Time of the truth

CHAPTER 3

Dr. Mahajan averted his eyes. Rest all controlled themselves to be calm while Monami narrated everything. They were quite angry but acting out could hurt her too.

"Aap nahi aaye papa. Ramesh kaka and Madhvi kaki ne mujhe apne bache jaise pala. I got to know very later on that they weren't able to conceive and unhone mujhe apna bacha samjha. Unhone mujhe pala-posa, bada kiya, school bheja, even mere functions attend kiye. Mere saath games khele, raat mei jab bhi mumma ki yaad aayi, mera saath diya. Jab unse mai puchti thi na ki papa kahan hain? Vo humesha bolte the ki bhatka Aadmi kabhi toh vapas aayega," Monami chuckled and wiped away more tears. "Mujhe toh yeh bhi shayad dus saal baad samajh aaya. Aap mujhse milna hi nhi chahte the. Sixth mei I met Sid. Hum dono ki situations same thi. Neither his, nor my dad gave any attention to their own children! Uss din se, vo mera dost, buddy, bhai, sab ban gaya. Happiness mei, sadness mei, har cheez mei we were there for each other. Hum dono hi tab bhi ek dusre ke liye the and aaj bhi hain," Monami said, pride reflecting in her voice at the end.

Siddharth looked away to hide his tears. Sanjana held his hand while Faizi patted his back.

"Mumma ke jane ke ten years later, when I was 15, kaki ne bataya ki aapne mujhe bulaya hai. Mai uss din kitni khush thi ye aap nahi jante, papa. Par, humesha ki tarah, meri khushi phir se short lived thi. Aapne mujhe pyaar se nahi bulaya tha. Aapne mujhe isiliye bulaya tha taki aap mere future ka decision ek baar aur le sakein. Aapne direct Farmaan zari kiya papa ki main science loon, Doctor banu and phir, aapke hospital ko join karu. Maine aisa hi kiya bhi. Aap mere decisions lete gye, mai manti gayi. And 6 months pehele maine jo ek decision khud ke liye le liya, papa aapse vo aajtak digest nahi hua? Kyun?"

"Kyunki ye decision tumhara," Dr. Mahajan began, making air quoted with his fingers on the word 'decision', "ye galta hai!"

"Kya galat hai isme, papa? And why can't you, just for once, accept me for who I am?"

"Kyunki this isn't whom I raised you to be, dammit!"

Monami scoffed.

"Well, news for you, you never raised me!" Even her anger was peaking.

"Monami, beta why don't you u understand ki what I'm doing is the best for you?" Dr. Mahajan questioned.

"Ek paanch saal ke bache ko akela chhod dena best kaise ho sakta hai, papa?!"Monami countered.

"Vo baat past ki hai! Why don't you, right now, focus on your present?"

Monami fisted her palms.

"You want to talk about the present? Let's talk about the present," Monami offered.

Dr. Mahajan smiled at his little victory.

"What do you want to talk about the present? I'll give you options then. You want to talk how you sent this Aneesh here, to destroy my relationship? Or how he faked his own injury? Ya kaise badi chalaki se aap academy mei aaye, led me to believe that you accepted my choices wholeheartedly? Ya phir uss raat ke baare mei jab aapne Karan ko itni cheap baatein kahi? And ye sab bhi nhi toh let's talk about how much your standard has fallen down ki aap apni beti ke khilaaf, uske and uske boyfriend ke rishte ko todne ke liye planning and plotting kar rahe hain? Seriously? What do you want to talk about?!"

Monami listed all the wrongdoings of her father. Instead of Dr. Mahajan feeling guilty, it had a contrary effect on him. He burned in more anger.

He came towards Monami and raised his hand to slap her. Monami didn't back off though.

But, before the hand could strike her cheek, it was stopped midway in the air. Dr. Mahajan furiously looked towards his right and found both Siddharth and Karan, holding his hand in tight grips. He tried to get rid of them but the boys didn't let him. Both their eyes showed clear anger for the older man. Fed up with them, Dr. Mahajan stopped resisting and finally the boys left his hand.