The Kashmiri Cardigan
It was the beginning of the chilly January. People were crouched inside their houses wrapping themselves in woolens. Shreya too was cuddled inside the blanket but poor Daya was roaming somewhere in Kashmir following some links of his current case in hand.
Shreya dialed his number. He received after two rings.
"Han Shreya kaisi ho?" He asked.
"Daya mujhe bahut thand lag rahi hai. Bistar se nikalne ka to man hi nahi hota. Pata hai yaha ka temperature kitna hai, 12 degree Celsius." Shreya said wonderfully.
Daya laughed, "bas? aur yaha ka temperature nahi puchogi, arey yaha barf pad rahi hai. Temperature is below 0 degree."
Shreya sat straight in the bed, "oh my god! Aap waha kaam kaise kar rahe hain?"
"Kaam ho gaya, kal wapas aa raha hu main!" Daya said.
Shreya jumped in happiness, "Really, oh I miss you so much. You know itni thand me akele sone par neend bhi nahi aati." She said cutely
Daya smiled, "Bas aaj ek din aur akele so jao, kal aa raha hu na main to sone to dunga nahi."
Shreya blushed, "pata hai!"
Daya smiled at her, "achha suno, tumhare liye kuch kharida hai maine yaha se, tumhe bahut pasand aayega."
Shreya again jumped in excitement, "wow, kya kharida hai, batao na!"
"No..abhi nahi bataunga, kal aa raha hu na to khud hi dekh lena." Daya said.
Shreya became sad, "oh daya, ab main puri raat guess karti rahungi aur mujhe neend nahi aayegi."
"Nahi nahi chup chap so jao, ab main phone rakhta hu, chalo good night, love you!" Daya said kissing the cellphone
"Good night! Love you too!" Shreya said and they disconnected.
The next day Shreya was super happy waiting for Daya's come back. She prepared some of his favorite dishes as a gesture to welcome him.
The doorbell rang and Shreya literally ran to open the door. As she opened the door and found Daya standing there she threw herself in his arms. Daya smiled and embraced her with love.
Shreya separated, "andar aaiye, bahar bahut thand hai."
Daya moved inside. "Itni bhi thand nahi hai yaha, jitni Kashmir me thi."
Shreya took his bags, "wo sab chodiye, jaldi bataiye mere liye kya laye hain aap?"
Daya smiled seeing her excitement, "are baba wait, dikha raha hu. Baithne to do!" He sat down on the couch.
He opened the bag and took out a packet.
Shreya snatched the packet immediately, "kya hai isme?"
"Khud hi dekh lo." Daya said.
Shreya opened the packet and got a beautiful cardigan in pink color. She opened her mouth in surprise, "wow! How beautiful!" She exclaimed.
"Hai na, aur dekho uski front side pe ek caption hai, idhar" Daya said showing her the caption. There was written, 'I love you' along with a shape of heart.
"Awe this is so adorable Daya! Thank you so much!" Shreya said happily.
"Aise nahi, pehan kar dikhao." Daya said.
"Ok!" Shreya said and put on the cardigan. She was looking no less than a princess in pink. Daya admired her.
"Kaisa lag raha hai?" Shreya asked.
Daya kissed her forehead, "bahut khoobsurat."
Shreya smiled and noticed the price tag displaying MRP: 15 thousand rupees. She became shocked.
"Daya, ye to bahut mehanga hai. Aur winters to mushkil se 2-3 mahine hi rehti hai. Main kya karungi iska? Kya jarurat thi itne paise kharch karne ki?" She looked dissatisfied.
Daya held her by her shoulders, "Shreya kisi bhi cheej ki value uspe kharch huye paiso se nahi usse jude emotions se hoti hai. Maine bahut dil se kharida hai ise tumhare liye, kyunki mujhe pata tha ye sirf tumhare liye bana hai. Dekho tum kitni achhi lag rahi ho."
Shreya smiled and hugged him, "Daya, you are so sweet, I love you!"
Daya too smiled and hugged her back.
Two days later
Shreya had to go somewhere for an important work. She wore her overcoat and scarf to protect herself from the cold waves. Daya saw her.
"Tum kahi ja rahi ho?" He asked.
"Ha kuch kaam hai, bas ek ghante me aa jaungi!" Shreya said covering her head with scarf.
"Shreya wo cardigan pehan kar jao na!" Daya requested.
"Daya, kabhi aur pehan lungi!" Shreya said.
"Nahi, kuch din me to winters bhi khatam ho jayegi phir kab pehnogi. Main kuch nahi sunna chahta, tum wo cardigan pehan kar hi bahar jaogi bas!" Daya said stubbornly.
Shreya nodded her head with a sigh. She went and came back wearing the cardigan. "Bas, ab khush?"
"Bahut khush!" Daya said.
Shreya smiled, "bye, main chalti hu!" She left.
Shreya completed her work and when she was returning she got stuck in traffic. She stopped her car on the signal and started waiting for the traffic to get clear.
Shreya heard some noises and lowered the window. She found several beggars suddenly descended upon the area scurrying among vehicles and seeking alms from motorists. A old woman wrapped in ragged clothes and holding a undernourished baby in her arms, was looking at Shreya with hopeful eyes. She was shivering due to cold. Shreya's heart melted seeing her condition. She had no money at that time. The woman was joining her hands and pleading to Shreya.
"Oh my God! Aisi thand me itne garam kapde pehan kar bhi main kanp rahi hu aur ye bechari aurat? Kya karu main, is waqt to mere paas kuch paise bhi nahi hain.!" Shreya became tensed.
