Posted:
Day before the party-
She sighed and created an ellipse of fog onto the window. Raising a finger, Nandini wrote his name into that little oval, 'Abhishek'. A hint of a smile started to appear on her face, as she remembered their 'marriage'. They were the first couple to get engaged after they had been married.
At the party-
Kiran rolled on another layer of lip gloss and puckered her lips, just as Nandini came out of the cubicle.
Kiran bit her lip cheekily, and followed Nandini with her eyes.
"Hey"
"Namaste" Nandini stiffened; something was not right about this girl.
"I saw that photo" Kiran turned around, her back leaning on the edge of the basin, her hands crossed over her stomach.
"Which one?"
"Y'know" Kiran looked at her pointedly. Is this girl an idiot? "You..Abhi darling"
"Darling" Nandini scoffed.
"Don't give me that tone of voice. Who do you think you are? Abhi isn't mine, nor yours. He never will be. He's his dad's eklotha waaris. Go look at yourself in the mirror and you'll find out what I am talking about. Is that necklace from a vintage shop? Or from some uncle who passed away, or a necklace passed down from your mother's family as dowry or something?"
"You used to be his girlfriend didn't you?" Nandini didn't pay heed to Kiran's words; she had her own set of questions.
"Ahaan" She smirked as she turned around again to fix her eye makeup, "My father's business just crashed into nothingness a while ago" she lifted her chin up and laughed, a heavy, haughty, know-it-all laugh. "Your father doesn't even have any business. He's a servant, a government job worker, a clerk, or whatever it is that he does." She continued examining each angle of her face.
"So you broke up with him'" It was a statement, that's all.
"No, it wasn't formal. Yeah, I know. Ouch." Again, the same laugh. Nandini flinched.
"Good byeee" Kiran staggered towards the bathroom door, slamming it behind her as she walked off, leaving the scent of alcohol behind her.
"She was drunk. Woh bakwaas bak rahi thi" Nandini consoled herself and started to wash her hands.
Day before party-
Nandini stood outside the door of NNT's study; the tray of chai and biscuits in her hands, quivering as she registered whatever her future father-in-law was saying.
"Abh kahaan se layenge finances, sir?"
"Pata nahi, Govind"
"Aaj kal ke bache bhi na. Maa-baap pal pos ke bade karte hain, aur yeh log, sab kuch bhul ke apni hee zindagi mein mast rehthe hain" Nandini could hear the clear disdain in Govind's voice.
"Kuch had tak sahi keh rahe ho tum.Mujhe laga tha ki mere bache samjdar hain, baakiyon ki tarah nahi hai, magar"
"Kuch.."
"Nahi ho sakta. Alka ne to Jay se shaadi karne se seedha mana kar diya hai, aur mujhe darr he ki agar Mr Vardhan ko pata lag gaya ki hum unse jhoot bol rahe hain, toh bahaut nuksaan hoyega."
"Toh fir Maharaja sahib se baat kyun nahi karte?"
"Woh? Woh kyun denge humein paisa? Rajneeti mein sab kuch apne matlab ke liye hee hota hai, koi dusron ki madat aise hi nahi kartein. Humein bhi unhe kuch dena padega."
"Status? Abhishek.."
"Lekin who toh Nandini ke peeche pada hua hai. Aur woh' Kya karein hum is ladke ka?"
"Koi toh tareeka hoga"
"Hum apne bachon ko dhuk nahi dena chahte hain Govind. Agar Alka Jay se shaadi nahi karna chahit, toh nah sahi. Abhishek Nandini se bahaut pyar karta hai. Gauri ko insab mein ghaseetne ki koi zaroorat nahi"
"But Sir'party ko finance kaun karega?"
"Kuch soch lenge hum'"
"Aur agar Abhishek yeh election har gaya, toh?"
"7 saal seh yeh seat humare paas hai, agar iss baar gayi..toh fir toh.." Nityanand paused for effect.
Nandini lowered her eyes, guilt washing over her as she thought about the conversation which she had just eavesdropped on. She missed the smug laugh of NNT as well as Govind's words, just by a second.
"Sir..chali gayi woh"
At the party-
Nandini had considered all the consequences, and then had made this decision. This was to be. There wasn't another option. She smiled outwardly as Abhishek flirted, unabashed, with Nandini.
"Kuch toh sharam karo" She swatted his hand away from her shoulder, "Shaadi nahi hui hai humari"
"Shaadi? Ho toh chuki hai" He leaned back in his chair, smirking.
Her mouth rounded in an 'o', and she exclaimed, "Abhishek! Itni zor se bolne ki kya zaroorat hai"
He just gazed at her with eyes full of admiration, without replying. She looked back defiantly, "Ab hogaya? Mein abhi aayi. I need to go to the washroom"
Before the Party-
"Babuji"
"Bolo beti"
"I know..ki you need someone to give money to the party"
NNT nodded solemnly, "That is what I am worried about. But why are you asking? You don't need to think about all this, akhir tumhari sagai bahaut kareeb hai. Tayaariyan nahi karni?" He patted her head and gave a weak smile.
