Jalsaghar

Jhoothi Muthi

Cheeni and Shubhra in Cheeni's room....

Cheeni: I can't believe what just happened... How Biren be so stupid... Maa do you think they slept together before they left. Is that why Mrinu,?....

Shubhra: I don't know but if that is true... I will have Mrinu's head. All this time she has been playing the victim and extorting money from us...

Cheeni: Maa! Is that all you can think off at this moment, yeh aap ki priority hai? Ke Mrinu paise lete rahi hai aapse... By the way kaha kitne paise diye aapne use... Uss waqt jab baby hua tha tab thode paise diye the use taki woh kolkatta chhodke chali jaye uske baad woh ab mili hai humse aake. Toh paise kab diye aapne use?

Aur main pehle hi clear kar rahi hu... humara focus Biren aur meri shaadi hai. MRINU AUR USKA BACHCHA NAHI!!

In Biren's Room...

It was quite late but Mrinu stood over her Bukku's cradle bed which the servants have magically arranged from the attic. The bedding and tiny pillows it seems were something Biren have bought before coming home. There was Bukkus cerelac and feed, Milk bottles and many other things for Bukku... But for Mrinu he insisted that she used things from BouMuni's almirah...

After what Biren has said in the living room in front of all the family. Neither could Mrinu go out of his room in fear of Cheeni di or Jethima... Nor could she comfortably stay in this room. She has made her bed on the floor of course but still it felt awkward.

Mrinu pushed the cradle one more lightly and then once more covered Bukku with the soft blanket... Biren came and sat with her and made her look at him...

Biren: Soti kyu nahi? Neend nahi aarahi kya? Humm... aa idhar aa main sula du...

He held her in his arms... Held her head to his heart and then kissed her head like he always did with her since she was little Mrinu...

Biren: Tujhe yaad hai Mrinu jab tu chhoti thi aur kabhi chidiya bachcha, kabhi raaste mein padi kitten, toh kabhi koi bhukha kutta ghar le aati thi? ( she nodded) Main humesha unhe dawai lagake theek kar deta tha, haina? Bukku bhi theek hojayega... Main keh raha hu na humm? Maine kabhi jhoot kaha tujhse...

Mrinu: Nahi pehle kabhi nahi... Par aaj bahar aapne kya kiya Bukku da? Aap ki haisiyat, aapka rutba, sab kuchh meri ek galati ki bhet chdha di aapne... Mujhe pata hai aap Cheeni di se pyar karte ho. Aap dono ka ek rishta hai... Meri wajah se woh rishta agar... kh- kharab hoga toh main bardasht nahi kar paungi BukkuDa.

Aap ki Dulhan... Meri Boumuni aayengi aur main aap ka ghar.. Aapka kamra apne haatho se sajaungi.. Apne haatho se Boumuni ke sab kaam karungi.... Humesha aisa hi socha tha maine. Aap ka parivaar hoga, aap ka Jalsaghar phir se basega, aapke bachchon ko khud apne haatho se palungi.. Unko kahaniya sunaungi... unhe school chhodne aur lene jaungi... Sab sab kharab kar diya maine... CheeniDi ko kaise manayenge?

Woh toh bohot gussa ho jayengi... aur hona bhi chahiye...

Biren: Yeh toh sach mein bohot gadbad hogayi... Achha itna kuchh meri shadi ke bare mein, Meri Stri ke bare mein, mere bachchon ke bare mein socha tune... apne pati ke bare mein, bachcho ke bare mein bhi kuchh socha ke nahi... humm?

Mrinu: (Hid her face in his chest) Bukku Da...!!

Biren: Achha bata na koi hai kya? Koi pasand hai tujhe? Ya koi tujhe pasand karta hai kya?

Mrinu: Bukku Da... sachchi koi nahi hai.. Maine aisa nahi socha aur mujhe sochna bhi nahi hai... Mujhe shadi nahi karni...

