Hey, everyone! Here
comes the next chapter, and yes, from the part the last chapter was left will
come soon. I'm hoping this is not confusing. And any criticism is welcome for
it.
Chapter 7: Whispers from the Past
The mild music flew in the evening air softly, the fragrance
of the fresh flowers adorning the mansion profoundly, glittering lights embellishing
the marbled exterior like a bride garnished royally for her wedding day, and
the light murmurs of the guests reaching in the quiet room steadily. The quiet
room.
"They say," a voice spoke softly, reverberating with repine sadness,
"a human's life begins with the first breath he takes in this world... but mine
began when my breath had ceased in that moment. I still remember the moment...
when my eyes fell upon her for the first time all those years ago. I'd stopped
breathing from that instant and from there, my life began. But it changed me
forever... I remember that precise moment when I had stopped breathing, but my
life truly had begun. I felt dirty... unworthy of someone for the first time in
life. Found myself inferior for the first time in front of someone who defined
another meaning of beauty as if she was everything and I... nothing. From that
moment, I forgot of the existence of my previous life, and if I remember
anything from that moment is, it's her only. Ishani."
He smiled fondly as the years long gone by flashed in front
of his eyes like the blinking fireflies beginning to dance in the seclusion of
the grey night: all still fresh as the snowflakes in the winter morning and
none blurred in the slightest.
15 years had passed, he thought, when he had set his foot
for the first time into this mansion and had discovered the matters of life so
great and mystifying that anything beyond them did not truly hold his attention.
The world was a curious place: everything here gave you something to learn, to
cherish and to hold closer to your heart although at the most terrible prices
that made you ridiculously ache for having them. One might not take the worldly
things when they depart to another realm, but everything they learnt here was
what determined their survival. That's what he had found here in this mansion.
It was a world in itself and had given him a life of another world altogether: lessons
to learn from the little mistakes earning him undeserving punishments, taunts
of the family members, friendships of the family's kids, but most of all the
guidance and love of his Mota Babuji, his father figure and guide. His father considered
him God, and he had no reason to contradict the well established belief. If God
truly existed, He would exactly be like his Mota Babuji.
But above all, he had found his biggest treasure hidden in
the chambers of this large mansion. The treasure
that had changed him upside-down, inside-out the moment he had witnessed her. He remembered himself going unmoved
by the grandeur of the palace like place his father had brought him into when
he was 9; all he remembered was that he had found a princess in here. The most
beautiful princess among all the stories he had ever known. Couldn't she be an
angel descended from heaven itself?
His smile widened at the thought of her as he sighed pensively, his eyes staring at the horizon that
still carried the splendid red glow of the sunset after the sun had already
retired a long while ago. She was a beautiful princess and he was just a fool that often dared to think what he knew
was impossible even in his wildest of the dreams. Hoping for the utmost
impossible that his heart burned so deeply for was but a fool's hope. He would
not run his thoughts there again, for never a servant had been allowed to what
his heart desired the most.
"What are you reading?"
he asked, noticing her arched eyebrows- an indication of her sadness- as he sat
beside her.
"The More Loving One. Auden."She
turned and looked at him, and smiled looking at his confused expressions. "Well,
Auden is one of the greatest poets of 20th century and this is his poem."He
nodded his head.
"What was it that made
you sad?" he asked. She was afraid, he could tell, but why he had no idea.
"Oh, it didn't make me
sad, no. I was just wondering about something... I was..."
"Wondering about
what?" he asked, hoping she would provide him a proper answer instead of
playing in silly riddles.
"The poem talks about
unrequited love... and the pain a lover goes through when their feelings are
not returned. I wonder if my love isn't returned as well?"
His smile suddenly disappeared
and he looked at her with unease, but after a while composing himself, he spoke
glibly. "Why are you worried, then? I'm sure you haven't found anyone for now."
He chuckled softly, mischief in his eyes making Ishani glare at him immediately.
"Shut up, Ranveer!"she
cried, irritated with his carelessness towards her feelings. "You don't take
anything seriously, do you? But the day you do fall in love, and your feelings
aren't returned, please let me know. I'm sure you'll understand my fears then
perfectly," she finished, and giving him a look of disapproval, left briskly.
