We Are In It Together

10. Vacation Begins

Restaurant

(Kammo has come. A waiter asked her if she wanted something.)

Kammo- Mini aur Neil se milna hai.

Waiter- Accha, main Mini Madam ko bulata hoon.

Kammo- Han. Bolna 'Kammo' aayi hai.

Mini's cabin

Neil- Mujhe toh koi problem nahi hai, tum apne "hard-working" staff se poocho.

Mini- Ok fine. Yeh le jaoge? (giving him a cup)

Neil- Piya kyun nahi?

Mini- mnn nhi hua.

Waiter- Mini Madam, aap dono se koi milne aaya hai. Kammo naam se.

Mini- Kammo aunty?... Han unhe yahin bhej do. (He left)

(Mini and Neil exchanged looks.)

(Kammo came in)

- .... Han, Kammo aunty?

Kammo- Mini,... Neil, main janti hoon tum dono mujhe yahan dekh ke hairan ho. Uss din, court mein jo hua, uske baad toh main tumse nazar milane k kabil bhi nhi rhi. Khatri ji ne besharmi ki saari haden paar kar di. Paison ki lalach mein itne doob gaye ki apni zameer bhi bech khai... Aur main bewakoof,... iss baar bhi kuch jaan hi nhi payi? Muihe maaf kardo. (She joint her hands)

Mini- Kammo Aunty-

Neil- Aap khudko kyun blame kar rahi hain? Aapko toh kuch pta bhi nhi tha, Kammo ji.

Kammo- Wohi toh meri galati hai, Neil? ...main, apne Pati ko nahi pehchaan paayi? Unhe convince nhi kr payi,... sahi rasta nhi dikha payi. Jitna kasoor Khatri ji ka haina, Mini utna hi kasoor mera bhi hai. Maafi maangne k layak toh nhi hain hum, par.. (She joined her hands, and pleaded in a trembling voice.) Ho sake toh hume maaf kar dena.

Mini- Aap kyun maafi maang rhe ho Kammo aunty? Aap khud ek baar socho kya fayda hai maafi mange ka? Court mein jo situation create hui thi, uss situation ko aap sudhar sakte ho? Woh chod, kya yeh maafi, wagaira mangne se, Khatri apni harqaton se baaz aa jayega kya? Kabhi nahi Aap kis kis k Aage hath jodti rahogi? And kis liye?

(Kammo was speechless. She stared at the wall unseeingly, when Neil approached her arm.)

Neil- Kammo ji, I know your grief. Bahut pain hota hai, koi apna aisa kare toh. Aur bahut difficult hota hai, sach ko accept karna... But, yahi sach hai. Aur yeh sach chup nahi sakta? Isse dhakne se, nazar andaaz karne se, it will only get more and more tough for you....

Kammo- Hein-hein Neil (she wiped her tear) Main samajhti hoon. Aur isliye, iss baar maine ek bada kadam uthane ka socha hai. Main Khatri ji ko divorce de doongi.

Their gaze didn't move from her. She stood still as ice, radiating and her anger and sorrow over the destiny...

- Bss na, kabhi kabhi yakeen nahi hota... Jo aadmi kal taq kammo rani keh kar mujh par apni jaan chidakta tha, aaj usne mere muh par keechad kaise uchala... shayad, maine unhe jo Babita ji ke case ke liye, khudko surrender karne ko kaha tha, uss baat ko lekar woh pareshan ho gaye. Aur gusse mein... yeh sab kar diya.

Mini- Kammo Aunty, gussa toh hai. Par sabse zyada, usse laalach hai. Main yeh bolna toh nhi chahti thi but,... aapne khud kaha tha na, ki aapki shaadi k liye Khatri ne kitna dahej liya tha?

You know 'Neeyat'? Isiko kehte hain. Jaise Khatri ki neeyat mein hai, lalach. Don't you think that is the reason aap dono ki shaadi hui? That is the reason usne itne din taq aapko chaha, aapko independent hone ki permission di. Taqi usse aapse paisa mile. And that is the reason usne court mein gawahi di.