Ekansh:
I was following her from Gurudwara but I missed her car. It just disappeared from my eyes. I tried to call her but I didn't find her car even out of her dormitory building. She didn't lift it as usual.
I went back home and asked Gurpreet, "Can you call Ruhi for once?"
"Actually, Pra ji. Badi Maa called me a few minutes ago and informed me that Ruhi Parjai went to Ludhiana."
"Ludhiana?" I asked quite shocked. She was in front of me a few hours ago and now in Ludhiana. "Did Maa say why Ruhi is in Ludhiana?"
"Sajjan Dadaji's health is critical. He can lose his life anytime, so he called her." My eyes widened in shock. Dadaji came here to spend his last days with Ruhi but my stupidity messed the things. If anything will happen to him, Ruhi will break down. I should be near her.
"I am going to Ludhiana too."
***
When I reached manor around midnight, everyone were sobbing in eachother arms. Watching the scenario I interpreted that Dadaji is no more. But where is Ruhi?
I met my Maa's gaze. Her eyes turned to a blazing glare. She strolled towards me. "What are you doing here, Ekansh?"
"Can't I come, Maa?"
"No. And no one called you." Her words showed distaste for me, "So, get out of here."
"Where is Ruhi, Maa?" I asked as I hadn't seen her anywhere.
"I don't think, she wants to see you, Ekansh."
"Wo humse naraz hai bas. Hum maafi mang lenge unse, Maa. Lekin Kahan hai wo?" (She is upset with me. I want to apologize to her. Tell me, maa, where she is?)
Papaji's eyes fell upon me and even others glanced at me one by one. None of them approached me. I deserve this but I want to see her for once.
"I hope she had slept by now?" I heard her tauji saying to Ruhi's cousin. "if we get papaji, we can prepare him for..." He trailed off and sobbed.
"Maa, please bataiye hume ki Ruhi Kahan hai?" When she didn't respond. I caught her hand and knelt in front of her. "Maa, my mistake is unforgivable but Ruhi is my soul." (Maa, please tell me, where is Ruhi?)
"I don't trust you, Ekansh. You kept us all in the dark all these days. Even Ruhi..."
"Ruhi..." I began at a low volume. Feeling guilty, I didn't lift my head and responded, "She knew about her from the beginning." She pulled her hands out of my grip and a hard slap landed on my cheek.
"Aapne bhut takleef diya hai us masoom ko, Ekansh. Kitna apne dard ko chupa rakha tha unho ne kuch ehsas hai apko." She yelled at me. (You had hurt that innocent girl so much, Ekansh. Are you aware of how she hid her pain?)
"I am sorry, Maa!" She turned showing her back to me.
But my dada ji spoke from beside, "She is in Sajjan's bedroom. She is not accepting that he..." he sobbed, "...that her dadu has left us alone." I stood up.
"I want to meet her, Dadaji."
"Kaunse rishte se?" Maa asked piping in. "You are not her husband, now?"
"Our divorce didn't happen, Maa. I am still her husband."
She snorted her nose and shook her head.
Eventually, they let me see her. When I reached Dadaji's room, she slept beside her dadu. Akriti Di and Iklav Jiju were sitting in armchairs, keeping an eye on her.
Someone switched on the lights and the moment I saw Ruhi's pale face, my heart squeezed and for a moment I was lacking oxygen.
My eyes turned wet but soon I got rid of the tears by wiping my eyes. They took her dadaji away from her even though she held his hand tightly.
They walked away, controlling their sobs. I was left alone with Akriti Di. She stared at me. "Di!" I whispered. She wiped her tears.
"Ruhi ke sath hi Aisa kyun kiya apne, Ekansh. Jab apke Dil mei koi aur hi haiâ"
"âthi, ab koi hai toh sirf, Ruhi hai." I cut her off, interrupting her.
Nodding her head, she expressed, "I saw love in your eyes for her but still you both are in this situation."
"Can I stay here?" I requested, then I assured her, "I will not touch her or wake her up. I will only watch her." She huffed.
"Just be careful. Don't let her know about your presence. Dadaji's death impact is so high that she doesn't want to listen that Dadaji is no more."
"Did she cry?"
"No. Not even a single tear passed from her eyes, since his death. She was alone with him when it happened. They were conversing happily and it took place."
I inhaled deeply feeling pain in my chest why did she have to go through it? First her parents and now her dadu.
My cheeks filled up with tears. I sat on the couch and stared at her constantly. She was sound asleep. In the middle of the night, I stood up and went to cherish her hair.
My maa came to look at us. She intermittently glanced at me and her. "Did she wake up?" She asked, staring at Ruhi.
"No!"
"You can go. I will look after her."
I stood in front of her and responded pointing at Ruhi, "Kider Jaye Maa. Humari duniya aur humari Jaan toh yahan hai." (Where should I go? My world and life are in her.)
Nodding her head, she left the room silently.
After a couple of hours, when the clock struck 8 in the morning, Akriti di returned. By now Sajjan Dadaji was made ready for his cremation.
"I have to wake her up so that she can have a final glimpse of Dadaji."
Nodding my head, I walked out of the room and stood outside.
But I heard their conversation. The impact her Dadu's death left on her was so much disheartening.
