Hey All.
I have loved reading all the FFs here. This is my attempt at VPS's redemption and he trying to woo her.
Set in the aftermath of the panchayat where VPS has asked for forgiveness after placing his pagdi at her feet. Prakashi is still positive in my FF.
ETA : A HUGE shout out to Manasi for being my proofreader. Her edits and comments were so helpful.
Thankyou, Manasi❤️
Enjoy!
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Chapter #1
"Maa,hum aapke saath haveli jayenge." She said. Her voice was hoarse. It struck him hard that she didn't say "ghar". Haveli was so impersonal and devoid of the usual warmth in her voice. She looked like a wounded tigress who had fought the battle of a lifetime. Proud of her battle scars and refusing to even look him. "Sudha tu bhi chal" his mother said. "Kuch din hamare saath reh le. Purvi ka bhi mann halka ho jayega". Purvi got into the car with Sudha and Prakashi without a glance in his direction.
Vir got into the car with MS. The moment they drove off Vir said " Mujhse itna bada paap kaise ho gaya, Mama Sarkar?" Mama Sarkar looked him in the eye and said" Paap toh hua hai. Lekin tune paap ko sweekar kiya. Iss main bhi badi himmat ki zaroorat hoti hai. Tujhe sacche dil se itna pachtawa hai. Mannelage hai Purvi tujhe maaf kar degi"
"Manne itna chotta mehsoos ho raha hai. Baawri se kya, khudse nazraien na mila sakta main" Vir looked out the window as a single tear rolled down his eye.
They reached the haveli at the same time as Purvi, Sudha and Prakashi. The kids rushed to embrace Purvi the moment she stepped inside."Haathiiiiiiii!!! Tum exam main paas ho gayee?" both the kids askedin unison. "Ho gayee paas. Chahe kuch bhi ho jaye, sacchai ki hamesha jeet hoti hai" Purvi said hugging the kids tightly, smiling and trying to hold back her tears. "Baba, aapne haathi ko kyun daanta tha? kyun bola exam dene? haathi toh bahut acchi hai. Bolo na baba. Haathi bahut ro rahi thi.Babbar sher kab haathi pe vishwaas karenge?"Juhi asked. Guilt and pain tore through Vir's heart. How could he have put the mother of his children through such humiliation and pain? Before he could answer, Purvi asked "Accha aap dono ne school ke baad kuch khayaya nahin? HW kar liya??". The kids started talking again excitedly about their day in school. He walked towards his room as Prakashi said to Purvi" tu bhi jaa haat munh dhole, Purvi. Bacchon pe nazar hai meri"
Vir sat at his desk, eyes closed, rubbing his forehead and temple when Purvi walked in. She walked up to him, looked at him in the eye and said" Bacchon se humne waada kiya tha. Hum kabhi unhe chhod ke nahin jayenge.Hum unse apna kiya hua waada nahin tod sakte. Bacchon ko aisa nahin lagnachahiye ki hamare beech kuch theek nahin hai. Aap bhi iss baat ka dhyaanrakhiye. Aur ek baat - Hum iss kamre main aapke saath nahin reh sakte. Hum kissi aur kamre main apna bistar laga denge." His heart shattered again but what could he say? He had lost that right."Tu issi kamre main rahegi. Agar koi iss kamre se bahar jayega toh woh main hoon" said Vir. As she started protesting Vir said" bahas na kar". "Bacchon ko pata nahin chalna chahiye" Purvi requested. He nodded as she went to the bathroom to freshen up. He heard her muffled sobs as she turned the tap on. He wanted to rush in, hold her in his arms, wipe away her tears and heal her broken heart. He wanted to bow his head in front of her and ask for forgiveness over and over again.
