Hello all. Shikha here😃
The current track appears quite interesting and has made room for numerous speculations by the audience. Everybody seems to have their own take on the situation but what disappoints me is that some people haven't learnt to respect the other person's POV🤔 which often leads to misunderstandings and what not😭
Anyway, Saturday's episode gave us the much needed confrontation and that served as motivation for this two-shot. I had planned to write the whole thing in one shot but the 3500+ words monstrosity scared me and I decided to split it into two🤡
Here's the first part. The next part would be uploaded very soon. Please give it a read and let me know how you felt after reading it - really means a lot
. Constructive criticism is heartily welcome - would help me improve my writing
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PART 1
“Kyun? Kyun kiya yeh sab kuchh? Maarna chaahte the na mujhe, to kyun bachaaya? Jawaab do Vansh! Kyun kiya?”
Riddhima couldn’t believe her ears. She repeatedly kept telling herself that Vansh was lying. He had saved her – not once, not twice but every time she had landed in trouble. He could do anything but want to kill her. It was just not possible. He was lying. It was a blatant lie. He just couldn’t do it.
“Vansh mazaak kar rahe ho na? Main jaanti hoon tum jhooth bol rahe ho. Yeh bohot hi ghatiya mazaak hai Vansh. Please mat karo.”
Vansh stared right into her eyes. Those eyes. How could he never understand the little secrets they hid in them? How could he never identify their actual hue? He was Vansh Rai Singhania – a man who had mastered the art of delineating the true character of people, who could entrap the soul inside a body by discerning the eyes that failed to learn the art of lying. How could the one, who had a very clear understanding of the world and its people, not understand his own wife?
“Vansh bataao na, please kaho ki tum jhooth bol rahe ho. Please Vansh. Yeh sab jhooth hai na?”
“Nahi.”
Riddhima stood still. The word that had just escaped his mouth numbed her senses. There was silence – absolute deafening silence. After a while, Riddhima somehow managed to regain her senses and began speaking.
“Mere saath pyaar ka naatak kar rahe ho, theek jaise Vihaan banne ki acting kar rahe the, waise hi? Tum mujhse pyaar nahi karte? Jo pal humne saath mein bitaaye uss din glasshouse mein, humaare beech mein jo kuchh bhi hua, woh, woh sab ek jhooth tha? Ek naatak tha? Tumne kuchh mehsoos nahi kiya? Tumhe mera pyaar, mera bharosa mehsoos nahi hua? Khudko tumhe saunp diya, tumhaare hawaale kar diya poori tarah se. Inn aankhon mein tumhe kuchh nazar nahi aaya Vansh?”
Those eyes. Vansh looked into them more intently. He had seen love, trust and vulnerability in those eyes that night but how could he believe what he had seen? He had been fooled once. How could he repeat the mistake which had cost him so much?
“Tum mujhe todna chaahte the, isliye uss din humaare beech……hum dono……tum mujhe tod dene ke baad mujhe chhodna chaahte the? Uss raat tumne kuchh bhi mehsoos nahi kiya? Uss din glasshouse mein tumhaari kahi baatein, woh pal, woh vaade sab……sab jhooth nahi ho sakte. Tumhaari aankhon mein maine apne liye pyaar dekha tha Vansh. Woh sab kuchh ek jhooth nahi ho sakta.”
Tears trickled down her cheeks ceaselessly. She slapped his chest again and again. Holding him by the collar, she shook him furiously and shouted, “Bolo Vansh! Chup kyun ho? Yeh sab kyun kiya? Kyun mere saath itna badaa khel khela? Kuchh bolo Va –”
Before she could complete, he pulled her towards himself and pressed her body tightly against his.
“Yahi to meri problem rahi hai na Riddhima ki main tumse pyaar karne ka naatak nahi kar paaya. I wish main yeh keh paata ki uss din glasshouse mein jo kuchh bhi hua woh sab ek jhooth tha. Main tumse nafrat karna chaahta tha magar kar nahi paaya. Uss waqt, uss pal jab tum meri baahon mein thi, maine poori koshish ki thi ki tumse nafrat kar paaun, tumhaare diye hue dhokhe ko yaad kar paaun magar nahi kar paaya. Mere pyaar ne mujh hi se bewafaai ki. Main apne pyaar par control nahi rakh paaya. Kuchh der ke liye sab kuchh bhool gaya main aur sirf pyaar kiya tumse Riddhima, sirf pyaar. Bohot koshish ki thi khudko rokne ki, hadd paar na karne ki magar nakaamyaab raha. Aakhir insaan hoon na Riddhima, tumhaari inn farebi aankhon mein apne liye pyaar dekhke main khud ko rok nahi paaya.
