Stirring in sleep, she held her head and opened her eyes but immediately regretted and closed them again due to bright lights. She placed her hand over her eyes shielding them before she even opened them and slowly opened her eyes and registered her surroundings that she was in a hospital and saw her friend by her side.
Pr~Mauli?
She sat up with Mauli’s help.
M~Slowly Preeta, slowly, not too fast
Mauli rose the bed for her. Preeta rested her back.
M~ (excitedly and happily) Preeta, khushkhabri hai, a miracle, you won't believe it, but please do have control over yourself, heart attack sadness se he nahi aata, agar khushi bhi out of control ho jaaye na toh bhi aa jata hai
Pr~haan haan theek hai lekin aisa kya hua Mauli? Pihu mil gayi kya?
M~(sadly) Pihu nahi mili hai, (then she said happily) lekin tujhe yaad hai tujhe fertility issues thay? Tu pregnant nahi ho sakti thi na? Preeta, ye miracle hai miracle, oh God, main itni khush toh tu kitni khush ho gi na?
Preeta chuckled not getting the reason why she's so happy.
Pr~yaar Mauli, kya gol gol ghuma rahi hai baato’n ko? Infertility? Pregnant? Kya kehna chah rahi hai? Bol na?
M~(with tears and smile) dil khushi se machal raha hai tera? Aisa lag raha hai na ke kisi moment bahar aa jaaye ga? Aray toh khabar he aisi hai
Pr~tu phir baato’n ko gol gol ghumaane lagi? Spit it out Mauli, cut the crap, break the ice, spill the beans, (she pouted folding her arms on her torso) suspense nahi pasand mujhe, come on
M~(with glimmering excitement) Preeta, Preeta tu maa ban’ne wali hai, tu pregnant hai pregnant, teri jaan mein ek jaan basti hai. Dekh na, tera sapna poora hone ja raha hai, tera bacha, tera ansh.
Pr~(confused and frowning) mera bacha? Mera ansh? Mere garbh mein mera bacha hai? Ek nanhee si jaan, ek baby? Pregnant hoon main? Main pregnant hoon?
M~haan, haan tu pregnant hai Preeta, tu pregnant hai
Pr~pregnant?
Preeta caressed her tummy, her eyes pooled up with tears.
M~haan Preeta. Bhagwan ne sun li teri, pregnant hai tu, Hey Bhagwan, itni baar bola hai, nazar na lagay
She applied tika behind her ear. A smile slowly spread on her lips while her vision blurred by tears, it fell endlessly from her eyes. Mauli pulled her in a hug and she reciprocated the hug happily.
M~dekha? Bhagwan ke ghar der hai, andher nahi
Mauli rubbed her back slightly as she couldn't stop her tears from flowing as it had happiness after longing too much.
Pr~aur… ye bacha light ho ga, ek gehre andhere tunnel ke end pe ek light, mere… aur Karan ke liye
Sadness engulfed her as she took his name and broke the hug. She sobbed.
Flashback:
K~kaisi gair zimmedaar maa ho, Pihu ka khayaal isliye nahi rakh paai ke us ki sagi maa nahi ho na, (Preeta shook her head tearfully) jabhi toh Bhagwan ne baansh banaya, careless I say. Meri galti hai, mujhe Pihu ko Sonakshi ko de dena chahiye tha jab woh itna keh rahi thi us din. Aray Pihu us din pataakho’n ke beech phasi thi tab bhi toh tumhe he daant par rahi thi na, kiun? Kiun ke tum ho careless, maa ban’ne ke laayak he nahi ho. Jabhi Bhagwan ne kabhi tumhe maa nahi banaya. Aray Pihu ka munh nahi thakta hai tumhe mumma mumma bol bol kar, lekin tum… tumhe pasand he nahi Pihu, kiun ke who meri aur Sonakshi ki beti hai na, isliye.
She couldn't bear the word infertile and irresponsible for herself and slapped him hard.
Pr~(angrily and tearfully) bas! Bas Karan! Himmat kaise hui mujhe baansh kehne ki? Kaise keh diya tum ne ke main gair zimmedaar hoon? Aray sharam karo, kuchh toh control rakho apni zabaan par. Tumhe hak kis ne diya mujhe ye sab bolne ka? Haan nahi diya maine Pihu ko janam lekin pyaar diya hai usay humesha. Main nahi hoon woh jis ne usay gayab kiya, maine kuchh nahi kiya Karan. Tum kiun nahi gaye Pihu ko party se pick karne? Main gair zimmedaar, main baansh, tum kaun? Tum us ke baap nahi kya? Tum bhi toh ja saktay thay? Kiun nahi gaye? Main agar zimmedaar hoon na Pihu ke gayab hone ke peechhe, toh tum bhi ho.
K~tumhe mujhe thappar maarne ka hak kis ne diya?
Pr~so what? Jab tum itni bakwaas kar saktay ho mere baare mein, us bakwaas ke aagay ye thappar kya he cheez hai Karan. An eye for an eye, blood for blood, disrespect for disrespect. My attitude depends on the way you treat me. Ek baar aur kaho zara mujhe baansh aur gair zimmedaar, lekin khud ke girebaan mein jhaankna mat bhoolna Karan. Aur haan, Pihu tumhari aur Sonakshi ki beti nahi hai haan, Pihu meri aur tumhari beti hai, Preeta aur Karan ki beti. Main jaanti hoon ye saara gussa kis baat ka hai, yahi na ke main tumhe sexually satisfy kar bhi doon toh tumhe mujh se bacha nahi ho sakta aur Sonakshi tumhe aur bachay de sakti hai, yahi na? Hai na Karan? Wow! Amazing. Preeta baansh hai, Sonakshi bacha paida karne ki machine. Preeta gair hai, Sonakshi apni hai. Preeta gair zimmedaar hai lekin Sonakshi zimmedaar hai. Sonakshi Sonakshi Sonakshi. To hell with you and Sonakshi.
Fb end.
She cried remembering that argument, his words echoed painfully in her ears.
M~Preeta? Tu khush nahi hai? Ye tera baby, tera bacha, tera aur…
Pr~nahi, ye sirf mera bacha hai, Karan is ka sperm donor hai, woh mere bachay ka baap nahi hai, mera bacha hai ye Mauli.
She said cupping her tummy which once longed to carry a baby and here she was, finally pregnant, with tears of happiness and sadness both. Mauli nodded.
M~I understand, lekin tu bataye gi bhi nahi kya usay? Usay hak hai jaan’ne ka
Pr~hak? Kaisa hak? Woh samajhta kya hai khud ko? Aur main kiun bataun? Jab main baansh hoon gair zimmedaar hoon toh kiun bataun main? Nahi, rehne do usay andhero’n mein, nahi bataun gi kabhi bhi usay main, chheen le ga is ko mujh se, chheen le ga mujh se maa ban’ne ka saubhagya, who Luthras chheen lengay mere baby ko mujh se Mauli. Tu bhi mat bolna.
M~okay okay, calm down, dekh issay, is ke liye smile kar, ye nanha farishta tujhe bolay ga ya bolay gi, mumma. (Preeta smiled) Tere jaisa ho ga, humble, down to earth, us ke liye mat ro, filhaal aane wali khushi ko dekh.
Pr~(nodded) Preeta Arora ka baby, Arora
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