Chapter 30

anu14

@anu14

Chapter 25

          Swayam was worried. Niyati had disappeared from college, come straight home and locked herself in her room. When he had returned home, a troubled Hari dada had informed him that Neeti bitiya had barricaded herself in her room and had not come out for lunch. Swayam was in dilemma. He didn't know what to do. Neeti clearly wanted to be left alone, but he was done sitting on the sidelines while his sisters took the brunt. He was their brother! He had sworn to protect them from all the evil in the world. Had promised that every trouble would have to go through him first before taking his sisters down.

                    He had been powerless to stop everything that happened with Niyati and Taani because he had been scared to interfere. Scared of invading their privacy. Scared of doing more harm than good. And look where that got him. Not anymore, he thought fiercely. His inadequacy was not going to hurt his sisters anymore. With that resolve firmly in place, he knocked on Niyati's door.

"Neeti! Darwaza khol! Bohot hogayi teri manmaani. Dopahar se andar bandh hai. Na kuch khaya hai, na kuch bata rahi hai. Hua kya hai?"

"Main thik hoon bhai!" came her reply from within. "Main bas kuch der akele rehna chahti hoon."

Swayam sighed and then continued softly, "yaad hai? jab tu yahan aayi thi, tune mujhse promise kiya tha ke tu apni har problem mujhse share karegi? Aaj tere promise ko poora karne ka time aagaya hai. Please Neeti, prove that you meant it. Prove kar de ke woh sab empty words nahin the. Please?" His voice cracked at the last word.

          Within a second, the door opened and Niyati stood there. She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were still swollen. Swayam hugged her first and led her to the sofa in the hall. After seating her and making her drink a glass of water, he gently asked her, "Kya hua hai Neeti? Rey se jhagda hua hai kya? Usne kuch kaha kya tujhe?"

She remained silent and Swayam was beginning to think she needed a reminder of her promise again. "Bhai? Rey aur Taani ka breakup kyun hua? Aapne aisa hone kaise diya? Were you okay with it?"

Of all the things, he didn't expect Niyati to fight with Rey over Taani so soon. And he certainly didn't expect her question. "Kya matlab hai tera? How could I be okay with it? Meri behen ko koi chod raha hai. Uski life se jaa raha hai. Tu aisa soch bhi kaise sakti hai?"

"Phir aapne kuch kiya kyun nahin? Donon ko roka kyun nahin?"

Swayam took his sister's hands in his. "Kyunki us waqt wahi sahi decision tha." Niyati narrowed her eyes. "I know tu kya soch rahi hai. Donon bohot immature the, jaldbaazi mein decision liya wagerah wagerah. Par sach ye hai ke unka saath wahin tak likha tha."

"Neeti, jab bhi relationships mein daraar padti hai na, hum hamesha haalaat ko ya decisions ko dosh dete hain. Agar aisa na kiya hota toh acha hota. Thoda patience dikhate toh ye na hota. Sab bekaar ki baatein hai. Neeti, rishta hamesha do logon se banta hai. Aur relationship tikegi ya nahin, ye bhi un do logon par hi depend karta hai. Rishte ko strong banana donon parties ki responsibility hai. Kisi ek ko blame nahin kar sakte. Gaadi ke aage aur peeche ke pahiye saath chalenge tabhi gaadi aage badhegi."

A ball of guilt kept forming in Niyati's throat. As she listened to her brother's wise words, she realized she had been very biased towards Rey. She had blamed him completely without considering her sister's faults as well. Her brother's voice shook her out of her thoughts. "Agar koi bhi teesra person ya wajah relationship ko threaten karte hain, toh iska matlab yahi hai ke donon ne rishte ko itna weak hone diya. Ab mujhe hi le lo, main sirf Sharon ko blame nahin kar sakta hum donon ke saath na hone ke liye. We both are equally responsible. Agar hum chahte, toh we could have overcome all obstacles. Hum donon equally zimmedaar hai."

