"It's u !", she cried in an ANNOYED tone. "Yes - me - your .." Before he could say anything more ,she cut him off. "Have u no shame in touching a nun in that manner!" Uday was taken aback. "But" , he started to say , but was again interrupted. "Ssshhh! - I don't know who u are but u bringing me out here ... is unacceptable." "U don't know me - IS THAT A JOKE?" "Of-course , I don't know u ... I only saw you giving Mother Christina a cheque of donation - that's as far as I know u!"
"Manyata - stop this!" The nun looked at him in shock. "MANYATA", she repeated. "U think I'm Manyata - I'm not!" Her eyes were starting to fill with tears , which Uday noticed. He moved closer to her, in order to hug her. She backed away. "I said before ... I'M NOT MANYATA! ... I'm NIYANTRA - Manyata's twin". This news shocked Uday. "But Manyata never mentioned a twin ... Please tell me where's Manyata? I've been searching for her for 2 years."
Niyantra stared at him for a while, then answered in a whisper : "Manyata is dead". Uday was stunned momentarily. "Sister ... isn't it a sin for u to lie , please Sister tell me where MY MANYATA IS?" " ... but who are u? " , she asked Uday. "I am Yuvraaj Udayveer ... Manyata & I used to love each other."
"But u are married now - what do u want with my sister?" Uday hesitated in answering her. She understood. "Fine! Pick me up tomorrow morning ... I will take u to her." Uday was most grateful and thanked her for it. The next morning , bright and early ... Uday landed at the monastery to pick up Sister Niyantra. He was so excited to see his beloved.
She directed him to an old, run-down apartment. The place reeked of dampness and mould. He got very distressed knowing that Manyata was living in such conditions. Before Niyantra entered that flat , she told Uday : "Don't expect Manyata to come running into your arms!" He couldn't understand at first , but was soon going to find out.
"Stay here", she told Uday as she entered the flat. Uday stood at the doorway. He could see a girl sitting on the couch but her back was facing him. "Good-morning Manyata". She bent down & hugged Manyata who remained seated. She carressed Manyata's hair. "It's wet Sweety ... do u want me to dry it for u?", asked Niyantra. "Maa will do it", replied Manyata. Uday smiled on hearing her sweet voice.
"BTW - where's Maa?" "Maa and Neetu Maasi are in the bedroom , changing the sheets ... phirse ..", she sobbed. Both sisters hugged each other. "U know it's NOT YOUR FAULT!", explained Niyantra to her sister, but Manyata failed to give a response.
Niyantra gestured for Uday to come inside. "Somebody wanted to see u Manya ... so i brought him along." He was shocked when he saw Manyata. She looked pale , weak and sick ... as if she were terminally ill. Manyata gave him the tiniest of smiles before tears started to drop from her eyes. "U shouldn't be here Uday - U must go now!" , she tried being stern.
Uday slumped down on the floor in front of Manyata. He cried seeing her state . "How did this happen, Manyata? " She couldn't answer him but someone else did : "ASK YOUR FATHER!" Manyata's mother had come into that room. Uday stood up immediately. He extended his had towards the mother and started to introduce himself : "I'm Uda .." "I know who u are!" , she grunted. "U've seen my child ... now u can leave", she pointed towards the door. Uday stood at his spot stubbornly : " ... not until I know what happened to my Manyata!"
Niyantra began telling the story ...
Flashback to 2 years ago ...
The twins were playing chess , while the parents were cheering them. There was a knock on the door. The father opened it. Their guest was the king himself ... Maharaj Giriraj , who just walked into the home before being invited in. He saw the girls there. "Hmmm - twins ,,, so which 1 here is Manyata?'' Manyata stood up and bowed in front of Giriraj. He grabbed her hair in his hand and pulled at it. "AAAHHH", she yelled in pain. Her parents quickly came to her rescue. "So , u are the bitch that's bewitched my son?"
"Maharaj ... what is the meaning of this? " , asked the father. "Well u see, your daughter has done some black-magic on my son. He believes that he is in love with her and will marry her". "No - this is not true", said both parents in unison. "Oh , but is is true ... ask the s**t?" They turned to the child and Manyata gave a slow, single nod. "See - she admits it! I'M NOT GOING TO STAND FOR THAT!!!"
He grabbed Manyata's wrist and started to twist it. Her 3 family members tried in vain to release her. "Please leave her ... we'll make sure she never sees your son again", said the parents. "I'm not taking that risk ... I'll destroy her , before she destroys him!", barked Giriraj. He pulled Manyata out of their house , down the corridor and stood on the topmost step ... before flinging her down the flight of stairs.
Manyata rolled down the many steps before coming to a halt at the bottom. Giriraj crossed over her life-less body and left. Her parents rushed her to hospital ... but the damage had been done. Manyata had injured her spine and had LOST THE ABILITY OF HER LEGS.
The family was shattered and to add to their misfortune ... Giriraj stripped both parents of their jobs. He also ensured that they will never be employed by any reputable company. The shock affected Manyata's father immensely.
Searching continuously for a good job so that he could pay for his daughter's medical expenses , drained him emotionally. Unknowingly 1 day , he stumbled onto the road and was knocked and killed by a truck. Since then , life was never the same for them. They lost their house because they couldn't afford the rent. Manyata's mother became a maid and they moved into this dingy place.
End of flashback ...
Uday cried uncontrollably. The mother was fuming with anger after being reminded of those memories. She held Uday's hand and pushed him towards the door. "The last time , u were in my daughter's life ... she became crippled ; if I allow u back into her life ... she will surely die!"
"I love her ... I WILL TAKE CARE OF HER!!!" , he announced. "Oh really ... do u know what I was just doing?" He shook his head in a NO. "I was changing her sheets ... because Manyata wets it every night!" Fresh tears started to fall from his eyes.
"YES - my answer is still yes ... I will look after her" , he answered with authority. She slammed the door on his face , but it didn't shut and creaked open just a little. He peeped inside . Manyata called out to her mother: "Maa - bathroom". Niyantra, together with the mother lifted Manyata and placed her awkwardly on a torn , rusty wheel-chair ... and wheeled her to the toilet.
Uday's anger was building on his ride back to the palace. On entering, he screamed for his father : "MAHARAJ GIRIRAJ" . Giriraj walked up to his son : "What's happened Uday", he asked innocently. "U are the most despicable person I know ... in fact - I doubt; you're human" , Uday spat.
"How could u do that to her? She was so sweet , so beautiful , so fragile ... AND U BROKE HER ... I WILL KILL U for hurting her!!!" , Uday punched his father in the eye. He grabbed him by the collar : "U better pray , that she will be normal again ... otherwise I promise u - you'd wish u didn't have me , for a son!" He took a couple steps but turned to face his father again. "Despite what you've done to her ... she's still - THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!! and I'm going to her now - to be with her forever".
He had almost walked out of the palace when Jai stopped him. "I didn't know that u already had somebody in your life. If I knew ... I would've stopped our marriage. However it is too late now! And divorce amongst Royals , is not even an option. U can still marry your beloved ... I permit u to take a second wife !!!" Uday continued staring at Jai, even after she had walked away ... only 1 thing ringing in his mind ... "a second wife".
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Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
