Kuch Baatein Ankaheen...

Stories Of The Past

A sneer adorned the ageing face of Nyonika. Her eyes had bags under them and her cheeks had turned hollow yet her voice betrayed none of it. It was as cold as ever.
"Ms. Nandini Murthy. What an unpleasant surprise! I never expected a dimwit like you to actually find me. Must have been quite a stress for you."

Nandini didn't even flinch at the insults thrown at her. Her emotions were running haywire curiosity being the first.
" I'm not here to fight with you. I've done enough of it already. All I need is an answer"

Nyonika scoffed and eyed her with contempt. "And what makes you think I'll answer you"

"You will answer me Nyonika because it might be your only chance."Nandini said meeting her eyes dead on.

Nyonikas sneer widened "My only chance at what exactly?"

"Your only chance at redemption."

Nyonika laughed her frail shoulders shaking hard. " Re.. Redemption. Seriously!" she said between her laughter "Do you really think I give a s*** about it? God! You're so much dumber than I thought "

That seemed to do it. Nandini felt her anger taking hold of her. "Laugh all you want Nyonika. Laugh at every single thing you did. You destroyed Maya and Manik's childhood. You made them feel unwanted You broke Manik's trust in family. You made him feel like a puppet to be used in your business. You destroyed what little happiness he had when you broke us apart. you can laugh all you want Nyonika, at your self because right now this is where you are." she said pointing at the room " alone and waiting for your end"

She was met with a chilling silence apart from the old songs from the tape recorder. She gave Nandini a steely glare. Nandini was not finished yet. "Why? Why did you do it? I know you are his stepmother but why did you hate him so much?"

Nandini saw something flash across Nyonika's eyes but it was replaced almost immediately by the cold look. "I hate him because of his very existence" she spat. "and that is none of your business. Now get the hell out of here before I call the guards."
She said.

Mukthi snorted. "So much for the sympathy. I told you Nandini this creature here doesn't deserve any sort of kindness. Come on we are done here" Mukthi gave Nyonika her trademark glare while pulling Nandini out of there. On the way out Nandini stumbled over the table with a lot of stacked up cassettes. It fell down with a crash, all the old cassettes scattered on the the floor.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!". Nyonika screamed rolling over towards it as fast as she could on her wheel chair. She bend over to take them as if her life depended on it. Nandini and Mukthi watched her cluching them to her chest possesively.
Nandini bend down and picked one near her feet and asked "What is so special about this? "

Nyonika gave her a glare. "Give them back" she said.
Nandini was more curious than ever. She had never seen Nyonika show any sort of emotion before. If an old cassette could make her behave like this it must be something very important to her.

"Not until you answer me" she said. Nyonika's eyes blazed with fury not ready to back down. Mukthi noticed it and took the cassette from Nandini "Yeh eise nahi manegi." She took the cassette between her hands and said "Now start answering the damn questions old lady or you can say bye bye to your precious little cassette." she said making a move to break it, to emphasize her point.

Nyonika eyes filled with panic "No. Please don't. I 'll... I' ll answer you"
She then turned around and looked out of the window lost in thoughts. "I loved someone and that is the last thing I have left of him." She said her voice turning hoarse. "Abhay loved to sing. Music was his passion, his everything and he was mine "

"Abhay Malhotra? Your husband?" Nandini asked surprised to know that she was capable of loving someone.

Nyonika had a far away look in her eyes as she was revisiting her old memories. "We were childhood best friendsI loved him even before I knew what love was. As we grew up our parents decided to get us married. One week before the wedding Abhay told me he was in love with someone else. He said he didn't realize what love was until he met her, Meera Sinha. He told me he I'll always be his best friend and he hoped I'll find my special one too. What he didn't know was that I already have and it was him. I was heartbroken but I never let it show. I helped him to convince our parents to let him marry Meera. " Nyonika gave a small sad chuckle. " That's what love makes you do. All I cared about was his happiness, the rest I endured in silence. They got married and were really happy but slowly thing began to change. Abhay had a passion for singing. Meera was a singer too. He started spending more time with her even when we needed him desperately in the office. I was his buisness partner and single handedly tried to handle our tumbling business while he remained blissfully ignorant. He didn't see me struggling day night to keep our buisness from falling apart. All he cared was his wife and daughter. They were his entire universe. When Meera got pregnant with Manik things began to change fore the worst. During delivery she passed away due to excessive bleeding. Abhay was devastated. He turned in to a living corpse that day. I was left with a 3yr old child, a shadow of a man and a falling buisness empire. It was the worst time of my life. I married him to look after him. He closed himself up in his room and never talked to anybody. Then there was Maya. I had no idea how to take care of her neither did I have the time. So I got her a good babysitter and did my job in the office. I became a workaholic. Sometimes I came back home after days. One day I got a call. " She swallowed the tears threatening to come out. " Abhay had committed suicide from depression. I was devastated. I blamed myself for not taking proper care of him. Even then I knew there was nothing I could do about it. The only thing I found solace in was work. I began to work like a maniac. My going home became even more scarce because everytime I saw Maya and Manik, they reminded me of him. I took care of them in the only way I knew. They were showered with luxury, they had a lot of servents to look after their every need. I didn't realize it wasn't enough for them until Maya ran away. I didn't know what to do. I knew where she was and I knew she was safe. So I let her be. Then there was Manik. He was the only one I had left. I did love him in my own way. It was going alright until he met you. I saw the changes in him. He grew more and more soft hearted. One lesson I learned in my life was more you get soft the more you get hurt. So I did everything I could to to keep you away from him. I didn't want him to be another Abhay. Even in the hospital when you came to me asking for help I took my chance. I had arranged for him to be shifted the moment I got Cabir 's call but I acted indifferent. Yes I tried to keep you away from him and I don't regret it. You kids think love is all butterflies and roses, you have no idea how cruel it can be. "

Nandini just stood there unable to process the turn of events. It was too much to digest. She wanted to answer her that she did know love hurts. She had suffered through it for five years she had been away from him. To every one's surprise it was Mukthi who spoke up.

"You know what Nyonika. I know that love isn't always beautiful, it can be dangerous as well. Your relationship with your husband was toxic and onesided. You let him take advantage of you. You made him an ignorant and irresponsible person because you did too much for him. You may be right in your own way but you had no right to destroy Manik's chance at love. You could have talked to him. To love or not was his decision to make not yours. Yes, love isn't always butterflies and roses but it isn't always thorns and fire either. "

" Mukthi is right." Nandini after finally finding her voice." It should've been his decision but I don't blame you Mrs. Malhotra I understand where you are coming from. Your decision was wrong but you still have a chance to make it right. Please understand that there is no reason to live the rest of your life with memories of something that wasn't even there. You have a chance to live your last days with your family. A lot of old scars can be healed and I don't mean just yours. Please understand not everyone gets a second chance." she exteded her hand towards her. Nyonika looked at her with years of pent up emotions swirling in her eyes. At last it twinkled with one she could finally identify. Hope.

A frail trembling hand slowly clasped her strong determined one.

It was finally the time to look back and heal some broken bonds..