Part 4
Malhar was again regaining his consciousness. He felt as though he had seen Kalyani the last time he had opened his eyes. His heart had fluttered, feeling that soft touch of her fingers against his skin.
If it was a dream then he didn't want to end it. She wouldn't want anything to do with him in reality..!
He resisted the urge to open his eyes just to keep that image of Kalyani coming to his bedside intact.
Someone's phone buzzed continuously, disrupting his thoughts. He heard his uncle's haggard voice saying he would be home soon.
His stomach gave a rumble, a signal to his brain that he couldn't just lay there with closed eyes forever.
When Malhar opened his eyes again, he saw his best mate sitting on the chair by his bedside and staring at him.
"Kyun be..!! Aur kitni der beauty sleep karne ka soch raha tha..?" Sourav wiggled his eyebrows.
"Woh… mai..", Malhar stuttered scanning the room.
"Kya mai.. mai..!! koi sapna nahi tha.. Teri biwi hi thi yahan pe.." Sourav gave a naughty smile.
Malhar swallowed his saliva, "Gala sukh gaya hai mera.. Aur tu.. Ye nahi ki thoda pani pila den.…bas mauka milte hi shuru ho ja.. "
"Haan toh..!! Tu kaunsa kam hai.… sukhe gale ko aaram dene ke bajay mujhe taane maar…. hunhh.." Sourav made the bed to a slanting position and gave him a glass of water.
Malhar took the glass in his left as usual but soon enough realised that he couldn't raise the arm without hurting and quickly transferred the glass to his right.
While he was sipping the water, the door opened and Kalyani came in.
His heart caught in his throat as she gave him a smile. A tear slipped away from his eye and mingled with the water that was touching his lips.
She walked forward towards him and stood by his bed, looking at him with soft eyes. Their eyes connected and locked their gazes.
Why was he imagining all this..? Was he hurt on the head too..? Did he have a concussion..? Or was it real?
Absentmindedly, he tried to stretch his leg and a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.
"Aahh…!! ", he mumbled in pain.
She rushed to take the glass from his hand, "Sambhalke.. Bohot dard ho raha hai..?"
Malhar just looked at her blankly.
She was really here !! Why? Of course !! To the outside world they were a married couple.
Kalyani felt as though she was really looking at him for the first time. She had never tried to see past the blocks that she had set around.
Even with all the tiredness in the world, overgrown and messy hair, unkempt beard and dark circles under his eyes, he looked so handsome. She wanted to reach out and run her hands on that thick beard of his.
Those eyes…!! they spoke..!! They had conveyed his surprise, disbelief of seeing her here and then the resignation that she was probably here just because on the records they were married.
"Mm… hmmm…" Sourav cleared his throat loudly bringing both of them back to their senses.
"Kalyani tum yahin rahogi na.. Mai jaake nurse ko bol deta hun…ki laad saab ke pet me se awaaz nikal rahi hai...."
Kalyani nodded and giggled at the same time.
Malhar stared daggers at his friend,
"Aisa kuch nahi hai, mujhe bhukh nahi lag raha....tujhe lag raha hai toh jaa kuch khake aa.."
"Chal hat…bachpan se jaanta hun tujhe…ab biwi ke saamne acting mat kar…"
Malhar glared even more at his friend who winked at him before going out of the door.
They were left alone in the room now and both didn't know what to do. Malhar fiddled with the hospital blanket, inspecting each and every thread, while Kalyani peeled the nail polish from her nails.
At last Malhar spoke, "Sorry..!! Meri wajah se tumhe ye takleef utani pad rahi hai… Pata nahi Sourav ne tumhe pareshan kyun kiya..!!"
"Koi pareshani nahi hui mujhe..."
Silence lingered again.
Kalyani got up from the chair and came near him, "Umm..!! Papa…!! Papa aapke baare me puch rahe the.. Thode pareshan hai.. Kya aap unse baat kar sakte hain..?"
Malhar nodded his head and she called her father.
"Hello.. Papa.. !! Ek minute aap Malhar se baat kijiye.."
Malhar took the phone from her hand but couldn't raise it to his ear as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder blade. "Ouch..!!"
