Jalsaghar

Jaal

Next day in the morning....

Biren was rushing towards the hospital room where Bukku was, when he bumped into a tiny body whom he instinctively caught in his arms. And then when he picked the person up he found the impish smile of his little Bondhu, who had his right thumb in his mouth. And his eyes shone the moment he found Biren's face... Bukku immediately hugged Biren.

Biren: (held him close too) Hummm... kaha ki sawari hai Bukku babu. Lagta hai koi tagda plan banaya hai aapne...

Bukku: (thumb still in his mouth he nodded immediately) Mimi se chhup raha hu... abhi aayegi aur phirse khana khilayegi... (he looked so pensive that Biren laughed at his cute expression)

Biren: Khana nahi khana hai?

Bukku shook his head and then hung his head down...

Biren: Achha hum dono Bukku kahi chhup jaye toh?

Bukku immediately thought over the better plan and agreed with a nod. But then looked worried.

Biren: (understood and them kissed the frowning forehead) Mimi aayegi toh Nurse aunty bata degi ke Bukku Dusre Bukku ke sath hai... Mimi ko pareshaan nahi karenge...

In Chattujje Sadan

Shubhra: Par usne aisa kya kaha ke tum Mrinu se milna chah rahi ho?

Cheeni: Maa, Biren ka kehna hai ke jab tak unhe Mrinu nahi milti woh kisi se bhi shadi ke baare mein nahi soch sakte. I think its more about his hurt pride and revenge than actual concern for Mrinu. You see yesterday night we were very close. Mujhe toh pehle se hi pata tha he likes me like that Maa. Oh maa I am so happy...

Shubhra: Achha aisa kya huya? I hope tumne pichhli baar se seekh li hogi aur phirse same galati nahi karogi..

Cheeni: MAA !! Isiliye I hate you. Whenever I am happy and everything is just going perfect aap apna purana raag shuru kar deti ho. Jo bhi huya maine hi khud sambhala na uss situation ko. Aapne kya kiya siwai kuchh paise kharch karne ke. Toh bar bar mujhe woh incident yaad dilane ki koi zarurat nahi. I know what I am doing...

Aap ne toh mujhe chaar saal pehle bhi Biren se baat nahi karne diya. Agar aap baat karne dete to aaj main Jalsaghar ki Rani hoti. But aap aur aapki ki purani, takiyanusi soch. Main tab hi Biren ko pagal kar sakti thi, abhi hi dekh lo bas ek din mein mera kamal. Sirf ek din. He has always been crazy for me, its just that he is not an ordinary man that he will chase any skirt in his vicinity. He has a class and arrogance to go with his position in life. But yesterday he promised that we will get married from Jalsaghar and that our marriage would be something everyone talked about for 50 years.

I will manage Mrinu... she will say and do just what I will tell her to do. Biren was correct Maa. If I want to hold a position like that, then it's obvious for him to expect that I am capable of managing certain things according to his wishes.

In the hospital..

Bukku was still quiet and did not utter a single word... He held the football in his arms hardly reaching halfway of the ball with his tiny hands. But he did not say much.

Biren: (hurried to say) Bukku this one is mine, yeh purana hai but I will get you a new one more fit to your size. But mujhe tumhare saath yeh share karna tha isliye... (and his voice faded out.)

Why did he want to share this ball with this child? Did he think he will never have a boy of his own... is that why? But why not, he wanted to get married. He had always dreamed of his own family... then why suddenly he felt he will never have his own son?