Dance Se Dosti

Loss

"Wait a minute! So you are blaming ME for everything?"

"Nahi Sharon! Not just you. I blame everyone!" He sighed again.

"Woh! So charitable Rey! Naam aur kaam tumhaara, dosh baaki sabka?" She scoffed.

"Do you know Sharon, abhi tak mujhe yeh samajh mein nahi aaya ki achaanak se Kria mujhse break up kyun ki. She just walked into my study one day, and said 'lets break up'. Aur phir apni bags leke chali gayi. Phir uski phone switched off sunayi. Uske theek baad mujhe Dad ka call aata hein aur woh RPH ke shares khareed rahe hein aur mein tumse aake milta hun, for you know some kind of sense. Aur phir tum dono ne break up kiya! Just like that! Aur phir tumhaari, tumhaare dad ka, mere Dad ka, board members ka, lawyers ka pressure. Kria phone nahi utha rahi. Mein pareshaan tha! Mein gussa tha! So I went to talk to my Dad! Aur unhone toh deal ke papers tayyar karke baitha tha!" He paused rubbing his forehead. And then he turned to face Sharon. "Agar tum thandi dimaag se Swayam se baat karti thi toh woh bhi toh wahi kar sakta tha jo meine kiya? You would have been sitting beside him today."

"Rey tumhe nahi pata." She said in a low voice.

"What? Huh! What? Kya hua? Sahi kaha na meine? You could have married him! And he would have solved anything with Kria!" He spat. He felt guilty. It was as if he wanted to to back in time and undo the tangles.

But Sharon knew. She knew why some of it happened. Or that why it had to happen that way.

3 years before...
Hospital ICU, Mumbai.
Rishi Shekhawat was in ICU hooked to life support while asking to talk to Sharon.

"...aap Swayam ko jaanthe honge... Kyunki kam se kam dus saal se woh toh aapko jaanthe hein!" He said.

"Ji?. D-dus s-saal?.."

"Haan... Jabse aapke family London se New York shift huye the... Aur phir Mumbai... Aur ab phirse yahaan..."

"Ugh... Uncle w-woh..."

"Beta ek pita chaahe jitne bhi apne bachche se dur rahe, phir bhi apne bachchon ki pasand jaan jaate hein! Humein pata hein Swayam kya chaahta hein.." He paused. After smilong softly at her he continued saying, "Beta, kya tumhe yaad hein hum pehle kab milein the? Bahut samay pehle shaayad tum 5 ya 6 saal ki rahi hogi jab tum humaare party mein dance ki thi, New York mein. Aur Swayam jo humaare koyi bhi gathering ke liye nahi aata tha, uss raat humaare saath aake baitha aur aapko dekhtha raha. Aur abhi tumhaari aankhon mein wahi pyaar dikh raha hein jo Swayam ki aankhon mein hein. Aur yeh pyaar ki nazron ko pehchan-na hum achchi tarah jaante hein." He suddenly frowned at his last sentence. As if a past memory that hurt. He continued, "Aur jo uss waqt mein bata nahi saka, woh ab yahaan tumhe jaan-ni hogi."

"Kya hein uncle?" She asked curiously. Sharon was already elated and blushing in the inside from the moment he called her his daughter in law.

"Beta hum aapko Shekhawat bahu hi maante hein.." he said firmly causing Sharon to blush again. He continued slowly as if explaining a story, "..Par iss khaandaan ke baare mein log jyaada kuch nahi jaante. Vidvesh aur pratishodh humaare pariwaar ke 'andar' mein hi hein." He stressed on the word andar. He was right. Their families were not speaking to wach other.

He continued seriously, "Humaare aur Jaipur ke shaahi pariwaar ke beech. Royal family! Baaharee shatruta ki kabhi aavashyakta hi nahi huyi par yeh dhan, daulath, yeh baadshaahath toh dushmani lubhaate hi hein! Dushmano ki kami nahi hein humaari khaandaan se. Toh isliye humein aapse waada ek chahiye."

"Ji uncle?!" She asked.

"Beta jahaan tak humne dekha hein... Swayam bachpan se akele mein bahut sabal raha hein. Ekaaki mein uska vichardhaara ekdum saaf ho jaata hein! Aur woh sahi nirnay leta hein aur sabal se kaam leta hein! Isliye tumhe mujhse yeh waada karna hoga ki yadi hum par koyi aprathyashit yaani ki unexpected aur anchaahi vipathi aa pade... toh tum Swayam ko jhod dogi."

"WHATT??" she was shocked.

"Beta humein pata hein kitni ajeeb hein humaari yeh manshaa. Par yeh vachan mahatvapoorn hein! Waada karo beta! Ek din hum aapko yaad dilaayenge aur kaash yeh din na aaye! ...Ki humaari anupasthidhi mein aap Swayam ko jhod dogi!"

"I-I don't know what to say... y-yeh bahut weird hein! Aap aise kyun keh rahe ho uncle? Hum dono ek saath huye bhi nahi ki aap humein alag karna chaahte ho?"

"Abhi nahi beta... ek din! Jab mein poochu tab! Bas tum waada karo... Swayam keliye! Aur humara aapse waada hein ki sab theek ho jaayega!"

"Theek hein uncle! Agar aisa kabhi hoga toh mein.. I-I.. I will do as you said!" She said. She didn't want to stay their further. Her face was pale and she was confused whether she was angry or disappointed or just sad. Mr. Shekhawat had began the conversation so nicely and even made her blush by calling her his bahu but then ended it with a strange wish? She felt suffocated and wanted to cry or scream. She couldn't look at him anymore.

"Mujhe jaana chaahiye! Hope youget well soon uncle!" She said it fast and rushed out.

"I'm sorry beta..." he whispered.

..................................................................................
And 6 months ago...
Jaipur Airport, moments before the explosion...

"..Sir aap ke liye ek letter hein!" The flight attendant said handing over a inland cover. Tearing it open he took out the piece of parchment and read it.

સભા તમારા માટે રાહ જોઇ રહ્યો છે
(Translation: Sabha is waiting for you.)

Rishi looked outside the side window and saw familiar faces staring back at them. Kamaal and Shekhar. Their faces clearly suggested success. They had successfully trapped their enemies. Rishi's suspicions proved right as the duo joined Sanam Singh Shekhawat. He finally met the guy pulling the strings behind the curtain. Sanam Singh. Blood feud never dies.

Seeing her husband's worried expression, Nandini picked the parchment from his hand to read it as well. And she matched his eyes to look outside and finding the men responsible for Sabha's death.

Rishi swiftly grabbed his phone and pressed SOS. He ran towards the door and found it sealed shut. He tried to open the emergency exit panel but failed to do so. He looked towards the cockpit and saw a medium size package of C4 explosives with a timer kept on the controls. Nandini came behind him and saw the same. And then he turned to his wife. She asked worriedly, "Swayam?"

"Woh sab theek kar dega!" He said kissing her forehead and then embracing her. "Humaara bacha sab theek kar dega!"

They held each other as the flames engulfed them and rapidly aflamed the entire jet.