. . . .
Kaanch ke wo khwaab
naazuk the humare saareChhoone se hi tootne lage
. . . .
The night came faster than expected. Kabir and Nishtha walked into the living room discussing a patient's case history. Their feet halted when their gaze fell on Pooja.
Pooja sat down on sofa heart broken. Her worst nightmare had just turned into her darkest reality. She didn't know whether it was her mind playing games with her or she was an idiot from the beginning. Her cousins and brother surrounded her and tried breaking her trance, but she was too absorbed in accepting her truth.
"Pooja" Her father called her. He placed his hand on her shoulder which she jerked away immediately.
"Congrats Dad. Congrats. How should we celebrate this day?" She said trying hard not to choke on her tears. Her father took a step back at her harsh words.
"Beta..."
"Don't. Just don't. Don't say it was for my good because both of us know that you don't care about my being.. I am alone today because of you" She stood up and looked at her father in hatred.
"It's not like that. You are making a fuss over a small thing"
"A small thing! That small thing is something really big for me. It always was. You coming to our annual day was a big thing, you looking for me at home when I wasn't there was a big thing to me. You won't understand. You never did and you never will"
"Stop being jealous over your brother. How can you be jealous of your own brother?" He asked in shock. Soham looked at his sister feeling lost. He had known about his father's indifference towards the 2 kids and yet he didn't do anything to stop his father.
"I can never be jealous of him. Each day I've asked god to give my share of luck to him. He is like my kid and no mother can every be jealous of her child. Soham has been a part of me. I can be angry on him but not jealous. Never say I am jealous of Soham" Pooja's voice raised.
"Di can't be jealous of me papa. She's given me her share everytime. With her by my side, I've received everything that was supposed to be hers. Love, respect, fortune, luck, everything. If I am at a position it is because of di" Soham held Pooja's hand tightly showing that he believes in his sister more than their father.
"You never had time for me. The only person who cared for me also left me. Mumma left us and I was left to fight for my right all alone. Your presence has never affected me because you were never there for me. On every step I took towards my new life, you were never there. I knew that I couldn't look up to you when I needed help. I fought my way here" She placed light punches on her father's chest.
"Believe what you want to. I've loved you both equally." He said unaffected by her words.
"No you don't. Till mumma was there, I had someone in the crowd who would clap for me. But after she left, when was the last time you attended my annual day. You weren't even there for my graduation day. But when I gave your company a new phase, you are telling everyone proudly that I am your daughter. I am my mum's child not yours. You forced me to get married to Jaidev, I refused. I cried but you didn't care. He left me too. I liked Sid but even he has left. I am alone today because of you" She held her father's collars in a tight grip, preventing herself from falling onto the ground from the burden of emotions.
"Di" Soham held his sister who almost fell onto the ground.
"Why can't you see me happy? You ruined my marriage life, got me divorced and tainted at heart for forever. I thought Sid loved me, but I forgot you and him are one team. I have always trusted wrong men. How do I even blame you when I am at fault, when I did a mistake. I was at fault that I expected love from those who only worshipped the popular ones. I really thought Sid wouldn't be like you. I am done with you. I can't do this anymore" She removed her hand from Soham's hands and ran to her room and shut it close. She dragged herself to the balcony and slumped down.
She looked at the sky with tears.
"Why me mumma?" She burst into new set of tears.
"Why me always? Why should I adjust for everyone? Why did you leave me?" She screamed to the sky. Soham and her cousins were right beneath the balcony, listening to her cries and questions.
"Why can't I have my happy place? What wrong did I do to anyone that all my happiness is snatched away? Where did I go wrong? Why don't I deserve love?" She screamed to the sky in anger. Soham's hands fisted into a punch, hearing his sister feel helpless. Soham rushed to his room and got Pooja's room key. He was afraid that she might take a wrong step.
"I can't live with this pain anymore. It hurts. It doesn't stop hurting. Please mumma. Please stop this pain" She placed a hand on her heart and wept. She brought her mum's picture that was as a photo frame on her bed side table. She looked at the picture and hugged it close to her heart. Soham opened the door to see his sister, looking fragile and weak. Soham locked the door and sat beside her. He placed Pooja's head on his shoulder and wiped her tears.
"Why me? Why don't I deserve to get loved? Dad never loved neither did Jaidev and nor did Siddharth. I loved them more than myself." Pooja closed her eyes, feeling Soham's warmth. She hugged his shoulder and sobbed until no tears left her eyes. Soham let her empty her heart. He didn't say a word but he sat beside her, showing that even if no one in the world would be at her side, he would be. He won't leave her like the others.
Soham, slowly lifted Pooja's tired body and placed her on the bed. She sat upright, trying to figure out what her life has become. Soham sat on the floor holding her hands. He placed his head in her laps.
"Don't cry for those for whom you don't matter di" He said slowly, rubbing his thumb on her hands.
