22nd December 2018
Arjun had hated this time of the year ,it was one such chilly night that stole his wife away from him. The festive season brings him nothing but painful remainders of the years he and Asha lost with Sakshi .
He heard her footsteps and didn't want to be found tonight . Both of them were prone to nightmare and so ever since he walked out and saw her sitting in his garden lost in thoughts, he made it a habit to join her if he woke up with a nightmare as well .
He still can't believe he let her stay ,inspite of the threat towards her life . Somehow sending her alone in to the world terrified him and so he devised a plan. He had taken up disguising her a man when he took her out for her doctors appointment.
The doctors said it wasn't necessary but he refused to back down ,he couldn't say to them about his stalker either .Two week later after Pari second appointment, he opened the email to find that his efforts were futile.
Dear Sanskar ,
Did you hire someone to help around. Who is he sanskar .I am so curious ,but since it a guy I am relived or else I would have been jealous. I saw you at the hospital and wondered if you were sick ,you would let me know right . I tried bribing someone for information but no one knew about your visit .
And I didn't get a chance to notice which doctor you visited ,I am sorry sanskar if you felt I was intruding but I was concerned "
Yours ,
Miss X ( Wishing you were healthy )
Ever since then he took a gamble when he took Pari out , the disguises may work at a distance but a closer look will show the discrepancies. He expected her to find out but so far she remained unaware of his deception .
" Can I join you " Pari voice broke him out of his thoughts ,he liked her comforting presence but felt it was a betrayal to his wife if he didn't even mourn her especially tonight .
" Arjun ." her voice persisted and he turned around to see her sitting beside him.
" It better if you left me alone today Pari " he answered back even when he knew it was cruel to do so ,when it not her fault.
" I am sorry , I will leave " She jumped up from the chair and hastened to leave ,it made me feel like a monster .
" Stay Pari ,I am sorry . I took out my anger on you " Arjun apologized and she reluctantly walked back to him .
" It Asha's mom death Anniversary . I feel wretched that she died while I continued to live , when it is all my fault " Arjun voice was raw and filled with pain .
" If you died as well ,what about Asha ,what about dida and what about me Arjun . We depend on you . I can't say it would be easy for you but I want you to know that you need not mourn alone ,tell me about her . " Pari voice gently spoke up soothing his heart with her kind words.
" Ours was an arranged marriage , a business agreement between my bade papa and his friend, I didn't agree to the marriage because I liked her but because I wanted to appease my bade papa.
And I crushed her heart when I told her ,I need time before accepting our marriage . She was patient. Kind and everything I didn't deserve , it was after almost 6 months later I realized the error of my ways and decided it was time to take responsibility for my actions.
It was I who married her with promising to be by her side and I failed her. We had a bit of a rocky start but gradually she won my heart that it was impossible for me to believe I could be more happy . Than we had Asha ,our life felt complete. Until I lost her two years ago . " Arjun voice echoed with pain and Pari wondered how it would rip her heart if she lost him . Then chastised herself for growing fond of him .
"She seems like a lovely person " Pari admitted as she realized Asha mother was someone very much loved by her husband .
" What was her name ?" Pari asked at his silence and he answered back stating her name was "Sakshi " . They talked a bit more before retiring to their respective rooms.
Sleep eluded Pari as she was chased by yet another nightmare ,she woke up with a gasp clutching her head in pain. This time it was a tiny hand that held her that got her attention ,and Pari opened her eyes to see Asha sitting in the bed beside her.
" Dida said ,I can sleep with you if you want . Dad doesn't get those bad dreams when I sleep next to him. Want to try " the three year old innocence stole her heart , and Pari realized she loved the little girl as if she was her own.
As she tucked the little girl beside her ,and watched her fall asleep ,Pari mind replayed the nightmare . It felt too real . And yet it had to be a product of her imagination .
It just didn't make sense that she had a dream of seeing Arjun crying out as he clutched a lifeless body. She seem to recall the name Sakshi being uttered from him . It made sense she dreamed about him after what he told her. Yet why it always felt like it was just a memory .
As Asha promised no nightmare reoccurred as she held on to the little girl and drifted off to sleep . Hoping one day she will regain her memory and everything will fall into place.
