CREATIVE THREAD: PICTURE STORYepilogue pg128(20/9 - Page 63

Maan could not bear to see Geet break down like that, his heart died to console her, to wipe her tears, to bring a smile on her face but his conscious cursed him, despised him, made fun of him and stopped him for causing more pain to her by even showing his manhoos (cursed) face to her. He left the place feeling disgusted with himself that even though she was alive she had really horribly suffered all because of him. Not able to bear his guilt anymore he went to the house of God in order to find some solace or maybe to plead guilty in front of him. He reached the majar and went inside but his head was completely bowed today as if bearing the burden of his unpardonable sins. He fell on his knees feeling totally ashamed of his deeds.

Maan: Mei janta hoon ki mujhe aap se kuch bhi mangane ka ab koi bhi haq nahi hai, par meri bas ek guzarish poori kar do. Uski har ek takleef, har ek dukh, ek ek aasu mere naseeb mein likh do aur uski zindagi sari khusiyon se bar do. Mei janta hoon jo maine apne ahankar mein uske saath kiya uski wajah se woh toot gayi hai, usne bahut zillat sahi hai par meri yeh dua kabool kar lo, mere tamam sukh uski jholi mein daal do taki woh tahe dil se muskura sake (and a tear escaped his eyes)

(I know that I have no right to ask you for anything after what I have done but please fulfill my one desire. Give her every pain, her sadness, her each tear to me but fill her life with happiness. I know that what I did with her in my ego has broken her, she had to suffer a lot of humiliation but please fulfill my wish, my prayer, take away all my comforts, my happiness and give them to her so that she can smile whole heartedly (and a tear escaped his eyes))

Baba: Bache, allah sab ki dua kabool karte hai, par tu pahala banda hai jo apni khusi kisi aur ko de uske sare dukh kabool karna chahata hai. Aisa kya hua?

(Child, God listens to everyone's prayers, but you are the first person who wants to give away his happiness to someone else and accept all her sadness in return. What happened?)

Maan: Maine uski zindagi barbaad ki hai jise mein ab beintehah muhabaat karta hoon. Maine apni badale ki bhavana mein apne ki pyaar ko jala kar raakh kar diya. Mujh jaise gunehgar ko toh tarpa tarpa ke marna chahiye. Mere aparadh ke liye kewal dukh ke andhero mein batakana toh maafi ke barabar hai, allah se meri guzarish hai ki who mujhe aisi saaza deh ki dekhane walo ki rooh tak kaap jaye aur koi bhi kabhi bhi mere jaise paap na dhoraye.

(I have ruined her life whom I truly love now. In my want for revenge I burned my love to ashes. A culprit like me should be tortured mercilessly. Only getting sadness in return of my sins is like mercy for me… it is like forgiveness. I have one desire from Lord to punish me in such a way that even the soul of other folks flinches in pain so that no one ever repeats my sins again).

He closed his eyes living his guilt, dying in remorse and he went outside not able to find solace even in God's house.

Here Geet was re-living the worst moments of her life remembering her dreadful past how her family had despised her, abused her, accused her for no fault of hers. How he had crushed her life so ruthlessly, destroying her heart, her soul but yet why… why… did her heart still beat for him. She went to the majar wanting to find peace when she saw Maan coming out of the majar and moving towards the place where people were repenting their sins by whipping their skin out with a hunter.

Maan went towards the guy who had just taken the hunter but one whip and he almost collapsed. Maan took the hunter from him and ripped out his shirt. Geet grasped to see so many scars on his torso and some wounds were so fresh as if he had endured them only yesterday and even blood oozed out.

She was shocked when she saw him whip his flesh out. As he cracked the whip on his back, skin peeled off from his chest and back exposing the fresh red flesh underneath. Geet's heart flinched in pain while Maan's eyes were completely red in anger on self, in guilt, cursing himself for what all he had done with her, dying in pain he had caused her.

He leashed himself again and blood flowed as it ripped the red fresh underneath…a mere mortal would have just collapsed but Maan felt nothing. This pain was nothing when compared to the fire his soul was burning under. He kept on whipping himself, punishing his body for his sins, wanting desperately to feel her pain in order to free her from it, blood oozing out nonstop as he ripped his back apart but his eyes just glared in anger on self wanting to destroy his very existence on Earth, wanting to burn his body in the fire of hatred he had scorched her soul under.

