TIME 2 am :
" Umm…. Hngh…. "
" Hmm….um….. "
" Aahh….. "
*Pant pant pant…*
" Firse wahi sapna… "
" Wahi bayanak sapna "
" Abhijit! "
Abhijit looked behind startled by the voice. He gazed into the black orbs which were shining due to bed lamp.
A pair of hands brushed both sides of his face from forehead finally resting on either side of his cheek.
" Kya hua Abhijit ? Bayanak sapna dheka kya ? "
Abhijit closed his eyes. He felt the warmth emanating from the person. He immediately shifted in such a way that he buried his head on her lap facing down and circling his right hand around her waist and other hand went over her knees around her left thigh.
He felt protected. He breathed in deeply taking in her scent and warmth. His muscles relaxed.
Tarika stroked his back with one hand and raked his hair at back of his head gently.
Suddenly she felt tremor. She saw his whole body shiver. She felt her night dress getting wet. And the noise of sob filled the air.
" Abhijit "
" Abhijit "
Abhijit shut his eyes tight.
In relaxed soothing tone.
" Tumhe bath karni hai apne sapne baremein "
In reply she got a sniffle.
Then a muffled voice filled her ears.
" Tarika wo 17 years phele *sniff* jab mein sirf Inspector tha tab ek case ke dauran mein bar gaya tha. Mein drink mangwayi *sniff* aur cigarette pi rahata tab…. *sniff* meri kidnapping huya aur 5 din baad jab ACP sir aur Daya ne *sniff* mujhe car ke dickey se nikala tab meri… "
Beta!
Beta!
Abhijit!
Abhijit!
Abhijit!
Aahhh… Tu tik hai.
Bhagwan ka lak lak shukriya. Mujhe patha tha tumhe kuch nahi hone denge.
Abhijit! Abhijit…..
Mere bête Abhijit….
Aap aap kaun hain….
….
Esa math kaho beta. Mein maa huin tumhari.
Maa huin. Maa huin tumhare bête.
Aap mujhe kahan laye hain…
Abhijit…. Abhijit mujhe pehchane mein inkar math karo Abhijit.
Tum log mujhe yahan kyun laye ho…
Wo bhudi aurath meri …..
" Bhudi aurath Abhijit ? "
Abhijit turned around in Tarika's lap to face her. Tarika gently wiped his cheeks off tears.
" Haan Tarika mein tab mere maa ko bhudi aurath hi kheta tha. Mujhe..mujhe kuch yaad nahi aa rahata. Wo bhudi aurath 2 saal ke baad margayi… wo *shivering & stuttering* meri.. maa isi gum mein margayi ki uski apni hi bête Abhijit use pehchanta nahi tha… *taking a deep breath* usmein mera kya kasur tha Tarika. Mein mein kuch nahi kar saka. "
Tarika again wiped the freshly flowing tears. The pain in his eyes cut through her heart. A year and half after marriage, after a long expectations this was the first time he opened up to her. He openly showed his butchered heart.
From a side she was relieved, that, he now started to share his deepest thoughts with her which he never did. She knew very well that he trusted her completely but the factor that he never shared his life with her, irked her.
But what he said just now about his past of how he lost his past made her feel deeply sorry for him. Although she knew about his memory loss, but never knew in so much detail or never straight from him. Her heart wanted to move out and mend his heart without any scratch. Her eyes glistened. She held his hands in her and pressed it little. Conveying through touch, assurance, everything will be fine and love, which torch away his loneliness.
Abhijit looks straight into her eyes.
" Patha hai Tarika mein phirse ACP sir ke khene par CID par kaam karne laga shayad kuch yaad ajaye, phir yaadash kone ki gatna bhul jane keliye kaam karne laga. Chid chid raha kartha tha. Kam ke alwa aur sabi chezen se dur rehta ta….gusa ata tha. Fir deere deere Daya se dosti ki wajah, ACP ke sahara ke wajah se apne aap ko badla. Phirse hasna, hasaana shuru ki. Phie tum ayi jo mere andhar ki bacpana ko jagaya, phirse apne liye jeena sikaya. *Both smiled at each other*. Kabi kabi uss atith se log aye, kuch logon ne uska faiyda utaya. Sab logon k wajah se in sabka samna kiya. Par jab b mein akela rehta huin tab wo gatna ati hai meri chaiyn churane keliye. Sab saath hone ke bawajud b meri andhar ek akela pan, dar aur guilt humesha tha aur shayad rahega. "
Silence.
Abhijit closed his eyes.
" Kabi kabi sabko esa lagtha hai ki koi humare jeevan me aye hume sari dard se chutkara dilaye. Jese fairy tales mein hota hai wese. Jahan har rajkumari chati hai ki use koi esa rajkumar a knight in shining armour mile jo use apni zindagi ko narak se minto mein swarg banade. Damsel in distress to damsel in euphoria. But we also have knight in distress too. Jo ladki pe sirf ek chiz dhundta hai "
Abhijit opened his eyes giving a curious look at Tarika who was slightly bending her head over him. Abhijit was keenly listening to what Tarika was saying all this while. But the last line kindled curiousness in him.
