Ishqana Dil

Part 60

"I am glad that Bansi is safe with you now. Auntyji... if you don't mind me asking... does Bansi's Chacha still live with you?"

Vibha smiled uncomfortably. "No, not anymore."

She did not look like she was going to say more. Amaya bit her lip, not really knowing what to say. What was she even going to do? Going there might have been a mistake... she was not even prepared... What would she have done if Bansi were not there? It had been so stupid of her. She stood up hastily. "I will leave now."

Her aunt stood up and led her back outside the house, waiting until she scurried out of the yard. Outside, she found Mantu pacing up and down the road tersely. He stopped, blinking as if gathering himself again, and swallowed before asking her. "How was it?"

"Terrible, I didn't even tell her... Mantu what happened to you?"

"Kuchh nahin, bas aise hi..." he started getting into the auto that had been waiting for them and she followed him. "You tell me first, what happened?"

"Kuchh zyaada nahin... Pata hain, Bansi lives there? The boy we had saved from the goons that night? After the reception? He is my cousin, Mantu, can you believe it? But main bhi kitni paagal hoon, bina soche-samjhe bas chali gayi... I didn't even know what to say... I met my Bua, talked to her but... main unhein kuchh bata nahin paayi... Superman ki taraf se sorry bhi nahin keh paayi... Mantu, I don't even know how she feels about Superman! Maybe she hates him? Mantu, main-" She stopped speaking and rested her head on his shoulder instead, her eyes closed. "I messed everything up as usual, didn't I?"

"No, Amaya. Dekho... now, at least you know who your aunt is, where she lives, how she is... you can take things ahead now, if you want to. You could tell your mother and sisters. You could try to establish a contact, build a relationship and even if she cannot forgive your father for abandoning her, if she doesn't want to know his family, then it's up to her. You know that you did try. And that's what is important."

She smiled sadly and looked up at him silently for a moment. "Thank you, Mantu. For never letting me feel down. Ab tum mujhe bataaoge ke tumhein hua kya hai? Mantu, maine kal se dekha hai, tum bohot hi ajeeb behave kar rahe ho... Koyi pareshaani hai?"

He watched her hesitantly, not saying anything for a moment, until he looked away. "Bhaiyya, stop here please," he asked the driver. Once he had gotten down, he held his hand out to her. "Come with me."

Mantu led her down the streets of Banaras, to the ghaat. There weren't a lot of people around and the sun was sinking into the horizon. They sat down on the steps but he didn't let go of her hand. "Where your aunt lives, down that road, there is a red haveli."

"Hmm, I had noticed it. It looked like the biggest on that street. And the most beautiful. The people who live there must be so rich, na?" She frowned, "but what does that have to do with-?"

"I was born there, Amaya," he whispered. He gave her a few minutes to understand what he was saying. "I was born there. I... It used to be my Dadaji's house. My whole family used to live there, together. Before dying, my Dadaji left the house to my Babuji's older brother, my Chachaji. It was the family tradition, the older son was supposed to get the house, but he had expected Chachaji to... let my father live there as well. But after Dadaji passed away, my Chachaji made us leave, Amma, Babuji and I, because of his wife. She did not want to share, so she forced him... We went to live with my Nana-Nani. The house Chiklu and I live in was theirs. They left it to Amma-Babuji and... You know, all these years, I had tried not to think about this but with everything that has happened recently... and when you got your aunt's address... I thought I would just go and... see it. Just once, you know?"