CHAPTER 11
FLASHBACK CONTINUED
It's been a week since Pradyuman left. He called several times to his home but Vibha never let Divya nor Abhijeet talk to him. She always used to make up things like Divya is sleeping, she is working, she is outside while Divya can only cry listening to all that, standing behind her. They started treating her like a maid. She used to work all day barely taking out time to eat and sleep.
In all this, a little pour soul was forgotten. He used to see his mother getting scolded and working nonstop. His little eyes were capturing each and everything, slowly digesting the poison into his soul.
Divya was dusting while Abhijeet was doing his schoolwork in their room. The loud ringing of the telephone made her jerk. A little smile crept on her lips knowing who the caller is. She was going to pick up the phone but Suresh came and cut the call. She astonishingly looked at him. Vibha came out angrily and without wasting a minute she started shouting at her.
"Tumhein kya lagta hai tum use phone kar ke apne dukhre rona shuru kar do gi take who wapis yahan aa jaye. Tum nahi chahti ke who hamare liye kuch bhi kare."
"Aisa chahti hoon mein? (She finally spoke for herself) Jab se who gaye hain aap ne aik dafa bhi mujhe un se baat karne nahi di. Jab bhi phone aata hai aap un se koi bahana kar deti hain meri taraf se. Agar mein baat kar loon gi tu kiya ho jaye ga."
In the meantime, the phone rang again and Vibha received it.
"Hello Pradyuman, haan beta …...sab theek hai…tum theek ho? Are han who hone uthane hi aarahi thi itni der mein phone cut gaya. Bas aur batao…wahan sab theek tu hai na? Haan Divya aur Abhijeet bhi theek hain who so rahi thi……
"Maa ji Pradyuman ka phone hai kiya?" Divya spoke loud enough to make sure Pradyuman hear it.
"Maa lagta hai Divya uth gayi hai us ko phone de di jiye ga." Pradyuman requested.
Vibha cast a glance full of hatred toward her and slapped the phone on her hand.
"He...hello." She hesitantly spoke.
"Han hello Divya… (she heard his laugh) kitne dino baad tumhari awaaz suni. Kahan hoti thi tum.
"Who sab theek tu hai na aur aap kaise hain.?" She hesitantly looked toward Vibha
"Are main tu bilkul theek hoon. Aur yahan kaam bhi shuru ho gaya hai. Bas din mein 5 minutes hi milte hai ghar phone karne ke liye. Us ke baad line khud hi kat jati hai."
Vibha snatched the phone from Divya's hand while saying "Are mujhe bhi tu mere bete se baat karni hai."
She held the phone to her ears but the line got cut.
"Mil gaya sukoon tujhe. Mujhe tu pata tha ke tum yahi chahti ho ke bas who tumse baat kare. 5-minute ke liye phone aata hai us mein bhi tum usse apne dukhre sunane beth jana. Ab hath laga kar dikhao phone ko." Vibha shouted.
"Kaun se dukhre? Aap ke samne tu baat hui. Do lafz bhi nahi keh paye ke aapne hath se phone cheen lia. Aur phir aap mujhe keh rahi hain?" Divya remarked.
"Abhi do din hoye nahi bhaiya ko gaye hue aur tumhari zubaan kaisi chalne lagi. Un ke samne tu bahut shareef banti thin." Suresh asks her raising his eyebrows.
"Main tumhari bari bhabi hoon Suresh, tum mujh se aisa baat karo ge."
"Tumhien tameez hai ke mujhe se kaise baat karni hai." Vibha spoke in between. "Jao jake apna kaam karo. Aur agar ab phone ke aas pas bhi nazar aayien tu hath tor dun gi."
With her tears dropping eyes, Divya turned around only to find little Abhi standing leaning on their room door. He was on the verge of crying so it was obvious that he heard everything. Divya hurriedly ran to him and took him inside their room.
"Mama who aap ko kyun itna daant rahe the." He asked between hiccups.
"Areh beta woh daant thori rahe the. Baat kar rahe the. Aap ki mama se ghalti ho gayi thi tu samjha rahe the. Who bari hain na is liye unhien thora ghusse aa gaya tha. (Cupping his face, while wiping his tears) Aur aap ko pata hai, aap ke baba ne kaha hai ke who hamien bahut jald hi apne pass bula lein gein. Phir aap ke baba aur aap khoob sara khelna." Abhi smiled while sniffing.
Vibha who was listening to all this standing outside her room turned around in shock.
……………………
Vibha was looking at Pradyuman, waiting for an answer.
"Saaf saaf batt karo Pradyuman kehna kiya chahte ho." Vibha snorted
"Main usse apne sath le kar jana chahta hoon. U K. (Pradyuman sighed) Usko apne sath rakhana bahut zaroori ho gaya hai. Filhal visit visa pe le kar jaun ga. (turning his face towards Vibha) Maa, Abhijeet bahut bigar gaya hai." Pradyuman said.