Tarika looked onto darkness in the room before her.
" Tumne beauty and the beast ki story suna hi hoga. *Abhijit knitted is brow wondering why Tarika changed her topic all of a sudden. He just nodded his head in affirmative* Usmein jab beauty apne puri zindagi beast ke saath rehne ko maanti hai tab beast ek handsome prince ban jata hai. *Abhijit nodded his head, but still he couldn't get what Tarika wanted to convey* So Abhijit tumhe pata hai us prince ne kya kaha beauty se? "
" Haan. Beast bola tha hai ki wo ek curse pe tha. Aur jab beauty ne apne pyaar ka ijhar ki tho wo curse tut gayi "
Tarika smiled down at him. She again starred into darkness deep in thoughts.
" Haan. Abhijit kya tumhe lagtha hai agar uss beast ko apne saathiyon ke pyaar milne se uska curse tut jayega ? "
Abhijit thought for few seconds.
" Umm… Shayad nahi. "
Tarika looked at him. Abhijit said with more confidence.
" Nahi Tarika "
Soft encouraging tone.
" Kyun Abhijit ? "
" Kyun ki beauty ne beast se pyar ki. I mean dost b karte hain par wo ladki ti. Nahi female dost b karte hain pyar. Arey nahi wo..wo…usne apne puri jeevan uske saath bitane ki wada ki. Usne uske darawne chere ke sath pyaar kiya. Beauty ko beast se uska dil dhikha. Bina kuch soche, jane ya reason ke pyar ki. "
" Hmm.. "
Silence.
" Tho Tarika ? "
" Abhijit wo beast sab mein hai.*Abhijit got up suddenly* Sab log cursed hain. Sabko beauty ki pyaar chaiye. "
Abhijit with confused gaze looked at Tarika.
" Matlab? Mein kuch samjha nahi. "
" Abhijit tumara atith hi wo beast hai. Tumhara curse. Prince ka physical appearance beast jesa tha. But it indicates that every human has a beast a dark past inside us. Let it be a male or female. And at one point we need beauty that is love to remove that curse. Koi esa jo humare saath puri zindagi bitane ko tayar hai even after knowing about the beast within us. Jo apne andhar ki beast ko b pyaar kare apne achaiyon ke saath Abhijit. "
" Aur tum meri beauty ho Tarika. Jo mere saath mere beast ke saath apni puri zindagi jeene keliye tayar hai. Aur apne pyar se meri sari gum dur karti ho humesha. Aur mein tumse yahi chata huin ki tum mujhe pyar karo. Itna ki mere negatives b mujhe acha dhike. Jo mere ma ho, dost b aur better half b. "
Tarika smiled at him.
Abhijit hugged her and held her close to him. Tarika too hugged him and rubbed his back. He felt light as feather.
Abhijit hissed in her right ear.
" I love you Tarika. Mein tumse bahut pyaar kartha huin. "
Tarika smiled and murmured softly in his right ear.
" I love you too Abhijit. I love you. "
Both held each other close, reviving the moment.
Suddenly Tarika remembered something and knitted her brow.
" Abhijit…. "
Silence.
" Abhijit…. "
" Umm… "
She broke the hug making Abhijit to moan in annoyance.
" Abhijit tum sharab pite te….. "
" Tarika ye sab batein ab kyun? *spreading his hand wide* Aao na meri jaan. "
Tarika hit his hand.
" Tch. Abhijit meri sawal ka jawab do phele. "
" Haan Tarika…. Wo… "
" Abhijit!. Tum sharab pite ho? Aur cigarette? "
" Arey Tarika ab nahi. Cigarette tho ussi din chod di… "
" Aur drinks… "
Abhijit scratched back of his head thinking what to say and how to say.
" Tarika wo….wo b uss din ke baad chod di ti…. Par… "
Tarika held his T-shirt collar threateningly.
" Par kya Abhijit ? Iska matlab tum abi bi… "
Abhijit held her hands.
" Tarika us din ke baad ek bar drink kiya case ke waqt aur usmein b gadbad hogayi ti tho uske baad meine kabi sharab pe haath tak nahi rakhi to drink that is. "
" Hmm… "
" Sigh "
" Par…*Abhijit reacted oh no* tumne ye batein phele hi kyun nahi kaha ? Aur lab mein b akaha ki tumhe koi galat nahi ho. Aur jab hum relationship pet e tab bade teetotaller banke gum rahete….. To tum tab sab natak kar rahete…. "
" My god. Ye ladki b na. Tum bahut bolti ho Tarika. "
" Matlab kya hai tumahara… "
Before Tarika could lash him by her tongue, he pounced on her and hugged her tight, in the process both falling back on bed.
And everything got muffled. A positive aura filled, engulfing them.
A/N: Hope you guys understood the story and some sensitive issues tried to share and liked the story. Please leave a review. Thank you.