She noticed his struggle and before he could transfer the phone to his other hand, she took it back from him, positioning it to his ear for him to talk.
Her knuckles grazed his cheek making him draw a sharp breath and close his eyes.
Malhar.. Apne aap ko itna khush naseeb mat samajh lena..!! He reminded himself.
"Hello…!!" Atul's anxious voice came through, breaking his trance.
"Hello.. Baba..!!
Kalyani watched him talk to her dad, reassuring that he was ok. His voice, rich, deep and husky. How did her dad and he have such an easy relationship.. While hers with his seemed so complicated?
The nurse entered wheeling a food tray. She made small talk to him while setting the bed to a sitting position and placing the tray comfortable enough for him to eat.
"Mr Rane, kaise hain aap? Dard toh ho hi raha hoga aapko…teen bullets nikale hain.. Toh ye raha aapka lunch. Aur uske baad injections bhi lagane hai. To subdue the pain."
He tried to spoon some food into his mouth but couldn't and he placed the spoon back.
The nurse turned towards Kalyani, "Mrs Rane… he needs help.. Mai khila doon ya phir aap karna chahti hain..?"
"Mai khila deti hun..", Kalyani came forward.
"Nahi.. Tum aaram karo…!! Sister please aap hi madad kar dijiye. Kalyani bohot thaki hui hai..", Malhar intervened as the last thing he wanted was for her to do things which made her feel uncomfortable.
Kalyani too understood why he had done that. He didn't want to make her feel awkward.
What else would he do? After all, she was the one who had clearly told him from the day they'd been married that she would never acknowledge him as her husband. They had never done even the simplest of things, like chores together.
Inside the four walls of the house they were just two individuals with separate lives.
She had found a job quickly enough and spent her own money for her expenses.
They never spoke unless it was unavoidable.
They hadn't even shared a meal together in all these months. They cooked separately, provisions were shelved separately, the fridge racks were divided.
There had been many days she was having a proper dinner while he would be just eating a fruit being tired to cook. If he had forgotten to buy fruits, he had drunk glasses of water to fill his stomach and gone to bed. She hadn't even offered to share some of the food with him.
So now !! how could he know that she was a changed person !! that she had understood he wasn't at fault.
How would he know that she had missed him the whole month that he hadn't been at home !! that her heart had almost stopped seeing him lying lifeless on the stretcher.
She couldn't just say all this at the moment. She had to wait until he was back home.
Sourav came back with some food for her. "Kalyani, tum bhi kha lo..bohot der ho gayi.."
"Aap.. ?"
"Maine canteen me hi kha liya.."
The nurse left after giving Malhar his medications. Malhar and Sourav began discussing some case details.
Kalyani sat down and began eating her food, listening to their conversations. Her gaze locked on her husband. She was interested in their discussion, impressed by his cop talk.
Once he had turned her way and caught her staring but she didn't avert her eyes, instead gave him a smile.
Sarthak entered the house only to be bombarded with questions.
"Kahan gayab the subah se…? Kitni baar phone lagaya.. Uta nahi sakte the..?"
"Andhar toh aane do.."
He went in and slumped down on the couch while his wife stood before him with her hands on her hips.
"Muh me dahi jam gaya kya.. Bolo jaldi.. Kahan gaye the? Itni subah subah aisa kaunsa pahad tut pada ki tum bina bataye chale gaye..?"
"Kalyani se milne gaya tha.."
"Uss Maharani se milne kyun gaye the… koi rishta nahi hai hamara unke saat.."
"Rishta kaise nahi hai.. Malhar iss ghar ka bacha hai.."
"Bilkul nahi.. Iss ghar ka ek hi bacha hai.. Woh hai hamara beta.. Malhar uss Madhav Rane ka beta hai.. Uss dhokebaaz Madhav Rane ka.."
"Purani baton ko khuredne ki aadat kab jayegi tumhari..Bol bol ke thak gaya hun ki Dada ne koi dhoka nahi diya…itne saal beet chuke hain aur tum ab bhi wahin ki wahin atki ho… Na khud chain se jeeti ho na mujhe chain se jeene deti ho.."
