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*None of my work can be copied without explicit written permission from me. It's not polite to steal ideas.*
CHAPTER 12 Scene 2
There is a lot of activity that takes place before a volcano erupts. At first the high temperatures beneath the earth's surface melt the earth into a hot molten state of magma. Then this hotter, lighter mass of molten solid floats upwards. When the steam becomes too hot to be contained, the blistering molten mass pushes outwards with extreme pressure. And the moment it finds a crack on the surface, it explodes with unspeakable fury, spewing out lava, scalding hot gas and a storm of ash.
It could very well be said that a volcano was about to erupt in Purani Haveli too.
Arnav suddenly picks up the vase kept next to him on the bedside table and smashes it on the floor. The metallic vase merely clangs loudly against the hard floor and rolls away to a corner, the spout clearly dented from the impact. Dissatisfied at not having broken the vase, he picks up something from the dressing table and throws it violently at the full length mirror. The mirror cracks, some shards falling down on the floor. He turns around and tugs at the curtains and rips them. Fury, so absolute and unwavering, was filling up Arnav that he could actually feel himself shaking with rage. He glares at the diary from the distance, remembering each and every line he had read.
I love G, I can't live without her.
I never wanted to marry Kavita.
I'll ask G to marry me.
His father was the cheater! He was the liar! But right now, Arnav was feeling as if he was the one who was being cheated. Had his father been alive today, Arnav would have probably strangled him to death in his murderous rage. Blood was rushing up to this brain and the vein in his temple was popping out. He saw a wave of red as he blinked his eyes. His heartbeats were pounding in his eardrums. Grinding his teeth, he starts pacing in his room completely ignoring the crunching sound his shoes were making against the debris of the glass. As he reaches one end of the room and turns around, his glance again falls on the open diary sitting on his bed. He clenchs his fist, his chest heaving up and down as he seethes.
Suddenly, he picks it up and walks out of his room.
Purani Haveli had 16 bedrooms distributed over three floors and unfortunately Arnav had no idea which rooms everyone else was putting up in. He didn't have the patience to keep looking into each of the rooms, so he directs his steps to go towards the Hall at the centre of the Haveli. He takes purposeful long strides, his feet making dull noises against the grand old wooden staircase, winding its way down. From the top of the staircase, Arnav sees the entire expanse of the Hall but no one is around. He runs down two stairs at a time.
"DADI!!" He calls loudly, making sure his voice would carry all through the Haveli. "DADI!!!" He yells again. Anjali slowly walks out of her room on the ground floor, looking at him in surprise.
"Kya hua Chotey? Tum iss tarah kyun chilla rahe ho?" she whispers in bewilderment. Arnav gives her an acknowledging glance and then his gaze darts back towards the staircase, his eyes wildly searching for the familiar face of his paternal grandmother.
"DADI!!!" He shouts again, more urgently. This time, the other members of the family walk out of their rooms and down the staircase in alarm.
"Kya baat hai Chotey? Kaa hua?" Nani asks him in panic.
"Dadi, kahan hai?" Arnav asks aggressively. Nani looks taken aback to see her grandson in anger.
"Hum yahin hain Arnav!" Dadi's voice finally reaches Arnav's ears as she slowly walks down the staircase, her left hand sliding down the parapet. "Iss tarah shor kyun macha rahe hain aap? Hum behere nahin hain!" she adds scornfully.
Arnav's chest is still heaving up and down in annoyance. He glares at the calm persona of his Dadi which just manages to infuriate him furthermore. As she stops on the last stair, standing rigidly upright and staring back at him with her maddening superiority, Arnav slowly walks up to her, his eyes glinting with the fury that was threatening to burst out of him again.
"Aap beheri nahin hain, par jhoothi zaroor hain," Arnav says menacingly in a tone that carries through the entire Hall. He hears loud gasps behind him. Everyone is shocked to hear Arnav openly accusing his grandmother. Dadi's eyebrows shoot up showing her disapproval.
"Kya kaha aapne?" she replies back challengingly, in a similar deadly voice. Arnav's jaw hardens as he grinds his teeth in anger.
