Once again, a story set after the Bhangda Pale song. I am a bit nervous about this but that might just be due to my confidence, so everyone even though my fics aren't great, please give me some good feedback for this…please? Thank you to Angel's Sins for betareading and being a wonderful support system for this. Please read and review!
Chapter One:
Durga opened the door allowing her sons to step into the house. Their house. Karan looked around. The warmth, the familiarity, everything was the same. He saw a photo of himself and Arjun, the one that their mother carried around; spider web-like cracks stained the glass but Karan picked it up anyway. The frame was broken pretty badly but their mother had made sure their faces were still visible.
"Ma, yeh kaise…?" [Mom, how did…?] Karan murmured, gesturing to the photo.
Durga managed a weak smile. "Durjan aur uske logoon ne pairon tale kuchal diya ishe. Bhardasht nahi hua unse yeh cheez. Mere alfaaz, mera yaad karna, unko kantoon ki tara chub ta tha." [Durjan and his goons crushed it beneath their very feet. They could not tolerate my words, my thoughts of you; they pricked them like sharp knives.]
Karan's heart gave a painful pang. Their mother sounded so confident but he could sense the sorrow beneath her quavering voice.
"Ma," Arjun said softly.
Before he could say much more, another voice interrupted: "Ma-ji, kaun aya hai?" [Mother, who is it?] A young girl with long flowing black hair entered the room and stopped in her tracks. "Ma-ji…yeh…" [Mother, what…?]
Durga smiled. "Aao Nisha beti, tumne pehchana nahi? Mere betay agaye." [Come Nisha daughter, do you recognize them? My sons have come.]
Nisha looked at the two men and raised an eyebrow. To be honest, it wasn't exactly something anyone could just believe. But deep inside, Durga knew that Nisha would understand and accept it.
"Ma, yeh kaun hai?" [Mom, who's this?] Arjun spoke up, frowning as he looked at the girl.
"Yeh meri beti Nisha hai," [This is my daughter, Nisha] Durga said with a smile. "Isi neh mujhe sambhala hain. Jab main akele main rone lagti thi, to yeh hi mujhe sambhalte thi. Mere aansoon paunch thi thi, ishe barosa nahi tha ke mere betay aayenge. Lekhin mera rishwas kamzaur nahi hua." [She's the one who gave me strength. When I was completely alone, she would support me and carry me through my darkest days. She'd wipe away my tears; she didn't believe my sons would come. But my faith never faltered.] She reached out, pulling Nisha close. "Kya baat hai Nisha? Tujhe abh bhi rishwas nahi hua?" [What's wrong, Nisha? You still don't believe it?]
"Nahi Ma-ji," [No, Mother] Nisha said, hugging Durga. "Main theek hoon…bas aap itni asani se in donoon pe bharosa mat karein. Murde aam taur pe zinda nahi hote." [I'm all right…but you shouldn't believe those two so easily. Dead people don't come back to life.]
Durga shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. "Nahi…yeh mat kaho…itne samey baad toh mere betay laut ayein. Meri himmat ko mat taur beti, main marjaoongi." [No… Don't say that. After so long, my sons have come back to me. Don't destroy my strength, daughter. I won't be able to take it.] She broke down into sobs and before Nisha could say anything, Arjun hugged Durga.
"Nahi Ma," [No, Mom] Arjun said softly, stroking her hair as she cried in his arms. "Mat ro, aapki himmat koi nahi tore ga. Kabhi nahi tore ga. Hum aapke paas hai, aapke saath hai." [Don't cry, no one will destroy your strength. We are near you, we are with you now.]
Karan gave Nisha a gentle shove towards the door. "Kya karna chahati ho tum?" [What are you trying to do?] His eyes narrowed and his body quickly became tense. "Ma in saloon main kya kafi nahi roh chukhi? Nikal jao idhar se!" [Hasn't our mom cried enough in all these years? Get out!]
"Ajay…" Bindiya put a hand to her mouth, biting her lower lip.
"Nahi Karan," [No, Karan] Durga said, her voice still a little choked. "Yeh meri hi chinta main yeh keh rahi hai. Ishay mat nikalo, iske paas aur koi thikana nahi hai." [She is only concerned. Don't throw her out. She has nowhere else to go.]
