Hi Maahira-A Failed Promise○

2. I'm fine Papa?

The hall's merry and peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by a quiet shriek and a thud,which made Abhira,Madhav and Manisha rush to the source it came from. They knew it was Maahira,they could hear even the faintest sound of hers,even that of her fragile little heart that wept-unbeknownst to the heartless people she was surrounded by. Abhira's little baby Maahi by now had almost meticulously learnt the art of supressing her pain. As they reached the spot,they saw Maahi flat on the floor and  a vase rolling over the floor. Abhira,with Madhav beside her,scooped Maahi up in her arms and ran her hands over her tiny frame to check for any wounds while a worried Manisha grabbed the glass of water and handed it to her.

"Maahi,tujhe lagi baby? Kuch bol tohh sahi . Mamma ko nahin batayegi bachcha?"

"Haan Ira jaan bol nah? Teri Meenu Dadi jaan ko tension ho rahin hain!"

"Super inspector Dadu ko bhi nahin batayegi meri rajkumaari?"

"Y-yeh v-vash V-vid-ya D-adi ka favolite tha. Meyi wajah sh-she ish-pe scl-athes (scratches) aa gaye honge n-nah. Woh m-mujhe bohoth daantengi. Mai-maine jaan boojh kal nahi kiya mamma,mai-mai bash-sh khel lahi thi,galti she gil gayi ush pe. Sholly. Meya koi inshun(intention) nahi tha aisha kalne ka DJ(Dadi jaan). Mai shach keh lahi hoon SI (Super Inspector)Dadu. Kanhaji plomish!",she said hiccupping as she gulped the water.

"Tu kyon sorry bol rahi hain bachcha? Koi baat nahin. Ham jaante hain teri koi galti nahin hain",All three of them said in unison while caressing hera. Abhira's heart bled for her little girl,who had become so emotionally insecure,that she thought she had to beg even the family members who loved the most to believe in her innocence. Abhira cursed herself for letting fate do this to her child. She could fight with everyone for everyone,couldn't she? But this time she failed,she failed in fighting with fate for her baby. She failed as a mother,she thought.

Suddenly they heard a sound,a sound of someone banging the vase on the floor and making it upright.  Startled,they turned around to see Vidya seething in anger with clenched fists. Manisha helped Abhira and Maahi get up and she protectively hid them both behind her,with Madhav shielding them from behind. Vidya charged towards them and pushed Madhav aside,making him almost lose his balance and stumble. Maahi stared at her with a petrified look on her face and hissed at her harsh hold on her soft wrists.

"Vi-vidya d-dadi,h-hath choliye (chodhiye) pleash. D-dukh laha hain"

"Chup ho jao tum. Ek dam chup. Khabardaar jo mujhe dobarah Dadi kaha tumne tohh! Dadi nahin hoon main tumhari. Hadh mein raho ladki tum apni. Aur tumhari himmat kaiseh hui mere bete ke samaan ko hath lagane ki? Ye sab bhi barbaad karna chahati ho tum?Jaiseh use -"

"Maa please. Aap us baat ke liye Maahi ko blame math keejeeye. Bachchi hain woh. Please Maa" An exhausted person standing at a distance pleaded after silently witnessing the chaos in his house. As Vidya freed Maahi's hands to sarcastically clap at him,Maahi ran and jumped in his arms,almost forgetting all what had happened with a huge smile on her face. Her papa had taken her side,and she couldn't be more happier. 

"Wah Armaan! Wah! 3 saal ho gayein hain par is ladki ki tarafdari karna nahin chodhoge tum."

"Yeh ladki meri beti hain Maa",saying this Armaan stormed off to their room with Maahi still in his arms. 

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"Ab tohh fark padna bandh ho gaya hain Chachi Maa,Papa. Armaan ke yeh sab karne se-woh Maahi ko ek aas deta hain,phir use rota chodh jata hain. Kyon karta hain woh aiseh? Baar baar meri bachchi ka dil kyon tod deta hain woh? Pehle farak nahin padta tha itna mujhe. Par ab Maahi badi ho rahin hai,3.5 saal ki ho gayin hain. Cheeze samajhne lagi hai,logo ko pehchanne lagi hai. Dard chhupana seekh liya hain meri itni choti bachchi ne chachi maa,6 maheene pehle jo hua tha uski wajah se. Apne mann ki baat bohoth mushkil se bahaar nikaal paati hain. 4 Maheeno se raat ko nightmares aate hain use. Sabne meri bachchi ka kya haal bana diya hain. Mai yeh nahin kehti ki Armaan use pyaar nahin karta. Jab soh jaati hain nah woh, tab jaga rehta hain. Dekhta rehta hain use. Photographs kheenchta hain uski. Par jaise hi Maahi ki aankhe khulti hain woh apne saamne kise khada dekhti hai? Ek aiseh pita ko jise uske saath time spend karna hi nahin hota hai,jiske paas apni bachchi ko chodh ke sab ke liye time hain." Abhira broke down on the floor and cried,while Madhav and Manisha stared at each other blankly,not knowing how to console her.

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"Maahi beta,haath dikhao apne. Unhone bohoth zor se pakde tha nah aapko"

"I'm fine Papa. Don't washte time on all this pwease.Thankyou Papa. Thankyou shoo much. Apne meyi shide li nah. Thankyou. Papa,aaj aap us boy ke paas se jaldi free ho gaye nah,aaj aap Maahi ke saath fifteen minutes extra spend kaloge? Pweasee. Aap roz fifteen minutes ke liye aate ho nah,aapse kuch baatein nahin ho paati Papa." A lump formed in Armaan's throat as he registered his daughter's words in his brain. He had been so unavailable for her all this while that she had started feeling that he was doing something extraordinary by standing for her against his mother. But then he was helpless,wasn't he? What about his promise?

"You d-don't have to thank me for that princess.  A-aj ham b-bohoth sari baatein karenge. C-come"He replied with a choked voice,cursing himself for how he had neglected his own flesh and blood to an extent to which she had to beg for his time. As she crawled up in his lap and looked into his eyes,he saw those same green orbs longing for love,a reflection of his childhood. But Oh? Did he actually make her childhood as his own was? He brushed his fingers over her cheeks,hoping that he had not. But little did he know,he had done more damage than he thought. As he stared at her tiny red wrists,he gently held held them in his hands,blowing air onto them,earning a giggle from his child,who had been crying so bitterly minutes back.

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