Mera Rangsaaz

Chapter 4

Tara
16 years old

"Bohot bahadur bann rahi thi. Kaha gyi saari bahaduri" Daksh says laughing. Me, Jhanvi, Daksh, Sanjay, Asha bhabhi and Chetan are now in Asha bhabhi's room. Jhanvi basically told everyone about our bet and the result of it. So everyone is laughing at me.

"Chup karo tum log. Mujhe bas fikr hori thi unki ki unhone khana khaya ya nahi" I try to cover up.

"Chal jhoothi" Sanjay says laughing.

"Mein kisi se nahi darti" Jhanvi says imitating me.

"Chup Karo sab. Kyu pareshaan Kar rahe ho Tara ko" Asha bhabhi says in my support.

"Bhabhi, Tara bhabhi poori duniya ke samne itna bolti hai. Yaha tak ki bade papa ke samne bhi par Veer bhaiya ke samne bheegi billi bann jati hai" Daksh says and gives a high five to Sanjay.

"Tum zyada mat bolo. Warna mein.." I say showing him my index finger.

"Warna kya bhabhi?" He says not taking me seriously.

"Warna mein unko Bata dungi" This is my last option to get them to shut up. I obviously wouldn't tell but this will make them shut up.

"Kya bhabhi?" Daksh says making a face and all of them immediately stops laughing.

"Mene kuch nahi bola meri bahadur Tara bhabhi" Sanjay says.

"Aur nahi toh kya" Jhanvi says side hugging me.

"Dhokebaazo" Daksh says.

"Mein toh dhokebaaz hi sahi. Pitna thodi hai mujhe" Sanjay says making me laugh.

"Chalo ab bas Karo" Asha bhabhi says and then turning to me she continues "Aur Tara shaadi ke baad sab sahi hojata hai"

"Wo kaise Asha bhabhi?" I ask her.

"Tum log zyada samay ek saath bitauge toh ek dusre toh acche se samjhoge" she replies. Well I have known him since childhood now how well I have to understand him. I know him enough.  But I don't say this to Bhabhi.

"Bhabhi, Vijender bhaiya bhi aise hi the kya?" Jhanvi asks her.

"Haan batao na bhabhi" I say.

"Humne toh unhe pehli baar hi mandap par dekha tha. Kaafi saral aur shant hai wo" she says blushing.

"Aree bhabhi" I say grinning.

"Bhabhi, bhaiya toh aapki saari baat mante hai. Aur ek taraf Tara bhabhi hai jo kuch bol hi nhi paati Veer bhaiya ko" Daksh says.

"Tum phir bole Daksh"

He puts a finger on his lips, sitting quietly.

"Tum dekhte jao kaise shaadi ke baad Veer saari baatein manta hai Tara ki" Asha bhabhi says.

"Wo kaise hoga bhabhi?" I ask her.

"Tum samajh jaogi" she says not commenting on it any further. I highly doubt this will happen. I don't know why I can't say anything to him or even look at him. I have looked at him secretly when he is busy working or from the balcony when he returns home on his bike.

When he works under the sunlight, his light brown skin is covered with sweat but it seems to glow. He is always frowning or scolding or beating somebody.

We all are talking when the door opens with a bang to reveal the devil himself.

"Aree Veer aao" Asha bhabhi says.

"Nahi bhabhi. Tara idhar aao" he says. His voice is laced with anger. I quietly stand up in order to not make him more angry. He holds my wrist and starts walking. He only stops when we are outside of the Haveli.

"Chalo mere saath" I look at him. Where is he taking me? He sits on his bike and starts it.

"Baitho Tara" I sit down behind him, holding his shoulder. He rides his bike at high speed, making me go closer to him. I close my eyes to not feel the speed and my clutch on him is tight.

Finally the bike stops and I open my eyes.

"Utro" he says and I get down from the bike. Getting down the bike, he again holds me by my wrist and pulls me inside the warehouse. Inside there are 3 men on their knees, bleeding. I look at my to-be husband and gulp.

"Bolo ab" he says to those men.

"Hume maaf kardijiye bhabhi humse galti hogyi" They all say crying and begging me multiple times. They are almost falling on my feet. One is going to touch my feet when he kicks that man.

"Saale tu chu kaise raha hai inko" he says and starts punching that man continously.

"J..ji.. ruk jaiye" I say almost on the verge of tears. He looks at me and continues punching that man. Once he is satisfied he leaves the man. He then comes to stand beside me.

"Tum sab yaad rakhna inke kilaaf mujhe ek bhi shabd nhi sunna chahiye warna agli baar tumhare Ghar walo ko tumhari laash milegi"

He again holds my wrist and pulls me out of the warehouse. I feel bad for those guys. What did they even do to receive this?

"Tum kuch bolti kyu nahi ho mujhse?"

"Ji wo j.."

"Bas yahi bolti rehna" he says leaving my wrist. "Rehne do tum."

After that he drops me to my home. As I get down, he says "Wo log tumhare baare mei bura bol rahe the. Aur mene wo ghar se nikalte huye sunn Isiliye unki aisi halat ki. Ab jao andar"

I nod and enter my house. Once I am inside, I hear his bike starting again and finally leaving.