Ishqaan Wala Love

26. Ateet ke gehre raaz

Ishqi was shocked beyond words.. She was confused if it was a figment of her imagination because of her stay in the mental asylum or there is some truth to it.  

Ishqi: Chaal?? 

Savitri: Haan Ishqi beta, Mummyji ne .. Matlab Ahaan ki dadi ne mujhe pichle 20 saalon se iss asylum mein rakhwakar mujhe maut se bhi badtar saza di hai..

Ishqi's eyes almost popped out.  She had always felt Dadi was unreasonably mean to her with her curt words and unreasonably nice to the people who suited her status. But to realize that beneath that usual diplomacy lies such a cunning, conniving mind was a revelation.  How could a woman to stoop to this level.. That too with someone who was like her daughter.  For a woman who had two sons, didn't the daughter in law automatically fill the void of a daughter? Ishqi just could not fathom for thought process of her would-be-dadi-saas but the woman in front of her definitely knew all the shades of dadi - good, bad and ugly. 

Ishqi: Kis baat ki saza auntyji? Aur woh aisa kyun karegi?  Woh bhi beees saaal.. 

Savitri: Apne bete ko khone ki saza..  Woh mujhe apne bete ki maut ka doshi maanti thi.. 

Ishqi: Par aap... 

Savitri did not wait for Ishqi to complete her question, she was already halfway down her not-so-fond memory lane: Hamari love marriage thi. Mummyji ke khilaaf jaakar unhone mujhse shaadi ki thi. Iss se unki aan baan shaan ko bohot thes pohchi.. Woh apne bade bete se bohot pyaar karti thi aur chahti thi ki woh hamesha unki hi baat maaney. Isliye shaadi ke baad se hi hamesha woh aise mor par unko le aati thi jahan unhe apni maa aur mujhme kisi ek ki side leni padey.. shuru shuru mei unhone bohot koshish ki ke dono ko khush rakh sake.
Kapil aur Ritu ne bhi mujhe apna liya tha... aur Ahaan, Sonu aur Kartik ke aane se sab achcha chal raha tha..  Phir business mein kuch problems aayi..  Inke sar par bohot zimmedari thi kyunki kapil apni padhayi puri kar raha tha... Isliye unhone mujhe job karne diya aur apne dost Suraj ki company mein mujhe job dilwa bhi di...mere job karne se inko financially thodi madad ho jaati thi aur woh mera ghar ke kaamon mei aur bachche sambhalne mein haath bata dete thay. Lekin Iss baat par mummyji bokhla gayi. Unke hisaab se auratein ghar sambhalti achchi lagti hai aur mard paise kamate huey.

Savitri paused to drink a sip of water while Ishqi thought of the time she had heard the same ideologies from her 1921 wala AVM. She worried if those values will still be engrained in him,  because after all,  he was raised by the same dadi.

Savitri continued, making Ishqi break her chain of thoughts. 
Dhire dhire business mei bohot losses ho rahe thay lekin mai apne job mei tarakki kar rahi thi. Ghar toh thik thak chal raha tha lekin inke mann mei khalbali machne lagi thi..  Logon ke taane ke ek aurat ghar chala rahi hai..  aur mummyji ki jali kati baatein inke dimaag pe haavi hone lagi..   Usi beech mummyji ne hamare beech galatfehmiyan paida kar di..   Aur inhone sharaab ka sahara le liya.. Roz mai shaam ko ghar aaun toh yeh mujhe nashe mein dhutt milte thay. Aur subah jab inko hosh aata tha toh mai tab tak office chali jaati thi...Job chhor bhi nahi sakti thi, ghar jo chalana tha...  Hamari baat hi nahi ho paati thi... Rishta khokhla ho chuka tha.. Bharose ki neev jo kamzor thi.. 

Isliye jab mummyji ne inke dost Suraj ji ke saath mere sambandh hone ka jhootha ilzaam lagaya, ye mera saath dene ki wajay mujhe jaanwaron ki tarah maarne peetne lagey.. Mummyji ko sab pata tha lekin woh mujhe kabhi bachane nahi aayi na Ritu aur Kapil ko aane diya ye kehkar ki pati patni ke beech ka maamla hai... 

Mai cheekhti rahi chillati rahi par meri madad karne koi nahi aaya...  Siwaay mere Ahaan ke. Usne mujhe bachane ki koshish ki par inhone usey bhi nahi choda..