Arshi SS-'Adopted'. LINK TO THREAD-2 ADDED ON PG-1 30-11 - Page 57

"Amma, ye kaun hai?" The girl with twinkling eyes and most beautiful hair he had ever seen asked the lady standing in front of him.

"Bitiya, ee oo madhvi kaki ka pota hai. Chhuttion me unse milne aaya hai." The lady replied. The girl looked towards him, the unsurity giving way to a warm glow and very soon, her lips had the most beautiful smile, which he was humbled to find out, directed towards him.

" Aap itne chupchaap kyu khade ho?? Hamein apna naam batao." The girl has demanded with an authority, which came only to friends of years.

"Ji, Hamara naam Nand kishore Mathur hai." He had replied, a bit shyly.

"Uhoon" the girl had scrunched her nose," bohat bada naam hai, jitna wakt aapka naam lene mein lagega utne wakt mein to amma bazaar se sabji lekar aa jayegi." Then she had put her index finger on her chin, with bottom lip between her teeth and had stood doing nothing, a moment later she had clapped gleefully "hamare dimag ki batti jal gayi! Hum aapko ek naam dete hain, jisse sirf hum aapko pukarenge. Badle mein aap bhi hamein ek naam doge, aur hum pakke dost ban jaenge, thik?" And then without waiting for him to respond, she had declared "hum aaj se aapko nanheji kehkar pukaarenge. Aur aap hamein kya kehkar bulaoge? Achha sa naam rakhiyega."

"Pari" He didn't know where had that come from, but he knew there and then, that this girl was going to remain in his heart for eternity, no matter he admitted or not.

Her stubbornly making him her friend, pestering him to speak more, him being the less-speaking, silent lad who kept to himself. Her telling him everything about her, her friends, her school, her teachers, her craft and dance classes. Her smiles. Her chatter.

Him returning year after year, to see her, her smiles, her affection soothing his heart as none other.

"Nanheji, aap hamesha aise hi muh fulaye kyu ghoomte hain? Dekhiye kitna achha mausam hai, hamare saath chaliye na golgappe khaane" she had batted her eyelashes at him, unaware of the affect it had on his heart of 18 years, which he had already named to her. But he knew his limits. Her amma had observed the attachment between the two kids growing with years and now when his "Pari" was in her teens too it had become a matter of concern for her amma. She had called him aside yesterday and gently told him "Bitwa, log baatein karne lagein hain. Ab aap log bachhe nahi rahe, aap samajhdaar hain, ooko bhi ye baat samjha denge to achha rahega".

" Aap jaiye pari, hamein padhna hai." He had silently moved his gaze back to his book. He was hurting. He had no right on her, he had realized. No matter how much he loved her, how much he looked forward to meeting her, how much he respected her; It didn't matter. He wasn't told in plain terms, but he had realized that he had no right on her. And that did hurt him deeply. But he didn't know how to soothe his hurt, as the one who always did that was the reason today. And he was ready to get hurt a thousand times over if it was meant to save his Pari from anything bad in life.

" Nanheji," She hadn't paid attention to his request , as usual "Aapko pata hai, aap mana karenge, hum nahin manenge. Fir bhi aap ek baar to mana karte hi hain, aurfir hum aur zid karte hain aur aapko aakhirkaar maan na padta hai. To ab wo rasm poori ho chuki hai, ab chalein?" She said with a teasing smile.

"Pari, hum hamesha aapki zid maan lete hain iska ye matlab nahin hai ki aap zid par zid karti jaengi. Hamne kaha na hamein padhna hai. Aap jakar apni sahelion ke saath kheliye. Jaiye yahan se." Only he knew how much he wanted to indulge himself in her child-like activities, her tantrum, her smile, but the truth was, he could never be the reason for her problems. He would rather die than be the prop for society to stain his Pari's character.

"Nanheji, aap hamse aise kyu baat kar rahe hain?? Hamne kuch kia kya, jisse aap naraaz ho gaye hain? Bataiye na hamko!" her concerned and worried eyes did nothing to nullify his pain, rather elevated it to a level where he was sure he would give in. This worried him, he couldn't falter now, he had to move her a bit away from him.

"Hadd hai Pari!! Main kya tumhein joker nazar aata hoon, jo hamesha tumhein hasane ke liye chutkule sunata rahoon. Mere paas karne ke liye aur bhi kaam hota hai, tumhari chak-chak sunne ke alawa. Ek baar mein baat tumhari samajh mein kyu nahi aati?? Jaao yahan se, hamein tumhara manoranjan karne ke liye nahi paida kiya hamare maa-baap ne, kuch banna hai hamein. Aur tumhari bakwas sunte rahe to wo hum kabhi nai kar paenge." His heart was tearing, but so were her eyes.