Tumhe to lag raha hoga maine tumhaara faayda uthaaya. Hamesha ki tarah mujhe samajh hi nahi paayi tum. Tumhe lagta hai main tumhe chhodna chaahta hoon. Nahi Riddhima, nahi! Main sirf tumhe uss dard ka ehsaas karaana chaahta hoon jis dard se main guzra hoon! I really wish main tumse nafrat kar paata. Maine Ahaana se kaha tha tumhe daraane ke liye, magar jab uss din usne tumhaari jaan lene ki koshish ki, main kuchh pal ke liye sab kuchh bhool gaya. Tumhe kho dene ke darr se apna badla, apna maqsad, sab kuchh main bhool gaya. Ahaana ke sarr par bandook tak rakh diya tha maine. Chhod dunga? Yahi to mushkil hai na Riddhima, mera pyaar tumhe dard mein nahi dekh sakta. Laakh koshishein kar loon magar tumse door jaa nahi sakta. Yeh ishq hai hi aisa, dard diya bhi nahi jaata aur dard sahaa bhi nahi jaata!”
Riddhima looked into his eyes. She could see the pain that the redness in those eyes tried to hide. She could see his love for her,but she could also see that the pain caused by the betrayal he spoke of seemed to overpower that love.
“Van –”
He pushed her away.
“Bohot bol liya tumne! Ab sawaal mere honge aur jawaab tumhaare, woh bhi sirf haan ya naa mein!”
Riddhima blinked in fear.
“Pehla sawaal – jab humaari shaadi hui thi, kya tab tum mujhse pyaar karti thi?”
“Vansh main –”
“Sirf haan, ya naa!”
“Naa.”
“Doosra sawaal – Kya main tumhaare liye sirf ek ‘task’ tha humaari shaadi ke din?”
“Yeh sab tum ma –”
Vansh grabbed her arms tightly.
“Shhh! Kaha na, ‘haan’ ya ‘naa’!”
“Haan.”
“Teesra sawaal – Kya tumne mere saath shaadi hi sirf isliye ki thi taaki tum meri jaasoosi kar sako aur saboot ikattha karke mujhe jail bhej sako? Tumhaara to yahi maanna tha na ki maine Ragini ko maara hai.”
Riddhima nodded her head in affirmation and looked down. She just could not manage to say “yes” again.
His grip on her loosened and he gave a sarcastic smile.
“To kya tumhe nahi lagta ki tumne mera bharosa toda hai Riddhima? Ek baar nahi, do baar nahi, baar baar? Dhokha diya mujhe, jaise iss ghar mein kadam rakhne ke pehle din se deti aa rahi ho.”
Riddhima let out a heavy gasp and spoke softly.
“Vansh maine to letter mein sab kuchh likh diya tha, apna har raaz, har sach, apne baare mein sab kuchh bataa diya tha.”
“Kaunsa letter Riddhima? Mujhe koi letter nahi mila. Ab kaunsa jhooth bol rahi ho tum?”
Riddhima was shocked. He had not read the letter. How was that possible?
“Nahi Vansh maine sach mein letter mein sab kuchh likh diya tha, saath mein yeh bhi ki agar tum mujhe maaf kar paaye, to ek laal gulaab de dena.”
Vansh laughed sarcastically.
“Maaf? Maaf hi to karta aaya hoon Riddhima. Isi maafi ki wajah se hi to mujhe itna dard sehna padaa. Galti tumhaari nahi hai Riddhima ki tumne mujhe dhokha diya, galti meri hai ki maine tumhe dhokha dene ka mauka diya, aur mauke par mauka deta gaya.”
Riddhima walked up to him and cupped his cheeks.
“Vansh agar sawaal poochhne hi the, to yeh bhi pooch lete ki maine tumhaare liye goli kyun khaayi? Kyun tumhaari supposed maut ke baad bhi yahaan VR mansion mein reh gayi? Kyun – ”
Vansh removed her hands from his face.
“Kyun poochhu main Riddhima jab mujhe inn sawaalon ke jawaab pehle se pata hain? Jab pehli baar tumne mere liye goli khaayi thi, tab mujhe iss baat par yaqeen hi nahi ho raha tha ki koi mere liye maut ko bhi gale lagaane ko taiyyar hai. Main hamesha se apne parivaar ki hifaazat karta aaya hoon. Kisiko meri hifaazat karte dekh main hairaan tha. Shaayad uske baad hi maine realise kiya main tumse kitna……kitna pyaar karta hoon. Mujhe laga tum bhi mujhse pyaar karti ho, isiliye tumne meri jaan bachaayi. Sab kuchh bhulaake main tumhaare saath ek nayi zindagi shuru karna chaahta tha.
Tumhaare past ke baare mein jaanna bhi maine zaroori nahi samjhaa. In fact, tumhe kho dene ke darr se maine khudko tumhaare saamne haiwaan bhi banaa diya taaki tumhe har khatre se bachaa saku. Apni maa ki jhalak dikhti thi mujhe tum mein, aur tumne kya kiya? Sab kuchh jhuthlaakar sirf apne maqsad pe dhyaan diya aur police ke saamne mujhe Ragini ke murder case mein frame kiya. Tum khud bataao Riddhima, iss sab ke baad jab tumne doosri baar goli khaayi, main kaise maan leta ki iske peechhe tumhaara koi aur maqsad nahi hai pichhli baar ki tarah?
