|| Sneha Rishabh Bajaj ||
Prerna sat on the breakfast table with her whole family and Kuki. She looked around the table and smiled looking at a full table. She had always imagined her life like this. But somewhere deep within she felt an emptiness. Before the sad thoughts could enter her mind she pushed them out.
âKuki, Mr. Bajaj kaha hai?â She asked just before she started eating. Her heart had truly grown to respect the wonderful man Rishabh was and she felt empowered whenever he was around.
âDad..â Kuki thought, âWoh toh subah hi kuch kaam se chale gaye.â She said rolling her eyes. Prerna nodded. She wondered whether she should call and ask him if he wanted her to wait for breakfast but then rejected the thought. She was about to begin eating when the doorbell rang.
âDad hi honge,â Kuki announced. Prerna looked at the door as the staff opened it.
Rishabh entered and asked for Prerna right away. âMr. Bajaj,â Prerna said getting up in surprise. She saw a small child holding Rishabhâs hand as he walked towards her. Behind them another lady walked. She recognized the child from the other day and smiled. âTum!â Prerna exclaimed. Rishabh was perplexed. âAap jaanti hai isse?â he asked confused.
âJi, main isse ek baar mil chuki hu. Isne mujhe ek pyara sa balloon diya tha.â She said remembering. The child smiled. She recalled meeting Prerna too and loving her.
âPrerna,â Rishabh said taking a deep breath, this was the moment of truth. âAapse kuch baat karni thi,â he said. Prerna nodded and understood that Mr. Bajaj wanted to do this alone. She followed him to the bedroom. The child and her guardian followed.
Rishabh let go of the childâs hand only to hold Prernaâs. âPrerna, ab jo main aapse kehne jaa raha hu, please use dhyaan se suniyega.â Prerna nodded looking at him. She had by now understood Mr. Bajajâs tone that it was a serious matter.
âPrerna, Sneha zinda hai aur aapke saamne hai,â he blurted.
Prernaâs eyes widened as she heard the words. She could not believe it. She looked at the little child next to Mr. Bajaj. âKya?â was all she could muster as her eyes filled with tears.
âJi, Komolika ne iss nurse ko paise diye the, Sneha ko dur lejane ke liye. Taaki hum uss tak kabhi pahuch na sake.â He said, Prerna listened carefully, âPar inhone Sneha ko orphanage lejane ke jagah apne paas rakha. She saved Snehaâs life.â He said looking at the nurse.
Prerna sat on her knees. Tears streaming down her eyes as she watched Sneha smiling, looking at her. She opened her arms and embraced her child. She cried with all her heart and she hugged and kissed Sneha. She would never let go of her again. Mr. Bajaj watched her with tears in his own eyes. He wiped them off before anyone could see it. Sneha hugged her too. She didnât understand why her mother had stayed away from her all this time but she was too happy to care. Mr. Bajaj was finally at peace. He had only had one regret all this time that he couldnât save Sneha. He couldnât give his wife what she had lost. But now Sneha was with Prerna and he was finally at peace.
After giving them a moment, Mr. Bajaj had more to say. âPrerna,â he said. âYeh hi woh nurse hai jisse Komolika ne paise diye the.â Prerna stood up and wiped her tears. She held Sneha close. She would never let go. The nurse confirmed Mr. Bajajâs story and explained what all had happened the day Komolika had given the child to her. Prerna thanked the nurse and told her that now she would never let anything touch Sneha also. "Main bas khush hu ki iss phul jesi bachi ko uski ma mil gayi." she said. She bade farewell to Sneha and promised to visit. The nurse left.
Prerna looked at Sneha again. She couldnât believe her eyes that her daughter was alive. Her heart leapt with joy. Mr. Bajaj smiled as he watched them together.
âAap meri mumma ho?â she asked innocently. Prerna nodded and started crying again. Hearing the word âmummaâ from Sneha was just priceless.
âAur papa?â she asked, looking up and Mr. Bajaj wondering if he was her father. Prerna was furious in that moment. She never wanted to tell Sneha who her father was. Her father had tried to send her away, to kill her mother, he was a monster and she would never let Anurag come near Sneha again.
