AN: Hello dear readers! After writing loads of angsty works, I tried to lower my angst in this one. Would love your views.
Also a mention of my OS - Broken: Apparently, my OS violated the graphic description rule, due to which it has been taken off. It was really heartbreaking for me but I guess, we have to face it. I will put in an edited version later and put the original one in my blog. I will share the link when I arrange it.
Thank you all for being such dedicated readers and I apologize to all the new readers who have heard of it but are unable to access it.
A Cup of Coffee
She finally reached the counter and handed her ID.
People were straggling around, some moving with purpose and others, to pass the time. She nodded at the security personnel as they stamped a sticker on it and lifted her bag to the electronic luggage belt that promptly took it away for boarding. Straightening her purse, she swerved into the thickening crowd near the escalator and promptly passed it, walking towards the waiting area for the scheduled boarding.
She entered into the security check. Her ticket was carefully scanned and marked after which she stepped into the waiting room. Heaving a sigh, she settled into a chair in the left-hand corner of the room which promised a silent atmosphere with all the nearby seats empty.
Airport, she mused, was not the fantastic thing that everyone made it out to be. With all the security checks and separate luggage checks, it was determined to present anyone a headache, gift-wrapped.
She settled into the uncomfortable metal chair and began the tedious process of waiting. Any other time, she would have made her way to the book shops and bought a couple by now; but today, she was tired. The seminar had been a long and arduous one and now she had hours of journeying in a cramped flight in the foreseeable future.
And that was when the smell of coffee overwhelmed her, as a cup of the steaming liquid was held inches away from her nose, blocking her sight.
Her eyes followed the hand holding it and fell on the person.
She froze.
"Coffee?"
Tejo did not know how to feel. Should she be shocked? Angry? Impassive? Indifferent?
She could not decide how to react and probably it was this shock that made her accept the cup of coffee wordlessly.
"Surprised to see me here?" the man asked as he flopped into the seat next to her.
She immediately stiffened and looked at her surroundings, trying to gather her thoughts which seemed to have scrambled and left formation. He looked much at ease as he settled next to her; too comfortable in his skin as he had always been.
“I am surprised to see you here,” the words tumbled out of her mouth. “And that you are talking to me.”
"You haven't changed,” he remarked, his posture losing a bit of the casual slouch as he straightened minutely. “Still with the caustic tongue ready to lash at others.”
Tejo felt the feeling of familiarity descend into her. She blocked that feeling and turned to him, with a serious look on her face.
"What are you doing here, Amrik?"
Amrik Singh Virk gave her a slanting smile. “At least you have called me with my name. You remember it. I thought that if it was up to you; you would be happy playing strangers.”
She blinked at him. “That was not the answer to my question.”
He shrugged. "Waiting to board a flight. Same as you. And the best question is, when did you start drinking coffee. The Tejo Ma’am that I knew hated anything except the Masala Chai.”
Tejo took a sip of her coffee."People change with time Amrik."
"You definitely did Ma’am!"
“I am not your teacher anymore. That was years ago,” she looked at him sideways.
“Bhabi then,” he offered.
She threw him a sharp look."I am not your Bhabi, either. Not anymore."
Amrik stared at his cup. "You never really divorced Veer. Legally, you are undeniably Mrs. Tejo Kaur Virk."
A startling fissure of sharp pain prodded into her as that identity of hers faced her like her own personal nightmare. There was a time when she had fought with everything to salvage that name. Today having it did most of the damage to the simple life she had remade from broken fragments.
"D-Don't!"
It was not a request. It was perhaps her tone that made Amrik change his mind from pushing the matter like he always did. Instead, he backtracked and softly addressed her as Tejo Ji.
“Simran Di always says, that running from the past is of no use," he began. "Look where it got her. Out of all of us, she ran the hardest and fell into the pit even harder. It destroyed her but she came out and faced her life; all thanks to you. You were the one who showed her the way, guided her back to herself. She is happy today; a queen in her own right.”
Tejo took a deep breath. "That she is. I have been following her. She has managed to become something none of us could have ever imagined. CEO of a huge company,” her voice softened, “I am proud of her."
"You owe her a lot, you know?"
Tejo raised her eyebrows. "Who?"
"Simi Di" Amrik gave her a meaningful look. "She never believed in those accusations."
Tejo stiffened. Her hand burned as she clutched the hot coffee cup tightly.
"Let us not talk about it."
“Simi Di fought for you and your name like a woman possessed. She had never dared to open her mouth against the elders, instead always choosing to run from confrontations. This was the first time she openly challenged them. And Mahi, she supported her in each and every fight. Trust me, everything changed after that.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Amrik shifted. “But those accusations –”
“The ones which Jasmine and you plotted behind my back to pin on me!”
