Chapter 36: Trial and Error
Ved led Prerna to the desk of the Officer-in-charge and said,"Sir, hum yaha Mr. Anurag Basu se milne aaye hai? Kya hum please unse mil sakte hai?". The Officer-in-charge looked at Ved in annoyance and said,"Arre bhai! Hume upar se order hai koi press ka aadmi unse nahi mil sakta.". "Nahi sir",Prerna said from behind,"Main unki biwi hoon. Main unse milna chahti hu. Kya main please abhi unse mil sakti hu?". Recognizing Prerna the man said,"Arre haan Mrs.Basu aap bilkul unse mil sakti hai.Sen!",he called to the constable standing nearby. "Ji sir",the constable said coming at the desk,"Mrs.Basu ko lockup number 204 mein unke pati ke paas lekar jao.". Prerna quietly followed the constable in front of her.
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As always he could sense her even before the pot bellied constable said his wife was here to visit him. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this. His wife? Did he still have a right to call Prerna that? No Anurag Basu of course you do, said his inner voice with steely resilience. He remembered their conversation from last night. Over the phone she sounded as if she was looking forward to seeing him in the morning. It would be foolish to say this but it gave him hope that maybe at the very last minute- just a day before their divorce hearing maybe they'll sort everything out, give their relationship another chance. But just his luck...
As the constable left, Anurag stood rooted to the bench deliberately avoiding Prerna's gaze. "Yaha first aid nahi hai kya?", Prerna asked. "Kya?",came his surprised reply, now directly looking at Prerna. "Haan",she replied indicating his left hand,"Tumhare haath mein chot lagi hai.Khoon jam gaya hai". Sure enough, Anurag's left fist was bruised with dried blood caking his knuckles. "Oh haan",Anurag said carelessly,"Woh...ladte waqt shayad lag gaya hoga- tu-tum woh sab chhoro na",Anurag got up and said," Tum batao lawyer ne kya kaha? Bail kab tak hogi?". Prerna shook her head,"Lawyer?Anurag mujhe nahi pata main yaha Ved ke saath aayi hu. Yaha aane se pehle meri kakimoni se baat hui thi- tum chinta matt karo woh log tumhe yaha se jald nikalenge.". "Oh",Anurag said,"Toh Ma ne tumhe bataya mere arrest ke baare mein.".
"Nahi Anurag",Prerna said sharply,"Tumhe arrest hote huye maine phone pe dekha aur woh bhi live. Kakimoni ne toh mujhe bas tumhare arrest hone ki wajah batayi thi.". Her words were greeted with an embarrassed silence from Anurag. After a minute he finally said,"I am sorry Prerna. Meri wajah se Ma ne tumhe bohot bura bhala kaha hoga na.". Prerna replied,"Tumhe kya zaroorat yeh sab karne ki? Waise bhi itni problems hai ghar mein, Basu Publications ko abhi tak investor nahi mila , kakababu ki tabiyat kharab hai upar se tumhare arrest! Unke sehat pe iska kya asar parega socha hai tumne?". Anurag hung his head in shame. "I know",he said,"Trust me main aisa bilkul bhi nahi chahta tha. Main waha gaya tha bas uss aadmi se baat karne.". "Mujhe yeh samaj mein nahi aa raha",replied Prerna frustratedly,"Ke tumne pehle mujse kyu nahi baat ki?". "Main kaise batata Prerna!"Anurag replied, "Jab Nivi Di ne mujhe bataya ke tum uss aadmi ke cabin se rote hue aayi to mera dimag nahi kaam kar raha tha!! Tumhara uske cabin se rote hue aana, beech sadak mein faint hoke hospitalize hona aur-aur phir meri assistant Sonia ne jo uske