Khaani Reboot

Come back like a boomerang

An unrecognizable elderly lady answers the door. Sanam has no clue who she is.

"Aap batayiye aap kaun?" Sanam asks.

"Hum yahan naye kirayedar hain."

"Aur mere mama baba?"

"Apka matlab yahan ke malik? Aap unki beti hain?"

"Ji, woh kahaan hain?"

"Unka toh pata nahi. Aik mahina pehle humne unse makaan kiraye pe liya tha. Unhone kabhi bataya nahi ke woh kahaan ja rahe hain."

Sanam tries to call them but none of their numbers are working.

"Aapke pass koi naya number hai unka?"

"Uh- hamare pass bhi yehi purane hain."

"Toh aap unko ghar ka bhada vagaira kaise deti hain baat kaise hoti hai."

"Woh zyadatar chowk vale chacha ki dukan ke landline pe call karte  hain, aur bhada toh bank transfer se karte hain hum."

Sanam feels so hopeless. It's 1 AM in the morning and she has nowhere to go. Everything is shut down as well. She sits outside the house and cries for a good amount of time. She goes through her contacts to ask for help, but nobody in the relatives would know where they all are since they would've told no one.

There was Hadi's number. She had never called him. He had forcefully saved his number in her phone and she had forgotten to delete it. Right now she doesn't have any other option than to call him, even though they're divorced and Hadi isn't obliged to help her.

After 20 minutes, she finally decides to call him. She tells him everything and asks if he could drop her in a hotel or something.

"Main 10 minute mein pahonch rahaa hun."

"Please araam se aao, drive safely." She says, knowing very well that Hadi is probably half an hour away from her, but he will drive so fast and recklessly that he can even reach sooner if he says so.

After 15 minutes, she sees him farther on the road, he is driving like his life depends on it. As soon as the car stops, he gets out and walks to her. 

"Sanam tum theek ho?"

"Haan. Woh-"

"-I'm so sorry, mujhe tumhara wait karna chahiye tha bahir."

"Nahi Hadi, I'm sorry. Mujhe iss tarah tumhein bulaana padaa. Koi aur thaa hi nahi iss waqt contact karne ko."

"Aise keh kar mujhe sharminda mat karo please."

He escorts her to the car and drives off.

"Yahaan paass hi mein aik hotel hai wahaan chhod do."

"Are you serious Sanam? Nahi, tum ghar chalogi mere saath. Maine aate waqt hi Mitthal ko call kar di thi aur hamare log abhi se shuru ho gaye hain tumhare mama baba ka pata karna. Aur subah hote hi hum nikal jayenge."

"Hadi please, hamara rishta bhi nahi hai koi isliye main aur zillat nahi utthaana chahti tumhari mama se ke ab toh nikaah bhi nahi hua aur tum fir se mujhe ghar le aaye."

"Aik raat guzarni hai Sanam. Tum kaho toh apne apartment ka lock khulva deta hun."

She doesn't say anything.

Hadi looks at her and understands. He calls Mitthal to unlock the apartment. He buys food on the way for Sanam.

They finally reach the apartment. Sanam is exhausted. Both of them are. It was a long day and an even longer night.

Mitthal comes there to give him the keys and some food.

Hadi sets up the room for Sanam, and she can't believe it's the same Hadi.

He prepares to leave.

"Sanam kuchh bhi chahiye hoga toh ussi waqt call kar dena please."

"Tum-tum jaa rahe ho?"

"Haan?"

"Mujhe yahan akele achha nahi lag rahaa raat guzarna."

"Lekin tum mere saath aana nahi chahti thi."

"Nahi, lekin tum yahan ruk sakte ho?"

"Oh." Hadi realizes. "Sanam main ruk jaata lekin yahan jagah nahi hai. Dusre room mein furniture aur extra saaman store kiya hua hai, yahan tak ki bed bhi nahi hai. Dua karo aik raat hi rehna pade tumhein yahaan aur kal subah tumhare mama baba mil jayein."

"Aik bed hai na." She has panic in her voice, because she doesn't wanna be left alone.

"Sanam daro mat. Tum kaho toh main door par aik guard ki duty lagaa  deta hun."

"Darr nahi rahi, lekin agar tum nahi ruk sakte toh its okay."

"Okay. So jaao aram se. Subah milte hain." He says and goes to the door.

She thinks Hadi won't give in now. So she goes behind him.

"Hadi please aik bed hai na woh share kar lenge." She convinces him.

Hadi gives her a smile.

"Mohtarma aapko yaad hai naa ab married nahi hain."

"Haan yaad hai. Lekin kaunsa hum pehli baar-"

"Agar tumhein manzoor hai, koi problem nahi hai toh theek hai." He smiles again.

The bed is gigantic but Hadi still creates a wedge between them with pillows again like last time, but Khaani throws them away immediately.

"Arrey faink kyu diye."

"Bacche nahi hain hum!" She scolds.

Hadi looks at her for a few minutes while laying down and then faces the opposite because he does not want to do anything wrong or make her feel conscious.

Sanam wants to talk to him as she was scared, but thinks that he already slept.

"Hadi?" She calls to him. He doesn't respond.

She decides to sleep as well, but today after so long she has felt scared and alone, with all the things that happened today, Hadi leaving her and not being able to find her parents, she felt like she lost the only things that were giving her happiness, even though she didn't want to admit it.