Silence met her words.
“Is it too late to apologize?”
“No, it is never late to apologize,” Tejo remarked. “But it is too late for me to accept it. That ship has already sailed.
He gave her a bitter smile. “And yet you are still talking to me.”
She smiled at him politely. “Yet I am still talking to you. And I took the coffee you offered.”
Amrik winced. A heavy silence fell between them again. The airport buzzed in its own fervor and embraced them like a curious case of disjointed realities.
"It was our plan. Jasmine and I,” he clarified. “But we did not mean for it to get so out of control. We just wanted to –”
“To blame me for Jasmine rejecting Fateh, for the families forcing us to get married, for bringing a bad name to the family as I was cheated by a fraud in my first marriage, etc,” she offered the options. “I have heard all that before. But that does not really justify being character assassinated when it was my husband that loved my sister and it was my brother-in-law who spiked my drink.”
Amrik took a sip of his coffee. “I am sorry. If I could just turn back time…….I am sorry.”
He turned to look at her and began again. “But the truth wasn’t hidden for long. It came out shortly. You have to credit your brothers and Simi Di and Mahi for it.” He wet his lips. "I had never seen your brothers that angry. I thought Abhiraj would kill me that day had Jasmine not saved me from him.”
Her lips quirked. Her Veere had always been the picture of discipline. He flew into rages; something that was their family inheritance but rarely did he confront and argue or even turn violent. Instead, he preferred to sulk by himself. For him to resort to violence meant that things had definitely gone sour.
“I believed it was for the best, you know,” he murmured, shame colouring his tones. “I thought FatehVeer will be happy with Jasso. Once you were out of the way, things will go back to the way they were. I was a fool, to not realize that what was once broken cannot be fixed like before. I went about it in the wrong way and instead of helping FatehVeer move on, I seemed to have pushed him back into the darkness. I made him lose the only thing keeping him sane. I made him lose you.”
Her hands trembled and suddenly she was hooked into the story.
“Simi Di closed herself in her room for weeks till she figured out a way to unravel our plot. Till then it was Mahi's show. She has a terrific temper; our father’s one if I may say so. She cut Jasso and I, into smithereens with her sharp barbs and twisted the whole matter into a full-blown humiliation fest. We may have tainted your name but you had many that rose to your defence. That day she pulled Jasso and me to the inquisition, questioning the state of our relationship. She threw mud on our characters in front of both the families and the funny thing is, no one came for our defence; not even Maachi who hated you. It was the first inkling I had, that maybe, we should not have done it.”
He took a deep breath. “She did not spare FatehVeer either. She called him an adulterer to his face ignoring our mother’s angry shouts. I would have never believed it if I had not witnessed it with my own eyes. Mahi insulting and scolding FatehVeer! Unbelievable, but it occurred." He suddenly smothered a smirk and gave her a pointed look. "She called him a rejected Roadside Romeo with a two-timing complex. You should have seen his reaction."
She felt something curl up in her and her chest tightened. She blinked furiously.
"Then, what happened after that?" she asked eager to know the following events.
Amrik sighed and closed his eyes. "Truth; truth happened. Simi Di had not been sitting idle and she had pulled in your brothers to her investigation. My own sister drugged me to get the truth out of me and the rest was history. Karma is a cycle, isn’t it? I drugged you and my sister drugged me. Game over! But she was not done. She pulled Jasso and me into a misunderstanding that made Jasso blurt out the truth in front of the whole family. She proved you innocent."
It was as if a wide chasm of feelings erupted in her. She had tried for years to move forward with her life but certain strings of her hurt dignity held her back from forgetting them. Amrik's words soothed her festering wound.
After five years, she finally felt some semblance of peace.
It was then she realized the wetness on her cheeks. She hurriedly turned her head and rubbed at her eyes. She turned to look at Amrik. And this time really looked at him.
The passing time had definitely been good to him; for while he was good looking before with the strong Virk genes, now he had gained a maturity. Her heart jolted as the image of another man came to her mind and she swallowed. She turned her focus on him and realized that his eyes full of arrogance and mischief were dulled now, the spark having disappeared under the weight of his actions and consequences.
“Are you ok?”
He gave her a brittle smile. “Things went south from there. Accusations and fights increased. Our families were devastated and this time there was no Tejo to blame. Because that’s what always happened right? Anything wrong - put the mess on Tejo! Well, apparently without you, the families could not really take care of the mess. Simi Di and Mahirefused to look at Bhai and me. Papa Ji was furious. Mummy Ji tried but her heart was not in it and well, Maachi went back home. Everything was ash after all; there was nothing left for her to burn. And then,” his voice dropped, “FatehVeer disappeared.”
