"Aapko lagta hai zindagi mei bas aisho- aaram hi sab kuch hai. Haina papa?" Monami asked softly.
Dr. Mahajan nodded adamantly.
"Par papa, mumma toh mujhse bhi zyada rich background se aayi thi na? Unhone bhi toh army services join ki na? Unhone aapke initial years mei, when you had nothing, saath diya, bina ye dekhe ki will you even be able to provide the luxuries that she's always got?"
"And now look where she is! She's dead dammit!" Dr. Mahajan yelled very loud.
"And I sometimes wish it was me, papa."
This last line shook everyone to the core. They all stood frozen, staring at Monami with wide, teary- eyes. No body dared to move.
Karan willed his tears away. He had to stay strong for her. His Monami. He knew she's very strong but if she needed him, he'd be by her side in a second.
He came forward towards Monami, took her hand in his, made her look at him and shook his head. He then proceeded to wipe the tears that had flown down her cheeks.
"Aisi baat mat karo Monami, please," Karan slowly said, so that only she and Siddharth, who was near her, still in shock, could hear him.
His actions were rewarded by a very sad smile by his woman. She covered his hands by her second one and squeezed Karan's hand lightly. It was enough to let him know that she'd be okay. She's not right now, but she soon will be.
Karan sighed, looked her deep into the eyes and slowly took out his hand. No matter how much he wished she didn't have to, she did have to fight this battle. He took a few steps backwards but decided to stay beside her only.
Next, Sid looked into his friend's eyes and what he saw there made his heart swell with pride. He only saw confidence there. Monami nodded slightly at him, letting him know she'd be alright and he too, took a place beside Karan.
All this while, Dr. Mahajan was glaring at his daughter angrily.
"What. Did. You. Say?!" Dr. Mahajan asked, in a threatening voice.
Monami took a deep breath and turned back to her dad.
"I sometimes wish it was me, papa," she repeated. "I wish mumma ki jagah, mai chali gai hoti."
"HOW DARE YOU?! " Dr. Mahajan's anger peaked.
"Papa, I was just 5 jab mumma shaheed hui thi. Mujhe nahi pata tha ki shaheed hona kya hota hai. Bas I knew this much ki uss din ke baad mai mumma ko kabhi nhi dekh paaungi. Phir bhi, I used to think ki mumma nahi hain toh kya hua? Papa hai mere. He'd be there for me. He'd be my mumma and papa both. But you know what papa, aapne uss din se mere papa hona bhi band kar diya," Monami said, a few tears flowing down her cheeks.
Once more, everyone present there grew teary-eyed.
But Dr. Mahajan was in his own world.
"Monami!" Dr. Mahajan yelled, again. "Band karo apni bakwaas ab!"
Monami wiped her tears away. She couldn't fall weak today.
"Bakwaas nahi kar rhi hun papa. You shut yourself in a room for three days. Uss samay toh mujhe nahi samajh aata tha na ki you missed mumma too? You know mujhe kya lagta tha? That mujhse hi koi galti ho gai jo mere papa mujhse bat nahi kar rhe. The fourth day you came out, had your breakfast and went to your hospital. You didn't even take a glance at me papa!"
Sanjana wiped the lone tear fallen down from her eye.
"Uss din ke baad se mai jab bhi aap ke paas aayi aapne mujhe ye bol diya ki aap busy hain. Ek baar toh aapne mujhpe chillaya bhi tha. I was scared, papa. Uss din I decided ki mai aapke paas nahi aaungi. Shayad tab aap mujhe miss karein and khud aa jaayein?" Monami explained very softly.
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.
Now, the scene was such that all four, Faizi, Sanjana, Siddharth and Karan stood in front of Monami, as if shielding her against all evils. She proudly looked ahead at her father. She wanted him to realise that despite his actions, she wasn't alone anymore. Not just Sid, but many more were there for her.
All this while Aneesh, who was standing in a little corner, gathered some courage, and came forward to Monami.
"Mo, ye tum theek nahi kar rahi ho. Kuch paraye logo ke liye, don't fight with your dad," he warned.
"Dr. Aneesh, teen baatein," Monami said, while Karan smirked. "Pehli, ki it's Dr. Monami Mahajan and it would be better for you agar tum mujhe aise hi address karo. Tumhe koi hak nahi hai mujhe nicknames dene ka. Dusri, tum hote kon ho mujhe ye sikhane wale ki mujhe kab kisse, kya baat karni hai? And teesri, apne-paraye ki baatein tumhe suit nahi karti."
"Acha? Toh tum hi bata do tumhare apne kon hain, beta. Mai tumhari family hun aur Aneesh tumhara dost, par hum toh tumhare apne nahi hain, right?" Dr. Mahajan taunted.
