Warning: Strong visuals and emotions ahead.
22) Meri Behna? It happened
Ultimate Fam Playlist: Laree Choote (Call)
Janvi's POV
'Tell us. Tell us the truth, Paa. This isn't fair.' I told my father, anger resonating in every breath, marking the first time I was angry on my dad.
'Life isn't fair, Jaan. You just gotta deal with it.' He said, grimly.
'If you ever loved me, you'll come down and tell everyone what happened.'
He looked at me with defeat in his eyes, but I can't help it. Right now everyone were on the verge of losing it and I don't want the same misunderstandings, the same secrets to keep this family apart. I'd rather have it all out and be done with it.
When I walked downstairs, I was expectantly looked at by everyone, waiting for Paa to show up and tell us his point of view. I scanned the room to meet my sister's eyes, only to see her visibly angry and disturbed. Must be the entire story, and how we are being told about the same. She was standing across the entire crowd, leaning on the pillar, her eyes meeting mine with disdain.
I raised my brow at her only to see her jaw clenched, my phone in her hand. The rest of the family had similar sad and tired faces. My badi beeji, Vanshi daadi and Bua daadi were seated on the dinning table, their heads in their arms, tears spilling from their eyes. Dabbu mama and Shlok Chachu were standing with Veer and Samar, their hands folded across their chest and a grim expression on their face. Pinky Nani was seated on the armchair, crying, while Sweety maami was consoling her. Nanu was seated on the sofa with my Inder daadu, both of them tensed. Bade Papa was in my mothers' room, I could see him seated on the bed, tears in his eyes.
The only ones smiling here was the portrait of the two sisters, looking down at us. My badi maa, her beautiful eyes, her beautiful smile was for the very first time fading amidst everyone's tears and my mother, my sweet soulful, happy mother wasn't lively enough for these walls. I couldn't believe that she drove them both to their deaths. I never really thought about it before, because it didn't matter, but I could sense the difficulty my father would have in knowing that his wife was the cause of the accident.
To be honest, it was an accident. It doesn't matter who did what because that was not going to bring them back with us! It makes no sense to have this cause a turmoil in the family. I mean so what if my mother was driving the car, it was an honest mistake. If this was the reason my father drove me away from my family, then he was going to get an earful from me.
My head was heavy now that I fought with my dad, it was two in the morning but no one dared to sleep. No one could, even though Samar was fighting his yawns. All I wanted to do right now was make some warm tea, and sit back without any more drama. But I wanted to know the truth and truth in its entirety.
Like an answer to my prayer, my Paa entered the house. Almost everyone looked at him with questionable eyes, mostly to know how he was but I was looking at him with anger. Bade Papa walked out almost instantly, standing on the door of their room, eyeing my father while my dad only looked at Mansi and then at me.
"Kya jaana chahti hu tum?" He asked, his bloodshot eyes and strained voice was breaking my heart.
He was facing me, and I walked towards him, "Kyu?" I asked, tears welling my eyes, "Kyu chodi family?"
It felt like everyone held their breath, or it was just me, but my father rested his hand on my shoulder, "Because I had to, sweetheart. I had to," Tears welled in his eyes, as he softened his voice for me.
In an instance I decided that I do not want to know the reason, like I don't care. Nothing should make my father sad. I melted under his loving touch but Mansi beat me to it. She walked towards us, facing my father with curiosity, "Had to? What made you Paa?" She asked, "Why did you leave? Was it because it was Manvi Massi who was driving? Did you consider yourself guilty for this?"
Mansi was quaking with anger, she was pissed and it was like all my anger had transferred into her. She demanded answers like she deserved it, without sparing me another look.
"That was not it." My father took a deep breath, trying his best to not lose his calm or burst out crying.
"Toh kya tha Virat?" Bade Papa spoke, this time my father looked at him sideways, "Aisa kya hua tha ki tumne hume itni muskil waqt mein chod diya. Ki tumne mujse meri beti cheen li. Do behno ko juda kiya!"
Both of us sisters were shocked at the outburst of my bade Papa, he was angry too and pointed his finger at his younger brother.
"Main aapko jawab dena zaroori nahi samajta."
"Oh, you have to speak," Bade Papa walked towards his brother, both of them furious. Their anger made all the seated members to stand and worry about the verbal fight, "Why did you leave?"
"Why do you want to know, now?" My father matched his anger and voice, "Abh kyu? 16 saal se toh aapne nahi pucha? Toh abh kyu jaana hai aapko?"
"Dekh Virat, tuje sach nahi batana hai to na sahi. Mujpe mat daaliyo."
My father shook his head, a tear dropping from his eye, "Sach. Sach jaan ke kya kar loge?" He faced us, "What will you do?"
"Paa please," I muttered, holding his hand, "Please, what had happened? Was it because of mom?"
