Payal comes to know truth behind Anjali’s marriage
Flash back…as Mama ji and Mami ji tell Lovely:
Young Arnav and Anjali sit at the condolences prayer for
their parents. Abundance of people gathered in the hall. In a far away corner,
there is some police activity going on… Arnav’s uncle talking to them…
apologetically, he holds his hands in front of the inspector.. They go inside a
room.. Arnav watches this from the corner of his eye, he gets up and follows
them… as Anjali sees him leave, her eyes fill up with tears again…
Arnav watches from behind the decorative metalwork on the
window… he cannot hear what they talk about… another guy enters the room with a
small briefcase… he hands it to Arnav’s uncle… Arnav’s uncle gives it to the
police inspector… he puts that on the table in front of him… opens it up.. it’s
filled with cash… Police Inspector’s eyes shine.. a smile bursts outs on his
face.. he closes and locks the briefcase, shakes hand with Arnav’s Uncle – who
is very relieved now… police leaves..
Short while after as people leave the prayer hall.. it
empties..
Just then Arnav’s uncle comes in with couple of guys who
have few small bags in their hands… they throw the luggage outside as Arnav’s
uncle holds him by the collar of his shirt and pushes him outside in the dark,
in the dirt..
Says, “Get out of here! You have no one here now!
Whatever is left here, all belongs to me! “
Anjali cries, runs to Arnav, yells back crying at her
uncle, “How can you do this to us, Chachaji? Now mumma and papa are no more.
How can you ask us to leave this house?”
“This is my house now! All this estate belongs to me!
There is nothing left for you here anymore! I want no drama. Leave peacefully
otherwise it will get ugly!” He points at two hit men standing on either side
of Anjali and Arnav…
Arnav gets up, holds Anjali’s hand strong, wipes off his
tears first, then her tears… says, “Di, let’s go! Come!” Anjali cries, afraid,
scared she says, “But, Chhotey, where will we go?” Arnav picks up the
bags, holds Anjali’s hand and says “It’s a big world out there… we will find
something for the time being….” He turns to his uncle and says with fire
spilling from his eyes, “Mr. Malik, one day, I will be back to claim my house!
Don’t you forget! It’s my promise to you!”
Arnav’s uncle laughs as Arnav warns him.. but Arnav’s
fire still runs strong, he takes long and confident strides as they leave
the compounds of Sheesh Mahal in the middle of that dark night…
********************************************
In real time:
In real time:
Nani sat in the temple at home, with a heart restless
heart she continued to pray to Devi Maiyya, “Hey, Devi Maiyya… please, give
your blessings to this house.. this family… my children… always!” As she got up
with the Pooja thali in her hands, she heard,
“Nani ji, Looks like you have a direct connection with
Devi Maiyya! Wow, How nice! Kya baat hai!” it was Karan, in his high
spirited, jovial manner.
He extended his hand and said, “Now hurry up,
please, and give me the offering,.. the prashad!” Aakash could not help but
smile at Karan eagerness. Nani ji smiled affectionately and handed prashad to
both of them. Aakash turned to Karan and said, “Let’s go! Your have to yet
explain the plans to me!”
As they walked away.. Nani ji picked up Laxmi as she
strolled by..
****************************************
Back to Anjali’s past:
As Arnav and Anjali reach the gates of Sheesh Mahal that
night with their bags in hand, tears in their eyes, disgust, anger and sadness
in their hearts…
Two figures appear at the gate… each holds one of them by
their shoulders..
It’s dark, they can barely see who that it.. then comes a
voice, “Bitwa, you and Anjali bitiya, come with us..” It’s Mama ji!
Arnav immediately responds angrily, “NO! We will not go
with anyone!”
Anjali says, “Why?”
Arnav answers, “Di, who knows… even they will do the same
with us as Mr. Malik did! I don’t trust anyone anymore. Now we don’t even
have any money or any estate left. Then why do you want to take us with you?
What do we have left that you want from us now..?”
Mama ji says calmly, “Arnav bitwa, you are right! You do
have something that I want to keep with me! ....”
Anjali looks at him with a shocked and sad face, Arnav’s
face shows ‘I knew it” expressions. Mama ji answers in a somber tone..”You two
are my sister’s kids. There is no bigger reason than this that I want to keep
the two of you with me!.. “ A shock appears in Arnav’s eyes, a relief appears
in Anjali’s eyes. As Mami pulls Anjali’s head to her shoulder for
consolation, Mama ji says, “I want to see my sister’s kids grow up to be someone
someday …” Mama ji almost chokes with emotions. Mami ji echoes his sentiment,
“You are just like Aakash bitwa to us!…”
***************
At a royal looking Lucknow house – old fashioned.. Haveli
style mansion:
Nani sitting on a royal chair.. though it is older looking..
Mama ji sitting on the chair next to her… says, ”Amma, I hope that I did the
right thing?” “Yes, you did, bitwa! I lost my daughter already.. these tender
aged kids.. Now, I will just indulge in bringing them up! “ Nani controls her
tears…
Arnav hears everything from behind the wooden partition…
as they discuss futher..
