Unspoken Past (Completed)

"Vo Nahi Aayegi"

Pari was pacing the floor of an open terrace speaking on her mobile.
Pari: Kya kaha tune mummy se ke tu nhi aayegi?? Tu mere shaadi me nhi aayegi. Ha tu ab bahot badi ban gayi hai na. Tu mere shaadi me kaisi aa sakti hai. Tu mat aa. Jaane de mai shaadi he nhi karti. Adi ko bol deti hu kisi aur se kar le shaadi. Nahi muje kuch nhi sunna. Muje tujse baat he nhi karni.
She disconnected the call. She was furious now. Maa came along.
Maa: Pari kya hua hai beta?? Tu itne kyu pareshaan lag rahi hai??
Pari: Maa vo Sana bol rahi hai vo nhi aayegi. Vo mere functions nhi attend karegi. Bolti hai direct udaipur shaadi ke leye aaungi. Kuch na kuch bahana bana rahi hai.
Maa: Pata nhi kya hua hai is ladki ko. Mumbai aane ka naam he nhi leti. Jab bhi kaho bahana kar deti hai. Pehle to har chutti me bhagi chali aati the.
Pari didn't say anything. She knew the reason. And the reason came walking threw the open doors to the terrace. All tall, dark and handsome. Mr Siddharth Shulka. A popular and most loved celebrity in the TV & film industry. He had just returned from spain, where he did a travel show. It was a big hit. This was his big brother. His cousin. The most humble, the most wise, the most loving one. And she was closest to him. And Sana her other cousin. These two had a past. A past which had left Sana bitter. And Sid quiet. He has never been the happy go lucky one, since after that summer vacation nine years ago.
Sid: Maa chale?? Chachi kaha hai??
Maa: Aa rahi hai??
Sid: Kya hua?? Kuch problem hai kya?? Itne tension me kyu ho tum dono??
Maa: Are kuch nhi. Sana yaha Mumbai ke functions attend karne ke leye nhi aa rahi hai. Kehti hai kuch kaam hai. Pata nhi yeh ladki ko hua kya hai. Kitna bhi bulaao aati he nhi.
Pari looked at Sid. He looked away. A sad smile on his face.
Reet came along.
Reet: Chale didi?? Kya hua??
Pari: Kuch nhi aap log jaakar aao. Baad me baat karte hai.
Maa: Ha thek hai. Aur yeh viju kaha hai??
Reet: Yeh ladka na sab ko late karvaayega.
Viju came running.
Viju: Chalo chalo. Kitna late karte ho aap log.
Pari: Viju tu yaha late pahucha hai. Sab wait kar rahe hai.
Viju: O madam. Tere shaadi ke shopping bags uthane mai jaa raha hu. Coolie banake rakha hai sab ne
Sid: Viju....
Viju: Sorry bhai.
Pari: Agar muje mere saas ke sath na jaana hota, to tere mehrabani kabhi na lati. Ek to yeh Sana ne mood off kar diya.
Reet: Sana ka call aaya tha??
Maa: Pari tu fikar mat kar. Mai usse baat karti hu. Vo aayegi. Siddharth chale??
Sid didn't hear Maa as he was lost in thoughts.
Maa: Kaha kho gaya beta?? Chal??
Sid: Ha chalo....bye.
He looked at Pari, smiled and left.
     Sana came out of the studio and sat in the car. Pari was very angry with her. She was hurt. Should she go?? But how can she. It's been nine years, but it still hurt. The wound on her heart was still afresh. But then why was she punishing Pari for it?? She was elder to her and had always pampered Sana. Sana has stopped going to Mumbai, so Pari would come to meet her all the way to Punjab. This was Pari. Her favourite cousin. But then she will have to meet him. Face him. It was too embarrassing. She had gone that memory lane almost everyday in past nine years and it was still too painful. But she will have to think about going to Mumbai, because Pari has disconnected the call in anger. Her cool and composed cousin was angry. She will have to give it a thought. She will have to go.
     "Vo nahi aayegi" Sid knew she won't come. She doesn't want to see him. She hates him to the core. He knew it and it hurts. After so many years it still hurts. But he had done the right thing. He had to do it. He still remember her face, her pain from that day. She was hurt. Very hurt. Summer vacations. They were the best. Sana. Beautiful Sana. She was sixteen years old that summer. Beautiful, funny, naive, innocent and full of life. He would feel happy when she was around. She is twenty five now. The most beautiful girl, he has ever seen. His heart starts beating faster when he sees her pic on insta or snapchat. She is rare beauty. She is sexy....
Reet: Siddharth kaha khoya hai?? Kuch pucha maine tujse.
Sid: Jee chachi. Kaho na.
Reet: Maine kaha, ab hame teri bhi shaadi ka sochna hai. Sheetal acchi ladki hai. Agar tu usse shaadi karna chahta hai, to hame koi problem nhi.....
Sid: Ek minute, ek minute. Yeh acchanak meri shaadi ke baat kaha se aayi. Ek shaadi sir pe hai. Usse nipta lete hai pehle. Aur aap logo ko reh reh kar meri shaadi kyu yaad aati hai??
