CHAPTER 10

A/N: Hey guys! Back with another update. Enjoy reading.

Recap: Tanishka is returning back to her home after many years with Daya.

Tarika was impatiently waiting for Tanishka and Daya, moving to and fro in the lawn and constantly checking the watch at every minute. Shreya was just enjoying her restlessness standing at the doorstep.

Shreya: (giggling at Tarika) "Itni shiddat se kabhi tumne bhai ka bhi intezaar nahi kiya hai, Tarika. Waise khud Tanu ko ghar bulaakar woh kaha reh gaye aaj?"

Tarika: "Shreya…. ab hum sab nikal aaye toh bureau me kisika toh rehna jaruri hai na. Isiliye woh ruk gaya tha. Thodi der pehle phone aaya tha ke woh nikal chuka hai. Bas aata hi hoga. Par yeh Daya aur Tanu kaha reh gaye? Ab tak to aa jana chahiye tha unhe."

Shreya: "Aa jayenge, Taru…. (after sometime) Lo khatam hua tumhare intezaar. Aa gaye dono. (laughingly) Aur saath me bhai bhi aa gaye."

Both Abhijeet's car and Daya's quallis reached the main gate at the same time. Daya signalled Abhijeet to move in first. Abhijeet nodded and went in followed by Daya. All three of them got out of the car. Tanishka went to take her bags, but at the same time two hands came and took it from her hands. She looked to find her papa there. She didn't say anything and just went to meet her mother, who just took her in her arms and gave a bone – crushing hug. Tanishka too hugged back. After her, she met Shreya. All of them went inside.

Tarika: "Tanu, bachhe jaldi se fresh ho jao. Maine tumhare liye tumhare favourite pyaaj aur aloo ke pakode banaye hai."

Tanishka: (murmuring) "Chalo yaha kisiko toh meri pasand yaad hai."

But it was heard by Abhijeet and Daya. Abhijeet was going to say something in anger, but Daya stopped him and took him to his room. Tanishka went inside her room. It was still the same. Light blue walls, Persian blue cupboards and royal blue bed sheet and pillow covers. The big Teddy which was her first birthday gift from her papa was settled at the top-right corner of the bed. She smiled and went on to hug it. She remembered with moist eyes how her Papa used to tuck her and her teddy to sleep each night before Minu was born. All the memories that she had with her papa in that room started passing one by one in her mind. Suddenly she felt a hand on her head. She opened her eyes to find Shreya sitting beside her.

Shreya: "Maine disturb toh nahi kiya na? (Tanishka cleared her eyes and kept hugging her Teddy keeping mum) I hope room waisa hi hai jaisa tum chhod kar gayi thi. Hai na?"

Tanishka nodded. Shreya kept caressing her hair. Suddenly she noticed Tanishka's dressing. It was nothing but a simple grey shirt, half sleeves and jeans.

Shreya: (softly) "Yeh kya kapde pehne hai tumne? Yaad hai bachpan me kitni uchal – kud karte huye aati thi mere paas kehte huye ki Chhoti maa, dress – up karvao na. Kitna pasand tha tumhe tayyar hona, nayi fashion try karna. Ab kya ho gaya Rani?"

Tanishka: "Ab man nahi karta, chhoti maa."

Saying this, she kept the Teddy and went to freshen up. Shreya sat there when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Daya.

Shreya: "Dekhiye na, Daya, kitni badal gayi hai bacchi humari. (tearily) Pata nahi kiski nazar lag gayi hai humare parivaar ko. Kis kadar bikhar gaya hai sab."

She hugged Daya. He kept patting her back with moist eyes. After a while, she calmed down and both went out of the room. Tanishka came out of the washroom to find the room empty, so she too came out of the room to find everyone sitting in the hall, with a plate of pakodas in their hands. She went and sat on the ground near Shreya's legs as she used to sit in her childhood. Abhijeet and Tarika sighed and started having their pakodas.

Tanishka: "Chhoti maa, ghar itna shaant kyu hai?"

Shreya: "Woh Minu aur Dhruv mummy – papa ke yaha gaye hai, Ahmedabad. Chhuttiyaan manane."

Tanishka nodded and got busy with her food. Shreya again striked a conversation with Tanishka by asking her about her life in those nine years. Daya and Tarika too slowly joined them. Tanishka was answering them in one or two words with a light smile. Abhijeet emptied his plate and went into the room. Everyone fell silent at that.

