Thank you ruchibabbly, Nabesa, rmonte72, thujaa, aditeeash, imissouri, laxmi_avinafan, vinianil, *Maleena*, suwin, chalhov, NiHa24, Indiangirl09, abhilasha_dream, radha_bilahari, radhika5, ekta-avinafan, anu17, nycsweetie, for liking previous part. Thanks for the responses, i left individual replies, please check back if your time permits. Also if you are a reader from the first part, you know how the circle is completing, but in case, if any one of you see that gap, or unable to relate , then let me know. If you are just a scanner, then i don't know, but otherwise, please feel free to respond back to clarify anything. I prefer to respond individualy now as i need that clarification for myself too. thanks for reading my note and really appreciate that time..DevikaPART -133
Dev was enjoying the breeze outside while waiting for dadaji to come in from meeting few villagers. He saw the guava trees, and smiled remembering the past. He looked back once where his dadaji is and then with a smile walked towards the trees.
"this Radhika, did she forget all these!!, how many days we came here, not even once she came here to pluck it, then doubting self: is it not the season!, um, she used to say that the wind carries the smell of chandenpur, he took a deep breath in, keeping all those senses open to feel it, but he couldn't feel any fruit small in it. Maybe she knew better, but still he kept on his walk to check on it.
A small kid was running by
" Hai Prince, you want guava?"
Dev looked at the little one with exclamation !
Kid: kym? Guava nahi chahiye?
Dev: ji, lekin
Kid within fraction of time run hawling out: prince wants guava.
Soon there apperad few many faces, Dev stood looking at those faces, how did they all got in
He saw the little one climbing easily onto one and within few minutes apperead near Dev
Dev looked at him with parted lips
Kid with a wide smile: Don't worry about thanking me, when the black beauty comes... give me a ride. Deal
Dev kneeled down and looked at him unbelievably: what?
Kid : deal
Unknown feeling forced him to say: deal
Kid started dancing on his feet: ye I got the deal, I am going to ride the black beauty, and who all are with me
The team came out within no seconds and they all danced around him with happiness and then run away from there
Dev stood there with two guavas in his hand
The jeep was coming by, and saw the noicy team running away.
Mohan stopped the jeep and asked: what happened Dev?
Dev jerking, tried to hide that guava
Mohan noticed guava in dev's hand: you got some, they are really sweet now, see now it is not the season, but these kids are so good enough to spot those left out ones correctly, so now it is their field for another two more months.
Dev brought his hand back to front
Mohan: Radhika loves it, she only taught all these kids to climb these trees, otherwise they dare to step into my compound. Earlier they used to run away seeing me, but then when Radhika left this place, these kids filled that vaccum for me, and one by one started showing their face, now they don't even mind if I stand by. So this time I have to keep two or three atleast to get them to ripe.
Dev smiled
Mohan: where is babuji
Dev: there
Dev pointed to the place but then Yeshpal was walking towadrs them.
****
Back in haweli
Sushma opened her eyes , and found herself waking up from a nice nap : Oh God, did I really slept!!!!!
She looked at Chudki, who is sleeping comfortably in her hold
Sushma with a smile: no wonder, after seeing you sleeping like this, I don't feel like getting up at all.
She lay in that position for few more minutes: where is Radhika? Did she really meant what she told me? Sushma's eyes widened: boyfriend , me, pheeew, they better stay away from me, but where is she? What she is looking for?
Sushma carefully moved her arm out, but that did distub the comfort of warmth, and sChudki tightened her forehead. Sushma sat there with holding her breath, not to make any movement, and after pausing for few minutes, she further moved her arm out. She saw the baby sleeping comfortably. Feeling better, Sushma sat and tied her hair, and by the time she finished tieing it, the siren started automatically. Sushma (Farida jalal) jerked for a second, and then : arre ma, you were just sleeping, and now
But the siren was picking up its pitch
Sushma: ok baba, i am taking you, sorry sorry, chup hoja mere judiya she tried to take her in her arm and once she got in Sushma's arms, she slowed down and looked into Sushma's face with wet eyes
Sushma: what is this Chudki, just one minute and within that you opened your vocal cord. Appappa.. poor radhika. I don't know how she is managing you.
Suddenly Chudki smiled:
Sushma: aaha, so you knew it , right? then do this with your mamma, this is me... ok
Chudki shrinked her lips
Sushma: why, are you going to satrt again? Ha?
Chudki stayed calm and then seriously looked into sushma's eyes
Sushma: what is it? Um, tell me
Soon she felt that warmth in her lap, and it started spreading out
Sushma stay quiet feeling it spreading out: and then asked in mind: what is it? Tell me chudki, her face moved in action realizing the happening.
Sushma sat there without moving taking that warmth in her lap, looking straight into Chudki's face as if asking: the smile was for this, hu, this is why you slwewd down, hu, why did I take you in my arms, hu.
Once she finished chudki smiled again with a relief
Sushma in mind: ha aap hasiye, aapko kya kahe, agar kuch kaha diya tho, thu apna vocal cord open karega na. tho aap hasiye, theek hei
Sushma sat there silently recollecting the moment where she argued with Dev for not tieing that nappy around: why did I do that? I was just siding dadi, and see the result, now who is going to clean me. Did you wet your bed too? Ha. Um then you will sleep in that coldnes only, let me check
Sushma touched over the soft towel and then underneath she felt the plastic sheet
Sushma with a smile; how clever your mom is, now whenever I hold you , I will surely cover myself in that plastic wrap, you see.