"Wohi jo aapne suna," he replies back and pauses for a moment befor adding condescendingly, "Dadi." Dadi's eyes narrow at hearing the derision in her grandson's voice. Nani suddenly walks up to them.
"Chotey! Badon se baat karne ka e kauno tareeka hai?" she says admonishingly.
"Haan Nani. Badi to ye hain," Arnav agrees to Nani. Then continues in a criticising tone, "bahut badi liar! Kyunki aaj tak inhone hum sabse sirf aur sirf jhooth hi kaha hai," Arnav mutters angrily not looking away from Dadi even for a moment. Nani's glance shifts between Arnav and Dadi in confusion.
"Aap yii kaa kahat rahe Chotey?" she asks in a puzzled voice.
"Dadi, hum sabko bataiye ki Pitaji ne khudkushi kyun ki thi," Arnav asks Dadi, motioning his arm towards the gathering. Nani and Anjali let out another audible gasp on hearing the question out of the blue. The stern expression on Dadi's face changes to deadpan within seconds as she tries to comprehend what her grandson has just said. Her eyes soften at hearing the mention of her son. Arnav notices this change in Dadi's demeanor and his eyes narrow. "Bataiye Dadi, Pitaji ne khudkushi kyun ki thi?" he persists.
Dadi again raises her chin, her eyebrows arched up arrogantly. "Kyunki unse aapke Maa ke guzar jaane ka dukh saha nahin gaya. Sab uss Garima ke kaaran hua," she hisses viciously. Tears pour down Nani and Anjali's, as they wonder helplessly why this discussion was being held again. "Suna aapne Arnav?" Dadi says in a raised voice. Arnav clenches his palm.
"JHOOTH!" he bellows at her. Everyone jumps at this sudden outburst. Dadi also looks taken aback at being denied so vehemently.
"RAJEEV SINGH MALLIK NE KABHI MERI MAA SE PYAAR KIYA HI NAHIN THA DADI," he shouts. Despite their sadness, Anjali and Nani stare at Arnav in disbelief. "Jaise Garima ne Rajeev Mallik ko kabhi fasaya hi nahin tha. Balki Rajeev Mallik Garima ke peeche pade the," Arnav says in an infuriated whisper. Dadi's eyes widen.
"Aapke dimag mein ye zehar kaun ghol raha hai Arnav?" Dadi asks him sternly. "Kahin Garima ne -"
"Mere dimag mein ye zeher," Arnav stresses on the word, "khud aapke bete Rajeev Singh Mallik ne ghola hai." Dadi stares at him, shock written clearly on her face. She is obviously befuddled with what Arnav is saying to her. Arnav walks to the closest chair and picks up the leather diary in his hand. He walks back to face his Dadi and lifts it up for her to see.
"Aap pehechanti hai isse?" He asks referring to the diary. Dadi looks at him in confusion indicating she doesn't. Arnav goes on, "Yeh aapke bete ki diary hai jo unhone 14 saal pehle likhi thi." The confusion on Dadi's face is suddenly replaced with a look of shock. "Wohi diary jo pichle 14 saalon se, iss haveli ki kaal kothri ke ek trunk mein lock kar ke rakhi gayi thi." At the mention of the trunk, the shock on Dadi's face gets replaced with a look of absolute horror. Now everyone's eyes are on Dadi; Nani slowly wipes away her tears and walks closer. Arnav continues relentlessly his voice rising with every word, "Wohi kaal kothri jo 14 saalon se band rakhi gayi thi aur jahan hum mein se kisi ko bhi jaane se aapne mana kiya tha." Fear creeps into Dadi's eyes now as she stares from the diary clasped in Arnav's hand to his determined eyes shining with anger.
"Iss ghar ke dukhon ki zimmevaar Garima nahin, aap thi Dadi!" Arnav goes on viciously. Dadi goes on staring at him. "Aap hi ne Maa ki shaadi pitaji se karwai kyunki Nanaji aur Dadaji business partners the," Nani stares at Arnav absorbing his words. "Ye shaadi nai, ek business merger thi. Aur woh bhi ek aise insaan ke saath jo meri Maa ko kabhi pyaar de hi nahin paya."
"Apne pitaji ki bare mein aise badtameezi se baat mat kariye, Arnav!" Dadi says irritatedly.
