10 Oct'24 , Goa
It was a bright morning, and the clock struck 8 am. Priya hurriedly went about her morning routine. She had to get ready for school and drop off Pihu at her play school before heading to her own job.
As Priya was getting dressed, she noticed that Pihu seemed a bit off. The little girl was rubbing her eyes and frowning. She was clearly not feeling her best. Priya knelt down and brushed a strand of hair away from Pihu's face, concern etched on her own.
"Pihu, mera bachha, kya hua?" Priya asked, her voice gentle but tinged with worry.
"School nahi jaana mumma", she said tubbing her eyes.
"Kyun nahi jaana school aaj?"Priya asked.
"Mumma, nahi jaana mujhe school. No school please." Pihu pouted and replied in her innocent voice.
Priya sighed, thinking it was just another instance of Pihu's usual reluctance to go to school. But deep down, she couldn't shake off the uneasiness in her heart. She crouched down to Pihu's level and held her little hands.
"Baby, Mumma ko pata hain ki aapko mumma ke bina waha achha nahi lagta hain, Mumma ko bhi aapke bina achha nahi lagta. Aapke freinds hai na waha pe, unke saath khelna, tumhe achha lagega aur mumma ko bhi miss nahi karogi" Priya explained, trying to convince Pihu.
Reluctantly, Pihu nodded and allowed Priya to help her get dressed. Priya packed a sandwich and a small water bottle for Pihu's snack time at school, ensuring that she had something healthy to eat during the day.
They sat and started having breakfast together.
Priya: Pihu, bad manners! dheere dheera khao warna khaana aapke gale mein atak jayega.
Pihu: (nodding cutely)Okay mamma!
Priya: (pulling her soft cheek)Mera bachha.
Pihu: Mamma mujhe cocolate chayiye.
Priya: Aapne kal hi toh itna saara chocholate khaya tha, abb aur khaogi toh bimaar pad jaogi.
Pihu: par uske pelhe mei happy happy hoongi na.
Priya: badmaash! achha thik hai baba aaj school se aate wakt chocolates le aungi tumhare liye okay?
Pihu: (clapping hands) Yayy! mamma is the best.
Priya: Okay, chalo abb jaldi se apna breakfast khatam karo.
After finishing the breakfast, Priya checked everything before leaving the home.
As they prepared to leave the house, Pihu ran and picked up her papa's photo frame and kissed it making Priya smile.
Priya glanced at her reflection in the small mirror as they moved near the door. Her tired eyes betrayed the immense responsibility she carried on her shoulders as a single mother. She worried about Pihu's well-being, their financial struggles, and the constant fear of losing her daughter.
"Stay strong, Priya," she whispered to herself, steeling her resolve. "Tu already itna kuch seh chuki hai, Yeh sab kuch nahi hai. Pihu ke liye hi toh kar rahi hai."
With Pihu holding Priya's hand, they stepped out into the morning sunshine. Priya locked the door behind them and headed towards the gate, and ready to face another day filled with challenges and uncertainty.
As they walked down the street, Pihu's small hand warmed in Priya's grip. Priya couldn't help but feel a mix of gratitude and determination. She would do everything in her power to provide a better life for Pihu, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.
.....................................................................
Ishaan was back to India, to celebrate Dussehra which was on 15th oct, with the Soods.
It was around 12:30pm in the afternoon, He sat at the dining table with his nani Meera, his maasi Maitri and her 2 month old son Dhruv, enjoying a quiet Breakfast. The room was filled with warmth and the aroma of home-cooked food. Sandy and Sara were at Office and Cafe respectively.
After finishing the lunch, he played with his cousin Dhruv.
As he played with Dhruv, a sense of guilt lingered in the depths of his heart. The weight of the incident from four years ago still burdened him, and he couldn't shake off the remorse that consumed him.
Ishaan, though physically present, was lost in his thoughts. The weight of guilt from the past incident still burdened his conscience. He watched Maitri's baby, Dhruv, cooing and giggling, his innocent laughter echoing in the room.
Glancing at Dhruv's innocent face, Ishaan couldn't help but think about the consequences of his actions. He spoke softly, almost to himself,
"Chhote bachhe kitne pyaare aur masoom hote hain na? Unke hone se mano ghar ki khushi duguni ho jaati hai."
Meera nodded in agreement. her eyes were filled with love for her grandson.
Ishaan: (Playing with Dhruv) Kaash mere paas bhi Dhuv jaisa chhota bhai ya behen hoti mere bachpan mein, jiske saath main khel sakta tha.
Maitri: (doing the dishes) Haan toh ab tere paas tera chhota bhai hai na, khel uske saath.
Meera: (cleaning the dinning table) Tu konsa bada ho gaya hai? 17 saal ka hi toh hai abhi!
Ishaan: Haan maasi, bohot cute hain. Waise nani mai bachpan mein kaise dikhta tha? Aapke paas koi photos hain kya mere bachpan ka?
Meera: (Smiling) Haan Ishaan, mere paas tumhare bachpan ke photos hain. Ek kaam karo mere room mein jao, cupboard ko kholo, aur usme right waale drawer ko kheecho. Waha ek album rakkha hoga, usse lekar aao.
Ishaan: (Curiously) Sacchi? Mai abhi jaata hoon.