Daya: "Mera bhi ho gaya hai. Mai bhi chalta hu. Mujhe Abhijeet ke saath baithke files complete karni hai."

Shreya and Tarika nodded and he left.

Shreya: "Tarika, aaj dinner me kya banaye?"

Tarika: "Kuch aisa banate hai jo meri guriya ko pasand ho."

Tanishka: "Aaplog mujhe mehmaan ki tarah kyu treat kar rahe hai? Special khaana mehmaano ke liye banaya jata hai. Mai koi mehmaan nahi hu. Kuch special banane ki jarurat nahi hai. Sabji – roti hi bana dijiye. Varna ek kaam karte hai. Aaplog roti, dal aur chawal ka dekh lijiye. Sabji mai bana deti hu."

Tarika: (amused) "Tumhe khaana banana aata hai?"

Tanishka: "Haa."

All three of them went to the kitchen. Tanishka unknowingly removed bhindi from the fridge. Shreya was going to say something, but Tarika stopped her.

Tarika: "Kya kar rahi hai? Chup baith na."

Shreya: "Par Tarika, abhi parso hi toh khaayi thi bhindi."

Tarika: "Haa, par aaj ki bhindi ka swaad hi kuch aur hoga. Aakhir Abhijeet ki ladli jo bana rahi hai. Aaj pehli beti apni pita ki favorite dish bana rahi hai."

Shreya and Tarika smiled looking at each other and left to make the remaining dinner. Meanwhile, Daya came into the room to find Abhijeet standing in the balcony lost in his thoughts. He went and kept a hand on his shoulder.

Daya: "Kaha kho gaye, boss? Are, ab toh khush ho jaao. Tumhari beti apne ghar wapas aa gayi hai."

Abhijeet: "Ghar waapas aayi hai. Meri zindagi me nahi."

Daya: (softly) "Zindagi me bhi waapas aa jayegi, yaar. Tension mat lo. Khair….. (in low and cautious voice) aaj woh log humara pichha kar rahe the."

Abhijeet: (jerking and looking at Daya with wide eyes) "Kya? Aur tum yeh baat mujhe ab bata rahe ho? Kuch kiya toh nahi na unlogon ne tum dono ko?"

Daya: "Nahi, kuch kiya nahi. Bas nazar rakh rahe the. Tum sahi keh rahe the. Woh log humpar kafi time se nazar rakhe huye hai. Humari ek-ek harkat par unki nazar hai. Maine gaadi ka no. RTO office bhej diya hai. Dekhte hai."

Abhijeet: "Mujhe nahi lagta uska fayda hoga. Woh log bohot shaatir hai. Jarur no. plate nakli hogi. (in low tone) Tanu ne kuch notice toh nahi kiya na?"

Daya: (smilingly) "Tumhari beti hai, yaar. Notice kaise nahi karegi? Kiya tha par maine use puri baat nahi batayi hai. Jhoot bolta toh pakda jaata isliye keh diya ki woh car pichha toh humara hi kar rahi thi, par kyu yeh nahi pata."

Abhijeet: (in tensed tone) "Yaar, use kuch pata nahi chalna chahiye. Varna pata nahi phirse sab apne sir le legi."

Daya: "Haa, haa thik hai. Dekho toh, kaise fikar ho rahi hai ab. Lekin baat karne ko kaho toh janaab ki nani mare jaati ho jaise. Chalo ab, files ka dher jo leke aaye ho use complete karna hai."

Abhijeet smilingly followed him. Both completed the files and looked at the watch to find it showing the dinner time. Both came out of the room to find Tanishka setting the table while Tarika and Shreya bringing the food items. Daya and Abhijeet sat at the dining table. Even Tarika, Tanishka and Shreya sat down. Daya immediately opened the container of vegetables.

Daya: "Kya yaar, Shreya? Mana tumhare bhai ko bhindi pasand hai, par iska matlab yeh toh nahi hai na ki tum roz – roz bhindi banaogi."

Abhijeet and Tarika giggled but Tanishka seemed confused at that comment.

Tanishka: "Roz – roz matlab?"

Daya: "Are abhi parso hi khaayi thi humne bhindi."

