chapter---1
the train stopped at the station...PURVATI... anurag got down frm it.. he was a stout,handsome man of 22... dressed in a simple cotton navy blue shirt tugged in his cotton dark brown trousers... with a bag on his shoulders... he put the bag down on the platform and stretched his arms widely... the cool breeze ruffled his hair and he closed his eyes for an instant.... he took a deep breath and enjoyed the wet smell of the mud.. after one long year...he was back home... this time permanently... he had so many aims and ambitions for his village... now that he was a graduate,he wanted to change the total face of purvati... he wanted to build a hospital, a primary scul for children and establish a dam across the river to reduce the numerous floods... wich occurred.. and last bt nt the least...he had so many duties towards his parents.. those parents whu had nvr thot abt themselves...nt even for once and had always given him enuf to complete his studies properly... now it was his turn to serve them.. to look after them....
he looked around him...nothng had changed...b it was the same simple village he had left behind four years ago.... within that period he did find some time to visit his home once in a year..bt the last year had been terribly strenuous and he cudnt find any time at all...he had missed his parents like hell.....
the thot of his home,and his parents,their tear-filled eyes...made him emotional... he picked up his bag,sighed and headed homewards.. wich was some fifteen minutes way frm the station on foot...
while passing by the fields..suddenly anurag decided to take the shortcut through the fields... frm his childhoon only he loved the yellow ripe mustard fields and it gave him great joy to walk past them,touch their ripe heads... without thnking twice he jogged his way through the filds...humming a tune to himself.... the wind swept passed his ears....creating a strange musical sensation....
across the fields and over the small pool....wen he actually reached his home...he was pretty worn out.. the sight of the trees surrounding his small house made his heart leap up in joy.. he closed his eyes and remembered his mother's warm lap... the thot of it gave him some extra strength and he ran towards home.... wen he reached the yard...he was surprised to see a big crowd in frnt....blocking his path... everyone was whispering and murmering to each other in low voices... he became confused and puzzled... he recognized someone in the crowd and called out to him---rashid chacha?
Rashid,a poor muslim farmer,just like anu's father...turned and along with him,others too... the expression on their faces changed... someone clicked his tongue sympathetically...anurag cudnt understand the meaning of all these...he walked over to Rashid and asked----rashid chacha ye sab kya ho raha hain? yahan itni bhid kyun hain...?
he tried to look at his house..bt cudnt see anything becoz of the crowd...
sighing,he turned towards Rashid again and was shocked to see big drops of tears in his old eyes... he clutched his shoulders and asked---rashid chacha? aap ro rahe hain? baat kya hain....? aap kuch bolte kyun nhi?
Rashid started weeping copiously and pointed towards something...anurag cudnt make it out as the curious and sympathetic by standers blocked his way of sight.....
disgusted,as well as anxious.. he pushed his way through the crowd.... wat he saw made his blood freeze for few seconds....
two bodies(oviously dead bodies) lay on the ground...covered in a white sheet...only revealing their faces... one was of his father,lakshman nashkar...and another was of his mother minati nashkar... both of them were dead......
at frst anurag thot that probably he was seeing a nightmare... there cud be no way by wich this horrible sight wud be true... he slowly dropped down on his knees in frnt of the dead bodies....tears blurring his vision... it hadn't evn been half an hour he reached there...and this blow was too much for him to take... he grabbed his forehead with both of his hands.... his whole body shook like a dried leaf.... pictures of his childhood,his parents,alive and smiling....revolved around his mind....ultimately evrythng became black and he lost his consciousness...
wen he awoke...he noticed that he ws inside a small hut...somethng similar to his own home... he tried to sit up...bt his head pained like hell and he had to lie down once agen...and closed his eyes... it was then he heard someone's voice,a girl...-----aap pani lenge?
he opened his eyes slowly to see a village grl standing beside his cot...her eyes full of concern.. her face seemed somewhat familiar to him....
anurag(in a feeble voice)---tum...kaun ho?
the girl smiled----amina....rashid abdul ki beti...
anurag remembered her... she used to be his playmate in his childhood... he tried to get up once more and this time succeeded...
amina----anu....woh..woh....
anurag looked up at her and asked with a trembling voice----ye sab....kaise?
tears glittered in her eyes as she replied----anu...woh main tumhe baad mein bataungi...tum pehle kuch kha lo....istarah tumhari tabiyat aur kharab ho jayegi..... abbu shamshan se ate hi honge....
