Teju " Did you cheat on my mother, tell me the truth "
Her words were breaking two people who really believed that she would trust them. Smirti took a step back and nodded no.
Smirti was crying and mumma k stepped to teju " He never cheated on your mother. Your nanu was lying. that engagement never happened, it was about to happen bcoz of my father wish but when sitesh told us about his love, we all agreed for his happiness. Smirti never stayed in the same house with us, she left the house saying she wanted to study further and she did came back, but only after you were born, just to see you and be with you "
Teju " why did you hide this from my mother "
Sitesh " She knows.. Your mother knows everything about me and smirti" he said in his low voice and teju looked at him shocked, as well nanu.
Sitesh " The day I got married to your mother, I told her about all this . She know about smirti, she even felt pity for her. "
Flashback
Neetu " what... You r telling me this now. Sitesh, this is all wrong.. She must have imagine her whole life with you and now this will only hurt her more. We did a mistake, we can't stay here, how will i face her now..she must be thinking i came in between you "
Smirti from behind " itni bhi low thinking nahi mereko.. Kya re behen.. You really thought like this about me. Neetu, I wont lie, my parents fixed about us when bhabhi came into our house marrying bhaiya, they liked sitesh so much and i was not against it. But when he told us about you, we all were genuinely happy for him. His happiness matters to us more than their wish, I never thought it the way u said earlier. I m happy for you both, please don't think otherwise. Me and sitesh are good friends, it will remain the same forever. "
Neetu felt relieved as she spoke things clearly and sitesh thanked smirti.
After that she left to US for her higher studies and they used to talk over call.
End
Sitesh " I didn't mean to hide anything from you teju, when I told you how me and smirti got married , it was all true. I didn't tell you about my engagement talks bcoz u didn't know I was your father that time, you didn't know the entire truth, kabhi baat ghumane ki koshish nahi karrahe thi mei, please understand "
He pleaded infront of his dauhter, the fear of losing her was evident.
Smirti " I... I.. never meant to come between them.. I.. She... was a nice.. friend to me also.. ek behen jaise thi mereliye neetu.. And I came back.. came back only for you.. When I heard you were born, I.. I was so happy.. Mujhe.. I.. I wanted to see you... I couldn't stay there longer when I saw your pic, I came back... I swear teju, me and your father never cheated on your mother.. Please yakeen karo humara " she fell on her knees crying and Karan immediately moved to her, held her in his arms and Sitesh wiped her tears holding her, nodding no.
Smirti " she don't trust us sitesh " she whispered with a broken heart and sitesh felt as he failed once again.
Karan " Calm down please " he whispered and rubbed her back to calm down.
Nanu " aapke jhoot uske mann mei nahi jayegi, apke gunah sab samne aagaye , Besharam log " he said sarcastically
Karan " shut up " he roared
Teju " Karan " she showed her palm and he closed his eyes controlling his anger .
Teju looked at her grandmother who was quiet in all this.
Teju " in sab ki baat Bhi aap kuch nahi bolenge nanimaa , only you could tell me the truth.. Meri maa ne suicide kyu kiye.. Y she end her life? Itni badi step lene ki wajah kya hai.. Sachhhh bolooooo... Speak up nanimaaaa, why did my mother die..? What happened with her? What the hell is the reason for that "
Nanimaa meekly said " Your nanu was the reason "
The hall went silent as she uttered the words. Sitesh and Karan found a new hope when nani started speaking.
Karan " Please tell the truth to her nani, she will only trust your words"
However the words broke two people there, it's indeed the truth that time.
Nani " Your nanu was the reason teju, he is the reason I lost my only daughter, he is the reason you were away from your family, he is the reason you were away from your father who was searching you everywhere, he is the reason for your life without your parents and he is the damn reason for the humiliation she faced all her life " Nani pointed at smirti and teju looked at her.
Tears were flowing down nani cheeks and nanu was shocked, he tried to stop her and threaten her " how dare u to blame me for everything, how shameless you are to blame your husband.. You ungrateful women, meine tumko Sab kuch diya, aur tum mujhe bolrahehu "
Nani " Sach bolrahehu... Your nanu was the reason for everything teju, ye log innocent hai, they are the victims in real, whatever they said was truth.. Your mother knows about smirti already and she never complained about that..
Your nanu was very angry after your mother choosed sitesh over him. He couldn't digest that his daughter ran away with a punjabi. He couldn't bear the insult he faced from everyone bcoz of that. Our relatives talks behind our back, they questioned our upbringing and he couldn't hear all that. Day by day, his anger never subsided, it increased, it increased every time he saw his brothers giving him pity look, it increased everytime they saw him useless, everytime they taunt him and I tried my everything to make him realize she is happy with her choice but he didn't budge.
Then after some years, he suddenly came back, his face was screaming that he is planning something. He asked me to call your mother and I was shocked. I didn't understand anything.
