"Ru....hi....." Raman stuttered "Ruhi.... me....ri....meri beti hai Papa"
Mr.Bhalla placed his hand over Raman's shoulder "Mujhe sach jaanna hai Raman"
"Yahi....yahi sach hai...Ruhi meri beti hai" Raman tried his best to convince his father.
"Mai tere jazbaat ko samajhta hoon Raman. Par ye bhi jaanta hoon ke Ruhi tera khoon nahi hai" Mr.Bhalla revealed his observations.
"Nahi Papa...aap....aisa kyun soch...rahe ho....Yaqeen maano Ruhi meri hi beti hai" Raman didn't want anyone other than Mihika to know that he wasn't the biological father of Ruhi.
"Yaqeen toh mujhe is baat par hai ke mera beta galat ho sakta hai, par gunahgaar nahi ho sakta" Mr.Bhalla proclaimed. Raman was amazed by his confidence.
Mr.Bhalla added "Mai achhi tarah jaanta hoon tu kabhi Ishita ke sath zabardasti nahi kar sakta. Isliye bata mujhe ke Ruhi ka asli baap koun hai"
"Mai nahi jaanta ke Ruhi ka baap koun hai" Raman came out with the truth apprehensively.
Mr.Bhalla took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Raman looked on anxiously as to what his father's reaction would be on knowing the truth.
"Jaanta hai, tune mujhe aaj sharminda kar diya" Mr.Bhalla said.
Raman was left disheartened with his father's statement. Was he wrong in expecting his father to understand him?
"Mai us baat par sharminda hoon jo maine tujhe 10 saal pehle kahi thi ke tu mera beta nahi hai. Aaj tune sabith kardiya ke bhale hi teri ragon me khoon mera na ho, par fitrat meri hi doud rahi hai" he remarked proudly.
"Papa?" Raman was stunned with yet another revelation from his past which he had no clue of.
"Haan puttar! Tu mera khoon nahi hai" Mr.Bhalla expressed sadly.
"Toshiji pehle mere bade bhai Vyom Prakash Bhalla ki biwi thi. Vyom bhaisaheb teri hi tarah ek businessman the. Unke sapne bahut bade the. Videsh me business set karna unka sabse bada sapna tha. Isi sapne ko poori karne ki koshish me woh lage hue the aur aksar unka videsh aana jaana hota tha. Jab tu paida honewala tha, tab woh Singapore gaye hue the. Jis din unhein lautna tha, usi din Toshiji ko hospital le jaana pada. Maa, Baauji bhaisaheb ko lene airport chale gaye aur idhar mai Toshiji ko lekar hospital le gaya. Jab bhaisaheb ki flight land ho rahi thi tab kisi technical problem ki wajah se plane crash hogaya aur saare passengers ki mout hogayi. Koi nahi bacha" Mr.Bhalla wiped his tears narrating the fateful incident from past.
Raman was still in shock knowing about the tragic death of his biological father.
"Udhar bhaisaheb ne apni akhri saans li aur idhar tere rone ki awaz goonjne lagi. Aisa mehsoos ho raha tha jaise tu is duniya me aane ki khushi me nahi, balki tere pita ke is duniya se jaane ki gham me ro raha ho" he said.
"Maa, Baauji toh pehle se hi is baat se nakhush the ke bhaisaheb ne unki marzi ke khilaf apni pasand ki ek anaath ladki se shadi ki thi. Ab bhaisaheb ki mout ki wajah se Toshiji ki taraf unki nafrat aur zyada badh gayi. Tere paida hone ki khushi mere siwa kisi ne nahi manaya. Maa, Baauji ye samajhte the ke tu unka beta khaa gaya aur Toshiji ko aisa gehra sadma lag gaya tha ke woh khushi manana toh door, muskurana bhi bhool gayi thi. Bhaisaheb ke shradhh ke baad Maa, Baauji ne Toshiji ko tere sath ghar se nikal jaane ko kaha. Maine lakh samjhane ki koshish ki par koi meri baat sunne ko hi tayyar nahi tha. Toshiji kahan jaatin? Teri parwarish kaise karti? Unhe jaate hue dekh mai ye sochta raha ke agar bhaisaheb ki jagah mere sath ye hadsa hua hota aur agar meri biwi aur bachhe ko ghar se bedakhal kiya jaata toh kya bhaisaheb chup chaap khade hokar tamasha dekhte rehte ya teri aur Toshiji ki zimmedari sambhalne keliye khade ho jaate? Bas isi zimmedari ke ehsas ne mujhe ye faisla lene ki himmat di ke mai Toshiji se shadi kar loon. Humne shadi toh kar li, par hum pati patni nahi sirf tere maa baap the. Phir pata nahi kab tere liye hamara jo pyar tha usne humein baandh diya aur kab hum ek doosre se pyar karne lag gaye" he narrated.
