One Month Back
Hospital
Viren, Jeevika and Viraat were at the hospital to collect the recent report of Maanvi's treatment. It was about to be their turn when Viren had to leave urgently for some work leaving behind Jeevika and Viraat. Soon they entered the doctors room.
Dr. Bhatia : Hello! Mrs Vadhera ..Hello Viraat come inside
Jeevika : Doctor ..Maanvi ke report aa gaye?? How are they ?? I mean how is she progressing now??
Dr Bhatia was silent as he took Maanvi's report in hand (the report was there with him since last night and he had already gone through it) He kept turning the pages ..as he seemed to be at loss of words seeing them.
Jeevika and Viraat both looked at each other as Dr. Bhatia's expression and silence was bothering them a lot...
Jeevika : Dr...(interrupted by Dr. Bhatia)
Dr. Bhatai : Mrs Vadhera ..the thing I m going to tell you both today needs both you to be strong. I have gone through her reports and have rechecked again for some positive news...But I fear there aren't any..In fact this was our last try to..to save her ...Alas ..now everything is beyond our hand ...I m very sorry to inform you that ...Your sister is fighting the last phase of her leukaemia and unfortunately...
Jeevika : Dr...Aaap kya bol rahe hain ??? Last stage ...last try...What you mean .How ...How can you say such thing ...(Jeevika angry and almost shouting)
Viraat sees his Bhabhi going breathless ..and tried to cool her as he knew this was not the time for such reaction, where as his own state at that moment was not any better than her but still he composed himself understanding the situation.
Viraat : Bhabhi ...Cool down ...(looking at Doctor) ..Dr. few days back you were quite hopeful of her treatment ..aapne khud kahan tha that Maanvi can be fully treated .then why all of a sudden you sound so negative...Please doctor you know the importance ..please tell us everything...
Dr. Bhatia :Viraat ..I remember what I said in the last session but that was before her tests..but after getting her results..I m myself shocked like both of you ..I can not say ..why but ..never thought Maanvi to be in such bad state... Viraat ..To be frank Maanvi has stopped responding to medication and in this condition I feel we cannot retain Maanvi of a max of one month or so...this is a very harsh truth I know ..but please forgive me ..I wish I could give you any better news...I m really sorry..
"She has just one month to live" ...This was what Dr. Bhatia had to share with them. A news which sucked life out of Viraat and Jeevika as they stepped out of the hospital. Both expressionless..both not looking at each other but just walking like deads...Complete silence...
As they entered car..
Jeevika : (still stone face) Viraat ...Don't worry ..Maanvi ko Kuch nai hoga ..Usee hum kuch nai Hone denge ..
Viraat : Hmmm..U right Bhabhi ..Jab tak main hoon usse kuch nai ho sakta ..We will fight till our last breath God cant be that rude ..to us...Hmm We will fight... (Stone face as tears rolled down his eyes)..
They reached home and went to Maanvi's room she was lying on bed with eyes closed. She was now too weak to keep her eyes opened together for more than 10 mins at a stretch. Viraat and Jeevika too were weak mentally to face her and presumed her as asleep and started walking back when they heard "Arre ..jisse milne aaye ho ...at least usse milke to jao" They turned back to see Maanvi who spoke while she tried to get up. That million dollar smile though was now faint but still kept featuring only to light up the life of Viraat and Her di Jeevika.
Jeevika : Mannu ..ruk..leti rahe ..(trying to maintain her composure)
Viraat was mute..
Maanvi looked at both of them and said " Kya hua aap dono ..ko..aise ajeeb shakal kyun bana rakha hain ..doctor ne mere maut ka farman sunaya hain kya??" (She smiled a bit ..She was the patient She knew her health condition much better than those doctors). But the word "Death" always devastated Viraat more than anyone else. Finally he could not take any more.
"Maanvi..Kitni baar kaha hain aisi baatein nai karogi .,,Tumhe Kuch nai ho sakta...Chahe woh doctor kuch bhi kahen ...I know you will here with us forever"
Maanvi : Hmm matlab maine sahi socha.. Us doctor mein aap logo pein ko koi ulti pattin parai hain..Dekha partner Isiliye main keheti hoon doctors ke pass nai jaana chahiye...par tum log meri sunte kaha ho...