"They didn't deserve you. You are too good for them. You deserve nothing less than the best. Di, I don't care what the world says about you. I know you. I know you more than anyone. I don't remember how mumma was because I have you. You have stayed awake for me when I had fever. You always made time for me even if dad was there. You have given me your luck which you deserved. Every morning, I know, you have asked for your luck to be on my side so I can progress. You are just not my sister, you are my mother, my friend, my saviour, my guide. Don't waste your tears on someone who couldn't identify the diamond you were" Soham said, trying to explain her, her importance in his life.
"How don't I cry for them? I spent half of my life, trying to show dad that I am not useless. I did everything he asked, never refused him in anything anytime. And he became the reason to my seperation. I was happy, for once, he couldn't even see me happy. Jaidev... He got manipulated by dad's words. All those moments, that love, that care, nothing mattered to him when he asked for a divorce from me. I asked both of them for one reason, they couldn't give me one good reason. When I finally was moving on, dad brings Siddharth into my life as a spy on me. He didn't trust me even after everything I've done for him and his company." She looked at the distant sky, letting a few tears slid down her cheek, feeling everything that had gone wrong in her life play right infront of her eyes.
"You know, when dad discriminated between us two, it hurt, it hurt so much that I wanted to run away from here, but I couldn't. My life resided in you and I didn't want you to lose what you deserved. During one of my vacations, dad and I got into a huge fight. In midst of it, I had said that, since he was never there for me, he never valued any relations from mumma's side, he didn't deserve to be in my name. I had said that I wanted his name removed from mine. Chacha chachi had come and stopped our fight. The next day, dad brought to me the papers for the removal of middle name. That day I understood that he can do anything to satisfy his ego. If I would have removed his name then my right on this property would also go and I would lose you too. I backed down but that day, he left from my heart for forever. His existence started annoying me and I wanted to do anything to get out from here" Pooja said remembering the fight. She had kept it hidden from Soham so he doesn't refuse the love from his father.
Pooja stared at her mother's photo. Soham was looking at the raw emotions of Pooja. He had no idea of what she had been through. He always thought that she had moved on but he didn't know that she had alot stored in her. A tear slowly slid down her cheek remembering the moments spent with the 3 men. Soham stood up and wiped her tear.
"None of this is your fault. They wronged you. Don't blame yourself for anything. None of them could see your real potential. Di, you are a genius. You converted a business which was drowned in debts to something that's making profits with zeros you can count on your fingers. Don't let them change who you are" Pooja looked towards Soham.
"You are the only family I know di. Don't push me away from you, I'll be an orphan if you also push me away. Mumma left us but I had you. I'll go everywhere you go. I've always done that. Jahan aap wahan mein. Don't leave me alone, please" Soham looked at her with tears.
"You are needed here. This house, the business everything belongs to you. I stayed in this house so you could get your right." She cupped his face and wiped his tears.
"I don't care. I'll live with you. Even slum area is fine to me as long as you are by my side. We will start all over again but I am not leaving you" He hugged her waist tightly as she rubbed his head with love.
"I've already resigned from Swaroop and basically I have no idea what to do ahead"
"You are my di, you will figure out. I have savings, we will rent a nice house and we both will live there" Soham said still not leaving her.
"You won't be able to adjust" She said trying to push him.
"You can't be the only one who is supposed to adjust. I'll learn how to adopt to the new living with time"
"What about dad?"
"He didn't have time for us earlier and now we don't have time for him"
"It isn't going to be easy"
"I've never liked easy" He said smiling making her smile at his attitude.
"Now, you aren't going to cry for these bastards who don't know the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond" Soham made her stand up and wiped her tears. He hugged her tightly which she reciprocated.
"Let's pack" Soham pulled her away. He pulled out her bags and helped her pack her bags and later his.
"Soham don't do this.Kabir, Nishu, everyone is here. I can't stay here because this place is suffocating me. Don't get away from those who love you just because of one person"
"Di, I don't care where everyone is or what they are going to think. We are peas of the same pod. I'll follow you even in hell. I couldn't do anything earlier because I was young, now I understand what is happening"
"Acha, where will you go then?" She looked at him questioningly.
"Where you are going"
"I have an apartment but it is only 1 bedroom" She looked at him with a fake smile.
"I'll sleep in the living room"
"Haan and then, who is going to earn? I don't have a job right now and you said you don't want to work in Swaroop, where is the money going to come from?"
"From you... You are Oxford graduate, people will beg you to come work for them. I can sit at home and cook you good meals, clean the house and play PS the whole day" Soham took a step behind from her.
"Am not going to keep you in my house for free? First go earn a job then join me in that apartment" She pulled her bag away from him. Nishtha and Kabir heard the conversation between the brother-sister duo from outside the room. They understood how hard it might be for Pooja to remain in the same house as the man who ruined her every chance at a happy future.