At dinner that night, she kept up her pretenses around the kids. Asking them to finish dinner, promising another juicy bedtime story, asking MS to take it easy on the sweets. She did everything she had done earlier. Everything except her usual things with him - smile at him, serve him hot rotis and sabzi, meet his eyes, give him matke ka paani. He missed her warmth, her presence next to him and around him. Good lord! This was not going to be easy at all. But then nothing great comes without a fight. He was not the one to back away from a fight and she was worth it all. He had almost lost her once. Damn him if he would let it ever come to that again. He promised them both- he would fight for them.
Then the realization hit him! And it hit him hard. When had she become the center of his universe? When had she ceased being only a mother to his kids, another family member? As soon as this realization hit him, doubts started creeping into his mind too. That voice nagging him - do you hold the same importance in her life? are you the center of her universe too? Does she respect you enough? So many questions and he did not have answers to all of it. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and thought "ek ishara - sirf ek ishara - ki manne jo mehsoos ho raha hai, jiska ehsaas manne ho raha hai, tu bhi wahi chahti hai. Zindagi bhar tere saath kadam se kadam milake chalunga. Lekin, usse pehle, mujhe teri maafi ka haqdar hona padega."
After dinner when everybody started preparing to retire for the night, he quietly slipped to the terrace. As he sat on the swing looking at the night sky with a million thoughts running through his mind, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He snapped out of his reverie to see MS staring down at him.
Vir : "Ke hua Mama Sarkar? Neend na aa rahi?"
MS :"Main bhi tujh se yahi poochna chahta hoon"
Vir : "Kuch nahin, mama sarkar. Aap jaiye sojaiye."
MS : "Haan haan chala jaunga. Tujhe apne khalayon ke saath akela chod kar. Lekin main yeh kehna chahta hoon ki baant ne se mann ka bojh halka ho jaata hai. Tujhe sab kuch khud sambhalne ki aadat hai. Tu itna bada jo ho gaya hai. Lekin tu aaj bhi mere liye wahi saalon purana Viren hai jisse main apne bete jaisa manta hoon. Tu koshish toh kar apne dil ki baat bolne ki mujhe"
Vir : "Mann bada pareshan tha. Iss liye yahan chala aaya. In chand taaron ko dekh kar thoda toh sukoon milta hi hai, mama sarkar"
At this , Mama Sarkar's eyes moistened and he smiled indulgently at his Viren.
Vir :"Ib aapko keho gaya?"
MS : " Kuch nahin. Soch raha hoon waqt kaise badal jata hai aur waqt ke saath acche ke liye badalna kitna zaroori hai. Pehle tu jab pareshan/chintit rehta tha Sakshi ke kamre main jaata tha ye phir apne study main. Aaj pehli baar maine tujhe apni pareshaniyon ke saath kahin aur dekha hai. Yeh koi chotti baat na hai. Tu apne ateet ko apne vartaman aur bhavishya pe haavi nahin hone de raha hai. Sakshi ke maut ka bojh tu chodne ke liye tayyar hai. Manne bata, agar aaj yahan teri jagah pe Sakshi hoti, to tu kya chahta uske liye? Woh zindagi bhar teri widhwa banke rehti? Dobara apna ghar na basati? yuhin apni saari zindagi sirf tere yaadon ke sahare jee leti? tu yeh nahin chahta ki koi jeeta jagta insaan uski zindagi main phir se pyaar ur rang bhar de?"
Vir : "Ke keh raheho mama Sarkar? Main kabhi na chahta ki Sakshi apni poori zindagi manne khone ke gham main kaat de"
MS : "To phir tujhe kis cheez ki hichak hai? Jaa Purvi ko dilse apna le aur apni zindagi main pyaar aur rang bhar de."
Vir : "Ek tarfa pyaar kis kaam ka Mama sarkar?"
MS : "Ke bol raha hai?"
Vir narrated the VD incident and their conversation thereafter.MS couldn't stop smiling.
