Kalma TS Part Eight on PG 9 - Page 4

Part Six. 

ANUPRIYA was astonished, Malhar had actually managed to get them out of the house. She was so proud of him today. Seriously, those two had irritated everyone. But see could see that he had not actually wanted to clear them out of the house, not for himself, not because of people in this side of the house. He had done it for Kalyani, because if he had cleared the house for them then Kalyani would have known. But maybe she was wrong. There are many things Malhar does not share with Kalyani. She just hoped she was right. 

However, whether she was right or wrong would come later. First, she had to point out to Aausaheb what Malhar had done for them even if she had tried to destroy him. She turned to see that even Aausaheb was stunned. She looked surprised to see what Malhar had done. She looked happy that Sampada and Atharva were out of the house. Anupriya had to burst her bubble, she needed to make them realize that Malhar was actually good and not someone who had become this, this broken shell of a man. 

"Dekha aapne Aausaheb, kaise Malhar ne un dono ko iss ghar se nikala. Kaise usne abhi bhi humare liye, aapke liye, un dono ko iss ghar se bahar nikaal feka. Sachai toh yeh hai Aausaheb, ki Malhar abhi bhi waisa hi hai jaise woh pehle tha, sachai aur nyaay ke liye humesha hazir. Aapne kya kuch nahi kiya uske saath, usse naukri se nikalwane ki koshish, usse iss ghar se nikaalne ki koshish, par abhi bhi, abhi bhi woh iss ghar ke hit mein soch raha hai. Aapko toh uska dhanyavaad karna chahiye!" 

AAUSAHEB was getting angrier at the things Anupriya was saying, however when she got to the part where she was expected to thank Malhar, she had to stop her. She had to show her that he had not actually done this for them, but for himself. She said, "Poornviram. Haan hum maante hai ki hum sab Sampada aur Atharva se bahut pareshaan the, aur hum sab chahte the ki woh iss ghar se nikal jaaye, par iska matlab yeh toh nahi hai na ki Malhar ne unhe humari wajah se nikaala. Humare liye nikaala. Anupriya, tumhe yeh bhi dimaag mein rakhna chahiye ki Malhar khud bhi unse utna hi pareshaan tha, jitna ki hum. Ho sakta hai Malhar ne unhe apne liye nikaala ho. Ho sakta hai Malhar ko baar baar unhe dekh unke dhoke ki yaad aa jati ho." 

KALYANI was busy in her musings about Malharji when she heard Aai and Aausaheb, she did not participate in their arguement because she didn't know why he had done this. And even, why had he not said anything about getting them out of the house. However, when she heard Aausaheb bring up Malharji's ever present feelings of anger for Sampada and Atharva, she had to say something. "Atleast unhone Sampada aur Atharva ko iss ghar se bahar toh nikaala. Unka reason joh bhi rahi ho, unhone aapki help toh ki. Warna toh Vivek Mama ka toh pura plan tha unhe yahi rehne dene ka. Agar Atharva unhe paise deta toh sach mein iss ghar ke mandir ke saamne ek bar ban jaata." 

When she said this, Vivek Mama looked guilty. But Pallavi Mami was pissed, she furiously moved towards the partition like she was planning to grab her and shake her. Sometimes, if she was speaking honestly, she was glad that partition existed. She only really needed Aai from that part of the house, everyone else could just stay there. Pallavi Mami said, "Tum toh rehne hi do Kalyani, jaanti kitna ho tum Malhar ko, 6 mahine pehle mile tum, aur 3 mahine pehle shaadi hui hai tumhari. Tum kabse samjhne lagi Malhar kab kya aur kyun karta hai."  

She felt a Jhatka hearing this. Pallavi Mami was right. What did she know about Malharji. She didn't know much about Malharji. But what she did know was that he was an extremely passionate person. He put passion into whatever he did. Whether it was his job, his love for Sampada, his hatred for Sampada and Atharva when they had betrayed him. His hate for Kalyani when he believed Kalyani and Aai to be culprits of helping his wife run away. His thrive of getting her to trust him with anything and everything. He was the most passionate man she has ever met.  

But what was unfortunately true was that she had never actually understood him. She understood his pain, his anger, his habits, his job, but they were just parts of him. She did not understand him. Nor did he understand her. If there ever had been an understanding between them, it had been the mutual one, that they are marrying because of Pillu and he hated her for betraying him the way she had. But that understanding had changed. Now that he knew the truth, he was constantly changing their relationship. This was the reason she thought he did not understand her. He did not understand that she didn't want to change the equation of their relationship. She was happy in what she had. She did not want more. At least she thought she didn't. 

