Broken Relations

Heartbroken souls

IshAnu Home
Author pov

Isha,
Tum kaisi ho? Waha sab kaisa hain? Tumse baat karna ka aur koii tareekha nahi hain, isiliye iss letter ke zariye se, main tumse baat karna chahata hoon. Yeh kehna chahata hoon, ki tumhara beena zindagi adhura sa lagta hain. Hamare zindagi ek pal mein kitna badal gaya, hai nah? Khair, I hope tum theek ho, I mean, I know, hamare beena tumhare liye bhi sab kuch bohot mushkil hoga, tum bhi dukhi hogi, tum bhi har pal hame yaad karrahi hogi. But yeh bhi jaanta haan, ki tum koshish karrahi hogi, apne aai baba ke liye sab kuch karti hogi, jaise main jaha Ishan ke liye karraha hoon. Hamara Ishu...bohot yaad karta hain tumhe, dil toota hain uska, but main uske paas rehne ka, uske saath rehne ka pura koshish karraha hoon. And I promise you Isha, main Ishan ko hamesha sahi rah dekhaoonga, Tumse kabhi nafrat nahi karne doonga, hamesha bolunga usko, ki uski aai kitni acchi hain. Bas ek problem hain, joh sawaal Ishu baar baar mujhse puchta hain nah, main usko jawaab nahi de paata hoon, tumse waada kiya hain, ki usse kuch nahi bataoonga, but kya jawaab do usse kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai mujhe,

I hope tumhara jawaab jaldi aayein,
Tumhara Shantanu.

As Isha read the words of the first letter, Shantanu had written for her, she couldn't stop her tears. All these years, she had believed that Shantanu hadn't tried to contact her. In fact, that was the main part of her disappointment. Was she wrong? All these years, these letters had been kept hidden. Why? Only to create misunderstandings between them?

Ishan looked at his mother. He didn't disturb her. He gave her all the time, to read the letters. to process everything what was going on since years. He waited patiently for the time she was going to finally ask him what she wanted to. His own heart ached when he read one of those letters, which had laid on the floor in Akkasaheb's room. The moment he saw the matches box, he knew what akkasaheb was up to. He quickly took old notebook papers, out of his room and put them on fire together with the box. He had already putted the letter in a bag to show them to his mother. And here he sat, watching his mother read the letters his father had written for her. Tears were falling out of his own eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. He saw his mother taking another letter out of the bag.

Isha took the next letter almost with trembling fingers into her hands. Half an hour had already passed away since she started reading letters. She took in a deep breath and started to read the letter.

Dear Isha,
Maine aaj tak kitne saare letters tumhare liye bhej diye, but ek ka jawaab nahi aaya. Fikr horaha hoon tumhara. Ek baar tumhare ghar pe number par call karne ke kosish bhi ki, but phone laga hi nahi. Pata nahi, tum kaisi ho, kaha ho, theek ho bhi yah nai. Main Ishan ko jaha chodh kar aa bhi nahi sakta. Hazaar sawaal karega jiske badle mein sirf khaamoshi hi depaoonga. Tumhari bohot yaad aati hain. Dil dukhta hain mera. Kabhi khushi main yaad aati ho toh kabhi gham mein. Tumhare awaaz aaj tak mere kaanon mein goonchta hain. Kabhi kabhi lagta hain, ki kaash yeh sab bas ek bura sapna ho. Main uthoon aur mujhe tumhare chehra nazar aaye. Apni chehre par ek pyaari si muskurahat le kar mere paas baithi ho, yah phir gusse mein naak laal karke, mujhse kahi door khadi ho. Lekin aisa kuch nahi hota hain, Isha. Jab subha aankh kholta hain toh bas ek cheeez milti hain woh hai khaalipan. Iss ghar mein sirf ek hi shaks hain, joh mujhse pyaar karta hain, mere parva karta hain, woh hain hamara Ishu. Pata hain, uski har ek baat mujhe tumhara aur bhi yaad dilata hain, woh bilkul tumhare tarah hain. Please Isha, ek baar jawaab dedo. Please, aur kuch nahi toh kam se kam inn letters ke zariye hi baat karlete hai nah, please?

Tumhara Shantanu.

Isha putted the letter down, feeling a pang of guilt inside her. He had literally pleaded to write back. But how would she reply, when she never got the letters? She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at her son, whose eyes also seemed teary. She putted her hand on his hand, trying to comfort him, even though her heart ached. She felt Ishan wiping away her tears. She slightly smiled.