Chapter 3
" Today .. I have fulfilled my promise " he muttered slowly as he held a photograph in his hand. He smiled at the photo as if imagining the person in the photograph was feling proud of him. But soon realizing that dreaming was way too luxurious for a person like him to afford... he quickly straightened his curve lips.... rebuilding the hard shell around him once more.
With small and slow steps.. she approached the door.. and then opened it softly. Her eyes immediately met Komal's red ones. With a concerned look... Pratigya whispered " Komal.. u were crying ??"
Komal gave her a curt smile and said " Not really Pratty.. just some old memories... U know wat.. I was just expcting u .."
Pratigya knew what old memories were exactly flooding her eyes. They have been the best of friends.. since their tender years, yet an incident of an evening did manage to bring a permanent strain in their relationship. Although everything was normal... still there was a feeling of hesitation... which Pratigya abslutely hated. But ... she wanted to resolve it forever. She looked at her.... the hesitatin existed in her eyes too. It was.. as if they wanted to open their heart out.. but !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prat : Komal... what happened after that ?
Tiny drops of eyes escaped through her eyes... as Komal started with the truth of the remaining evening!!!!!!!!!!
' I would have committed one grave mistake that day.. if u would have not come up with the truth. I never expected that Angad was such a cheap man... and that he was just playing around with my life. It was my mistake, I understand.. but guess... I was really blinded by his love... so much blinded.. that I even tried to give second thoughts even after U said all that ...' Pratigya wiped off the tears off her face... as Komal continued ' Even after all that... while I was completely confused... and ammaji was completely under shock... bauji was forcing me to complete the engagement ceremony. I didnt even see a single streakof confusion or wory in his face... and I guess that's what made Amma believe your words strongly. Just as bauji dragged you out of the house... Amma was completely shattered... so much so.. that she got a severe celebral attack. But as we always say.. whateva happens.. happens for good. The party came to a halt with her attack. Slowly even I realized that I did the greatest mistake in my life... by not supporting you... although to be very frank.. I was still confused what the fuss was !! Believe me Pratty.. it was not that I didnt trust you... but may b I had seriously started loving Angad too much... and ... never didnt realize...' Komal brusted out, crying. Pratigya too coudn't control her tears... Her mind was completely blocked thinking that Amma got a severe attack... and in a way she felt responsible for that. Taking Komal into a comforting hug... she whispered " Shh !! Komal.. dont cry baby... Atleast be glad that ur life has been saved... " Placing her head on Pratigya's shoulders, she silenced her sobbings... and continued ' Yeah... my life was saved... but I couldnt save Amma !! On one hand... Amma was under ventilation... and the other hand...bauji still forced me to marry that ..Angad. I was feeling soo helpless.. then! I still rememeber that day.. when I was too upset... frustated of all the ongoings in my life. The doctor had said that Amma's days were numbered... and I was just lost. While coming back home.. I had purchased some high dose sleeping pills....' Komal felt Pratigya's grip on her tightened as she continued ' Back home.. .. I was almost ready to give away my life... when a man came inside my room. I was quite surprised and I didnt know what I should do. He denied to introduce himself... howvever he gave me certain papers... and some documents... which said that Bauji was actually selling me out to those people. Bauji was under a huge debt.. and so wanted me to marry Angad.. for which he would be geeting some lumpsom amount of money. It was yet another shock for me... and I was even more motivated to commit the heineious crime of committing suicide... thinking that my life is just shattered. But the same man came up.. and said me.. that If I die... it would mean sacrificing my life for those men who doesnt deserve anything but punishment. It was he who motivated me.. to go to the police and that giving away my life was no solution. For one moment.. I was too weak to even think of fighting against them.. but when he said that he would be supporting me every moment...I couldn't say no. Also.. he said me.. that this would help to bring out your innocence infront of the world. As it is.. I didnt need any more motivation, but the sudden feeling that the man will support me made me feel much more secured.'
The room was dark,just lit with a dim lamp. His eyes were fixed upon the photographs.. that showed themselves one by one.. on the screen of his laptop. He looked at those pairs of eyes... and got lost in its magical essence. The close snap of her lips... make him just look at them in an awe. How could one be soo perfect, he wondered. Her little pink nose.. and her silky hairs took away his sleep just like every other day. He had never realized... when and how he exactly has fallen in love with those eyes... those lips.. that silky hairs and that pink little nose. However .. as always.. the sudden feeling that he can never get his love in his life.. make him ruthless stop the slide show. It was like a routine for him... while he just couldnt resist his temptation of watching her features closely every day.. again and again... at the same time.. the fact that it was not possible.. made him die hundred deaths every night. He doesnt remember.. how long he hasnt been sleeping.