"Bilkul sahi kha, papa. Mai aapki izzat karti hun, kyunki aapki beti hun. Aapko family manna meri majburi hai. And ye Aneesh mera dost kehlane layak nahi hai," Monami said. "Aap janna chahte hain na mere apne kon hain? Toh ye jaan lijiye ki ye academy, jo aapko fatiture lagti hai, vo mujhe apnapan deti ha. Yahan ke log, mere apne hain. Inhe family kehna ya dost manna meri majburi nahi, choice hai.
Ramesh kaka and Madhavi kaki, jo ab aapke ghar pe kaam nahi karte, vo ab bhi mere apne hain.
Karan,jisse aapne mujhe alag karne ke liye hazar saazishein ki, vo mera apna hai. Faizi, Sanjana, Koel, Chitra, Bala, Premji and Sumanji, mere apne hain. Siddharth mera apnaa hai. Ye meri chosen family hai, papa. Ab aapki beti akeli nahi hai."
Dr. Mahajan chuckled sarcastically.
"Acha! Yhi expected tha mujhe tumse. Aise hi nahi Tumhe emotional fool kehta hun! Inn zabardasti ke rishton se tumhe milega kya? Tum ne kaha ki aisho-aaram hi sab nahi hote. But tum mujhe ye batao beta, Inhi aisho-aaram mai toh tum badi huyi ho," Dr. Mahajan remarked. Till now, Monami had broken the protective circle in front of her and had again come face-to-face with her father. Her friends stayed by her sides in pairs of two. Dr. Mahajan continued," tumne mujhe itni baatein suna di ki maine tumhe paanch saal pe akela chhod diya and apni fatherly duties puri nahi ki, right? Well, fyi beta, I was out there making a legacy for you! Paise kamaye maine, naam banaya, tumhe jis cheez ki zarurat thi, sab provide kiya, then what else does a child need?"
"You're right,papa. Aapne mujhe sab diya," Dr. Mahajan smiled, elated," but pata hai what I have lacked all these years? Love. Your love. Aap kehte hain pyaar hi sab kuch nahi hota. Okay. Maan liya. But a child needs love and affection just as much as their parents' time. Aap ye bhul gaye. Aaj bhi aapko aur kisi cheez ki chinta nahi, sirf iski hai ki agar mujhe kuch ho gya toh aapki legacy kon sambhalega, right?"
"Yes!" Dr. Mahajan declared.
"To hell with your legacy and to hell with your luxuries!" Monami yelled. "Mujhe, aapki daulat, aish, aaram, legacy, inn sabse koi matlab nahi hai, papa. Aaj kya, ye shayad aap kabhi nahi samjhenge. You have already once blackmailed me to leave the academy but see, aaj mai yhi khadi hun and aap bhi! Mai aaj ye clear kar dena chahti hun ki aap kitni bhi cheap tricks use karein, kuch bhi karein, mai iss academy ko chhod ke nahi jaaungi! Aapne mujhe challenge diya tha na ki chhe mahine baad mai aapke paas rote-rote na aaun?
Well, mai nahi aayi, na hi aaungi.
Iske baad aap kuch bhi kariye but aapki beti ab tabhi lautegi jab vo ek medical-commando ban jaaegi. Aap chahe toh apni puri legacy apne iss do kaudi ke student ko de dijiye, I don't care."
Aneesh smiled widely at her last line but it vanished soon.
"Tumhe nahi aana, mat aao. Kal, god forbid, agar tum apni maa ki tarah mar gai toh meri baat yaad zarur karna ek aakhiri baar," Dr. Mahajan warned. "And meri legacy main aise hi kisi ke bhi naam nahi kar dunga. Mujhe jise dena hoga mai de dunga but isko nahi. He was just a pawn to make you come back home. I'm warning you again, tum apna decision regret karogi ek din, and that day, I won't be there for you!"
"Aajtak aap vaise bhi kabhi mere saath nahi the. Aage bhi nhi honge toh it won't be a big shock to me anyway. I'm done playing according to your rules," Monami replied back.
"Aaj ke baad, mujhe apni shakal bhi mat dikhana!" Dr. Mahajan said.
"Aap ko bhi jab tak apni galti khud realise nahi ho jati, mai aapke saamne bhi nhi aaungi, I promise. But yes, aage se kabhi bhi meri academy and mere beech, ya mere and Karan ke beech mat aaiyega," Monami too responded.
Dr. Mahajan once glared at everyone present there, then stormed off. Poor Aneesh, not so poor, who still hadn't come to accept Dr. Mahajan's real plan for him, followed his mentor like a lost puppy. He still hoped that he'd at least have a post in Mahajan hospital, even though he failed in his mission to divide Moran.
Monami, without a second glance at anyone, ran away from the mess.
The rest sadly watched her go away.
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Hey guys!
Sorry ki aapke itne saare messages, to update soon, ke baad bhi thoda late ho gya.
I can't promise agala part kab aayega, but aayega zarur. Please wait for it kyunki I'm very, very busy. Ek chapter likhne mei bohot time lag jata hai mujhe because when I start writing, I'm unable to stop😅
Do tell me ye wala kaisa laga.
Good night
~Fantasiser