baare mein kaha- yeh saari baatein mere dimag mein baar baar chal rahi thi...aur main bas khud ko rok nahi paaya..". "Toh phir tumne aake mujse baat kyu nahi ki Anurag?" Prerna asked a little annoyed. "Toh tum bhi toh mujhe hospital mein mujhe sab kuch sach sach bata sakti thi!".Anurag shot back. His temper finally getting the better of him. Not that he blamed Prerna for what he did. But he hated to think that there was an instance when she was in trouble and he didn't know about it. He was angry at her for hiding something like this from him. She shouldn't have to deal with all this, when he was there for her. Why didn't she tell him about this? Earlier she would always confide in him, tell him everything. So why didn't she tell him about this? "Agar tum mujhe uss din hi sab kuch bata deti jis din tum hospitalise hui thi, toh shayad main iss cheez ko better handle karta ". Prerna watched him in disbelief he was starting to sound just like his mother. "Oh",she said crossly, "Toh tum arrest meri wajah se huwe tum yeh kehna chahte ho?". "Kya?",came Anurag's startled reply,"No! Not at all. Main bas yeh kehna chahta hu ke agar tum kabhi aise situation ho toh mujhe please batao, mujse chhupao matt. Agar uss din office mein tumne mujhe phone kiya hota to main aake tab hi sab theek kar deta. Main sab sort out kar deta.". Prerna replied with gritted teeth,"Tum sab sort out kar dete?(scoffing) Tum kya sort out karte jab sort out karne layak koi baat hi nahi hui thi?". Anurag replied," Please Prerna ab tumhe kuch chhupaane ki zaroorat nahi. Main uss admi ki pitayi karke aaya hu, main jaanta hu woh aadmi kaisa hai, uska nature kaisa hai. Iss liye main keh raha tha ke aise logo se tumhe akele nahi deal karna chahiye! Tumne mujhe kyu nahi bulaaya waha?". Prerna replied in a cold voice, "Anurag, maine uss din uss aadmi ko achche se jawaab de diya tha. Tumhe koi zaroorat nahi thi mere liye jaake uss aadmi se ladne ki. Aur agar maine usse jawaab nahi bhi diya hota tum inn sab ke beech mein kyu pade?Kya maine tumse ek baar bhi kaha tha uss aadmi se deal karne ke liye mujhe tumhari zaroorat hai?".
Although his expression remained unchanged but Prerna's words hit him like a physical pain. He couldn't believe his ears. Did she really ask him what was the need for him to take a stand for her? Was this even a plausible question? Anurag glanced at Prerna, who stared back at him challengingly. Kya yeh sach mein ho raha hai, Anurag thought in shock, Kya tum sach mein mujse itni door chali gayi ho ke ab tum mujse poochh rahi ho ke main tumhare liye stand kyu le raha hu? Prerna's voice broke into his thoughts,"Anurag", she said,"Uss din mujhe iss liye hospitalise hona para tha kyuki maine theek se khana nahi khaya, iss liye nahi kyuki Mr. Ketan Mukherjee ne mere saath koi badtameezi ki aur usse main upset ho gayi.". Prerna knew this was a complete lie but she had to go with it. Last thing Basu Publications and her Kakababu needed was Anurag behind bars. "Tum jhoot bol rahi ho", Anurag replied, "Baat huyi thi meri usse tumhare baare mein. Chee! Kitna cheap aadmi hai woh! Uski kismat achchi thi police time pe aa gayi warna main usse-". "Kya karte tum?!",Prerna snapped at him, "Usse aur peet te? Uski jaan le lete? Usse kisse nuksaan hota Anurag, tumhe! Tumhari family ko! Basu Publications ko! Aur yeh tumne kyu kiya batao? Maine tumse kaha tha mere liye yeh karne ke liye?".
