At patil niwas baaji got a call from the police station informing him about duttas whereabouts. He went to AS to share that news and found her standing in front of the idol of lord Ganpati praying for tashas safety " AS bhau ka pata chal gaya." AS turned around on hearing this while baaji continued "main sach bol raha hai ..abhi abhi ratnagiri ke police station se phone aaya hai woh keh rahe hain ki kuch din pehle ek accident case wahan aaya tha . ek kaali van buri tarah jail hui mili , usmein baithe saare log mar gaye par ek aadmi bach gaya , woh zakhmi haalat mein tha aur usey hospital mein bharti kar diya gaya. Ab police walon ko lagta hai ki woh insaan bhau hai , humein pooch teach ke liye ratna giri bulaya hai." AS with hopeful eyes replied " baaji humara man kehta hai woh aur koi nahin humara dutta hai , chal jaldi se le chal humein wahan."
At the hospital doctor told them that the patient was still in coma. Baaji and AS urged to see the patient at once. They saw a bruised dutta sleeping on the bed. Unable to control themselves they rushed inside,AS moved her hand through his hair lovingly. She sat next to him patiently waiting for him to open his eyes, soon minutes turned into hours and day into night. In the basti Nakku was having restless sleep and kept on tossing her face left right while murmuring "sahab ko mat leke jao." She dreamt of dutta being taken away in the black van and she running behind it.she lost her balance, fell hard, banged her head on the road and woke up screaming "SAHAAAB
While on the other hand dutta grabbed the blanket covering him tightly and squeezed his closed eyes, he clenched his jaw firmly and whispered "nakku". On seeing him move baaji informed the doctors, they came to examine him and informed that now he was out of danger,AS called him out softly. He opened his eyes slowly and saw AS and baaji standing ,a faint smile played on his lips, he looked around for her but found her missing "AS nakku kahan hai?" AS who was earlier so happy to see him now lowered her head on being questioned about nakku ,so baaji interrupted hesitantly "bhau woh jabse tu gayab hua hai tabse nakku ka bhi kuch pata nahin chala, log kehte hain ki tujhe kisi van mein jaata dekhkar nakku tere peeche bhaghi aur uske ke baad kahan chali gayi kisi ne nahin dekh. Humne tum dono ko dhoondhne ki bahut koshish ki lekin nakku ka .." before he could complete his sentence dutta stood up immediately, his bandaged head hurt him and his face creased in pain. he pressed his head lightly and said "mujhe nakku ke pass jana hai , abhi ." baaji tried to stop him from getting off the bed but he was unstoppable and raised his voice "main keh raha hoon ki main theekh hoon aur ab mujhe nakku ko dhoondhna hai." AS held his arm to calm him down "dutta hum jaante hain tujhe nakku ki chinta hai lekin beta pehle tu ghar chal phir hum nakku ko bhi dhoondh lenge." The fact that nakku had gone missing disturbed him immensely and made him boil in anger ,he looked at AS and said "aap ghar jaaiye lekin main nakku ko wapis le kar he lautoonga." With that he moved to leave the room when baaji called him from behind " bhau tu akela nahin hai,AS aapko driver chod dega par main apne bhau aur vaheni ke saath patil niwas aayega." Dutta looked at him with pride and baaji couldn't stop himself from hugging his long lost friend.
Dutta and baaji went to the temple in search of nakku "bhau chal pehle mandir mein darshan kar lete hain phir nakku ko dhoondhte hain." Dutta held the steering wheel firmly and replied " mera vishwas nakku hai aur uska devi maa..isliye main mandir ki seedhi uske saath he chadunga nahin toh nahin." Dutta drove a little further and stopped near a jungle, he got down to have a look when he stumbled over a rock and fell down. He managed to hold a bush and prevented himself from rolling down further, he got up and looked around when his gaze fell on something hanging on the bush. It was nakkus mangalsutra , he took it in his hands and examined it carefully soon baaji came from behind and dutta showed him what he had found " baaji yeh dekh , nakku ka mangal sutra , woh pucca yahan aayi thi." Baaji scrathed his head and said " bhau humne is jagah ka chappa chappa chaan mara lekin nakku humein nahin mili." Dutta not convinced with his reply scanned the whole area and saw a river flowing , a thought struck him " baaji jis tarah main gira kya pata nakku bhi giri ho aur phir is nadi (river) main kahin beh gayi ho..yeh nadi kahan jaati hai ? mujhe wahan jaana hai."
After driving for couple of hours they reached the village where the river flowed. Both of them decided to search in the village separately. Dutta walked and walked along the river side but failed to find her. Feeling exhausted he went near the river to wash his face, he bent down,closed his eyes and splashed water on his face. All the beautiful moments which he had spent with her in jungle earlier flashed in his mind. He opened his eyes and saw her reflection in the water. Unable to believe his luck he touched her reflection but it vanished, he turned around and found her nowhere. Disappointment took over and he clenched his fist hard "kahan hai tu ..kyun mujhe nazar nahin aati..mere dil ki awaaz kyun tujh tak pahunch nahin paa rahi?"
Disheartened and dismayed he walked back to his jeep when a duppatta flew in the air and landed on his face covering it completely. He stopped in his tracks and held the duppatta,it had her fragrance . He was sure about it, he turned around and slowly removed it from his face. She was standing a few feet away from him, trying to catch her breath. She tilted her head a little and looked at him carefully, tears of joy welled up in his eyes and he opened his arms wide. Her lips quivered in happiness and she ran into his arms. He held her tightly and buried his face in her shoulder while she let out silent tears. Both their lifeless bodies now felt alive again, their hearts were beating at the same rate as they found solace in their closeness.
Meelon Ka Jaise Tha Faasla
Anjaan Tha Dil Ke Hona Hai Kya,
Humko To Milna Hi Tha
They remained in each others arms for don't know how long and would have remained so had they not heard baajis whistling and children laughing. Dutta broke the hug reluctantly and took nakkus face in his hands "sahab aap kahan chale gaye the mujhe chod kar ? pata hai main kitna darr gayi thi ..maine apko kitna dhoonda , apki gadi ke peeche bhi bhaagi lekin aap mujhe akela chod kar chale gay. Aisa koi karta hai kya ? apko maaloom main kitna roti thi apke liye." Dutta had a confused look on his face on hearing the way she spoke and behaved. He stared at her for long to make out why she was acting like a child when one of the kids slapped his forehead and said " achcha toh yeh hain tere sahab .yeh kali jeep dekhkar chilaane lagi mere sahab aa gaye aur yahan bhaag aayi.itne dinon se subha sham tu inka naam leti rehti thi.?" Nakku nodded her head and the kid continued "arey sahab apko pata nahin , yeh paglon ki tarah apko dhoonti rehti thi , na kuch khaati thi nah peeti thi bus apka naam leti thi..achcha hua aap aa gaye..yeh ek dum yedi (mad) ho gayi hai." Dutta dropped his hands in shock while nakku moved closer and rested her head on his chest and held his collar tightly " main ab apne sahab ke saath jayegi." Baaji failed to understand what was going around so called her out " nakku yeh tujhe kya ho gaya hai , dekh meri taraf ..tu mujhe nahin pehchaanti ?" nakku lifted her gaze and met his eyes then said "vaheni bol." Making him smile. But duttas heart twisted in pain on seeing her like that "baaji ghar jaane se pehle mujhe issey doctor ke le jana hai ..chal." nakku lifted her head and said " sahab apko sar par chot lagi hai nah ? humein doctor ko dikhana chaiye ..chalo jaldi chalo." One of the kids held her hand " tu jaa rahi hai humein chod kar?" nakku smiled at him "mere sahab ko chot lagi hai nah toh mujhe doctor ke pass jana hoga ..sahab jab theekh ho jayenge toh main ayegi tum sab se milne ..pucca." saying so she waved out to them and left with dutta and baaji.
The doctor examined her carefully and said " sar par chot lagne ki wajah se yeh apna mansik santulan (mental baance) kho chuki hain ..isliye yeh chote bachche ki tarah pesh aati hain aur inhein apni pichli zindagi ka thoda bahut yaad hai ..agar yeh zabardasti apne dimaag par zor dalein toh shayad yeh puri tarah paagal ho jaayein ..isliye inhein aaram karna chaiye aur main kuch dawaaiyan likhe deta hoon jiss se inki bechaini (hyper tension) kam hogi ..ab toh aap wapis aa gaye hain , phir apne parivar ke saath rahengi toh dheere dheere inhein sab yaad aa jayega."
At patil niwas AS,leela,roops and sudarshan were happy to see tasha back. AS went close to tasha and said "chalo aaj pura parivar ek saath milkar khana khayega."but nakku took a step back held duttas sleeve and hid behind him. Her strange behavior amazed everybody so dutta gave her a side hug and asked " nakku yeh AS hain ..tujhse kitna pyar karti hain ..pehchaana tune ?" she bit her lower lip , left his kurta and bent down to touch AS feet. AS blessed her lovingly and looked at dutta trying to figure out what was wrong with nakku. Dutta understood her dilemma and told roops to take nakku to the room but nakku turned around and said "sahab mujhe pata hai apka kamra upar hai nah ..main chali jayegi." When roops asked her " kya hua vaheni aap hum sab ko bhool gayi ho kya?" nakku played with the edge of her duppatta and replied "nahin..tum cute cute ho na ?" roops frowned at her and then said " oh haan so cute nah?" which brought a smile on everybodys faces. Nakku climbed a few step to her room but then stopped and called out to dutta " sahab aap jaldi aana mujhe akele darr lagta hai?main apka intezaar kar rahi hai ..theekh hai." Dutta sighed and told everybody about nakkus condition which made AS teary and rest shocked.