"KYUN NA KARUN?" Arnav barks, feeling his anger flare up watching his Dadi defend that man. "Uss insaan ne meri maa ko dukh ke sivaye aur kuch nahin diya. Aur uske ghatiya actions ke wajah se meri Maa ki jaan chali gayi," Arnav's voice threatens to break with emotion, but he reigns it inside him.
Dadi looks affronted at his comment. "14 saal pehle bhi aapko humare bete ki galti dikhi thi, aur aaj bhi aapko hamare bete ki hi galti dikh rahi hai," Dadi speaks up angrily.
"NAHIN DADI! 14 SAAL PEHLE BHI AAPKO APNE BETE KI GALTI NAHIN DIKHI THI, AUR AAJ BHI AAPKO USS INSAAN KI GALTI NAHIN DIKH RAHI!" Arnav thunders over Dadi, the tide of fury emanating from him sweeping the entire Hall. A shocked silence hangs in the air. Nobody dares to utter a single word. Arnav and Dadi's angry eyes are locked together.
"Agar aapki Maa ek kamzor aurat thi, to uski galti hamare bete ke nahin thi!" Dadi replies back nastily.
"BASS! BAHUT SUN LIYE HUM!" Both Arnav and Dadi are startled to hear a new voice joining in and turn around to see a red eyed Nani, raising her right hand indicating Dadi to stop. Her face has traces of sadness however her eyes are blazing like fire.
"Humri beti kamzor naahi rahi, Subhadra!" Nani says defensively. Anjali and Arnav stare at their Nani in astonishment. They had never seen her angry like this, and they had NEVER heard her address Dadi by her actual name. Dadi too looks taken aback. Nani was the last person she expected to stand up to her.
"Humri beti ik achhi patni thi. Ik achhi bahu thi. Ik achhi Maa thi," Nani goes on, her voice unwavering with conviction. "Humri beti ne 25 saalon tak tumre ghar ko chalaya, 25 saalon tak apne bachhon ki parvarish ki, 25 saalon tak bina pyaar ki shaadi guzari. KHABARDAAR, JO HUMRI BETI KO TUM KAMZOR KAHE RAHI," Nani repeats her voice rising warningly. Dadi stares at Nani with her mouth slightly open.
Anjali slowly ambles to Nani and holds her shoulders to calm her down. She walks Nani to the nearest chair and gently pushes her down despite her objections. Then Anjali turns around exchanges a look with her brother, a look of painful disbelief still written all over her face. His Nani's outburst finally helps to abate Arnav's anger. He looks back towards Dadi who goes on standing rigidly still, but her face no longer bears any signs of her arrogance.
"Iss ghar ko Garima ne nahin toda tha," Arnav says in a levelled tone tearing his eyes away from either of his grandmothers. "Ye ghar 14 saal pehle Rajeev Mallik ki wajah se toota tha. Aur aaj, aapki wajah se toota hai Dadi," he says morosely. He looks at her, "Itne saalon tak aap humse door rahi. Jab aapki zaroorat thi, tab aap iss parivar se door rahi. To ab aap wapis kyun aayi?" he asks her, his voice full of agony.
Finally, Dadi looks hurt. As if her grandson's words had inflicted a deep wound inside her. She remains silent for a long time, her arm supporting her body against the parapet. She sighs, as if finally exhausted and then replies in a breaking voice, "Kyunki aap aur Anjali mere bete ki aakhri nishani ho."
Motherhood was a very difficult thing to understand. More so for a person who didn't have any children. For a mother her child, however old, was always right. She'd not stop to give the benefit of doubt to the world pitted against her child. It was nature's instinct kicking in. Arnav stares at his Dadi's sagged persona. She would never admit that his son had wronged not only one but two women, neither of whom deserved that fate. But it was the truth that despite knowing everything, she did nothing to stop it.
"Jis insaan ne meri family ko ek jhooth ki wajah se tod diya, us insaan se main koi rishta nahi rakhna chahta hun," Arnav declares bluntly. Dadi winces. He continues, "Aur jo insaan meri maa ko pyaar aur respect nahi de saka, use main apna pita bhi nahin maanna chahta hun. Aapke bete ki aakhri nishani hum nahin ye hai." He slowly picks up the diary and hands it to Dadi. She looks at him, startled by his words. After a long silent moment, she takes it from him. Arnav quietly walks back to his Nani. He and Anjali help Nani walk back to her room and slowly the other family members retreat to their rooms as well.