MS: "Waise toh tu bada hoshiaay bana firta hai. Dil ki baat aayee toh tera dimag ulti seedhi baatein karta hai. Tujhe ishara nahin samajh aata? Manne pakka yakeen hai uss din Purvi ghabrahat main yeh sab keh gayee. Hum sabko Purvi ki aankohn main tere liye bepanah pyaar aur ijjat dikhta hai. Uski duniya toh tujh se shuru aur tujh pe hi khatam hoti hai.Lekin tu yeh dekhna nahin chahta."
Vir: " Main uski aankhon main pehle apne liye wahi izzat dekhna chahta hoon. Pyaar karegi ya nahin - uss pe mera koi zor na chal sakta"
MS: " Sab theek ho jayega. Sacchai aur dil se kiya hua kaam -bhagwan bhi uski ijjat karta hai. Tu dil se maafi mang raha hai. Dekhna kuch dino main woh tujhe dil se maaf kar degi"
As MS walked out of the terrace, Vir smiled a little. A new hope flickered within him - slowly turning into a raging fire. He was just so relieved he had not lost it all. Tomorrow, after all, is a new day. New hope, new beginnings.
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Chapter #2
Vir finally left the terrace and walked downstairs. He was drained both mentally and physically, beyond exhausted. He could only imagine the condition of his Bawrii. The mental image of her during this whole fiasco tugged at his heartstrings and his eyes moistened. He chided himself."Sambhal apne aap ko. Abhi to tanne bahut kuch karna hai. Tanne bhi toh agnipariksha deni hogi." Suddenly, he found himself infront of their bedroom door. Just as he was about to enter, he remembered their earlier conversation about sleeping in different rooms. He shook his head and sighed. He had not even realized that he was unconsciously seeking her presence and his legs had walked him here on their own accord. He turned and left to sleep in a guest bedroom.
Purvi heard his footsteps outside the door and sat up tense. A myriad of emotions flooded through her entire being. Resentment, pain, disgust, anger, grief, humiliation, sadness, loneliness, despair- she felt it all. She wanted to scream at him again and hurt him as much as he had hurt her. She had told her piece at the panchayat but she still wanted to lash out at him. Her wounds were still very fresh and her emotions still very raw. She let out a breath of relief as she heard his footsteps walk away from the door. She put her head back on the pillow as sleep overtook her.
In the guestroom, Vir made a mental checklist as his eyelids grew heavier. He did feel better after talking to MS. He had a sense of peace and purpose after so many days and he was just so thankful for another chance.
The next morning he rushed towards their bedroom before the kids could go looking for their haathi and ask awkward questions. He paused near the door and looked inside. He saw his Bawrii in front of the mirror, combing her hair lost in her thoughts. A sudden feeling of calm, love, longing washed over him. He watched her as she finished combing her hair and took the sindoor ki dibbi in her hands. She opened the lid and stared at the sindoor for some time. She took a bit, applying it carefully on her maang . She got up and noticed him standing at the door. Without saying a word she walked out. He started to say something to her but the words died in his throat. He caught a whiff of her scent as she walked past him and it ignited his senses. He ached to pull her into a bear hug and never let go. He ached so much to hear her voice calling him mukhiji, telling her infamous tauji tales. Instead , he just watched her as she walked downstairs to the temple area. There, after praying to Durga maa, she applied a bit of sindoor on her red bangles and the back of her ms locket. He had never paid this kind of attention to notice sindoor on her bangles/MS. Did she do this everyday? Was it a ritual? Why did she do it? He made a mental note to ask her if and when they were on talking terms again. Not if, he reminded himself, it was a matter of when. She then walked to the kitchen and he rushed to finish off his morning routine, determined to catch the kids before they left for school.
Vir caught the kids just as they were being ushered out of their room by Prakashi.
Vir : "Maa kuch baat karni hai aap logon se"
Prakashi : " Haan bol na. Kya hua?"
Vir: " Yahan nahin. Andar chaliye"
After they all went inside.