Her senses revolted in shock. “Disappeared? What do you mean disappeared? Where is Fateh?”
Amrik eyed her curiously, taking his time. “You still care for him, don’t you?”
Her temper flared as her heart raced loudly. How had she not known that all this was happening? “Where is Fateh, Amrik?”
Amrik swallowed. “He was angry. You know how he gets in his anger. He loses his sense to decide right and wrong and-----"
“What did he do?" Tejo interrupted gritting her teeth.
Amrik took a deep breath. "H-He was nowhere for days. We all searched for him like mad," he swallowed carefully not meeting her eyes. “And then one day a call came from the hospital. Apparently, he drove off a cliff.”
Something broke inside her and a stunning gulf of anguish and vibrant rage weaved a furrow inside her. She leaned back into the chair, face closed off; eyes stony, and yet could not mask the suffocation she felt. The words reverberated in her mind and her brain switched off as a sense of numbness smothered her. Five years ago, she had cut off from all her connections. She had decided that she had suffered enough and the accusations had been the last straw. The way Fateh had degraded her publicly by associating her name with her colleague had left scars on her that were yet to heal. All the while when she had fallen in love with him bit by bit, all he had nursed was a broken heart over her sister and hatred for her; for supposedly taking Jasmine’s place in his life. She had tried her best to support him, to help him move on; even being at the back end of his anger at times, to let him vent it all out. He had even started thawing, slowly becoming her best friend that he was, before their forced wedding.
And then that one night had destroyed everything when she had been drugged and framed by her own sister and aided by her brother-in-law.
She had gone through a whirlwind of emotions; of pain and anguish as her dignity was shattered into pieces. She had cursed them all in her mind; her sister for betraying her, her family for always letting her take the fall, and Fateh for always blaming her and never trusting her. In a fit of rage, she had decided something for herself, for the first time in her life. Without haste, she had arranged her matters and left Punjab.
But nowhere in her was this doubt that Fateh –
“He is ok now,” Amrik said softly. “Not flexible enough to go back to boxing but on his feet. He runs a Training School now. Boxers from all over the state come there for training. He is making a name for himself, now and doing something for Punjab. That was your dream, wasn’t it?”
She covered her face with her hands trying to regain her semblance of control. She could not break down here, although she could feel a harsh bout of crying readying to come out if she faltered. But not here! She would go home and lock herself in her bedroom.
The darkness of the night will cloak her pain and misery as it had always done these past years and in the morning; she would be fine again.
Her hands stopped trembling and she lifted her head, composing herself.
A silence again glimmered between them and Tejo took a look around. It was funny how the world continued its own race when her life had hit such a sudden standpoint.
“Everything was broken, after his accident,” Amrik continued. “Specialized doctors had to be brought in and with Papa Ji’s focus on Veer, his political career took a hit. On top of that our grandfather got a stroke. All was out of control. Then there was an incident and it literally shocked everyone out of their state."
"What happened?" her heart thudded loudly.
Amrik spoke lightly, his eyes bright. “Mahi and Abhiraj got married in the court.”
Tejo's mouth fell open as shock sheared through her. Her brother got married. That too like this!
"All is well," Amrikreplied reading her face. “It was a much-needed shock and it made things more or less normal. Papa Ji was back to his form scolding them for their hasty wedding. But Mahi and Abhiraj were adamant. They had apparently sworn off public marriages involving families. Not a surprise, looking at how the Sandhu-Virk weddings seem to pan out. Mummy Ji was crying buckets over her youngest marrying like this and the best thing was that Maachi could not turn up hissing around because of the Pandemic. The attention shifted and I guess it gave FatehVeer a lot of time to recuperate by himself. This time there was no one for him to bank on. And it did him good. After the accident, he literally turned over a new leaf. He is in a better place now; even quit drinking.”
“Then he surprised everyone by getting a job and shocked all by moving out. He rented a small one-roomed house and that is where he has been staying; all alone. He cooks his own food, washes his own clothes, too."
She stiffened and memories rushed past her. He had always been hard maintenance; with his messy habits and table manners. She remembered when he had left his home for Jasmine. He had been barely able to survive a few days and now he had apparently been living alone for years. Her heart twitched.
"Missing him?" Amrik prodded
"No," she sniffed.
"Good for you," he smiled. "But he does miss you a lot. After his accident, he would always call out for you in his unconscious state. No one else; only you."
She swallowed and her eyes welled up again. She steeled herself.