Shreya: (irritatedly) "Kya Daya, aap bhi? Bani hai toh khaa lo na ab. Kya pata, aaj kuch taste alag lag jaye."

Tarika kicked Shreya hard and glared at her. Shreya got what she wanted to say and immediately downed her head. Abhijeet, Daya and Tanishka were still confused. Suddenly Tanishka realized something. It was her home. It was her kitchen where she had for the first time ever cooked something. AND THAT SOMETHING WAS NONE OTHER THAN HER FATHER'S FAVOURITE DISH. Her hands started sweating. She immediately put some sabji in her mouth to check whether everything was perfect or not. It was, according to her. She slowly started having her food while stealing glances at her father. Tarika and Shreya noticed it and giggled. Daya and Abhijeet looked at them and then at each other.

Daya: "Tum dono has kyu rahe ho?"

Tarika: "Kuch nahi. Bas aise hi."

Abhijeet: "Waise aaj sabji kisne banayi hai? Taste kuch alag lag raha hai."

Tanishka gasped.

Tarika: "Kyu? Kya hua? Achhi nahi bani?"

Abhijeet: "Are nahi, nahi. Bohot achhi bani hai. Sach kahu toh…. maa ki yaad aa gayi, actually. Meri yaadash khone ke pehle ka toh yaad nahi, par uske baad kai baar maa yeh sabji banati thi. Bilkul aisa hi taste hota tha uska."

Abhijeet cleared the tears off his eyes. Daya kept a hand on his shoulder, while Tanishka too rubbed off her eyes without anyone's notice. Tarika and Shreya shared a hi-fi.

Daya: (irritated now) "Are, kya chal kya raha hai tum dono ka kabse? Aur waise yeh taste achanak kaise badal gaya? Bahar se mangwayi hai kya?"

Shreya: "Daya… aapko yaad na ho toh yaad dila du is waqt is ghar me do nahi teen ladies hai."

Daya: "Toh? Usme kaunsi badi baat hai?"

Tarika: (looking at Abhijeet and adding softly) "Abhijeet, aaj TUMHARI FAVOURITE SABJI TUMHARI LADLI TANU NE BANAYI hai."

Tanishka suddenly looked up at Tarika and then at Abhijeet and found him looking at her with moist eyes. Both kept starring at each other for a while. A lot of said – unsaid things seemed to get conveyed. Finally after a few moments, they averted their gaze and started to have their dinner. They all finished it in silence. Abhijeet and Daya went to their rooms while the three ladies cleared the kitchen and the table. Tanishka after helping her mamma and chhoti maa, went to her room. She was standing near the window and was looking out when felt someone's presence in the room. She turned around to find her papa standing there as if looking for words to talk.

Abhijeet: "Woh… woh sabji….. kafi…. achhi….. achhi bani thi."

Tanishka: "Thankyou."

Again there was a silence.

Abhijeet: "Haa… woh bas… yahi…. yahi kehne aaya tha. Good…. good night."

Tanishka: "Good night."

Abhijeet left the room. Tanishka lied down on her bed with one hand on her eyes. But sleep seemed quite far away from her. As well as from Abhijeet.

The morning dawned. Tanishka came out of her room to find Tarika and Shreya preparing their lunch and Abhijeet reading the newspaper. She smiled as she got that Daya was still sleeping his sound sleep. She went towards her mothers.

Tanishka: "Kuch help kardu?"

Shreya: "Are, tum itni jaldi uth gayi?"

Tanishka: "Haa, woh academy ke wajah se aadat pad gayi hai, jaldi uthne ki."

Tarika: "Abhi toh sab kuch ho gaya hai. Bas breakfast baki hai. Tum banaogi?"

Tanishka was going to say yes, but suddenly remembered the last night and nodded her head in no. Tarika and Shreya giggled.

Shreya: "Rehne do. Hum bana lenge. Tum baitho."

Tanishka went and sat on the sofa and looked at her father. He was completely engrossed in his newspaper. She thought of wishing him good morning but later decided against it. She picked up a magazine and started reading it. Suddenly the door clicked open and Daya came out in the still sleepy mode. He sat beside Abhijeet and put his head in Abhijeet's lap and closed his eyes. Abhijeet was startled at that. Tarika and Shreya started laughing loudly. Tanishka too giggled at Daya's act.