With a heavy heart he went to his room and sat on the bed holding his head in his hands. Why was his happiness always so short lived? A few hours back he was delighted to have her back in his life, the fact had not even sunk in when he came to know that she had lost her mental balance. she only dreamt and wished to lead her remaining life with him in a simple and peaceful manner, was it too much to ask for? Had he sinned so much that now he didn't deserve any happiness? Why did destiny always play hide and seekh with them? He could endure any amount of physical pain inflicted on him but when it came to emotional pain, nakku always supported and understood him. She filled the emotional void in his life, he needed her whenever he was mentally drained out and she was always there for him. He had always seen her strong and tough, no matter what happened she never broke down neither did let him break down but now she was weak and vulnerable, he didn't know how to handle her. Everything seemed lost to him.
Nakku came out from the washroom and saw him pressing his head. She stood in front of him and said "sahab sar mein dard ho raha hai?" he lifted his head and nodded "main paari kare ?? dard gayab ho jayega." He narrowed his eyes on hearing this then she placed her hand on one side of his face and kissed his forehead softly "ab dard ho raha hai?" he smiled at her innocence and said "nahin..gayab ho gaya" her eyes sparkled with pride. He stood up to give her medicine, seeing which she made a face but he told her that by having it she would have a sound sleep. After having it she climbed on the bed, laid down and patted the left side of the bed indicating him to sleep next to her. He switched off the lights and joined her but sleep eluded him so he kept on staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes nakku raised herself on her elbows and covered his eyes with her fingers " raat bahut ho gayi hai ab sone ka ..haan" she waited for sometime to see if he opened his eyes again or not , when he didn't she leaned her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes. He thought to himself NO , everything was not lost,she still cared for him like nobody ever did. She could still feel his pain. A lot had happened in those last few days, she had forgotten a lot many things but not him, not his love and not their relationship. She was still that same old nakku who loved him to death and who wanted just him in her life. In their relationship it was always he who gained and she lost happily but now he would support and understand her something which he failed to do earlier. He had to do it not only for her sake but for himself as well. She was his heart and soul, he just couldn't live without her. With that he wrapped his arm around her waist and brought his life closer..closer to his heart..
Sukoon dil ko mile aake teri baahon mein.
Third step
Next morning dutta was reading the newspaper in his room while nakku was busy getting ready. She asked him "sahab main ek choti kare ke do ?" dutta continued reading the paper and without looking at her replied "ek". After she was done with her braiding the plait she swayed in front of him holding her saree up and shifted her weight from one foot to the other "main kaisi lag rahi hai?". Dutta kept the paper aside, examined her then walked up to her and pulled the edge of the saree which she had tugged around her waist. He freed the saree from her hands,adjusted it properly, opened his cupboard took out the mangal sutra from his kurtas pocket and tied it around her neck. She looked at him in delight while he held her hand and took her near the dressing table, he filled her parting with a pinch of vermillion and kissed her forehead softly "ab taiyaar hai tu." She giggled while dutta continued " chal ab nashta kar le"
Both of them sat down and dutta handed her a plate of poha, she fiddled with the spoon when dutta gave her a questioning look. She held out a spoonful towards his mouth making him think that some things never change. He opened his mouth and had it after which she too started having the poha.
"nakku itne din tu us basti main kya karti rehti thi?" she looked up from her plate and made a crying face "kya karti thi main bachchon ke saath khelti thi , apka intezaar karti thi aur apko yaad kar ke bahut roti thi..itne din kyun laga diye? Apko mera khyal nahin aaya..pata main kitni akeli thi wahan par." Dutta cursed himself under his breath for making her go through hell. He lowered his head and thought no matter how much he tried to sooth away her pain he always ended up hurting her more than before. He turned his head sideways and whispered which went unheard by her "bahut bura hai tera sahab ..tujhe takleef ke sivah kuch nahin deta phirbhi tu uss se kitna pyar karti hai." He pushed back his tears and turned towards her, she lifted another spoonful to his mouth and he had it quietly without taking his eyes off her face.
Just then baaji entered the room "bhau humein abhi meeting ke liye jaana hoga" dutta stood up and replied "main nakku ko chod kar nahin ja sakta , tu meeting main akela chala ja." Baaji gazed at nakku but persisted "bhau main samajhta hai par yeh meeting apke liye zaroori hai, sabko dhandhe main yakeen dilane ke liye ki aap zinda ho aur wapis aa gaye ho." Dutta thought about it and felt yes it was necessary for him to attend that meeting "theekh hai chal tu gadi nikal main aata hoon." On hearing this nakku grabbed his arm tightly "main bhi jayegi saath main." Dutta took a deep breath and replied " nakku main kaam se jaa raha hoon tu wahan kya karegi? Tu ghar par hi ruk main jaldi se wapis aa jaunga." But she was adamant and filled her with tears " nahin aap phir se mujhe chod kar chale jaoge, main yahan akeli kya karegi? Main bhi jayegi ..bas" dutta freed his arm and cupped her face " main tujhe kabhi chod kar nahin jaunga aur tu akeli thodi hai yahana par ..sab hain tere saath ..jab tak main nahin aata tu annay ke saath kheliyo." She made a confused face and asked "yeh annay kaun hai?" to which baaji replied " arey annay , kala tai aur kishore bhau ka beta. Tu bhool gayi?" she knotted her eyebrows and thought hard but failed to remember them. Dutta didn't want her to pressurize herself so said " jyada soch mat , apne aap yaad ajayega aur phir jab sham ko main lautunga toh tujhe ghumaane le ke jaunga..thekh hai." Her face lit up with excitement "sach hum ghumne jayenge?" dutta left her face and gave her reassuring look then turned to follow baaji who had already left but she held his kurta from behind. He sighed and asked her patiently " ab kya nakku?" she picked up a glass of butter milk and offered him " yeh pee kar jao, aise bina kuch liye main jaane nahin degi." Dutta rolled his eyes and had a few sips, he was about to keep the glass back when she pushed it back to his mouth, he had no choice but to finish it. He gave her the empty glass back " ab jaoon?" she nodded her head in negation then took the edge of her saree and wiped off his white moustache " ab jao." Dutta smiled and left the room.
He walked towards the jeep where baaji was already waiting for him. He could feel her gaze on him so he lifted his head and looked at the open window of his room. She was standing there holding the curtain, their eyes met and she slowly raised her hand to wave out to him. He smiled and waved back , baaji saw this and he too waved at nakku excitedly but she stuck her tongue out to him and turned around showing him her back. Baaji felt a little embarrassed and moved his raised hand through his hair " bhau chal issey pehle yeh mera aur kachra kare." An amused dutta joined him in the jeep.
In the evening duji came back from work and went to tashas bedroom. A tired baaji sat on the bed while dutta had water. Annay opened the door with a bang and looked around for nakku " nakku maami hai kya yahan ..hum log luka chupi (hide n seek) khel rahe the?" baaji scanned the room and replied " nahin re , yahan humare ilava koi nahin hai , tu neeche dhoondh ." soon baajis cell started ringing , the signals were weak so he got up to leave the room. He had taken just a step when he fell down,confused dutta gave him his hand" kya baaji ? apne joote ke lace toh theekh se bandha kar, dekh gir gaya nah." Baaji nodded his head and went out, dutta closed the door and called out " nakku bahar aa ja sab chale gaye hain." Nakku who was hiding under the bed crawled out slowly and stood up " apko kaise pata main yahan chipi thi..maine toh kuch nahin bola." Dutta rolled his sleeves up and said " baaji ke jooton ke lace ek saath kisne bandhe taaki woh gir jaaye?" she gave him a sheepish grin and placed her hands on her waist " woh humesha apko kaam par le jaata hai , aaj bhi lekar gaya tha..ab lekar dhikaye." He held her by her shoulders and said " kaam toh karna padta hai nah? Le main aa gaya ..ab taiyaar ho jaa ghumne nahin jaana." To which she replied " main toh subha se taiyaar hai..apke kapde nikal diye hain, aap taiyaar ho jao." Dutta picked up his clothes and asked while walking towards the washroom " toh aaj din bhar kya kiya?" nakku followed him and said " hmm pehle AS ke saath puja ki , phir khana khaya aur phir annay ke saath luka chupi kheli aur uske baad aap?." Dutta interrupted and stopped her " ab kya andhar aayegi mere saath?" she lowered her head in embarrassment " nahin nahin aap ja kar kapde badlo main yahin rukti hai."
After a few minutes tasha walked out of patil niwas, baaji was standing near the gate,as usual talking to someone on his cell. Dutta was a step ahead of nakku holding her hand when they crossed baaji , nakku patted him on his shoulder and said teasingly " main jaa rahi sahab ke saath ghumne." Baaji was happy for her while she pointed towards his shoe laces " theekh se bandh inko nahin toh gir jayega..kahe toh main baandh doon phirse." Baaji gave her a confused look, dutta immediately dragged her towards the jeep before she could bend down to tie baajis laces once again. He suppressed his smile " chal baith jaldi se der ho rahi hai." Nakku got into the jeep and saw baaji looking down at his shoe laces for a moment she felt bad for him. She turned her neck and found the back side of the jeep empty " waise peeche kaafi jagah khaali hai, issey bhi le chalein saath mein , itna bhi bura nahin hai." She waited for dutta to reply but before he could do so she said " nahin nahin rehne do ..jab dekho humare beech mein tapak padta hai." This time dutta couldn't control his smile and laughed out loud.
