Thank you to all for your comment and do apologize for the delayed update. Any time I wants to put my ideas into paper, my mind goes blank and is more focus on the coming episodes. So let move on with the next part.
PART 38:
The whole family stood at the door looking shocked and bewildered. Gopi stood there not knowing exactly what to tell her family as even she is shocked to the core. She looked from one face to the other. She slowly moved foward looking lost herself but could not bring herself to disappoint her family as they have been through so much due to her and now...no she is not ready to tell them the truth until she too is certain herself...but since she does not know what explanation Kajal gave them she will have to make her own story for now.
" Gopi bahu what is this...where have you been and have you seen your state... what made you leave Angad and Kajal at the restaurant" " Maaji wow...I...I saw a thieve stealing froma blind man and a ran after him...I chased him far but he got away...I did not know my way back and forgot both my bag and phone at the restaurant...Maaji I know you want to say why not take a rickshaw home...I did but he broke down in the middle of nowhere and said he ran out of fuel... I waited for so long for one but none came and decided to walk home but got lost...Maaji after walking for so long I came a small place and there they gave me food and the people there guided me to Rajpal and from there I got the rickshaw to here." She finished concrting her story hoping she won't be caught but also knew two people did not believe a word she said but are not ready to reveal that to the family either.
" Thank God you are ok gopi bahu we were all worried but what was the need to run after thieves... do not do that again and bear that in mind...I hope I made myself clear... so go and freshen up...everyone else please let have dinner as it's too late now."" Maaji you may all have dinner am not hungry." Gopi said before running to her room in tears.
As she reach her room she lock the door and leaned on it crying for lying to her family and for her ahemji. " kanaji you can't leave my hand now...why?...why? kanaji...why my Ahemji...how can I save him...kanaji please protect my Ahemji."
A know on her door startled her and she quickly got up from the floor and rushed to the bathroom and splash water on her face and also hoped that the person will leave but the knocking continue and she decided to attend to it as it's late and it could be Maaji.
She did not expect both of them at her door at that time but they were determined to get the truth and so she let them in and locked it behind them. " Bhabi what is all this and please do not shut us out as you know it was no thieve you ran after. Kajal told me you were calling bhai's name when you left the place which means you ran after him...do not worry we did not tell the family who you ran after and that is why you story seems to make sense to them but not us...bhabi let us help after all that is what family is all about..."
"No devarji I do not want to involve anyone... this is my problem and the last time my family handle my problems I was supposed to be dead and so is Ahemji...this time I will handle my problem alone and if you want to help then make sure the rest of the family is not of aware of our suspicion...and..
"bhabi in one second you are making me a stranger and for your information he is my brother too and i want him back as well...Kajal make your Di understand that am not like her brother...I want the happiness of this family to return as well to how it was before all this misunderstanding ha..."
Gopi broke down crying as she only wanted to protect her Devarji." Am sorry devarji it's just that am so tired and my head hurts badly... did not mean all that I said...I promise to tell you all tomorrow and huh I do need you help Devarji... you are my strength for so long and has been helping me since I came into this family...for now we all need rest as you all seemed worried and huh Kajal can you please let Angad be with you as am not fit to have him tonight." They agreed to let her rest with the promise that she will tell them all happened.
After they left, she decided to have a bath quicklyand took her medicines and pain killer. She has had a long day full of hope, excitement and pain. she lay on her bed and tried not to recall anything else by closing her eyes but sleep was depriving her and she knows even though she said she does not need his help but she also knows without him things would be difficult for her. She tried hard to sleep but...
FB:
"Ahemji,Ahemji..." Gopi ran like mad out of the restaurant when she saw him and just kept running and calling after him. He was well attired and seems oblivious of what was happening behind him. He even stopped and bought some stuffs and stopped a rickshaw. Upon seeing that she too got a rickshaw and asked the driver to tailgate them. she was praying not to miss him but it seems faith was not with her because as soon as they reach a traffic light, her car had to stop as the lights turned red but luckily not for long but her dilemma was which way he headed and when she lost all hope, he asked the driver to take her to the temple.
She was silently crying her heart and cursing her faith for once again coming so near and yet so far from him. She can't believe both destiny and her kanaji are not favouring her...why does she have to suffer since her childhood...at every turn that happiness comes to her the next instant it is snatched away...why can't she have a happiness like most...she has been good and never had any ill feelings towards anyone...she has been tested to the core...but now she was ready to fight her kanaji for her Ahemji and all for the sake of Angad...she does not want him to have a fatherless childhood and stop him from suffering silently when his friends asked him for his dad to which he has no answer...this fight is for her family and son.