Suddenly, the Hall becomes deserted and silence descends around her again. Her feet finally give away her weight as exhaustion hits home. She crumbles on to the last stair.
The mighty Subhadra Devi had finally fallen.
ENGLISH VERSION
CHAPTER 12 Scene 2
There is a lot of activity that takes place before a volcano erupts. At first the high temperatures beneath the earth's surface melt the earth into a hot molten state of magma. Then this hotter, lighter mass of molten solid floats upwards. When the steam becomes too hot to be contained, the blistering molten mass pushes outwards with extreme pressure. And the moment it finds a crack on the surface, it explodes with unspeakable fury, spewing out lava, scalding hot gas and a storm of ash.
It could very well be said that a volcano was about to erupt in Purani Haveli too.
Arnav suddenly picks up the vase kept next to him on the bedside table and smashes it on the floor. The metallic vase merely clangs loudly against the hard floor and rolls away to a corner, the spout clearly dented from the impact. Dissatisfied at not having broken the vase, he picks up something from the dressing table and throws it violently at the full length mirror. The mirror cracks, some shards falling down on the floor. He turns around and tugs at the curtains and rips them. Fury, so absolute and unwavering, was filling up Arnav that he could actually feel himself shaking with rage. He glares at the diary from the distance, remembering each and every line he had read.
I love G, I can't live without her.
I never wanted to marry Kavita.
I'll ask G to marry me.
His father was the cheater! He was the liar! But right now, Arnav was feeling as if he was the one who was being cheated. Had his father been alive today, Arnav would have probably strangled him to death in his murderous rage. Blood was rushing up to this brain and the vein in his temple was popping out. He saw a wave of red as he blinked his eyes. His heartbeats were pounding in his eardrums. Grinding his teeth, he starts pacing in his room completely ignoring the crunching sound his shoes were making against the debris of the glass. As he reaches one end of the room and turns around, his glance again falls on the open diary sitting on his bed. He clenchs his fist, his chest heaving up and down as he seethes.
Suddenly, he picks it up and walks out of his room.
Purani Haveli had 16 bedrooms distributed over three floors and unfortunately Arnav had no idea which rooms everyone else was putting up in. He didn't have the patience to keep looking into each of the rooms, so he directs his steps to go towards the Hall at the centre of the Haveli. He takes purposeful long strides, his feet making dull noises against the grand old wooden staircase, winding its way down. From the top of the staircase, Arnav sees the entire expanse of the Hall but no one is around. He runs down two stairs at a time.
"DADI!!" He calls loudly, making sure his voice would carry all through the Haveli. "DADI!!!" He yells again. Anjali slowly walks out of her room on the ground floor, looking at him in surprise.
"What happened Chotey? Why are you shouting like this?" she whispers in bewilderment. Arnav gives her an acknowledging glance and then his gaze darts back towards the staircase, his eyes wildly searching for the familiar face of his paternal grandmother.
"DADI!!!" He shouts again, more urgently. This time, the other members of the family walk out of their rooms and down the staircase in alarm.
"What is it Chotey? What happened?" Nani asks him in panic.
"Where is Dadi?" Arnav asks aggressively. Nani looks taken aback to see her grandson in anger.
"I'm right here Arnav!" Dadi's voice finally reaches Arnav's ears as she slowly walks down the staircase, her left hand sliding down the parapet. "Why are you yelling like this? I'm not deaf!" she adds scornfully.
Arnav's chest is still heaving up and down in annoyance. He glares at the calm persona of his Dadi which just manages to infuriate him furthermore. As she stops on the last stair, standing rigidly upright and staring back at him with her maddening superiority, Arnav slowly walks up to her, his eyes glinting with the fury that was threatening to burst out of him again.
"No, you're not deaf, but you're sure as hell a liar," Arnav says menacingly in a tone that carries through the entire Hall. He hears loud gasps behind him. Everyone is shocked to hear Arnav openly accusing his grandmother. Dadi's eyebrows shoot up showing her disapproval.