Nakku looked at him while driving and asked " hum kahan jaa rahe hain?" dutta without taking his eyes off the road replied " wahin jahan hum pehli baar mile the." Nakku thought for a while but couldn't recall the place where they met for the first time " hum kahan mile the ? mujhe kuch yaad nahin..aaj kal mere saath aisa kyun ho raha hai?." Dutta consoled her " koi baat nahin nakku tu dawai kha rahi hai nah..sab theekh ho jayega..chinta mat kar." Still not convinced with his reply she kept quiet and looked down with a grim expression on her face. Dutta gave her a sideways look and found her sad which bothered him a lot. He couldn't bear to see her upset so he lifted her right hand, placed it on the gear under his and used it change the gears. She looked at him with excitement and asked " main gaadi chala rahi hai kya?" he smiled and nodded his head which made her giggle and relieved him to see her happy once again.
They reached the beach where they had met more than a year back. They got down from the jeep and saw hawkers selling different food items " kya khayegi ? hmm pao bhaaji legi?" she rolled her eyes on hearing this " yahan par bhi baaji?" dutta stifled his smile " phir tu hi bata kya lena chahti hai?" she looked around and said " hmm main gola khayegi (crushed ice)..aap loge?" he refused to have it but bought her what she wanted. They strolled around the shore and watched children play with balls some were busy making castles out of sand.
After she had her crushed ice they sat down on sand and dutta rested his back against a rock. She moved closer to him and whispered in his ear " main apke liye kuch layi hai." He turned his neck and raised his eyebrow, she slipped her hand in his pocket and took out his mouth organ " yeh kahan se mila tujhe?" her eyes sparkled with happiness as she placed it on his palm " aaj apki almari saaf kar rahi thi toh mila..maine chupke se apke kurte main daal diya..aap kitna achcha bajate ho , kuch sunao nah." He brought it close to his mouth and started playing it. She was mesmerized by the music and closed her eyes to enjoy it. After a while when he stopped she opened her eyes, totally smitten by what he had played for her " sahab yeh dhun (tune) nayi hai nah ? kitni pyaari hai..pehle jab aap bajate the toh usmein dard hota tha par aaj.." he interrupted and completed her sentence " sukoon hai tera saath paa kar..pehle dil mein sirf dard tha lekin tere pyar ne mere saare zakhm bhar diye." His words touched her soul and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
She gazed at the setting sun and the sea waves bubbling with excitement " sahab mujhe lehron ke saath khelna hai,.aapka haath thaam kar uss kshitij (horizon) ko chuna hai." He smiled at her innocent desires " paani abhi thanda hai , khelegi toh bimaar padjayegi aur koi kshitij ko kaise haath laga sakta hai?" she sat up straight and with teary eyes started whining "aayi bhi mujhe lehron se aur bearish mein khelne nahin deti thi, kehti thi mera kaala rang nikal jayega. Pata mera kitna man karta tha aur ladkiyon ki tarah apni zindagi bitane ka? Lekin mere saath koi nahin khelta tha , sab mera mazaakh udate the.he turned to look at her " rona bandh kar aur theekh se baat kar , aise bachchon kitarah nahin." She pushed back her tears instantly and he continued "phir tu kya karti thi? Ayi ko mana kyun nahin kiya?she fiddled with the edge of her saree" Sabki baatein chup chap sunti thi, ayi se bhi kuch keh nahin paati thi, uski kya galti , woh toh mera bhala hi chahti thi nah." Dutta thought about their past lives, there was an uncanny similarity between them. Both led their lives according to their family wishes suppressing their own desires. Both lived for others without complaining, ignoring their own happiness. For a long time their lives revolved around their families till they met and realized what they were missing out on. LOVE ? someone who loved them selflessly, CARE ? someone who just thought about them, their needs, their aspirations, COMPANIONSHIP ? someone with whom they could share their innermost desires, fears, joys , sorrows. Someone who could understand them just by looking into their eyes
Dutta scanned the whole area and remembered the last time he had come here for a business deal unaware that he would strike a totally different deal. A deal where this girl would take away all his pain and fill his life with true happiness. That night she was running away for her life only to find the love of her life. Dutta saw her scribbling something uninterestingly on the sand with a twig, he stood up and held his hand out to her. She looked up to him and then his hand in confusion " kya hua lehron mein khelne nahin jaana? Chal uth jaldi." Her face glowed with joy and she sprang to her feet instantly. They both walked towards the waves hand in hand when she saw a balloon seller " sahab mujhe gubbare lene hain." He stopped the seller and asked "kitne?" she showed him three fingers " ek annay ke liye ek mere liye aur ek baaji ke liye. Aaj maine usey bahut tang kiya nah." She took the three balloons and said " sahab aap chalo main inhe gaadi mein bandh kar aati hai."
With hands in his pockets he walked ahead slowly and lazily. Suddenly he felt water droplets on his back , he turned around and found nakku splashing water on him. He was delighted to see her kicking the waves, jumping on them, in a way doing what she always craved to do. After some time she held his hand and pointed towards the horizon indicating that she wanted to touch it. He smiled and gave into her wish, they walked slowly cutting through the waves. The water started rising and reached up to their knees when the setting sun sank into the sea leaving the whole area into darkness. It was pointless to go ahead as the horizon was no longer visible, thinking she would be disappointed he looked at her to read her expressions, she pouted and said " koi baat nahin , agli baar hum yahan andhera hone se pehle ayenge,phir khshtij ke paas jayenge." She turned around to go back but lost her balance in deep water, dutta held her by her waist to prevent her from falling and she hung her arms around his neck to steady herself " mujhe laga main gir jayegi." Without taking his eyes off her he replied " mere hote hue tu kabhie gir nahin sakti." And in one swift move he lifted her in his arms so that she wouldn't fall but couldn't stop her from falling in love with him all over again. He walked back to the shore thinking he couldn't promise her that the life ahead would be a bed of roses but what he could promise was that he would step on to every thorn that would come her way. He couldn't bring down the moon and the stars from the sky but his love would lead her path like a guiding star.
Fifth step
A tired dutta returned from work and headed towards his room. He decided to take a cold shower and saw a fresh pair of clothes already been taken out for him by her. He smiled and looked around for her she wasn't in the room so thought may be playing around with annay. He took out his wallet, watch, gun etc. and kept it on the bed before leaving to take a shower. After getting fresh he came out drying his hair with the towel, he walked towards the bed and picked up his watch but found his gun missing. He scanned the whole room, lifted the pillows and bed sheet but couldn't find it. He recalled the gun was loaded so rushed out of his room in search of it.
Nakku was playing with annay in the hall. He enacting as a thief while she as a cop. He hid behind a pillar while nakku was trying to find him with duttas gun in her hand. She saw him behind the pillar and called out " mujhe pata hai tum wahan chupe ho , chup chap bahar aa jao aur jo tumne churaya mere havale kar do warna bahut bura hoga." Hearing this annay slowly came and stood in front of her with his head low. Nakku smiled at herself in pride " chalo ab jo kuch hai tumhare paas mujhe de do." Annay clutched on to nakkus bangle that he had taken and refused to give it back to her. Nakku pointed the gun at him and said " dekho main teen tak ginoongi..agar mujhe nahin diya toh main goli mardoongi." An adamant annay refused to budge so nakku started counting " ek ..do ..aur teen." Aiming at him she pulled the trigger but dutta just came in at the right time and pushed her hand. The bullet hit the whiskey bottle behind annay thereby shattering it into a number of pieces. Hearing the gun shot the whole family gathered in the hall, nakku and annay were totally shaken up with the whole incident while dutta was seething in anger. If looks could kill nakku would have been dead for sure " tune kis se puch kar meri bandook li ? annay toh bachcha hai lekin tu toh badi hai. Tujhe kya laga tu kisi khilone ke saath khel rahi hai? Aaj agar annay ya tujhe kuch ho jata toh?" seeing him scream at her she started weeping and tried to defend herself in between her sobs but dutta raised his hand stopping her " yeh rona bandh kar, ek toh galti karti hai uske uppar se roti hai." To protect nakku , AS intervened " dutta tu jaanta hai uski haalat, dekh woh khudh kitna darr gayi hai, ab aur gussa mat kar." And hugged nakku while dutta still mad at her left the hall and went to the garden to prevent himself from scolding her further.
He sat on the swing trying to calm down but couldn't forget the scene where nakku was pointing the gun at annay. He shuddered to think what would have happened had he not come there on time. Nakkus irresponsible and childish behavior bothered him. He remembered how in the past she acted with so much of maturity in fact many a times she had managed to knock out some sense into him but now seeing her in this condition pained him. He felt guilty for yelling at her as he was aware of her mental state but at that moment he just couldn't control himself. The thought that she could end up hurting annay or herself didn't let him think straight and as a result he just lost his temper. After sometime baaji joined him. He kept his hand on duttas shoulder and said " bhau abhi nakku apne hosh mein nahin hai, tu chinta mat kar dhere dhere sab theekh ho jayega, mujhe yakeen hai woh aisi galti phir nahin karegi." Dutta met his eyes and replied " lekin baaji aaj jo hua usne mujhe hila kar rakh diya hai, agar goli kisi ko lag jaati toh?" baaji reassured him " main janta hai lekin tune dekha nahin nakku khudh kitna darr gayi thi, itna ro rahi thi, ab woh bhool kar bhi aisi harkat phir nahin karegi." Hearing this he realized she must be still crying. He clenched his jaw firmly and asked softly " woh kya abhi bhi ro rahi hai?" baaji smiled looking at his concerned face " nahin AS ne usey chup kara ke khana khila diya hai..abhi toh shayad so rahi hogi..tu bhi kha le bahut raat ho gayi hai." Dutta refused him saying he wasn't hungry and walked back to his room.