The people there snatched the hunter from his hands seeing him bleed so profusely pleading him to stop his torture. He let go as this wasn't sufficient enough punishment for his deeds as his consciousness demanded more repentance. Geet was totally shocked and stunned not able to react at all as she stood there like a statue trying to understand what was going on. Was he the same guy who had ruined her life without a second thought and why was he doing this.

Maan moved ahead to the place where the coal was burning not caring even a wee bit at the trial of blood his deep wounds were leaving behind. He simply climbed on the scorching angare wanting to offer his soul to God in return of her one smile. He simply wished to rip himself apart for his sins and pay the price of her each and every tear with his flesh and blood. He wobbled ahead on the burning coal as his feet scorched in the fire yet he felt nothing it was as if his soul had died the moment he destroyed her. He was like a lifeless corpse living on Earth just to suffer his mere existence. He quivered on and all the people were shocked as to how could someone endure so much pain and for what. They called Baba wanting him to end his torture.

Baba: Allah ke bande tu yeh kya kar raha hai, teri yeh halat dekh kar toh uski bhi rooh kaap jayegi (he said pointing to the skies)

(God's child, what are you doing, seeing your condition even HIS soul will flinch in pain (he said pointing to the skies))

Blood dripped from Maan's body into the fire as if he was offering his flesh and blood in return for her happiness truly repenting his sins.

Here the driver who was employed by Dadi Ma to always be around Maan had followed him and called her seeing Maan's condition and she rushed there.

Dadi (totally aghast seeing his state): Maan…. (her scream broke Geet's trance who was entirely speechless at what all she had been witnessing today. Geet wondered was he even the same person anymore… why was he doing this… why…)

Dadi dragged a revolting Maan down, he wanted to suffer every second he was alive now. Dadi took Maan to a secluded place and Geet also followed them wanting to know her answers, her heart bleed seeing him like this torturing himself while her brain warned her to not fall in his trap again.

Dadi: Maan beta maine aap ki har manmani sahi hai par aaj toh aap ne hadh hi kar di hai. Koi apne aap ko istarah tarpata hai kya. (Her eyes were totally numb seeing him destroy himself). Har roj humne aap ko gut gut ke marte hua dekha hai, pichale ek saal se humne aapka khoon ris ris kar bahate hua deka hai. You have gone bleeding to bed, limping due to the torture you made your body and soul endure itself, each and every single day in this past one year. (Geet's heart flinched and tears poured from her eyes realizing his guilt) But today you have crossed all your limits. (She paused tears flowing nonstop from her eyes.)You were destroying yourself each day because of your guilt of killing Geet but she is alive… go, ask for her forgiveness beta…. Maybe then you would be able to forgive yourself... I… I… can't see you like this… (saying so she completely broke down)

(Maan beta I have borne all your stupidities but today you have crossed the limit. Does anyone torture himself like this (Her eyes were totally numb seeing him destroy himself). I have seen you die bit by bit daily, for the last one whole year I have seen blood ooze out of your body daily. You have gone bleeding to bed, limping due to the torture you made your body and soul endure itself, each and every single day in this past one year. (Geet's heart flinched and tears poured from her eyes realizing his guilt) But today you have crossed all your limits. (She paused tears flowing nonstop from her eyes.)You were destroying yourself each day because of your guilt of killing Geet but she is alive… go, ask for her forgiveness beta…. Maybe then you would be able to forgive yourself... I… I… can't see you like this… (saying so she completely broke down))

Maan (cursing himself): Forgiveness Dadi, maine jo gunhah kiya hai unki maafi nahi sirf aur sirf saza hai. I will repent each and every second of my life for my sins but maybe even that is not enough… even after death my soul will continue to pay the price of my sins… (but before he could continue further they were shocked as Geet slapped him hard across his face)

(Forgiveness Dadi, There is no forgiveness for the sins I have committed… there is punishment and only punishment for them. I will repent each and every second of my life for my sins but maybe even that is not enough… even after death my soul will continue to pay the price of my sins… (but before he could continue further they were shocked as Geet slapped him hard across his face))

Geet (tears rolling down her cheeks): But can all this remove the scares you gave me, can it bring back my life?

THE END

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Maan's reply... Geet's punishment

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