"It was not her fault you know," Mansi said, she sniffed, managing to control her tears, "It was not your fault."
My father smiled amidst his tears, then he looked at the portrait behind with a deep longing, "I know." He said, breaking the long silence as we all looked at him intently.
"Because your mother was not driving the car."
Virat's heartbeat were accelerating when he had stopped his car and called his wife. His brother had called him about the accident after which Jeevika's number was switched off and Maanvi's was out of network area. He was calling his wife since the past ten minutes, praying that everything was okay and thankfully the call was conncected.
"Kya hua? Kabse call kar raha hu? Sab theek hai?" He questioned in one breath, awaiting to hear his wife's voice.
"Haan Virat," Maanvi said, as Jeevika eyed her, "Sab theek hai. Kya hona hai?"
Virat took a deep breath, holding his chest in relief. "Maanvi, muje bhai ne kaha ki accident hua hai."
"Kaha?" She said, shaking her head, "What do you think, main accident karwaungi?"
"Chup kar Mannu," He heard Jeevika's voice over hers, "Virat accident hote hote baccha, issne saamne wali gaadi ko takkar maari."
"Maanvi!"
"Kya Maanvi! Itna slow chala raha tha, main kya karu."
Virat muttered few curses to her. He knew one day she was going to be the death of him, but for now he was relieved that they both were okay. On inquiring he found out that the minor accident caused Jeevika's phone to slam on the headboard and break and Maanvi had tp restart her phone.
"Are you driving the car?" He asked, angry on how careless his wife was when it came to driving, "I told you a thousand times to not drive the car when you are on the phone..."
"Arey!" Maanvi cut him in between, "Main nahi chala rahi hu baba,"
"More like main tuje chalane nahi dungi!" Jeevika said, still upset on her sister for breaking the headlights and her phone, "You are off the driving seat now."
"Haan haan meri maa," She told her sister, annoyed as Virat laughed, "Chalao."
Virat was thankful that his sister-in-law was behind the wheels now, not his impatient wife. He made a mental note to inform his brother that these two were okay, but before he could cut the call, Maanvi asked him a very weird question.
"Tum bacchon ka dhyaan rakhoge right?" She asked.
Virat raised his brow, thinking what had gotten into her, "Kya hua? Everything okay?"
"I dont know. Dii subah se behki behki baatein kar rahi hai." Maanvi looked at her sister who rolled her eyes, "Death and life and all that. And she asked jiju whether he would take care of the kids, so I am asking you."
Virat smiled, taking it on a not so serious note, "Maanvi, tum dono bas ghar aa jao. Muje aur mat daarao please."
"Okay," She said, softly, looking at her elder sister, "Are you upset with me like dii is?" She said that out loud to make sure Jeevika could know how upset she was.
Jeevika surpressed her smiled and focused on the road, while Virat shook his head with a small smile, "Na mein, na tumhari dii tumse kabhi upset ho sakti hai. Khush?"
"Bahut"
"Dramebazz" Both Jeevika and Virat said in unison.
"Tell me where you guys reached?"
"Chandigargh Highway, just on the outskirts..."
Then all Virat heard was a loud crash. And instantly his heartbeats dropped, his heart sank and his hands shivered as he held the phone. He heard Maanvi callout to her sister, a lot of screams and he immediately jumped in his car, driving towards the highway.
"Maanvi? Maanvi? Please kya hua?"
There were sobs and crying on the other end, "Virat! Dii!" He heard his wife scream in pain, she was hurt and bleeding.
"Maanvi, please, main aa raha hu."
It would take him another half hour to reach there but the call was unanswered.
A drunk truck driver had driven on the wrong lane and crushed the car, leaving both the girls injured thoroughly. Jeevika had the most sorrowful impact, because she died on the spot. Just a few breaths and she died.
Leaving Maanvi to watch her sister die, until she drove herself to unconsciousness.
"It was like someone ripped my heart from my chest," Virat concluded, sitting down with Mansi on his side, "Hammered it in a million pieces and then placed it back."
I gulped, tears spilling down my eyes as I grasped for breath. Looking around I saw everyone's faces shocked to the very core, tears in everyone's eyes and despair in Bade Papa's. Mansi was crying holding my father, as he held her too and I sighed.
No one spoke for the next ten minutes. All we could hear was sobbing, crying and silent tears. My Bade Papa sat on the floor, his head in his hands, and I stood still watching nothing in particular. The amount of pain my mothers had been through during their deaths was unimaginable but to see your sister die in front of your eyes was horrifying. The thought of Mansi dying in front of my eyes was pure terror and to think my mother watched her sister's death when she herself was dying.
I walked towards the dining table, poured water in a glass and handed it to my father. He looked at me with pitiful eyes and gulped it. He knew I still wanted to know why I was taken away.
