MishBir: The Fight Ends

For better or worse

Meenakshi demand is followed by silence. Everyone is too shocked to react. Is this the same Meenakshi who would always say that Abir and Kunal should always be together?
Just as this thought crossed Abir's mind, he realises this is just another manipulation by Meenakshi.
Abir- Ek aapki ek aur scheme hai na.. just one more way ki mai aapke control mai rahu? Kitni baar aap Kunal ko use karenge to control me? Kab tak?
Meenakshi- Tumhe jo samajhna hai samajh lo. Ye mera aakhri faisla hai.

Nanu- Bass karr Meenu, Bass kar. Kya tu abhi tak samaj nahi paayi ki kya karr rahi hai tu? Tu sahi nahi hai Meenu. Tu galat hai. Teri zidd galat hai.

Meenu- NAHI! MAI SAHI HO! CHAHE Abir aur Kunal ye dekh nahi paaye, lekin mai sahi hoon!

Kunal- Maa..
He turns to Meenakshi and continues- Maa, aapke mere pe bahaut ehsaan hai. Chahe bhai pe ho na ho, mujhpe aur Parul Maa pe hai. Aur mai iss baat ko acche se samajhta hoon. Isiliye mai aapki baat manunga.. lekin meri bhi kuch sharte hai..

Meenakshi is stunned. She didn't expect this response.
Abir-. Nahi Kunal, tu aisa kuch nahi karega..
Kunal- Nahi bhai! Aaj tak aapne mujhe protect kiya hai aisi situation se. But mai aapko phir se mere liye sacrifice karne nahi de sakta.. Maa, meri pehli shart hai.. ki aap bhai aur bhabhi ki life mai interfere bilkul nahi karengi.
Meri dusri shart hai.. ki agar bhai ke saath  Parul Maa ya kisi aur ko iss ghar se jaana hai, toh aap unn sabko jaane dengi. Aap na unhe rokengi na kisi baat pe jhagda karengi..
Meri tesri shart, aapne mujhe harr baat manunga lekin sirf ek saal tak. Ek saal khatam hone pe, mera aur aapka rishta bhi khatam ho jaayega. Aapka mujhpe aur Parul Maa pe kiya hua harr ehsaan puri tarah se chukaya mana jaayega..
Toh boliye Maa, kya aapko meri sharte manzor hai?

Meenakshi is taken aback. She stays quite. A million questions and possibilities rushing to her mind. She had not foreseen this. She didn't know Kunal has the gusto to do something like this... 1 year.. 1 year would be more than sufficient time to use the wedge between Mishti and Kuhu to get Abir out of that marriage, especially if Abir and Kunal were not talking and couldn't resolve the issues between their wives. But could she live with the fact that she was asking Kunal to give up his brother? His lifeline? Could she be see Abir suffer without Kunal? But this would save her sons from future pain.. from spending their lives with the wrong people.. people like Mehul.. Yes, to protect her sons she could do anything.. even separate them..

Meenakshi- Theek hai Kunal.. tum ye chahte ho toh yehi sahi..
Abir- nahi.. Kunal listen to me..
Kunal- Nahi bhai.. ye decision mera hai. Shayad meri life ka pehla decision jo maine bilkul apne aap liya hai. Isiliye nahi ki aap mujhse gussa hai, ya maa ne kuch kaha, ya kisi aur ke kehne pe.. ye sirf mera decision hai. Please mere decision ki respect kariye..

Abir- Maa, mera bhai aaj sach mai bada ho gaya, isliye mai usse kuch nahi keh sakta.. lekin aapko keh sakta hoon. Agar aapne aisa kiya toh aap mujhe humesha ke liye kho dengi. Please Maa, aisa Matt kariye!

Meenu- Abhi tak toh mujhe maa bulana bhi sharmnayak tha tumhare liye.. phir kya ho gaya? Jo bhi ho, accha hai ki tumhe yaad toh hai ki tum MERE bete ho! Vaise maine kuch nahi kya hai..jaisa tumne kahan, ye decision Kunal ka hai. Tum chaho toh abhi ghar laut jaao aur mai ye sab bhul jaaungi. Sab normal ho jaayega.
Kunal- Nahi! Nahi bhai!
Abir- I am sorry Kunal, lekin mujhe ye karna hi hoga. Don't you see, voh jeet chuki hai. Mai jo bhi karun usme meri haar hi hai..
Kunal- Bhai, I know, mai jo decision le raha hoon voh kitna difficult hone wala hai.. but please Bhai.. support me? Har baar ki tarah? Please.
Abir is in tears.. seeing the futility of persuing this further, Meenakshi leaves hoping to return when people have cooled down.
Kunal approachs Mishti- Bhabhi.. Please, help me.. help me ki mai apni problem khud solve karr saku.. ki mai phir se Bhai pe depend na hoon. Iss ek saal tak sirf you can help me.. so please Mishti?
Kunal folds his hands before Mishti
Mishti is shocked.. she looks at Abir who looks away as if having no reply for her. She turns towards Badi Maa, who nods at her.
Mishti takes Kunal's folded hands in her hands and promises him that she will help him in every possible way.
As tears which have been running for a while start to dry the atmosphere of the house reaches an eerie calm.