EPISODE 4
1st day at work at Shekhawat Mansion.
Tara enters the huge hall she already got familiar with and with even more curious eyes wandering here and there.
She suddenly runs into the little Ansh who is carrying a pile of books which is taller than himself and all the books fall. Tara bends down to help him.
"To aap meri nayi teacher ho? Aap bhi mujhe chadi se maarogi" Ansh has a curious fear in his eyes. Tara sits on her knees and holds him saying, "Kisne kaha tumse? Chadi to hai hi nahi mere paas, dekho?" she displays her empty hand and moves it forward for a handshake.
"Aur main teacher kahan hun, main to... tumhari dost hun na?"
Ansh does a handshake gleefully "Are waah ek aur dost? Abhi tak to mere bas ek hi dost the, Chachu... Par jabse unhe kamre mein band kiya, koi mere saath nahi khelta. Radha ko bhi khelne nahi dete"
Tara is in her questioning mode now "Are?? Par kyun?"
Ansh: "Unhe band kar rakha hai na?"
Tara: "Kahan? "
"Wahan" Ansh points to an outhouse kind of a room and says "Agar mein phir fail hua to Daadi mujhe bhi wahan band kar degi"
Tara: "Koi nahi band karega, Tara hai na? Aur hum to tumhare dost ko hi nikaal layenge, kyun?"
"Andar aaye nahi aur nikaalne ki baat? Kise nikaalna hai? " Kalavati's stern voice interrupts the conversation.
Tara stands up and Ansh gets to arranging the books. Kalavati instructs a servant to help him and turns to Tara.
"Dekho ladki, yahan tumhe bulaya hai to Ansh ke liye, ki thoda padh likh jaaye. Ise galti se bhi is ghar mein ghus ke reh jaane ka raasta na samajh lena. Yaha bas? Apne Kaam se Kaam... Samjhi?"
The sternness in Kalavati's voice kind of scared Tara. She nods in approval. Then she points to Ansh's room upstairs "Ab jaao"
Tara takes an about turn and moves up.
Days pass by and she gets really friendly with Ansh. They start playing after studies as well.
One fine day they are playing with a ball and Tara deliberately makes movement to the outhouse while simultaneously playing. One strong throw and the ball flies off towards the outhouse. Ansh makes a move to catch it and suddenly stops.
Tara asks "Kya hua, ball lao? Chalo main laati hun" and moves in that direction.
Some guards stop her. "Rukiye, kisi ka bhi wahan jaana mana hai!"
Tara: "Par wo ball??"
Guard: "Use bhool jaiye, Ranvijay sahib se keh dijiyega, wo doosri mangwa denge lekin waha kisi ka bhi jaana mana hai"
Ansh adds "Chalo Tara, yahan nahi jaa sakte. Chachu se koi nahi milne jaata"
He pulls Tara away and Tara looks back to find Radha entering the outhouse and the guards do not stop her. She is confused and thinks to herself that she can never make to the place in the straight way.
Some more days and now Ansh's exams have arrived. Tara convinces Ranvijay to let her stay for a few more hours to assist Ansh in extra preparation. Now she starts staying back till quite some time after dusk and always goes home from the route closer to the outhouse. One day it gets really late and Tara finds no guard close to the guest house.
She goes close to the outhouse and finds a lantern light emitting from the only window there. She peeps in to find a guy scribbling on paper but trips accidentally. The guy looks up and says "Kaun?"
He is the same fellow who had run into Tara at Neel's apple orchard. He quickly comes close to the window and calls out "Kaun hai?" Tara hides herself beside the window and does not respond and he keeps calling "Dekho main jaanta hun wahan koi hai, bolo nahi to main guards ko bulaunga"
Tara choses to come into the light and the guy sees her and is surprised.
The guy: "Tum? yahan? Seb lene aayi ho"
Tara gets lost for words "Haan... Nahi... wo main Ansh ki dost hun"
The guy suddenly has childish expressions on his face "Par Ansh to mera dost hai? Neel ke baad, ab wo bhi mujhe bhool gaya? Naye dost bana liye? " He looks visibly sad.
Tara says "Tumhara dost? Tum Mrityunjay ho na?"
Mrityunjay starts speaking like a cribbing kid "Haan main hi hun... Par pata hai? Mujhe na ye naam bilkul pasand nahi. Maa na mujhe Jay bulati thi. Par wo bhi nahi hai ab... Aur aur sab mujhe bhul gaye hain, Ansh bhi?"
Tara: "Are nahi nahi... Wo to tumhe bahut yaad karta hai, usi ne to batay mujhe tumhare bare mein"
Mrityunjay: "Sach?"
Tara: "Much!!" and chuckles.
Mrityunjay: "Tab to tum meri bhi dost hui? Friends?"
Tara recollects all she had heard about Mrityunjay's mental state and Kalavati's n guards words but hesitatingly puts her hand forward. "Friends!"
Tara questions: "Accha dost, to ye batao, tum wahan kya likh rahe the?"
Before Mrityunjay can answer, someone is heard coming in that direction and Tara thinks it would be wise to move away now.
"Lagta hai koi aa raha hai, main baad mein aungi, Bye!!!" and she leaves a Mrityunjay behind staring at her getting lost in the darkness and a faint smile comes on his face.
Edited by NiharikaMishra - 11 years ago
Ufff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil
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