Nanu " call your daughter.. Tell her you r sick and you want to see her. "
Nani was scared " why, what r u planning kalyan ji "
Nanu nodded no " what will I do. Pagal hogaye kya padma.. Kya sochrhe Ho. Beti hai meri voh... I realized how wrong I m to push her away.. I realized I was being an asshole to my own daughter.. Mujhe.. Mujhe meri beti ko dhekna hai padma, meri pouti ko dhekna hai, usko chuna hai, pyaar dena hai " he had tears and that melted nani.
She was happy that he is changed and immediately called neetu. The mother daughter speak at times without him knowing, but hearing her father called her, neetu was very happy. .
Neetu " maaa.. Sach mei baba ne bola.. I m so shocked, I.. M coming maa.. I will come as soon as possible.. Mei abhi sitesh ko batati hu , hum aarahe hai " .
Bohot kush thi voh.. The next day she came with you to our home and told sitesh will come but later, that came as a added advantage for your grandfather. He acted like he was happy and neetu asked him sorry multiple times, she made sitesh to talk with us over calk and he also spoke to him normally. But everything changed after three days, he started taunting her again and took her phone, he cut all the possibilities of her contacting sitesh.
Neetu " baba why r y doing this.. I need to go, my family...My family is waiting for me.. Sitesh ki paas jaana hai mujhe.. Leave us baba..Mishhh come to me "
She tried to take her daughter who was in his arms, he nodded no with a evil smile on his face.
Nanu " family, which family neetu? The family for whom you betrayed me? The man for whom you throwed us away? The man for whom you made me feel all those insult and words? Tum nahi rahogi uske sath..you can't live with him.. You will stay with us and yehi teri zindagi hai.. I even have a better idea, you will marry the man I will choose for you and sab settle hojayenge "
Neetu looked at her father shocked with disgust " chiii.. Aap mere baba hai? You are a disgrace. How could u think that I will come with you leaving everything, I will come with you leaving my husband, my sitesh... Never.. Destroy that thought and bloody leave us.. Mishti come "
She tried to take mishti but he pushed her and took mishti somewhere locking the two ladies in the house.
We had no idea where he went with you but when he came back, you were not with him. You know what this man did, he threatened your mother, he told her to sign the Divorce papers holding u as captive "
Teju was too shocked to hear everything , she couldn't believe the man who raised her and showed himself as a perfect person was a cruel person.
Nani " Neetu was devasted, she begged him to give you back, she begged him to take her to you but he didn't budge a second. ..
Neetu " please baba, I beg you, I beg you leave my daughter.. Don't involve her in this. She can't stay away from me and she must be crying.. Please stop your cruelty, she is a baby baba.. Kya hogaye aapko.. "
Nanu " ispe sign Karo.. Then I will bring her here.. Or else she won't come "
Neetu nodded no " nahii kabhi nahi karungi, I can't live without him. Nahi karungii ispe signn"
Nanu " what a mother u r neetu? You know your daughter will be crying, you know she is earning for you but still you won't sign. You won't sign right, then just wait and watch "
He left in anger and neetu hugged her mother crying, how can she chose between her husband and children.
And when we thought he couldn't go more worst, he went a step ahead. He somehow came to know about sitesh and smirti and he used it as his last stroke. He tried to manipulate neetu saying sitesh was having affair with smirti, but your mother didn't believe it. He tried another way. He... He set a few people and humiliated smirti.. The ladies called her names, she was humiliated to no extent, they throwed slippers at her for having extramarital affair. She was humiliated everywhere, at her home, at her office and everywhere she went, . That women was broken, she was broken to the core teju , the family was humiliated "
Teju looked at smirti who was crying, mumma k was consoling her and sitesh was trying to control his anger remembering those days where smirti came running to them, crying hard and she was depressed bcoz of that.
Nani " and he proudly showed his act to us, the video gripped our hearts in pain.
Nanu " If u don't sign now.. I will make sure the family dies of humiliation and I will put your husband behind bars for that. I will make you away from your daughter for the rest of your lives "
Neetu " please don't do this to me baba.. We will never show you our faces, leave us " she was drained, exhausted and mentally tired.
Nanu " choose wisely this time neetu" he smirked and with her shivering hands, she took the pen and sign the divorce papers.
Neetu" kabhi aapko maaf nahi karungi baba " she whispered and he cared less.
He sent the papers to your father who was furious, he came to our home the next day and everything messed up.
Nanu gripped neetu cheeks " Don't you dare tell him that i threaten you.. Tell him, you know about his little affair now and just ask him to leave and live with that women. Don't forget mishti is with me neetu , that family will face the worst if u do anything wrong "
Sitesh was banging the door and she opened it with shaky hands and sitesh immediately hugged her.
Sitesh " thank God you r fine. What nonsense was that.. Did your father forced you, he can't do anything. I will handle everything, come with me.. Let's leave.. Where is mishti.. Mishtii.. Come to baba "
Neetu pushed him with difficulty and she looked at him blankly, while her heart was breaking.