Vir:" Khargosh aur genda. Babbar sher aap dono se sorry bolna chahta hai. Babbar sher ne Haathi ke saath bahut galat kiya hai. Haathi ko bahut dukh diya hai. Tumhare haati ko aur tum dono ko bhi rulaya hai. Sorry. Babbar sher aisi galti dobara na karega"
Juhi: "Lekin aapko haati ko sorry bolna chahiye"
Manas: " haan haati ko manao"
Vir : "Babbar sher ne sorry bola hai. Lekin aisi galti ko ek sorry se maaf na kiya ja sakta. Babbar sher koshish karta rahega"
Vir to Prakashi folding his hands: " Gunhegar to tera bhi hoon maa. Auraton ki ijjat karna, unke mann maryada ka dhyaan rakhna, unka samman, unki raksha - mere joh siddhant hain , unpe tera bhi bahut prabhav hai. Tu ne manne joh sanskar diye hain, uss pal main sab kuch bhool gaya. Apne vyavahaar se toh maine tera bhi apman kiya hai. Teri sikhayi hui baaton ko bhul gaya. Apne iss vyavahaar se maine apno bacchon ko kya sikhaya? Bahut sharmindagi hai mujhe.Aisa paap main dobara na karunga"
Prakash held his hands and wiped away at her own tears :" Tu insaan hai.Koi bhagwan na jo tere se kabhi galti na hogi. Teri maa janti hai tujhe woh video dekh kar itni takleef kyun hui. Tujhe kya laga? Main na janti tu Purvi ko chah.....
Vir interrupted her and gestured at the kids. Prakashi nodded.
Vir : " Accha bacchon haati se kuch mat kehna. Babbar sher ke paas surprise hai Haati ke liye"
Juhi and Manas squealed in delight. They loved surprises!
At the dining table, Vir saw Purvi and Sudha helping out with setting up the table. He noticed their college bags on the side. He marveled at his Bawrii's courage and perseverance. This was one of the many, many things he admired in her.
Vir to Purvi:" Baw..Purvi..Meri class der se hai. Nashta karne ke baad Sudha aur tu college ke liye nikal jao." Purvi merely nodded in acknowledgment.
Vir went to MS after Purvi/Sudha left for college.
Vir :" Ek kaam tha aapse, Mama Sarkar. Khud kar leta lekin mera yahan hona zaruri hai"
Once Vir explained what he wanted, MS nodded his head vigorously and smiled. "Sabaash, Viren. Yeh tu ek dum sahi kar raha hai"
In the car en route to college Sudha asked Purvi" Mukhi ji se teri aur baat hui? Unhe dekh kar laga nahin ki theek se soye the raat bhar"
Purvi : "Hume koi baat nahin karni hai unse abhi. Jo kehna sunana tha woh toh keh hi diya hai. Waise bhi Mukhiji alag kamre main so rahe hain".
Purvi started sobbing again while Sudha held her close. " Bharosa rakh, Purvi. Kanhaji sab theek kar denge. Himmat mar har"
Coming back from college, Purvi busied herself with the kids, household chores, studying with Sudha. Vir knew she was avoiding him. He couldn't get a word across to her. Finally out of desperation, Vir messaged Purvi: " Manne kuch baat karni hai tere ta. Tere paas waqt hai?"
Purvi replied :" Hume koi baat nahin karni. Hamare beech saari baatein ho chuki hain"
Vir :" Please. Ehsaan hoga tera agar tu thoda waqt degi mujhe"
Purvi :" Hum aapse koi baat nahin karna chahte"
Vir :" Theek hai .Tanne pareshan na karunga. Agar tanne mann kiya aur tu waqt nikal payee toh manne batana"
The same pattern continued for the next few days. Purvi would avoid Vir and he was getting more desperate to talk to her. He wanted to just clear up the air between them and ask for her forgiveness. He knew she was suffering too and it tore at his heart. What wouldn't he do to have a few minutes with his Bawrii? He knew communication was the key to things possibly getting better. He hoped and prayed that soon one-day Purvi would be calm enough to tolerate his presence.