âMain hu,â Mr. Bajaj said crouching near Prerna and smiling at the child. Sneha happily hugged him with all her heart. Mr. Bajaj was taken aback with her warm hug. He hugged her too and looked at Prerna. Prerna had a beautiful smile on her face. He looked at her to see if she was okay with him being Snehaâs father. And somewhere Prerna understood and nodded. âAapke papa hi aapko mere paas wapas le aaye,â she said reassuring Mr. Bajaj.
*
Prerna introduced Sneha to everyone in the family. Kuki was delighted to meet Sneha and so was Veena. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Sneha was overwhelmed to meet her family. Her happiness had no bounds. âDad aaj toh party banti hai!â Kuki said.
Mahesh also joined in, âHaan, priyu di, party toh honi hi chahiye!â
âOfcourse. I have already made all the arrangements. Aaj shaam ko yahi rakhi hai party. Mere office se sab invites chale jayenge. Aaplog sab apni guest list merry secretary ko bhej dijiye.â
Everyone rejoiced but Prerna was unsure. Veena took Sneha to Kukiâs room on Prernaâs request. âMr. Bajaj, kuch baat karni thi.â She said.
âOfcourse, kahiye na,â he said with a smile. Prerna smiled too. âAapko kabhi itna smile karte hue nahi dekhaâ she mentioned.
Rishabh looked down, his smile becoming wider. âI am genuinely happy today.â He admitted.
Prerna held his hand in hers. âMr. Bajaj, thank you. Yeh thank you bohot kam hai yeh sab ke liye. Aapne jo mere liye kiya hai, woh main kabhiââPrerna,â Rishabh interrupted, âAap jabse meri life mein aayi hai, aapne hamesha mujhe aur Kuki ko apni family maana. Kuki ko maa ki kami kabhi nahi mehsoos hone di, toh fir aapki beti aapko lautana toh mera farz tha.â He said with a smile.
âHamari beti.â Prerna corrected. âAapne aaj jab Sneha ko apnaya, I was really happy. And sahi bhi hai,â she said with a grim look on her face, âIske pita ne toh isse thukra diya. Par aap isse hamari zindagi mein wapas le aaye, isse ek poori family ki Khushi di. Maine toh ummeed hi chod di thi par aapâaap ne jo kiya Mr. Bajaj, usse yeh saaf hai ki aap hi Sneha ke pita hai.â She said.
Mr. Bajaj had tears in his eyes. Prerna saw that and couldnât believe what she was seeing. She squeezed his hand with assurance. âI am so glad Prerna ki aap mujhe Sneha ke papa banne ka haq de rahi hai. Main hamesha aapka aur uska dhyaan rakhunga.â He said. Prerna nodded, she could see the honesty in his eyes. Her respect for him had increased manifold today and she was truly happy that he found her that day and pulled her out, not only from the river, but also from the lie she was living in.
âPar yeh party, Mr. Bajaj,â Prerna said becoming serious now. âMain nahi chahti ki Sneha Anurag ke aas paas bhi aaye. Main nahi chahti usse pata lage ki Sneha zinda hai warna agar usneââNahi Prerna, ab woh Sneha ko chhu bhi nahi payega. Mr. Basu ko jitna karna tha unhone kar liya hai. Ab hum darke nahi rahenge. Hamari beti hamare saath safe hai. Ab toh waqt hai Basus ko dikhane ka ki woh ab powerless hai. Waqt aa gaya hai Komolika ko dikhane ka ki woh haar gayi.â She said. Prerna nodded. For a moment she had forgotten her motive. She had forgotten that she still had to ruin Anurag. This time to protect her daughter. Mr. Bajaj was right. This was the right time.
*
The Basuâs got the invitation and Komolika threw it on the table. âKoi nahi jayega waha.â She announced.
âKomolika,â Mohini said, âWoh log basu bari mein aake har waqt tamasha khada karte hai. Aaj unhone party rakhi hai, ab hamari baari hai unke rang mein bhang daalne ka.â She said.
âMou, you know what,â she smiled wickedly, âAap shayad sahi keh rahi hai, Prerna ko neecha dikhane ka yeh mauka humme nahi chodna chahiye.â
âAur maine suna hai ki aajkal Veena bhi uss Bajaj ke ghar reh rahi hai. Doosro pe hi palte aaye hai Sharma family! Pehle Moloy ke sar pe aur ab uss Bajaj ke.â Mohini smirked.