Chudki's smile disappered
Sushma: now what happened? Oh, now you are feeling cold, when it came out it was all warm , right?, so you need to be changed. I can change you, no cry, ok baba. deal.. i can change you .. but who is going to change me?
Sushma got up and put her down and then changed her into dry cloths. She tried to call out for Radhika, but there was no response, sushma came out from the room: where is she? I need to change too, did she really went to look for what she meant? What, no, she knew me well, then?
Sushma came down and looked in the front room, she went to the kitchen, she looked all around: where is Radhika?
She heard the noise from a partially open room
Sushma tightened her forehead: Is she there, what she is doing in that store room
Sushma went near the room: Radhika, are you in there beta
Radhika: ha, am coming, is she awake?
Sushma: what are you doing there?. Come out. its all dust and spider webs
Radhika:ha one second sweetie
Radhika came out with an album in her hand
Sushma: what is this
Radhika :this was all the way up there, who kept it over there sweetie and then looking at her little one: oh my angel, you are awke, did buva wake you up?
Sushma; ha, now you blame me for that , see what your angel did to me
Radhika smiled seeing the wet stain
Sushma; ha, you also smile and then looking at chudki: when your papa comes na, I will ask him to buy me 5 dresses like this, you need to compensate na for spoiling my pretty dress.
Radhika: just like Lechu
Sushma: what lechu, Radhika hold her, let me go and change
Radhika: One minute sweetie, my hands are all dirty, why don't you clean this room once in a while
Sushma: um, for just babuji and me, we have enough room to live on. This once in a year we call someone and clean it, but for last four years we didn't do it
Radhika;:I can see that
Sushma; ok why you need this album now
Radhika: one minute sweetie, I will be right there upstairs , ok
They came out and radhika cleaned herself quickly , changing her dress, she went and took Chudki in her hand, let me feed her sweetie
Sushma: ha by then I will change and come
When Sushma came back, she saw Radhika keenly looking at the phots
Sushma: Dev just called, and was asking how you guys are doing and he said he is coming. Right then your sasu ma also called , and was excited to know how you are doing here?
Sushma added: I know, she wants to take you as soon as possible, so only
Sushma noticed Radhika not paying any attention
Sushma: what happened?
Radhika pointed her finger to one of the black and white photo: who is this?
Sushma looked into that partially fading face: vo
Radhika: tell me sweetie, who is this?
Sushma: my friend,
Radhika: where is she now?
Sushma gaining strength: at her home , where else?
Radhika: what is her name?
Sushma kind of controlled her throat really hard and said: kyum?
Radhika looking at that young pics: tell me sweetie
Sushma: vo, vo I forgot
Radhika: is it Malathi?
A shiver passed thru Sushma, she held the bed railing for support: no, no, why?
Radhika: tell me sweetie, what is her name?
Sushma: Priya
Radhika lookd at sushma's face unbelievably: Priya!
Sushma: ha Priya, why
Radhika: I met her at the asram, I thought I saw her before, i asked her too, but she denied being around here, but then when I met her again the other day, my suspicion increased, and i recollected maybe it is from photos up here. Remember you showed this album once to me, when I tried to draw dadji's picture, for granny. You showed me this, and I saw your pics, papa's and dadis' and this face also caught my attention because I loved those eyes of this lady, but you are saying she is priya , but I met her as malathi in asram, and she did not ask about anybody, nor she found any interest in talking to any of us.
Sushma taking the album away: radhika, what is this? This is very old pics and you are trying to make out somebody from this fading pics, also she told ne, she doesn't belog here, then why you have to look at it now.
Radhika: that is fading now, it was not before, remember how we used to keep that room clean.
Chudki started getting impatient looking for her food.
Sushma: see chudki is feeling hungry, you take care of her, let me take this out. Dev will be back at any minute I need to take care of the kitchen too
Radhika: sweetie, keep the album here let me check one more time
Sushma: this photo is half way spoiled, and if you need her new pics, i will ask her to send one for you, ok. happy now. see there is small lizards or cockrotch or somehting inside, look at this, showing a halfly eaten page, and chudki is here, and I don't want her to get in trouble. If something happen na, then your mom won't send you here any more
Radhika: but sweetie
Sushma walking away with that album; see priya is married and have kids, so don't confuse anyone else with all your talks ok
Saying that she went down. Radhika was settling chudki, . sushma kept the album over the table , then tear of that page and went inside the kitchen and put that in fire, and then looking at those cathing up fire , she murmerd: you ruined all the dreams of this house , you ruined the happiness in this house, and now when we are getting back everything, why you need to come back.
She saw the catching flame, and it was trying to reach high , Sushma's face got sweatty, she took those heavy breaths, she saw her mom's ashamed face, her downcasted eyes, her brother's bowed head, she heard the cheek from it, she can hear the talk around, she heard her mom's cry, which pierced her ears deep inside, she closed her ears with both hands , closing her eyes tight, she cried loud: NOOO...
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thanks for reading my post, have a good day
Devika
:)
Edited by Devika. - 14 years ago
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