Ishaan's curiosity piqued. He handed Dhruv to Maitri and eagerly ventured towards Meera's room. Opening the drawer as instructed, he found the photo album. But there, nestled beside it, was a letter and some pictures of a little girl . Confusion swept over him as he realized these were unfamiliar to him. He picked up the letter and started reading it.
...............................................
It was lunch time and Priya with the other teachers, sat and was munching on the lunch. All of a sudden, Priya's phone rang. She saw it was a call from Pihu's teacher. She quickly answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hello Priya, Pihu is unconscious...maybe"
"What? I'm coming right away...Aap..I mean you please stay with Pihu.." She cut the teacher & said ,all shocked and worried.
Panic washed over her as she heard the news that her little girl was unconscious and unwell. Without wasting a moment, she hastily packed her bag, leaving her half-eaten lunch behind. She hastily took permission from the school administration and rushed out and hurriedly left the school premises. Every step she took felt heavy with fear, her mind plagued by the thought of losing Pihu.
...................................................
As Ishaan began reading the letter, with each word, his shock grew. The truth unraveled before his eyes, exposing the pain and sacrifices his aunt Priya had endured. The revelation hit him like a tidal wave, and a rush of emotions flooded his heart. Guilt overwhelmed him, and tears welled up in his eyes. The realization of what he had unknowingly caused was too much to bear.
In that quiet moment of introspection, Ishaan's thoughts raced. "Oh my God! yeh sach nahi ho sakta. Ab samajh mein aa raha hai ki kyu mujhe maasi ke baare mein mom ne ya kisi ne kuch nahi bataya , mere baar baar puchne ke baad bhi... Nandini aunty aur dhamki? Pihu meri behen? Priya maasi ko kitni takleef jhelna pada mere kaaran aur RK ko apne beti ke baare mein pata bhi nahi hain! Mai apne kiye gaye galtiyon ko lekar itna andha kaise ho sata hoon? Woh accident, Shivi mami ki miscarriage aur maasi ka mera blame apne upar le lena, Priya massi aur RK ke beech divorce....Mere gusse ke kaaran, meri maasi aur pihu ko itna kuch jhelna pada aur pad raha hai, Aur Pihu....Pihu uski kya galti thi? Usse apne papa ke pyaar ke bina rehna padd raha hai. RK bhi yeh deserve nahi karte. Mai ek papa ke pyaar ki khwahish ka dard bohot achhe se samajh sakta hoon, aur abb mai nahi chahata ki Pihu bhi issi dard se guzare. Yeh sab meri wajah se ho raha hai. It's unfair. It's unjust."
He looked at Pihu's photos. Seeing her innocent face, a sense of guilt and remorse washed over him.
"Muhe nahi pata tha ki mere wajah se baat itna zyada bigad jayega. Meri wajah se itne zindagiyon par asar padega. Nahi nahi, Pihu deserved to have a father's love, just like I did. Yeh sab mere gusse ke kaaran ho raha hai! Mujhse yeh sab aur nahi ho payega abb..." He cried.
Determined to make amends and alleviate the burden of guilt, Ishaan made up his mind. He carefully folded the letter, tucked it in his pocket, and silently left the room, feeling the weight of the truth and his own guilt.
"Mai yeh baat apne andar abb nahi rakh sakta. Mujhe RK ke saamne sab kuch confess karna hi hoga. He deserves to know the truth about that incident, and Pihu deserves to know her father. Ab mujhe sab kuch theek karna hoga. I want to bring my family back together."
Saying so, he left the room and came back to the living room where Meera & Maitri were present
Ishaan: Nani, maine woh photos already dekh liya hai...Toh..abb mai..mai jaa raha hu bahar khelne..
Meera: Aise kaise itni jaldi dekh liya? Arey yaha le aate hum saath mein dekhte.
Ishaan: Mai khelne jaa sakta hoon?
Meera: Theek hain tu jaakar khel, Mai bakery mein jaakar Sara ki madad kar deti hu.
Meera and Maitri were unaware of his intentions as they went about their daily routines. Meera went to help Sara at the bakery, and Maitri went to the bedroom to put Dhruv into slumber & take a nap.
Ishaan: (To himself) Now is the time. Mujhe yeh aaj karna ho hoga. Mujhe RK se mil ke sab sach batana hoga, RK ne mere liye itna kuch kiya hai aur maine?... Mai bataunga mere baare mein, unke mom ke baare mein, aur yeh letter bhi. Yeh aasan nahi hai mere liye, Lekin mei nahi bataunga toh guilt se mar jaunga, Mere galtiyon ke kaaran unhe saza nahi milni chaiye, I can't let them suffer anymore.
He informed Maitri that he's going out to play and left the house quietly, taking the letter with him, determined to find Ram and confess the truth.
Ishaan's resolve grew stronger with each step whilst walking briskly through the streets. He knew what he needed to do. He had to confess the truth to Ram, his uncle, about pushing Shivi in a fit of anger & hand over the letter to him. It was time to release the guilt that had consumed him for years and set things right.
Clutching the letter tightly, he made his way to Kapoor Urbans. His steps were resolute, driven by a desperate need to alleviate the burden of guilt from his conscience.
Ishaan took a deep breath and entered the building upon arriving at "The Kapoor Urbans". The weight of his confession felt heavy, but he knew it was the only way to bring some semblance of peace to his fractured family.
Thankyou for taking you time and reading this!