Ishq Barse- A PreRish OS-18+

Ishq Barse

Clouds stormed over Darjleeing's mountains, the evening brought a promise of rain and thunder all through the night. Destiny was also brewing a storm along with nature and two souls who should be one were oblivious. One had come to the mountains to seek refuge a year ago and other has come after running for a year for comfort. Their paths were about to cross again. Though husband and wife, they could not possibly be more of strangers, such was the plight of their silent love. Sometimes initiative needs to be taken and the words need to be said.

A year to date today when Anurag Basu, the man child of Basu Industries has lit a fire in his heart that has not subsided yet. For the first time in years, he was content. He had been married to Prerna for six months. To keep his promise to her he had kept all his animosity go for the Basus aside and she had taken charge of his daughter as if she was the one who gave birth to her. They were inseparable. Three months into Prerna's care Kuki has said her first word, which along with happiness had made him green with envy. She had said, "Mamma," during breakfast. Prerna had hugged her and cried, a proud smile was plastered on her face the entire day.

Later that night, after dinner, when he told her how jealous he was that Kuki's first word was Mamma, she had just laughed and said, "Mother's are special for daughters, Mr. Bajaj. She is definitely your princess, you come into sight the world fades for her but mothers are simply the lifeline. She will tell you all of her problems but come to me for comfort and peace." His wife was very happy that night, "Did you hear how sweet her voice is?"Prerna had asked with giddy excitement. That was the first night they had a real conversation. They were slowly transitioning their relationship from parents to man and wife when Junior Basu, in a misguided attempt to ruin his business has killed that budding relationship. He had made sure Basus paid for that mistake but Junior Basu did ruin him in a way. He managed to take away his contentment. In the end, he served her divorce papers and she left him without a word.

So here, he was a year later trying to find some peace on a tea estate in Darjeeling. The clouds thundered as he walked along the lines of tea plants. He looked up and mentally scoffed at the sky after all the storm that was brewing above him was minuscule compared to the one he had been carrying in his heart for a year. In the end, he had fallen in love with her and she had just picked up and left. No message, no note, no trace. She was there and then she wasn't. Lost in his thoughts he did not look before turning onto the path from the plants and bumped into his life.

Yeh mulaqat phir nahi hogi

Aisay badal toh phir bhi ayen ge

Aisi barsaat phir nahi hogi

Raat un ko bhi yun hua mehsoos

Jaise yeh raat phir nahi hogi

Ek nazar mur ke dekhne wale

Kya ye khairaat phir ni hogi

Thundering skies were nothing compared to the argument she just had with the farm supervisor, Prerna thought looking at his retreating back. He was an archaic, egotistical man who felt insulted to be bossed by a woman. Too bad for him, she had learned to maneuver and negotiate from the best, her husband. Prerna took the job of estate manager about a year ago when the man called Rishabh Bajaj had killed every reason for her to live. Initially, he was angry that she had not trusted him to take care of his family and went to beg Anurag, her lover for mercy. Mr. Bajaj's wrath burned everything that had the name Basu attached to it. She wanted him to have mercy but not for Basus sake but for his. Rage was a monster and she did not want it to consume the man she loved.

The Rishabh Bajaj that the world feared had shown her respect, listened to her fears and assured her for the future. Anurag had become a faded memory the day Kuki had said Mamma for the first time. She could not pinpoint the moment she fell in love with her husband, it was so gradual that she did not even realize it was happening until it had consumed her entirely. He always put her needs before her and she had hoped that maybe he would see the woman as well as he sees the mother. But her hopes were squashed, at the first sign of doubt he had served her divorce papers. How was it possible that the man was both her pain and comfort?