Biren: (started laughing quietly and Mrinu looked up at him) Tujhse ekdum jhooth nahi bola jata hai... haina? Puchchki Shona ( he kissed her forehead) Tu kabhi mat badalna theek hai.. ( and his Mrinu nodded her head) Puchchu main agaya hu naa... ab main sab sambhal lunga... par pagli tujhe kaha tha na... Munshi uncle se jitna chahe utne paise lelena, woh tujhse koi sawal nahi karenge... Phir unko kyu nahi kaha paiso ke liye?

Mrinu: Main yaha nahi thi Bukku Da main Darjeeling ke paas ek chhote se gaon mein rehne chali gayi thi...

Biren: Oh achha isliye...(he kept running his hands through her still a bit wet long hair) Kiske kehne pe Shona... kisne kaha tha?

Mrinu: Bukku Da nahi bata sakti... (she looked very distressed)

Biren: ( smiled) Kisine tujhe meri kasam di hai...haina? (she nodded) Achha koi baat nahi mujhe pata hai... aur baki pata lag jayega sab.... Aur main dekh lunga...Bas jaisa main kahunga waise hi karna... aur yaha ghar mein kissi se koi baat nahi karni theek hai?

Mrinu: BukkuDa aap Cheeni Di se naraz nahi ho na ab? Woh toh achhi hai... unhone mujhe Bukku ke ilaj ke paise bhi dene ko kaha aaj. Aur aaj na main Munshi kaka wali baat bhul hi gayi thi. Aap unko manaloge haina?

Biren: Mrinu, duniya itni saaf aur seedhi nahi hai Puchchki... hum sab tere jaise hote toh kya baat thi... Yaha har insaan jaisa dikhta hai waisa hi ho zaruri nahi. Log tarah ke mukhote pehenke ghumte hai... aur meri Mrinu jaise udaar chitt logo ka faida uthate hai.

Mrinu: Bukku Da Nahi mera kisine koi faida nahi uthaya. Maine khud kaha ke main aisa karna chahti hu. Main toh humesha hi se aapka bachcho ko palna chahti thi. Par Bukku ke dil mein chhed tha toh mujhe dar lagta rehta tha ke woh mujhse akele sambhal payega ke nahi... Baba bhi yaha se jaane ke baad jaldi ki chale gaye. Toh Bukku ki parvarish mein kuchh kami reh gayi ho toh aap mujhe maaf kar dena Bukku Da.

Biren: Kuchh kami nahi rahi. Khud bhuke reh ke use khilaya hoga... 18 saal ki thi tu jab main gaya tha... school ke baad padhai chhod di hogi. Sara waqt usse sambhalne mein lagaya hoga... apni khane peene ki sudh budh bhi nahi rahi hogi tujhe... Aur fir tu mafi mang rahi hai Mrinu?... Itna achcha bhi hona bhi theek nahi. Par ab aisa nahi hoga tu aur bukku mere paas rahoge... aur main tum dono ka dhyan rakhunga...

Meri hi galati thi... mujhe tujhe akele chhodke nahi jana chahiye tha.

Mrinu: Nahi Bukku Da... main nahi hoti toh Bukku ka dhyan kon rakhta? Achha kiya aapne jo mujhe uske dekh bhal ke liye peechhe chhod diya...

Biren: Nahi Mrinu, Maine tujhe peechhe isliye nahi chhoda... Bachchi thi tu, aur main shayad khud pe bharosa nahi kar pa raha tha.... Galati ki... Bohot badi galati... Ab soja chup chap...

Mrinu: Bukku Da aap upar so jao, main pair daba deti hu... phir main so jaungi.

Biren: aaj pairo mein dard nahi hoga... aaj toh mujhe meri Mrinu mili hai... aaj waise hi achhi neend aayegi... Tu bas mujhe yahi sone de... theek hai... (and she nodded yes, like she always did)