Though the sun sank down, drowning the sky in black, the bloom of city lights had the sky glittery. They awaited the smile of the moon, for it to paint the sky with it's lunar light, the beauteous serenity.
"Guddan Beta, mehmaan aate hi honge, tu jake taiyaar ho ja." Dadi reminded her, who had herself snowed under work.
"Ji Dadi." Guddan smiled her a nod, turning for her room.
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Lakshmi dropped to her knees, gritting as she fixed her pleats, while she oscillated like a bob. Stop it! I am not your maid to bear with your tantrums. She yelled in silence, helpless over her authority.
Guddan curled her lips into a smile, coloured in red. She had herself decked in maroon embroidered saree, her hairs worn into a side braid bun, complimenting the high neck blouse. Glittering with few ornaments, she descended down the stairs, all eyes turned to the beauty.
"Rukiye Durga ji, isbar hum vratkatha parenge!" Guddan announced before she could start.
"Par main is ghar ki badi bahu hu..." Durga trailed.
"Durga Bahu, thik hi toh keh rahi hain Guddan. Vratkatha use parne de!" Dadi cut her off.
While all sang praises of her, be it the enactment or recital, Durga hissed at her seize. Her authority, her family, her place! She had outsmarted her with her designation. But I won't sit back and swallow your dominion.
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"Guddan Beta, Lalla shayad aaj der karega aane mein. Tu ek kaam kar, vrat khol ke tu kuch kha le." Dadi suggested dryly, sunken in gloom. Did she expect too much of him, that it failed her wants?
"Dadi agar hume vrat aise hi kholna hota, toh kab ka khol chuke hote. Hum niyam anusar hi vrat kholenge, bas Uncle aate hi honge. Aap fikr mat kijiye!" Guddan assured, despite her poor stomach wailing for food.
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"Tum kitni bhi koshish karlo Guddan, par Aj tumhe kuch nehi maante! Vratkatha toh par li par ab Aj aayenge bhi ya nehi? Dekha, yehi anjaam hota hain jab tum kisise uska hak cheenne ki koshish karte ho. Aur isliye, aaj toh Aj ke haathon vrat kholne ka tumhara yeh sapna, sapna hi reh jayega!" Durga taunted, smirking. I knew it, but I would like to enjoy her troubled state.
Turning her a deaf ear, Guddan mounted up the stairs, the fatigue washing over. She could endure anything but hunger!
"Yeh Uncle haina, khadoos ke khadoos hi rahenge! Matlab yaha hum bhuke hain, unka intezaar kar rahe hai ki kab woh aakar humara vrat khole, aur woh? Unhe toh koi parwah hi nehi hain! Woh kya samjhenge, bhuk se toh hum mar rahe hain! Hey Lord Krishna, yeh kaise se ek Apple Juice ke saath fasa diya hume?! Woh toh nibhaana pad raha hain shaadi isliye.. Warna is khadoos ke saath hum, poori zindegi?! Chiii, kabhi nehi! Pata nehi kab aayenge yeh khadoos... Hum bata rahe hain, agar hum bhuk ke karan mar war gaye na, toh is khadoos ke khilaf hum case file karenge! Par hum toh mar chuke honge na, haan toh?...... Humari aatma badla legi! Chorenge nehi us Uncle ko!" Guddan babbled, as another hour passed by. This Uncle could make her bite nails out of sheer anxiety!
"Guddan beta, rehne de, Lalla nehi aayega. Tu vrat khol le. Main hi pagal thi jo tujhe vrat rakhne ko bola...... Mujhe maaf kar de beta! Sab kuch jaante huye bhi main tujhe.." Dadi trailed, entering the room.
"Ek second! Kya kaha aapne? Sab kuch jaante huye bhi? Hume aisa kyun lag raha hain ki aap kuch chupa rahi hain humse?" She asked, furrowing her brows.
"Guddan, wo..woh.."
"Dadi, aap itna nehi bata sakti apni gudiya ko?"
"Woh maine subah se bahot baar Lalla ko phone kiya, aaj jaldi aane ko bolne ke liye. Subah jaldi chala gaya tha woh, mujhse na mile. Par woh phone hi nehi utha raha hain."
"Phone nehi utha raha? Kya Dadi, aap sach bata kyun nehi deti? Itni si baat pe aap itna udaas nehi hongi, itna toh hum jaante hi hain. Kyunki ab toh aapko aadat ho gayi hogi aapke bete ke aise harkaton ki."
"Guddan woh main tujhe nehi bata sakti..."
"Thik hain, mat bataiye. Filhal toh hum lekar aate hain aapke Lalla ko."
"Nehi, tu kahi nehi jayegi! Dus baj rahe hain!"
"Aap tension kyun le rahi hain, driver kaka haina, woh hume restaurant tak chor denge. Humari pyaari Dadi, maan jaiye na.." She pressed her lips into a pout, and she had to comply, sighing.
The silence, what was she missing? Guddan pondered, trying to decode what bothered her mother-in-law.