He continued, "ek time tha jab Taani relationship ko bachane ke liye ladh rahi thi. Phir Rey ne sab kuch thik karne ki poori koshish ki. Agar ye efforts donon ek saath lagate toh aaj donon ek saath hote. Kisi aur ko kuch karne ki zaroorat hi nahin hoti."

"Tu pooch rahi hai ke maine interfere kyun nahin kiya? Sabse pehli baat, Taani ne mujhse kabhi kuch share nahin kiya." Niyati looked down at that. "Uski life mein kya chal raha hota, mujhe uski khabar hi nahin hoti. Donon jab date karne lage tab bhi mujhe Taani se nahin bahar waalon se pata chala. Doosri baat, agar rishta strong ho, toh kisi teesre ko use bachane ki zaroorat hi nahin padti. Aur tujhe kya laga ki hum sabne kuch kiya nahin? Kaafi baar donon ke jhagde huye the aur utni hi baar hum sabne patch up karwaya tha. Par kab tak karte hum ye sab? Agar main ek situation sambhaal leta, toh baad mein koi aur problem khadi hojaati and the whole cycle would repeat again. Rey aur Taani ki relationship ki foundation hi itni kamzor thi, ki banne se pehle hi sab khatm hogaya."

"Kaunsa bhai nahin chahta ke uski behen settle down ho? Uski shaadi ek ache ladke aur ache khaandaan mein ho? Rey aur Taani ke relationship ko lekar hum sab toh itne serious the, ke Rey aur main ek doosre ko Jeeja-Saala keh kar chidate the. Us time laga tha ke Rey se behtar ladka Taani ke liye koi ho hi nahin sakta. Rey was an open book. Uska past, uska nature, uska family background sab mere saamne tha. Har angle se Rey perfect lag raha tha Taani ke liye. But is match-making ke chakkar mein hum sabne ye notice hi nahin kiya ke Taani ke liye Rey hi sabse important tha aur Rey dance ko lekar passionate. Aur is maamle mein donon hi nahin jhukna chahte the."

Niyati listened with rapture, as Swayam's words brought forth a similar situation from long long ago. Seeing Niyati trying to understand his point of view rather than passing judgements, Swayam hurried kabhi "kabhi rishte ko kamzor karne mein kaafi choti choti cheezon ka haath hota hai. Kabhi ek hi difference sab khatm kar jaata hai. Rey aur Taani ke case mein ye donon hi situations the. Koi kitna sambhaal paata?"

"Mujhe pata hai tu Taani se bohot pyaar karti hai. Lekin is pyaar mein tu andhi nahin ban sakti. Uski bhi galtiyaan the, jinki wajah se uske aur Rey ke beech distance badhta gaya. Ye sab main tujhe isliye bol raha hoon kyunki tune Rey ka dard nahin dekha. Jab Taani use chod kar jaa rahi thi, toh woh apne control mein nahin tha. Usne har koshish ki use rokne ki. Yahan tak ke Taani ki sagaai ko rokne ke iraade se woh ghar aaya tha." Niyati looked alarmed and was about to utter something when Swayam anticipating her question answered, "Mujhe ye baad mein pata chala. But the fact is, woh end tak ladta raha. But tab tak bohot der ho chuki thi. Taani ke jaane ke baad bhi use bhoolne mein use kaafi time laga. And Neeti, everybody deserves to be happy. Just because Rey hamari behen ke saath nahin hai iska matlab ye nahin ke woh bura hai."

Niyati remained silent processing everything her brother said. Before turning in for the night, Swayam said, "Please Neeti, itni jaldi Rey ko judge mat kar. He is really a nice guy. Use ek chance dekar dekh. Use khud assess kar, phir koi conclusion par aana."

Niyati pondered over that all through the night. Bhai bilkul sahi keh rahe hain. Main sirf Rey ko blame nahin kar sakti. Taani ki bhi galti hai. Mujhe usse maafi mangni chahiye. I can't live with myself after accusing him like that.

[NOCOPY]

[MEMBERSONLY]