Meri maut?”
His sarcastic smirk pierced her heart.
“Jaise tumhe fark padaa tha. Jab main Vihaan banke aaya, tumne mujhe khud kaha ki tum property apne naam karwaana chaahti ho. Kya samjhu main Riddhima?”
His last statement infuriated her.
“Yahi problem hai tumhaari Vansh. Tum sab kuchh khud se hi assume kar lete ho. Saamne waale ko bolne ka mauka hi nahi dete. Maine tumhe kai baar apni sachchaayi bataane ki koshish ki magar tumne meri ek nahi suni. Har baar mujhe chup karaa diya. Aur haan, tumhe yaad dilaa doon, shaadi karne ka faisla tumhaara tha, mera nahi.”
“Galti ho gayi Riddhima. Aakhir insaan hoon na, galti mujhse bhi ho gayi but don’t worry at all, kaafi achchhe se bhugat raha hoon iss galti ki sazaa. Aur kya kaha tumne? Shaadi? Chalo maine to force kiya tha magar tum to phir bhi bhaag nikli thi na? To waapas lautkar kyun aayi? O haan, tumhe ain mauke pe apna ‘maqsad’ yaad aa gaya hoga.
12th November ko jab Siya ki call ke baad maine ghar aakar usko zakhmi haalat mein dekha, tab uske phone mein ek recording thi jahaan se mujhe pata chala ki tum ek spy ho. Pata hai, Siya…… Siya ke phone se mili recording pe bhi maine bharosa nahi kiya, aur phir –”
“Woh aadha sach tha Vansh.”
“Phir Kabir aaya Ragini ke murder ke ilzaam mein mujhe arrest karne. Har saboot tumhaare khilaaf tha. Tumne hi Ragini ko safehouse se bhagaaya.”
“Uska murder Kabir ne kiya tha Vansh.”
“Jisne bhi kiya ho, usse iss baat ko to jhuthlaaya nahi jaa sakta na ki tum Kabir ki bheji hui spy thi jo mujhe jail bhejna chaahti thi.”
“Nahi Vansh.” Riddhima hugged him tightly. “Mujhe laga tum Ragini ko maarna chaahte ho, isliye maine usey safehouse se nikaala aur Kabir ko apne plan mein shaamil kiya kyunki uske alaawa koi aur nahi tha jisse main madad maang sakti thi. Main tab uski asliyat nahi jaanti thi Vansh. Please mera yaqeen karo.”
Vansh tried to push her away again but she held on to him even tighter.
“Yaqeen kar loon? Yaqeen todne ke baad yaqeen karne ko kehti ho? Tumne kiya tha mujh par yaqeen jab maine kaha tha maine Ragini ko nahi maara? Tumne kiya tha mujh par yaqeen jab maine kaha tha ki Ragini mar chuki hai aur woh mere liye matter nahi karti?”
“Mujhse bhi galti ho gayi na Vansh, aakhir main bhi to insaan hoon. Tumhaare jaane ke baad meri iss ek galti ne har pal mujhe tadpaaya hai Vansh. Meri ek galti ki wajah se tumhe hamesha ke liye kho dene ka guilt mujhe har pal thoda thoda karke khatam kar raha tha. Kabir ko iss ghar mein maine sirf isliye rehne diya kyunki tum chaahte the ki Mummyji ka khoya hua beta agar kisi din laut aaye to woh isi ghar mein rahe ghar ka sadasya banke. Mujhe unki asliyat baad mein pata chali aur main bas humaari family ko unse bachaana chaahti thi. Mujhe yeh baad mein pata chala ki Kabir aur Mummyji ne itne saalon se yeh saari planning ki thi. Property Daadi ke naam thi Vansh. Main bas usey apne naam karwaana chaahti thi taaki unki jaan ko Kabir se khatra na ho.
Vansh, agar main Kabir ka saath de rahi hoti, to usse shaadi karne ke bajaay main Vihaan ko Vansh banaake kyun lekar aati? In fact, Vansh-”
Riddhima placed a soft kiss on his chest.
“Main sirf aur sirf tumhaari hoon. Tumhaari biwi, tumhaari Riddhima hoon main. Jab pheron ke waqt Vihaan ke aane ki ummeed chhod di thi maine, shaadi se bachne ke liye main zeher peene waali thi.”
A soft smile crept onto her lips when she could sense his heart rate increasing at her confession. However, it was an ephemeral occurrence.
“Kaise yaqeen kar loon tum par?”
Riddhima pulled back to look at him once and then regained her former position, hugging him even tighter this time.
“Main tumse bohot pyaar karti hoon Vansh. Main tumhe aise dard mein nahi dekh sakti. Agar mujhe sazaa dene se tumhaare ghaav bhar jaate hain to main har sazaa ke liye taiyyaar hoon.”
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I did proofread but there may be mistakes
Thank you for being patient with me
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