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...Chapter - 51...
He'd never had asked an apology from his sister, because always the fear of rejection had stopped him... But isn't she was one who had suffered same from him... How much torturous and painful it had been for Her? His heart twisted at the mere thought... Wiping the salty droplets that had still accumulated his eyes but dared not to drop down... Furiously wiping out the blurred vision he made an resolve to apologize the next morning...
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Sitting on her seat, she tried to straight her back and pushed her legs a little, reaching for a glass of water kept on a platform away from all the set-up of radio station... Gulping down the liquid speedily, her parched throat calmed a bit... A song kept playing albeit in background and she was lost in the happenings of that morning...
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Opening her eyes at the piercing sunlight, she stretched out a bit to shoo away the lurking sleepiness... Dragging her petite form in a sit up position, she rested her back at the headboard... Smiling earnestly, at fresh coffee aroma, she turned to greet her bhabhi but gasped at founding the most unexpected person...
"Aap!" Averting her gaze towards the morning sunshine peeping through the window, she monotonously asked...
"What are you doing here?"
His chest constricted with her aloof behavior... But he deserves it, isn't he? From the moment she'd stepped in this house, always he'd maintained a distance out of hesitancy and gultiness nor she'd tried to make a move, for obvious reasons... Shrugging nonchalantly, he sat beside her, whilst she frowned at sudden move...
"A special coffee for the special one sitting in front of me..."
Concealing his nervousness with a smile, he answered her query... Raising her eyebrows quizzicaly, she shot an apprehensive look towards him... Looking amusingly at the change of emotions from second to second, he kept silent to gauge the reaction...
"I'll have it with bhabhi..." pushing the covers down with a single stroke, she put her feet at the ground... A gentle grip invariably halted her movements, and turning around with a intention of giving some piece of mind to the stubborn idiot of a brother... But voice stuck in her throat, 'coz of that moistured orbs, a lone drop ready to tickle down from the heavy eyelashes casted down in guilt and shame, she assumed...
"Stop there doll!" he muttered in a heavy voice... That single nickname stilled her at the place, after what seems like eons, she'd heard this endearment... Not missing the heaviness tinged with tenderness in his voice, she stopped but not a single emotion dared to enter the periphery of her beautiful exceptional features...
Standing firm beside her, he grasped her palms in his big one, gathering the scattered courage...
"Dol (Shaking his head in utter nervousness) jo! I... I know..."Stuttering in his heavy voice, astounded the latter anonymously... As a reflex, she withdrew her hands immediately and strongly held his trembling hands, to stop the unwavering shivers... Finally, with the last bit of courage he'd pulled out that morning from Misha's assurance laced talks seemingly was devastating inch by inch... His head bent down in guilt and thought process raking his brain...
This won't work! I've to do this! I can't back off now! I've to apologize!
Reverberating this lines his conscience mocked up, which he'd ever so nonchalantly assured Misha with in the morning, made him hold on to himself... Pressing his lips together, intakes of few deep breaths let him calm himself down... Finally the trembling stopped and his till now closed orbs shone in determination, determination to cool his agonizing soul, haunted by the past demons... Looking above, he can easily recognize the confusion clouded over her fuzzy features...
Holding her arms, he bend slightly and she sat on the bed as guided... Kneeling in front of her, he kept looking at her palms held in his... In that moment, he realized his responsibility which he'd neglected from years and ran away like a coward... The sense of being responsible seemed heavier than a mountain...
"You know doll, why I've left you?" He questioned in an controlled tone,heavy with emotions... Still his gaze fixed at their joined hands...
"Because you hate me..!!" her answer without a tinge of hesitancy, further shattered the broken pieces of his pumping organ... And his eyes snapped up with a thundering speed, gazing at her with unbelief...
"No!" An abrupt simple answer immediately stood up for self-defense... Shaking his head on the bland misconception his sister is nurturing from years, disappointed him througouly...
"How... How could you even think like that? I know I never provided you what you deserves... But doesn't mean ki..." Completion of his sentence halted anonymously as she turned her face to sideways, clearly indicating her disapproval to his lame explanation...