Komal continued... ' His name is Krishna ..Krishna Thakur Singh .. the man whom u met at the door ' .Pratigya looked at her in disbelief " He is a THAKUR ??? He is.. a member of this family ??!! ?? "
With an nod of agreement.. Komal started " Yeah.. we share the same sername and the same Father only " . Pratigya took no time to understand what she exactly wanted to mean. The over stress on the word.." FATHER ONLY " brought tears in her eyes... thinking how much Ammaji must have gone through in her life . She looked back at her friend .." Did Amma knew about it ?.." .." Yaa.. she came to know of it.. just at the day before she died ...But believe me Pratty... on the day of her death... she didnt meet me... rather she asked for Krishna. She had spend the entire evening with him... and till now I dont know... exactly what amma had said him... I hav no idea. It was only late in the evening.. when he came back to inform me.. that she was no more !! "
Living his life in darkness was something he was accustomed with. Since his childhood... though he shared his sername with one of the most imporant man in the town... he was always put in the darkness. People around knew that Thakur Sajjan Singh has only a son and a daughter. During his tender years... he was the one who was deprived of all the basic neccessities of life. He was not allowd to meet people.. play around with kids... and even it was prohibited for him to go to schools. He could never understand what created the disparity. While in one hand... he always knew that the other two children of Thakur Shaab... always got more than needed... why was he treated with such wildness. It was not untill when he saw his mother SATISFYING his so called ELDER BROTHER .. just because he promised her more money... he understood that how cursed were his genes!!!
Tears once more flooded his eyes, as he looked at the photograph of Amma. His mind traced back to the day... when she met her for the first time. !! He spotted her walking across the streets...which led to his CURSED house. There was something in the lady... which instantly said Krishna.. that she was different... much different from the ones with which he lives. With his innocent face.. he had said her..
" Please.. aap andar mat jaiye... woh jagah acchi nahi hain " to which Ammaji had replied her softly " Beta.. jab zindagi mein itni gandagi ho... toh jagah mein kya rakha hain " . Though as a young boy he didnt actually get the true meaning of her words ... but her unshed tears made him realize that she was too in pain.. just like him.
He felt a drop of tear fall from his eyes... but he smiled, as he realized how that meeting of a nanosecond had a great significance in his life. Her face was always a source of motivation from him. The day was clearly etched iin his mind.. when he had finally fought with the Great Thakur Shaab... because he wanted to study... to join school.. to be as independent and happy as others. There was a long hour of heated conversion.. untill when Thakur had decided that he would be send to USA... where his brother stayed.. cause he feared his stay in the town could pose a great danger for him.
Though he hated Thakur Shaab.. but this particular move of his.. always made him feel a little feeling of gratitude towards him. Owing to his nature.. it was not impossible for him to get him murdered.. as he thought him dangerous, but somehow he was kind enough to get him educated.. and dat too abroad. His snapped out of his thought... and his gratitude just vanished into thin air.. just as he once again remembered that day.. the day of Komal's engagement.. when he for the first time.. came face to face with the real face of Sajjan Singh. He clenched his fist.. as he remembered the moment..when for the first time he realized that the lady whom Thakur Shaab has been cheating on.. the lady whom he treated just like a fancy decorative peice... just to satisfy his false reputation was none other than the same woman, his motivation... his partner in pain.. the one whim he used to refer as Ammo.
It took him really long to recover. Somehow.. he felt himselft guilty.. the cause of Ammaji's pain. He always tried to hide his real identity from Amma.. during her last days.He never wanted that poor soul to get another shock.. just when she was in her deathbed. However.. that day.. when he went to meet her.. just as a new emplyer of Tahkur Shaab.. Amma had called him by his real name. He said him.. that she has been knowing about him.. since the day he was born. And dat day.. she was in those cursed lanes.. only to get him out of that environment. She had always felt bad for him. She wanted him to get equal rights.. equal importance and respect as his other two children. However the great efforts of Tahkur to keep him in secrecy was fulfilled... and she could not trace him after that. The last day... she said him everything about Komal and Pratigya. Giving him one last pic of the two girls.. she asked him to promise her.. that he would take full care of those two girls.. and would reunite them. However.. hardly she knew that Krishna had already started working on this. He has been the witness of all that happened between Angad and Pratigya. But that day he couldnt speak up.. cause that would have worsened the situation. He made sure that Pratigya was safe in some other place... with a proper job.. after which he started to gather papers and documents to prove her innocence. He didnt knew since when.. the well being of Pratigya was more of HIS PRIORITY than that of keeping Amma's promise. He never realized when he actually started loving her... her innocence..her confidence and her self respect. But he always restrained himself.. thinking that he would never let her share her life with a man with CURSED GENES.
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