Arjun frowned. "Maghar Ma...woh apko takleef deh rahi hai. Karan sahi keh raha hai." [But, Mom, she is hurting you. Karan is right.]
Nisha backed away from them, shook her head, and ran inside her room. Karan's fists clenched but Durga put a hand on his arm, leaning against him and pulling both her sons close.
"Tu theek hai Ma?" [Are you alright, Mom?] Karan said gently.
Durga smiled. "Tum donoon agaye ho, bas mere liye itna hi kafi hai." [You two have come, that's enough for me.] She wiped away her tears. "Ab yeh sunna lekhin baut mushkil ke tum donoon mujhe ek baar phir chod do ge." [But hearing this now is too hard, that you two will leave me again.]
Karan grit his teeth a little. "Isi liye keh raha hoon Ma, is ladki ko apne Mata Pita ke ghar bhej do." [That's what I'm saying, Mom. Send that girl back to her parents house.]
Durga hung her head. "Woh is duniya main nahi hain." [They are no longer in this world.]
Arjun put a hand to his mouth, Karan's eyes widened slightly, and Bindiya gasped.
"Durjan singh ne uske puray khandan ka katal kardiya hai," [Durjan Singh has massacred her whole family] Durga said.
"M-maghar k-kyun?" [B-but w-why?] Bindiya asked, her voice stuttering slightly.
Durga laughed hollowly. "Durjan ko kab koh waje chahiye hoti hai? Apne sage bhatijoon ko daulat ki khatir khatam kardiya to aur kisi ki kya ahemiyat?" [Since when does Durjan need a reason? He murdered his own nephews for his greed. Why does anyone else matter?]
"Toh us ladki ke Mata Pita ko bhi daulat ki khatir…?" [Then that girl's parents for the sake of his greed as well…] Arjun said, feeling tears come to his eyes. How many more innocents would be hurt because of Durjan Singh's greed?
"Uski Ma aur Pita ne uski issat bacha thi Nahar aur Shamsher se," [Her parents saved her honour from Nahar and Shamsher] Durga murmured softly. "Isi liye woh kisi peh shahid bharosa nahi karti hai. Bechari ka ek bhai tha, woh bhi jaan se gaya. Yaad karti rehti hai usko. Woh bhi dhuki hai Karan, Arjun, uski baatoon ko dil pe mat lehna." [That's why maybe she doesn't trust anyone. The poor girl had a brother whose life was taken as well. She always thinks about and remembers him. She is suffering too, Karan, Arjun. Don't take what she says to heart.]
Karan shifted. He had told her to get out when she was already suffering enough. How could he be so coldhearted? Okay, he hadn't known but still. Arjun seemed to sense what he was thinking and squeezed his shoulder.
"Bindiya, aao ushe hum baat karte hain," [Bindiya, come, we'll talk to her] Arjun said, turning to her. "Shahid ek ladki ke saath woh betar feel kare." [Maybe with a girl, she'll feel more at ease.]
Bindiya glanced at Karan who nodded at her.
Karan's eyes met with Arjun's. He wanted to tell Arjun to say something on his behalf such as an apology but words were not his forte.
Arjun smiled, nodding a little. "Kehdoon ga." [I will.]
Karan stared, slightly open-mouthed. He hadn't said anything, so how had Arjun assumed…?
Arjun laughed. "Hum bhai hain Karan. Kuch baatein kehne ki nahi, samaj ne ki hoti hai." [We are brothers, Karan. Some things don't need words. They just need understanding.]
Karan flushed but nodded. "Right."
Durga brought her sons' heads closer until all of their foreheads touched. A soft smile graced her lips as she spoke: "Mere bete, mere pyare bete, yaad rakhna jo main kehne jar ahi hoon. Mere alfazoon ko dil ke utna hi kareeb rakhna jaise maine tumhe apne dil main rakha tha. Durjan ne mujhe baut tarpaya—yeh sach hai—lekhin sirf mujhe hi nahi. Apne demhakoon ko khula rakho aur dil me jage banao dusroon ke pyar ko paa ne ke liye. Zindagi tum itna hi de sakti hai aur tum is se utna hi hasil kar sakte ho. Sache dilon ke saath raho aur teri Ma tujhpe aur bhi zaada fakhr kare gi." [My sons, my beautiful sons, remember what I will say. Keep my words close to your heart as I had done with your spirits. I have suffered under Durjan's hands-that is true-but I am not the only one. Keep your minds open and make room in your hearts to accept the love others have to offer. Life can only give you so much and you can only take so much from life. Live on with good hearts and you will make your mother even prouder.]