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The moonlight filtered in through the window, serenity flooding in. Gleaming in the mist of dark, it soothed his tired muscles. His Antara, a moment of light in the distress. Those days when he had her lap to rest on, her slender fingers playing with his hairs could lull him to peace. The smile of the moon was like of hers, graceful. With her, words had no need. Her presence was his heaven, she, his oxygen. He starved for his oxygen, her absence drowning him every second. He wanted to breathe!
"Chand kitna sundar haina Akshat?!"
He gazed at the moon, her smile moistening his eyes. He had once chortled at her wish to live with moon, her bestie. Little did he know that he would have to watch her residing with her bestie, helpless before the demands of time.
"Tumse zyada nehi Antara." He replied, lost in her eyes, a soft shade of brown.
"Akshat! Tum mujhe bhul kyun nehi jate? Apni zindegi naye sire se kyun shuru nehi karte?"
"Antara tumhe achhe se pata hai ki main yeh nehi kar sakta. Maine sirf tumse pyaar kiya hain aur sirf tumse hi karta rahunga....... Tumhe yaad haina aaj ka din, Antara?"
"Kaise bhul sakti hu Akshat, aaj ka din?!" Her voice shook, the reality clenching her soul into a helpless smile.
"Bahot tarapta hu main tumhare bin Antara.. Bahot takleef hota hai, jab har ek cheez mujhe yeh yaad dilata hain ki tum mere paas nehi ho.. Tumhe har jagah dekhta hun main, har ek pal tumhe mehsoos karta hun main, par mere paas hoke bhi tum mere saath nehi, yehi baat mujhe andar se kha raha hain... Tumhara hasna, mere baalon ko sehlana, mujhse naraz hokar muh phulake baith jana, mujhe chidhana, tumhari fikr, aur sabse zyada tumhara pyaar... Nehi jee paa raha main inke bina... Har ek cheez tumhari yaad dilati hain, agar hasta hu toh tumhari hasi yaad aajati hain, woh hasi jo main aur kabhi nehi dekh paunga... Rota hu toh tumhari yaad aati hain, kyunki tumhe mera rona kabhi pasand nehi tha... Saasein lene par bhi tumhari yaad aati hain.. Pata nehi main jee bhi kaise raha hu... Kitne sapne dekhe the saath mein, waade kiye the, aur tum woh sab tor ke chali gayi, yaha mujhe akela chor ke........ Ghutan hota hain mujhe yaha! Kya karu main Antara, yaha par koi mujhe samajhta hi nehi! Sab kehte hai ki mujh mein dil nehi hai, shayad sahi kehte hai.. Tum apne saath mera dil bhi le gayi, apne Akshat ko le gayi... Bacha hain toh bas ek patthar......... Tumhe pata hain, tum thik is chand ki tarah ho, humesha mere saamne toh rehti ho, par main tumhe choon nehi sakta, tumhare paas nehi reh sakta... Kyun Antara, kyun?!"
Tears crept down her cheeks as she stood with her lips pursed. She was far from his touch, she was empty, she had no solace or love to shower him with. She was a painted imagery, her tears answering him. Silent tears speak what words could never.
Karvachauth, that day when he met her murmuring figure at the temple, her fasting for her dream husband had given him a good laugh for the day. She had woven dreams of which none he could fulfill. She slaughtered her fantasies with a smile, and he couldn't even afford her breaths. Now, he stood in blur of life, haunted by memories which tried shoving the pill of reality down his throat. She is no more. It hurts to run anymore, and bottling the emotions was all he could do. His dried soul loves to be alone in the peace dipped dark. He has gulped down the reality, for expectations had scarred him.
He, a complete Darkness.
"Uncle!"
Here she comes, this girl has no relation with peace!
He squeezed his eyes shut, her voice pinching his ear drums.
"Uncle!! Uncleee!! Uncleeee!! Arey darwaza kholiye! Uncleeee!!! Dekhiye, jab tak aap darwaza nehi kholte, tab tak hum jayenge nehi." She banged onto the door, as if a drum.
"Jab tak darwaza nehi kholenge, tab tak aise hi shor machayenge! Bahot shanti chahiye na aapko?! Ab dekhiye, kitna shor machate hai hum." She muttered, gritting her teeth.
"Uncleeee!!!"
"Areyy Madam, please chup ho jaiye! Sir hume naukri se nikaal denge." The staff pleaded, horrified.
"Koi nehi nikalega aap logo ko. Aap sab jaake apna kam kijiye." She assured and got back to her task of tormenting ear drums.
"Uncleeeee!!!"
"Uncleeeeeeeee!!!"
"Uncleeeeeeeeeee!!!"
"Uncleeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!"
The door flew open, and she found herself alone at the spot. The throat which had screamed all this while, now felt parched with his intense glares. Cherry on top, those he will eat you raw messages her brain shooted.
Please no! Uncle I am indigestable!
"Whatttt!!???" He screamed menacingly.