"I could have told all of you that it wasn't Maanvi who was driving." He said, looking at Bade Papa, at his family, "But to me it did not mattered."
It doesn't.
"I reached the accident spot," He stood up, facing me, holding my face, "When I did your badi maa was dead." He took a pause, "And your mother was struggling for breath, bleeding all over. The ambulance was on its way but I knew it was too far along." He held my hand, tears dropping on them, "She looked at me once, with all her last strength left she told me that no one should know that it was her sister who drove the car. She did not want anyone to remember her sister for a small mistake, for a small accident."
"Maanvi? Please, tumhe kuch nahi hoga!" Virat cried, holding his bleeding wife in his arms, she managed to crack a small smile.
"Jo hamesh meri lifeline thi," Maanvi cried, looking beside her to see her dead sister, "Woh hi nahi rahi, toh main kaise reh sakti hu."
Virat struggled to stop her bleeding, he held her hand, the lifeless body of his bhabhi was devastating enough to see the love of his life dying, "Please, you cannot leave me. Please. Just anytime now, the ambulance will be here,"
Maanvi shook her head, she grasped for breath, touching his cheek with her bloodied hands, "I have to go. My sister is calling out to me." She said, smiling amidst her tears, choking for breath, "Promise me..."
"Maanvi please, please, aise mat bolo. Please."
She coughed blood, clinging to her love for the last time, "Promise me that you will take care of my kids. Of my daughters? Please."
"I promise." Virat cried holding her hand firmly, knowing that her time was coming, "I promise, I will, partner."
She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes as she withheld the pain, while Virat snuggled her even more. Trying his best to not scream, just holding his wife for the last time. And within the next second, she was dead. While Virat watched a piece of him go with him.
My father hugged me once he finished narrating his tale, as I sobbed. It was like a thousand needles were piercing my heart, taking my senses away. Mansi got up and hugged us both, all of us crying as my father opened his arms for both his daughters.
"I never wanted to separate you two, never." He said amidst our crying, as we broke the hug. He held Mansi in his arms, wiping her tears, "I never wanted to get away from you Mansi,"
She cried, "Toh phir kyu?"
"Because everyone in this family started blaming your Mannu massi for something she did not even do." He said looking at the Vadhera ladies, "Something she was not to be blamed for."
I looked at my Vanshi Daadi and my Bua daadi with astonsihment, "You blamed my mother for the accident? For an accident?"
They shook their heads with sorrow, Vanshi Daadi walked towards me rather hurriedly, "Nahi Janvi, maine kabhi aise nahi kaha." She said, sobbing, "It was an accident,"
All of us then looked at my Bua Daadi. She was in a pitiful state too, "I never blamed her Virat. I can never blame Manvi for their deaths."
My father separated from Mansi and eyed his Bua, "So you did not say that Manvi was irresponsible, from the very start. That she should not be driving. That she was careless."
My heartbeats were accelrating, as I looked at my Bua Daadi with disdain. I was feeling so ashamed of myself for some reason. Like I trusted the wrong people.
"I may have," She said, clearly not remembering anything, "We were mourning, I don't remember anything."
My father scoffed, "But I do."
My Bade Papa who was walking towards now, wiped his tears with the back of his hand and faced his brother, "But maine toh ye nahi kaha tha, right?"
My Paa shook his head, "But apne defend bhi toh nahi kiya bhai." He sniffed, removing his brother's hand from his shoulder, "Aap toh jaise bhul gaye ki aapka ek bhai hai, bacchein hai who are looking for some comfort. Aap ne Veer tak ko dekhne se mana kar diya."
Everyone stood silently, watching the two brothers with the last of their energy, "You forgot you have a brother, who held his dying wife in his hands. You forgot that you have three kids to take care of. You never once asked me or any of us ki hum kaise hai." He smiled sadly, "Mar gaye unse itna lagav tha ki jo zinda the, unhe mara chod diye."
Mansi was breathing profoundly, she looked at her fathers, shocked and upset while I stood next to her. I made her sit and take few deep breaths, making her drink water and telling her to stop panicking.
Bade Papa was speechless, it was like the bubble he was in burst and someone slapped him with reality. My father than made me face him, "So I did what I thought was best for you, for me, for this family. I came here with you, because I was scared that for your entire life people will look at you as the person's daughter who brought despair to everyone's life."
I nodded, even though old tears were rolling down my cheeks, new ones were refilling my eyes, "I came here, to this family." He pointed to my Chaudhary household, "These people did not care who killed who. They were only mourning for the loss of their two daughters. They did not care who caused the accident, frankly it did not matter. They loved you as their own. And still do."