"He will come back from the walk, Until he comes, I will sit here. Then I will scold him. Why does he do this every time? Achi se dand lagayenge unki ab." She spoke not accepting the fact of her Dadu's death.
"You are not understanding, Ruhi!" I heard Di's words. "Dadu left us all. He will never come back."
"He will come. I know he will!' She replied confidently.
Whoever approached her she said the same. Neither she climbed down from his bed nor did she accept the fact of his death.
I went to have a final glimpse of Sajjan Dadaji. Even in that condition, I had no backbone to look at his face. I lowered my head and knelt near his legs.
I recalled the days, I used to visit Ludhiana and how Sajjan Dadaji respected me cause I was gonna be his favourite granddaughter's future husband.
"I am sorry, Dadaji. For disrespecting your decision and hurting you. But I promise that I will keep Ruhi happy. I will never break her heart." I whispered and cried. My big brother approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
I stood up and hugged him.
After a few minutes, her elder cousin spoke, "Ruhi is not coming down. She is still denying the truth."
Four hours have passed. If she does not see this, she will remain with that thought forever. Her life will stop their itself. I have to do something.
"I will get her!" I announced.
"Butâ" Maa objected.
"Maa, I know you care about her. I will only bring her down. She should see this and cry. If she does not, she will suffer from psychological disorders."
"Bahu, let him go." My dadaji voiced, permitting me.
Ruhi:
I hate everyone. Dadu can never leave me without informing me. He does everything with my permission. I know he will come back. He might have got some urgent work in the fields, that's why he is getting late.
I felt steps approaching me once again. And this time, I felt Him. I stared at the window, having no interest in looking at his face.
"Meri Jaan!"
How dare he call me that?
"Ruhi!" He touched my arm. I pulled away from him.
"Go away from here!" I muttered.
"I will not!" He argued. I turned around and glared at him. Even his eyes appeared like everyone's. Red and swollen.
"Get out of my house, Ekansh. You are not allowed to step inside my house. Who let you in."
"Ruhi!" He pulled me in a hug.
"Chodo Hume!" I yelled at him but he didn't let me.
"Neither will I leave you nor will I step out of this house," He declared, stubbornly.
"Who the hell are you to demand in front of me?" I yelled at him. Climbing down the bed, I grabbed his hand. "I will throw you out of this house and even my life."
I dragged him out of the room, then strolled down the steps. But when I saw people dressed in white and sobbing, my steps halted. Everyone's gaze fell upon me.
I left his hand and moved to the centre, where my Dadu was covered with flowers.
"What's going on here?' I whisper-asked. "Why did you all put flowers on him?"
I shook my Dadu's body. "Dadu! Wake up!" I glanced at everyone. "Stop crying. Why are you all acting as if..." I trailed off. I started to pull the flowers from his body.
But someone grabbed my hands, stopping me. When my eyes fell upon the owner of the hands, I tried to pull my hands from his grip. "Chodo!" I demanded.
"Nahi chodenge! And everyone came here to give their final prayer for your Dadu, Ruhi."
I pulled my hand and slapped him. "How dare you?"
"Ruhiâ" I heard Maa's voice.
"He is dead, Ruhi," Ekansh replied, cutting me off. I slapped him again. "You are a doctor right." He pulled me back to my dadu and made me feel his pulse. "Can you feel his pulse?"
I pulled my hand and shook my head as I didn't want to believe what everyone was saying.
Ekansh grabbed my chin and tilted my face towards him. "He lost his life. He is dead. And you have to accept it." I tried to turn my face away from him but his grip was strong around my chin. I started to punch his chest.
"You are lying. Everyone is lying." My eyes started to blur. "He will wake up and call me Ladoo Rani." When his grip loosened I pulled away and moved to my dadu. I sat beside him. "Dadu, you never did any...any!" A weird tightening feeling developed around my throat. "Why now?" Tears flew out of my eyes. "Why now, dadu? Why didn't you tell me about this? Ap ne bhi dhoka dediya na Aaj Hume."(Even you betrayed me)
I screamed sobbing and crying at the top of my lungs. "Aap sabse bade dhokebaaz nikle." I screamed out. (You are the biggest cheater!)
"Ruhi!" Tauji approached me and pulled me in a hug. I cried over his shoulder. After he pulled away, he mentioned, "We have to take him for cremation."
"No. No. No." I went and hugged my Dadu. "Don't take him. Let him speak with me for once. He will never go anywhere without informing me. Hume aise adhura chodkar kyun chale gaye aap."(How can you leave me alone?)
I felt a pair of hands on my waist. I whirled and punched Ekansh's chest back to back. "Bola tha humne apko, Ekansh. Aur apne wada bhi kiya ki aap khayal Karoge unka."(Didn't I tell you, Ekansh. That he looks weak. And you promised me that you would take care of his health)
"I am sorry. Ruhi!"
"No forgiveness, this time." I punched again.
My cousins stood up and lifted my Dadu's body. "Don't take him," I screamed, running towards him. But Ekansh held me tight. I lost the power to stand on my feet. Everything appeared blurred to me. I rested my head on Ekansh's chest and closed my eyes.
I barely remember Ekansh calling my name before I lost consciousness.