Even when those words slipped from Durga's lips and tears slid down her cheeks, her voice was steady, unwavering.
"Ma," Arjun whispered, grasping her hand.
Karan held Durga's other hand with a solemn gaze. "Fikhar mat karo Ma. I'll make sure ke ye bhudoo bhi isko follow kare." [Don't worry, Ma. I'll make sure he does the same as well]
Arjun laughed and playfully shoved Karan's shoulder. "Zahir hai. Kya samajte ho mujhe haan? [Of course I will. What are you taking me for?]
Karan rolled his eyes but his mouth pulled back into a grin. "Bhudoo." [A dunce]
Durga laughed as she hugged them both. She held them as close as possible, almost afraid of letting them go. "Mere bete, mere pyare bete…" [My sons, my beautiful sons...]
Nisha was curled into a ball, holding a photo of her brother Akash with tears streaming down her cheeks. She jumped a little as she heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Arjun and that girl who was with them. Immediately, she wiped away her tears and slipped the Akash's photo under her pillow.
"Chod do mujhe akela," [Leave me alone] Nisha said stiffly.
Arjun sighed. "Nisha ji main aap ka zyada time nahi loon ga. I promise. Lekhin agar aapke paas 5 minutes haun toh mujhe deh dije." [Ms. Nisha, I will not take up too much of your time. But if you have 5 minutes, please give them to me.]
Nisha scrutinized Arjun. His eyes were innocent and he had a charming smile… But they all had that. That was always the trick to lure people in and she wasn't going to buy it.
"Aap kyun Ma-ji ko ulloo bana rahe hain?" [Why are you making a fool out of Mother?] The brunette girl demanded. "Murde kaise zinda ho sakte hain?" [How can dead people come back alive?]
"Yeh toh main bhi nahi jaanta," [That even I don't know] Arjun admitted. "Lekhin shahid yeh Bhagwan ki marzi thi. Shahid woh Durjan Singh koh uske inteqaam taq paunchana chahta tha." [But maybe this was God's wish, maybe he wanted Durjan Singh to pay for his crimes.]
"Dekhein Nisha," [Look, Nisha] Bindiya said. "Aap Karan aur Arjun pe bharosa nahi karein aghar aap nahin chahteen. Lekhin aap kya Ma-ji ki khushi ki khatir unko aik mauka nahi de sakteen?" [Don't trust Karan and Arjun if you don't want to. But for Mother's sake, can't you give them one chance?]
Something in Nisha's heart twisted. She wanted to… She wanted to give them a chance for Durga's sake but…but it wasn't fair! If Durga's sons could return then why couldn't her brother and her parents return?
Yeh main kya sauch rahi hoon? Ma-ji se ek ajeeb si jalan kyun hone lagi hai? Mujhe khush hona chahiye Ma-ji ke liye. Mujhe khush hona chahiye… [Why am I thinking like this? I should be happy for Mother. I should be happy...]
"Aghar murde…murde…zinda ho sakte hain toh mera bhai kyun nahi?" [If dead…if the dead…can come back alive then why not my brother?] Nisha choked out, sobs slowly wracking her chest.
Arjun reached out to touch her arm but she flinched away, causing him to look down. "I'm sorry Nisha ji. Main aapke bhai ko toh wapis nahi la sakta lekhin ek vaada kar sakta hoon." [I'm sorry, Miss Nisha. I can't bring your brother back but I can at least make one promise.]
"K-kya vaada kar sakte hain aap?" [W-what promise can you make?] Nisha tried to sound indignant but her voice choked up and she could barely keep it from cracking.
"Jin logoon ne aapke bhai ko cheena hai unko saza zuroor mile gi," [The people that took your brother's life will be punished] Arjun said. "Please…mujhe aur Karan ko ek mauka dein." He wiped away his own tears that were coming in his eyes, extending out his hand. "Mujhse dosti karoge?" [Will you be friend?]