She looked at her cardigan and then at that woman. "Iski jarurat iss waqt iss aurat ko jyada hai. Mere paas to kitne sare kapde pade huye hain. Ye bechari itni thand me kahi mar na jaye!" and without bothering to think again she took off her cardigan and forwarded to that woman.
"Ye lo, ise pehan lo. Tumhe thand nahi lagegi."
The woman took the cardigan with trembling hands and then blessed Shreya.
The signal was green. Shreya drove away. She came at a distance and stopped the car.
"Oh no! Ye kya kiya maine? Wo cardigan Daya ko itna pasand hai, wo kitne pyar se laye the mere liye. Unhe pata chala to bahut naraj ho jayenge!" She reversed the car and went on the same signal in the search of that woman. Some more beggars were wandering there but that woman was nowhere to be seen. Shreya asked some beggars about that woman but couldn't find her. She searched her a lot but ultimately got only disappointment. She returned home with a fallen face.
"Arey Shreya itni der kyun laga di? Kaha thi tum? Aur..." Daya stopped in middle, "Shreya, you are shivering?"
Shreya didn't look at him, "Nahi to, I am fine Daya"
Daya moved near her, "Yes you are shivering Shreya. Tum to cardigan pehan kar gayi thi na phir nikal kyun diya, itni thand hai bahar?"
Shreya crossed him and moved ahead looking downwards, "nahi to Daya itni bhi thand nahi hai."
Daya felt something fishy with her behavior. He caught her hand, "ek minute! Shreya tum mujhse kuch chupa rahi ho na? Bolo kya baat hai?"
"Koi baat nahi hai Daya, kuch nahi chupa...
Daya cut her, "I am sure tum kuch to chupa rahi ho. Warna tum is terah se mujhse aankhe nahi churati. Tell me what it is!"
Shreya looked at him. Her eyes were moisten. "Daya wo...wo cardigan..." She mumbled.
Daya narrowed her eyebrows, "han kya hua? Kaha hai wo cardigan?"
Shreya broke down like a little innocent girl and told him everything.
Daya was jiggered. "What?" He exclaimed. He kept staring at her for a minute and then suddenly burst out, "Tumhara dimag kharab ho gaya hai Shreya?"
Shreya looked up at him, "I am sorry Daya! Us aurat ko dekh ke mujhe bahut taras aa gaya us par. Itni jyada thand me uske paas bilkul kapde nahi the. But jab mujhe realize hua ki mujhe use wo cardigan nahi dena chahiye tha to main wapas gayi use dhundhne but wo nahi mili Daya. I am so sorry Daya!"she sobbed and moved to hug him but Daya jerked her away.
"Shut up Shreya! Tum kabhi nahi sudhar sakti. Tum karti pehle ho sochti baad me ho. I know tumhe charity ka kitna shauk hai, lekin tumne mujhe hurt kiya hai you know! Main tumhare liye kuch le aaya, itne pyar se, aur tumne kya kiya? Utha kar ek raah chalte beggar ko de diya? Ek baar bhi tumne mere emotions ke bare me nahi socha? Yahi value hai tumhare liye meri aur mere pyar ki?"
Shreya cried, "I am sorry na Daya...
"Shut up! I don't want to talk to you!" He said angrily and moved from there.
Shreya watched him going and cried feeling extremely guilty.
Daya didn't talk to her the whole day and kept avoiding her. Shreya was continuously saying sorry but Daya was in no mood to forgive her.
Next day
Shreya was sitting on the bench in the garden seeking for some sunshine but the sun was too hesitant to come out of the clouds. On top of that the cold waves were making shreya to shiver. She caressed her arms feeling cold. Suddenly she felt warmth as someone draped her with something soft from behind. Shreya looked at the material and became shocked as it was the same cardigan. She turned her head and found Daya stood there smiling.
"Daya, ye... ye cardigan, kaha mila aapko? Aapne dhundh liya us aurat ko?" Shreya asked surprisingly.
"Nahi, main us aurat ko nahi, sirf is cardigan ko dhundh raha tha. Tumhe pata hai, usne is cardigan ko pehana nahi tha balki isse apne bachhe ko cover karke sulaya hua tha!" Daya said.
Shreya's smile faded slowly. "Aur aap ise lekar chale aaye? Aapko aisa nahi Karna chahiye...
"Ek minute ek minute, puri baat to suno" Daya said interrupting her.
Shreya became silent and looked at him.
"Iske badle main uss aurat ko winter wears aur blanket dekar aaya hu. Mana mujhe tumhare jitni charity ka shauk nahi hai but iska matlab ye nahi ki mera dil patthar ka hai. Yakeen nahi aata to ye bills dekh lo." Daya said showing the bills of those stuffs.
Shreya smiled at him and then noticed the bill.
"Haww! 15 thousand!" Shreya exclaimed, "Daya, itne expensive items lene ki kya jarurat thi?" Shreya complained.
"Mere liye to iss cardigan se expensive kuch bhi nahi kyunki ...Daya said.
"...kyunki kisi cheej ki value uspe kharch huye paiso se nahi usse jude emotions se hoti hai." Shreya completed his sentence.
Daya nodded with a smile, "Correct!"
Shreya's eyes started watering. "Ab na ye cardigan zindagi bhar mere paas rahega. Aapka itna sara pyar jo basa hai isme! I love you so much Daya!" She took a step closer and rested her head against his chest.
Shreya was holding the cardigan in her hands and daya was holding his beloved wife in his arms near his heart.
o-o-o-o