Komolika had her wicked smile on her face. Maza ayega Prerna ko insult karne mein.
*
Everything was perfect. Prerna made sure of it. She dressed Sneha herself in the prettiest frock Mr. Bajaj had got later that evening. She couldnât get enough hugs and kisses from Sneha. âKisi ko nazar na lageâ she said putting some of her kajal behind Snehaâs ear.
âMumma, aap ro ku rahe ho?â Sneha asked. âMain toh ab aapke paas hu.â
âMumma bohot zyada khush hai beta. Ab mujhe aur kuch nahi chahiye.â
âPar papa ko chahiye,â Mr. Bajaj said entering the room.
Sneha turned around and looked at Mr. Bajaj. Prerna watched Mr. Bajaj pick up Sneha in his arms. âAap papa ko ek promise karoge?â he asked.
Sneha nodded. âAap aaj poore party mein mumma ya mere paas rahoge.â He said. âAap kisi stranger ke paas nahi jaoge aur aaj bohot enjoy karoge!â
Sneha smiled. âokay papa. Main promise karti hu ki aapke paas rahungi.â She said hugging Mr. Bajaj. Mr. Bajaj still wasnât used to the feeling but it felt good. Prerna caressed Snehaâs head. âAur mumma ke saath?â she asked. âAap bhi papa ke paas rahoge na!â she said innocently.
Prernaâs eyes met Mr. Bajajâs. âHaan, aapki mumma bhi mere paas rahegi.â He said looking at Prerna. He had too much to lose now. He wanted to keep his family close. He would protect them all.
*
The Basuâs all came to the party. Anurag was forced to come. He didnât want to interfere in Prernaâs life more than he had. He always brought trouble with him, his wife. Komolika put her arm around Anuragâs arm. He rolled his eyes but didnât bother with Komolika.
Prerna was very happy. She stood by Mr. Bajaj holding Snehaâs hand. They greeted all their guests and introduced their daughter. Prerna was happy seeing the bond developing between Mr. Bajaj & Sneha. Sneha kept running to hold Mr. Bajajâs hand and he kept picking her up in between to whisper something into her ear. Prerna was just lost looking at them when Komolika came to greet her. âToh yaha ho tum,â she said creeping up on Prerna from behind. She looked at what Prerna was seeing and said, âAb kiska bacha sambhal rahi ho? Mr. Bajaj ke kitne bache hai?â she laughed. Prerna could slap her in that moment. She really wanted to. Komolika was the reason she was away from her child all these years. She had been in on Anuragâs plan to kill her. âPlease mind your own business.â She told Komolika, âEse bhi itna acha chal nahi raha hai business.â She smirked. Komolika frowned. Her nostrils flared. Prerna knew where it hurt most to Komolika. But Komolika had to have the last word. âJab tak mere paas Anurag hai, mujhe aur kisi chiz ki parwah nahi.â She said acting all emotional. Prerna laughed. âBas yehi galti kar di thi maine bhi. Tum seekh lo meri galti se warna tumhe maar ke kaha dafna dega pata bhi nahi chalega. And pata hai best baat kya hai, tumhe toh koi dhundne bhi nahi ayega.â Komolika was fuming. But before she could say anything Prerna said, âEnjoy the party, kya pata kal tumhare paas party karne ke paise na bache.â
Komolika wanted to shoot Prerna. But she knew that Anurag was with her only because Prerna was alive. But something more was bothering her. Prerna seemed very calm and confident. Nothing was triggering her. Nothing she said seemed to bother her at all. Why? And whoâs child was that who Rishabh was roaming about with.
Mohini found Veena talking to Mahesh and thought it would be best to go insult her now. She derived immense pleasure from the feeling of superiority she felt in front of Veena. And since she didnât get to feel that way around Komolika she really craved the feeling.
âHi Veena,â she said. Veena turned around to see who was greeting her. âYaha bhi naukri mili hai kya?â she asked. Veena was not interested in talking to Mohini. Today was genuinely a happy day for her. But Mohini needed her desire to be fulfilled. âKya hua? Mujhe dekhke Khushi nahi hui?â
âNamaste,â she said. âAap yaha mehmaan hai, aur hum mehman ka upmaan nahi karna chahte.â She said looking away.