He held my hand and made me face my badi beeji, who was looking at me with her loving gaze, "Tumhari Badi Beeji, jo hamesha se tumse pyaar karti aayi hai," He pointed towards my Naani Nannu, "Inhone kabhi tumhe galat nahi samjha. Tumhare Dabbu Mama, jisne tumhe Samar se zyaada pyaar diya. Tumhari Maami, jo hamesha bimari mein tumhe puchkarne aati hai. Tumhara bhai, jo tumpe jaan chidakta hai." He then faced me, "Jaan ye tumhari family ye hai, sirf ye."
His outburst was making me scared now, "Paa, aisa nahi hai. Vadhera family.."
He shook his head, holding my face, "Tum Vadhera nahi ho, tum ek Chaudhary ho. You get that."
I withdrew his hands from my face, wiping my nose on the back of my hand, "Sach kuch aur nahi ho jata Paa. Bas aank bandh karne se duniya nahi chupti."
"Accha," He nodded, his hands now on my shoulder, "So where was this Vadhera family of yours when everyone in the society were laughing at you because you were accused of sleeping with your sister's boyfriend."
I gulped, taken aback on his sudden exposure and looked at Mansi who stood up instantly. She looked at me, angry and then at my father. Even Bade Papa snapped out of his zone and walked towards us.
"Virat..."
My father cut his brother off, "I am talking to my daughter, please stay out of this."
Then he looked at me, demanding answers for a rhetorical question, "Bolo, where was your family when you were being falsely accused of being a slut."
"Paa," I muttered, wanting him to stop because the words were hurting me.
"Virat, beta," Badi Beeji intervened, "Jaaney do."
"Nahi beeji," He shook his head at her, "Sach jaana hai toh ussne sunne ki taakat honi chahiye."
He faced me, "Tell me Jaan, where was your family."
I was dumbfounded. Knowing that this was not something I was going to win, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
"Sach ye hai, ki jo khoon se bante hai woh family nahi hote," He said, wiping my tear and rubbing my cheek with his thumb, "Jo hamesha saath rahe woh family hote hai. And video dekhne ke baad tumari Bua Daadi ne tume thappad mara tha, tumhare Vadhera family ne woh sach maan liya, tumhare behen ne tumse rishta tod diya." He shook his head, lowering his voice, "But ek baar bhi tumari Chaudhary family ne tum par sawaal nahi uthaye, because they knew that their daughter would never do anything as such and that is what a real family should do."
I hated to admit it, but he was right. He took a deep breath and headed towards the door, being done with all this for the night. When I sobbed Samar came up and hugged me, as I hugged him back. Paa was right, none of the Vadhera's believed me, Vanshi Daadi did but she was unheard by everyone. Bade Papa was never involved and my own sister refused to believe me.
What was I doing? Whom was I fighting for? And why?
I faced my teary eyed sister who looked at me with guilt, but it was too late now. It took her five years to realise that her sister would never do such a thing and for me it took everything to get over their distrust.
"Aur haan," Paa spoke from the entrance, eyeing me from across the hall, "You want to be a Vadhera, I am not stopping you. But you will have to do it on the cost of leaving me." With that he left the house, as I watched him leave.
Mansi walked towards me and kept her hand on my shoulder, "Jaanvi, I am sorry?"
I withdrew her hand, feeling extremely distant and uncomfortable, "You are five years too late, Mansi," I said, clenching my jaw.
The hurt expressions on her face was hurting me too, but I just couldn't leave my father for any of them. I walked towards the centre of the house, folding my hands in a namaste I faced my Vadhera family.
"Thank you all for coming here this summer," My monotonous tone was making them cringe, "I am sorry for any inconvenience any of us here have caused you. I hope all of you have a safe trip to home, tomorrow."
Before I could leave their presence, Mansi held my wrist, making me stop, "You cannot do that."
"Mansi mere haath chod." I warned her, and she left it, "And I cannot do what?"
"You cannot leave everything, you cannot. We, us..." She was struggling for words, amidst her heavy breathing and tears, it was getting difficult for me to be mean to her, "Please," Bade Papa rubbed her back to stop her from panicking.
I sniffed, "Please?" I held her shoulders, "Please kaha tha maine. I told you ki woh video fake tha, ye sab bakwas tha, sab jhoot tha. I begged in front of you to believe me, I cried and said please, please listen to me." Taking a deep breath, I left her and shook my head, "What did you say back then? What was it?"
Although I pretended to remember what she said, both of us knew what she had said and to me they were like fresh wounds, like it was all just yesterday.
"Ah yes," I spoke, pointing my finger at her, "Get the fuck out of my house."
_
A/N
Toughest chapter I've ever written. Honestly, I cried too because writing the deaths of the sisters was not easy to me.
Last two chapters left. We've come a long way now.
I'd love to know your honest opinion about this chapter and anything you want to add for the ending.
Thanks, and keep voting, commenting and sharing.
_R