Finally, on the 5th day, Vir knew he had to pull his trump card. He asked J+M to send Purvi to the terrace if possible so that he could say sorry again. He just had to get some time alone with her. He tried to remain calm during dinner but boy was it difficult! He had butterflies in his stomach and the anticipation was killing him. He escaped to the terrace after dinner and waited and waited and waited some more. As he was about to give up and head downstairs, he heard the sound of payal - his Bawrii's payal. He closed his eyes, smiled while savouring that sound. He waited for her while she came to his side of the terrace. She jumped in surprise yelping when she saw him and immediately turned to go back.
Vir : " Ruk jaa Bawrii. 2 minute ke liye ruk jaa. Manne tere ta baat karni hai"
Purvi :" Aap hi ne bacchon se bola jhoot bolne ke liye? Jab maine kaha ki mujhe koi baat nahin karni. iska matlab hai mujhe aap se koi bat nahin karni"
Vir :" Manne tere ta maafi mangni hai"
Purvi , her voice as cold as ice :" Kis baat ki maafi? Bazaroo aurat se maafi maang kar aap ka rutba kam nahin ho jayega? Ek charitraheen aurat ke saath aap akele chhat par hain. Aapko aapki izzat ki koi parwah nahin hai?
Vir closed his eyes and tried to control his tears but they escaped streaming down his face. He folded his hands infront of her saying " Manne jo kehna hai keh de.Gaali de , maar de. Main tera gunhegaar hoon.Tu jo bolegi manne manzoor hai. Lekin apne baare main aisa mat bol. Meri vinti hai tujhse"
Purvi screamed:" yeh naamkaran toh aap hi ne kiya tha. Aapne uss din hamari vinti sunni thi? "
Vir with his hands folded :"Mujh se paap hua hai. Prayashchit karna chahta hoon. Jitna bhi karoon kam hai. Maine tera vishwaas aur bahrosa toda hai. Tu manne maafi na de lekin main zindagi bhar maafi mangta rahunga"
Purvi ran out from the terrace. It was just too much and her wounds were open and raw again.
Vir fell down to his knees sobbing. Even if Purvi ever forgave him, he would never forgive himself.
The next day was a Saturday. Purvi knew maa would have gone to the temple and kids would still be sleeping. She went to check on the kids and was surprised to see Mukhiji on the bed with Manas. Both looked so peaceful cuddled together. Her heart skipped a beat seeing the softness on Mukhiji's face. For a minute, it forgot all the pain, hurt, anguish, despair and was filled with love. Her heart was so treacherous.After all that it had gone through, it still beat faster seeing him. Kya karoon main iss dil ka? Purvi thought.
She was surprised when she saw maa in the kitchen hovering around like a mother hen instructing people to do this and that.
Purvi :" Kya hua maa? Aap mandir nahin gayee?
Prakashi :" Nahin. Shaam ko jaungi.Kuch khaas mehman aane waale hain. Unhi ke khaane peene ka intezaam kra rahi hoon"
Purvi :" Kaun hai maa?
Prakashi :" Thoda sabr kar le. Dopahar tak aate hi honge. Bhaiji ka phone aaya tha. Raste main hain"
Purvi :" Hum bhi kuch bana lete hain mehmano ke liye"
Prakashi:" Na tu bacchon ko dekh. Abhi uth kar ghar sir pe chadha lena hai unhone"
Purvi was in the kitchen finishing up the final prep for lunch. The kids were playing in the living room. Vir and Yogi were talking through some upcoming possible business deals. She then heard mamaji say " Aaiye. Aaiye. Theek waqt pe pahunch gaye. Sab mil kar saath khana khayenge". Just then maa called " Purvi beta! Dekh toh kaun aaya hai" Purvi quickly went out and stopped dead in her tracks.
She couldn't believe her eyes. "Maaaaa!! Doodoo!" she cried as she ran towards them. Tears streaming down her face she hugged them, kissed them and hugged them some more. She couldn't believe her maa and brother were there in flesh and blood.