Comments from you guys was real love, I sat with my dinner and read and re- read them and have replied to most. I can’t tell you how happy they made me, please continue to show your love. I am missing Ammu, Akshu and Romanceaddict (who I know is having a tough time with work) I do hope you all come back to show your love. Even unhappy comments are love only 😜
Part 24
He can hear her chatting with Hirabai when he wakes up in the morning. Their voices run from the living room to the kitchen to the balcony and back. He had hoped to wake up early in the morning and go for a run, but that didn’t happen, because he had woken up in the wee hours of the morning with a headache which refused to go away. He walks into the bathroom.
She can hear the shower come on, it’s already almost 10am, Hirabai is finishing up and just about to leave, when Sai asks her if she can do some basic cooking for them from the next week. Hirabai says she will think about it and leaves. She wonders if he has to go to work today, she looks at her phone. Her eyes hurt, she has hardly slept a wink the whole night and sleep only came in the wee hours of the morning.
He walks into the kitchen, She is there. She has mixed two cups of Horlicks. He stands, waits and she moves a cup in front of him on the counter, while she takes her cup and sips. He picks his cup and sips. And they stand in the kitchen facing each other with the island in between, not looking at each other. She then puts some pohe in a bowl and microwaves it. He half expects her to give it to him, but she takes it with her walks to the balcony and sits there munching it while he grabs a bowl for himself. The sounds of their spoons to ceramic bowls make for inharmonious music.
She comes back into the living room to put her bowl so that she can take a shower, when she notices he has shaved, completely, clean shaven. He is seated on the sofa looking at his phone, and something shifts in her, this is his way of telling her that he doesn’t care for what she wants, she is now livid.
“Wah! Thedi ungli se ghee kaise nikalte hai koi aap se seekhe!!!!” She stands in front of him, livid. He remains quiet, ‘ah so she noticed’ he thinks.
“Abb kya aap baat bhi nahi karenge mujhse?”
“Kya baat karu?” He asks calmly
“Kya matlab? Aapko kuch bhi nahi kehna mujhse?” Her voice begins to raise.
“Main kya kahu? Sab Kuch toh tum keh chuki ho, ya yeh kahu, ki tum toh Kuch nahi kehti, toh mai kya kahu?” Still seated, but anger builds up.
“Maine sorry toh kaha aapse, vaha se kaise nikalti” she is animated “Aap chaho toh main Tai ko phone karke sorry bol dungi, aur kya kar sakti hun. Haan, maine unse apni job ki baat chupayi lekin aap ne bhi toh chupaya, unhe toh pata bhi nahi thaa ki aapki suspension chal rahi thee”
“Lekin tumhe toh pata thaa., kyunki maine tumse kaha tha, har baat share kiya hai maine tumse, yahaa tak ki maine apni posting ki idea Tum hi se liya thaa” he stands up.
“Voh itefaq tha, aapko idea khud aa jaata. Aur yeh baat aap apne Aai se keh dete” she is calmer.
“Sai, tum samajh kyu nahi rahi ho, baat mere aur unki beech ki nahi hai, baat mer aur Tumhare beech ki hai”. He holds her shoulders.
She looks at him, pauses her thoughts which were running a skelter and silences herself which was trying to keep up with those thoughts.
“Kya matlab hai Aapka, main samjhi nahi”
“Maine mere job ke baare mei, sab details jitna share kar sakta thaa, tumse pehle hi kiya thaa, kyunki tumhe haq hai, aur voh haq tumhe dena chahta hun, lekin tum toh sub Kuch apne paas rakhti ho, Mujhe apne decisions mei shamil nahi karti ho”
She moves his hands from her shoulders. He steps back, hurt yet resolute, and continues
“Tum bata deti ho, puch ti nahi ho. Aur job ke baare mei toh jaise tumne kasam khaa rakhi hai ki tum mujhse sab Kuch hone ke baad hi kahogi. Agar uss din, Aniket ke muh se nikal nahi gaya hota, toh kya pata aaj tak mujhe shayad Kuch bhi Pata nahi hota. Tum Aise jatati ho Jaise ki tumhe meri zrurat hi nahi hai. Aur mujhse bardash nahi hota. Mujhe yeh haq chahiye.” Tears have begun to overtake his pleading voice.
She stares at him for a long time. He looks at her, wonders if maybe he has gone too far, maybe he should have been more patient, maybe she wasn’t ready for this. He whispers
“Just Sai”
She looks at him, biting her quivering lips, tears at the corner of her eyes.
“Yeh jo aap Mujhe Just Sai karke bulaate ho na, mera saara badan kaamp uthta hai.
Aapke paas aane ko daudta hai. Zarurat nahi hai?!?!??..Savere jab meri ankh khulti hai, sirf aapko dekhna chahti hai, jo shaam aapke baaho mei na guzaru, voh raat mujhe neend nahi aati. Zrurat nahi hai???..Jab mera camp mei vaapsi ka din meri zindagi ka sabse terrible din thaa, main sirf aapke paas aana chahti thi. Jab meri nayi naukri lagi, Mai sirf aapke baahon mei pura din bitaaana chahti thi.”
She wipes her tears and he wipes his own,
“Aap haq ki baat karte ho, isse zyaada haq maine aapko de diya toh mere paas kya reh jaayega? Aap apne family ke interference se chudhane ke liye, khud ki flat le li, lekin Mai kaha jaaungi? Mujhe kal ka pata nahi, lekin aaj iss vaqt main isse zyaada haq aapko nahi de sakti.”
