Posted:
Sorry, I know I can't write a romantic dreamy OS like Eris, Angelina and others (wish I could ). This is again an unromantic OS. 😕
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Janki is staring outside the window. The tree which had shred all it leaves in autumn and standing bare all through the winter is getting ready to be tugged up with a green dress soon. She is waiting. Will there be another spring in her life? The course of her life was changed in a day. Or night? She had left everyone unanswered and stepped into an unknown world. Still those innocent eyes, the disbelief and question mark behind them tortures her. She was not ready to answer then, not ready to answer now, may be never in her life. Does that mean, there is never going to be spring in her life again?
Sharat has gone quite since few months. He knows his days are numbered. He is not bothered about himself anymore. All his worries are about Janki's life, once he passes away. His nephews are waiting like hungry wolves for his death. How would their reaction be, when they come to know all his things belong to Janki? Will they spare her? Having said, if I had made the property in their name, situation would have been even worse, they would have brought her to street. No point in blaming them. Even if they were to be my children, they would have done the same. After all, they are part of the society who could never understand or respect our relation. A relation lasting more than fifteen years, without a name.
Janki brought him tea. He stretched himself, closed the news paper he was reading. Sipping the tea, he glanced at her. It looked like the shore, sea has just deserted and gone back, warning about tsunami. Nothing was in her hand. Seemed her wet eyes were following conservation policy, refusing to release tears anymore. She took the news paper from his hand and placed it on the bed side table. Her eyes invariably went on one of the headlines. He sensed what her eyes found.
"Seems he has joined hand with a top international brand. Good, isn't it?".
"Hmm..", there was emptiness in her eye.
"Why can't you go and talk to him once?"
"I don't have any answers to his questions".
"Come on. Not just others, you have the right to live as well. If not in happiness, at least in relief."
"You will be leaving this world, I will also be leaving in few years. Let people live happily with whatever assumptions they have. I will not bother them".
"How do you know, he is living happy with his assumption?"
"He may not. But that is better than the truth, which is even bitter".
"What is bitter, he will decide. He has the right to know. After all, he lost his mom".
Janki did not reply. She just got up with the empty tea cup and started leaving the room. Sharat looked at her from back. This is not the first time, he has asked her. He won't mind saying it, even if it is millionth time. So was she, determined to remain quiet, throughout.
"Ziddi", she heard his voice and turned back. "So are you". At last, smile was back in their face. They forgot for a moment, their past, their future.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While washing the tea cup, Janki's mind went back to her past. She had a perfect family. He was a doting father, a caring son and a loving husband too... in front of others. Behind the door, inside the room was altogether a different story. She was beautiful. It was not her fault. But his insecure mind felt so. Her smile, her talk everything was looked with suspicion. Sarcastic words, abuses, manhandling everything she swallowed quietly. After all, whose life is perfect? Except this, wasn't that beautiful? A son who always made her proud, who looked like her replica, a caring mother in law and understanding colleagues. Sharat was the most helpful of all. In personal life, by the time he had finished his responsibilities of getting his sisters married, he had crossed his marriageable age. Being single having no commitments, he was always there for anybody in need. But even this plain friendship was looked with suspicion from her husband. She did think of quitting her job. But she knew, root of his allegations lies with the insecurity, which will not change even if she sits at home. Also Sharat had got transfer order and he was shifting. She had learnt to ignore these things as little hiccups in her married life.
But she never thought it would get this drastic. That fatal evening. The whole week was quite hectic, as there was an audit by week end. Mother in law was not around to help. Nanhe had promised to accompany in her tour after his college exam and they were away for a week. They were coming early morning the next day. She looked at her clock. It was 8:00 pm. work still not finished. She was planning to make sweets for her Nanhe. So after going home, along with dinner she also needed to prepare some sweets. I can't sleep before 12:00, she thought. Earlier she had tried to call home, but the phone was dead. She presumed he would understand knowing this week is hectic. Finally when she finished the work she realised, peon has locked the office and gone. She was in panic. Knowing home phone is dead, she had to call Sharat for help. He immediately got hold of the peon, got the office key and opened the door. As it was already late and was about to rain, he insisted her to sit in his scooter despite her refusal. When he dropped her near the gate, she did not invite him inside. Sharat felt, she is worrying about her son and forgot to invite him. He didn't bother and went back to his house.
Janki's husband's eyes were glued to the window. They started burning, seeing her getting down from Sharat's scooter. All the bitter things in his heart exploded when he opened the door for her. Janki do not want to recall those moments now, but still they have not stopped haunting her even after these many years. He was still not satisfied with the punishment she got. He asked her to stay outside the house and enter it only just before Nanhe and his mother enters the house. She wanted to refuse, but how? The doors got shut in front of her. She stood outside, in the pouring rain.