However, before she could say anything, Malharji thundered from behind. He is doing this a lot. Shouting, thundering, roaring, all these words she uses to describe him nowadays. They actually seem to be making a lot of noise nowadays. She hoped that with Sampada and Atharva gone, the house would remain calm for a few days. Huh, she thought, like that was actually possible. 

MALHAR had heard what Pallavi Mami had said to Kalyani. Why did these people had to question every f**king thing he did. Who gave them the right to question him about any f**king thing. It was like he was just realising what a pain they had been. He did not owe anything to him. They had been the ones that were lying. Why do they expect the f**king truth from him, if they had always lied to him. He knew he didn't actually had to give any explanations, but he had decided that he would stand for Kalyani, no matter what she said. Because he never had before. And now that stings.  

"Pallavi Mami! Kam se kam Kalyani ne kabhi mujhse jhoot bol kar, meri dhoke se kissi aisi ladki se shaadi toh nahi karvaayi joh kissi aur se pyaar karti ho. Kam se kam Kalyani ne mujhe meri naukri se nikalwane ki koshish toh nahi ki. Aap keh rahi hai ki Kalyani mujhe nahi samajhti, par asliyat toh yeh hai ki itne saal meri family hone ke bawajood jitna aap mujhe nahi samjh paye, jitna Sampada mujhe humari shaadi ke waqt nahi samajh payi, usse zyaada hi samajhti hai Kalyani mujhe. Toh aap toh yeh kahiye hi nahi ki Kalyani mujhe nahi samajhti. Aur aap bhi kiske liye khadi ho rahi hai, aapke pati ke liye, Vivek Mama ke liye - he scoffed - jis insaan ko koi fadak nahi padta, aur aap toh Vivek Mama ke liye tab khadi hui hai jab woh galat hai, jabki Kalyani ne humesha meri galti par mujhe sabak sikhaya hai, yaa phir mujhe zameen pe laya hai. Balki, mein hi hun joh Kalyani ko nahi samajhta." As he said this he looked at Kalyani. He moved towards her and took her hand in his and intertwined them. She looked up at him and was bewildered. He could see. He had never done anything like this, in front of people. And whenever he had done this, he had given her a shock, a punishment. She had to be thinking of his intentions right now, a way to get out of a mess he would create for her. He had no idea how she managed to live with him for so long, him being so difficult for her, how did she not run away.  

The answer to that was Moksh. Always Moksh. She would give her life for him. Living with Malhar was relatively easy. He looked at her, mouth open and eyes wide, then he looked at everyone, to see shock on most faces, but happiness on Maai's face. Always happy for them. He said, "Joh bhi Kalyani aur mere beech hai, woh humare beech hi rehne dijiye, aapko jaanna hai ki meine yeh sab kyun kia, toh aap mere koi nahi lagte, mein aapko kuch bhi batana zaruri nahi samajhta." He said decidedly. After all, it was his decision whether to say anything or not. Don't get him wrong, he had had every intention of speaking his intentions for getting Sampada and Atharva out of the house. But he had decided not to. With Kalyani, he left for their bedroom. 

PALLAVI was dismayed, she had wanted to show her place in Malhar's life, but he had again stood by her. It was like Malhar had taken a about turn and had changed along the way. She did not know what was going on between them, but it looked like Malhar was beginning to move on. And Kalyani was beautiful, certainly more than Sampada. Along the way, they would fall in love. Because that's what always happens. People marry and eventually fall in love. However, there was no eventually here, they had started falling in love. She had to prepare for the worst.  

KALYANI had thought that Malharji was a puzzle. That there were pieces to him, that she was just beginning to understand. But apparently, she understood him better than everyone else. He had said so himself. She had no idea what piece of him she had missed until now, because this Avatar of Malharji was so new to her, so unexpected from him. She had always been scared of him, from that first moment, when she had acted like her leg was broken, to the day she had accidently poisoned Aai. But when the truth of Aai had come out, he had been the one to console her, to support her, to give advice to her. And from that moment onwards she had trusted him. She had began to like him. 

One thing was clear to her now, he had only actually punished someone whom he thought to be guilty. Before, when she didn't know that Aai was the victim in the triangle of her parents, he had always blamed her for the problems she had caused for Aai. And she was to blame then. But when she came to know the truth, he had stood by her, supported her, advice her, helped her. And again when she had been accused of helping Sampada, he had blamed her and punished her, but when he had come to know of the truth, he had supported her, even tried to take back what he had done, so he could punish himself. 

The cycle had repeated itself. The only difference was that around the first time she had been guilty and the second time she hadn't. She actually understood him more than she could ever imagine. But did he understand her?  