He saw her sleeping peacefully with his photo frame resting close to her chest. He sat near her and took out the frame from her tight grip slowly and then covered her properly with a duvet. He examined her tear stained face closely and felt horrible for shouting at her. He pushed back the hair falling on her forehead lovingly and stood up to leave but felt his hand being pulled. He turned around to see her holding his hand and asking innocently " aap kya abhi bhi gussa ho mujhse?" her one simple question pierced his heart , he sat back and pressed his lips against her forehead softly and said " nahin" she sat up happily and replied " main kabhi apki bandook ko haath nahin lagaungi..pucca." he simply smiled and nodded his head " theekh hai , ab so ja bahut raat ho gayi hai." But her eyes shone with excitement as she said " mere paas apke liye kuch hai, aap ankhein bandh karo main abhi aati hoon." With that she got out off the bed hurriedly and made him close his eyes before leaving the room. She came back soon, hiding something behind and sat next to him. She asked him to open his eyes and slowly brought forward her hands holding a plate of halwa from behind. His lips curled into a smile and he asked "yeh kahan se aaya?" she lowered her head shyly and replied " maine aaj apke liye banaya tha." Her concern for him touched him once again and she lifted a spoonful to feed him. He had it happily but when she fed him another he noticed a burnt mark at the back of her hand. He held her hand immediately " yeh kaise jala." She took her hand back and said " woh halwa banate hue thoda jal gaya." He felt bad seeing her hurt " kya zaroorat thi khudh banana ki ? ghar mein aur kitne log hain , woh banadete." She bit her lower lip slightly and replied "par apko toh sirf mere haath ka pasand hain nah" dutta just shook his head and thought there was no point in arguing with her " dard ho raha hai?" she lifted her hand towards him and said " paari kar do dard chala jayega." Making him wonder how could someone be so adorable. He kissed her hand lovingly and she smiled broadly " dekha dard gayab." She fed him another spoonful and then took one herself, dutta wanted to stop her from taking it but she had already put it in her mouth. He lowered his head waiting for her reaction when she in a second spat out the halwa " chee ..yeh toh bilkul achcha nahin hai..kachcha hai ..aur meetha toh hai he nahin..aapne kaise itna saara kha liya ?" he lifted his head and kept the plate aside then took her hands in his and replied " hmm janta hoon yeh theekh se nahin bana lekin ismein tera pyar hai , meri khushi ka khyal hai..in sabko main kaise undekha kar sakta hoon? Teri har choti si choti cheez mere dil ko choo jati hai aur jo dil mein utar jaye woh bura kaise ho sakta hai?" she didn't know how to react, whether to cry on knowing that she had made such a horrible dish or smile at her husband who loved her immensely in both the cases she couldn't prevent her eyes from getting watery. She turned her head to the other side and tried to push back her tears remembering that he didn't like to see her weeping. He placed his palm on her cheek and turned her face to him " nakku tu meri hai, tera har dard, khushi, aansoo, muskurahat..sab kuch mera hai..isliye tujhe mujhse kuch bhi chipane ki zaroorat nahin." She smiled through her tears and jumped into his arms taking him by surprise nevertheless he embraced her back closing every possible gap between them if at all there was any.
Next morning dutta was waiting for his breakfast and tea at the dining table while nakku was praying with AS. She found the fruits to be offered to lord Ganpati missing so she went to the kitchen to get them. On reaching there she heard dutta asking for his tea, she decided to make it for him so turned on the gas knob but then AS called out to her to get the fruits quickly. She slapped her head for being so forgetful. She rushed back to AS and handed over the fruits to her then remembered that he must be waiting for his tea so went back to the kitchen and on her way she informed him that she will get his tea soon. Dutta in the mean time could smell gas leak and he immediately ran to the kitchen. Nakku picked up the lighter and lit the gas stove and in a second the whole kitchen went up in flames. She screamed and dutta pulled her out of the kitchen just in time. Soon the guards came running with fire extinguishers and managed to control the whole situation.
AS wrapped her arm around nakku who was trembling with fear. Dutta was roaring in anger and started blasting her " kal meri gun ke saath khel rahi thi , sham ko apna haath jala diya aur aaj toh tune hadh kar di .. puri rasoi hi jala di ? maine tujhse chai mangi ? kya zaroorat thi yeh sab karne ki ? tujhe yeh sab mazaak lagta hai ?" nakku who was already shaken up by the whole thing expected him to console her but instead he was scolding her, she still tried to reply " main woh gas on kar ke bhool gayi thi." Dutta closed his eyes in frustration and clenched his jaws firmly " bhool gayi ? phir se ? tujhe kuch ho jata toh main kya karta? Kabhi socha hai? Nahin , bus apne man ki karni hai tujhe. Teri choti si laparwahi (carelessness) ki wajah se dekh aaj kitna bada hadsa ho gaya." The whole family was feeling bad for nakku but dutta was also right in his place, baaji interrupted dutta to save nakku from his anger " bhau mujhe abhi phone aaya hai, hum meeting ke liye late ho rahe hain ,chal yeh sab chod hum aakar dekh lenge." Dutta took a deep breath to control his temper and moved to leave the hall when he heard her from behind " aapne nashta toh kiya hi nahin." He stopped in his tracks, turned around and glared at her. with tears rolling down her eyes she ran up to her room.
He came back early in the evening, as it is he was not able to concentrate in the meeting. His mind went back to the events that happened in the last two days and the way he had reacted. He saw AS sitting, plucking spinach leaves. The house was in total silence unlike the other days when it would be chirping with her laughter," nakku kahan hai , AS." She didn't reply and continued with her chore, she was upset the way he had screamed at nakku. Dutta not getting an answer walked towards his room thinking she must be there when he heard AS say " aaj tumne kuch zyada hi nahin chil la diya uspar?" he turned around, nodded his head, guilt clearly visible in his eyes. He continued to climb up the stairs thinking about her mental state. Till now he thought that by handling her with care and with his family around her she would sooner or later regain her partially lost memory and overcome her childish behavior in a way he had taken her ailment lightly but the recent events clearly showed the gravity of the situation. She needed proper medical treatment so he decided to take her to the doctor the next day but before that he had another tough task in hand, to pacify her. He knew he was very rude to her in the morning and this time she wouldn't come around easily.
He reached his room and looked around for her but she was nowhere, thinking she must be in the washroom he knocked and opened the door but she was not there either. Before shutting the door his gaze fell on the mirror, something was scribbled on it with the toothpaste. He read it again and again , unable to believe himself what he had read " MAIN GHAR CHOD KAR JAA RAHI HOON"
Sixth step
He stormed out of the room and ran down screaming " NAKKU .. NAKKU" the whole family gathered in the hall and a worried baaji asked him what had happened but he ignored his question. He was blazing with anger and shouted for the guards who came running on being called out " nakku kahan hai ? tum logon ne dekha usey ?" AS confused about the whole thing interrupted " nakku toh dophar se apne kamre mein thi." Dutta turned towards AS " nahin hai woh kamre mein ..woh ghar chod kar chali gayi hai." AS covered her mouth in shock and dutta continued " itne log ghar mein hain lekin kisiko uske baarein mein kuch pata nahin? Aap sab milkar ek insaan ka khayal nahin rakh sakte?" one of the guards replied " bhau humne toh vaheni ko kahin jaate hue nahin dekha." This angered him more " main kya tum logon ko sone ke liye paise deta hoon? Agar nakku ko kuch bhi hua toh yaad rakhna tum mein se koi nahin bachega." Baaji took out his cell and started dialing some numbers " bhau tu chinta mat kar sab theekh ho jayega." Dutta narrowed his eyes and growled " kaise chinta na karoon ? tu janta nahin uski dimaagi haalat ? aise mein KAHAN DHOONDHOON USEY ????"before baaji could reply dutta left the house and took his jeep to find nakku.
He was driving recklessly, images of his scolding nakku and her crying flashed in front of his eyes and he stepped on the accelerator. The fear that something bad might happen to her sent chills down his spine. He just couldnt lose her and with that he increased the speed of the jeep further. He was about to hit a small boy crossing the road but he applied the brakes just in time thereby bringing the jeep to a halt. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he needed to calm himself down to think straight. A thought came to his mind, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel and took a u turn. If his heart was guiding him right then she should be there. He stopped the jeep at the beach where he had brought her two days back. He scanned the whole area when his gaze fell on her. She was sitting a little far away playing with the sand. He sighed in relief and ran to her.
He stood in front of her and asked " nakku tu yahan kya kar rahi hai? Pata hai main kitna pareshan ho gaya tha ? yeh kaisa bachpana hai?" she lifted her head, looked at him for a second then dropped her gaze. He realized his tone was still on the harsher side which would not work with her this time. He sat down next to her, after examining her for a few minutes he asked softly " yeh kya kar rahi hai?" she without looking at him replied " apne liye ghar bana rahi hoon." He frowned " kyun kya zaroorat hai? Patil niwas tera bhi toh ghar hai." She continued to make a small boundary around the sand house she had made " main yahan rahegi..akele khana banayegi ..akele khayegi." And blew away the tendril of hair that was blocking her view but it fell back on her face, dutta raised his hand to move it back but she pushed his hand away and warned " masti nahin karni mere saath" dutta a little taken aback by her gesture bit the inside of his cheek and said " uff itna gussa?" she glared at him " kyun ?? aap kitna dant te ho mujhe..kal raat ko bhi gussa kiya..aaj bhi gussa kiya." Dutta was already feeling guilty about his past behavior tried to defend himself " tu hi bata main kya karta ? agar kal kisi ko goli lag jaati aur aaj agar tujhe aag mein kuch ho jata toh? Main kitna darr gaya tha ..phir.." she stood on her knees and cut him in " main bhi toh kitna darr gayi thi..par apne mujhe sambhalene ki jagah mujhe kitni zor se daant diya..aisa koi karta hai kya? Ab aap mujhe pehle jaisa pyar nahin karte..nahin rahegi main apke saath." His heart broke into a million pieces on realizing the extent of hurt he had inflicted on her " main tujhe bahut pyar karta hoon nakku isliye tere saath kuch bhi bura hote hue nahin dekh sakta."he waited for her to respnd when she didn't he continued"jis tarah phool ko khushboo se dil ko dhadkan se juda karne par woh bejaan ho jaate hain usi tarah agar dutta ko nakku se alag kar diya toh yeh dutta toh mar hi.." she pressed her fingers on his mouth and didn't let him complete his sentence " chee aisi gandi baat nahin karni agar phir kabhi ki toh main sach mein gussa ho jayegi." She moved her hand back and he smiled " nahin jee sakta main tere bina." She was elated to hear that and lowered her head in shyness while he suggested " chal main tera ghar banane main teri madad karta hoon." She held his wrist to stop him, he looked at her in confusion " kya hua abhi bhi naraaz hai mujhse." She left his, placed both her hands on her waist and with her chin held high replied " main thodi rahegi is mitthi ke ghar mein, main patil niwas rahegi." And gave him a sideways glance while biting her lower lip to prevent herself from smiling then slowly turned her head towards him to look at his reaction. He was all smiles and opened his arms for her. She without any hesitation threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He was relieved and happy to have his life back.