Janki controlled her tears again. How many times has she thought about it. Just if, Nanhe and Daadi were not out that night.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharat took the news paper back. He looked at Kabir's photo. His features have gone on his mother, he smiled. But how could his nature be? After all, he had stayed with his dad more than mum, hating his mom just like his dad. He breathed heavily in sigh. He had never faced such a two faced person in his entire life. Even his mind started to recall the past, the same night.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After finishing dinner Sharat remembered, he had forgotten to hand over the office key. Since he was getting transferred, he thought it is better to do it now, rather than leaving it for morning and forgetting. So he got into his scooter despite the rain. He was stunned to see Janki standing outside, getting drenched. She shouted at him to leave her alone, there. But he couldn't. He was determined. He did not care about her refusal and got her home. When he touched her shoulder, she broke down. He was stunned, listening to her story. What was my mistake today, he thought. May be after getting her call, I should have informed her husband while going to peon's house. But at that time, I was only concerned with time. I hardly knew the turmoils in her life. Sharat was optimistic, he can set everything straight before he leaves. I just have to reach the house before her son arrives, he thought. Then I can clarify with her husband, her family won't have any glimpse of what happened at the night.
They did reach early. Unfortunately Nanhe and Dadi had reached even before them. An embarrassment in front of them on one side, demeaning sarcastic words from Janki's husband for both of them spending night alone. He wanted to answer him back, but Janki stopped him. After hurling all kinds of abuses at Janki, her husband said at the end; he does not want to see her face again. Shocked Janki looked once at her mother in law who was looking helpless. Can she lead her remaining life peacefully, once she comes to know her son's other face? Whose side will she take ? Janki looked at her son's disbelieving eyes. She wanted to hug him and tell the entire truth. But can she give him the security and stability which his father can provide? For Nanhe, his dad is his hero.
That instant, she made a decision. She didn't mind turning negative in their eyes for their entire life, when she stepped out of the house. She felt guilty having dragged Sharat into this mess. But for Sharat, it had again gave him a purpose, a person to live for. Just that, this relation of togetherness is coming to an end.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kabir had not slept for the whole night. Dadi still in ventilator. She is signalling the people to take it off. Instead of living this way for a week, she prefers to live just for five minutes talking to her Nanhe. Finally the doctors have given up hope on her survival and have let Kabir to speak to her. Kabir just placed his head on her shoulder and started to cry like baby. Dadi's voice was very feeble.
"Nanhe, listen carefully to what I say. I don't have many moments left".
"Nothing can happen to you Dadi".
She just placed her finger on his lips to stop him from talking further.
"I want to get relieved of one thing I held in my heart this long. The last day I met Janki before she left, I saw her dress, hair being wet, though it was not raining. I heard later, it rained heavily the previous night. If she was staying in a house, why will she get wet? If it was raining and she took shelter, why couldn't she say that? I can't forget the pain I saw in Janki's eye that day. I am a woman. I just know, she did not want to reveal something and she chose to leave".
"Dadi, why didn't you tell me this ever?"
Dadi would never be able to reply..., declared doctors.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Don't you think, this house is too big for you to live alone and manage yourself? The room in ashram is compact, manageable. They will provide good food too. Yes, you need to pay them monthly, that you can get from renting this house. Instead of others, why can't we ourselves be the tenants?" Sharat's nephew was trying hard to brainwash Janki.
"She is not going to any ashram". Janki turned to see the voice.
"Nor will she live in this house anymore", said Kabir. Janki was stunned. Sharat's nephew felt relieved. Kabir came closer to her. Her heart started to beat faster. He held her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. "You are coming with me now". Tears finally broke down from her eyes. Throught her life she had dreaded, what will she answer him when she faces him. But here he was, with no questions. All he wanted was, her back in his life, her life, which was abruptly cut for some reason best known to her. Whatever the reason be, it cannot be as precious as the moments when he wanted a hug when he felt high, when he wanted to cry on her lap when he felt low. If she does not want to say, so be it. He would never ask.
She never gave any thought, how she is going to face her neighbours who have been believing in a story woven around her. He did not bother, what would the girl in his dream and her family think about his mother or his move. They just wanted to relive the moments they lost being with each other. He put his arms around her shoulders and they walked on their street, holding their head high, caring a hoot for the society.
Anupamaa
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Hindi TV Shows
Indian Mythology
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
