yun hi tu mere saath rehna

Chapter Twenty Six

The next morning, Armaan hurried to go back to Abhira. He woke up early and got dressed for the day, his mind focused on only Abhira and no one else. However, luck didn't seem to be on his side because when he went downstairs, Kaveri & Vidya were already on the dining table. It was much earlier than the family ate breakfast, so he was surprised to see them there. Nonetheless, he decided to not let them interfere in his plans. “Main Abhira ke ghar jaa raha hoon,” he informed them as he walked past them.

“Ruko, Armaan!” Kaveri ordered.

Armaan sighed. This is what he was afraid of. He didn't want anyone to become a hindrance in his plans, which is why he was leaving so early. And yet, here he was. Turning to Kaveri, he asked, “Ji, Dadi Sa?”

“Itni subah-subah uss ladki se kyun milna hai tumhe? Tum bhool gaye ho toh tumhe yaad dila doon, yeh tumhaara ghar hai, jahaan tumhaara parivaar rehta hai. Woh saamne wala makaan nahi,” Kaveri taunted.

“Parivaar toh mera uss ghar mein bhi rehta hai, Dadi Sa,” Armaan replied. “Woh ghar bhi mera hi ghar hai. Aur wahaan jaake hi mujhe sukoon milta hai.”

“Woh ladki tumhaara parivaar nahi hai, Armaan!” Kaveri insisted. “Hum hain tumhaara parivaar.”

“Iss duniya mein kisi aur se zyada, Abhira hi mera parivaar hai, Dadi Sa,” Armaan clarified. “Par main sirf uski baat nahi kar raha tha. Uss ghar ka har ek sadasya mere parivaar ka hissa hai.”

“Armaan, tu yeh sab kyun kar raha hai, beta?” Vidya asked, tired. “Abhira aur uske parivaar se itna zyada lagaav bhi theek nahi hai. Haan, woh sab tere apne hain, lekin tu iss ghar ka beta hai, uss ghar ka nahi.

Achchi baat hai ki tu wahaan jaata hai, uss ghar ke logon se rishtey jod raha hai. Lekin, naye rishtey banane mein yeh puraane rishtey ab peeche chootne lage hain, Armaan. Aur yeh bilkul galat baat hai.

Iss parivaar ki taraf bhi teri kuch zimmedaari hai, beta. Tu iss ghar ka sabse bada beta hai. Tu apne farz bhoolne lagega, toh kaise chalega?”

“Yehi toh farq haina, Maa,” Armaan replied, a sad smile on his face. “Aapko sirf meri zimmedaariyaan yaad hai, mere haq nahi. Iss ghar mein har insaan ko sirf yehi yaad rehta hai ki main apni har responsibility poori karu, lekin aur kuch nahi.

Aur uss ghar mein? Wahaan zimmedaari se pehle hamesha haq aata hai. Farz ke pehle, pyaar aata hai, khushi aati hai. Wahaan koi iss tarah mujhe meri zimmedaari yaad nahi dilaata.

Aur, aap bataiye mujhe… Main iss ghar ki taraf apni kaunsi zimmedaari mein chooka hoon? Kya aisa hua hai, jiske liye mujhe yahaan hona chahiye tha aur main nahi tha?

Aapko pata hai? Kuch dinon pehle Aryan ka hockey match tha. Main aur Abhira wahaan the… Par pata hai kaun nahi tha? Aap. Chachi Sa ke saath dene sirf hum dono the, aur iss family mein se kisine aana zaroori nahi samjha, Aryan ko support karna zaroori nahi samjha.

Aur sirf yeh ek example nahi hai. Aap chahengi toh main aur examples bhi de sakta hoon. Iss ghar aur iss ghar ke logon ke liye mere jo farz hai main nahi bhoola hoon, Maa. Par shayad aap bhool gayi hain, ki Abhira ka saath dena bhi mera farz hai. Aap sab ab bhale hi usse apni bahu nahi maante, lekin main usse ab bhi apni biwi maanta hoon.

Apni biwi ka saath dena koi galat baat hai kya? Woh bhi tab jab woh itne mushkil time se guzar rahi hai? Goenkas ne kya nahi kiya uski Maa ke saath… Iss waqt zaroorat hai usse meri. Aur main apni patni ka saath dene se peeche nahi hatoonga.

Aap bhool gayi hongi ki aapne usse apni beti maana hai, lekin main nahi bhoola ki woh meri wife hai.”

Not giving either Vidya or Kaveri a chance to rebuke him, Armaan turned and walked out of the house. It was getting tiresome now. Every single day, he felt that he was only fighting for Abhira. When would his mother and his grandmother understand that this was it? He would never leave Abhira, no matter how much they disliked it. She was his very soul, the air he breathed. She was the reason he was the man he was today.