Next morning he took her to the hospital for a complete medical checkup. The doctor wrote some tests to be carried out. Later in the evening duji went together to collect the reports and have a word with the doctor. After examining the reports the doctor stated that due to the accident where nakku had fallen and injured her head she lost her memory and was suffering from partial amnesia also the whole incident off dutta being kidnapped in front of her left a deep impact on her mind as a result her mental and hormonal balance got affected because of which she was behaving like a child. So in order to get her back to a normal state her lost memory needed to be retrieved as well as her mental and hormonal imbalance needed to be corrected. Worried dutta asked about the future course of action. The doctor replied hesitantly that if the whole scene where he was taken away in the van is replayed again in front of her eyes she might regain her lost memory. Duji looked at each other and thought that it wasn't a bad idea but the expressions of the doctor said something else so dutta asked " kya hua ? ismein kya koi risk hai?" the doctor nodded his head and replied " jee risk toh hai , ho sakta hai aisa karne ke baad bhi unhein kuch yaad na aye .. ya woh apna hormonal aur mansik santulan ( hormonal and mental balance) puri tarah kho de aur sab kuch bhool jayein..aap soch samajhkar faisla lijiye."
Just a minute back dutta had seen a ray of hope that nakku would be fine once again but after hearing about the risks involved he was left in a dilemma whether to pursue such a huge step or not. On the way back he just couldn't stop thinking about what doctor had said but at the same time he couldn't ignore nakkus unpredictable behavior as well. He didn't know what she would end up doing to herself and people around her through her innocent callous actions. He couldn't endanger her life and of the others cause of her mental instability but what if she lost her memory fully? Baaji interrupted his thoughts " bhau main janta hai tu doctor ki baat sunkar pareshan hai, par bhau humare paas aur koi rasta bhi nahin hai, jis tarah ki nakku ki halat hai woh kab kya kar baithe hum nahin jante..ek pal wohh theekh hoti hai aur dusre hi pal woh kuch aisa kar deti hai jiska usey khudh pata nahin hota." Dutta rubbed his forehead and replied " tu theekh keh raha hai lekin agar in sabse kuch nahin hua aur uski halat aur bigad gayi toh?" baaji stopped the jeep in front of the house " nakku ke liye ab itna bada risk toh uthana hi padega .. jo humare haath mein hai woh toh humein karna hi chaiye baaki bappa." Dutta still not convinced remained quiet, baaji kept his hand on his shoulder " tujhe bhale hi bappa par na ho par apne pyar par toh bharosa hai nah..apne pyar ki khatir, nakku ki khatir yeh kadam utha le ..kya pata yeh kadam tum dono ko aur kareeb le aye." Dutta closed his eyes and imagined nakku smiling at him " theekh hai baaji, tu karle saara intezaam ..hum kal devi maa ke mandir jaayega jahan yeh sab hua tha."
Dutta wasn't hungry but forcefully pushed a few morsels down his throat which didn't go unnoticed by nakku. He went back to his room after informing AS what doctor had said when nakku wasn't around. He sat down near the window and leaned his back on the wall. She came, kneeled down in front of him and pressed his hand lightly " kya hua koi pareshani hai ? apne khana bhi nahin khaya." He nodded his head "nahin aisa kuch nahin hai mujhe bas bhookh nahin thi." She agreed and with a sleepy face said " chalo phir sone chalo ..mujhe bahut neend aa rahi hai." He looked into her eyes and replied " nakku thodi der baith nah yahan mere saath." She smiled and sat in between his legs with her back pressing his chest and her head resting on his shoulder. He brought his arms around her waist and inter wined his fingers with hers " nakku tu kabhi mujhe bhool toh nahin jayegi nah?" with closed eyes she replied "kabhi nahin." He brought her closer "aur mujhse kabhi door toh nahin jayegi." She opened her eyes and thought about her earlier action of leaving the house in anger, she felt bad for making him go through all this she tightened his grip around her " kabhi bhi nahin." He was scared to lose her, scared to think about what tomorrow held for them. He so wished that time stood still and he could spend the rest of his life just like this with her close to him in his arms " kya tu hamesha mere har faisle mein mera saath degi..agar mujhse kabhi koi galti ho jaye toh?" now she could feel his tension clearly, surely there was something bothering him, ever since he had returned from visiting the doctor he seemed lost, she turned around in his arms and asked " kuch hua kya ? doctor ne kuch kaha kya..jawab kyun nahin dete?" his silence was killing her, with tears in her eyes and in a shaky voice she asked again " kya hua ? kya doctor ne yeh kaha ki main kabhi theekh nahin hogi ..humesha aise hi rahegi." Hearing this made his eyes watery too and he pulled her to himself " kisne kaha tu theekh nahin hogi ..tu bahut jald theekh hogi." Her one question had dispelled all his doubts he had whether to take that step or not. Now he was absolutely sure that he would take her to the temple once again. He had to do it for her sake, she deserved that chance that could cure her. Earlier he was acting selfish by just thinking about his insecurities and not what she must be going through. She was entitled to a normal life and he would do everything that was possible, that was in his hands to give it to her and even if things went wrong he would be there for her. If he could support her now then he could do so in the future as well. Everything was crystal clear now, he looked down and saw that she had already dozed off in his arms, he kissed her temple and tucked her head under his chin. He hugged her tightly relishing the moment without worrying about the next day.
" aane wali subha jaane ..rang kya laye deewani..meri chahat ko rakh lena..jaise koi nishani"
In the morning nakku was making the bed while dutta was thinking about how to bring up the topic of taking her to the temple " nakku bahut din ho gaye tu mandir nahin gayi..chal abhi chalte hain." She dropped the pillow on the bed and asked in surprise " mandir ? aur aap ? aap leke jauge mujhe mandir?" dutta nodded his head " hmm to kya hua ? mujhe vishwas nahin par tujhe toh hai..chal taiyaar ho ja hum abhi jayenge." She was excited to visit the temple so replied " theekh hai .. raaste mein hum bappa ke liye laddoo bhi le lenge." He answered back " hum bappa ke nahin devi maa ke mandir jaa rahe hain." She frowned and tried to remember if there was a devi maas temple around " yahan koi devi maa ka mandir bhi hai? Mujhe yaad nahin." He didn't answer but just wished that she remembers everything on reaching there and the whole plan is executed well.
On reaching the temple she looked at it carefully and felt as if she had come here before. The place looked familiar but she couldn't recall the exact sequence of events. Tasha started climbing the stairs and with each step dutta wondered whether they were coming closer or drifting apart. Earlier he had started believing in god but then his whole kidnapping incident and nakku losing her memory and mental balance shook his faith in god once again. Today he was here not for his sake but for her, she believed in god and he believed her, she was his god. If today anything went wrong before devi maas eyes he didn't know himself what he would end up doing. On the other hand she was feeling uneasy with each step she was taking as if something terribly wrong had happened here before but she failed to remember what was it? She stopped to look around trying her best to know the reason of her restlessness but failed to succeed. He noticed she was not with him he turned around and saw her standing a few steps behind him. He went to her and she asked " kya main yahan pehle aayi hui hoon? Mujhe ajeeb si bechaini ho rahi hai jaise yahan kuch bura hua tha par mujhe yaad nahin aa raha." He simply held her hand and replied " haan hum yahan pehle aa chuke hain." They both started climbing again and on reaching up rang the bell together. She closed her eyes while holding the thali and he joined his hands hoping he had made the right decision of bringing her here. He looked at her closely, a part of him didn't want to do this, didn't want to risk her future life, was petrified to lose her but another part of him thought he had no other option, he had to do this for her, what if everything went out well then all his fears would be put to rest. His heart and his mind were fighting the toughest possible battle ever. She opened her eyes and felt his gaze on her, she turned to him and saw a number of unanswered questions reflecting in his eyes, a sort of discomfort in his body language he was hiding something from her something big, what she couldn't make out, he disturbed her train of thoughts and said " tu yahin ruk main parikrama kar ke aata hoon." She didn't want to let him go but at the same time didn't have a reason to stop him either so nodded her head quietly. Their eyes met, exchanging what their hearts wanted to convey to each other. He embraced her face lovingly before leaving and both felt as if they were losing something precious, as if their lives were walking away from them.