"He sold his bike and bought a white Scooty. He adores it and refuses to part with it. Does nothing for his macho image anymore!"
She clutched at her purse tightly and her chest heaved with an unknown emotion. Her eyes flit around, hoping for an escape.
A loud announcement broke the moment.
Amrik sighed. "It is time for your flight."
It was as if someone had poured a pail of icy cold water on her that she immediately fell back into the routine she had been living in. After all these years, one glimpse of the past had made her feel as if she had never left the place or the people.
She felt the traitorous tears trying to make a comeback but she gathered herself together. She looked at him and gave him a tremulous smile.
"It was nice to meet you Amrik."
Amrik stared at her softly as guilt and pain swirled in his eyes. He leaned forward and enveloped her in his arms. She hugged him back tightly like silently forgiving him for his actions.
The announcement rang again loud and clear.
The lingering crowd seemingly started to move as if imbibed with a sudden adrenalin rush.
Tejo broke the hug and raised her eyes to meet him. “Why are you telling me all this? You never bothered with me before.”
“Well,” he drawled, “I believed it was time to get some of the affection I should have had, from my only sister-in-law. If only I had not been a foolish brat, we would have been great friends today. Much better than Veer and you, trust me on that.”
Tejo gave him a tired smile. “Bye Amrik. Take care.”
“Are you happy?” he suddenly asked as she turned to leave. She stiffened and stopped. Hesitating, she looked at him and then sighed.
“Happiness is not a constant. It comes and goes; it's momentary. But yes, I am, content. Why do you ask?”
Amrik sighed as he shrugged. “I understand you better now. So felt it was necessary.”
Her brows furrowed as she looked at him in confusion. He gave a short laugh and held out his left hand. A gold wedding band glittered.
“After all we both know how it feels to play a second fiddle to your spouse who would always love your sibling first before you.”
Tejo was floored as her eyes widened, staring at the ring with an expression of shock.
Amrik gave her a bitter smile. “I married Jasmine; you see. That makes me your brother-in-law, twice over.” He sighed, “Bye Tejo Ji! Wish you the best in your life."
Tejo turned away, without a word; mechanically walking away.
He stood there a long time after she had left. He settled into the chair and seemingly stared at nothing.
A loud blaring noise broke his ponderings. Sighing he took out his phone.
"Hello!"
"Are you done?" the hassled tones of his sister filled his ears.
"Of course, I am," Amrik smirked. "I got all the details. From the destination to her residence."
"How did you do that?"
Amrik’s mind drifted to his wife whom he had left at the counter. "I have my ways Mahi. I am a genius."
"Oh, I know that,” Mahi replied sarcastically.
"By the way guess what, I sensed her feelings. She definitely still loves Bhai."
"You managed to sense?" Simi Di entered the conversation, snatching the phone from her sister. "And how did you do this?"
"Umm," Amrik hesitated, "I may have upped the tragedy quota a bit."
There was silence from the other side.
"What did you do? Did you lie to her?"
"No," Amrik immediately responded. "I just made her think that Veer’s accident was more dramatic and that he is still in a self-imposed exile. I mean let’s face it, he could not stay alone for even a year. And I told her how poor Bhai is suffering a lot."
"What? Amrik have you gone mad! Are you high on something? This was not the plan.”
Amrik scoffed. “Look, I have been inhabiting the same room with her sister for three years now. And all my wife does is talk of her sister. I feel like I know her better than anyone in the world,” he shuddered a little, remembering how his wife had bit his ear off, talking about her sister even when they had been enjoying their wedding night. “I knew her. Tejo Bhabi would not have broken her façade for silly things. She needed a big shock. Trust me, when she sees him next, she won’t be able to control herself.”
Abhiraj grunted and entered the conversation. “Why did we let him meet my Tejo? I could have gone instead. Sending this one alone was a bad decision.”
“We did it because if anyone else went, Tejo would be suspicious,” Simi countered. “Amrik was the safest option. They did not share a good relationship and still, she would be bound to maintain her decor unlike if Jasmine had gone. In the case of Mahi and I, she would have sniffed us out immediately. You or Navjot would have simply bawled like a child. And we cannot send Fateh. He has to be kept unaware of these plans.”
“Exactly,” Amrik agreed. “And I did not come alone. I brought Jasso with me.”
“WHAT!” three voices yelled in perfect sync. Amrik smirked and switched off his cell. Hands in his pocket, he slowly made his way out of the airport to catch up with his wife. He had made many mistakes in the past and now it was time to sort them all out.
Tejo Bhabi’s case was done.
Now it was his Veer’s turn.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
