We've seen that Sulochana Ayi has held sway over many decisions in Archana's life. This time, she refused to let the newly wedded couple touch her feet for Ashirwad and basically gave Archana an impossible, cruel ultimatum: Manav or the family. Archana chose Manav with not a hint of regret on her face. But her Father was left completely out of the picture. Sulochana had a long monologue. And Manav felt the brunt of her ire.
Possible continuation of the track:
Two days have elapsed since Archana was thrown out of her own home by her own Ayi. A deep and dangerous schism develops between Sulochana and Manohar, who was torn between his feelings for Archana but also angry at her way of handling things with the elopement. The parents are sensing tension between each other but neither is giving voice to what they feel. Even though Sulochana is more vocal, Manohar's feelings run deep.
As two people Archana loves the most in the world, their interaction gives us a glimpse into what they are going through emotionally after so much chaos and the sudden loss of an integral family member. They are alone in the house, Vinod/Manju are at work. Both are talking to each other only minimally.
S: "Khana laga diya hai, Aho, aake khalo."
M: "Mujhe bhook nahi, tum khalo."
S: "Aisa kabhi hua hai, ke aap na khain aur mein khalu? Chaliye, khana thanda ho raha hai.."
M: Angrily "Meiney kahana mujhe bhook nahi? Mujhe akela chhor do…"
S: "Dekheye, Archana ne apna raste chunliya hai, ham kaun hotey hain usey rokne waley? Hamari koi ahmiyat nahi uski zindagi mein, tou hamari zindagiyan kyun ruke? Who ladki ab badal gai hai. Ab who hamari Archu nahi rahi. Kissi awaara ladke ki biwi hai who. Ham kya jeena chhor denge uski laparwahi aur khudgarzee ki wajey sey?"
M: "Laparwahi aur khudgarzee kehtiho..(snickers at her choice of words, she notices). Tumne kya kiya Sulochana? Zara socho, thandey dimaag sey socho. Do pal ke liye samaaj aur bahar ki duniya, jo log hamarey koi nahi lagtey, unko apne dimaag mey sey nikal pheko. Kya kiya tumne us din, jab Archana aur Manav yahan aye aur tumsey maafi mangee?"
S: "Mein us din key barey kuch behez nahin karna chahti."
M: "Lekin mujhe baat karni hai, aur mein aaj bol ke rahunga. Tumne bahut kuch bol diya unko us din Sulochana, tou aaj meri bhi baat sun lo. Tumhey sunni pareygi."
S: "Yeh kya hogaya hai aapko, baar baar wohi baat dohrae…"
M: "Dekho Sulochana, tumne aur meiney apni puri zindagi bitayi hai ek dusrey ke saath, zindagi ke kitne utar charao dekhe aur himmat sey unka samna kiya. Kyun? Apne parivaar ke liye, hamarey in bacho ke liye, unki khushiyon ke liye. Mein tumsey sirf aur sirf yeh kehna chahta hu ke us din, tumhara bartao Archana aur Manav ke saath bikul galat tha.
Tum bolti gai aur bolti gai, unhoney tumsey maafi magi, par tumney suna bhi nahin. Bache galatiyan karte hain, tou Ma Baap maaf kardete hein. Tum unsey aise bartao kar rahi thi, ki jaise un donone kissi ka khoon kardiya ho. Upar se, tumne phir se apna haath uthaya Manav par. Woh bhi tumne thik nahi kiya. Lekin jahan tak mein apni Archu ko janta hu, us thapad ka dard Manav ko kam aur Archana ko ziyada laga."
S: "Yeh kya aap phirsey us do takke ke ladke ki baat le kar bait gaye? Uski aukat hi kya hai ke mere pair chhune ki? Woh bhi aisi harkat ke baad? Manav, Manav, Manav! Mein us ladke ka naam is ghar nahin sunna chati! Samjhe aap? Nahin sunnungee mein! Who hamara dushman hai, aur dushmani nibhani mujhe bhi khoob aati hai."
M: "Bapa mein shraddha raktiho, roz deep jalati ho bhakti ka, aur aisi gandi boli zaban se nikal rahi hai tumhari, Sulochana. Bapa mein maney waley, Sai Baba mein maney waley dushmaniyaan nibhaney ki baatey kartey hain? Apni betiyon ko rastey par dhakel dete hein?
Sulochana, apne kamrey mein jao, aur zara sheeshey key samne khadi hojao. (He leads her to their bedroom near the full length mirror.)
Agar woh raat jab mein halaaton sey ladte ladte thak gaya tha, apni zindagi ka ant karney jar aha tha, tou meri jaan bachane wala wohi Manav tha. Agar woh sahi waqt par nahin pachunta, aur mujhe us kaali raat mein us ghehrey paani mesey na bachakar na nikalta, tou aaj Sulochana, tum yahan, is kamrey mein, ek safed saari mein kahdi hoti, tumhari maang, jo tum roz khushi khushi bharti ho, woh sooni hoti. Tumharey jeevan mein Sindoor aur Mangalsutra is koi zaroorat nahin hoti. Tum ek widhwa hoti. Ek widhwa, jisiki puri zindagi badal gai hoti.