She turned to devi maa praying for his and their family's well being. After sometime she realized that he had not returned so decided to go behind him. She stepped down a few steps and saw him being taken away in a black van. She started getting flashes of the same event that had taken place when they had come here before. Beads of perspiration appeared on her forehead and she began breathing heavily. She raised her hand to stop him and tired to scream loudly but felt as if she had lost her voice. She wanted to run after that van but couldn't move as though her feet were cemented to the ground. Images of her running behind him and calling out to him made her mind and eyes heavy. Everything started to blur out in front of her and she tried to reach out to him so took a step forward but lost her balance and went tumbling down. She let out a cry "SAHAB" before going unconscious. Baaji who was hiding nearby rushed to her. Soon dutta also came back he picked her up in his arms and saw her head bleeding. He shut his eyes in anger and cursed himself under his breath for doing all this then took her to the hospital immediately.
Her head was bandaged and doctors waited for her to regain her conscious before they could say anything about her state. She laid on the bed with closed eyes while dutta sat close to her on the stool holding her hand waiting for her to open her eyes. He looked at her carefully and spoke softly " main janta hoon tu mujhe sun sakti hai bus mujhe tang karne ke liye aankhein bandh kare hue hai. Maine bhi toh tujhe bahut dard diya hai kabhi jaan bhujhkar aur kabhi anjaane mein..lekin ab jab mein tere bina adhura hoon tu mujhse ruthi hui hai..jab bhi chaha tujhe duniya ki har khushi doon anjane mein tujhe aur takleef de baithta hoon." Tears welled up in his eyes on seeing her like this, if today anything wrong happened to her he would never ever be able to forgive himself. He kissed the hand he was holding and continued " tere aane se mujhe sacha pyar mila , sacha jeevan sathi mila , jism main hoon meri jaan hai tu , bin tere main kuch nahin." He sat next to her on the bed and moved the hair falling on her forehead, he smiled through his tears and said " soch rahi hogi ki jab hosh mein hoti hai tab toh main kuch nahin kehta aur aaj chup hi nahin ho raha..apni aankhein khol nah nakku..tujhse apne dil ki har baat kehna chahta hoon..mere pyar ka aur imtihan na le." A tear rolled down his eye and fell on her cheek, he felt somebody pressing his shoulder, he turned around and saw AS standing, he felt emotionally weak so couldn't stop himself from hugging her.
Just then nakku started seeing images of the events that occurred in the past ,dutta getting mad at her on knowing she was behind supriyas elopement. she plead in her semiconscious state " sahab maine supriya tai ko nahin bhagaya." On hearing her dutta and AS looked at her in surprise while she continued to get restless and saw dutta marrying her at gun point, she saving him and his family from consuming poison in the temple, their getting lost in the jungle, he rescuing her from Annas clutches and then proposing to her in front of the entire family , she not accepting his proposal and showing her fair face to baaji , she cried in her sleep and said " baaji main sahab ko apna asli chehra dekhaye bina shaadi kaise kar le , yeh toh dhoka hoga." She went on further to imagine the night before their marriage when she had decided to reveal her face to him, " AS main sahab ko aaj apna asli chehra dikhkar rahegi unhein aur andhere mein nahin rakhegi." Dutta and AS felt happy on realizing that slowly she was getting her memory back, AS went out to call the doctor while nakku winced in pain and let out a small cry when she imagined dutta throwing her out of the room and she banging her head on the chest nut but smiling on seeing blood on her forehead. She whispered with a smile on her face " sahab main bahut khush kismet hai ki shaadi ki pehli subhaa apne meri maang bhari , ab apka aur mera rishta janam janam ka rahega." Dutta felt horrible on remembering the day he had been so cruel to her after witnessing her real face, he bent down and caressed the mark on her forehead with his thumb where he had hurt her, a futile attempt on his part to soothe away her pain he thought and she continued to murmur " kala tai main ek din sahab ke aaghe apke pardha fash karke rahegi." A tear escaped her eye when she recalled the time she spoke to him on the phone after he had gone missing " sahab laut aao , ab meri himmat toot rahi hai." He wiped the lone tear and saw her smiling broadly, she grabbed his hand in her semiconscious state and said " sahab aap kahan chale gaye the mujhe chod kar." Soon the doctor entered along with AS and waited for her to open her eyes. Her face creased in worry and she began breathing heavily when she imagined him being taken away in the van. She raised her hand in the air to stop him and screamed " SAHAB KO LEKE MAT JAO" she opened her eyes with a jerk and saw him sitting next to her. She sat up and clung on to him immediately, he was relieved to know that she was fine now. Tears poured out like rain from her eyes and she whimpered, " aap mandir se kahan jaa rahe the mujhe chod kar? Ab main apko kahin nahin jaane degi." He hugged her back in delight and assured her " main tujhe chod kar ab kahin nahin jaunga..kabhi bhi nahin."
He broke the hug and wiped away her tears while she asked innocently in a child like tone " hum yahan kya kar rahe hain? Mujhe ghar jana hai." And removed the bed sheet to get out of the bed but the doctor interrupted " apko sar par chot lagi hai isliye kuch din apko yahin rehana hoga." She gazed from the doctor to dutta and pouted in disappointment. The doctor asked her to lay down so that he could examine her, she continued to hold duttas hand while he couldn't stop smiling on realizing that the huge risk he had taken had finally paid off, all his fears and anxieties had come to a rest. Even though she hadn't recovered fully still his heart had already began to dream a blissful future life with her. His thoughts came to a jolt when doctor asked him to come out and have a word with him. He agreed to leave happily but was held back by her and she indicated with her eyes telling him not to leave her. AS intervened and said " nakku usey jaane de, woh doctor se puchkar tujhe jald se jald yahan se le jayega." She left his hand reluctantly while he took a step to move out unaware what a huge step doctor would suggest him to take so that nakku could gain her mental balance, a step which his heart would not desire but his mind would force him to take up for her sake.
NOTE : friends nakku has regained her lost memory but still she is mentally not stable so she hasnt recovered fully yet. hope all the confusion is sorted out.
Eighth step
Dutta walked in the doctors cabin and waited for him to suggest him the next course of action so that she would regain her mental balance after getting her lost memory back. The doctor began to explain him after hesitating a bit that even though nakku had regained her memory still she wasn't mentally stable and behaved like an immature person due to her hormonal imbalance and to correct that it was essential for her to bear a child now which shocked dutta completely.(trust me i have seen doctors recommeding this in serials n movies so took it from there) He thought how could she carry a child when she herself was behaving like one. The doctor explained further that when a woman is pregnant she goes through a lot of hormonal changes and this would improve her condition. Dutta felt that the doctor had lost his mind himself, how could he get close to her in such a situation, this was purely disgusting so he lashed out " apko pata bhi hai aap kya keh rahe ho..nakku ki aisi dimaghi halat mein main uske saath aisa kaise kar sakta hoon?" the doctor understood his confusion and said " main janta hoon aap kya soch rahe hain , lekin yeh sab hum unke bhale ke liye hi toh kar rahe hain aur waise bhi aap shaadi shuda hain, woh apki patni hain ..phir ismein galat kya hai?" dutta felt sick even at the thought of doing such a thing with her and left the room without replying to the doctor unaware that AS was standing outside the room and had listened to the entire conversation.
He saw nakku talking to baaji cheerfully and went out to sit in the garden. He needed fresh air to think straight. He loved her immensely and always dreamt of having a family of his own but not like this when she was not in her senses that would be taking advantage of her vulnerability, he would never do that. The day he would become a father he would be the happiest person on this earth and he couldn't have asked for a better life partner than nakku to be the mother of his child. All his desires would be fulfilled the day he would hold his child in his hands. AS came and sat next to him, she pressed his hand and said "hum jaante hain tumhara man mein kya chal raha hai , humne doctor ki saari baatein suni." He continued to stare at the ground while AS tried to pacify him " doctor ne jo kaha usmein burai kya hai, agar isey nakku ki haalat mein sudhar aata hai toh harz kya hai." Now dutta gave her a surprised look he didn't expect his mother to react like this " apko ismein kuch galat nazar nahin aata? Nakku jab apne hosh mein hi nahin hai toh main uske kareeb kaise ja sakta hoon, kaise uski masoomiyat ka faida utha sakta hoon? Jis cheez ke liye woh taiyaar hi nahin hai main woh karne ki soch bhi nahin sakta." He felt uncomfortable talking to his mother about this topic but had no choice as he thought that she being a woman would understand nakkus state of mind. She took a deep breath and continued " hum nakku ki haalat nazar andaz (ignore) nahin kar rahe lekin tu yeh kyun bhool raha hai ki woh teri patni hai aur tu ussey kitna pyar karta hai aise mein uska faida uthane ki baat kahan se aa gayi? Aur ye koi pehli baaar to nahin hai ki tum dono.." dutta stood up in frustration and replied " pyar karta hoon tabhi toh yeh keh raha hoon ki main usko dhokha nahin de sakta." Their relationship was based on true and pure love there was no place for lust in it. Together they had spent some beautiful moments which he always cherished and would love to share more in the future but only when she would be willing. He would never force himself on her. He left the garden in embarrassment as he thought it was pointless arguing with AS, she was not willing to understand him and he had made himself absolutely clear regarding this but AS was determined to get them back together, he had to do this for nakkus sake. She couldn't bear to see her son and daughter in law like this, they both loved each other and deserved to lead a normal life.
Two days later nakku was discharged from the hospital late in the evening. After having dinner tasha went to their room and were shocked to see the state in which it was. The whole room was dimly lit, the bed was covered with rose petals and aromatic candles were placed at different corners. He knew who was behind all this and closed his eyes in frustration while nakku got excited on seeing the room so beautifully decorated, she started blowing the candles playfully. The whole atmosphere seemed disgusting to him, he couldn't bear to stand a minute there so left the room after telling nakku to go off to sleep and he would join her later after having a walk in the lawn. He went out and sat on the swing with his head resting on his hand he shut his eyes and soon went off to sleep.
