Part 1
Mumbai
"Mamma, please stop it! Main aapse hazaar baar keh chuki hoon ki mujhe shaadi nahi karni. Aap kyun roz roz mere saamne wohi topic lekar aa jaati hain?" Zoya helplessly looked at her daughter Seher. Only Seher could make her feel like this. "Mujhe shaadi nahi karni! Mujhe shaadi nahi karni! This is all you say but kyun nahi karni will you tell me." Zoya could not control herself and burst out of her stubborn daughter. Seher in every way was Zoya's carbon copy but her stubbornness that she had inherited from her father.
Zoya composed herself and once again tried to speak with Seher. "Seher..." "Mamma please mujhe shaadi nahi karni. Aap ne ki thi na? Kaunsi khushi mil gayi aapko? Kya hua ki shaadi ka? Shaadi ke teen saal baad apni beti ko lekar aap apne husband se alag ho gayi! Thank you very much ammi but I have seen your life and I am not the least bit interested in leading the life the way you have. Mujhe shaadi nahi karni! That is my last answer." Seher went away to her room and slammed the door shut.
Zoya went to her room. She removed Asad's picture from under her pillow. "Asad, aapne suna Seher ne kya kaha? Asad wo shaadi nahi karna chahti. Humaari wajah se, humein dekhke wo shaadi nahi karna chahti. Humaari galatiyaan uski zindagi mein galat kar rahi hai. Main kya karoon Asad, kaise use samjhaoon? Kaise use samjhaon ki humaare beech jo hua wo humaari khud ki galtiyaan thi. Main hoon uske saath main use wo galtiyaan nahi karne doongi jo maine ki. Kash aap mere saath hote, I miss you." She hugged Asad's picture and went to sleep.
Seher stood outside her mother's room and heard everything. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She came to her room and sat on the bed. She removed Asad's picture from under her pillow. "I am sorry, baba. Maine mamma se bahut rudely baat ki. Mujhe aisa nahi karna chahiye tha, I know but main kya karoon. Main unhe akela nahi chod sakti. Agar main shadi karke chali gayi toh mamma ka kya hoga. Nahi main shadi nahi kar sakti. Main shadi nahi karoongi." Seher kissed her baba's photo and went to sleep.
**
Bhopal
"Baba, maine suna hai ki parents apne bacchon ki reputation ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hain aur aap mujhe badnaam karna chahte hain?" Asad looked up from the newspaper and raised his brow. His daughter Sanam was standing in front of him with his favorite black coffee. "Sanam?" Asad looked at his daughter for whom he had done everything. He had raised her all alone. He had given her the love of both parent, he was her mother and her father.
Sanam smiled and sat next to her father. "Baba, dekhiye na aap mere liye hain aur main aapke liye. I take care of you. Mujhe kitni fikar hoti hai aapki. Ab main shadi karke sasural chali gayi toh wahan bhi toh main aapki fikar karoongi after all aap yahan akele honge. Mere sasural wale toh ye hi sochenge na ki kaisi bahu le aaye yahan hokar bhi apne baba ki fikar karti rehti hai iss ghar ki nahi. Nahi baba main shadi nahi karoongi. Mera aadha mann yahan aadha mann wahan main do hisson mein batkar nahi jee sakti. Main shadi nahi karoongi and that is final." Sanam went to the kitchen and Asad looked her.
She was like him in every way. A very obedient girl but there was one thing she had inherited from her mother and that was the love and care for Asad.
Asad kept the newspaper aside and closed his eyes. A silent drop of tear escaped his eye. "Zoya, kaash tum mere saath hoti toh aaj humaari Sanam meri itni fikar nahi karti. Humaara ghar basa hua hota toh aaj wo apna ghar basaane ke liye inkaar nahi karti. Mera akelapan use saari umar akela rakhe ye main nahi seh sakta. Main use haste baste dekhna chahta hoon. Door hote waqt maine tumse kaha tha ki main Sanam ko har khushi doonga kaash koi aisa rasta nikal aaye jiss se main Sanam ko apne ghar ki shadi ki apni family ki khushi de paaoon. Kash tum mere paas hoti."
Sanam was standing behind Asad. She heard everything her father said. She went to her room and sat in front of the mirror. She or Asad did not need Zoya's picture to see her. They could see her every second of the day in Sanam. "Mamma, I am sorry. Main bahut koshish karti hoon but main baba ka khayal nahi rakh sakti. Wo meri shadi karwana chahte hain par mamma mujhe darr lagta hai. Main baba aur aap jitni strong nahi hoon. Shadi karke kisise pyar karke zindagi bhar ke sapne dekhkar uske baad agar alag hona pada toh main mar jaaoongi. Mujhe pyar karna pyar nibhana aata hai par pyar ke bina jeena nahi. Main kabhi shadi nahi karoongi mamma kabhi nahi." Sanam hugged a pillow and slept on the curled up like a baby.
Cricket
CID
126