"I'm sure you'll understand my fears then perfectly," he
repeated her words softly to himself. Her fears! He understood she wasn't mad
at him but Baa's words of her never finding true love had affected her deeply,
and it was his fault of not taking her seriously that day.
"Ranveer!" a voice from the distance drawled his name. "The
rituals have begun and you are needed there."
His chest clenched, and he closed his eyes as if to chase away
the pain that suddenly erupted in his heart. He couldn't face her. "Coming!" he
answered, without looking back. Finally the time had come and he was needed there.
His eyes once again measured through the tall buildings that
represented something his heart burned more for: an ambition that remained
bubbling within him for years without the knowledge of anyone in the world,
including his parents, but he knew he had to defeat these demons and fight for a
life that his parents deserved, and he too. But wasn't its cost too high for
that? He couldn't leave her at any cost either, for the day he did, he knew he
would have no life anymore to live.
"Aren't you coming, Ranveer?" the voice again called him and
he was rudely sprung out of his thoughts. "Always lost in daydreaming." The
last sentence was a taunt his father often bestowed him with.
"Coming, Baba!" He paced towards the exit door and past the passage
connecting the mansion to the servant quarters, and within moments came out towards
the large entrance of the house filled with the guests and the members of the
house welcoming them.
"Ranveer!" His father's voice made him halt in his place and
he turned back, smiling. "Don't forget what I have told you. Do not cross your
limits today, alright? We are not allowed to do that! Baa already... you know
what I mean, right?"
He nodded his head and left. "We are not allowed to cross
our limits! Now what's that supposed to mean?" he wondered to himself and at no
response shook the thought off and left.
He came into the hall. The wedding hall was decorated with
the most garnishing of the flowers, little lights decorating the hall
magnificently and the Mandap waiting for
the bride to be brought down, the handsome groom and Panditji already occupying
their places. His eyes flitted from one place to another in anticipation of discovering
someone he knew, but finding no familiar face at once. Familiar. Yes, he knew
all, still he didn't.
"Ranveer, thank God you have come! We've been looking for
you for so long!" The kids from the house harshly dragged him in a corner as he
eyed them all suspiciously, while all their eyes stared at him in hope and anticipation
that somewhere frightened him for the very good reasons. These kids wanting him
in their team could not surely be a good sign.
He raised his one eyebrow. "What is it?"
One of the boys opened his mouth to say something but was
immediately hushed by another. "Motu,
shut up! We are not discussing food over here. It's more important than that
and not your business to start with!"
The boy whined and looked annoyed but gave in as his brother
now looked at Ranveer seriously.
"Well, brother," he said, placing his hand on Ranveer's
shoulder. "You remember we had had a deal?"
"Deal?"
"Don't tell me you have forgotten what we planned 5 days
ago."
Ranveer shrugged his shoulders. "I don't-"
"Of course, you do remember," he said, looking at Ranveer
balefully. "You were our last hope; you know that, don't you?"
Ranveer shrugged off the hand from his shoulder. "Have you
gone mad, Devarsh? These kids... you want them to have the damn alcohol along
with you? This Disha, Pratiek and you yourself! Look at your faces, children.
I'm not going to help you! Baa will cut my throat if she finds out."
"Exactly, you are supposed to secretly supply that to us,"
Devarsh said slowly as if tiniest of the increase in voice would land him up in
jail. "And we're all above 18, plus, you are not child yourself either."
"I know," Ranveer answered thoughtfully. "But for Baa and
Mota Babuji you all are still their kids. I want to take no risks when it comes
to... And I didn't agree to anything. It was you who assumed I did! I never
made a promise."
"You were appointed to take care of us, Ranveer!" Devarsh
spoke again. "What use of a friend is when he can't help you in your hour of need?"
"I am not going to do it, get that?"
Devarsh opened his mouth to say something, but...
"What's happenings, kids?" Suddenly a burst of loud noise
from behind their back stopped their ever heating wiles and they all froze,
more in surprise than in fear. Looking back, a surprising sight met their eyes,
their nervous smiles flying in the air.
