Dawn brought with it the promise of a new life for Rupali as she woke up with a smile on her face for the first time in years. Her heart felt light, her inner demons were at calm, all because of one girl! Her smile widened as she thought about Imlie. The maturity and wisdom she harbored and the way she had alleviated the burden on her soul, it made her heart bloom with affection for the young girl. It had also caused her to retrospect and realize her own mistakes and brought with it a resolve to make things right!
She refreshed and headed to her mother’s room where she knew her daughter would be sleeping. The room was empty except for her sleeping daughter for Radha and Harish were busy with their respective works.
She sat near her daughter, her eyes brimming with tears of affection and prominently guilt. She caressed Twinkle’s hair and whispered
“I’m so sorry baby! Mumma is really sorry! Pata nahi kab apni uljhanon mein iss qadar phas gayi ke nikalna itna mushkil ho gaya! I’m so sorry ki main aapke liye reh nahi paai,aapko ehsaas nahi kara paai ki Mumma aapse kitna pyaar karti hain!”
(I did not realize when I got so entangled in my problems that it became immensely difficult to get out of them! I’m so sorry that I couldn’t be there for you, couldn’t make you realize that Mumma loves you!)
She bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She then corrected the sheets and stood up to leave but froze when she saw her mother standing watching her, her eyes filled with tears.
A moment of profound silence lingered between them, holding so much in its wake, mostly so the festering wounds of years that had brought about a certain distance between them. Those that had convinced Radha that she had indeed lost her daughter. But today seeing the glimpse of her old Rupi back brought forth a surge of hope she had been simultaneously denying and holding onto.
"Maa" Rupi whispered and that was all that was needed. Radha pulled her into her embrace, caressing her head as she sobbed. Rupali held her mother tightly and buried her head in her shoulder, seeking the solace she had been yearning for - the warmth of her mother's embrace. They held onto each other and sobbed, shedding away the negativity that had creeped between them. True, it would still take a lot of time for the normalcy between them to get restored completely but for now, that they had taken this first step was enough!
_
Harish was at the regular shop he visited, smoking on his third cigarette. It hadn't escaped anybody's notice that Rupali hadn't joined any of the wedding rituals so far and it stabbed his heart that he could do nothing about it. His hesitation due to years of imbibed prejudice had distanced his own daughter from him to the extent that she had built rigid walls around her heart and be it whatsoever he did, he couldn't scale those walls! His punishment for that one mistake had been to see his daughter and family suffer every single day. He let out another wisp of smoke as the ever present ache rocked his chest. His failure as a father haunted him to a great extent and the only way to battle his guilt and emotions was to resort to something which would give him at least temporary relief and smoking had been just that! He could fester in his guilt, regret and bitter self -hatred as he smoked cigarette after cigarette, hoping someday they would reduce him to the very ash he reduced them to!
"Papa" a familiar voice broke his spiralling thoughts and he turned in shock to see his daughter stand in front of him, her arms folded, her face an expressionless mask as opposed to the prominent bitterness that was usually visible on her visage.
"Rupi" he whispered, his fists clenching, oblivious to the lit tip digging into his palm.
"Yeh kya kar rahe hain aap?" she asked, a stern expression on her face.
("What is this that you're doing?")
It brought back the memory of teen Rupali glaring at him, arms folded even as she scolded him for sneaking in sweets and hampering his health. Tears filled his eyes at the glimpse of the old Rupali in the woman standing in front of him.
"Rupi.." he whispered. Tears poured down her eyes, her voice shaking with emotions as she said
"Aapki himmat kaise hui mere papa ke health ko aise damage karne ki? Don't you know, cigarette smoking is injurious to health?"
("How dare you hamper my father's health this way?")
That finally broke the dam as Harish threw away his cigarette and embraced his child. She hugged him tightly, continuously muttering I'm so sorry Papa amidst her tears. He echoed her sentiment as he patted her hair even as repeated sorry's escaped his mouth as well.
A hollow in his chest filled up a little as he clutched his first child. It would be a long way to healing but for now all that mattered was the fact that his baby had returned to him!
They broke the hug after a long, emotional moment.
"You will never touch these cigarettes again Papa! Promise me you'll get rid of this habit" she demanded.
With a teary smile, he vigorously nodded his head.
Rupali smiled and said
"Don't worry! We'll get rid of this habit together. There are few ways I know that you can get rid of this habit."
"Sure we will!" he said.
_
"Oh God this pain!" Nidhi gasped and clutched her abdomen even as waves of pain passed through. It was only after the fourth wave that she felt good enough to stand up and move. Clutching her aching back, she slowly moved towards the kitchen, an empty bottle in her hand. If it hadn't been for the water, she wouldn't have budged an inch. Her first and second day were always painful. If Dhruv had been there, he wouldn't have let her get out of the bed. A warm smile curled her lips as she recalled her lovely husband keeping the heat pack and a bunch of chocolates ready for her which dropped as she remembered her husband wouldn't be home for some more time! She sighed tiredly and finally reached the kitchen.
She had just reached the filter when another round of cramps hit her. The bottle fell from her hand as she clutched her abdomen with both her hands, bending over.
"Nidhi!" a panicked voice called out her name and before she knew it, a pair of hands had wrapped around her, steadying her as the last wave of pain coursed through. Nidhi turned and buried her head in the person's shoulder, holding onto that person.
"Jiji…. cramps…..pain" she muttered as she clung to Rupali.
"Shh….it's alright. It'll be alright. Come with me now" Rupali said gently and helped her over to the couch outside. Helping her sit, she rushed to her room to get the pain relief belt and a painkiller and rushed back hurriedly. Nidhi swallowed the tablet and then Rupali wrapped the belt around her. Nidhi sat stiffly for a few moments after sighing in relief as the painkiller began kicking in.
A few moments of silence lingered.
It was Rupali who broke it.
"How are you feeling now, Nidhi?" Rupali asked gently, her eyes filled with concern. Though surprised by it now that she could register it, she replied
"Better Jiji"
"Hmm…" Rupali said and yet again silence filled the environment.
"Thank You so much Jiji" Nidhi broke it this time, her voice filled with gratitude.
Rupali shook her head even as she clutched her hand. With guilt prominent in her eyes she said
"I'm so sorry Nidhi! I know the way I have behaved with you for no fault of yours is really not worth forgiving. But if possible, please forgive me. I never realized how my jealousy at your good married life began fuelling my inner demons and I ended up taking it on you every single time. You have always given me love and respect while all I have shown towards you is disdain. I'm so sorry "
Nidhi wordlessly pulled Rupali into a hug.
"I forgive you Jiji! I know it wasn't all your fault. Your circumstances made you such. But now you are here, having braved those demons and that's all that matters!"
Love,
Pratyusha
YOU ARE READING
Lakeerein - Ties That Bind Us
Hayran Kurgu------ Can Be Read As General Fiction ------ One night. One event. Lives of two people altered completely. When Aditya Kumar Tripathi, Chief Executive Reporter at Bhaskar times stepped into Pagdandiya and met Imlie, he did not know how his life woul...
