"M..Mummy?!" She gasped, stupefied.
"Manhoos, aur kitna satayegi mujhe?! Bachpan se tune mera jeena mushkil kar rakha hain, badkeesmati ban ke aayi hain tu humare zindegi mein! Ab main logon ko kya muh dikhaungi? Nehi bol tu mujhe, kya bataungi main, yehi ki meri laalchi beti ne itti si umar mein paison ke liye shaadi kar li, woh bhi dhoke se?! Tu na ek aakhri upkaar kar de humpe, aage se apni yeh shakal mat dikhana hume! Main toh kahungi ki doob mar kahi!!" Kaushalya roared, dripping with anger.
"Mummy, kam se kam aap toh aisa mat kahiye. Aisa karna humari majboori thi..... P..Papa, aap toh jaante haina, ki hum sach keh rahe hain?" Her voice shook as she asked him.
Bhushan didn't answer, his muddled thoughts were tangling him and he just couldn't sort it. He had to make a choice between accepting the man she bonded herself with willingly or maybe.....unwillingly, and refusing to let his doll's life slip into the hands of a stranger. She was precious, and he didn't wish to keep her among people who were disgracing her. But then, she was a free bird having her own reasons, he was no one to cage her with his demands...... And to mess it up further, her silence had done wonders!
"Tum kya chahti ho ab?" Bhushan asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Is rishtey ko nibhaana chahte hain.." Guddan trailed meekly with her head hung down.
"Toh thik hain, main intezaar karunga jab tak tum mujhe kuch batane ke liye taiyaar nehi ho jati.." He patted her forehead and walked out the house, while she looked on at his retreating form. My little daughter has grown up, I need to step back now and let her have the tastes, both bitter and sweet.
"Kya shaadi hain bhai! Aisa toh pehli baar dekh rahi hoon ki koi ladki is had tak gir sakti hain paison ke liye! Jindal khandan ka tamasha banakar rakh diya!" A guest gossiped.
"If you all are done with the dinner and gossips, have the courtesy to leave." Akshat spoke monotonously.
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Guddan dropped to her knees, choking back a sob which tried to escape. She knew of the accusations, insults and taunts she would be bestowed with, following her out-of-the-blue marriage with him. But what was those spiteful words her mother spoke?! She could shrug off others, but the cuts by her mother, the one she has spent her life with? Didn't she know her real well, couldn't she find misery in her eyes? What good was the trust if she had to justify herself to her mother. She felt so utterly miserable.
She could never in her nightmares, think of marrying him!
"Guddan, ro mat gudiya, sab thik ho jayega." Dadi assured, wiping off her tears.
"Aap humse naaraaz nehi hain?" Guddan asked, surprised.
"Nehi, tu toh mujhe pehle se hi bahot pasandh thi, bas tujhse keh na saki.. Tune jis bhi wajah se yeh shaadi ki hain, mujhe tujhpar bharosa hain." Dadi caressed her cheek affectionately while she smiled, breathing relief in her trust.
"Durga ji, Lakshmi ji, Saraswati ji, niche aaiye zara!" Guddan called for them.
"Ab kya hain?" Durga descended down the stairs, annoyed.
"Humare grihapravesh ki taiyaari kijiye Durga ji." Guddan instructed.
"Tumhara grihapravesh? Aj ke zindegi mein toh tum zabardasti ghus hi chuki ho, lekin bahot jald nikali jayogi!" Durga smirked, raising her right brow.
"Hum dono is rishtey ko nibhaayenge ya nehi, yeh hum pati patni ke beech ki baat hain, jismein aapko tang adane ki koi zarurat nehi hain. Aap apni bahu hone ka farz nibhaiye aur humara swagat kijiye." Guddan flashed her a mocking smile.
"Jab main is shaadi ko maanti hi nehi hoon toh main kyun.." Durga was all set to blast her off but she cut her midway.
"Shaadi huyi hain, isliye aap maane ya na maane, hum aapki saas hain! Kabhi kabhi rishton ke maryaadon ka samman karna padta hain, Durga ji! Jaakar humare grihapravesh ki taiyaari kijiye!!" Guddan ordered bossily at which the daughter-in-laws boiled up, clenching their fists.