She looked stunned. Tears were falling rapidly from her eyes, but she wasn't saying anything. A few seconds later, she furiously wiped her face with her hands. And spoke to him in a voice, which he prayed he never has to hear anytime in his life again. " Aapko hamari wajah se pareshani hui, uske liye ham maafi chahte hain. Aaj ke baad kabhi tang nahin karenge aapko, ye wada hai hamara aapse. Aap jaiye, apni zindagi sawariye, kuch baniye. Hamari shubhkaamnayein aapke saath hain."

With that she turned and went away, taking his heart with her.

His insides were clenching, as though warning him of coming misfortune. As the distance between them was growing, so was the pain in his gut...he wanted to stop her, he needed to stop her...if he didn't, it would start a chain of events which would bring only pain; for him and ,terrifyingly, for her..

"Pari!!!!!!Ruk jaao!!!" NK awoke to his own shout, and found himself sitting on his cushiony sofa, with an empty bottle of whisky knocked down the floor. He was sweating, he realized. He swiped a weary hand across his face and looked towards the clock. It showed 2.25 am.

With another deep sigh he pushed himself up, but staggered. He frowned, he had gotten drunk, he remembered. He wasn't very fond of drinking, but today seeing her again in all her glory, after so many years...he could have been just beside her if he hadn't pushed away her that day.

He started remembering again, how that day he promised himself that next time he will see Pari only when he will be capable enough to have full rights on her. He promised himself that when he would meet her next, he would make sure that never again his precious Pari has to drop a tear from her eye. He will keep her as a princess, princess of his heart and his life. He promised himself that he will create a destiny where he and his Pari will be together. With this promise, he left the place and never returned back until he had achieved what he thrived for.

That day when his flight landed in Lucknow, after years he touched the soil of that land, with a wistful sigh. This was the place which called to him all the time he was in states. He had worked hard and earned a masters degree in project management from a reputed university, after which he had left for Australia, for a lucrative job offer from an MNC. He had worked hard for two years, gaining two promotions straight away. Now he had enough money and vast experience, with which he intended to set up his own business in India. But before that, he intended to take what he thought belonged to him. He was here to ask for his Pari's hand in marriage from her parents.

Earth had slipped away from under his feet when he came to know that his Pari did not live there anymore. He was horrified to find out what had happened with her, and more horrified to find that now she was married.

Married. To some one else. Loving someone else. Being someone else's for whole life.

That same night he left for Australia.

Luck. Karma. Destiny. Aren't they all the same thing? The only reason we can suppose behind the rapidly changing scenerios of our lives. Like we are some puppets and someone else controls our strings.

NK had never intended to come to India again. It was too painful for him. But his ailing parents were his responsibility, and he was done running away. He returned.

Only that he never expected the further happenings.

Both his parents had died at an interval of few days. He had decided that nothing more was left in this country for him, where he had lost every single person he loved. He was making arrangements for selling his house and lands, when he had encountered Madhvi Kaki again.

"Bitwa, bohat dukh hua sunkar. Tumhre amma-baapu chale gaye, tum bohat akele pad gaye ho na?? Bitwa, ee sansar ka niyam hai, hum boodhe log to jaaenge hi. Tum apni aagey ki jindagi sawaro. Byaah kar lo bitwa, taaki tumhari bhi girasthi ho, baal bachhe ho. Hasta-khelta parivar hoga to tumhein bhi sukh hoga." Kaki had said, lovingly patting his hair.

"Kaki, mere kismet mein shaadi-byaah nahi hai. Jisse sari zindagi pyaar kiya wo meri na ho saki, aur kisi ke liye mere dil mein jagah hai nahin, to kyu kisi ki zindagi bigadoon. Main aise hi thik hoon kaaki." NK told her the same thing he had told himself all those years.

"Prabhu hi jaane ki ye uski kaisi maya hai. Tum dono bacche saath mein khelte the, aur dono ki hi kismet mein akele rehna likha hai. Ab bhi wo din yaad aate hain to.." Kaaki had wiped her tears with her wrinkled old fingers.

NK's mind had started reeling. No, it couldn't be what he was thinking. No.

"Aap kiski baat kar rahi hain Kaaki?"

"Anjali bitiya ki , bitwa. Tumhari bachpan ki dost, Pari!! Bhool gaye kya usko?"

NK laughed a bitter laugh. If only Kaaki knew.

That day, when he got to know what his Pari had suffered, his blood had run cold.

Why god?? Why?? Why couldn't you let her be happy?? Why you had to snatch everything away from her?? Why couldn't you let me have her in my life??

He had went to the mandir he and his Pari had frequented often as kids, and sat there for hours.

NK jostled awake to the sound of alarm clock, telling him that it was 6:30 am. He had once again spent the night on sofa, remembering her. He moved his neck to remove cricks and straightened, wincing almost immediately. His legs were stiff and head was hurting. He needed a strong cup of coffee, after which he had to go running and then he had to get ready for his new job, where he would be working as an assistant to Anjali Raizada. His Pari, who had forgotten him long back. Maybe it was her payback.

NK smiled, he had no complaints. He was ready to write a new story for them, and he had begun with that already.

This time, his Pari will be his for lifetime and beyond.