âUpmaan and tum? Jis insaan ka swabhimaan hi nahi, woh upmaan kese kar sakta hai bhala?â she laughed. âApne jamai ke ghar pe reh rahi ho, pehle moloy ke sar pe baithe the tum sab aur ab bajaj ke.â She said disgusted.
âBajaj? Yeh humari beti ka ghar hai. Aur humme tumhe koi safai dene ki zarurat nahi hai.â She said feeling bad. She knew these things would be said and thought.
âBeti ka ghar? Tumhari beti sirf dhoka dena jaanti hai aur kuch nahi. Pehle Anurag ko chodke Bajaj se shaadi ki, fir Bajaj ne jab usse thukra diya toh wapas Anurag ke paas aa gayi apna na jayaz bacha leke. Aur fir wapas Bajaj ke paas.â
âMohini ji! Agar Sneha ke baare mein aapne ek shabd bhi kaha toh hum nahi bardasht karenge. Woh najayaz nahi hai!â
Meanwhile, Anurag was talking to a business colleague when he saw Mr. Bajaj with Sneha.
He wondered who the child was when he realized, âCutie pie,â he whispered. âItne saalon ke baad!â he smiled. Tears brimming his eyes. He had thought of her so much. Prerna had taken her away from him.
He suddenly heard his mom shout at Veena. âSneha pata nahi kiski beti hai.. usse toh uske apne baap ne thukra diya toh Prerna ne usse Anurag ke sar daalna chaha. Pata nahi kese sanskaar diye hai apni beti ko tumneâ"ENOUGH!â Mr. Bajaj said intervening. He had handed Sneha over to Prerna when he saw Mohini misbehaving. Many whispers could be heard in the crowds. They were all doing what they were best at, sniggering and passing comments on Prerna.
Mohiniâs eyes grew wider. âAap shayad bhul gayi hai ki aap kiske ghar mein khadi hai. Please donât push me to say something you will regret!â Mr. Bajaj said hatefully. âAap Basuâs ko party mein bulana hi nahi chahiye tha.â He said loud enough to turn heads. Mohini felt insulted. She was about to react when Bajaj continued, âNow apologise. Aap inke ghar mein aake inse ese baat nahi kar sakte.â He said sternly.
âInka ghar?â Mohini spat, âArre beghar hai yeh log. Inki betiââJi nahi. Yeh inki beti ka ghar hai. Prerna Rishabh Bajaj ka ghar hai yeh. Aur aap unki maa se baat kar rahi hai.â He said.
âAur aap meri maa se!â Anurag interfered. He could not tolerate someone talking down to his mother. Prerna held Snehaâs hand tightly. She was standing behind Mr. Bajaj and wanted to say so much but didnât want to draw any unwanted attention to Sneha.
âAnu, rehne do. Prerna toh besharam thi hi, aur Mr. Bajaj,â she said looking at him, âAap bhi toh yeh jaante hi hoge ki kese Prerna ne pehle uski beti ko pehle Anurag ke sar daalna chaha and ab aapke. Pata nahi kiski najayaz beti hai yeââBas.â Mr. Bajaj roared. Sneha was scared. She freed herself from Prernaâs hold and hugged Mr. Bajaj. Prerna couldnât believe how Mohini was attacking her child. That is why Prerna was afraid. She didnât want them here.
Anurag watched the little girl hug Mr. Bajaj and really wanted to declare that she was his child but somewhere deep down he wasnât sure if she was.
âMohini Basu.â Mr. Bajaj said keeping one arm around his daughter, speaking loud enough that anyone doubting Prerna could hear, âYou have crossed all your limits today. Yeh bachi,â he said lifting Sneha in his arms, âSneha Rishabh Bajaj hai. Yeh meri aur Prerna ki beti hai, bilkul jayaz aur bilkul pure. Aur iske baare mein agar aapne ek shabd bhi kaha toh main bardaasht nahi kar paunga.â He said holding Sneha tightly. Anuragâs ears burned as he heard all this. He looked at Prerna who was already glaring at him. She thought Mr. Bajaj ne aaj poore party ke saamne Sneha ko itti asaani se apna liya and Anurag, jisse pata tha ki Sneha uski beti hai, kuch nahi bol paya. Chhee. Sharam aati hai mujhe ki maine ese insaan se pyaar kiya jo apni beti ko maut ke muh pe chod ke chala gaya.