The daughter-in-laws lifted up and carried Guddan in a palanquin, towards the entrance of Jindal House. Dadi performed her aarti, blessing her with joy and laughter. She gently kicked the rice pot, ushering in colours and prosperity into the lifeless house. As she stepped in, dipping her feet in red liquid, her footprints spoke of the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi. Thereafter, she placed her turmeric coated palms beside Antara's handprints, marking a place of hers in the house and Akshat's life.
"Saas banne ka hak bhale hi jama sakti ho tum, par dil kabhi nehi jeet sakti! Woh rishtey khokle hote hain jaha pyaar na ho!" Durga hissed at her.
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"Lalla, shaadi ke baad kaha chala gaya tha tu?" Dadi asked before he could ascend the stairs.
"Restaurant mein kuch kaam se gaya tha, subah se ja nehi paya na main." Akshat replied.
"Shaadi ke din bhi tujhe kaam ki padi hain? Maanti hoon teri shaadi achanak hi Guddan se hogayi, lekin iska matlab yeh nehi tu kuch bolega hi nehi, jaise ki tujhe koi fark hi nehi padta!" Dadi chided.
"Jiske saath shaadi hone wali thi, us shaadi mein bhi meri marzi kaha thi maa? Antara chahti thi ki main shaadi karu, maine bas uski khwahish poori ki, ab kisse shaadi huyi hain, kyun huyi hain, isse kya fark padta hain? Aapko achhe se pata hain ki mere liye is shaadi ki koi ehmiyat nehi!"
"Tere liye ehmiyat nehi hogi, par mere liye hain! Isliye maine Guddan ko tere kamre mein bhej diya hain, khabardaar agar uspe gussa kiya toh."
"Woh ladki mere kamre mein rahegi?!" He exclaimed in disbelief.
"Haan toh aur kaha rahegi? Tere saath shaadi huyi hain, teri biwi hain, tere kamre mein rahegi nehi toh kaha rahegi?!"
"Main usko apni patni nehi maanta aur nahi woh mere kamre mein rehne wali hain!"
"Dekh lalla, main tera dard samajh sakti hoon. Par woh bhi toh khudka ghar, khudke kamre ko chhod kar aayi hain, is shaadi ke naate hi aayi haina woh sab kuch chhod ke? Apni zindegi mein na sahi, lekin apne kamre mein toh tu use jagah de hi sakta hain. Agar tujhe apne ghar ko chhodke kisi aur ghar mein jaake samjhauta karne ko kaha jaye, tu kar payega? Yeh zindegi nayi hain uske liye, aur kuch nehi kar sakta toh uske balidaanon ka maan rakh.. Guddan ko apni ghar ki kami mehsoos nehi honi chahiye, tu apni maa ki baat maanega na?" Dadi looked at him expectant to which he nodded, helplessly.
He pushed open the door of his room and found everything in place. She wasn't in the room, he could enjoy some moments of peace atleast! Relief had barely washed over him when a sound erupted from somewhere.
"What are you doing under the bed?" He asked leaning to her level, as he found her sobbing.
"Uncle a..aap? Aap yaha kya kar rahe hain?" She wiped off her tears, startled.
"Yeh mera bhi kamra hain. And you didn't answer my question."
"Achha lag raha tha yaha.." She excused.
"That's why you are crying right, when you yourself have invited this into your life?" He deadpanned but she remained tight-lipped.
"Just fine!" He exclaimed, getting on his feet when her slender fingers curled around his wrist.
"Kya aapko bhi hum galat lagte hain?" She asked, her eyes brimming with innocence.
"Nehi! Bhale hi tumne khud mujhse shaadi ki hain, phirbhi tum mujhe galat nehi lagti. I don't know why but that's how it is." He replied, looking at her eyes which eased with his words.
He had wanted to drown her with his questions as soon as the veil was lifted off to reveal her idiotic visage. He was truly gobsmacked. Living with this unbelievable and intolerable girl was least he could ask for. But when has Destiny complied with his wishes? Never.
