Tejo sipped her coffee as lightning struck outside the café. Fateh was running late as usual. 9 years later and he still hasn't learnt about punctuality. She glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time. She had to be home soon she had promised Kabir to read him a bedtime story today. Work had consumed so much time that she could barely spend any with her 5 year old. She had also promised Rohan that they would eat dinner together. Her husband had pestered her about this new dish he wanted to her to try for weeks now. So today she had decided to spend the entire day with the two of them.
Fateh had called this morning, insisting they meet sighting and emergency. He had first reached out 6 years ago asking if they could meet. They stayed in touch ever since. Fateh had grown. Not physically but as a person. Of course a little physical changes here and there. he now sported a beard and had lost a few kilos but that is about it.
She couldn't have pointed it at first, but after a couple meetings she saw something in him had changed. He often spoke about the academy to her. The students, the coaches he hired, the investors even. There was this different light in his eyes when he spoke about the academy. Like he had found exactly what he wanted. There was this passion in him that she had not seen before. He was truly enjoying running the academy and she loved that for him.
"Ma'am should I repeat your coffee?" the waiter asked
She was now on her fourth mug. If Fateh did not arrive in the next 15 minutes she was going to leave. As soon as the thought crossed her mind the words hit her like bricks
"Fine. Leave then. That is all you know how to do. Leave."
The words echoed again and again through her mind. Till she was forced to remember the day she walked out of their marriage.
Flashback
Tejo had seen Fateh closely. What Fateh seemed to be having were like withdrawal symptoms. A feeling of restlessness, a constant state of anxiety, an erratic heart rate, shivering hands and pain. An awful lot of pain. It was throbbing sensation, it was like an acid burn, it was like a huge weight on his chest.
But why? He resented the woman he had once loved. Jasmine was no longer Jasmine for him, she was chameli and he hated chameli. He hated her for the humiliation, he hated her for the pain, he hated her for being so immature, he hated her for being so stubborn, he hated her for being a dramebaaz.
His resentment had only grown when he saw her get down on knee in front of Gippy. His eyes had burned with unshed tears as he had watched the event unfold. His throat had constricted and the corners of his eyes lost sight.
Then why the pain? Why the hurt when he hated her? Why couldn't she leave him alone?
Tejo was witness to his predicament. She had known he was broken, she had known he couldn't love her and yet she couldn't help but slowly fall in love with him. The thing about emotions is that they rule you. You have absolutely know control, it's emotions that complicate the easiest of things and it's emotions that blur the lines between right and wrong.
She knew Fateh was trying but she had to push him harder, she had to prevent him from falling back in the rabbit hole. But right now Jasmine still ruled his mind, first it was because he loved her and now because he hated her. What Fateh hadn't realised is that hate is not the opposite of love. The opposite of love is indifference. In fact love and hate are very similar. Both are powerful emotions, emotions that take you beyond logic and reasoning.
When Fateh had wrapped his arms around her and broken down on her shoulder she was proud. Proud that he didn't have to hide his emotions around her. Proud that he felt comfortable enough to talk to her. Proud that her was fighting his emotions head on.
But then he had said something and everything had come crashing down. It was like the last straw and as soon as the words were out of his mouth she froze. She had become stone.
Hindi TV Shows
Pati Patni Aur Panga