Sulochana feels a chill going through her whole body when she images herself in white, with no make up and her precious Sindoor case gone from her dresser and her beloved Mangalsutra gone from around her neck. She touches her neck to see if the Managlsutra is still there, recalling the terror of the night Manohar almost died by drowning.
M continues: "Kabhi socha hai tumne us baat ko lekar? Tab tum kya karti? Mein tou mar gaya hota, is jahan sey ja chukka hota, lekin is ghar ki sari zimedariyaan tumharey kandhon par aajati ek hi pal mein. Kya tum, hamari ladkio ki shaadiyan karva sakti merey beena? Kya yeh ghar chala sakti mere bachey kuchey kaam ke paiso ke bina? Kya hota is ghar ka?"
Socho Sulochana, shaant ho kar zara socho tum kispe gussa ootar rahiho. Jabhi tumhey koi taklif hoti hai, jab tumhey tumhara asthma satata hai, tou yehi ladka bhaag ke tumhara inhaler latatha. Kyun? Kyun usko tumhari fikar thi. Mujhe jab paison ki kami pad gayi, is ladki ne yahan wahan se paisey jama karke hamari bachi ki shaadi ke liye diye. Kaun karta hai is zamaney mein aisa? Manju, hamari bahu, woh bhi ek ek rupiya gin gin ke deti hai, uske chehrey pey itne nafrat hoti hai paison ko lekar, Vinod ko bhi bhadka deti hai hamare khilaf. Par tum usey kuch nahin kehti.
Manav hamara kaun lagta hai? Koi nahin. Lekin usne hamarey liye kitna kiya, jo ek beta bhi soch sochke karta. Us din jab Varsha ne woh bhayanak kadam uthaya, usne kissi ko nahin kaha, bas, sasural chhor ke rastey par aa gai. Tou us din hamari beti ki raksha kisne ki? Usey sheher chhornesey kisne roka? Usey sambhaal ke apne ghar me kisne panah di? Manav ne. Aur usne yeh baat jatai bhi nahin."
Sulochana is stunned by this out-pouring of her husband's real feelings and says nothing but stares angrily out the window.
M: "Aaj woh dono bache pehli baar apni khushi ki taraf pair badha rehe hain, mana ki unka tarika thik nahin tha, par tumhara unke saath sulook bhi ekdum galat tha. Tumne ek baar mudkar meri taraf nahin dekha. Mein Archana ka baap hu, koi ghair nahin. Lekin nahin, tumpe to gussey ka bhoot savar tha, tum bolti gai aur bolti gai saarey mohole ke samne. Mein kuch kehna chahta tha, aur mujhe bhi gussa aya unpe, lekin mein apni beti ko ashirwad zaroor deta, jo mera uska baap honey ke naatey haaq hai. Who haaq tum mujhsey nahin cheen sakti.
Tumne meri Archu ko chunne ko kaha. Ya hum, ya Manav. Tumne usko majboor kiya. Kissi ko bhi in dono cheezon mein sey ek ko kabhi nahin chunna padna chahiye. Majboor kiya tumne Archana ko. Mein aisa kabhi na karta, kabhi nahin. Ek pal mein Sulochana, ek hi pal mein tumne apni Archu ko beti sey ajnabi banadiya.
Aisa karke, tumne woh had paar kardi, jo aaj tak mujhe andar sey jala rahi hai. Tumne kaha ek us dinsey Archana ka is ghar sey, ya is ghar ke koi bhi sadasya sey rishta nahin rakhegi. Meiney tou aisey na kuch kaha, namein us baat ko manta hu. Tumne ek Baap aur Beti ka rishta todneki koshsish ki, aur uske liye mein tumhe maaf nahin karsakta, kyunki Baap aur beti ke rishte mein tumhari marzi nahin chalsakti, yeh hamara apna maamla banjata hai.
Hamarey rishtey ki bhi tumhey koi kadar nahin ki, apne gussey mein, apne ahankar mein, tum yeh bhool gayi ki Archana meri beti hai aur hamesha rahegi, chahey tum ussey nata thodo ya nahin. Chahey tumhe yeh baat acchi lagey ya na lagey, agar meri beti mujhe milna chahegi, ya mere ghar me, is ghar me apne pati ke saath rehna chahegi, tou meri taraf sey uske liye mere dil aur is ghar ke dwar hamasha ke liye khule rahenge.
Mey apni betion ko majdhar mein chhodne wala baap nahin, jab tak saassein chalegi, mein unka saath doonga. Yaad rakna yeh baat."
Sulochana is shocked. She imagines herself in a white saari, recalls how they brought an unresponsive Manohar in the house that night, completely drenched and clinging to life. An emotional storm stirs up in her heart. She admits to herself that her anger and societal concerns may have clouded her judgment and that maybe she went too far that day by asking Archana to choose between love and family.
Then terror strikes her heart as she wonders where on earth Archana could have gone, and she starts calling everyone she knows who might have seen her. No one knows anything, it seems Archana, her beloved Archu has gone from her life for good or worse, come to some terrible harm.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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