"What did you say?" she replies back challengingly, in a similar deadly voice. Arnav's jaw hardens as he grinds his teeth in anger.
"Exactly what you heard," he replies back and pauses for a moment befor adding condescendingly, "Dadi." Dadi's eyes narrow at hearing the derision in her grandson's voice. Nani suddenly walks up to them.
"Chotey! Is this the way to speak to your elders?" she says admonishingly.
"Yeah Nani. She's definitely old," Arnav agrees to Nani. Then continues in a criticising tone, "An old old liar! Because all this time, that's all she has said to all of us - lies," Arnav mutters angrily not looking away from Dadi even for a moment. Nani's glance shifts between Arnav and Dadi in confusion.
"What are you saying, Chotey?" she asks in a puzzled voice.
"Dadi, tell us all why did my father commit suicide," Arnav asks Dadi, motioning his arm towards the gathering. Nani and Anjali let out another audible gasp on hearing the question out of the blue. The stern expression on Dadi's face changes to deadpan within seconds as she tries to comprehend what her grandson has just said. Her eyes soften at hearing the mention of her son. Arnav notices this change in Dadi's demeanor and his eyes narrow. "Tell us Dadi, why did father end his own life?" he persists.
Dadi again raises her chin, her eyebrows arched up arrogantly. "Because he couldn't bear the grief of losing your mother. Everything because of that Garima," she hisses viciously. Tears pour down Nani and Anjali's, as they wonder helplessly why this discussion was being held again. "Did you hear me, Arnav?" Dadi says in a raised voice. Arnav clenches his palm.
"LIAR!" he bellows at her. Everyone jumps at this sudden outburst. Dadi also looks taken aback at being denied so vehemently.
"RAJEEV SINGH MALLIK NEVER EVER LOVED MY MOTHER, DADI," he shouts. Despite their sadness, Anjali and Nani stare at Arnav in disbelief. "Just like Garima never lured Rajeev Mallik. Actually it was the other way around," Arnav says in an infuriated whisper. Dadi's eyes widen.
"Who is poisoning your mind with these worthless stories, Arnav?" Dadi asks him sternly. "Did Garima -"
"My mind is being poisoned," Arnav stresses on the word, "by your own son Rajeev Singh Mallik." Dadi stares at him, shock written clearly on her face. She is obviously befuddled with what Arnav is saying to her. Arnav walks to the closest chair and picks up the leather diary in his hand. He walks back to face his Dadi and lifts it up for her to see.
"Do you recognise this?" He asks referring to the diary. Dadi looks at him in confusion indicating she doesn't. Arnav goes on, "This is your son's diary which he wrote 14 years ago." The confusion on Dadi's face is suddenly replaced with a look of shock. "The same diary which for the last 14 years had been locked in a trunk in this Haveli's dungeons." At the mention of the trunk, the shock on Dadi's face gets replaced with a look of absolute horror. Now everyone's eyes are on Dadi; Nani slowly wipes away her tears and walks closer. Arnav continues relentlessly his voice rising with every word, "The same dungeon which was locked up too since the last 14 years and where nobody was allowed to step in." Fear creeps into Dadi's eyes now as she stares from the diary clasped in Arnav's hand to his determined eyes shining with anger.
"The person responsible for the grief in this house wasn't Garima, it was you Dadi!" Arnav goes on viciously. Dadi goes on staring at him. "You're the one who got Maa married to father because their fathers were business partners," Nani stares at Arnav absorbing his words. "This wasn't a marriage but a business merger. And that too with a man who could never give my mother the love and respect she deserved."
"Don't speak so disrespectfully of your father, Arnav!" Dadi says irritatedly.
"WHY THE HELL SHOULDN'T I?" Arnav barks, feeling his anger flare up watching his Dadi defend that man. "That man gave nothing but grief to my mother. And because of his worthless intentions, my mother lost her life," Arnav's voice threatens to break with emotion, but he reigns it inside him.
Dadi looks affronted at his comment. "14 years ago also all you could see were my son's mistakes and today too all you can see is my son's mistakes," Dadi speaks up angrily.