Maa: Siddharth tere umar ke ladko ki shaadi ho kar abhi unke bacche hai.. 37 years ka hai tu.
Reet: Siddharth bas kar ab. Tuje jab bhi pucho tera koi na koi bahaana hota hai. Tu sooch le nhi to hum dundte hai tere leye.
Sid: Maa chachi tum dono ko kya ho gaya hai aaj??
Maa: Siddharth Reet thek keh rahi hai. Agar teri koi pasand hai to bata. Nahi to humme bol.
Viju: Bhai aap karlo to mera rasta clear ho jaayega.
Sid: Ha isse ke kar do. Muje baksh do aap log.
Reet: Chup kar Viju. Bol Siddharth??
Sid: Ab aap log chup karte ho, ya mai aap sab ko yaha raste me utaar du?? Har char mahine baad aap logo ka shuru ho jaata hai. Nahi karni muje shaadi. Ghar me dusre bacche hai na karva do sab ki. Muje nhi karni hai.
     They all went quiet. His head was aching now. He stopped the car in front of the mall.
Sid: Maa, chachi aap logo ka ho jaaye to muje call karo. Mai aa jaaunga lene.
Reet: Ok.
Sid returned home. He went directly to his room. Opened his cupboard. He removed a box from the lower shelf and took it to his bed. He sat and picked an envelope from the bottom of the box. Slid the photos out from the envelope. These were the most precious memories from his past. Hidden away in an envolpe and in the far corner of his heart. This pic was the one when they went to Gateway of India. The photographer has insisted and they had let him click. They both looking at each other, smiling. The other one was his favorite. He had hugged her tight and she was looking up at her, their eyes meeting. And one was a photo, when they all had gone to matheran. Something had gone in Sana's eyes and he has taken her face in his hand and looking in her eyes. This was clicked by one of their friend. He has slowly stolen it away when nobody was watching. He had always kept this pics with him. Sometimes the urge to watch them were so urgent that he would rush home from wherever he was to see them. He would take them with him, wherever he went out of town. He felt foolish sometimes, but would give some logical reasoning to himself.
Sana had finished her packing. She has booked a flight for tomorrow. She was going. She had to. Pari was upset. And Sana can't let that happened. She loved Pari too much and she can spare fifteen days for her. Which means she will have to see him. Meet him. Face him. But she have to. She can handle it. She is a mature adult now. Not some naive teenager. She will face him bravely. She knew she can handle it. Can she?? Yes you can, you idiot. She scolded herself. She heard her phone buzz. It was from Maa. Maa. One of her favorite person.
Sana: Accha to aapko beti ke yaad aa he gayi. Muje laga aap bhul gayi muje.
Maa: Tuje ek thappad maarungi mai. Yeh dialogue to mera hai. Aur mai yeh kya sun rahi hu?? Tune Reet aur Pari ko kaha tu yaha nhi aa rahi hai?? Sana bahot ho gaya hai tera nakhra. Ab agar tu nhi aayi to mai bahot naaraaz ho jaaungi.
Sana: Par Maa...
Maa: Par var kuch nhi. Agar tuje meri parvah hai to tu aayegi.
Maa disconnected the call. Sana had decided she will surprise them all by reaching tomorrow. She had told mummy and papa to not tell anyone. Her parents will be coming directly to udaipur as bijee was not well. Shehbaaz was coming later. So it was only her.
Sid was sitting on the terrace. He was feeling very restless today. He had heard Maa speak to Sana. He felt someone coming, turned to see Pari walking through the doorway.
Pari: Yaha kyu baite ho??
Sid: Aise he.
Pari: Tum thek ho??
Sid: Haa thek hu.
Pari: Sana ke baare me....
Sid: Pari vo nahi aayegi.
Pari: Aur agar aa gayi to??
Sid: Nahi vo nhi aayegi. Mai jaanta hu ke tu uska wait kar rahi hai. Par naa aaye to he accha hai.
Pari: Kyu??
Sid: Pari the pain and hate in her eyes that night are still embarked in my heart. I don't have the courage to see the same in her eyes again.
Pari: Par bhai vo yaha nhi to shaadi me to aayegi he na??
Sid: Pata hai muje. I don't know what to do.
Pari: Bhai what do you feel for Sana??
Sid laughed out aloud.
Sid: Chod vo mat puch. Muje nhi pata.
Pari: You have a girl friend bhai. You have been having so many girlfriends for past years.Yeh kar kya rahe ho aap?? You say, you don't know what you feel for Sana. But I know you feel strongly for her. Chal kya raha hai bro. Muje tum dono ka kuch samaj nhi aata.
Sid: Tu samaj ne ke koshish bhi mat kar. Nahi samaj aayegi kisiko.
Pari: Bhai, Sheetal is a very nice girl. Mature, sophisticated. All you need at this point in your life. And I think she loves you.
Sid: Hmmm.
Pari: Hmm kya hota. Jawaab to do.
Sid: Jawaab mil jaayega to bata dunga. Chal goodnight. Neend aa rahi hai.
Pari: Aap puri raat nhi sooyoge ab. Yeh muje pata hai. Ab situation se bhagna hai vo alag baat hai.
Sid: Goodnight
Sid walked off laughing.