"Dekhte hi dekhte tu bada hogaya. Jaise tu jawan hota gaya, mujhe tujhme Vyom bhaisaheb nazar aane lage. Teri harkatein, teri adatein mujhe unki yaad dilati thi. Na jaane kyun mai is baat se insecure feel karne laga ke tu meri tarah nahi balki bhaisaheb ki tarah banta jaa raha hai. Mujhe teri baaton se andaza hogaya tha ke tu bhi bhaisaheb ki tarah business ki duniya me kadam rakhna chahta hai. Mujhe laga tu unke naqshe kadam pe chalte chalte mujhse door hojayega. Isiliye tu jaise hi graduation ki padhayi poori hui maine apne company ke manager se baat ki aur wahin par teri naukri pakki karli. Lekin jab tune woh job karne se mana kiya aur apne business plans ke baare me bataya, mujhse bardashth nahi hua. Mai is sach ko sehen nahi kar paaya ke bhale hi maine tujhe paala ho, tu khoon mera nahi hai. Bas isi taish me meri zuban se woh sach nikal gaya jo maine saalon tak apne seene me daba kar rakha tha ke tu mera beta nahi hai. Mere dil ko bahut thes pahunchi thi aur isiliye maine keh diya tha ke mere dil me aur mere ghar me tere liye koi jagah nahi" Mr.Bhalla revealed.
Raman could now very well understand the reason behind his father's unexpected rage on that day. Until now Raman was trying to fathom what had gone so wrong that his father reacted so immaturely and had asked him to leave the house.
"I am sorry puttar...Mujhe maaf karde" Mr.Bhalla folded his hands in front of Raman and apologised.
"Ye aap kya kar rahe ho...Mai samajh sakta hoon ke aapne aisa kyun kiya" Raman pushed his father's folded hands apart.
"Mera yaqeen maan Raman mai kabhi nahi chahta tha ke tu ghar chod kar chala jaaye. Woh toh bas maine jazbati hokar kehdiya tha. Lekin jab tu sach me ghar chodke chala gaya, mai toot gaya tha. Mujhe is baat se bahut bada dhakka pahunch gaya ke mera tujhe itne saalon tak apne seene se laga kar paalna koi maaine nahi rakhta tha. Khoon ke rishte ke aage dil ke rishte ne dum tod diya tha" Mr.Bhalla broke down.
"Nahi Papa. Aisa nahi hai. Dil ka rishta, khoon ke rishte se gehra hota hai. I am sorry mai aapko samajh nahi paaya. Agar mujhe ye sach pehle se pata hota toh mai kabhi aapko chod kar nahi jaata. I love you Papa" admitted Raman earnestly. His heart swelled with unexplainable joy that his father loved him beyond limits. Itna Karo Naa Mujhe Pyar his heart sang.
"I love you too puttar" said Mr.Bhalla taking Raman in his embrace. Raman hugged him back tightly and they both shed tears of joy.
Breaking the embrace, Mr.Bhalla asked "Puttar tu mera ek kaam karega?"
"Ji Papa boliye"
"Meri bahu aur meri poti ko unke poore haq ke sath ghar wapas le aa" he said.
"Par...aap toh jaante ho ki hamari shadi nahi hui hai" Raman looked down ashamed.
"Jaanta hoon. Isiliye keh raha hoon ke unhein poore haq ke sath wapas le aa. Yaani Ishita ko meri bahu banakar le aa" he replied.
"Ye nahi ho sakta Papa. I am sorry" Raman said.
"Kyun nahi ho sakta?" Mr.Bhalla asked.
"Ishita nahi maanegi"
"Toh mana use" he said.
"Mai uska saamna kaise karunga? Woh shayad mera chehra bhi dekhna pasand nahi karegi" Raman replied.
"Toh kya tu usse chehra chupate hue ghoomega? Haar maan jayega apne pyar ke saamne?" Mr.Bhalla asked.
"Haar chuka hoon mai. Mujhme ab himmat nahi rahi apni kismat se ladne ki" he stated.
"Nahi Raman, tu haar nahi maan sakta. Mujhe meri zimmedari ke ehsaas ne pyar karna sikhaya tha, aur tujhe tere pyar ne teri zimmedari ka ehsaas dilaya hai. Tera Ishita keliye pyar hi tha jisne tujhe Ruhi ki zimmedari lene keliye tayyar kiya. Warna koun kisi paraye ke khoon ko apna bachha maanega? Tu dekhna jab Ishita ko sach ka pata lagega, woh samajh jaayegi jis tarah tu mujhe samajh gaya. Aur ye sach Ishita ko tujhe hi batana hoga" Mr.Bhalla encouraged him.
"Kya woh meri baat sunne ko tayyar hogi?" Raman was still afraid.
"Ye sab sochne se kuch haasil hoga kya? Koshish karega toh hi pata chalega na ke uska anjaam kya niklega" Mr.Bhalla said.
Raman nodded.
"Ab moo kyun latkaya hua hai? Smile kar" Mr.Bhalla forced his lips into a smile.
Raman chuckled and said "Thank you Papa"
"Khoteya! Apne baap ko thank you kehta hai" he hit Raman's arm playfully.
"Toh kya kahun? I love you?" Raman laughed.
"Woh toh tu Ishita ko jaake kehna" Mr.Bhalla winked.
"Kahunga Papa. Ab toh kehke hi rahunga" Raman said determined.
"Ye hui na baat" Mr.Bhalla patted Raman's back.
-------To be continued------
A fairly long chapter I believe😜
Hope u enjoyed reading