"NO DADI! 14 YEARS AGO ALSO YOU COULD NOT SEE YOUR SON'S MISTAKES AND TODAY TOO YOU CAN NOT SEE YOUR SON'S MISTAKES!" Arnav thunders over Dadi, the tide of fury emanating from him sweeping the entire Hall. A shocked silence hangs in the air. Nobody dares to utter a single word. Arnav and Dadi's angry eyes are locked together.
"If you mother was such a weak willed woman, it was not my son's mistake!" Dadi replies back nastily.
"ENOUGH! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH!" Both Arnav and Dadi are startled to hear a new voice joining in and turn around to see a red eyed Nani, raising her right hand indicating Dadi to stop. Her face has traces of sadness however her eyes are blazing like fire.
"My daughter was NOT a weak willed woman, Subhadra!" Nani says defensively. Anjali and Arnav stare at their Nani in astonishment. They had never seen her angry like this, and they had NEVER heard her address Dadi by her actual name. Dadi too looks taken aback. Nani was the last person she expected to stand up to her.
"My daughter was a good wife, she was a dutiful daughter-in-law, she was a loving mother," Nani goes on, her voice unwavering with conviction. "For 25 years my daughter took care of affairs of her home, For 25 years she raised her children, for 25 years she survived a love-less marriage. DON'T YOU DARE SAY MY DAUGHTER WAS A WEAK WILLED WOMAN," Nani repeats her voice rising warningly. Dadi stares at Nani with her mouth slightly open.
Anjali slowly ambles to Nani and holds her shoulders to calm her down. She walks Nani to the nearest chair and gently pushes her down despite her objections. Then Anjali turns around exchanges a look with her brother, a look of painful disbelief still written all over her face. His Nani's outburst finally helps to abate Arnav's anger. He looks back towards Dadi who goes on standing rigidly still, but her face no longer bears any signs of her arrogance.
"Garima wasn't the reason why this family broke apart," Arnav says in a levelled tone tearing his eyes away from either of his grandmothers. "14 years ago, this family broke because of Rajeev Singh Mallik. And today it has broken because of you, Dadi," he says morosely. He looks at her, "All these years you stayed away from this family. When we needed you, you stayed away from this family. They why did you return now?" he asks her, his voice full of agony.
Finally, Dadi looks hurt. As if her grandson's words had inflicted a deep wound inside her. She remains silent for a long time, her arm supporting her body against the parapet. She sighs, as if finally exhausted and then replies in a breaking voice, "Because you and Anjali are the last living images of my son."
Motherhood was a very difficult thing to understand. More so for a person who didn't have any children. For a mother her child, however old, was always right. She'd not stop to give the benefit of doubt to the world pitted against her child. It was nature's instinct kicking in. Arnav stares at his Dadi's sagged persona. She would never admit that his son had wronged not only one but two women, neither of whom deserved that fate. But it was the truth that despite knowing everything, she did nothing to stop it.
"The person who lied to my family, who broke it apart, I do not wish to maintain any relations with that person any more," Arnav declares bluntly. Dadi winces. He continues, "And the man who couldn't love and respect my mother for all those years, I do not wish to think of him as a father. Your son's last living image isn't us. It is this." He slowly picks up the diary and hands it to Dadi. She looks at him, startled by his words. After a long silent moment, she takes it from him. Arnav quietly walks back to his Nani. He and Anjali help Nani walk back to her room and slowly the other family members retreat to their rooms as well.
Suddenly, the Hall becomes deserted and silence descends around her again. Her feet finally give away her weight as exhaustion hits home. She crumbles on to the last stair.
The mighty Subhadra Devi had finally fallen.
Writer's note: Hello my lovelies! So how did you like the chapter? 😊 Majaa aaya? I need SOLID wala feedback ok? (cheers for the exit of Dadi are also welcome heehehe)
See, I always thought that Dadi's exit should be clean (rather the way they have shown in the reel life) and so now, Dadi will leave my FF too! The damage she has done will now needed to be tended to by Arnav and that he will.
Thanks for all your lovely feedbacks so far. If you want a PM for the next update going forward, please add me as a buddy.
Cheers!
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