"Aaj kuch jyada hi bol rahe ho..kisse seekhkar aaye ho? Apne bateeje se ya uss ladki se..? "
"Use mat kheecho in sab mamlon me.. Woh bechari khud pareshan hai.. Malhar hospital me hai, teen goliyan lagi thi use.."
"Acha..?? Mar gaya kya?"
Sarthak's nostrils flared up in anger and he got up raising his hand to slap her but stopped himself on time.
"Haat utaoge mujhpe..? haat utaoge..? Utao.. Maaro mujhe.. Maaro.. Bas yahi baaki reh gaya tha.. Tumse shaadi karke kya mila hai mujhe.. Kuch nahi.. Meri puri zindagi barbaad ho gayi…", she shouted hysterically.
Sarthak slapped himself as tears poured down his cheeks.
"Kyun kiya phir.. Kyun…? Kyun kiya mujhse shaadi..? Tumhari hi marzi thi na..?"
"Hunhh… uss Asha ke wajah se hi Madhav ne mujhse shaadi nahi ki..Aisa kya tha us Asha me jo mujhme nahi tha… Bas mai uss Asha ko dikhana chahti thi ki mai bhi usse kam nahi hun.."
"Itne saalon se sunta aa raha hun.. Yahi baat.. Ek din bhi chain ki neend sone nahi deti ho tum mujhe.. Har din yaad dilati ho ki mai kabhi tumhara pasand tha hi nahi.."
Sarthak's heart bled to repeatedly hear his wife profess she had wanted to marry his brother.
Madhav had wanted to marry his friend's sister, Asha and asked his father to call off the wedding he had arranged with his business partner's daughter.
Much to both the fathers' delight, she had wanted to marry Sarthak.
Soon after their marriage, Sarthak understood that his wife had only done this to prove that she could do everything better than Asha in every way. Otherwise she didn't really care about Sarthak's feelings nor treated him well.
Every chance she got, she compared him with his brother and put him down.
"Tumse shaadi karna ghate ka sauda nikla.."
Only because Asha Vahini had gotten pregnant, did she allow their own relationship to move forward. She just wanted to prove that she could also bear a child.
His brother and sister in law were not alive but to this day his wife had still not got over what happened all those years ago.
She brought him out of his thoughts, "Yahi kar sakte ho tum.. Rote raho.."
"Ye sab chodo…roz ki baat hai.. Mere aansun bhi sukh chuke hain.. Malhar se itna nafrat mat karo..in sab me uski kya galti hai..? Uss bache ke sar se maa baap donon ka saaya chin gaya…pura bachpan usne tumhare thode se pyaar ko taraste hue guzara hai.. Tumhari har baat maanta hai…Phir bhi tum uskeliye aisa sochti ho…Dua nahi dena hai teekh hai.. Baddua toh mat do.. "
"Kyun karun mai pyar usse.. Mera bacha nahi hai woh.. Uss Asha ne janam diya use.. Kuch nahi lagta woh mera..Use dekhte hi mujhe uske baap ka diya hua dokha yaad aata hai….Aur agar meri har baat maanne wala ladka hota na.. Toh uss ladki se shaadi nahi karta…mere bete ki khushiyon ko nahi cheenta.. Woh bhi apne baap jaisa hi nikla.. Dhokebaaz.."
Sarthak snapped, "Tumhare wajah se mai bhi Malhar ko kabhi pyar nahi de paya…uss bache ko har choti cheez ke liye taraste hue dekhkar bhi chup rehna pada.. Mere Dada se vadha kiya tha ki mai unke bete ka khayal rakhunga, use maa baap ki kami mehsus nahi hone dunga.. Lekin..kuch nahi kiya maine !! Andhar hi andhar ghut raha hun mai.. Mere isi dushkarm ke wajah se aaj hamare bete ki aisi halat hai…!!
"Aaj bada pyar umad raha hai bateeje ke liye…Mujhe koi farak nahi padta woh jeeye ya mare..", she said sarcastically.
"Bas..!! Ek shabd aur nahi sunna chahta mai."
"Kya kar loge tum Sarthak..?"
"Mai apne hisse ka company shares bhi Malhar ke naam kar dunga Anupriya..!!"
If Anupriya's eyes had the power, they would have burned Sarthak to ashes.
Edited by rekha_crm - 1 years ago
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