When they reached the bedroom, she stopped him and asked, "Kya mein aapko sach mein sabse zyada understand karti hun? Kyunki mein confused hun, mein nahi samaj payi ke aapne un dono ko ghar se kyun nikaala? Kya aapko unse itni nafrat hai ki aapne itna elaborate plan banaya, unhe yaha se nikaalne ka? Kyunki mein jaanti hun aapne yeh mere liye yaa ghar walo ke liye toh nahi kiya." 

MALHAR was shattered. He could not believe that she could not believe he had actually done something for her. Had he really handled things so bad that before he could explain something, she already believed it was not for her. He had to clear her doubt, he said "Kalyani, kaise, kaise tumhe ab bhi vishwaas nahi hai ki meine yeh sab tumhare liye kiya, tumhe pata hona chahiye ki yeh sab tumhare liye tha." He could see that she was confused, doubting him, and did not believe a word he just said, so he continued, "Kalyani, thoda toh mein bhi samajhne laga hun tumhe, mein jaanta tha ke tum unhe iss ghar mein nahi dekhna chahti, Moksh aur Maai ke liye, toh meine tumhare liye unhe yahaan se nikalwa diya. Sirf tumhare liye. Aur tum mujhe sabse zyaada samajhti ho, kyunki tumne kabhi bhi, kabhi bhi mujhe uske liye nahi kosa joh bhi meine tumhare saath kiya, tumne humesha haalat aur Sampada ke jhoot ko kusurwar maana. Aur tum sahi bhi thi, agar Sampada ne jhooth nahi bola hota, toh meine joh bhi aaj tak tumhare saath kiya hai woh nahi kiya hota. Balki mein tumhara zindagi bhar ke liye shukra guzaar hota, kyunki uss waqt, sirf tum hi thi joh Moksh ko sambhal sakti thi, aur agar Sampada ne jhooth nahi bola hota toh mein tumse shaadi nahi karta, tumhari zindagi tumse nahi chheenta, Aausaheb ki baat nahi maanta, tumhe blackmail nahi karta, tum par Moksh ke saath itni saari zimmedaariyan nahi thopta, tumhara saath deta, tumhe sabse protect karta." 

KALYANI had always guarded her heart from Malharji. Because when he had said it was terribly easy to fall in love with her, she knew it was more easy to fall in love with him. He was an ideal man. It was like watching a romance novel hero come to life. When she listed his virtues and vices, she always comes up with more virtues than vices. Looking at him and imagining him as someone she could love was like listening to a symphony. She had always guarded herself with walls. But he was crumbling them. He was hammering them by saying such things. She was in danger of falling in love with him. She had to leave. She had to go. 

She began to leave the room but he grabbed her arm. She looked up to see the vulnerability in his eyes. Like he is vulnerable to open himself up to her. But she was also defenceless. Right now he is awfully close to breaking down the wall that guarded her heart. She looked up at him and said, "Malharji, please, mujhe jaane dijiye." But he was not letting her go. She looked at him and pleaded, "Malharji, please, haath chodiye." But he did not leave and said, "Nahi Kalyani, mujhe batao tum kya soch rahi ho."  

Kalyani could not think of any alternatives to say to him, so she spoke the truth, she said, "Malharji, aap agar mere liye itna sab kuch karte rahe toh mujhe aapse pyaar ho jayega. Jab aapne mujhse kaha tha ki mujhse pyaar karna bahut aasan hai, tab mujhe pata chal gaya tha, ke aapse pyaar karna bhi kitna aasan hai. Aapne mera itni mushkilo mein saath diya hai. Mujhe dar hai, ki mujhe aapse pyaar ho gaya aur aapko nahi hua, toh kya hoga. Aur mein uske liye tayaar nahi hun. Kyunki meri life mein itna scary kabhi kuch nahi hua. Par jabse mein aapse mili hun sab kuch scary lagne laga hai. Bahut. Isiliye mein keh rahi hun, jaane dijiye mujhe, jaise mein apne aap ko protect kar saku. Kyunki mujhe aapse sambhal ke rehna chahiye. Aap se apne aap ko protect karna chahiye. Kyunki mujhe aapse jitna dar lagta hai na, usse zyaada dar lagta hai iss baat se ki mujhe aapse pyaar ho jayega. Aur aapko nahi hoga. Kyunki aap aap hai. Aur mein, mein toh sirf Kalyani hun. Pillu ka dhyaan rakhne ke liye aapse shaadi karne wali ladki." 

MALHAR was speechless. He let her go. And she ran away from the room. He could not believe that she could fall in love with him. Even though she was scared of falling in love with him, he felt victorious, because he had finally started getting through to Kalyani. He would make her believe in herself. He would make her believe that she was his wife, even though their marriage had happened only because of Moksh. 

He has finally started understanding her better. 

He had finally broken down a layer of the walls guarding her heart.  

He would soon tear apart all of them. 

He would make sure that he crumbles down each one of them.