Chapter 49
Yash and Smriti had taken the children to the park together this time. As it was a Sunday the park was a bit crowded. It was an impromptu picnic of sorts and the grown up sat down as the children were playing. Smriti was lost in her thoughts plucking grass with one hand. Yash smiled looking at the children enjoying themselves, he then checked on Aayu who was happily sleeping in the baby basket.
Ah! the joys of being so young you never had a care in the world he thought gazing at the baby. Aayu...Aayu...Aayu...who was this baby who was so attached to Aarti. Why was she so secretive about him? Why did she not share any information about the baby? Maybe she did not trust him with the truth and that bit hurt Yash. He knew, for her, now...he was as good as a stranger and one did not open up to strangers, but he just could not accept it.
"Yashji don't you wonder who Aayu is?" Smriti asked all of a sudden.
Was she a mind reader? How did she figure his thoughts?
"Do you not?" she asked again.
"Hmm...well I will be lying if I say I do not wonder about his identity. To be honest I was also very curious to know about how you reached Aakash's house in Bhopal all the way from Delhi. In fact I wanted to meet them in you absence and get to know more. I did go to their house even but it was locked. The neighbor's mentioned that they had gone to visit the dargah and so I had to return and then I got busy with work and your appointments with the doctor. So yes, as you can see I have given a lot of thought to how these last few months were for you"
Smriti took in what all Yash had said and went through it again. She knew of Radha maa's trip to the dargah they had spoken over the phone. She was expecting their visit sooner rather that later. She did not know what was causing the delay on their part. But what got to her was that Yash chose this method.
"Why didn't you just ask me directly? Why go behind my back to know things about me"
Yash reddened guiltily. He had not thought of it that way. He just did not know how much of her so called past she remembered and if she was comfortable enough to share things with him.
"I am sorry if my actions have hurt you in any way but I was not sure that...that you would be willing to share..." he tried to explain himself hesitantly.
"Ok I get it. Since you are not going to ask I am going to tell you anyway" she said and thought about where exactly she should start.
Since Vidhi's opening up about how difficult it had been for Yash in his wife absence she felt she needed to at least earnestly try and get back her memories and if she opened up to him with what she knew maybe...maybe something might click.
"Mumma" Ansh called right at that time to interrupt their conversation.
Yash noted that Aarti did not flinch when the children insisted on calling her mumma. Why was that? When she did not wish anyone else to call her Aarti she was OK with the children addressing her as their mother. Strange were the workings of a woman's mind thought Yash and then regretted the further delay in getting more information out of Aarti.
------------------
"Aakash beta you have not had anything to eat since yesterday night. Why don't you eat something...please do not be like this. I know you are angry, I know you have million questions going through your head but do not give me this silent treatment. It is killing me" Radha pleaded unable to see her son in this condition.
"It is killing you...really...really...maa?" Aakash finally spoke his eyes red rimmed with barely suppressed anger directed towards her, towards those people who had humiliated him, towards God and how he wanted to show his anger on everyone.
"How could you hold on to such a secret all my life? Did you ever think about me...about how much I wanted to have a father figure in my life? You were a witness of all the taunts I had to face while growing up with the lable of being a bast***d . How could you stay quiet then and open up yesterday all of a sudden. Didn't my pain and suffering mean anything to you? If you could bear all that and keep quiet you have no right to question or pretend that you care"
"Oh! Aakash" she tried to gather him in her arms to which Aakash just withdrew further away from her rejecting her attempt to offer comfort.
With tears in her she tried to explain but she knew she could never ever find the words to justify her actions so she did not even try. She was guilty of everything Akash accused her of, she was ashamed and now she did not know how she could make up for all the hurt she had caused her son.
"Just tell me something...what that man told about you...was that true?" Aakash asked irritably.
Radha looked at Aakash in confusion, not comprehending.
"Was I a result of your carefree youth? Did you sleep around? Was I just a mistake? Is Suraj Pratap really my father or you were so indiscriminate with your favors that you are just not sure?" he ended with contempt.
Radha just slapped Aakash hard on his face. It was such a resounding slap that it left her finger prints on his cheeks. But for Aakash it was all the conformation he needed that that man's accusations on his mother were all false. Relief just flowed through him. Now all that was left was to hear his mother's side of the past.
---------------------
"Radha was here yesterday" Gayatri said
"So you know" Suraj Pratap lowered the file he was reading and looked up at his wife.
"And it means nothing to you?" this time it was a question.
