karta tha. Toh mujhe bataya kyu nahi? Main kabhi bhi usse shaadi nahi karti phir. Uske saath main kabhi khush kaise reh pati agar woh kisi aur se pyaar karta ho toh? Ek baar mujhe bol dete toh woh sab kabhi nahi hota, pura Somnath mujhpe has nahi raha hota. Aur Rishita mujhe kyu taane mare jaati hai? Mujhe Dev mein koi interest nahi hai. Mera usse ab koi lena dena nahi hai. Main bas itna chahti hu ki Rishita mujhe Dev ya Shiva ke saath mere rishte ko leke kuch na bole. Maine faisla le liya hai ki main ab se khush rehne ki puri koshish karungi. Mujhe pata nahi main Shiva ke saath yeh rishta kaise nibhaungi jab woh mujhse itni nafrat karta hai. Main humesha iss parivar ki hona chahti thi, par sab kuch kitna galat ho gaya ki mujhe bhi kuch samajh nahi aa raha ki main kya karu.”
Rishita took the stick from Raavi’s hand.
“Sab mujhe hi blame karte hai. Main Dev ke liye apni family ko chorr ke aayi hu. Aur Dev mere liye kabhi stand nahi leta. Main apne family ko bohot miss karti hu, par maine Dev ki wajah se ek baar bhi unhe call nahi kiya. Usse bohot pyaar karti hu main, aur try kar rahi hu na. Par mujhe humesha yeh ek saath sab kuch nahi hota. Aur Shiva aur Krish, mujhe itna daraya unhone ki... Meri toh jaan hi nikal gayi thi. Shiva aur Krish meri respect nahi karte. Inhone kaha meri taraf ek bhi kadam baraya hai? Yeh Shiva toh mujhe day one se pasand nahi karta. Main aap sab ki respect karti hu. Aap log Dev ki family ho, par mujhe time lagega aap logo ko accept karne ke liye. Aur Raavi, main Dev ko leke bohot zyada possessive hu. Mujhe tumhe hurt nahi karna tha par kabhi kabhi gussa aa jata hai. And I’m sorry for that. Aap logo pe main abhi tak naraz hu kyuki aap sab ne mere Dev ki shaadi Raavi se karwane ki koshish ki, jab ki aap sab mere baare mein jaante the. Aur isilie mujhe hamesha darr laga rehta hai ki aap log Dev ko mujhse alag karna chahte ho. Par main yeh abhi bhi believe karti hu hum ek family hai toh hume sab kuch ek saath karne ki koi zarurat nahi. Kabhi kabhi privacy aur akele rehne ki zaroorat hai. Dhara bhabhi main bas yehi chahti hu ki aap sabko micro manage karna chorr do. Aapke bachhe ab bare ho chuke hai aur unki shaadi bhi ho chuki hai. Hum sab ko thodi independent chahiye ab.”
Gaumbi took the stick from Rishita’s hand.
“Maine jab tujhse kaha tha ki tu aur Raavi mere liye ek hai, woh sach tha. Maanta hu ki main Raavi ko uske bachpan se janta hu, par iss waqt tum dono mere liye ek ho. Aur tum dono se equally pyaar karta hu. Tum dono meri choti behen ho. Rishita, maana tujhe time lagega, aur hum tujhe time denge. Jitna time chahiye le le. Krish, Shiva, tum dono se main bohot naraz hu. Yeh prank karke bhi kya milne wala tha? Agar Rishita se tum dono ko problem tha toh hum log baithke baat bhi kar sakte the. Rishita agar tumhe waqt lagega toh Krish aur Shiva ko bhi time lagega tumhe accept karne mein. Tum teeno ne kabhi ek saath time bhi spend kiya hai? Shayad ek baar karlo toh saare gile shikwe kam ho jayenge. Tum logo ko ek dusre ko time dena hoga. Main bas apne parivaar mein sabko khush dekhna chahta hu. Mujhe laga tha ki ab bachhe bare ho gaye hai, toh main bhi apni life shanti se bita paunga. Dhara ko thoda aaram milega. Par yaha toh tum logo ne kuch aur hi tandav macha rakha hai.”
Shiva didn’t take the stick on his own, so Dhara handed him the stick.
“Mujhe Rishita se sirf yehi problem hai ki usne meri bhabhi aur mere bhai ki insult ki.” Shiva said.
“Shiva, bol.” Dhara encouraged him to speak up.
“Bhabhi main aapko takleef nahi pohochana chahta tha. I’m sorry. Main bas Rishita ko sudharna chahta tha. Galti ho gayi. Maine nahi socha tha baat itni aage tak bar jayegi. And I’m sorry for that. Main bhi Dev ko khush dekhna chahta hu Rishita ke saath. Par Rishita ne jis tarah se aapse aur Raavi se baat ki thi shaadi ke din, mujhse saha nahi gaya. Use aap dono ki respect karni chahiye thi. Raavi aur aapka jo iss ghar mein darja hai wohi uska hai. Aur woh jis din aap dono ki respect karna seekh jayegi, main bhi usko wohi same respect dunga jo main aapko deta hu Dhara bhabhi.”
“Aur tujhe apne shaadi ke baare mein kuch nahi bolna?” Dhara asked.
“Nahi. Aapne kaha Raavi se shaadi kar le. Maine kar liya. Mana ki mere aur iske beech sab thik nahi par maine aapse promise kiya tha ki iss shaadi ko nibhaunga. Aur main apne tarah se wohi kar raha hu. Baaki Raavi ki marzi. Mujhe bhi puri tarah se samajh nahi aa raha ki kaise kya karu par koshish kar raha hu.”
Raavi was surprised. She had never expected this from Shiva. He had never spoken to her directly about their wedding and now she knew the truth of it. She had never understood why Shiva said yes to marrying her when he hated her.
“Sab ne sab ki dil ki baat sun li. Ab toh mann halka ho gaya hoga na?” Dhara asked.
Everyone nodded. It had given them all the clarity they needed. Even Dhara understood that Rishita was right. It was time she gave them some independence. She took a vow not to infere in their personal matters anymore, and give them all the space they needed. If anyone would need her, she would be there for them always.
Kumkum Bhagya