Anurag replied angrily ,"Toh kya hua agar tumne nahi kaha toh?! Look! I dont know ke tumhare aur uske beech kya baat huyi, aur tumne usse kaise handle kiya, lekin usne tumhare baare mein jo bakwas ki na, he had it coming! Aur yeh sirf main nahi! Meri jagah koi bhi pati apni patni ke liye aise hi ladta!". "Ek pati apne patni ke liye aise hi ladta",Prerna repeated,
"(nodding) Haan, ek pati apne patni ke liye aise zaroor ladta lekin Anurag main aur tum ek normal pati patni nahi hai, humari theek se shaadi bhi nahi huyi thi, tum toh mujhe apne ghar se jaane ko bol rahe the- main toh sabse lar-jhagar kar waha re rahi thi! Kal humari divorce ki hearing hai- kal hum humesha ke liye alag hone waale hai. Aur tum aaj mere liye stand le rahe ho? Ek minute....Anurag...don't tell me yeh sab tumne mujhe wapas laane ke liye kiya hai?!". "What?",came Anurag's shocked whisper,"What?Prerna...are you serious? Tum mujhe itna gira hua samajhti ho? I dont believe it!". Angrily, Anurag walked away from her and sat on the bench. He couldn't believe his ears, why would she even say- no! Why would she even think such a thing? Watching him look so disgusted and devastated at her words Prerna felt a bit guilty. "Sorry", she said softly, "Tum already itne takleef mein ho aur main...purani baatein dohrakar mera tumhe hurt karne ka iraada bilkul bhi nahi tha.". But Anurag was in no mood to forgive her, "Lekin phir bhi tumhare mann mein yeh shaq tha ke maine yeh sab tumhe rokne ke liye kiya. Kya main tumhe itna selfish lagta hu Prerna Sharma?!",Anurag yelled. Prerna tried to pacify him but Anurag continued his rant, "Do you seriously think ki main aise arrest hokar apne reputation, apni family aur company ke reputation ko daav pe lagaunga agar mere paas koi valid reason nahi hota toh?". Prerna started to speak,"Nahi Anurag mera woh matlab nahi tha! Main to bas-".
"Tum bas kya?!",Anurag yelled, "Tum mere baare mein aisa kaise soch sakti ho Prerna! I thought ke tum mujhe jaanti thi, mujhe samajti thi! Aur tumhi mujhpar itna ghatiya ilzaam laga rahi ho? Aisa main kabhi soch bhi nahi sakta tha!". Prerna couldn't take it any longer and she agitatedly replied, "Pehle main bhi nahi soch sakti thi aisa! Magar ab tumne mujhe majboor kiya hai! Kuchh din pehle hi tum mujhe aur meri puri family ko Basu Bari le aaye yeh kehkar ke hume Komolika se- jo ki jail main hai- khatra hai! Main tumhari saath uss ghar mein ek hi kamre mein rahi, maine humare rishte ko ek aur mauka bhi diya! Aur phir mujhe kya pata chala ke tumne aur kakimoni ne milkar hume dhoke se apne ghar par rukwaya tha! Aur isme tumne meri bhabhi ko bhi shamil kar diya! To main yeh sab kyu nahi sochungi bolo?". "I can't believe this!",Anurag exclaimed, "Tumhe ab bhi lagta hai ke Ma ke uss plan mein main shamil tha! I thought ke ek baar tumhara gussa hoga to tum mujhe samjhogi- mujhpar finally yakeen karogi magar tum toh....". Prerna replied coldly, "Maine ghar gusse mein nahi chhora tha Anurag, maine ghar iss liye chhora tha kyuki tumne mera vishwas kho diya tha. Jis rishte mein vishwas nahi uss rishte ka koi matlab nahi ". They both stared at each other fully understanding the implication behind Prerna's words. Finally, Anurag said,"So that's it. Tum aise hi haar maan logi. Humare rishte ko ek aur mauka nahi dogi.". Wiping her tears Prerna said, "Maine poori koshish ki thi humare rishte ho ek aakhri mauka dene ki. Lekin agar kismat ko hi humara rishta manzoor nahi hai to isme main aur tum kya kar sakte hai.". Just then, a constable came and announced,"Anurag Basu! Aapke zamanat ka intezaam ho gaya hai.". Hearing this Prerna said,"Ab main chalti hu Anurag. Kal tumse civil court mein mulakat hogi. Bye.". Without waiting for an answer, Prerna turned around and left leaving an upset Anurag behind.