Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 46- Happy Diwali

CHAPTER 46

HAPPY DIWALI

The door opened. Karan smiled slightly at Monami, and she smiled back, stepping aside to let him in. "H-Happy D-Diwali", she said.

"Same to you", he said. "Main actually tumse kuchh puchhne aaya tha." She nodded, staring at him expectantly. "Aaj Diwali hai. Academy mein celebration toh hoti hai, par... mere ghar par hum Diwali ki pooja karenge. Faizi aur Sanju bhi aayenge. Tum bhi aa jao."

Her smile faded. "Aa-Aapke gh-ghar par?"

He nodded. "Meri Bhabhi bahut achha khaana bhi banaati hai", he threw in jokingly. He stared at her hopefully.

Her smile didn't return, as he had hoped. "N-Nahi... p-pooja toh y-yahan bhi h-hogi. Aur y-yahan bhi c-celebrate h-hoga. Aap... aapka f-family time hai, I d-don't w-want to in-intrude."

"No, tum... tum intrude nahi karogi. Main offer nahi karta, if that was the case."

"W-Wahan naye l-log bhi i-itne s-saare honge." She shook her head. "N-Nahi."

Karan stared at her. "Asli reason kya hai?" He asked. She glanced away. "Yeh sab bahaane hain. What's the real reason?"

Her jaw clenched slightly. Her eyebrows furrowed into a slight scowl. "The r-real r-reason is ki m-mujhe aa-aapke bh-bhaiya se n-nahi m-milna hai. I d-don't w-want to see h-him."

His eyebrows furrowed. He stared at her, opening his mouth. He closed it, before opening it again. "Kya chal raha hai yeh?" He broke finally. "Tumhaara aur Bhaiya ka kya connection hai? Aur Bhaiya se puchhne ke liye mat kehna. Main tumse puchh raha hoon."

She shook her head. Her hands fisted the bed sheet tightly, her head turning away from him. "M-Mujhe k-koi baat n-nahi k-karni hai iss b-baare mein."

"Monami... tum mujhe itna badha shock dekar maun vrat nahi rakh sakti ho. That's not fair", he snapped. "I asked Siddharth aur usne bhi mujhe bahut clear answer nahi diya. He said ki Bhaiya aur tumhaari Mumma ek saath kaam karte the. He said... ki tum dono aur Bhaiya close the aur Juhi ma'am ki shaheedi ke baad, Bhaiya turned his back on you guys."

"So, aa-aapko p-pata hai. Aur kya jaanna hai?" She snapped, her gaze snapping up to meet his. He almost faltered, seeing the furious tears that had welled up in her eyes. Her jaw clenched tighter, and her gaze bore into his in a glare.

He shook his head slightly. "Monami, I am not stupid", he said quietly. "Mujhe pata hai itna simple nahi hai yeh. Agar Bhaiya gaye the, toh there must be a reason. I know him. There is more to it." He stepped closer to her, gently touching her shoulders. "Bahut saare questions hain jinke answers yeh explanation nahi de sakta hai. Monami... kya hua tha?" He asked softly.

She pushed his hands away, standing up and moving away from him. She stared at him with teary eyes. "Mujhe aapko yeh sab bataane mein koi interest nahi hai. Mera past, mera trauma... I relive it enough", she lashed out. "Har raat, main apni zindagi ka sabse bura time dekhti hoon. Dobara. I live through it over and over and over again. And aapke Bhaiya ke baare mein sochkar bhi mujhe woh time yaad aata hai, jo mujhe kabhi nahi yaad karna dobara. Agar aapko sach mein jawaab chahiye, toh you have come to the wrong person. Aap jaaiye, aur apne Bhaiya se puchhiye. Ask him if he remembers ki meri Mumma kaise shaheed hue the. Ask him if he remembers ki Mission Pari kya tha. And ask him if he has caught the people jinhone meri Mumma ko maara tha."

She turned away, her hands lifting to swipe at her wet face. Karan grabbed her arm. He turned her around to face him gently. Her gaze lifted again to meet his. "Monami..." He stared at her reddening eyes. She lifted a slightly trembling hand again, brushing more of tears away from her raw face. "I am sorry", he said softly. "I..." He sighed a little. "Main tumhe... tumhe hurt nahi karna chahta tha. I am sorry."