"Mom!" the two boys broke out.
A woman clad in
lavender coloured net saree, her cheeks flat with each form of cosmetics
possible, hair pulled up in a secured bun and her eyes glaring with heavy mascara,
came into view while her face contorted in anger gave a comical look to her otherwise
speaking features. All standing there supposedly having hard time in
controlling their laughter hid their faces as she advanced towards them, her designer
saree uselessly casing over the marbled floor.
"Devarsh! Pratiek! What are you twos doing here?" she cried
out at the boys. "I asked you boths to bring me an apples juice."
"Mom," Devarsh said. "But you were on dieting, remember? And
you already have had enough for a day today."
She looked embarrassed and immediately shrugged it off. "Yes,
but don't you sees, boys, I have lost 4 KGs in just 15 days? It was my plans already
till the marriage! I'm already so thin." She made a weird pose as she said that
and others looked away, snickering to themselves in embarrassment. "And so, I
was feeling quite weaks. I needed something to cheer me up!"
Devarsh and Pratiek looked at each other awkwardly and
sighed. Their mother certainly had the knack to embarrass them like that as she
did this regularly most often. Soon their eyes drifted to Ranveer who looked sympathetically
at them.
"Ah, Chaitali Kaki, you do look so thin and young but have
you seen Kaka?" he said and Chaitali's expressions dramatically turned solemn
as if saddened by the mention of her husband's name.
"I knows, Ranveer!" she said sadly, playing with the corner
of her saree's pallu. "he doesn't look after him at all! Never. All the time I
have to remind him of that."
"Exactly! And he doesn't even look like he's your husband.
And look, he really has no shame." He pointed towards her husband who seemed to
be hiding in a corner from someone with a large bowl of sweets in his hands,
while others, following Ranveer's gaze, nodded in agreement.
"Mitesh! " Chaitali growled, frustrated. "He wills never change!
I told him not to eats anything extras! He has gained 6 KGs since last one
months. Ughhh!"
"That's it, Chaitali Kaki!" Ranveer said, and Devarsh joined
him as well. "Go and look after your husband. Otherwise, you know-"
"Yes, Mom. Please go and surprise dad!" Devarsh said.
"I knows! I knows," she said suddenly, her expressions
dramatically horrified. And saying that, she left; the bells in her saree now
ringing behind.
"Thank God!" Pratiek now spoke.
"Shut up!" Devarsh cut him short, and looked at Ranveer, his
eyes imploring. "Ranveer, please do something, yaar!"
Ranveer looked irritated and sighed. "I'm not the one willing
to be murdered by Baa and be bad in front of my Mota Babuji, alright? I'm not doing it for you!" he said,
emphasizing too much on not', and began to leave.
"Not even if I help you and Ishani patch up?" Devarsh said
and Ranveer immediately halted and turned back.
"What?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but sure that sudden
flutter of his heart had given away the matter between him and Ishani.
"Let's not pretend that we don't see it," Devarsh said while
others nodded in agreement. "Ever since that incident 3 days ago, she's not
talking to you, is she?"
The air grew tense and Ranveer looked at him pensively, and
after contemplating over the matter for 10 seconds, he shook his head and
smiled. "You don't have to worry about that," he said, now pretending to be
more confident than he truly felt. "I already have a plan." A mischievous smile
formed on his lips that did not delight the trio before him in the least. "I'll
handle her on my own."
"Ranveer, how could you!" Pratiek complained. "You were our
friend first!"
"Wrong," another voice broke, and this time Disha opined. "More
than anything, he is the servant of this house, and that's what he's doing!
Working for Baa and following her orders!" Disha began eating the apple that remained
in her hands and looked sideways as if not worried of the storm that might
approach them anytime soon.
A grim silence followed her statement as Devarsh and Pratiek
stared at Disha in disbelief, their gazes momentarily passing to Ranveer who
stood silent, and slightly embarrassed. But was he? They did not know.
"Did I say anything wrong?" she spoke again and this time
loudly as if still unaware of the tension that her words had created.