As soon as the rickshaw stopped in front of the temple, she ran up the stairs forgetting to pay. She hit the bell and kept going until she started to bleed and even the driver felt sorry for and decided not to asked her fare. Gopi did not stop even when loads of people were gathered around her and wondering what's with her. The pandit came to stop her and ask her what is going on but she was not ready to listen to anyone and told the pandit it's between her and her kanaji and that he can read her questions from her soul and now he has to answer them. The pandit said he will pray for her too but at that moment he has to preform a wedding but due to her ringing the bell, it's distracting them. Gopi just would not listen and continue ringing ignoring her bleeding and people pleading her to stop but one sound from the crowd was enough to bring her to her senses and nervously turn to the voice that called her name which was more of a whisper to her ears. She looked around but did not see his face and thought may be she wished to here him so much that it sound as if it him. Her heart was telling her he was here but her eyes were not finding him so she closed her eyes and prayed to see him
" Gopiji!" she opened her eyes and there he was in a wedding outfit, his beard has been shaved but he looked leaner and even more handsome. "Ahemji! Ahemji!" she ran and hug him crying none stop and not caring the crowd. The priest did his best to ask the crowd to dispass after they make their prayers. On the other hand, Ram seemed shock by her action but at the same time did not have the heart to move away from her...he held her by the shoulder but his heart seems to be battling his mind...he was confused but yet does not want her out of his site and when he felt her fainting, he held her tight and knelt to the floor and took water from the pandit and splashed it on her and when he felt her blink, he made her sit up and gave her the water to drink.
"Ahemji you...where have you been all these years...did you not once even think of me...how can you leave me when you promise to stay with me for good...how could you break your promise to me...what about Maaji and the rest of the family...do they all not mean anything to you... why did you not go back...to..."
" I have seen you a lot... in my dreams...you always come to rescue me...but then you run away...whenever I run after you, you just disappear leaving me in the dark...your name is Gopi right... I came to know your name weeks back...and Rani"
"What are you talking about...and who is Rani...did you remarry Ahemji...you cannot betray our love and marry someone else...we belong together...we are married...you are my husband and am..."
" Hey! what are you and why are you stealing my husband...I mean my fiancee..."Rani interrupted looking at Gopi as if she were and evil sent to spoil her life. " how can he be your husband when you have no sindoor or mangalsutre and most importantly his name is Ram."
Gopi was stunned but was not going to give up as her heart, body, mind and soul tells her he is her Ahemji and that whatever has happened to him she was going to get to the root of it. " I have been married to this man for nearly ten years and with or without sindoor or mangalsutre, my heart and soul will recognise him anywhere and his name is Ahemji, my Ahemji and how can I not say just may be you took advantage of his condition and not want to make him your husband." She was now fuming as even her kanaji will not take him away from her sight...she silently vowed.
" Gopiji, Rani and I have lived together for a long time and not once has she taken advantage of me... she is just protective of me that is all so please do not feel bad with her words." Gopi was looking at the now strange person who just called her Gopiji, she wondered has he forgotten her in all these years...what happened to him...why is he different from her Ahemji...did she make a mistake and that he is not her...no no no it is her Ahemji..." " Ahemji what happened to you after your accident please tell me you did not forget me..." she was begging as her heart was shattering to pieces.
the pandit came to the couple and asked if they intend on getting married as he needed to perform more rituals. On hearing the word married, Gopi panicked and took hold of Ahem's hand and told him he cannot remarry as she is his wife and that he has to trust her. " Raniji please forgive me but he is my husband and why would i lie to you...his name is Ahem and he has a family here...I can take you there...please am a woman begging for her husband...for the past six years we have been separated but believe me he has a mother who loves him dearly, a brother, a sister, a grandmother and a son he has not seen who just celebrated his sixth bday without him...he is always asking for his dad and I can't fill that void in his life please do not take a father away from his son Raniji...pleas...e...Ah..em...ji!