"What's the use of this now?" Thinking bitterly she tried to shrug off his hands but his grip tightened up...
"Please Jodha, hear me out today!" Hoarseness in his voice seems like tied her down the place she's sitting before...
"Any of my explanation can't give you back what you've lost! But still I need to pour this out..." Fixing her gaze towards the ground she listened intently, guilt and shame was just oozing meticulously from his lean frame...
"I... I was shattered Jodha! When mumma and papa left me... I don't know where to search them... I don't know whom to ask... I don't know whom to approach... Everything was a chaos that day... " his voice breaking bit by bit, the tears accumulated rolled down, shivering eventually started with a fade memory of that day...
While Jodha just stared wide eyed, the broken man sitting on his knees holding her hands the droplets falling on their hands sliding slowly and finally dropping off at the carpeted floor... Her eyes aren't dry, whirlpool of emotions was stirring harder, clenching her heart painfully at the dooming site... Of course she doesn't acknowledge him as her well wisher, but a bother he's, and she can't be heartless to not to feel his pain... Watching his eyes flowing, the fears of past rushing through his eyes increased the level of vulnerability in the air...
"When the bodies were brought, I don't know how to react, I...I tried to wake them up doll, I cried at mumma's lap... But she didn't opened her eyes..." And his face was buried at his sister's lap, wrecking sobs erupted... After years he'd cried, the connection of blood just pushed him to pour what he'd been holding back from years... This is something, even Amita wasn't able to get out of him, this pending outbreak to let go of the dark past and move on to the bright future...
"My frustration of isolation was misunderstood by aggressive rudeness... My distance to gather myself misunderstood by hate for dadi and you, which I never did... I could never do... This thing scared me, shook me ferociously... And I wasn't that strong to bear that pity looks laced with anger... I couldn't stand at the disgust carried in tired eyes of dadi who once loved me unconditionally... And at that time only escape I found is to running away... And I did it!! Even after years I couldn't gather the courage to come back and sought everything out... Misunderstandings were created by time and circumstances, our relationship got tangled, I doesn't have power to untangle them..." He finished with his hoarse voice, finally a huge burden was off from his chest... Unblinking she kept staring at the one who was now sitting on floor with his head over her lap, sniffing little...
Finally gulping down the big lump formed in her throat, she blinked few times to stop the salty tears waiting to roll down... Threading her hands in his soft lush locks, she rubbed his back...
"You know, if you would have stayed rather than escaping... You would have found me beside you.."
"You were just so small than!" he reasoned out, staring out of the window...
"Lemme complete... You know Bhai! What I've felt when I just understanding the meaning and importance in a child's life, I felt alone, no one was with me... What I've felt when I come to know I've a big brother too who doesn't acknowledge my presence... At each and every step of life, I've seen many of my friends got pampered by their parents and siblings, get scolded iif they'd done some mistake... But who I've no one! Dadi was there, but that old woman was so much into working for collecting funds for my upbringing, that she forgot that I too need someone to share my emotions with... I know she loved me,she cared for me but could she filled the void ? Answer was of course a big no! I'd a hope Bhai aap aaoge! You would come and swept me off from my loneliness but you never came... And as the time passed I lost the love, respect,care and hopes that my heart had nurtured..."
Patiently he heard the buried pain in his sister's heart with a small smile, not because she's in pain but she'd finally, with him passed a big hurdle in their relationship... She'd named their relationship...
Wiping the dripping tears he enveloped her in his arms, shielding every negativity looming around them... Seems like finally granting her wish of sweeping her off from the world of loneliness... And she clutched handful of his shirt, just sniffing in his chest...
Misha who had witnessed everything from the door silently walked out and thanked almighty to make things easier in their lives...
Finally things are falling at place... The broken relationships are mending this time more stronger and firm than before...
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The last song ended with her thoughts and clearing her throat she announced the end of her show... Packing all her belongings in her handbag she walked out of the radio station greeting her colleagues at the way...
A call from behind halted her, and turning around she met one of her colleague who came running to her...