In the middle of the night his head jerked in sleep and he lost balance. He opened his eyes and felt some weight on his lap. He looked down and saw her sleeping with her head pillowed on his lap. The night was getting cold and she had brought up her legs close to her chest to keep herself warm. He moved his and through her hair and said " nakku uth..yahan thand ho rahi hai ..chal andar jakar sowenge." She sat up lazily, rubbed her eyes and stood up still in sleep then raised her arms in the air and said " godhi ..godhi lo nah ..mujhe neend aa rahi hai..main nahin chalegi." He rolled his eyes and then picked her up in his arms, she kept her head on his shoulder and held his neck tightly without opening her eyes. He walked back to his room quietly, AS had woken up to have a glass of water and saw him carrying a sleeping nakku to his room, she slapped her head in disappointment thinking all the arrangements she had done went waste. On reaching the room he placed her carefully on the bed, freed his neck from her arms and took a step back but realized her mangal sutra had got tangled with his kurta button bringing back old memories. A smile spread on his lips when he saw her sleeping like a baby, he was too sleepy to untangle her mangal sutra so simply kissed her forehead and laid down next to her, resting his head on her pillow as his was a little far away and arms wrapped around her waist.
Next evening he was having tea with AS in the lawn. It was a pleasant evening with light breeze blowing, he kept the empty cup back and asked " nakku kahan hai? Nazar nahin aa rahin." To which AS replied " Woh annay ke saath chath (terrace) par patang uda rahi hai." He looked up towards the terrace and was horrified to see her sitting on the edge of the terrace wall, if that wasn't enough she was tilting towards her left to catch the branch of a nearby tree on which a kite had got stuck and the next thing shocked him to death when she lost her balance and was hanging from the wall clutching the railing tightly with her right hand. She screamed for help and dutta rushed to the terrace while AS just couldn't believe what she was witnessing. He managed to pull her up with all his mite. She was trembling like a leaf in fear, this time he didn't blast her probably the fear of losing her overpowered his anger. She was crying profusely and he tried to calm her down by giving her a side hug, soon AS also joined them "nakku beta, tu yeh kya kar rahi thi?" she replied in between her sobs " woh patang atack gayi thi toh mein usey nikal rahi thi..pata nahin main phisal kaise gayi." He rubbed her back gently to stop her from crying. Both AS and dutta saw that there were so many kites lying on the table still she had tried to catch the one which had got stuck in the branches, once again in her innocence she had risked her life making AS ask him firmly " kya ab bhi tumhara wohi faisla hai? Humein toh samajh nahin aata ki tumhari zid tumhara pyar se badkar kab ho gayi?" and left the terrace with nakku. He banged his fist hard on the wall in frustration and closed his eyes out of helplessness.
Dutta was having breakfast at the dining table when AS cleared her throat to get his attention " humne nakku ki patri purohit ji ko dikhayi thi , unhone aaj ek puja rakhi hai uske liye kul devi ke mandir mein , tum usey le kar chale jaana." He raised his head from the plate and rolled his eyes " AS apko lagta hai in sab puja vuja se koi farak padega?" she was already upset because of his past behavior so replied irritatingly " jo doctor ne kaha tumhein woh bhi manzoor nahin , ab agar hum puja paath se nakku ko theekh karna chahte hain tumhein usmein bhi pareshani hai." He closed his eyes for a minute and then took a deep breath " lekin puja itni door rakhwane ki kya zaroorat thi , yahin karwa lete." She stood up to leave and glared at him " theekh hai tumhein nahin jaana tum mat jao , hum chale jayenge nakku ko leke." He realized that his refusing her constantly for everything was bothering her too much so decided to take nakku himself even though he believed all this wouldnt improve her condition " aap rehene deejiye main chal jaunga usko lekar"
Soon tasha left for the temple,the puja lasted for a couple of hours. after completing the puja, tasha were coming down the stairs when nakku twisted her ankle, she was about to fall down but he held her. Her foot pained a lot and with his support she managed to walk back to the jeep. While returning the jeep broke down. It was getting late and the sky was covered with dark clouds. Dutta got out of the jeep and found that the tyre had punctured. He looked for a spare one but it wasn't there. He kicked the tyre in frustration then remembered that he had seen a garage while returning from the temple, he thought to go back and get a mechanic or spare tyre from there " nakku , main thodi door par jaa raha hoon , abhi 10 minute mein tyre lekar aata hoon , tu yahan se hilna mat aur gaadi se bilkul nahin utarna." She nodded her head in negation " nahin main saath mein jayegi." He didn't want to lose his temper so replied patiently " tu kaise chalegi? Tere pair mein kitna dard hai , main keh raha hoon na ki main aa jaunga jaldi, tu yahin baith aaram se." she crossed her hands across her chest and turned her head to the other side without replying. It had only been a few minutes when dutta left and it began to rain heavily. Rain droplets fell on her face bringing a smile on it. She out stretched her arms to feel the rain drops. A biker passing by saw her enjoying herself in the rain. Soon he started circling her and whistled at her thereby making her feel uncomfortable. He stopped his bike to look at her carefully, the wet saree was sticking to her body and she wrapped her arms around to cover herself properly. He slowly started walking towards her, she gazed around in search of dutta but he wasn't there. He stood in front of her and said something indecent, she raised her hand to slap him but he caught her hand and pulled her out of the jeep. he held her face tightly but she too kicked him between his legs, he left her face and cried in pain. Her foot was hurting badly but still she tried to walk into the forest as fast as possible, soon the biker caught hold of her, she tried to free herself and screamed "SAAHAAB" which infuriated him further and he slapped her hard she lost her balance and fell down. He pounced on her and ripped her blouse from the shoulder, she yelled out loud in help and he lowered himself on her but the next moment he was kicked off her. Nakku stood up and hugged dutta, he was blazing in anger. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her then started hitting that biker black and blue. He pulled him up by his collar and thrashed his head against a tree, the hands which dared to touch his nakku were crushed under his feet. He looked at nakku who was crying and shivering in fear, he clenched his jaws hard and picked up a heavy stone to smash that persons face who was now asking for forgiveness which didn't affect dutta one bit. He raised the stone high in the air and was about to drop it on him when he saw nakku fainting and collapsing on the ground. He threw the stone the other side and kicked the face of the man lying on the ground with all his mite. He rushed to her side and picked her up in his arms, the bleeding biker had already gone unconscious. He took her back to the jeep and called baaji to come quickly in another car.
Nakkus whole body was burning in fever, the doctor after examining her said that she had fainted out of shock and would gain consciousness soon so there was no need to worry. Dutta sat next to her and saw that the corner of her mouth had a deep cut, her arms had scratch marks ,his blood bolied in anger, he regretted not killing that man but more than that he regretted taking her for that puja and then leaving her alone in the jeep. His one careless act had ruined everything. Nakku in her sleep started rubbing her arms vigorously, to get rid off that bikers touch. His touch made her skin crawl, dutta observed her restlessness and called her out. She opened her eyes with a jerk and sat up immediately. She removed the blanket covering her and stood up. She took a step ahead but felt weak, dutta rushed to her in a flash and she leaned on him to walk towards the washroom. After a minute he heard the shower and wondered why she was taking a bath at this hour and that too when she had high fever. She stepped under the shower and began rubbing herself harshly till her skin turned red. She felt disgusted and impure after that man had touched her, wanted to remove every possible trace of him on her body. After she was tired of standing under the shower she walked out of the washroom slowly. Dutta held her carefully and brought her back to bed " tujhe itna tez bhukhar hai toh is waqt nahanne ki kya zaroorat thi." She didn't reply and laid down under the blanket with eyes closed, he didn't pester her thought may be she was exhausted and needed rest. He too quietly laid on the bed, normally she would automatically cuddle upto him but tonight she laid far away from him, close to the end of the bed, she wanted to distance herself from him.
Which soon became evident from her behavior, she stopped talking and interacting with everybody around. Happenings and people around her ceased to affect her, she was lost in her own pain. Would spend long hours sitting alone near the window gazing out. He and the family tried to cheer her up but all went vain. She simply stopped reacting, the whole incident left a deep impact on her. She felt scarred. He missed her smile, her non stop blabbering, her childish demands, everything. Her silence was killing her with every passing moment, he kneeled in front of her and held her face gently making her look into his eyes " nakku teri yeh chuppi (silence) mujhse bardasht nahin hoti, tujhe gussa karna hai to kar , agar rona hai toh ro magar aise khamosh mat reh, dekh main hoon nah tere saath , bata mujhe kya chal raha hai tere dil mein , kuch toh bol" she had a blank look on her face, her once lively eyes which would convey her feelings now appeared dead, his words had no impact on her, as if she didn't listen to him at all, no pain no emotion was visible on her face, she looked like a lifeless soul.She looked down and saw those marks on her arms once again though they had become light on her skin but were still fresh in her mind, she began rubbing them with disgust, he saw her doing that. He had never felt so helpless and defeated probably because she was always there to support him. He shook her by her shoulders and raised his voice " tujhe kuch nahin hua hai , us kami** ne tera saath kuch nahin kiya , tu sun rahi hai main kya keh raha hoon,dekh meri taraf." She ignored him completely and gazed out of the window, tears of frustration welled up in his eyes. He grabbed her face and buried it in his chest, wrapped his arms around her securely and a tear rolled down his eye even that went unnoticed by her.
Tenth step
Days passed away silently along with her silence. Slowly she was getting emotionally, physically and mentally detached from him at least that's what he thought. She had built a wall around herself and he was finding it difficult to get through it. Even though they shared the same room but they were turning into strangers. Not a single word escaped out of her lips nor a single tear slipped from her eyes since that horrible incident which earlier had impacted her and now was affecting him too. He started losing his temper easily and would take out his frustration on his work.