*****************
The next day ,Arjun left with Asha to spend the day with Sakshi parents .Dida decided to remain with her for which Pari had been thankful . They were currently working in kitchen preparing a meal . When Pari curiosity got the better of her .
" Why is their no picture of Asha's mom ? ,is it hard for Arjun to look at it " Pari asked Dida as she continued chopping the vegetables.
" No , their is two picture of Sakshi in Sanskar room and one in Asha room . You haven't seen them . Of course you never stepped into Sanskar room but you must have seen the one in Asha room ,it was on her bedside table. A picture of three of them taken just a week after Asha was born ,there aren't many picture of them though. Sakshi missed seeing Asha grow up " Dida kept talking as she let the tears fall .
During her stay ,she had learnt dida was Sakshi maternal grandmother , so she understood how it must have hurted her to lose Sakshi soon . Yet an hour later when she stepped into Asha room she looked for the photo Dida mentioned and her face turned pale to see the smiling face of Sakshi ,the same face from her dream. It belonged to the person she stabbed in her nightmare.
She rushed out of her room as she raced to dida room ,she was out of breath by the time she found dida who was taking a short nap. she didn't wish to wake her up .So walked away yet was haunted by Sakshi face .
When Asha rushed into her arms two hours later. She was stuck with a guilt that she couldn't look at Arjun in fear he will find her to be the person who killed his wife.
At that moment she knew ,it was time to leave the house . She can't confess to her crimes when she didn't know if it was true but she can't stay when her conscience pricked her heart like a knife wound .
The next day ,she packed her meager belongings . Everything she held was something Arjun brought her ,it felt wrong to take them but she argued nothing could be worse then killing his wife.
She waited for Arjun to leave for office ,so she can slip out when dida was taking her nap .Yet she couldn't leave Asha alone with no adult either . She hoped Asha would fall asleep as well ,tried to make sure the little girl was exhausted by playing hide and seek with her for an hour.
Yet the girl refused to fall asleep , it was about the tenth round of hide and seek and Pari began to panic when Asha was not in her usual hiding places.
She began searching in earnest as fear began to take root until she found the little girl half asleep inside the wardrobe of Sanskar room ,as she lifted the girl gently a thud sound resonated and Pari looked down to see she knocked some of his files down.
She picked them up ,and placed them back in their rightful place when Asha hand reached out to grab a photo album . Pari let the girl hold on to it as she knew Arjun won't deny his daughter anything .
She carried the little girl to her room ,tucked her in the bed and was about to leave when the little girl voice halted her .
" I want to see this book " Asha voice halted her and Pari sat beside the little girl and opened the album . A face of Sakshi and Arjun in their wedding attire flashed that it brought back the guilt .
Still she continued turning the pages while Asha eyes continued to drift to sleep ,just a few more pages Pari promised to herself but she stopped at a page where she recognized everyone in the picture.
" Do you know them Pari aunty " the little girl voiced asked and Pari slowly began reciting their name in the order they stood from right to left Laksh ,Durga Prasad uncle ,Annapurna Aunty , Arjun and Sakshi.
Her world titled in her axis yet again as she realized she really knew them. His family ,she wondered why he pretended not to know her then .
And wondered why she ended up killing his wife ,with so many questions swirling in her mind. She didn't notice Arjun arrival or the murderous expression in his face until Asha rushed out to greet him.
Then she looked into his face and saw him like never before ,if looks could kill she would have been dead by the mere venom in his eyes .
" Asha ,go and play with Dida ." Arjun spoke to his little girl who ran out to do as her father demanded then only he turned around to face her .
" You killed my wife " he spoke up ,it wasnt a question but a statement which promised retribution. Pari thought she can walk away and never face the hatred in his eyes but seeing the hurt in his face made her realize she deserve to pay for her crimes .
" Yes I think I did Arjun " Pari answered back and waited for him to unleash his wrath. She knew she deserved it and yet her heart withered to lose him because in the few months she known him ,she had grown so very fond of him
P.S :" That it for now .Let me know your thoughts and Feedbacks . Hit the votes if you liked it "
Juanita Reid