Ardent Lovers

The Wanderer's Home - 1

Scene - Meenakshi berates Mishti for not giving the cards that had to be taken to Varun's place to Abir. 

With tears streaming down her face, Mishti ran up to her room after everyone rebuked her for her irresponsible behavior. As she reached the room, she fell on the bed, crying heavily. Their accusations rang in her ears. 

"Tumhari galti ki wajah se Nirmalaji ko yeh lagta hai ki hum yeh shaadi taalna chahte hai"

"Galti ek baar hoti hai, do baar hoti hai. Jo baar baar hoti hai usse galti nahi aadat kehte hai."

"Inn dono ne toh soch hi liya hai ki meri Ketu ki shaadi tabah karke hi dum lenge, bas."

"Tune ek hi baar mei apne maayke walo ki aur sasuraal walo ki naak hi katva ke rakh di."

"Yeh.. yeh sab me.. meri wajah se ho raha hai. Mei.. mei jab se iss ghar mei aa.. aayi hu, sa.. sab galat ho raha hai. Sa.. sab mujhse naraaz hai. Me.. Mei ek.. ek kaam thik se na.. nahi kar pa rahi hu. Ab.. Abir bhi meri wajah se kit.. kitna pareshaan hai. Sa.. sab meri galti hai. It's all my fault," she sniffled. 

In the hall

Abir returned from Varun's house. Silence prevailed in the atmosphere at the Rajvansh Sadan. A kind of silence that troubled Abir. Abir noticed Parul Masi in the kitchen and was walking towards her when he heard Jasmeet Chachi take Mishti's name. He stood behind the pillar to eavesdrop on Kuhu and Jasmeet Chachi's conversation. "Aaj toh very good hogaya Kuhu. Uss muhboli ko Meenakshiji ne kya sunaya hai. Vaise bhi woh isi ke laayak hai. Aise kaise woh teri jagah le sakti hai iss ghar mei. Aakhir teen mahino tak tune iss ghar ko akele sambhala hai," Jasmeet said as a matter of fact. "Haa Chachi. Acha hai aapne mujhe woh cards ka bag churakar Maa ko uski complaint karne ka idea de dia. Isse meri image Maa ki aakhon mei achi ban gayi aur woh Mishti, usse toh Maa already pasand nahi karti hai. Aur aaj unhe Mishti ko hate karne ka ek aur reason mil gaya. #PerfectPlan," Kuhu boasted.

Abir couldn't believe his ears. His body burnt in rage. He despised himself for not being able to protect Mishti from the people who were always ready to pounce on her. How could people in this house stoop so low? Just because Mishti didn't say a single word against any of them, they thought they had the right to treat her like crap? No, he wouldn't let anyone treat his wife as their personal punching bag. As much as he wanted to chide Kuhu for her immature behavior, looking for Mishti was far more important. He was very well aware about Mishti's state of mind, given what she has been going through. Without wasting another second, he sprinted up to his room. 

He found the door of his room open. He rushed inside only to witness that the room was empty. He checked the washroom but Mishti wasn't there too. All the worst kind of thoughts plagued his mind.

"Kuch bhi mat soch Abir. Mishti thik hogi. Woh yahi kahi hogi," he tried to reassure himself, but that didn't put his worries to rest. He dashed out of his room only to bump into Parul Masi.

"Sorry Masi," he apologized hurriedly and was about to leave when she stopped him. "Ruko Abir. Kya hua hai? Tum itni jaldbaazi mei kaha jaa rahe ho? Aur itne pareshaan kyu ho?" she inquired. Ignoring her question, Abir asked, "Aapne Mishti ko kahi dekha hai?" Masi furrowed her eyebrows and replied, "Nahi Abir. Abhi thodi der pehle toh woh apne kamre ki aur aayi thi. Uske baad maine usse nahi dekha. Hua kya hai Abir?" Abir's behavior was making her worried. "Masi mei aapko sab baadmei batata hu. Abhi Mishti ko dhundhna jyada important hai," he said and bolted from there. 

Abir had looked for Mishti in every corner of the house. But to his dismay, she was nowhere to be found. Abir was getting anxious by the second. His mind was filled with all the awful things that could happen to Mishti, given her condition and the way she must have been blamed in his absence. Just as he stepped out of the house, he saw Jugnu coming from somewhere.