One late evening he came back home with baaji after having a huge fight with his dealers. No the fight wasn't verbal it was physical, nowadays his hands did the talking instead of his mouth. Baaji suggested on calling a doctor as he was badly bruised but he refused out rightly and went to his room. He saw her like everyday sitting near the window gazing out and failing to acknowledge his presence. He opened the cupboard and took out a ball of cotton along with the bottle of antiseptic. He removed his kurta to apply the antiseptic on his wounds. He sat on the bed and tried to reach his back which was deeply bruised but couldn't manage to reach the right spot. He thought of giving it up when he felt her hand on his shoulder. She took the cotton ball from his hand and cleaned the wound carefully, he hissed in pain and grabbed the bed sheet tightly. He looked up to see her reflection in the mirror, she was sitting behind him and examining his bruised back, She ran her fingers tenderly and kissed the place he was hurt. He remembered her saying " sahab paari karoon ? phir dard nahin hoga" he smiled at her innocence. She couldn't bear to see him in such a state, she leaned on him and rested her head on his shoulder. He was moved when he saw her shedding silent tears , trying to wash away his pain, in a moment she forgot all her past trauma. Earlier she was in her own small world where he was not allowed to enter but as soon as she saw him hurt she couldn't stop herself from reaching out to him. He turned around and cupped her face in his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumb. He pressed his lips against her forehead. The lights went off and darkness overtook the room, he left her to bring candles from the kitchen.
When he came back she was standing near the window quietly. He lit the candles and placed them at different corners of the room but it was very windy outside so the candles were flickering a lot. He walked towards the window and raised his hands to pull it shut. The window closed with a bang startling her, she turned around and saw him standing inches away from her. After so many days she looked into his eyes and saw the same love as before but found a hint of loneliness as well. Since that day she had distanced herself from him, she didn't want to share her grief with him. But tonight when he was hurt she broke all the barriers between them, why? She wondered, may be because she couldn't see him in pain. But didn't he feel the same for her? didn't he want to support her? Didn't he lend his shoulder to her to cry on? Her mind answered a big YES, then why did she shun him away? Maybe she thought she was no longer worthy of him but to think of it he had committed heinous crimes in the past yet she loved him selflessly then couldn't he do the same after all whatever happened was not her fault and he understood that completely, in fact took the entire blame and cursed himself for leaving her alone. Her mind corrected her to accept the real reason why she didn't allow him to sooth away her pain which was that ever since she had stepped in his life she only wanted to give him happiness she couldn't bear to see him hurt or disturbed because of her. She believed that he was entitled to share only her joy and not her sorrow even though he always poured his heart out to her. In marriage both the partners have equal rights yet she had acted selfishly by moving away from him and keeping her pain to herself. She felt bad when she saw in his eyes the love that he wanted to shower on her but was reluctant to do so because she had gone into a shell.
He dropped his gaze and took a step back but this time she moved ahead to cover the distance between them and threw her arms around his neck. He didn't know when he too embraced her, he only knew that with her one step she had broken that wall around her into pieces. He picked her up in his arms and placed her on the bed gently then got up to leave but she held his hand firmly and plead with her eyes not to go anywhere. She raised her hand to caresses his face as if to feel and memorize each and every feature of his in her mind. His intense gaze pierced through her mind body and soul which she couldn't bear and closed her eyes. She moved her hand behind his neck and pulled him towards herself and whispered " sahab" at last she had broken her silence and called out to him, his ears longed to hear this small word "sahab" from her. His happiness had no boundaries and a lone tear escaped his eye and fell on her lips making her open her eyes. He lifted his thumb to wipe it but she stopped him. In the dimly lit room that tear sparkled like a pearl on her lips and he covered it with his lips like a shell. The candles blew out on their own giving the two lovers a night alone to remember and cherish in days to come.
Kuch Khidikyan, Aankhon Hi Aankhon Mein Khul Gayi
Kuch Pyaas Adhuri
Kuch Shyam Sindhoori
Kuch Reshmi Gunahon
Main Rate Dhal Gayi
Jeene Ke Ishare Mil Gaye
Bichde The Kinare Mil Gaye
With his hands covering his face he sat restlessly outside the operation theatre cursing himself for his acts. How could he risk her life once again? Regretting the step he had taken. He knew she wasn't well and his one mistake had landed her in the hospital where she was struggling for her life. How could he ignore her health? How could he take things so lightly as if everything was normal? If she had behaved with immaturity at least he could have acted sensibly but no he simply gave in to her desire without thinking about the consequences. AS pressed his shoulder tightly giving him her support, he looked at her with teary eyes " AS aaj agar usey kuch ho gaya toh main kabhi apne aap ko maaf nahin kar paunga." She tried to reassure him " nakku ko kuch nahin hoga..humein bappa par pura bharosa hai ..woh tum dono ka aur imtihan nahin lega." Saying so she left him and stood before a small lord Ganpatis idol with folded hands. The doctor stepped out of the operation theatre and dutta waited with bated breath to know about her condition. The doctor smiled and said " ghabrane ki koi baat nahin hai ..sab theekh hai , aap chahe toh unse mil sakte hain."
The next moment he was by her bedside. She slept like a baby with her mouth a little open. He smiled in relief and pressed her lips together thereby shutting her open mouth. Her eyes flickered with his touch and she opened them to see him giving her love filled looks. They both kept gazing at each other silently for a long time when their peaceful moment got broken by a shrill sound. They both turned their heads to look at the new member crying for their attention and love in the crib. He walked towards the crib and picked up her beautiful princess who was a replica of her mother. Ever since the news of her arrival broke he was on cloud nine, he always dreamt of having his own family and today it came true all because of the lady who loved him immensely. His small bundle of joy was too delicate and fragile he thought so kept her carefully next to her mother who had scared the hell out of him a few hours back.
FLASH BACK
Nakku was throwing up in the morning and dutta was supposed to leave for some urgent work. He refused to go and attend that meeting but she insisted him not to neglect his work for her " sahab mein theekh hoon aur yeh sab toh chalta rehta hai ..aap jao apne kaam par jaise har roz jaate ho." But he was not willing " roz ki baat aur hai par aaj AS bhi ghar par nahin hain aur mein tujhe akela chod kar nahin jaunga ..bas kehdiya nah." She held his hand and said " kuch ghanton ki toh baat hai aur aap kaunsa kahin door ja rahe ho ..yahin paas mein hi toh jaana hai ..jaldi se jao aur phir wapis aa jaana ..waise bhi yeh kaam patilvaadi ke liye bahut zaroori hai aur main nahin chahti meri wajah se koi deri ho." Once again her logic defeated his emotion and he complained " jabse tu phir se samjahdari wali baat karne lagi hai tabse tu meri koi baat nahin sunti." Recalling the way her condition improved after her pregnancy. She smiled at his annoying face and kept his hand over her stomach " ab jaldi jao hum dono apka intezar kar rahe hain." The baby showed her support to her mother by kicking from within. So dutta left after kissing her forehead. He reached the meeting point but felt very uneasy, his mind kept on going back to her. He instructed baaji to attend the meeting on his behalf and drove back home as fast as he could. On returning he saw his bedroom empty and went to the washroom to check on her. He was shocked to see her lying on the floor holding her stomach and crying in pain. He immediately took her to the hospital where the doctor informed that it was a case of premature delivery and in fact he had been late in bringing her to the hospital. In such a situation she should have been hospitalized in the morning itself. He felt like kicking himself for taking her condition lightly.
End of flashback
He felt his kurta being pulled, he looked down and saw his daughter clutching on to it just the way her mother did. At last both of them were safe and sound. Nakku gestured him to sit next to her, she was happy to gift him his prized possession. She had seen the excitement in his eyes when she broke the news of her pregnancy. In these ninth months a lot had changed for the better and she thanked her bhappa for the same. She saw him lost in his thoughts so asked " kya hua ? kya soch rahe ho?" he smiled and replied to her " ek namumkin sapne ko pura hote hue dekh raha hoon..kayi saal pehle maine man hi man ek khwab dekha tha ..ek humsafar ka jo mujhe samjh aur apnaye jis tarah main hoon..jiske liye main har toofan ka saamna karna chaoon..jo mujhe sambhale mera ghar savare..aur jo mujhe mera apna parivar de..tune aa kar mera yeh sapna pura kar diya ..main khudh adhura tha tere pyar ne mujhe pura kar diya" she thought as if he had read her mind, even she had dreamt exactly the same, to have a small happy family which today thanks to him was in front of her. She lifted her arms in the air inviting him and he in a second accepted it. He laid his head on her chest and admired his little angel who was smiling in her sleep but didn't leave his kurta even then. Nakku thought back at the time when she had met him for the first time and now he was in his arms. In between a lot had happened, the sailing wasn't smooth yet they managed to overcome all the challenges life threw at them but now she thought their life was complete " sahab apko yaad hai ..ek din apne kaha tha ki main aapse sirf dus kadam ki doorie par hoon ..aaj woh doorie puri ho gayi." She was right they had together taken those ten steps and covered the distance between them. Though it was a matter of only few steps yet it seemed as if they were miles apart and on top of that each and every step offered a new threat to them but their love overpowered everything and today they were where they truly belonged, " in each others arms residing in each others hearts"
Teri bahon mein hain
Dono jahan mere
Main kuch bhi toh nahin
Dilbar sivah tere
Tujhe paake zamaane ki khushi
Paayi hai paayi hai
Making a strange, unique yet a beautiful couple which people will remember in times to come.
The end
Thank u all for ur love and support. This story wasn't easy for me but with u all by my side it became a wonderful journey. Thanks once again
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