Shreya: (controlling her laughter) "Daya…. Jarasi sharam kariye. Beti satra saal ki ho gayi hai. Aapko khudko aath saal ka beta hai. Phir bhi?"

Daya: (in sleepy and irritated tone) "Are toh kya hua? Tanu mere behaviour ke bare me tumse jyada jaanti hai. Waise bhi Minu aur Dhruv nahi hai isliye yeh nakhre karne ko mil rahe hai. Woh log hote toh yeh sab thodi karne ko milta?"

Tanishka: "Haa, na. Minu ke hote huye Papa ko kisi aur ke liye fursat hi kaha hoti hai."

She got engrossed in her magazine. Everyone fell silent at that comment. Abhijeet angrily got up, slammed the paper on the table and left for his room to freshen up.

Tarika: "Tanu… bachhe, kya jarurat thi yeh sab kuch bolne ki, haan? Dekha na kaise papa ka mood kharaab ho gaya ab."

Tanishka kept looking at her mother for a while.

Tanishka: (keeping the magazine and getting up) "Sorry. Aahinda dhyaan rakhungi ki (stressing) meri wajah se kisika mood kharaab na ho."

She went to her room. Everyone else returned to their work. All freshened up, and had their breakfast. As soon as their breakfast finished, Abhijeet and Daya went to get ready while Tarika and Shreya who were already ready went to pack their tiffins. Abhijeet came out of his room first.

Abhijeet: "Tanishka, ready ho jao. Tum bhi humare saath bureau chal rahi ho."

Tanishka: "Kyu? Mai waha chal ke kya karungi?"

Abhijeet: "Toh kya tum ghar me akele rahogi?"

Tanishka: "Haa. Rajat sir toh mujhe ghar me akele hi rehne dete the."

Abhijeet: "Par mai tumhara (stressing) Rajat sir nahi hu na. Toh ab bina sawaal kiye ready ho jao. Jao ab."

Anger could be clearly heard in his voice. He hated even the mention of his name. Daya who had just came out of his room, heard the conversation. He shook his head and immediately took Abhijeet out of the house holding his hand. Tanishka too sighed and went to get ready. Here outside –

Daya: "Kya chal raha hai tumhara, haan? Kyu baat – baat par use daantne lag jaate ho use? Aisa bhi kya keh diya tha ab usne?"

Abhijeet: (angrily) "Rajat ka naam lene ki kya jarurat thi use? Kyu baat – baat pe mere saamne woh Rajat ka example rakhti hai? Mai uska baap hu ya Rajat?"

Daya: "Abhi… tum hi uske baap ho. Aur yeh baat woh bhi ache se jaanti hai. Woh koi example nahi rakhti hai tumhare saamne. Usne bas ek baat kahi. Ab use kya pata ki uske pita uske chhote papa ke naam se nafrat hai."

Abhijeet: "Daya please. Kamse kam tum toh use mere saamne chhote papa kehke mat bulaao. Gussa aata hai mujhe."

Daya: "Boss, woh bacchi sahara dhund rahi hai. Pyaar ki bhukhi hai woh. Ab agar uski woh bhukh tum nahi mitaoge, toh woh kahi na kahi toh jayegi na us bhukh ko mitane. Toh kyu gussa kar rahe ho tum? Ulta tumhe to khush hona chahiye ki chalo koi toh hai jo tumhari bacchi ko samajhta hai. Agar kabhi kisi mod par tum uska saath na de paao, toh koi aur toh hoga uska saath dena, use raasta dikhane. Yeh kyu nahi sochte tum?"

This left Abhijeet in deep thoughts. Though it was not something which he hadn't thought, but the possessiveness for his daughter was overpowering his rational thought process. And suddenly he realized something. This possessiveness which he was feeling now seeing Rajat and Tanu's closeness was the same which Tanishka had felt and was feeling still seeing Abhijeet and Minu's closeness. There was not even an inch's difference. How could he just think that she was jealous of her sister? It was just her protectiveness for the most precious relation of her life. Of their life. He looked up hearing voices. Tarika and Shreya were coming towards them, talking followed by Tanishka. They arrived and all sat in the car and left for the bureau.

There you go. Next chapter will have a new entry. So stay tuned to know who's it.

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