"Yahi tu plan tha uska aur us ki maa ka tab bhi aur ab bhi. Tumhien itna blackmail kar dien ke tum tang aa kar usse apne sath le jao. Tum samjh kyun nahi jate." Vibha said angrily.
"Ab plan hai ya jo bhi hai, Par Abhijeet bahut bigar gaya hai. Usse is tarah akela nahi chora jaa sakta."
"Are tu chorne ko kaun keh raha hai, Keh tu rahi hoon ke us ki shadi kar dete hain. Akshita aur Mohan ki beti hai na. Jab zimmedariyan parien gi na kandhe par tu khud hi aqal thikane aa jaye gi."
"Shadi kardoon. (He paused) Apni musibat kisi aur ke gale mein daal doon. Shaadi ke baad who is kisim ki harkatien kare ga tu kiya hoga. (Taking a deep sigh) Jab who khud hi khush nahi tu kisi aur ko kiya khush rakhe ga. Aik baap ke taur par mein buhat pareshan hoon. Jo kaam mera hai usse mujhe hi karna chahiye. Pehle hi apne bete ko aap logon ke sar par chorne par bahut sharminda hoon mein. "
"Hum ne kiya kiya bhai? Tumhari aulaad ko pal pos kar jawan kar ke tumhare hawale kiya yeh gunah kiya hum ne?" Vibha took the glass of water from her side table and gulped down her medicine.
"Us ki aisi tarbiyat nahi chahta tha mein." Pradyuman said while hiding his eyes.
"Tu yeh tu us ki maa ka qusur hai na jisne us ki bachpan mein tarbiyat ki hai. (taunting) Jis ke khoon ka asar hai us mein. Hum tu tumhare bete ko rasiyaan daal daal kar rakhte rahe ab aur kiya kar sakte the."
"Khoon tu mera bhi hai aur aap ka bhi. Hamara bhi tu asar aana chahiye tha." Pradyuman replied to her taunt.
"Tum yeh sila de rahe ho meri khidmat ka. Tanz kar rahe ho tum mujh par. Char din yahan kiya reh liye bete ke sath tote ki tarah aankhien badal lien. Tumhien yaad hai na kiya kiya tha us ki maa ne. Tab kaun tumhari izzat bachata phir raha tha. Yahi maa tumhari. Warna kahan hota tumhara beta aaj. Jis ke dukhre ro rahe ho tum mere samne. "
"Janta hoon. Sab yaad hai mujhe, aur bar bar mat yaad dilaya karien. Bahut waqt ho gaya hai us sab ko." Pradyuman slowly stood up from his place. "Main ne faisle kar liya hai. Aage jo hoga who dekh jaye ga."
………
Daya was roaming around the house, extremely bored. He saw Suresh's room door opened so he thought he can spend some time with him. He knocked on the door. He heard a "hmmmmm" so he stepped inside.
"Kya hua?" Suresh asked flatly.
Daya was a little taken back with that question.
"Nothing, bore ho raha tha tu socha ke aap se baat kar loon thori der." Daya replied.
"I am a little busy at the moment. (Suresh said while laying on his bed) agar koi khas bat hai tu tum kar sakte ho warna you know." Suresh replied.
"Do your work, I will leave." Daya left without saying anything.
………
AT NIGHT
Daya and Pradyuman were getting ready for bed. Pradyuman saw Daya doing his work a little ridiculously. It was more like creating a mess instead of putting things together.
"Your family is weird." Daya spoke finally.
"Be respectful. "Pradyuman got a little alarmed on his comment.
"I am sorry but they are."
"Daya." Pradyuman said sternly.
'Look I am not a kid anymore. twenty years old see and understands everything. Everything. (He paused) Jab hum yahan aaye the tab yeh sab kitne khush the, aur ab, jisse dekho who ghusse mein. I roam in this house like I am some spirit or something. (He asked pointing towards Pradyuman) Kiya kehte hai aap log use, (shrugging his hands) I don't know. whatever. Dadi hain tu who yahi puchti hain ke kab hum wapis jaa rahe hain? Suresh chacho ko koi interest nahi. U told me that you also have a sister jo wahan kitne phone karti thin jab bhi unhien kuch chahiye hota tah lekin who hum se milne tak nahi aayien..."
Pradyuman stood there listening to his sons complain and he couldn't even stop him because he was correct. He felt all this too.
"The only consistent person in this family is Abhijeet (Pradyuman look at him) He used to hate me when we came and he still don't like me."
"You know he is older than you." (Daya nodded his head in yes and said 24) Then why are you calling him by his name." Pradyuman questioned him while raising his eyebrows.
"He said don't call him bhai or anything so until he gives me permission, I am going to call him by his name." With this Daya laid down on the bed covering his face with blanket.
"Don't worry main us ko theek kar doon ga."