Bliss - Pranbir SS (Completed)

Chapter 3

"I missed you too, Ranbir." Prachi replied slowly, looking straight into his eyes.

Tremendous joy erupted in Ranbir's eyes. His face broke into a huge smile, his heart finally getting the answer to that nagging thought which haunted him for a whole week.

Prachi was watching him intensely, as if she was contemplating something. Looking away, she closed her eyes, trying to end to the storm of thoughts inside her. Eventually opening her eyes, she turned to look at him & whispered slowly, each word costing her.

"Ma & papa parted ways when I was only 2 days old, just after the death of my elder sister."

Ranbir froze for a second at unforeseen declaration. After a while, he reached for her hand, comprehending the unspoken plea in her eyes. Holding her palm securely in his, he nodded at her once, wordlessly asking to continue. Prachi, gripping his hand tightly, accepted the much needed support which he never failed to provide & started speaking in low voice.

"We went to Hoshiarpur & started living with Beeji, my Nani's cousin. Ghar mein hum bus hum 3 hi log rehte the, 2 saal tak. Sometimes Beeji's daughter, Simar Masi & her family used visit us. Those were the only relatives I had known."

"One day, we got news that Simar Masi & her husband met with an accident. They couldn't make it. And their 1 year old daughter, Shahana, came to live with us. My loneliness vanished as I got a sister & friend. Humara ek chota sa pyara sa parivar ban gaya. I was happy." Prachi said, smiling at the last part. But her features changed & she looking away before carrying on, getting lost in past.

"Par jaise mein badi hoti gayi, dheere dheere mujhe ma ki pareshaniya samaj mein aane lagi. Our financial condition was not so good. Ma used to teach in a school, with a small salary. I saw her struggling every day to fulfill our needs. I started thinking about how to lessen her burden."

"Mujhe padhayi humesha se pasand thi, teacher ki beti jo hoon. Jab mujhe 1st standard mein scholoraship mili to uske sath ek rasta bhi mil gaya, maa ki help karne ka. I thought 'agar mujhe har saal aise hi scholarship mili, to maa ko meri padhayi par koi kharcha nahi karna padega', and then I started studying harder, automatically getting closer to books & distancing from people. I never had many friends, didn't needed too, maa aur Shahana jo the mere paas. Humara chota sa parivar hi mere liye sab kuch ban gaya." Prachi completed & turned to him.

Looking at the tears of her pain in Ranbir's eyes, Prachi hastily started to speak again to assure him.

"No, no, I didn't have bad childhood. Maa is a very strong woman & she is the best mother in the world. Ek single mom hote hue bhi, unhone sab kuch itne acche se handle kiya hain, ki I feel so proud of her. Unhone koyi kami nahi rakhi humari paravarish mein. Jitni bhi mushkilein aayi, unhone humesha datkar samna kiya. Humein har situation mein khush rehena sikhaya. That's why she is my role model. I have a small, sweet n loving family, but incomplete one."

"I always used to think how my life would have been, if we were living with Papa n my whole family. Maa told me that ours is a very big joint family. Mein pehle pehle bohot sawal puchcha karti thi maa se Papa ke bare mein, humari family ke bare mein. Maa mere sawalo ka kuch javab to de deti thi, par baad mein udas ho jati, kabhi kabhi roti bhi thi. I used to miss my family so much, even though I had never met any of them. I craved to be with them, but never showed it to maa, because it would make her sad. So, I stopped asking her about them, also never talked to Shahana about anything. I kept all this to myself." Prachi's emotions, which were always kept well hidden in her heart, were now pouring through words, just like the water overflowing from a broken dam.

"Ma always says that Papa is not a bad person, situation was unfavorable, so they got separated. She doesn't want me to hate him, or blame him or have any bad feelings towards him. Main koshish karti hoon, par phir bhi kabhi kabhi mujhe ye sochkar gussa aa hi jata hai ki unhone humein aise akele chod diya, kabhi humein dhoondh ne ki ya humara haalchal janane ki koshish bhi nahi ki. Bura lagta hain ki, jinhe humari koyi parva nahin hain unke liye, aaj bhi maa roti hain, unka intezar karti hain, unhe yaad karke udas ho jati hain. Nafrat nahi karti mein papa se, par haan, naraaz jaroor hoon. Hajar sawal hain mere mann mein, jinka javab sirf wohi de sakte hain. Main milna chahti hoon unse, janna chahti hoon jo bhi wajah hain unke humse door rehne ki, samajhana chahti hoon unhe, par maa nahi chahti ki mein unse milun. Aur mein maa ko hurt karna nahi chahti." Ranbir squeezed her hand gently, understanding her plight.

"Mujhe pata hain ki maa khud bhi papa se milna chahti hain, apni choti beti ko dekhna chahti hain. Haan, meri ek judwa behen hai, jo papa ke saath rehti hain. I know like me, maa is also yearning for them, so I decided that I will try to find them, secretly. Shahana ko batane ka koi sawal hi nahi tha, kyonki uske pet mein koi baat nahi rehti." Prachi said with a frown & Ranbir grinned at that.

"Mujhe to papa ke bare mein kuch bhi pata nahin hain, unka ka naam bhi nahi, sirf itna maloom hain ki wo Delhi mein rehte the. So I decided to start my search from there. I needed a valid reason to come to stay in Delhi & I got it through my passion for studies. I wanted to study further after graduation which was not possible in Hoshiarpur. I tried with everything I got to obtain the scholarship from college in Delhi & I succeeded. My prayers were answered. Maa was reluctant at first. Convincing her was a herculean task. But I didn't give up, Shahana helped too. And at last, she agreed, after a lot of cajoling."

Ranbir was quietly listening to her, trying to absorb everything.

Prachi resumed looking ahead, "Then my journey to Delhi started, the journey which changed my life drastically. I met Mehra Sir first, aur unse milke aisa laga jaise mein unhe humesha se janti hoon. I felt an instant connection with him. He was the father I always wished for. Trusting me in every sitaution, supporting me, guiding me & helping me in all my problems without having any relation. I can't thank my starts enough for sending him in my life."

"My desire for a big family also got fulfilled when I met your family. I felt like it is my own family I am meeting, actually they made me feel like I am also a part of their family. Dasi, your Dida, cute loving dadis, always showering love on me like I am also their own grand-child. Purab sir, silent but caring, Vikram sir, responsible yet jolly, Pallavi aunty, affectionate & charming, all were so welcoming. & Aryan, he is like a sweet, kind-hearted brother, who I always wanted. Main to lafzon mein bata hi nahi sakti ki mujhe kitna accha lagta hain inn sabse milkar."

"Despite dislike of Rhea & Aliya aunty, even after so many bad incidents happening with me inthere, I always feel strange pull towards Mehra Mension. I love vising your house so much, it feels like home." Prachi concluded with a small smile, causing Ranbir to chuckle.

Ha was very much delighted perceiving her strong attachment with his family. But one agonizing realization faltered his smile. She didn't even mention him once.

Prachi glanced at him after sometime, coming out of her reverie.

"Of course, I met you too in Delhi." She uttered, giving him a hope in one moment & shattering it in the next.

"You were the perfect example of a person whom I detested the most."

To Be Continued...