FF:Baavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna ch8-YEH HAUSLA KAISE Pg32 19/5/18 - Page 9

Chapter-2

Mere zameen, aasmaan mere papa,

Main hoon jahan, hain wahan mere papa...

Mere papa... mere papa... mere papa... mere papa...

Tum saanson ki saas ho,

Shaam-o-seher mere paas ho,

Jahan mere aansoon ye dhalein,

Wahin mujhe hanske milein,

Mere papa... mere papa... mere papa... mere papa...

The following night after Sonakshi and Dev's marriage talks were finalised; Bijoy climbed down to the kitchen for a glass of water at midnight, tiptoeing towards the light that was coming from the kitchen... Leaning against the kitchen shelf-top, stood Sonakshi, in her loose nightwear, hair tied in a tight top bun; was binging over a bottle of jam... One spoon after the other; deep in her thoughts...

Bijoy casually came and leant against the platform beside his daughter... Sonakshi looked at him, and then resumed eating the jam...

"Erhemm! Bijoy cleared his throat.

Sonakshi looked at him again, and then again back to her jam...

"Bataaogi nahi apne baba ko, ki humari nutritionist bitiya jo khud apni beti ko itna jam nahi khaane deti, aaj iss jam ki bottle pe attack kyu kar baithi hai? Bijoy asked...

"Kuch soch rahi hoon baba... Sonakshi told, licking away the remnants of jam from the spoon...

"Toh bataao apne baba ko... He is always there for you, my son! Bijoy kept a consoling hand over Sonakshi's head, while the other hand tactfully took the bottle of jam away from her hand...

"Baba, you do commit mistakes, right? she asked.

"Yes, I do! Which human doesn't? he answered.

"Still maa forgives you every time... Isn't it? she said.

"Your maa is one of the finest ladies I have met, beta. A lot of me am because she is there to make me, forgive me and make me better. Bijoy said.

"And if she stops forgiving you? Becomes rigid in never forgiving you? Sonakshi asked.

"I don't commit mistakes that your mother cannot forgive. Bijoy said guffawing. On Sonakshi's glare, he continued- "On a serious note, it would not be possible to continue our smooth lives if we don't forgive each other's mistakes...

"Exactly baba, no mistake is big enough that cannot be forgiven... And Dev and his mother have not done any sin, to become unforgiveable... Baba, what you cannot tolerate happening to you, how can you treat somebody else for the same? Sonakshi cajolingly asked.

"It is a sin in my eyes to hurt my daughter. Bijoy folded his arms on his chest.

"I know baba that it hurt you, but that hurt was directed towards me, and I have forgiven them... Leave the hurt aside, Dev has loved me way more than that hurt, baba. And it is very wrong to forget that for some hurt. And now even his mother loves me so much... Can't you give them another chance? Sonakshi asked.

Bijoy didn't speak, though he knew his daughter was right... He just quietly stood there, folding his hands on his chest.

"Baba, I know you have consented for this marriage for my sake. But it is very difficult for me to move on, with you being so reluctant and angry. We need your blessings, we aren't eloping... Sonakshi sought her father's agreement.

Bijoy finally smiled for her, and took his daughter in an arm hug- "Can it ever be possible that my daughter wants something from her baba, and he doesn't give it to her...? Albeit late, but he gives her... Be it her favourite doll, or her favourite man... Baba can never grudge over his daughter's happiness...

Sonakshi couldn't help but hug her father happily.

Roothoon jo main tumse, kitna darte ho,

Rab ki tarah zidd meri poori karte ho...

Hone na dein kabhi mujhko gile,

Main chaand kahoon, mujhe chaandni dein...

Kaise kaise jaadoo karein,

Mere papa... mere papa... mere papa... mere papa...

Dev sat against the headboard of his room; both the kids were sleeping on his either side, him patting them both... The dim lights of the side lamp just gave him enough light to see the innocent faces of his kids, while he pondered deep in his thoughts... He looked at Soha on sensing her twisting in the bed... She wasn't asleep at yet, while Golu was slightly snoring with a slight cold that he was having...

"Beta, aap abhi tak soye nahi? Ab toh maine aapko bed time story bhi suna di, goodnight kiss bhi de di, aapke paas hi baitha hoon, aur aapko pat bhi kar raha hoon... Soyi kyu nahi? Dev asked fingering her fringes.

"Papa, agar main aapse thodi deir baat karoon, toh koi "poblem hai? Soha asked.

Dev smiled at his daughter, she always tried to use words that are beyond her pronunciation... "Nahi, koi problem nahi hai... Aap aur main baat karte hain... he pulled her up on his lap, and she sat with her head resting on his chest, hugging his neck...

"Papa, did you love mumma when she was first your wife...? she asked about his first marriage to Sonakshi...

