6| Afsana

🪞 Ho gayiyan khatawan tae sog raas aagaya

Nange per firdi nu jog raas aagaya🪞

"Uncle yeh galat hai. Sari zindagi Abhi ne wahi kiya jo aap chahte hai. Apni shaadi ka faisla lene ka haq hai usse." Krishna spoke in the favour of his best friend.

Uncle this is wrong. All his life he's been doing as you asked. He's got the right to decide who he should marry.

"Krishna tum jante nahi ho ke Ahlawat ke yahan rishta karne mei Abhijeet ka kitna faida hai. Hamari company kahan se kahan pahoch jayegi agar Ahlawat sahab invest kardein toh." Abhijeet's father replied.

Krishna you don't know how profitable this will be for Abhijeet. Our company will succeed immensely if Mr. Ahlawat invests in it.

"Aap meri zindagi bhar ki khushi barbaad kar rahein hai bas ek investment ke liye?!" Abhijeet shouted in frustration.

You're ruining my happiness of a lifetime, just for an investment?!

"Abhijeet bhulo mat ke saari zindagi tumhe jo kuch bhi mila hai woh hamari wajah se hai. Balki tum zinda hamari wajah se ho." His father stated in a cold voice.

Abhijeet don't forget, all your life all that you've got is because of us. In fact, this life of yours too is because of us.

"Tumhe hamare shukriya ada karna chahiye ke itna sab diya hai humne tumhe. Ulta tum hamare saamne khade ho gaye, woh bhi bas itni choti si baat par." His mother continued.

You should be grateful for us for giving you all this. Instead, you're standing against us for such a small matter.

"How can you say that? Mai kiske saath zindagi jeena chahta hu ye aapko choti si baat lagti hai?" Abhijeet was so stunned he could barely argue with his parents.

The question of my life partner is a 'small matter' to you.

"Sau baat ki ek baat, tum yeh shaadi karoge toh sirf Ahlawat sahab ki beti se." His father concluded.

All in all, you'll get married to Mr. Ahlawat's daughter.

"Maaf kariye bhai sahab, bhabhi. Umeed hai ke iss baat ka asar hamari dosti par nahi hoga. Ijazat dijeye." Abhijeet's mother said as she held her son's arm in an attempt to take him out of the house.

Forgive us. I hope this will not affect our friendship. We'll take your leave.

"Bas ma!" Abhijeet shouted as he pulled his arm out of her hold.

Enough mom!

"Meri sari zindagi maine vahi kiya hai jo aap logo ne chaha hai. Kabhi apni koi khushi, koi khwahish zahir nahi ki. Har roz koshish karta raha hu k aapka woh beta banu jisse apko kabhi koi shikayat na ho. Jis par aapko naaz ho. Jab log mere kaam ki ya phir meri taarif karte hai, mai sara credit aapko de deta hu, jaise maine khud koi mehnat koi koshish kari hi na ho. Saari zindagi bas aap dono ko khush karne mei laga raha aur jab aaj pehli baar koi iccha zahir ki toh ek umeed thi ke aap mana nahi karoge. Par manna toh dur ki baat, aap logone toh us par sochna tak gawar nahi kiya. 2 second mei mere khwaab mitti me mila diye." Abhijeet said with unshed tears in his eyes.

All my life, I've done whatever it is that you guys wanted. I've never expressed any of my wishes or happiness before you. I've tried every single day to become the son who you have no complaints from. A son who you could be proud of. Whenever people praise me or my work, I give all the credits to you, as if I hadn't worked for it. All my life I've been after keeping you guys happy and today when for the first time, I put forward a wish for myself, I had hope that you wouldn't deny. You guys didn't even think about it, let alone accept it. Shattered all my dreams within 2 seconds.

A painful silence enveloped the environment. Not a single soul could pick their words after hearing the confession Abhijeet just made.

After what felt like an eternity, his father chose to speak.

"Bahot bol liya tumne Abhijeet aur humne bahot sun liya. Gol gol baatein nahi karunga. Seedha sa ek sawal puchunga aur tumhe jawab dena padega. Jo bhi tum kahoge, yaha khade sabhi log usse mann lenge. Aur aake baad iss baat par aur koi charcha nahi hogi." He said.

You've spoke enough Abhijeet and we've listened to it all. I won't beat around the bush anymore. I will ask a simple question to you now and you will have to provide me with an answer. Everyone present here will accept whatever your answer will be and in the future, we won't have any further discussions regarding the incident that took place here today.

"Kaisa sawal?" Abhijeet questioned.

What question?

"Agar tum Kavya se shaadi karna chahte ho toh abhi isi waqt Rathod industries aur humara ghar tumhe chodna padega. Agar nahi, toh Kavya ko bhul kar Ahlawat sahab ki badi beti se shaadi karni padegi." His father answered.

If you wish to marry Kavya, you will have to resign and leave not only the Rathod industries but also our home, at this very moment. If you don't want to do that, you'll forget about Kavya and get married to Mr. Ahlawat's elder daughter, as per our wish.

Abhijeet couldn't handle the gravity of the choice that his father presented to him. His knees grew soft and he wobbled a bit. Krishna held his best friend by the shoulder before he could collapse.

"Aap ye nahi kar sakte uncle. Kavya meri behen na hi hoti toh mai kehta k Abhijeet ki pasand buri nahi hai k aapko usse yeh choice deni pade." Krishna defended his sister and his best friend.

You cannot do this uncle. If Kavya wouldn't have been my sister, still I would've said that Abhijeet's choice is not so bad that you would have to provide him with such options.

