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Babita for silent for sometime. A tear escaped her eyes.
Mini came back and was surrpised to find her smiling, determined and drinking soup all by herself.
Babita was shivering with cold under the tap. Scrubbing her hands, neck and face - Mini was overwhelmed and stunned alike. She'd never seen her Babes so vulnerable. Her within shook from inside. Fear of defeat, disgust for such mentality and the shadowing anger clouded her senses. She didn't know what to do next. She ran in with a new force. Babita tried to push her back but Mini didn't budge. She held her hand and forcefully brought her out from under the tap.
Babita struggled to get out of her grasp. Mini was continuously blabbering things to calm her down but Babita was frozen in the happenings at the court.
When she could take no longer, Mini shook her hard.
"BABITA!", she shouted. "Bass kar Babes, bass kar!", she yelled.
Babita was brought out from her reverie. The house fell silent after the uproar.
Babita realised what was happening around her. She shook Mini's hands off from her shoulder.
"Mini, mujhe haat mat laga. Tu, tu bhi ...", she said, shivering.
"Chup", Mini cut her short. "Kya kabse kuch bhi bol rahi hai", she said, crying and broken.
"Tune suna nahi tere Papaji ne kya kaha abhi? Main, main kya kehte hain, characterless hoon", she said.
"Nahi Babes", Mini pleaded her to stop.
"Maine kitne logon par dore daalein hain..."
Mini broke down and fell on the floor, weeping.
Babita, sinking deep into waters of self doubt and disgust, felt totally lost.
She couldn't understand what to do. The stinking touch of his still felt like lingering on her skin. Her insecurity and fears took shape of people and surrounded her from all sides. She felt weak, helpless and alone.
Thousands of questions pierced her mind.
Was she really the kind of woman everyone felt her to be?
How will she raise Mini up in a dignified way?
She took a step ahead.
She fumbled over a step and was reduced to her knees. Her mind was buzzing with questions and her head started spinning. She fell down, unconscious.
"BABES!", Mini screamed yet again.
Mini sprinted to open the door. Hanumaan Singh and Naim Bi rushed in to see her lying all wet and unconscious.
Hanumaan Singh picked her up and everyone rushed upstairs.
...
Hanumaan Singh stood against the window pane, defeated. He was constantly staring at Babita, who was lying on the bed, unconscious. Naim Bi and Mini were rubbing her feet, hands and catering to her burning fever.
Mini came out of the room, worried.
"Hanumaan uncle mujhe lagta hai doctor ko bulaana chahiye."
He nodded.
Mini and Naim Bi left to fetch the doctor, while Hanumaan Singh sat beside her, not wavering his eyesight even for a second.
After about 15 minutes, Babita opened her eyes. He instantly got up and turned around. She, weakly pulled up the covers till her neck.
Hanumaan Singh left to get her soup.
He returned. He kept it on the sidetable. With trembling hands, Babita tried to reach the bowl. He stood away, allowing her to get up and help herself. She slowly, yet steadily, managed to get hold of the bowl and drank soup from it. Hanumaan Singh smiled.
"Aaj jo hua, woh bhool... bhool jayiye", he said, hesitantly.
Babita for silent for sometime. A tear escaped her eyes.
"Kaise bhool jaun. Woh sab jo Ashok Khurana ne mujhse kaha. Jisne mujhpar kaise keechad uchaala"
"Yeh toh bohot hi acchi baat hai phir. Kabhi mat bhoolyega ki aaj aapke saath kya hua tha. Yeh yaad rakhengi, tabhi toh uss aadmi ko jawaab de paayengi"
"Jawaab...", she taunted.
"Haan jawaab. Jaise teacher exam mein itne lambe sawaal deti hai aur humein jawaab dena hota hai, samjh lijiye aapko aise hi answers dene hain. Uss Ashok ko, Khatri ko aur sabko jo aurton ko property samjhte hain. Uthiye aur ladiye. Mini ke liye, apne liye taaki phir kabhi koi aapse aisi baat naa kar paaye. Main hoon aapke saath"
He immediately regretted his words.
"Umm. Mujhe maaf kar dijiye agar meri baat ka bura laga ho toh"
He waited for the two ticks impatiently. He clutched his Kurta in nervousness. He didn't want to spoil this motivation session like this.
When she didn't ring it, he turned around to apologise.
"Mini ke Hanumaan uncle, mujhe aapki baat ka Bilkul bura nahi laga", she smiled back at him.
Mini came back and was surrpised to find her smiling, determined and drinking soup all by herself.
Hanumaan Singh still stood there, outside, where she'd left him.
She smiled at him, seeing her progress. He winked back at her and smiled back.
...
Updated. Thanks for reading guys!
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