Huffing and puffing she catches her breath and then sweetly smiled at her, making Jodha roll her eyes...
"What happened now?" she asked calmly...
"Uh! I want a favor jo! Could you please give this parcel to Mrs Sharma, she'd left early today... Her house was on your way so I thought you could help me... I would have gone but I need to rush home 'coz today is my sister's birthday... And thank you so much for help" And she completed in one breath, while Jodha amusingly nodded... Bidding adieu, they parted their ways...
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Stopping the autowala at Mrs Sharma's house, she came out and knocked the door... Giving the parcel to the humble lady she turned to go after gently turning down the offer of coffee and saw a car parked outside Mrs Sharma's house... Both ladies squinted their eyes, Mrs Sharma broke into a smile and called Jalal inside but Jodha was rooted to her place...
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Driving lazily, he switched off the radio as her show got over, humming the last song he heard... Everything seemed lifeless now, life had adopted the robotic schedule he'd made to keep himself busy in work... So that the sweet memories of certain someone special didn't bother him much...
He glanced sideways carelessly and found a familiar petite fragile form standing knocking the door... Breaking he focused and found its Mrs Sharma's house Jodha's colleague, it's she!! Yes! It's she... Immediately parking his car at entrance, an auto caught his attention, understanding the situation he paid the driver and the vehicle zoomed off...
Steadily walking towards her, he found that Mrs Sharma had come out and taken a box from her, when the old lady acknowledged him standing at some distance... She immediately called him, he very gladly greeting her with a smile headed towards her... While his wife seemed shock, standing beside her, Giving a tight side hug to his wife, impishly he exchanged pleasantries with Mrs Sharma... still holding her from waist, he knows he doesn't have much time for time being, after this she'll return to her brother... God how much he missed her! Damn! Feeling her near make him alive, make him free from the clutches of isolation... No, no, no! He's not letting her stay away from him now, she wants time she can take that at THEIR home too, no need to go other frigging place... He can't live alone in that hollowness... he need her to make it home...
Jodha was dumbstruck, he's behaving like nothing happened, she don't know how to react to this...
Once again declining the offer of coffee, they headed towards the gate and as Mrs Sharma closed the door... Jodha stood folding her hands and raising an eyebrows quizzically... He smiled sheepishly and narrated how he noticed her but in that time her eyes scanned him...
Eyes with dark bags, thinner than before, creased shirt, disheveled hairs, a walking mess...
Her heart pained to watch his dooming state... What the hell he'd done with himself ? Worry erupted inside her watching the unattended small cuts on his hands and marks of wounds...
"Ja.. Jalal.. What all this?" she worriedly breathed with gaze fixed on his wounds...
Dipping his hands in to his pockets, he shrugged nonchalantly and dodged the question smoothly...
"So, what was in that box?"
"That's not the answer to my question!" she said coming towards him...
"Oho! Jo leave that... Tell me did that joker of a brother of yours sorted out everything or still is in 'I'm guilty' mode?" he chuckled slowly and opened the door for her to sit in...
Grasping his hand in her, she came and stood in front her...
"Jalal I'm asking you something... Answer it dammit!!" gritting her teeths she sternly ordered...
Groaning under his breath, he swore loudly...
"Why do you care?" holding her shoulders he shook her... Watching the fear creeping her features he immediately withdrew his hands and ran a hand through his messy hairs...
"So sorry jo! Sit... I'll take you home..." he said and adorned the driver's seat... Sighing she sat inside and closed the door... Switching the engine on, he pulled the car at road... After few moments of silence, she break the ice...
"Why wouldn't I care?"
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Here it ends... I know you all are waiting for Jodha and jalal to be normal and together... That will happen in next update for sure...This chapter is more about Jodha and her brother relation, that I wanted to show... Jodha's happiness won't be complete without suja? Isn't it? So that's needed... And about sujamal, I think that's enough... or more?
Less Akdha in this chapter, next will be full Akdhalicious😳 😆
Thank you so much for the likes and comments on previous chapter...
Sorry if it's not worth reading😊
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