Rani could feel that Gopi was telling the truth as it has been six years since she picked him up from his wounded spot but she needed prove that what Gopi was saying is true and therefore gave her an ultimatum. "I will call off this wedding if you can give me any physical proof that he is your Ahem such as blood sample, physical marks etc. Listen Gopi this world we live in is full of cheats and it's not like I do not want to trust you but I cannot risk it...we have been each other's support for so long and suddenly you appear to claim him...where were you all these years...if his family is concern why have they not make much effort to look for him..."Gopi's words stunned her "they police found his car in the river but never retrieved his body and after searching and making request from the public without any link, the declared him dead. so tell me what more could a grieving family do when they were given no hope of finding him alive and after year of my Devarji making his own investigations could not find him or his body...Raniji a wife may not recognise her husband but a mother would definitely do so and if you..."
Rani too broke down when Gopi mention the river and new that may be Ahem's body floated to the other side where she rescued him. She knew she has lost him now but first she needs to tell Gopi all about him for the past years. After she sobered she told Gopi to join them in her home as they need to talk.
Gopi could not believe Ahem modi of modi industries lived in this dirty shed for so long but then felt gratitude that at least he was looked after. she sat on one of the available stools. Ahem has been staring at her since at the temple and did not want to be away from her especially now knowing that he had a past with her...he want to be by her side as if she is an electric magnet that is pulling him to her. He subconciously took his stool and sat next to her and they kept starring at each other until Rani broke it and both shied away.
she serve them food but was shocked to see Ahem start eating from Gopi's plate as this is the first time she has seen him eat on anyone's plate even hers. She gulped sadly but Gopi understood and decided to take Ahems plate instead which brought a tiny smile on Rani's face.
Dinner was quiet and usually Ahem would be in bed but was not ready to leave the her but was assured that he needed to rest and that Gopi will visit. After much persuasion, he left the two to chat.
" I will come straight to the point, you may be right he is your Ahemji and I picked him badly wounded on the head, a broken foot and arm and loads of bruises...I took him to a baba who worked his magic and revived him. He regained conciousness after four months and did not remember any thing even his name. Baba named him Ram...his wounds took long to heal especially his head but anyway he survived his trauma but I was not well off to look after both of us so he help in begging for food and that's how we have lived for years moving from one place to the other. We have met people who recognised him but I was afraid they just wanted to use us poor people and sell us off so we kept on moving until three years ago when we decided no more. We have picked many children on his insistent to help look after but one by one due to my insecurities I drove them away but he never complained. Gopiji he may have lost his memory but one person's face and name he did not forget is yours... every night he will wake up screaming, sweating because he dreamt of a girl's face and has been hunting him...for years he could not remember the name in his dreams but one day we saw you and you gave me loads of money at a street light and seeing you face he recalled your name and ran after you but it was too late the car drove off and since he has tried looking for you...he did not tell me but I followed him to the hotel where a party was going on with the hope to see you again and then at the temple he was about to but the mangalsutre around me when you started ringing the bell and he left me to go to you and I knew i have lost him."
Both girl were crying and hug each other for comfort not knowing Ahem was witnessing it all and was teary as well.
Gopi too explained to her of her trauma and how she too was cheated with being with him to moving back to be with his family to help ease their pain. Ahem was listening and clenching his fist and wanted to knock his head hard to remember all those moments of his life that Gopi has just spoken...he can't believe he is a father of a six year old child with this woman who beautify is so mesmerising to him...he want his life back...he want to remember and most of all he want her.
The spoke for a long time and decided to take Ahem to a specialist and that they will do it secretly but needs his medical details which Gopi promised to provide but first she asked Rani if it's okay, she will rent a house where they will stay until such time Ahem recovers and that she will visit daily. Gopi found out that Rani was once married and that her husband committed suicide after being accused of being involved in his own bank robbery...he could not handle the pain and took his life and left her and his elderly mum to pick up the pieces and when the lady could not take the abuse any more, she too took her life and that devastated Rani leaving her mentally imbalanced. All she had was lost and when she saw the people that accused her husband, she regain her memory but did not have the means to fight them in court and ran from that city.
FB finished
Gopi was not feeling an more tears coming as she has drained them out and now her mission is to get her husband fit and well before bringing him to his family but she will seek her Devars help and Kajal's too as she has studied psychology. She went to sleep think of her Ahemji and their beautiful parting. As she was leaving, he came out and faced her, he took her hand in his and said " you are not leaving me are you Gopi...ji." she smiled shyly and nodded no and promise to be back tomorrow. He hug her and whispered " I do not feel like letting you go now...please stay...for me." She assured him to be back and that they are not far from each...in the heart."
A loud bang in her bedroom window woke her up and when she went to look, she nearly fainted " Ahemji!! you!!!!!!!"
Well hope you enjoy
Edited by kamjal - 12 years ago
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