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Part 3
Prachi had quickly wiped her tears lest anyone saw her that way she was in no position to explain her sorrow or sentiments to anyone, sprinting up to the children's room she saw Sumonto busy playing his favourite game. She had run upto him enveloping him in a loving embrace sobbing convulsively. The child seemed to be over whelmed by her gesture but did not move away he realized his mother needed him and it hurt his little heart to see her cry. He could not bear her tears wiping them away with his fingers he looked at her questioningly "Kiya hua maa? Kyun ro rahi ho? Chachi ney kuch bola kiya?" he had inquired with concern his love and care for her melted Prachi's heart instantly. How could she let Milind take him away from her, he was the reason she had stopped herself from suiciding the instant she had left Milind. He was the reason she breathed today, the reason she had spent all this time away from her family residing amongst strangers trying to accept this place as her home. But the truth was home was where her Milind resided back in Bombay in Shah mansion. Though she knew it's doors were closed to her, she herself had closed them for herself retreating her steps was simply out of question now. Kissing him on his cheek she had left Sumonto very much bewildered by her actions wiping away traces of any tears on her own face she had asked Proteek about Milind. Proteek unaware of the history she shared with Milind informed him how Milind wanted to place several advertisements in his paper for the launch of his new hotel at Kolkatta handing her Milind's business card in the process.
After serving lunch to the family Prachi had excused herself on the pretext of going to the mandir quickly exiting the house. She had to find Milind and tell him the truth before he created havoc in her life, giving up Sumonto was something she could not do at any cost. Milind sat behind the glass table at his office in one of the posh localities of Kolkatta little had he realized stepping on this soil this was the place that would turn his world around. He awaited Prachi, he knew she would come, she had to. What he had threatened to do was fatal for her and he understood she would not give up without a fight not that he cared he was the biological father of the child and had full right on him. When his detective had informed him on Sumonto being born prematurely his brain had worked overtime not only did the child not resemble his step father he was also born at seven months. This could only prove that Prachi was infact carrying their baby when she left him and had opted for that Proteek instead of him. Nothing he did pacified his anger, whenever he thought about the time he had spent away from his child infuriated him. How could Prachi do this to him.... what had he done to deserve this indifference from her? Had he not loved her enough , held her in high esteem he was even ready to lay his life for her.... had she asked.
His phone had buzzed then "Sir there's a certain Mrs Dasgupta, she says she needs to speak to you it's urgent" his secretary had informed him. "Send her in" he had spoken in the mouthpiece before cutting the call. The door had opened and Prachi had walked in her eyes were puffy and he knew she had been crying a part of him had wanted to kiss those swollen eyelids cursing himself for even thinking on those lines Milind hd forced himself to remember the hard times he had been through while searching for that ungrateful woman. "Milind main aap sey baat kerney aayi huun." she had started when he cut her acridly "Mrs Dasgupta aap hii ka to intizaar tha mujhey......" he had glowered at her mocking her existence standing up from his seat he walked over to where she stood. "To kahiye Mrs Dasgupta kaisey aana hua?" he had asked her in a biting tone. Prachi's eyes had lowered to the ground she had not expected him to act that way but she knew he was not to blame. "Aap Kolkatta main kiya ker rahey hain?" Prachi had tried to make small talk "Kyun terey baap ka hai Kolkatta ya terey naye pati ka jo main yahaan nahin aa sakta?" he had retorted rudely. Seeing this not a feasible idea Prachi had decided to come to the point "Milind aap Sumonto ko mujh sey judaa nahin ker saktey" she had pleaded to him casting a deep look at her he had ignored her lighting his cigarette "Main kiya ker sakta huun or kiya nahin tujhey bataney ki zarurat nahin.' taking a deep puff he had exhaled the smoke in her face "Sumonto mera beta hai mera haq hai us per. Paanch saal tak tuu ney usse mujh sey duur rakha ab paanch saal to kiya paanch janmon main, main tujhey uskey saath nahin rehney duunga." he had puffed on his cigarette again.Prachi had started crying openly she knew he meant every word and he would certainly take her son away from him. "Aap kyun ussey mujh sey cheena chahtey hain sab kuch to hai aapkey paas. Poora parivar hai, Mallika hai phir aapko merey betey ki kiya zarurat hai."