Mami walks over and says, “But.. Sasuma, some worries are
eating my heart away…worries you knowzzz..”
Nani looks at her with questions in her gaze..
Mami says, “Our factory is not doing good business these
days... Where will we bring the money from to educate Arnav and Aakash? We also
will have to see that Anjali bitiya gets married… tells me!”
Nani gets worried.. she thinks hard...
Anjali stands next to Arnav as she cries silently… Arnav
holds her hand…
Then Nani says, “We have so many things that can be sold
for a lot of money…when will those things be useful! At least this will clean
the mansion up… If needed, we will sell this mansion too, but won’t let the
education of our kids suffer...”
“And me, Sasuma, I don’t need anymore necklaces.. I have
more than enough,” Mami says.
Nani for once looks appreciatively at Manorama.
Mama ji says, “There is this nice boy, I met, “Shyam
Jha..” He wants to marry Anjali bitiya...”
Arnav jumps forward, with a rage he says, “Nani, Di won’t
get married to anyone at this time! I don’t trust anyone! Di will stay with
us.. and I will work with Mama ji in the factory!”
“Bitwa, you concentrate on your studies.. Your Mama ji
can take care of the factory… When you grow up to be independent enough then
don’t forget.. then take care of everyone!” Nani says as she caresses Arnav’s
young face with tender love..
“And coming to Anjali’s marriage – Let us see how this
boy turns out.. first let us see how he does and then we can think about
marriage. Right, Chhotey?”Nani ji asks.
Arnav says, “Whatever…”
Mama ji, Mami ji and Anjali nod in agreement..
Flashback ends…..*************
Everyone in real time…
Mami said to Lovely with a deep sigh, “And Arnav… I tell
you! He studied so hard that he was alwayzzz first class first...” Mami’s eyes
twinkled with pride.
Mama ji added, “Then as you know, Arnav started his first
factory at the tender age of twenty one! When he went away to business school,
I looked after the factory. He trusted me with it!”
Lovely said, “And I also happen to know, Mami ji, that
you did not buy a single necklace when ASR was in Business School .. When we
were together at Harvard, for those two years, you joked that you would
get everything back with interest! So, now tell me! When ASR became so
successful, did he buy you lots and lots of jewelry or not?” Mami gave Lovely a
sheepish smile..
Lovely said, “Okay, now tell me how Anjali got married to
Shyam? ASR was against it initially, right?”
Mamiji said, “It’s like this, Ms Lovely, Shyam babua kept
circling our house.. not for one.. not for two.. but for three long years! He
not only won Anjali’s heart but he became our darling as well .. he is just so
affectionate and well mannered.”
Mama ji uttered with a relieved face, “As Shaym won our
trust and confidence, Anjali grew fond of him. She used to be most happy in his
company. He never ever asked or objected about Anjali’s not so normal leg…
Never made it sound like a big deal…”
Mami added, “And you knowzzz Arnav bitwa! He would do
anything for his Di! Apni Di ke liye kuchho bhi kari.. so what then..
Anjali bitiya loved Shyam so much that we got them married.”
Lovely said thinking out loud, “Hmmmmm… So, those three
years you all were pretty secretive! Ah, well, it happened for the best so I am
not complaining that you did not let us know. Anyway, they are about to
complete four years after their marriage, right?”
“Correct, bitiya,“ Mama ji says..
“So, who else does Shyam have in his family?” Lovely
asks.. “Is he really not the son of Mr. Manohar Jha?”
Mama ji said, “So, Ms. Lovely, when Shyam babua proposed
to Anjali bitiya, he made one request.. that no one would ever ask him about
his family… nor would anyone try to make new relations with his family....”
Mami adds, “I think, Ms Lovely, the family of Shyam babua
was very upset with him. What do you call it… Yes, disowned! Yea, they disowned
him saying that there was no money… and that, Anjali bitiya’s leg was a
problem. And what not.. So, Shyam babua, Damad ji, just cut all the relations
off for Anjali’s sake …”
Mama ji said in a confirmatory tone, “Since then no one
in this family brings up Damad ji’s family. Neither does he talk about it. As
Far as we know, we are the only family he has got!”
Just then the atmosphere filled with the sound of a tray
falling on the ground and a sound of breaking crockery followed … Payal who had
been listening to all this conversation just dropped the tray that she brought
with Mami’s chai…
Mami screamed at her, “Khoon bhari taang.. I mean, Payal
bitiya.. you were listening to our talks secretly..! How long have you been
standing there?”
But Payal was preoccupied… her mind was busy thinking;
“So Shyam ji planned his marriage with Anjali Di really precisely!”
All other sounds and questions did not even enter her
ear… she held her head in both her hands and sat on the floor as she developed
a dizzy feeling hearing all about Anjali’s marriage..
IF Link:
5 comments:
secrets are coming out now. thanks for the update.
manu_tipd3md
awesome dear
i really appreciate ur patience
laksh65
loved it finally payal heard everything and she came toknow that shyam planned to marry anji
vandana.sagar
It was amazing, loved your flow of words, it was amazing, loved how you interwove the past with the present!
Super! Thanks for the pm.
Liked a lot
kajal620
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