Anuragâs heart had just shattered into a million pieces listening to Mr. Bajajâs announcement. He really wanted to believe that Sneha was his child but..
And that meant that Prerna and Mr. Bajaj had consummated their marriage all those years back. Prerna had lied to him.
âChalo Anu, I donât want to stay here for another minute.â Mohini said feeling insulted.
âOfcourse,â Prerna said, âJaiye jaiye, Ab ese bhi aapki zyada izzat bachi nahi hai iss party mein. Aapne aake apni insult karva li hai toh ab aapka yaha aur kya kaam.â She smirked.
Mohini was infuriated. She stormed out followed by the whole family. The only person who couldnât move was Komolika. Yeh Sneha hai? Par isse toh maineâyeh toh mar gayi thi? Fir yeh yaha kese. Kya khel khel rahi hai Prerna Anurag ko wapas apne taraf kheechne ke liye? She was lost in her own meaningless thoughts when Prerna walked up to her. âTumhe yaha se nikalne ke liye special invitation ki zarwat hai ya fir ek dhakke ki?â She said softing whispering to Komolika. Komolika frowned and looked at Prerna, âTumhe main kabhi khush nahi rehne dungi Prerna. Kabhi nahiâ she said to her face as she left.
**
After all the guests had gone Rishabh went to Prernaâs room knowing she would be upset. He went to the room and saw Prerna singing to Sneha and smiled. When she noticed Mr. Bajaj at the door, she stopped and got up. âBas abhi abhi so gayi,â she said looking at him. Mr. Bajaj nodded.
They went outside to talk. âPrerna, I am very sorry. I was careless. Mujhe samajh jana chahiye tha ki Basus kuch na kuch problem zaroor create karenge.â He said apologetically looking down. âAap sahi thi, humme party rakhne ki zarwat hi nahi thi.â
âMr Bajaj,â Prerna said placed her hand on his shoulder. âSabne party enjoy kara, and especially Sneha ne. Basus ne jo kiya woh sab bhul gaye the end tak. Aapne Sneha ke liye jo kiya woh mainââPrernaâ Rishabh said seriously, âWoh meri beti hai.â He said confidently, âAur uske liye kuch bhi karne ke liye mujhe aapse thank you nahi chahiye. Main poori haq se uske liye sab kuch karna chahta hu. Thank you kehkar aap mujhe yeh ehsaas dilaati hai ki woh meri beti hai hi nahi.â He said honestly.
âNahi, Mr. Bajaj, Sneha aapki beti hai, aur hamesha rahegiâ She said with full confidence. âAur main jaanti hu ki aap uske liye world ke best father ho. Isme koi doubt nahi hai. And wese bhi, woh already aapse bohot pyaar karti hai. Abhi sone se pehle bhi aapki hi baate kar rahi thi â ki papa best hai.â
Rishabh grinned. âWoh toh hai, aur dekhiyega, Kuki jese har baat pea apse meri complain karti hai, Sneha mere paas ayegi, apni mumma ki complain karne.â He said playfully.
âHaw!â Prerna said. âEsa kuch nahi hoga.â
âEsa hi hoga, Finally ab meri team mein bhi koi hoga. Aap aur Kuki kabhi meri side nahi leti. Ab meri beti aa gayi hai. Sheâll always be on Team Papa!â Rishabh said proudly with a full smile.
Prerna laughed too and watched the man, who everyone thought doesnât have a heart, melt with love for an eight year old child.
*End*
Thank you for reading! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this. I also got a little carried away hence the really long one shot. I hope you enjoy reading it too! I will be looking forward to an intense discussion on this track đ Can't wait for Kasautii to restart and show us PreRish as parents to Sneha. Also, any and all feedback is welcome, do share your views!
Also guys I had so much fun writing that I am considering continuing this and making it a short story so show more Sneha & RB scenes. Let me know if you think its a good idea!
Best regards,
Manjari
Edited by MrsRishabhBajaj - 4 years ago
comment:
p_commentcount