He nodded vehemently, his chin ruffling her hairs, as he had rested it on top of her head... She looked up at him expectantly, for a verbal answer... "Bohot Pyaar karta tha tab bhi main aapki Mumma se...

"Aur ab papa? Ab bhi aap mumma se pyaar karte hain? she asked...

"More than ever, beta... I love your Mumma more than I ever did, to anyone else... But what is it that is worrying you... I see so much tension on your face... He was trying to ease the lines of worry that were making on her brows.

"Papa, when you loved her back then, you love her now also... Still you both separated... How is it going to be different this time? she was in a worrying hell...

Dev immediately cuddled his baby as he spoke- "Soha, there comes a time, when we have to make our own decisions, without anyone else's stake into it. Especially when they are decisions between a husband and a wife... This was exactly the mistake; I and your mumma did... We let others define the direction of our relationship and we sailed along in the flow that separated us... But beta, things are now different... I and your mumma take our own decisions, and they are our own, with each other's consent, not others'. And that makes things different...

Soha cuddled back to her father, satisfied by the answer...

"And the bonus you know? You are our bonus Soha... Our binding force... The magnet that would never leave us apart... You are there, so are we beta! Dev kissed on top of her head...

Ek shikan chehre par, seh na paate ho,

Mere liye, kismat se bhi ladd jaate ho...

Mere paas koi dukh aa na sakein,

Koi dhoop mujhe murjha na sake,

Mera saaya banke chalein,

Mere papa... mere papa... mere papa...

Bijoy had made two cups of coffee at midnight and brew over the steams that the beverage released... Sitting on the steps that lead to their rooms from the hall, both sat there, Sonakshi's head on her baba's shoulder...

"Baba, kabhi kabhi toh main sochti hoon ki agar aap na hote toh main kahan hoti... Maa ke saath ladd jaate they aap mujhe school camps mein bhejne ke liye, Dada se zyada aapne mera support kiya, Dadi se chupke Bhog ke Prasad ke laddoo aap mere liye laaya karte they bachpan mein, meri padhaai se leke, mere kaam tak, mere pyaar se leke, meri tooti shaadi tak; har kadam par aapne mera support kiya hai... Baba, I dunno koi aap Jaise baba kisi ke ho sakte hain, jo apni beti se itna zyada pyaar karte ho... Sonakshi admitted...

"Shona, when I first held you in my arms na, beta! I had a huge pride on my chest; I never held your burden on my shoulders... I never needed to... You took away responsibilities from me like some sliding gravitational force. I had nothing on me but to pride upon you, and I did just that... Bijoy hugged his daughter...

"But, still you are the best father, Baba...! Sona hugged him back...

"Well, Thoda achha Papa toh tumhari beti ka father bhi hai... Let's give him some credit, nahi toh tumhari hi beti tumse ladegi... Bijoy guffawed...

Sonakshi giggled at that as she kept hugging her baba- "He is a great father, Baba... Parenthood didn't come to him with Soha's birth. He became a father to his sisters at the age of 8. When kids don't have the understanding to take care of themselves, he took upon for his entire family. And that is something no one can deny that he is playing that role fairly well for the last 27 years... No doubt why kids are wrapped around him... Soha ki jaan hai Dev... I don't know how I had kept her away from her amazing-amazing father... Sonakshi shuddered, while Bijoy comforted her...

~~**~~

"Papa, aap mujhse bohot pyaar karte ho na? Soha asked...

"Sabse zyada! Dev kissed her cheek.

"Papa, main bhi aapse bohot pyaar karti hoon... And I am sorry! she told...

"Sorry kis baat ke liye? He rang his fingers through her hair, tucking them behind her ear...

"Papa, Kolkata mein jab mumma ne mujhe aapke baare mein bataya tha, toh maine aapse milne se mana kar diya tha... I didn't know what I am missing at, and I did not know, that aap world ke best papa ho... Soha told earnestly...

Dev couldn't help smile at that confession- "Aap toh kehti thi ke aapke dadu best father hain... Ab papa ho gaye best?

"Dadu bhi ache hain, par aapke Jaise cool nahi hain... Aap coolest ho papa! Soha said...

Dev giggled- "Papa bhi bilkul dadu Jaise hain... It's your mumma that makes me cool...

"Dida bhi cool hain... Kehti hain- Bijoy, Tumi ekdom impossible! Soha giggles, And Dev joined in the laughter...

"Like mother, Like daughter... Dev sniggered... "Chalo Soha, now it really is quite late... Tomorrow is Haldi mehendi, and you will run everywhere... We should sleep now... Dev kissed her, as he placed her back on the bed...

"Good night papa!

"Good night beta!

~~THANKS FOR READING~~

Good night!