anurag interrupted her in the middle and stood up----shamshan? amina wo mere ma bapu the...unke kriyakaram mujhe karna chahiye.....aur....
amina tried to make him sit down agen by holding onto his arms----anu tum baith jao....pehle baitho tum....
he sat down on the cot as he felt too weak to struggle... amina offered him a glass of water...he gulped it down...
then she said----anu jab tum yahan aye...tab sab shamshan hi rahe the...aur fir tum behosh ho gaye....bht der ho chuki thi...isiliye baba ne kaha ki woh...... she wiped her tears...----tumhe to shradh waise bhi karna hi hain...isiliye....
anurag grabbed both of her hands and burst out in tears-----ye sab kaise ho gaya amina...main to apne ma bapu se milne ke liye kitna tadap raha tha..socha tha..aab jakar unke bte hone ka farz nibhaunga...fir ye sab achanak....un dono ko? kyun? kaise?
amina tried to calm him down..she cud understand his condition vry well bt she was confused whether to tell him the truth at that moment or not...maybe he will nt be able to take it......
anurag----bolo amina.... he shook her hard....
amina cleared her throat---anu....main tumse kuch nhi chupaungi...kyunki tumhara ye jaan ne ka pura haq hain..... anu woh... chaudhurysaab....ke aadmi bht dino se chacha chachi ko pareshan kar rahe the.... unki beti ki shaadi hain..uske liye paise.....abba se bhi paise liye the... lekin chacha chachi nhi de paye...tum to jante hi ho...unhone sare paise tumhe bhej diya karte the...woh nhi de paye...aur chacha ji chaudhurysaab ke haveli gaye ye baat batane unko... lekin usne...usne....apne aadmio se unko buri tarah se pitwaya aur ghar ke bhar fek ke chale gaye...tab bht raat ho chuki thi.... aur bht barish bhi ho rahi thi...chachi ko kuch pata nhi tha...jab subah huyi.... unhone chacha ko dekha..ghar ke bahar pade huye....unki saasein ruk gayi thi...woh hamare paas ayi...abbu aur ammi unke saath gaye...chacha....tabtak.....woh.... chachi woh sadma bardasht nhi kar payi.....
amina hid her face in her hands and started to weep..---bas kuch paison ke liye....un dono ko istarah bemaut marna pada.....
at frst anurag did nt know how to react... his head burnt with rage....and anger and fury boilt inside his heart.... it seemed as if he wanted to rip the world apart... he cudnt help feeling guilty too.... coz it was just for him and his education that his parents suffered such a fate and they did nt evn inform him wat was happening here..in case he left his studies and came over to them..... bt then at least...they wud have still been alive......
"anuarg"----amina's anxious voice snapped him back into reality....
he got up,determined....
amina----anu tum kahan jaa rahe ho?
anurag---thakursaab ki haveli.... he clenched his hands into fists.... though amina wanted to stop him...bt she cudnt gain the courage after seeing his face... she gasped.....
without wasting another second...anurag walked out.....fuming in rage.....
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taani's room
she was as beautiful as a princess.....she was gracious as the autumn wind.... letting her long hair all lose over her back....she was gazing up at the stars...in the night sky....thnking of her marriage wich was to be held after three days.... the groom was frm Kolkata...well educated,well established... son of a vry rich businessman... his name was Suresh Banerjee... she havnt seen him..bt he had seen her photo... and had taken a liking instantly... taani was nt happy.... it was nt that she didn't like the husband whum her father has chosen for her... she just did nt want to leave purvati..... she had been born here and spent her whole life here.... it meant for her much more than just her homeland.... it had the memories of her mother.... her childhood days.... she cudnt forget them .... and neither cud she evr thnk of leaving it... hence she was nt happy with this marriage.. bt as she had always obeyed her father without a single word... she did nt protest this time too..and agreed to the proposal he brot for her..... bt as she gazed at the night sky....a drop of tear crossed the barriers of her eyes....and flowed down her tender cheeks.....and dried near her lips..... she closed her eyes and thot of her mother.....
taani----maa.....kuch aisa kijiye ki mujhe aapko aur purvati ko chodkar kahin na jana pade...kuch aisa kijiye ki mujhe kabhi is jagah se juda na honi pade.......hum nhi jee payenge...maa....
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Edited by kaasshh - 15 years ago
Sports
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
