Darkhaast

Epilogue

The call came yesterday from Colonel Shergill. The Colonel said he wanted to deliver the good news himself. Max was ready to retire, and they wanted Mahi to adopt him. Mahi said yes in an instant.

She knew she should've talked it over with Mumma, Naaz, and Abhimanyu because living with Max would be a significant change for them, but it didn't matter. Mahi was selfish.

No one questioned her decision. Mumma knew Mahi was waiting for this day and couldn't deprive Mahi of completing her family. Abhimanyu saw her eyes; they were ablaze with urgency and yearning.

Mahi went alone to pick Max up in Bangalore.

When she got to the city and hugged Max for the first time since Anurag's funeral, she felt delirious, wailing and smiling at the same time in an outburst of emotion. It felt like she was reunited with a piece of Anurag.

For years, Mahi tried to immortalize Anurag through their apartment, preserving it as a memorial in his honour and being unwilling to sell it off even though she shifted to Udaipur. She kept whatever she could of his: his shirts that she sometimes wore to bed or hugged when the night terrors got too much; his cassettes and cricket equipment, though she couldn't hit a wicket for her life. But he was never in these inanimate objects. Their memories were, but not him. He lived on through memories and the lives he touched, like Max, Ridhi Maa, Naaz, and Jai. But today, that wasn't enough. There were things Mahi could only tell him. Mahi needed to talk to Anurag. 

The schools were out for the day, and the park was crowded with families. Many stopped and gawked at Mahi, seemingly crazy for talking to no one and balling her eyes out.

"Kahan ho yaar tum Onu [Anurag], itna ab kuch tumne miss kiya hai." Mahi rested against a tree in the part behind their apartment. Beside her was their old cassette player, humming "Bade Ache Laghte hain". Max lay on her lap, snoring. Mahi ran her fingers through Max's greying fur, but she couldn't believe it. In five since she last him, his fur thinned incredibly. The once boisterous puppy who bolted through their apartment had to be carried up the stairs. Time was escaping her. "Dekho Max ko. Max ne 11 years bitaye as a working dog. Aur tumhe lagta tha woh itna stupid hai ke woh ek sal mein retire ho jayega. Asal Budhu toh tum ho."

"Bahot kuch badal gaya, Onu. Naaz, tumhari choti si shona, is graduating and preparing for engineering. She's also going on dates. I know, I know, no guy will ever be good enough for her and all that bullshit." Mahi raised her hands in surrender as if he could see her. "But don't worry, Mumma won't let her have too much fun."

"Hania ki shaadi ho chuke hai aur tum ek Maamu ho aur main Maami. Ek pyaari si, choti si neice hai ab tumari. Asha naam rakha hai. Ridhi Maa abhi unke saath hai, baby ki help karne ke liya. Maa's fine, by the way. Hania's being the best daughter ever."

She went on and on about everyone and everything, including the silliest rants about Bollywood movies, until she ran out of breath and cried herself out.

"Tumhara bina jeena bada muskhil hai yaar. Aisa lagta hai ki jaisi mera dil ka koi hisha mere paas hi nahi hai. Tumhe pata hai, tumhare jaane ke baad ek waada kiya tha ke pyaar ki jhal mein phir se nahi padoongi. Na baba na. Ek baar tumse dil laga na kaafi tha. Kamyaab bhi thi, aur phir woh aya. Abhimanyu.

"Tumhe toh aisa baata rahin hoon jaisi tumhe pata nahi. Par tum toh sab dekh sakto hai, sab jaante ho, Abhimanyu ke baare mein. Abhimanyu jisne mujhe apne pyaar ke chakravyuh mein fasa diya. Pagal hai woh. Ek pal mein bilkul stern captain ki tarah aur dusre hi paal, sab ke liya khushiyoon ki barsaatein leke aata hai. Shuru shuru mein toh main uske samne hasne se daarti thi. Aur ab, mere haasi ki sabse pehli wajah hai woh. Todha tumhari tarah hai woh - har rishte ko sambal kar chalta hai, sab ke barah mein sochta hai. Par tumse alag bhi hai - agar nachta hai toh kehta hai aangaan tedha hai. Aur uska gaana? Tauba re tauba.  

"Uski ek biwi thi, Akshara. Tum toh jaante hoge usi - saath sitaroon ki duniya main rehte ho. Sach sach batao, tum dono ne hi humko milaya hai, hai na? Soch rahe honge ke ye do pagal har waqt humara dimaag kahte hai, humari photos ko akele hi nahi chodte toh ab ye dono ek ab dusre ka shar kaye. 

Thank you, milane ke liye. Par ye na samajna ki maane tumhe maaf kar diya mujhe aadhe raaste akeli chodne ke liya. Jab upar aaonge toh khub maarongi tumhe. 

Aur Akshara ko bhi mera thank you - Abhimanyu ka khayal rakne ke liya. Usse kehna, main uske Abhi ko kuch nahi hone doongi. 

"I love you, Onu, and I miss you so much." She ruffled Max's hair and looked at the brightest star in the sky, no doubt knowing it was her Onu. 

The End!