Mera Rangsaaz

Chapter 23

Veer

I look at her sleeping peacefully. She must be exhausted after our session. I just couldn't sleep so I am staring at her.

She has a slight smile on her face. She looks so peaceful, so beautiful. Sometimes I wonder how did I get so lucky to have her in my life. I remove a strand of hair from her face, touching her cheek lightly. She's in deep sleep, her breath are even. I slightly kiss the side of her forehead.

My eyes automatically move to her stomach where lies her one hand. She has my baby growing inside her. How far have we come along. I still remember the day papa announced that my marriage is fixed to my Tara. I couldn't recognize my feelings at time but from that moment onwards I just wanted her to be safe and with me.

I remember the way she sneezed and her cheeks turned pink immediately after that. I came to look at her while she was asleep in her house to make sure she was alright.

I felt the air change when she entered the room. She immediately took my attention and she was too shy to even look at me. And now she's pregnant with my child.

I keep my hand above hers, still looking at her belly. Soon the baby will grow big. I sit straight to talk to my child.

"Apni ma ko zyada pareshaan mat karna warna mujhse bura koi nahi hoga" I say firmly. I know Tara will spoil the child, I have to be strict.

"Aur zyada badmashi bhi nahi warna pitai hogi" I say talking to my baby inside her belly and showing my index finger. "Zyada zor se nahi maruga par tum acche se rehna. Apni ma ki sab baat manna, acche se padhai karna aur..."

I feel my heart fill with so much protectiveness for my baby. "Aur humesha haste rehna. Koi tumhe pareshaan kare toh mujhe batana Uski bhi akal thikane laga duga."

I kiss her belly saying "Mera baccha" and then lay down wrapping my hand around her waist and closing my eyes.

----------------------------------------------------

In the morning as I open my eyes I see Tara standing on a chair trying to get something from the top of almirah. I immediately get up and run to her.

"Tara! Yeh kya kar rahi hai?" I shout. She is surprised to hear me and loses her balance but holds on to almirah and calms herself down by keeping her one hand on her chest.

"Apne toh Dara hi dia mujhe"

"Neeche utar"

"Aree par-

"Neeche. Abhi. Dubara bolna na pade mujhe"

She calmly gets down while I hold her hand just in case. I don't want her to fall down.

"Aree kya hua? Saman hi toh utar-" she stops speaking once she sees my face. I am angry, she just put herself and our child in danger.

"Yeh kya harkat thi Tara?"

"Mein bas saman lene ke liye.." She says looking down.

"Mujhse boldeti. Agar tu ghir jati toh?"

"Nahi ghirti woh toh bas aap achanak se bole"

"Accha?" I say folding my hands and moving closer to her such that her back is pressed to the almirah.

"Ji...woh.."

"Ek toh pehle galti karti ho aur yeh bolne ke bajaye ki dubara nahi hogi, mujhi par daal rahi ho"

"Aap itna gussa kyu kar rahe?" She says looking up and there are tears in her eyes. All my anger disappears.

Oh my god what did I just do?

"Tara tum ro kyu rahi ho?" I ask concerned and keeping my hand on her cheek. She immediately removes it.

"Aap daatoge toh kya hassugi?" She says as one tear slips away.

"Accha baba meri galti hai. Tum roo mat"

I move my face to her level so I can make her look at me. I wipe away her tear.

"Apne toh bola tha aap mujhpar gussa nahi ho sakte"

Her tears keep falling as I wipe them away with my thumb. Her nose and cheeks have turned red. She looks so adorable but she shouldn't cry.

"Gussa kaha tha wo Tara. Wo toh mera pyaar tha"

"Aisa hai apka pyaar?"

"Tumhari fikar hogayi thi. Uthte hi tumhe aise dekhuga toh thodi fikar toh hogi hi na"

"Iska Matlab aap mujhe daantoge?"

"Nahi daantuga jaan. Galti hogyi. Tum rona bandh karo"

"Pakka?"

"Kasam se"

"Theek hai" She says finally wiping her tears herself. "Aap theek se khade ho"

I stand straight, still looking at her face.

"Aaj ke baad mat karna"

"Theek hai nahi karuga. Tum bas dhyaan rakhna. Aisa kuch ho toh mujhe boldia karo"

"Theek hai" She says smiling. Ahh finally.

Meri muskan wapas aagyi.

I hold her cheek and she comes closer to me keeping her hands on my chest. She looks up at me and I just can't look away.

"Nazar lag jayegi itna ghurege toh"

"Meri nhi lagegi"

"Kyu?"

"Kyunki mein toh tumhara hoon na. Khud ki cheezo ki nazar nahi lagti."

"Accha ji" she says laughing. She should always laugh. She looks so pretty. Well she always looks pretty.

"Chaliye ab taiyyar hojaeiye" she says and continues "mere bacche ke papa"

I raise my eyebrow at her smiling. "Theek hai mere bacche ki ma"

She again laughs and goes out of our room. I look at her leaving figure and smile to myself. I can never win with her. She herself doesn't know how much power she holds over me. For her I'll happily lose thousand times.

"Veer bhaiya muskuraye!" I look up to see a very shocked Sanjay standing outside my room. I immediately go to him and show him my index finger in warning.

"Agar Yeh baat tune taza khabar ki tarah failayi toh kuch dino tak bolna mushkil hojaega tera"

"Aree bhaiya bilkul nahi" he says gulping. "Aur agar mein boluga phir bhi mera koi vishwas nahi karega"

"Kya bola?"

"Mein kisiko nahi batauga"

"Ja ab" I say shaking my head.

He goes away murmuring "Aj ka din toh etihas mei likha jana chahiye. Bahadur Sanjay ne dekha Veer bhaiya ko muskurate huye"

"Kuch kaha tune?" I ask raising my voice.

"Nahi bhaiya" he says and runs away.

I go inside my room to get ready for the day. The thought of Tara with pinkish cheeks and puffy nose comes to my mind and I start to smile again.