Neetu " I don't want... Want to go with you.. Leave from here.. "
Sitesh " bakwas band karo, aur chalo mere sath "
Neetu " go sitesh, I realized, I know everything now. I... Know... I. Know you and... Smirti still have feelings.... I know.. You... want.. to be with her.. Go and live with her.. Leave me "
Sitesh raised his hands to slap her and she flinched.
Sitesh " what nonsense you r speaking, you know that I love u damit, then what r u doing.. Who fed this poison on your mind. Bullshit, come with me right now. Let's talk. It's already a mess neetu, please understand me "
She wanted to hug and cry, but stopped herself remembering mishti.
" Mishti, mishtiii " he shouted for his daughter.
Neetu " mishti is not here.. She is not here dammit " she shouted and fell on his arms crying..
Neetu " inone usse kahi rakha hai sitesh, I want to see her.. It's been 2 days since I saw her, please go from here , I want my daughter.. He will give me her only when you go away.. Meri bachi.. I don't know how is she.. Please.. Jao tum yahanse"
Sitesh was shocked and before he could kick the old man, police came and neetu was too shocked to react, who called the police? Her father smirked and she knew its him..
Police " we r sorry sir, you r under arrest, we got some illegal things in your official cabin and we need to take you in our custody "
Both of them were shocked with another issue in their life and sitesh argued with the officers, he was saying that he is innocent, but none believe and they took him from there.
Neetu " siteshhhh... "
Nanu grabbed her hands and pulled her inside, sitesh screamed tht he will bring their daughter back.
Neeetu pushed her father " why did you do this baba.. Why did you do this.. I m doing everything you told me, then y "
Nanu " he is the reason for everything and how will I leave him. he will suffer more if u don't come with me, Get ready, we r leaving this place and you will never come back here again.. "
Neetu " I want mishtii..i.. Want to see her.. Please "
He nodded and after a hour , he came back with mishtii who was crying for her mother, the kid looked scared and pale, she immediately hugged her mother and they both stayed in each other embrace. She was craving to see her daughter.
Neetu thought for longer time and she decided something which would be the best decision for everyone life.
Neetu wrote in a letter " maaa, please do one help.. Kaise bhi karke.. Mishti ko sitesh ki paas bejdo.. Pleaseee.. I don't want my daughter to suffer like me., I don't want her to stay with the man who is responsible for many broken lives. Please do this favourr maa"
Mishti looked at her mother who was crying while writing something, when was scared to be away from her already. She hugged her mother rightly and neetu cried harder holding her daughter, for one last time.
Mishti " maaa.. Babaa... Paass... Sunnyyyy... ki paasss "
Neetu kissed her daughters whole face " yes Bby, yes you will go to your father soon.. You will see your sunny soon.. Tell him, mumma asked sorry from him, tell baba mumma broke her promise and she was sorry for that, will you. "
Mishti nodded , not knowing why her mother was saying.
Neetu cried " I love you mishtiii, mumma ko abhi jaana hai, that's better for everyone.. Baba se bohot saara pyaar dena.. Kabhi unka haat nahi chodnaa.. My heart, my baby.. Mummaa love you so much mishhh ,I m sorry.. I m sorry... Smi will take care of you, bhabhi will take care of you.. They all love u so much..mumma ko maaf kardo meri jaan "
Mishti kissed her cheeks and she smiled, she was living the last moment with her daughter.
She recorded everything in a voice tape recorder and kept it in her things, she was sure that sitesh will see that.
Nanu came back after sometime with tickets and she locked mishti in a room with her mother and locked herself in another room.
Nanu " what the hell are you doing neetu "
Neetu " babaa.. I love him so much, I can't live without him and i can never live with the guilt of spoiling many lives. You will never change baba.. You will never.. Your ego will kill everyone of us. Your ego will make our lives hell and you will not leave my family until I m alive.. Mei jaarahe hu baba.. Mere zindagi kurban karnese sab theek hojayenge toh , mei karlungi "
She drenched herself with kerosene making her parents shocked.
Nanu " ye pagal panti mat kar neetu.. Don't.. I will not do anything.. Stop.. Don't , suicide is not a option.. Stop neetu " he was honestly scared and didn't want her to take any step.
Nani was shouting on the other hand, she was begging her daughter to stop the nonsense , she was begging her to not do anything.
She chuckled " you didn't give me any other choice as well " she lit herself and her screams along with the fire, was etched in crying mishti heart and mind
Chaligaye voh, hum sabko chodke chaligayee meri beti, Chaligye meri neetu "
Teju took a time to understand everything and when she realized the agony of her mother and her pain
" Mummmmmmaaaaaaaaa "
She fell on her knees crying hard for her mother and Karan immediately held her in his arms crying along with her.
.....................................................................
Hiyaaaa I hope you will like this chapter and please share your views on this story.
Suicide is never a solution for anything and this chapter doesn't encourage such activities. This was written to just show how her stupid decision have broken many lives , if someone had to die, it had to be her father, not neetu..
Thank you so much for all the love and support
SANTHIYA SURESH