Hi everyone, it's an unpublished piece I wrote earlier, don't know how much it's still apt, because I have not seen the show in ages... but here it is. Maybe AU. Have fun.
“Mujhe tum sabse kuch kehna hai. Dhyan se suno.” Khushbeer said at dinner table.
He began as he saw that he had the attention of his entire family. “Tejo iss ghar mein wapas aa rahi hai.”
Everyone had their own reaction, Mahi was overjoyed, Amrik was about to protest, Dada Dadi were happy, Nimmo Macchi was about to say something passive aggressive…
“Iss gharki bahu bankar nahin. Na hi Fateh ki biwi. Meri baat hui thi use, use divorce har halat mein zaldi se zaldi chahiye, uske liye behtar yahi hai ki wo moga mein rahe. Par use apne… matlab Sandhus ke ghar nahin rehna. Rent par room search kar rahi thi wo… Aise akele rehna safe nahin hai gaon mein, maine use mana liya hai aane ke liye.” It took all his strength to not break down whenever he talked about Tejo. Probably she’s the only one whom he had learnt to love as one should love their child.
“Aur haan,ab tak jo hua wo hua. Par mujhe kisi se bhi ghar mein ek aawaz nahin sunni is baare mein. Soch lena ki koi kirayedar reh raha hai. Subne jo karna tha, karliya. Ab iss ghar mein aur koi tamasha nahin hoga.” He stared at Nimmo and Amrik specifically.
“But fateh bhai ko kaun batayega…?” Mahi asked in a low shaky voice. Since Tejo discovered that Fateh was meeting with Jasmine behind her back and consequently left him,Fateh had completely withdrawn. When Jasmine left him, he was volatile and angry,just wanting to hurt and destroy, almost like there was a mark of her nature on him. But Mahi understood, it’s his pride, his ego and the fact that all his love could not stop her made him believe that he’s worthless.
However,this time, he was broken. Tejo took his soul away from him. It’d been just one month, and he had lived eternities in his room, all alone, getting drunk and lying aimlessly.
“Pata nahin.Koi nahin, koi bhi. Kya fark padta hai.” Khushbeer said quietly and left the table.
Tejo had tears in her eyes as she was packing her suitcase. She had been living at her Mami’s house in the aftermath of that storm which ruined her life completely, leaving her desolate without any support. “More like the latest storms in my life,because apparently this is my destiny.” Tejo thought to herself. She was scared, nervous but determined too. She pushed her thoughts away as she heard the knock on the door.
“Haan Mamiji, aa jaiye” Tejo said.
Her mami entered with a glass of badam milk in her hand and sat down, looked at her and just shook her head unbelievably. Tejo was a Kohinoor in a family of cheap ugly pebbles, and still nobody saw her worth. Well she’d always known that Sandhus were kinda dumb. Her husband was lucky he was married to her.
“Kuch bolun main beta…?” she asked Tejo.
“…aap aise kyon pooch rahin hain? Jo bolna hai boliye…?” Tejo replied.
Her Mami scooped closer to her, cupped her face and kissed her forehead. She held her hands and started talking.
“Pata hai Tejo, tu itni sit hi jab maine pehli baar tujhe dekha tha. Hospital mein the hum, aur tune meri ungli pakdi thi, aur tab maine kaha tha ki bhagwan kare mere saare bachhe tujh jaise ho. Tu roti bhi nahin thi kabhi. Zara sa pareshan nahin kiya kabhi. Aaj tak maine tujhme aur khud ke bachhon mein antar nahin dekha, tu hai hi aisi. Kisi ko bhi muhabbat hojaye tujh se.”
“Kisi kobhi…siway mere khud ke husband ko…”Tejo laughed and interrupted in a bitter voice.
“Jis aadmi ko Jasmine jaisi ladki pasand aa jaye, uska koi bharosa nahin. Mujhe pata hai,tum sabne Jasso ke liye hazar bahane banaye humesha, par maine uska kala dil humesha se dekha hua hai. Khair chodunn donon ko, aur meri baat sun. Tejo, abhi tujhe lag raha hoga ki tere saath koi nahin, tu akeli hai, aur pata nahin kya kya. Par tu baat sun mere bacche…bahut badi zindagi hai. Bahut kuch hai teri kismet mein, sab kuch. Bas zara sa bura waqt hai, himmat rakh. Aag mein tapkar hi sona nikharta hai, aur tu bhiaise hi nikharegi. Ek baar ye janjaal tere pairon mein se nikal jaye, duniya teri hai.”
Tejo looked at her and burst into sobs, and hugged her tightly. Does not matter what, she’s not completely alone. There were people who still loved her.
“hmm…,duniya meri hai.Ab sab kuch mera hai…har cheez jo mujhe chahiye. Aur ab se mujhe kisi aur ke liye jeena bhi nahin. Ab main bas tejo hoon, apne liye… Aur haan ek baar ye sab settle hojaye, aur main kisi ache college mein job dhoondh loon, phir hum donon kahin vacations par jayenge. Andaman Nikobar… Waise bhi hum donon ne kabhi beaches nahin dekhe na…Kyonki aap meri sabse pyari Mamiji ho.” Tejo smiled at her like a child.
Mangal Lakshmi
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