Devarsh hushed her immediately. Calling Ranveer by that name
was not allowed at all in the Parekh Mansion. And only God knew the punishment the
speaker was to undergo if someone was caught him calling by the name that was
considered to be a taboo. Taboo for what reason, they did not know, but they
never used this word for him. Everyone hated it for some reason... and
especially Ishani. Devarsh prayed in his head Ishani hadn't heard anything said
here right now. But sometimes, prayers weren't answered that way.
"Oh, she's here!" Devarsh whispered and everyone looked up,
all aspects of Ranveer's thoughts being consumed by the sight as he finally
looked at her for the first time in the evening. He felt his heart suddenly beat
wildly, while his breath ceased in his chest, his mouth open in awe and his
eyes staring at the direction she descended down from. Her hair streamed across
her right shoulder elegantly, while her pink coloured Lehanga followed gracefully
across her feet as she took her steps down to the main Hall. She looked exactly
like a fairy.
"She looks so beautiful!" he perhaps heard Pratiek say as
the three others left while Ranveer himself remained frozen, his eyes staring
at her in pure reverence unblinkingly. How could one be as beautiful as she
was? So perfect. So kind. Her whole being radiated her goodness, kindness and a
life that she had learnt to live with for so many years despite all trying to
crush her down. She was an inspiration to all those who knew her, but people
rarely bothered with her. Yet she was content in what she had.
His heart clenched once again as he stared at her from
behind a pillar, and she descended down. A memory of the past flicked back into
his mind- the most pleasant one of the day he has seen her first. Just like
this she had looked at him, and he had lost himself, his existence and perhaps
even the memory of his life before that. She had looked just the same. So
innocent, so serene and so kind. How could he not love her when love was all
that she was made for?
And as she descended the stairs, he hid himself behind the
curtains that failed to do their job wretchedly and she rushed to him, and
grabbing his hand dragged him out of the corner like she always would whenever
she was alone. The world must have lightened up with the way she laughed. But
it wasn't her usual happy laughter that soothed him, it was defeated and broken.
"Where have you been all this while, Ranveer? I needed you!"
He looked sideways, not wanting to look at her. "I-- I was busy
with the things at home," he answered slowly.
She shook her head and made him turn towards her. "It's so unbelievable,
no? It's the wedding day finally!"
She didn't look too happy, but as he smiled, her own lips curved
into one.
"Come on! They are waiting for us!"
"They're waiting for you," he corrected. "I'll be taking a
look around the place lest someone needs something."
She left and Ranveer looked at his attire, a decent looking blue
Sherwani doing its job fairly as Baa had warned him not to look too bad in
front of the guests. He did look decent enough not to insult her or her class in front of the guests.
Ranveer busied himself in the chores and the rituals of the
marriage began. The bride was already brought down, her eyes red but the glow
not going amiss by anyone. The Pheres
took place as the couple moved around the sacred fire seven times, each presenting
a vow to keep the marriage, love and respect in the relationship intact. The groom
then gently tied the Manglasutra about
his wife's neck and filled her Maang with
the red coloured Sindoor, a sign of
her being married from this day on. Ishani looked at the couple as her eyes formed
a couple of tears at the sight of her sister and anger surged through her,
making her clutch her Lehanga rather tightly. Ranveer stood in a corner beside
her, occasionally eyeing her guiltily, as if wanting to say something but nothing
was heard from him. Long before he could say anything to make her feel better,
he saw Panditji declare the couple to be the husband and wife as they stood up to
take the blessings of the elders. The next rituals were followed closely, the end
coming too soon as the time of the couple to depart drew nearer.
The farewell of the bride, as expected, was tearful and took
a while to let her go. As soon as Gauri had left, the house carried a dismal
air, all eyes red and swollen but ironically, their hearts much lighter.
Ranveer stood out of his room, staring at the sickle moon
that gleamed dimly aloft in the dark sky. A lot had happened and his body ached
from the continuous works of days, but he wished for no sleep. 3 days! 3 days
had passed and she hadn't talked to him except for bit on the evening today.
Slight disappointment in her eyes had hurt so much. He wondered what would
happen is something ever wrong... He sighed, his eyes not leaving the moon for
a moment. It reminded him of his treasure: one that he could adore his entire life
but thinking of ever owning it was but an irrational wish made out of the
foolishness. He shook his head, trying to get alcohol not take over his senses
as it had its stupid reasons to make things romanticize and he didn't want that
right now.
