"Patralekha ko dekho. Ise kabhi koi bhi baat bolkar nahi samjhani padti. Kyun Vahini?" Ninad looked at Bhavani.
"Kisse keh rahe ho Ninad? Ye jungli Mulgi hamari Patralekha ki barabari karne ka soch bhi nahi sakti." Bhavani scoffed.
"Ha wo to hai, main Pakhi Didi ki barabari nahi kar sakti. Main apne pati ke alawa kisi aur ke pati pe nazar jo nahi rakhti." Said Sai making everyone's eyes go wild.
"Sai, tum is tarah se meri beizzati nahi kar sakti." Patralekha looked at her in anger.
"To kis tarah se beizzati karwana pasand karengi aap?" Sai looked at her with a curious expression.
"AYE JUNGLI MULGI." Bhavani shouted and walked towards Sai, "aaj tumne apni sari hadein paar kar di hain. Maafi mango."
Sai looked away.
"Maine kaha maafi mango Patralekha se."
"Ji nahi. Jis din wo mere pati par buri Nazar rakhna band kar dengi, main bhi unhe aisa waisa bolna band kar dungi."
"Tum samajh rahi ho tum kya bol rahi ho? Tum Patralekha par ek bahut hi ghatiya ilzaam laga rahi ho." Bhavani looked into her eyes in anger.
"Ghatiya? Aapko agar ye sab cheezen ghatiya lagti hoti na Kaku to aap..." Sai looked from her to Ninad and smirked with disgust.
Ninad's eyes popped out of his sockets and Bhavani shot daggers at her through eyes. She was about to open her mouth but...
"...No wonder aapko Pakhi Didi ki harkaton mein kuch galat nazar nahi aata."
Bhavani was too stunned to speak. Even Ashwini had to look away while everyone else stood there gaping at them.
"Mujhe bahut kaam hai. Dusron ke spouse par nazar rakhne se zyada important kaam," Sai said and before anybody could utter a single word, left.
It took a few minutes for any of them to even move from there.
---
Patralekha worked in the kitchen while everything that happened was still fresh in her mind.
"Sambhal kar." Ninad turned off the gas and looked at Patralekha, "abhi doodh gir jaata. Achchha hua meri nazar pad gayi." He looked at her probing eyes and looked away. He went away and took a glass of water.
"Kya Sai jo keh rahi thi sach hai Ninad Mama?"
This sudden question made Ninad choke on the water he was drinking. He tried to manage himself.
"Arre pagal hai wo. Kya kehti hai kya karti hai kuchh samajh nahi aata. Par tum to samajhdar ho Patralekha. Us ladki ki baaton mein kaise aa sakti ho?" Ninad looked at her and shook his head in disappointment.
"Mujhe galat mat samjhaiye. Sach to ye hai ki Badi Mami ke sath milkar iss ghar ko aapne sambhala hai. Aur ek ghar banate waqt kayi baar bahut se sacrifices dene padte hain. Kayi baar apne pyar ka bhi. Usmein kuch galat nahi hai. Balki wo pyar to bahut hi ooncha hai. Mere mann mein aaj aapke aur badi Mami ke liye izzat aur badh gayi." Patralekha smiled and started working again.
Ninad lowered his gaze thoughtfully, "tum sahi keh rahi ho. Jis rishte par hamesha sirf daag lagte aaye hain, aaj us rishte ko pehli baar kisi ne na sirf samjha hai balki use izzat bhi di hai. Umra mein bahut chhoti ho tum mujhse lekin tumhari soch, tumhari samajh bahut badi hai." Ninad smiled.
"Soch badi hai ya nahi, ye to mujhe pata nahi. Lekin jis dard se aap guzar rahe hain, us dard ka andaza zaroor hai. Kyunki main khud kuch aise hi dard se guzari hu."
Ninad looked at her and even though he understood what she meant, couldn't speak anything.
"Lekin ek baat bataiye mujhe, kab tak? Kab tak hum apne pyar ki kurbani dete rahenge? Kab tak ye tohmat, ye ilzam sahte rahenge" Patralekha looked at him with tears in her eyes.
He was silent for a few moments, "Hum kar bhi kya sakte hain?" He lowered his head.
"Bahut kuch" Patralekha wiped her tears, "Ninad Mama, hum dono hath mila le to bahut kuch kar sakte hain. Waqt aa gaya hai ki jo log hamari kismat se chhin gaye the, unhein hum wapis apni zindagi mein le kar ayen aur hamare raste ke kanton ko hata dein," she looked blankly at him.
Ninad stared at her.
"Kya kehte hain aap?" Patralekha extended her hand.
Ninad thought for a while before shaking her hand. Both smiled.
---
Yeah. Cheeku Ka Beej has gone crazyš¤£
But Patralekha is a smart vamp hereš
Anupamaa