"Krishna mai ek second bhi yeh nahi keh raha ki kavya buri hai. Mere aankhon ke samne badi hui hai, meri apni bacchi hai. Mai thodi use bura bolunga." Abhijeet's father said.

Krishna, not even for a second am I saying that Kavya's someone bad. She's been brought up in front of me, she's like my own daughter. How would I ever think ill of her.

"Aapne Abhijeet ko jo chunav diye hai usse toh aisa hi kuch lagta hai." Kavya's father spoke for the first time.

With the choices that you've left for Abhijeet, it doesn't seem that way.

"Mujhe ek minute ke liye bhi galat mat samjho, mere dost." He replied.

Do not think wrong of me even for a second, my friend.

"Mai Abhijeet ko sirf itna puchna chah raha hu ke kya uske jazbaat uski saalon ki mehnat aur khandani naam se bade hai? Agar haa toh beshak karle Kavya se shaadi. Ashirwaad hum denge bas uske baad Abhijeet ka aur hamara koi rishta nahi hoga." Abhijeet's father explained.

I just mean to question Abhijeet whether his feelings are greater than all the years of hard work he's put in or his family name? If yes then he very well may get married to Kavya. We would bless the union but after that, we won't have any standing relationship with Abhijeet.

"Toh theek hai. Agar aap aisa chahte hai toh aisa hi sahi. Mai apni baki bachi zindagi ghutt ghuttke nahi guzarna chahta. Har pal khudki khushi maar ka nahi zinda reh sakta mai. Aapki company ki wajah se apni, Kavya aur Ahlawat sahab ki badi beti ki zindagi barbad hote hue nahi dekh sakta. Behtar yehi hai ke mai aapke diye hue options me se pehla wala chunta hu." Abhijeet declared.

Very well then. If that is what you wish for, so be it. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in suffocation. I cannot stay alive, killing my happiness every second. For the sake of your company, I cannot sacrifice the lifetime happiness of Kavya, Mr. Ahlawat's daughter and my own. It would be for the best that I'd choose the first option.

"Abhijeet koi bhi faisla lene se pehle ye yaad rakhna ke mere pass zyada samay nahi hai. 1-2 saal bas." Abhijeet's mother said.

Before you make your final decision, just remember that I don't have much time left. 1 or 2 years, that's it.

She was suffering through cancer. A while ago the doctors declared that she might have just a year or two in hand before the inevitable.

"Maa mat kariye yeh. Aap janti hai aap mere liye kya hai. Mai aapse bahot pyaar karta hu." Abhijeet said as a tear escaped his eye.

Mom, do not do this. You know what you are to me. I love you so much.

"Toh please mujhe chor kar mat jao." His mother cupped his face, but he shrugged her hands away.

Then please don't leave me.

He understood why his mother was doing this. To manipulate her son into giving up the love his life. To keep him with them and using them as their puppet, akin to what they have been doing since last many years.

"Mera, hamari company ka na hai, apni maa ka toh khayal karo Abhijeet. Tumhari maa ki zindagi ke aakhi saalon mei usse khush rakhoge toh zindagi bhar ke pachtave se bach jaoge." His father said.

If not me of our company, just think of your mother, Abhijeet. If you keep make your mother happy in these last years of her life, you wouldn't save yourself from the guilt of a lifetime.

His father's sentence was the last nail in the coffin. All his previous sadness converted into a sense of raw anger. He had enough of manipulation from his parents and now was the time to rebel.

Enough is enough.

"Mera faisla nahi badlega. Ab toh mai Kavya se shaadi kar ke hi rahunga." He said as she walked and stood next to Kavya.

My decisions won't be altered. I will get married to Kavya.

"Abhijeet hum kaise..." Kavya left her sentence hanging as she saw the look in his eyes. He looked as if he was ready to burn the world.

Abhijeet, how can we...

"Kaise kya Kavya? Kya kaise? Tum dekh nahi rahi ho yeh log kya kar rahe hai hamare saath?" Abhijeet grabbed her arms and shook her body. She could literally feel the anger pulsing through his veins.

How can we what? Don't you see what these guys are doing to us?

She briefly closed her eyes and the tears that were previously on the verge of spilling, ran down her cheek now. She cupped his face in her small, soft hands and looked in his brown eyes with such vulnerability, it took Abhijeet a minute to let her never-seen-before look sink in. Her hazel eyes told him everything he needed to know. He knew this is it.

"Mai sab dekh rahi hu, but kya karein. Aap or mai, hum dono majboor hai." She said in a soft voice.

I realise everything, but what can we do. You and I, we're both helpless.

"Aise koi majboor nahi jo mujhe tumse juda karde, samjhi tum?!" Abhijeet literally shouted and he pulled her near by grabbing her wrist.

There's no helplessness in the world that can keep me away from you, do you understand?

She joined their forehead and her next few words were the ones he never thought she'd say.

"Accept it, Jeet. Ab mai apko sirf ek cheez keh sakti hu, woh hai alvida."

Accept it, Jeet. The only thing I can say to you now is goodbye.

"Ye hamara alvida bhi adhura hai Kavya, hamare pyaar ki tarha. Hamare aakhri alvida par hi khatam ho payega humara afsana." Abhijeet said with a heavy heart.

This goodbye of ours is incomplete, just like our love. It's only on our final goodbye that we'll be able to conclude this tale.

- x -

I'm wrapping up this book and am doing a little Q/A session. Drop your questions regarding any of the stories or their characters and I'll answer them later 😁🩷