"Absolutely nothing as you very well know" Suraj Pratap answered honestly. Radha had stopped to mean anything significant a long time ago and his wife knew that so he did not understand her insecurity that was causing her to question him.
"What if Aakash is really your son?" Gayatri then asked probingly.
"Not a chance. Why would she keep quiet if that was the case for so long?" Suraj Pratap said feeling confident about that.
"Maybe she has some reason for that" Gayatri tried to ease in the possibility.
"She or that son of her's means nothing to me. I think I have proved myself to you over the years that I belong only to you and no one else. And I just have three sons borne by you. Pankaj, Yash and Pratik" SP said and got up from the chair with the file in hand and left the room to avoid further discussion which was proving to be very unpleasant.
Oh! but you do. You do have four sons. If you cannot accept Aakash just because you think he is Radha's son will you change your mind if i tell you he is mine...ours. What if I tell you that your favourite son...my ladla our Yash is infact ... Radha's son.
Gayatri slowly sat down on the chair vacated by her husband and held on to the arm rest tightly her mind spinning hard thinking of ways to clear this mess.
--------------------------
"Are you excited?" Pari asked Pratik.
"No" Pratik replied not wanting to show how nervous he was.
"Liar"
"Hell Pari I am beyond excited, I am a bundle of nerves... I am shaking right down to my toes. This book launch is huge for me. The first one was when I was a no body, no one knew me and had any expectations of me. But now everything has changed as you know. And my family would be there Bauji...Maa..." Pratik failed to put his emotions into words.
Paridhi just hugged him hard she knew her husband was nervous and tried to calm his nerves.
They were to leave a couple of hours before the rest of the family and others were to follow just in time for the book launch. Pari hoped everything would turn out perfectly. Her husband deserved all the success and fame that was coming his way. At least he was happy and fulfilled in his career she thought as because of her his personal life would always be incomplete. No...she was not going to think about negative things and destroy Pratik's mood. So she put a lid on her grief and tried to cheer Pratik.
------------------------
"Is everyone ready?" Pankaj asked
"Yes of course Papa. Let us all move out right away we do not want to be late for Pratik chachu's all important day" said a chipy Vedhika excitedly.
Yash was about to sit in the second car when he saw another car approach Scindia mansion stopping him from getting in.
"Come on Yash beta we can tell whoever it is to come some other time as we are just on our way out" Maya insisted not wanting to be delayed for the book launch party.
Yash nodded but still waited. The car came to a halt and the passenger in the cab got down.
"Oh my God...you devil, why didn't you tell me that you were going to be in town" Yash shut the door of his car and rushed to greet the new arrival.
"And miss seeing this look of overjoyed surprise on your face. Oops...I see I have come at the wrong time whole family is on their way out"
"It's Ok we still have time. Or better still...come with me" Yash tagged him along.
"Aman beta what a pleasant surprise? We are heading towards Pratik's book launch why don't you two join us soon"
"Pranam Uncleji...Auntyji and hello everyone. Thanks for the invite uncle, but this is just a quick visit, but please do congratulate Pratik on my behalf" Aman said and excused himself.
"Bauji why don't you all carry on while I join later" Yash suggested and SP agreed to it.
With that the two cars drove off away from Scindia mansion while Yash led Aman inside.
"I will not take much of you time Yash. I just wanted to visit Bhopal one last time before I leave" Aman said straight away.
"Leave?"
"Yes...I am leaving India and going to settle abroad for ever"
"Things became worse with your father?" Aman did not bother to answer that and just nodded.
"I did not know Bhopal held such importance to you for you to visit this place before you left" Yash asked.
Aman was quiet and spoke up after sometime.
"Bhopal was the place where I met my one and only true love Yash. I just had to bid her good bye to her memories before I left"
Yash was left speechless, his bubbly and energetic friend never looked this sad and depressed. He did not know of his failed love story. Why were the two not together? What went wrong he wondered? But he did not press for details.
After a while it was time to say good byes. Aman opened his purse to give his card which had his new future address Yash saw a photograph in his purse that shocked Yash to the core but many things suddenly fell into place for him and he said
"It was you...you were Arpita's lover. Oh! my god Aman I never knew that it was you..."
Aman stared at his friend in disbelief, the fact that Yash knew who Arpita was and what sort of relation he had with her could only mean that Yash was Arpita's husband. He never expected to come face to face with one person who tried to get them together in spite of everything.
TO BE CONTINUED...
PS: I seem to have a habit of creating more questions than answers.
For those who are still reading this FF a BIG THX.
Marathi TV