"Di and Soham won't stay with us?" Nishtha asked Kabir as they walked to their rooms.
"They won't... maybe they even shouldn't live here because chachu would never let her be happy. If she will be away from his radius, she'll feel better and might forget about these stuff faster and move ahead from this" Kabir pulled Nishtha by his side, placing a shoulder around her's.
"Hmm. Its going to be incomplete without them. First bhabhi went, now di and Soham. Its just us 2 at home now" She looked at him, tilting her head a bit up to look at her brother.
"They might have gone from the house but not from our hearts Nishu. Di and Soham are still our cousins and we still can gate crash their place anytime we want, none of them will refuse us. Talking about Isha, she is too a part of our family. Remember what you all had promised her the day she came here as a married woman, we youngsters would make the best team and would never leave the other one's side, no matter what" Nishtha leaned onto his shoulder, putting her head on his arm.
"Life is full rollercoaster. Sometimes there is so much happiness that you have no idea of how to celebrate and then there are time where everything just goes wrong, even if you did the right thing" She said closing her eyes.
"Itna senti Nishu... What did Viku do to you now that you are saying such deep-shit?" Kabir joked, sensing that his sister wasn't liking that her cousins were leaving the home.
"Shut up bhaii... First it isn't Viku, his name is VIKRANT! Secondly, if he did something, I would be happy, but he isn't doing anything" She looked at him with an annoyed face.
"Kya hua aaj?(What happened today?)" Kabir pulled her into her room and plopped on her bed, waiting fro her to speak.
PAST
Nishtha, finally found courage to talk to him and with full confidence she strode towards him to talk.
"Hey" She greeted him with a mesmerizing smile.
"Hi" He replied her and shifted his confidence to making his coffee.
Just propose me once, I'll make you the best coffee in the world
As if you even know how to make coffee without vomiting from its taste.
Ok fine dear mindy, I'll make him tea!
"You need anything?" He asked her, noticing that she hasn't left yet.
"Uhh.. I wanted to say something" She cracked her knuckles feeling nervous.
"Say.." He shifted his focus on her, waiting for her to speak.
"So.. I."
"Vikrant!" Before Nishtha could finish talking, a female intruder made her space before him.
"You look different!" He said looking at the female from head to toe, making Nishtha look at him with wide eyes.
"I hope a good different" The intruder played with her hair, trying to seduce him. Nishtha looked to and fro between them.
"Of course Dr. Sinha. This saree compliments your skin so well" Vikrant looked at her from head to toe once again, making Nishtha's mood have a crash landing.
Aag lage aani sadi par (May her saree get on fire)
"Thank you Vikrant" Dr. Sinha thanked him, placing a hand on his arm in affection. She waited for him to blast on her but he didn't even bother moving her hand away.
Let me hit you once
She looked at Dr, Sinha and spoke to herself.
Her gaze shifted to Vikrant who was talking animatedly to Dr. Sinha.
Let me hit you too, please
PAST ENDS
"So he flirted with her infront of you?" Kabir asked controlling his laugh. She nodded her head in anger, crossing her arms at her chest.
"She placed her hand on his arm and called her Vikrant and he didn't even push her away?"
"Naa" She sat down on the bed with a bad mood. Kabir burst out in laughter, enjoying the drama in Nishtha's life.
"Stop laughing" She looked at him with a teary gaze.
"He is doing this intentionally, I know. Last time I called him by his name, he scolded me infront of everyone and the last time our hands accidentally brushed, he taught me lessons of ethics at work place. He is doing this intentionally just to make me cry, as if it wasn't enough in the past that he still wants to continue it now" A tear slid down her cheek as she held her head in her hands, sighing defeatedly.
"Nishu... stop crying baba, I was just joking pagal. Weren't you the one complaining he isn't paying you attention? If he wasn't then, what he is doing also doesn't make sense right? Let Dr. Sinha look like a bomb today, but tomorrow remind your Viku that you are the nuclear bomb, no one else can compete you" Kabir pulled her in a hug and stroked her hair.
"How?" She looked with tears in her eyes.
"You also wear a saree tomorrow" He said smiling.
"Yeah, and do surgeries wearing that. I'll make a fool out of myself infront of him" She placed her head on his shoulder tiredly.
"Ok fine, wear that dress you bought last week tomorrow. If he still doesn't notice you, we will pull his eyes out until all he can see is you. Plus you are on rounds tomorrow, there is no surgery tomorrow for you and him. Wear heels, they'll match perfectly with that dress"
NEXT DAY
"Drive me to the hospital, I don't know how to drive scooter in this, please bhaii" Nishtha made a cute face, pleading him to drop her.
"My shift starts late mata, what do I do from now at hospital?"
"Please bhai" Kabir eventually scummed to her pleas and drove her to the hospital.