"Babuji, Mein is ghar ki hone wali bahu hoon. Is ghar ki pareshanian, meri pareshania. Toh fir kaise na karoon mein chinta?"
"Kya kar bhi sakti hai tuh?"
"Who Gauri..."
"Tu kaise jaanti hai?" Pretence shock lay on NNT's face, "Tumhe kisi ne kuch kaha, kya?"
"Nahi nahi babuji. Bas, meh yeh soch rahi thi..."
"Soch ne ka kaam tumhara nahi hai beti, mera hai"
"Suniye toh. Mein." Nandini's voice cracked as she realised the impact of what she was going to say, "Mein Abhishek ko haarte hue nahi dekh sakti. Thode time ke liye hee sahi, hum chota sa natak toh kar hi sakte hain na?"
"Kya keh rahi ho tum?"
"Natak..mera matlab hai, ki hum kyun na Abhishek aur Gauri ka rishta pakka kardein?"
Nityanand hid his amusement by a mask of extreme surpise and shock, "Yeh kya keh rahi ho tum?!"
"Bas thodi si der ke liye..elections tak"
"Aur fir? Agar hum rishta todenge, toh fir Maha Raja Sahab humari aur iss poore parivaar ki zindagi barbaad kardenge"
"Tab ki hum tab hee sochenge. Meh kuch aisa plan banaongi, ki who khud hee mana kardenge"
"Kya tum iss baat ko soch samajh ke.."
"Jee Babuji! Gauri aur Abhishek ki engagement announce kar dijye, kisi ko bata na mat lekin. Khaas kar ki Abhishek, uske pet mein yeh baat nahi rahegi."
NNT pondered over it, "Mein tum pe bharosa karta hoon. Tumne jo kaha, soch samajh ke kaha hoga. Hum tumhe apna vishwaas dal te hue, kal ki party mein announce kardenge ki Abhishek aur Gauri shaadi karne walein hai" He emphasised the last line, just for the sake of watching tears dripping down Nandini's face, though she did try to hide them.
"Chalti hoon Babuji. Kal milte hain" She pressed her lips into a straight line and walked back out of the door. This is for the good of Abhishek, for his politics, she thought to herself, as if thinking that might offer some solace to her pierced heart. She told herself that Abhishek loves her, she is his dharam patni, and all this is just a natak, nothing else. Gulping, she waved her hand in the air to stop an auto-rickshaw.
During the party-
Nandini watched Alka and Chander dance and laugh around the garden, laughing and whispering and hugging and touching, when they thought no one could see. She smiled at their childishness, the freshness of their new love, something that was there in her and Abhishek as well, but a bit more, as they were growing together, mutually respecting and understanding each other, becoming a part of each other, like a proper couple. And this whole thing was another catalyst to encourage the groW*H in their relationship. Abhishek has to understand his other responsibilities, and she, Nandini, would help him accomplish whatever he wanted, in his life. A small price to pay, a small compromise, it wouldn't do any harm. And what the girl was saying'? Nandini shook her head to clear her thoughts. Soon babuji would make the announcement.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen" He got up, and Nandini's heart skipped a beat as she wrung her hands, nervously.
"Today I have to make a special announcement." NNT looked towards Abhishek, but Nandini saw that he was gazing pointedly at her, as if saying; it's only because of you.
Nandini couldn't hear what he was saying, it hurt too much. She knew it was an act, a lie; she forced herself to remember that it was. It wasn't true'
"My son Abhishek, and the daughter of my friend, Maha raja sahib's only daughter, Gauri, are going to get engaged" He beamed and clapped his hands, indicating that everyone else should do so as well.
Nandini looked at the Abhishek, his expression changing from bemused, to horrified, to a dejected unable-to-understand and/or believe-what-is-going-on, look. It all felt too real. Like an elephant trampling all over her heart, like her emotions being grinded into teensie weensie bits, like her love being showcased to everyone as something ridiculous, horrible, dirty. She felt unneeded, and then she forgot where she was, who she was, everything. She could only see Abhishek's face, the sad, dejected look, and she broke. She ran away, taking her father along. Abhishek followed her, she realised, but she couldn't face him. It was because of her; he was sad because of her; she broke his heart; she threw her own delicate heart and now it was her fault it was lying all over the place, broken into smithereens. She ordered the rickshaw wala to drive faster, ignoring Abhishek. She would decide what to do, tomorrow. Today she felt too weak; too vulnerable; too emotional to do anything.
Abhishek watched her go, and sank down to his knees. Oh God! He needed his Nandini, his beloved Nandini. This couldn't be happening. Why didn't she understand?! It wasn't only her trust broken, the man that he loved, respected, the same person that held his hand and taught him to walk, had now, forced him into an emotional battle he wasn't ready, nor wanted to, face. He needed her, wanted her, loved her so damn much. The intensity of the pain grew as he opened his eyes to let the tears flow out.
comment:
p_commentcount