Uljhe Dor (The Mehrotras book 1)

33. Ek Aur Shaadi

  Veer Shaivi ko muhalle wale mandir mein le jaata hai aur pandit ji se kehkar shaadi ke mantron ke saath, phere lene ke baad sindoor aur mangalsutr pehnakar Shaivi se shaadi kar leta hai.

  I'm sorry, Dadi, mujhe aise shaadi karna pada. I know ki aapke liye kitna mushkil kar diya maine sab kuchh aur kitna sharmindagi sehna padega aapko jab sab ko pata chalega is shaadi ke baare mein, lekin ek ladki, meri dost, ke liye mujhe yeh sab karna pada. I'm sorry.

  Veer aur Shaivi mandir se bahar aate hain jab Kaamini aur baaki ki muhalle ki auratein dono ko shaadi shuda dekhte hain aur unke hosh ud jaate hain.

  "Haye, chhokri, yeh kya kiya tune? Shaadi kar li? Wo bhi pata nahi kis gali ke keede se. Ise dekhkar lagta hai jaise koi bheekari ho. Pehle ki ki hui bejati kam thi jo ab isse shaadi kar li?"

  "Jo aapne hi ki thi, bejati, nahi, Chachi ji? Aapko kya laga, aap ise ghar se nikaal dogi to iske paas kahin nahi hoga jaane ko? Aapko yeh bojh lagti thi na? To jab aapko pata chalega Shaivi ne kis mehel ke raja se shaadi ki hai to palti mat maarna. Yeh meri patni hai aur ab yeh mere saath mere mehel mein rahegi. Kisi ko koi aitraaz? Hai to apne muh mein hi rakho kyunki ab jo maine sab ke saamne isse shaadi kar li hai, koi mujhe ise apne saath le jaane se nahi rok sakta hai. Shaivi, yeh log tumhari vidai ki rasm nahi karne wale hain, is liye ab chalo."

  "Aye chhokri, phari kyareya mara gharamam pag mukaso nahim." (dobara kabhi mere ghar mein kadam mat rakhna)

  "Pichhe mat mudna, warna unhe lagega ki tumhe unki baaton ka farak padta hai. Unhe yeh mat sochne do unke paas tumhare upar power hai," Veer phus-phusa kar Shaivi se kehta hai.

  Veer Shaivi ko lekar Mehrotra Mansion jaata hai. "Ghabrao mat. Meri family thodi overdramatic hai, tum to jaanti hi ho..."

  "Not helping, Veer. Maine inka gussa dekha hai, lekin kabhi inke gusse ki shikaar nahi bani hoon." Shaivi ghabraye hue aawaj mein kehti hai.

  "Lekin kuchh din mein wo log accept kar lenge. Isi hafte Aarohi ki shaadi bhi karwa rahe hain, sab itne busy rahenge ki kisi ka dhyaan hi nahi jayega hampar. Phir Aarohi ki vidaai ke baad sab itne dukhi honge ki hamare paas do-teen hafte aaram se hai. Tab tak inka gussa shaant ho jayega."

---☆---

  "Kunal, Ansh, Veer ki koi khabar aayi? Raat bhar se gayab hai."

  "Haan Dadi, wo raat ko hi aa gaya tha," Kunal kehta hai.

  "Haan Dadi, wo to so raha hai. Itna thak gaya tha ki kuchh bataya bhi nahi."

  "Maya, dekho, tumhara beta abhi tak soya hua hai. Uthao use jakar. Nashta nahi karega?"

  "Nahi, Maa, use rehne dijiye. Veer subah subah gym ke liye utha tha to usi samay kha liya. Kal raat thodi der ho gayi thi use aane mein to use der tak sone do."

  "Achha theek hai. Maya, tum nashta kar lo. Sonia kahan reh gayi?"

  "Abbey, yeh Veer kahan reh gaya? Subah se bees (20) missed calls kar chuka hoon, lekin phone switched off aa raha hai," Kunal Ansh se dheemi aawaj mein kehta hai.

  "Pata nahi, lekin aane do use. Uski khair nahi. Kab tak ham uski 'emergencies' ko cover up karte rahenge? Kab sudhrega yeh?"

  Aalok Kunal ke paas aakar khada ho jaata hai aur use dheemi aawaj mein kehta hai, "Sir, Veer Baba aa gaye."

  "Finally."

  "Veer Baba akele nahi hain. Un dono ko dekh ke lag raha hai ki dono ne shaadi kar li."

  "What?" Anshuman khaasne lagta hai. "Yeh kya kar raha hai tu? Veer kyun marna chaahta hai?"

  "Chal, dekh ke aate hain."