"Are you again under the bed?" He enquired, stepping out of the washroom but received only silence. Why was he even bothering! He settled himself on the bed, opening the laptop.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Now, will you come out?" He asked exasperated but no response came. He shut his laptop and peeped under the bed, she wasn't there. She has disappeared somewhere for more than an hour!
As he descended down the stairs, some noises reached him. Following it to the source, he saw her stretching herself on the bench by the poolside, as she looked up to the sky with a timid smile playing on her lips. He shook his head at the conversation she was engrossed in with the stars and turned to go, but his steps came to a pause with her words.
"Aur phir, aapki Guddan ki shaadi hogayi maa! Lekin humari kismat dekhiye, aap toh yaha hain hi nehi hume aashirvaad dene ke liye, aap nehi hain in zimmedariyon ki ehmiyat samjhane ke liye........... Hum in sabke liye bilkul bhi taiyaar nehi the! Hum toh..hum toh itna tak nehi jaante the ki aaj humari shaadi ho jayegi.. Ek alag zindegi jeete aaye hain hum ab tak, yeh naye rishtey, yeh naya ghar, beech raaste sab kuch naye sire se shuru karna kaise ho payega? Maa, humari wajah se aaj koi bhi khush nehi hain! Durga ji, Lakshmi ji aur Saraswati ji ke umeedein tut gaye humari wajah se.. Humne unke aakhon mein ek chahat dekhi hain, tadaste hain woh teenon saas ke pyaar ke liye, jo khushi unhe nehi mila... Aur Dadi, woh toh yeh umeed leke baithi hain ki unki bahu is ghar ko khushiyon se bhar degi.. Yeh shaadi bhale hi humne apne marzi se nehi ki, par isko nibhaana chahte hain hum, unke liye... Kaise kar payenge nehi pata, par jab humari wajah se sab bikhar gaya hain, sametenge bhi hum hi............ Lekin chahe hum kuch bhi keh le, kaise bhi samjhaye khudko, aaj haina, aapki bahot yaad aa rahi hain maa!" She desperately tried to oppose the tears which streamed down against her will. Her stomach sank, yearning for her mother's touch. She could sense her everywhere around but her eyes failed to locate her, she had tried to soothe herself with her mother's presence in the star, but today, as if nothing worked. She so much wanted her mother after those bitter words of her mummy, she wanted to disappear in her loving arms.
He looked on at her helpless form. The grieving your heart needs to endure, the relentless yearning of the soul. Torture of separation, the cruelest of all, it strangles the very life off you. Though she had been shoved into a marriage with him, holding onto it was her wish. Yet she wanted to burden her shoulders for his family's smiles?! Her decision mirrored her pure soul, a decision which demands courage.
Respect crept it's way to his heart.
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She tripped over the carpet at the entrance and losing her balance, fell into the arms of her husband who had come in her rescue. Akshat stared at her, a weird blend of idiocy and maturity. She was so contrasting in her actions that one could literally lose his mind. How were her bones in place despite her twenty two years of tripping and falling?!
As she got on her feet and made her way towards the couch, he sighed at his mother's words.
Guddan ko apni ghar ki kami mehsoos nehi honi chahiye, tu apni maa ki baat maanega na?
He could never deny his mother.
"You will sleep on the bed." He ordered.
"Nehi hum sofe pe.." She had turned furiously at his tone of dictatorship but he was ready with his death glares, and he had no issue to burn her till she complied.
I am really in no mood to lock horns with this Uncle over such a silly matter. My body refuse to stand a second more here, just forget it Guddan and give your muscles some rest.
"Lights on hi rehne dijiye!" She almost screamed as he tried to switch off the lights.
"Kyun?" Akshat asked, furrowing his brows.
"Nehi woh..hum..matlab...aap.." She stuttered, trying to come up with excuses.
"You can trust me." Akshat assured, sensing discomfort in her eyes at which she nodded. Why did she acknowledge? She pondered over, but received no satisfactory answer.
She tossed and turned uneasily, staring into the dark. Her life has flipped over in a single day, she was going to be called the better half of a man unknown to her. There was no consistency in Destiny's book, he changes absolutely everything!
Is she fine?