Not a tree whispered tonight, and he wondered if it might
even rain in a while. Monsoon was approaching soon, so it wouldn't be a surprise
really if it happened. But before anything, he heard familiar sounds of the
footsteps and did not need looking back. It was too clear who the newcomer was.
"I want to talk to you." A curt voice broke out. He smiled
to himself but did not look back. "I said I want to talk to you!" A hand
harshly turned him towards her.
He rubbed his arm and angrily squinted his eyes. "Ishani,
don't be such a brute, alright?" he said and Ishani slapped his shoulder once
again, her expressions inexplicable.
"Why are you ignoring me?"
"I'm ignoring you?" he asked, his voice low. "Who has it
been since last 3 days not talking to me?"
"That- that-you earned that!" Ishani retorted. "You don't
have to become and do what you keep doing most of the times!"
"No, Ishani," he said calmly. "You have to understand what
we did was right. There was no other way to save Gauri and Pranav from the clutches
of the family, and especially Baa."
"But she still had to sacrifice her love. In the end, she
didn't get to live her happily ever after either... isn't it every girl's dream
to marry the man she loves?"
"It is." He smiled softly. "It's not just that. Baa would
have killed them both--there really would not have been any hope for them." Ranveer
could hear the clouds rumble slowly in the distance.
"But isn't love about living and dying together? Papa always
says that, and so do you."
"It is," Ranveer agreed. "But if you were at her place, what
would you have done? Would you go ahead and become the reason of his death or do
something that protects him and gives him a reason to live?"
"Is it so easy to move on, Ranveer, as you make it out to
be? Wouldn't they have lived happily had they just run off forever... never coming
back?"
"Do you think Baa would have let her be happy after her
pride was assaulted by the daughter of her own family? And truthfully, it
wasn't my own decision to get Gauri back, and nor hers either. Pranav decided
the final thing as he realized the danger Gauri would have been in once they
eloped. He wanted her to go back and marry whoever the groom her family had
finalized for her. He'd already decided to let her go."
"What? But--"
"Yes," Ranveer nodded. "And before we came out of his house,
Baa's men caught them and Pranav was dragged here and humiliated. And Gauri,
who didn't agree to his requests earlier, had to do it later for his sake. They
both made this sacrifice, Ishani, and that's where their love won. It's all
about living for other's happiness, choosing their life before ours." There was
a long silence as neither of them spoke.
Ishani looked crestfallen for a while before she composed
herself, hugging herself gently as the breeze of the night rustled across the
leaves. "Why is there so much pain in love, Ranveer?" she asked after sometime,
looking at him, her eyes sparkling.
"Love is all about pain," he said slowly, more to himself
than her, and smiled while Ishani was taken aback at way he said his words. "Without
it there is no love."
"How will they live without each other, Ranveer?"
"Time makes you learn to live with the wounds, Ishani. Sometimes
you do move on and start a new life..." Ranveer whispered at last, a quiet smile
on his lips. "What do you think of Romil? Do you think he will be a bad husband
to her?"
"Oh, I think Romil Jiju is amazing," Ishani said and smiled.
"But will Gauri di ever love him back? I don't want their marriage to remain
loveless."
"You never know."
Ishani felt Ranveer eyes flicker with something at the
mention of Romil but kept quiet. She shook her head and smiled. "You didn't
answer my question, though," she said, looking at him. "Is it really easy to
move on?"
"Everyone moves on..." he answered uneasily.
"Could you?"
Ranveer gulped. "What?"
"If you were at the place we are talking about, could you
move on?"
"I'll rather die than do that," he whispered to himself inaudibly,
and thankfully Ishani did not hear him. He cleared his throat. "Well, it
depends from person to person. That's it." He hoped Ishani would not ask any
more questions, for the direction their conversation was heading to, it could
not be any good for them both.
Ishani, too, remained silent as they both watched the moon slip
behind the gathering clouds that began to rumble loudly now, gradually throwing
faint flashes of lightening.