They stare at each other. She steps back afraid he might hold her and she will give in. He is hurt even more, tears flow again,
“Aapne shaadi ke liye no conditions kaha thaa, bade asaani se, lekin agar yeh aapka condition hai, toh shayad ..”
She stops talking, wipes her tears, and only then realizes, his face is moistened with tears too, she steps forward, he misses it, and turns away and wipes his face. She steps back, and walks into the bathroom for her shower. She washes her body in tears mixed with the water from the shower. If someone was to ask her, what just happened, she wouldn’t know how to respond, was this a fight or a talk? Is this how married couples live? Is their marriage on, though? Imagine having to live with another failed fiance experience. She grabs the towel and bursts crying into it. If he breaks up with her, she doesn’t think she will ever be able to feel anything again. Ever.
He grabs his car keys and steps out for a drive. What the hell just happened? He had been itching for a fight, but her response just hit him like someone punched him hard in his heart. Never before, has he come across someone who has such clarity and self awareness as Sai. He was all set to yell at her, and shout and even half expected her to say she is his forever, but what she told him was you get what you get and you don’t get upset. He stops the car and laughs cry at himself. Its what he told her when he wanted to marry her, take him as is. And here she was telling him, take her as is. He is all in, and now, if she were to break up with him, he will die. There are no two ways about it.
He drives back home as fast as he can, and of course gets stuck in traffic. So he grabs and pays for 4 veg frankies from a go-cart. And then he tries to take a short cut, and hits a car. Exasperated, he gets out and negotiates with the car owner, they exchange information. He makes the short cut after quite sometime, he gets on the road home, facing every traffic signal on the way. When he turns the car into the parking lot, he can hear a hiss. He gets off the car and notices a flat tire. He rolls his eyes. Of course, he has been out of the house for an hour. He grabs the bag of frankies and can’t wait to eat them with her, and then fight and make up in bed. Let the Dubeys hear them for once. He opens the door excitedly. Flings the keys and frankies on the countertop.
He turns to find her seated on the sofa, looking up at him, like she was waiting for him to come. Next to her feet is a duffel bag, his heart is in his mouth.
“Yeh kya hai?”
“Voh shaam ki bus full hai, aur 1 bajje ki bus mei sirf 4 seat baaki hai, toh maine book kar liya”
He rubs his fingers over his mouth, like he has to stop his heart from jumping out. She bites her lip and says,
“Yaad hai na, main aaj Chandrapur jaane vaali thi Mavshi ko help karne, shaadi ki prep ke liye”
He nods slowly, staring at her. They are quiet for a full minute, like they hope the other will elaborate on the marriage part. The silence makes the room smaller. He hurriedly adds
“Bahar bahut traffic hai, main tumhe drop kar dunga, Chalo”
She nods, he picks up her dufffel.
“Kuch khaya tumne? Voh main hum dono ke liye Frankie leke aaya thaa”
He opens the bag in a rush and removes two frankies and gives them to her, she opens her big handbag at its mouth, signing him to put it in. He spots a Tshirt in the bag, but before he can ask anything, she pulls it to her and he picks up the duffel again and they step out.
As soon as he presses P in the lift, he starts muttering,
“Shit!! Shit!! Shit!!”
“Kya hua?”
“Tyre puncture ho gaya, Auto lena padega”
“Oh. Ok”
And they press L together. They linger for less than a minute and step away.
They sit in the auto which has disco lights and loud blaring music. She gets in and he puts the bag on the seat next to her, and tries to fit on the seat. She places the bag at her feet. The auto starts.
“Thoda jaldi karo, inki bus chut jaayegi”
“Arrey auto hai, helicopter toh nahi hai na Bhaiya” the driver replies
“Yeh music band karoge aap”
“Music aur speed ka koi connection nahi hai, aur aap bhi gaana sun lo Bhaiya. Yeh mera aall time favorite Gaana hai”
Ya Toh Barbaad Kardo
Ya Fir Aabaad Kardo
Wo Galat Tha Ye Sahi Hai
Jhooth Ye Aaj Kehdo
The auto jerks and their shoulders hit and her dupatta falls from her left shoulder and lands on his lap. He places his hand over it, and fists it. They look at each other. He raises his other hand to move her hair, she does it herself. He lifts the dupatta and puts it on her shoulder. She adjusts it.
Itna Ehsaan Kardo
Poore Armaan Kardo
Lab Pe Aake Jo Ruke Hai
Dhayi Wo Harf kehdo
They have reached the station, they get off. He pays, she picks the duffel. They are late, he holds her hand, and they run to the bus. The driver recognizes him, grins and waves.
Meri Saanson Se Judi Hai
Teri Har Saans Kehdo
Mushqil Aasaan Kardo
He steps in, helps her settle the duffel overhead and says something to the driver and gets off. She sits down and looks out of the window for him, spots him buying a bottle of water, comes and through the window gives it to her. And bangs the side of the bus.
The bus starts, they look at each other, and when the bus turns, she leans on her window and raises her hand, and he does too, and holds it to his lips, she misses it. His heart is on its way to Chandrapur and her heart aches, as she holds it, sitting in the bus, only to stop when the bus leaves Nagpur.
——
Pls drop a comment
comment:
p_commentcount