Crumpling the burning cigarette in his palm ignoring the searing pain that it had caused Milind had shot her a bloody look before seizing her by her arms "Kiya bakwwaas kii tuu ney... sab kuch hai merey paas....Bata kiya chora tuuney merey paas. Arey sab kuch cheen liya mujh sey mera parivaar, mera sapna yahaan tak keh meri aulad tak cheen lii yeh tak nahin bataya keh main baap banney waala huun." he screamed in agony his eyes spitting fire and his tongue venom. Prachi stared at him in shock what did he mean she had taken everything away she had left him because his life depended on it. "Lekin aap to Mallika key saath " Prachi had asked him in confusion "Arey bhaad main gayi Mallika tujhey kiya laga main us do takey kii aurat key saath rahunga?" He jerked her free breathing deeply to control his anger "Teri tarah nahin huun na main Prachi keh eik sey dil bhar gaya to duusrey ko apna liya." Prachi felt as if she had been slapped hard she couldn't believe he thought so low of her did he not trust her to maintain the purity of their marraige. "Socha bhi kaisey tuuney keh main Mallika ka ho jaunga..... sab kuch chor diya mainey terey liye Prachi. Apney Baba ko apney parivaar ko, sirf tujhey dhundney key liye. Paanch saal tak bhatakta raha main kuch nahin soch kuch nahin samjha TEREY ILAWA" he hollered. "Din raat eik ker dii teri talaash main is liye keh mujhey yaqeen tha keh tuu zinda hai arey meri saansein chal rahi hain matlab keh tuu saans ley rahi hogi." he had paused his eyes moist as tears rolled down them, tears of pain sorrow and unsurmountable affliction.
Gripping her jaw in his hand he had forced her to look at him "Kiya bola tha tuuney hum saari umer eik saath bitaiengey... kahaan gaye woh vaadey jo tuuney mujh sey kiye they....bol". Prachi whimpered in his strong hold she knew how hard it was for him to keep a check on his fury at that moment if he hadn't loved her from the very core of his being he would definitely have killed her on the spot. "Milind Mallika ney aapko jail..." she tried to explain "Tujhey uss Mallika ki dhamkiyon per yaqeen tha merey pyaar per nahin?' he had questioned her letting go of her "Main eik eik pal teri yaad main guzarta raha or tujhey laga keh main Mallika key saath kitni ghatia soch hai teri Prachi." he had turned away his face in disgust leaving her aghast. Did that mean Milind had never returned to Mallika all these five years he had been seeking her..... fresh tears ran down her cheeks and all this while she thought he would have moved on in life how could she have even thought of him that way.
Her soul burnt in guilt why had she never thought on these lines had she not witnessed him shun Mallika away the day she had left him? Then why had she not stopped to fight back but Mallika had promised to put him behind bars and that was something she could have never wanted for Milind. She loved him far too much to see him suffer but had he not suffered then too. She stood stumped unable to find words to console him, tell him that she been through the same hell that he had been. But had it been the same for them both he had suffered all alone while she had friends to take her mind of her past Proteek and his family had been constant support through her hard times. She knew anything she said or did would be misunderstood by him since he was not in a positive frame of mind biting her lip she decided to wait for his next move. She saw him pace the office like a tiger not being able to pacify his wounded heart finally when the silence hung like a thick curtain between them he had produced a file from his bag "Sign these" he had ordered her throwing the file infront of her. "Yeh kiya hai?" she had questioned him picking it up she opened it to read the papers it held. What she read was beyond belief he wanted her to sign papers claiming him the sole guardian and parent of Sumonto. Henceforth she would hold no claim on him neither would she be allowed to meet him or have anything to do with him in future. Throwing the file away she had marched upto him "Kiya samajhtey hain aap, aap kaheingey or main apna beta aapko dey duungi.... aisa kabhi nahin hoga. Sumonto humara beta hai." "Humara nahin sirf or sirf mera.... tujh jaisi maa key saaye main palney sey behter hai merey beta bina maa key hii rahey" he had seethed raising his index finger to her face. "Aisa kabhi nahin hoga Milind Sumonto meri jaan hai uskey bina main jee nahin sakti" she was weeping again but her tears failed to move Milind this time. "To phir mar jaa Prachi" he had said quietly before turning away from her "Please Milind aisa mat kijiye" she had slumped to the floor folding her hands she begged him to reconsider. "Terey paas chaubees ghantey hain Prachi ya to tuu in papers per sign ker dey ya phir terey us pati kii vaat laga duunga main. Jis press sey tera ghar chalta hai usey jala duunga, eik eik ker key woh sab kuch cheen luunga main jo tera hai. Mujhey mera beta chahiye har haal main, har qeemat per phir uskey liye chahey duniya ko hii kyun na jalana parey mujhey"..... looking at her straight in the eye he had lit another cigarette "Jala duunga!"
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