Ranjish | 𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒋

IV. pyaar & nafrat

Kehta na koi par
Kishton mein chubhte hai
Khaare raaste

•

vanraj :

It was a beautiful night.
I stared at the sky, in silence.
It had been a tiring day.
Bonding with all the Thakkars, having an intense talk about stocks and market with Rajat and his father, Mrs . Thakkar telling me about Isha's past - quite a story, really and practising the G-U-J-J-U dance with them, only to eventually opt out in embarrassment.

I could not remember when I was this free and happy the last time.
It had been months, years altogether.
I inhaled the cool breeze, as I shut my eyes.

"Offo! Winter wapas kar!", A twelve year old Pakhi shouted at her elder brother, Samar.
"Nehi dunga!", He replied sticking his tongue out.
It was a similar night, cool breeze, full moon.
We were at the terrace of our house.

It was terrace picnic day.
"Yeh dono bas jhagadte rehte hai.", Baa sighed as she brought the plates up.
"Arrey bacche hai, Leela. Abhi hi toh masti karenge.", Bapuji said beaming.

I looked at him and smiled.
"Padhai bhi kar leni chahiye.", Toshu said skeptically, sitting with his book below the light on the terrace.
"Toshu beta, abhi toh padhai mat kar.", I said amused.
"Nehi Papa.. College mein bohot pressure hai. Upar se yeh dono, padhne bhi nehi dete.", He said irritably.

Both Pakhi and Samar stuck their tongues out at him in unison.

"Toshu ke Papa.. woh.. aapke liye aapki pasand ki sabji-", I heard.
"Arrey kya zaroorat thi Anupamaa.. tumne bekar mein itni mehnat ki..", Bapuji said.
"Nehi.. woh unko.. aacha lagta hai..", She said softly.

I looked up at her, forcing a smile.

I immediately opened my eyes, inhaling sharply.
I looked around.

I stood in an isolated balcony.
It was a common balcony for the floor of the apartment, overlooking the swimming pool in the campus.
I gulped.
It was gone.
Everything that I loved.

•

isha :

I opened the door of my apartment.
It was suffocating at night.

Years had passed, yet nothing could wipe off the horror of that one day.
Every time I shut my eyes, it was the same sight.

Shantanu, in a pool of blood, looking at me helplessly.
My strides became quicker as I walked down to the common balcony.

"Ab hum kabhi alag nehi honge..", I said as he wrapped me in his warmth.
"Ab toh chahe koi kuch bhi kahe.. mai apni Isha ko kahi nehi jaane dunga.", He said, grinning like a young boy.
"Ab toh Ishaan ne bhi tumhe apna liya hai.. ab hum teeno aur Savi, saath mein happy family ki tarah rahenge."
I beamed back.

My throat caught up.
I almost jogged down to the balcony.
I placed my hand on the cold steel railings, breathing heavily.

I clutched onto them, shutting my eyes.
After a while, my breathing normalised.
My head reeled, as I finally looked up.