Jeevika could not bear any more and hugged Maanvi crying.." Mannu ..I m sorry .mein apna promise poora nai kar payi...I m sorry"
"Di..kya bol rahe ho.." Maanvi spoke in a low voice (she was so weak) "Di aapko nai pata aapne aur Viraat ne mujhe is Zindagi mein kya diya hain...Zaraa socho duniya mein kitne log aise hoge jinko itni pyaar karne wali Didi , Itna pyaar Karne wala friend, itni pyaari family mili hogi...Di jitna pyaar mujhe aapse aur iss family se mila hain iske aage mere cancer ka dard kuch bhi nai hain... Arre main to unn blessed logo mein se hoon jinko apne life ki itne kam years mein sab kuch mil gaya jiske liye log zindagi bhar taraste...hain ...Sach pucho to mujhe kisi cheez ka koi daar nai hain ..(as she said these lines tears rolled down her eyes..while speaking her eyes were constantly glued to Viraat..who was standing next to her..silent..motionless. Maanvi knew the effect that new was putting on him ...than her di. At least Jeevika had Viren by her side to give her support but for Viraat there was none ...the only source of his strength was Maanvi ..whom god was contemplating to take away from him soon. He was restless could not confide in any one not even Maanvi. He always wondered how to reason the emotions behind his feelings, if she at all comes to know of his pain and agony (only if he knew .love doesn't need any language to convey itself..He did not know that even without telling anything Maanvi always knew him in and out).
Maanvi was stoking Jeevika's hair..to calm her down (So it was Maanvi who was again giving strength to Jeevika and Viraat , where she was the one who was more in pain. The pain of leaving Di and her partner was bugging her too but in a different way)..Maanvi after a while looked at Viraat and said " Tumhe special Invitation dena padhega kya baithne ke liye??? Come sit her" (indicating him to sit next to her)
She took Viraat's hand in her own and Jeevika hand in the other one ..clutched them tightly to gain so power and said .." Aaj I want a promise from you too... (Both looked at her) ..Promise me that from today onwards we will not speak of death..we will not speak anything negative..Promise we will face each day the way it comes we won't fear..we will fight together..I mean who cares what lies next.. Hum sirf ..aaj ki aur abhi ki sochenge ..baki sab baad ki baat hain ..phir dekhte hain iss Yamraj bhai saab ki kitni himmat hain ..."
Jeevika : Maannu...
Viraat : Maanvi ...(while trying to smile)
Maanvi : (holds ears) Oops sorry baba ...I just want to say ..from now on we will just celebrate life ...And just be happy okk partner ...Okk Di ...
All three smiled at it and hugged each other ...
One month passed ...and present
Swamini : Jeevika ...Aapne aap ko sambhalo ,,humne sab kuch kiya jo hamare haath mein tha..iske aage bhagwan ki marzi ...please apne aap ko sambhalo..there is nothing we could do more ..
Jeevika crying madly ...Maanvi was lying life less on bed. Her eyes deep into sockets...Vanshika and Viren Stunned to..Viraat storms in like mad..
"Bhabhi ..doctor aa gaye .don't worry Maanvi ko kuch nai hoga ..Main aa gaya hoon ..use kuch nai hoga .." (he said re assuring himself..he did not care who are around him ...he just knew it was his Maanvi who was fighting life now..and only thing he last remembered is the promise he made to her "I will never let anything happen to you". He was sure of his promise.
Doctor checked her for a while and then turned to Viraat to say : " She is no more with us" ... Silence...An unknown peace settled in the Vadhera house...
Jeevika dropped down on floor ...emotionless ..not a single drop of tear came in her eye...She held Maanvi's hand and kept looking at her ...Viraat on the other hand did not have the strength to go near her. He moved far away till he bumped to the wall...His eyes stuck on Maanvi and eyes tearless..he was quiet and blank. Only thing he last remembered is that he broke his promise of being by her side everytime.. till their last breath...It was only today when Maanvi forced him to go for work..after a long time against his wishes and he for the first time succumbed to her stubborn wishes. He blamed himself of her death.
For Jeevika it was different feeling though ..She remembered her sister last words "Di aapko pata hain aaj main bahut khush hoon"
Jeevika : Woh kyun ??
Maanvi : Har Khushi ki koi reason hoti hain kya ...Aise khush raho aur Haste raho iski ka hi to naam Zindagi hain ..bandhu ...(she sported her lively smile)
Jeevika : Mannu tu bhi ...ruk main medicines laati hoon ...
"Di ruko na..." That was her last words...When Jeevika returned to Maanvi she was close to her but yet so far. Seeing Maanvi her heart stopped at the moment .she could feel her life going out... Both Viraat and Jeevika had their strength embedded in Maanvi and with her gone their lives were left scattered like a pack of cards.
Life changed forever for these two ever since that day ..For Jeevika a part of her life was torn away ..still she moved on to maintain her family and in laws..
But for Viraat that even was like a dead end to his life. He stopped..literally ...He stopped the very moment of Maanvi's death. Whatever happened around him did not have any effect on him any more... His heart was now only filled with a hollow which nobody could now fill up. His eyes were blank, trying to find his peace but all in vain. In a way Maanvi's death was equivalent to Viraat's death...He was so close Yet so far from all. He was in his own world of Maanvi. He left Vadhera House and settled in Manali in a small apartment. He enclosed himself in a cocoon protected from the wrath of world...
Once a very Jolly, Carefree , Cool guy was now a Calm, Emotionless stone breathing his days in and out.