"Do you know why I didn't talk to you for last three days,
Ranveer?" Ishani spoke again, her eyes fixed at the sky.
He shifted his gaze back to her but kept quiet. She said
nothing as well.
"Because you thought I had broken your trust that day. You
never thought I will agree to what Mota Babuji and Baa said and let Gauri come
in back again," he said at last, and she shook her head.
"You choosing your loyalty for Papa over everything was what
I had expected all the time, but what I didn't expect was you taking my blame upon
yourself. You had nothing to do with that. You know what Baa is going to do
tomorrow? I was wondering how you could do that... she'll make sure to..." her
words faltered and for the first time in the evening that coldness left her
eyes. "I don't like it. Tomorrow again Baa will insult you and punish you for
something you haven't even done... no matter what Papa says and... I hate you
for that!" she suddenly snapped and Ranveer looked taken aback.
"Ishani," he said softly, gulping slowly. "Look, the way it
was necessary for Gauri to let go of her love, what I did was just as important
as well."
She turned to him and looked into his eyes. "Why?" her
question pierced deeper within him, and for a while he had no answer.
"Love," he whispered after sometime, looking back into her
eyes with an intensity that frightened Ishani. He could feel her cower under
his gaze but that did not matter right now to either of them.
A little gasp left her lips. "Love?"
"Love for Mota Babuji," he smiled.
Ishani's face relaxed in a smile, too, but suddenly her expressions
turned graver again.
"But Baa... tomorrow," she said in a lost voice and looked frightfully
at him again.
Ranveer shook his head, amused. "Now don't you release the
pools of tears from your eyes, alright?"
"But-"
"Ishani Parekh cries. Really? What are people going to say!"
he chuckled. "And anyway, it's time you slept already, otherwise if anyone saw
you here with me, you might join me as well tomorrow. And who will be applying
that awesome ointment, then. Hmm?"
"I'll join you happily--" Ishani said, but was cut short by
Ranveer who pushed her out of the place, towards her house.
"Go now!" he ordered and smiled.
"Ranveer, but--"
"I have made everything clear already, alright?"
Ishani, irritated, left from there. "You'll burn in hell I
swear, Ranveer!" she cursed. "And then you'll need me only." She sighed,
annoyed, and left.
Ranveer smiled to himself and continued to look at her
direction until the last remnants of her presence had faded, and then looked
back again at the moon that mildly penetrated through the gloomy layers of the clouds.
After whatever had happened in these days, he was sure something
had changed and drastically so. Life was never stable, but its rapidity in
change at times startled him awfully.
And as he watched the moon play hide and seek, his thoughts
glided back to his love and what they had just talked about. Pain was always a
part of love and none could escape its blinding reality.
It's necessary for two
people to be there in love, but for a love to be two-sided it's not. Even my
story is the same... I have been in love with her for 15 years--one-sided love"but
she has no idea about it." He sighed as his heart recounted the years that
passed by her side. "But that isn't the matter... there's no hope of my love
being returned... or reciprocated by any means. I have only loved her... and
will keep loving her until my last breath. Baba says a person should stay
within their limits, but how do I explain there is no boundary when it comes to
the matters of heart and love? I'm a servant in this house, and take care of
everyone. But the one who is in my thoughts all the time, it's only Ishani and
this is one thought I can never separate from myself. I don't want to. I know she
will never be mine. She will never love me. One fine day, she will leave this
house forever... and marry someone else... but that doesn't change my love for
her; or lessen my feelings towards her. Although one-sided, it's enough to last
one lifetime for me, for my love. Is it necessary that when two people fall in
love, they have to marry, or have to live together? Or have their names joined
together? Love is complete in itself. It establishes itself on its own and doesn't
need a name to complete it. Mota Babuji always says, Love is not about owning
it, but losing yourself in it.
And that's why,
Ishani, Meri aashiqui tum se hi..."
He opened his eyes as the drops of the rain fell upon his
cheeks and he looked up, a few drops of tears had also left his eyes. Perhaps
just like all the time before, the sky again had sensed sadness of his quietly
aching heart and had decided to weep on his behalf?
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