Chapter 17

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

CHAPTER 16 : HURRICANE

"Bass Raghav. Main tumhaari koi biwi nahin hoon. Bhulo matt ki tumne khud mujhe divorce papers sign karke diye the." she screamed taking a few steps back as he looked directly at her.

Raghav felt the land beneath his feet dissolve him as he saw her shivering with anger and pain. So it had all been this. All that one fault he made. He leaped infront for an explanation when she showed him her palm. She wasn't done yet. It had been bubbling inside her like a lava and she was so done with keeping all this a secret anymore.

"Thak gayi hoon main Raghav. Kho chuki hoon khudko. Kyunki koi mujhe insaan hi nahin samajhta hai. Sabko bass yeh pata hai ki unhe kya chchaiye lekin kisine Pallavi se pucha ki usse kya chahiye. Jab tum meri life main aaye, meri choti choti khushiyon ki parwah karne lage toh laga ki main bhi kisi ki priority ho sakti hoon lekin tumne bhi wahi kara jo sab hamesha se karte aaye hai. Ek robot samjha mujhe." she spoke with quiverring lips as she slumped on her bed. Ragahv stood at the foot of the bed helpless as he saw the tears finally glide down her face.

"Dada ko laga ki Pallavi ab unpar ek bojh ban jayegi. Apni family ke liye unhone apni behen ko khudse alag kardiya. Faisla liya ki Pallavi shaadi kregi toh Pallavi ne dada ki baat maankar arrange marriage karli. Pallavi ko laga ki yeh decision itna bhi bura nahin hai, akhir uss anaath ko ek pariwaar milne wala tha. Jahan aai-bab the, ek chhota bhai tha, do behenen, kak-kaku aur ek aisa pati jo usse hamesha khush rkhta hai. Toh Pallavi ne yeh faisla bhi maan liya." she wiped her tears with one hand while the other stabled her shivering body.

"Phir uss pati ne decide kiya ki uske liye uski nayi biwi se zyada zaruri koi dukaan ka kaam tha isliye woh usse akela chhodhkar chala gaya aur phir kabhi lautkar nahin aaya. Jab aaya bhi toh bss ek kafan tha Raghav aur ek safed rang jisne meri zindagi badal di." she looked directly at him and for the first time in his life, ragahv felt scared of someone, her soul was hollow like a bark of an old tree.

He had no words to compose her, nothing to say to her. His feet felt jammed up to the ground as if it was her eyes that were in control.

"Maine uss pariwar ke liye sab kuch kara. Apna sab kuch kho diya unke pyaar ko paane ke liye. Apna wajood, apni khushiyan apni zindagi. Aai ne faisla liya ki woh meri shaadi kra dengi. Kyun nahin pucha ki main kya chchati hoon? Bolo Raghav kya main insaan nahin thi? Mera haq nahin tha yeh faisla lene ka ki main zindagi main aage badhna chchati hoon ki nahin. Tumne faisla liya ki tum meri zindagi barbaad krdoge kyunki maine tumhe, The Raghav Rao ko challenge kara. Mujhse bina meri raaye mange, bina sach jaane tumhe laga ki maine tumhaari behen ki zindagi barbaad krdi isliye aa gaye tum meri zindagi barbaad krne. Tumne decision liya ki tum Pallavi ko punish kroge. Meri izzat, mere rishte sab taar taar kardiye. Kitni asaani se apne gusse main aakar mujhe apni rakhail bana diya Raghav" she sobbed slipping down to the floor. Raghav had flashes of that haunting night in his mind. The way she shouted and begged him to stop the flase accusation while he stood like a beast, taming every inch of her image. He felt ashamed of himself, guilt washing over his body again as he curled his fingers into a fist.

"Lekin tum kaunsa apne the Raghav. Dard toh apne dete hai na phir kyun tumhaari har baat kaaton ki tarah chubhi mujhe. Chalo jaane do mere dard se tumhe thori koi matlab tha, tum toh apna decision le chuke the. Mujhe takleef hui jab woh insaan jisse maine apna mana tha, apne baba ka darja diya tha uss insaan ne tumhari kahi hui baat par yakeen krliya. Aur phirse kisine meri zindagi ka faisla liya , baba ne mera yahi haath pakadkar mujhe aadhi raat ko ghaseet te hue ghar se bahar nikaal diya. Ek baar nahin socha ki main jaungi kahan. Unke alawa kaun tha mera. Lekin woh toh Vijay Deshmukh ka faisla tha na. Haina Raghav? Pallavi ko toh bss faisla sunna tha. Usse kya mehsoos hota hai kisiko usse kya farq padta hai" she looked straight at him getting up from the floor.

"Pallavi main jaanta hai tum-" Raghav spoke in a soft voice badly wanting to take this broken soul in his arms.

"Tum aur jaante ho? Kya jaante ho tum Raghav? kya han bolo?" she shouted as she flinched back.

"Amma ko laga ki main unke bete ko sudhaar sakti hoon isliye unhone faisla liya hamari shaadi ka. Ek shart rakhkar apni selfishness main baandh diya mujhe tumhare saath yeh jante hue bhi ki uss raat tumne kya kara tha mere aur meri family ke saamne. Apni Amma ko paane ke liye tumne faisla liya ki tum mujhse shaadi kroge isiliye zabaradasti mujhse rishta joda, mere bhai ke zariye mujhe majboor kiya. Ek baar phir mujhse mera sab kuch chheen liya." she cried.

"Are mai toh main baat batana hi bhul gayi. The entry of Mandaar Deshmukh in Pallavi's life. wow everyone clap for the twist in the tale" she stumbled back raghav moving forward to hold her but she stood back again.

"Mandaar aaye toh sab log sab kuch bhul gaye. baba ko unki bahu yaad aa gayi, Aai ko unke bete ka pyaar dikhne laga. Aur phirse kisi aur ne Pallavi se bina puche uski zindagi ka faisla le liya kyun hai na? Hain na Raghav" she stressed her last words as raghav looked down on the floor. Guilty and ashamed at her every accusation.

"Bolo Raghav kyun!!" she screamed pulling the contents of the table down onto the floor.

"Main hi bata deti hoon. Kyunki tumhe laga ki main Mandaar se pyaar karti hoon. Unke saath rehna chchati hoon. Par tumne mujhse pucha ki woh sahc hai ya nahin. Bass apna faisla suna diya ki tum chahte ho ki main wapas apni purani life main apni family ke paas chali jaun. Good Job Mr. Rao, rishte banana aur todna toh koi aapse seekhe." she pushed him back grabbing his collar in the process.

"Batao raghav agar hume sach nahin pata chalta ki woh aadmi Mandaar nahin balki ek behrupiya hai toh kya hota. Chhod dete tum mujhe ek aise insaan ke haathon. Divorce dena tha na, papaers laaye the sign karke toh jab maine sign kakrke sab khatam kardiya toh ykun aaye ho yahan. Kyun lejana chahte ho wapas mujhe uss jagah jahan koi meri parwah hi nahin karta hai. Koi mujhe ek insaan nahin balki robot samajhta hai. Woh robot jisme har koi bass apna faisla batata hai aur expect karta hai ki main bina kisi feelings ke usse maan loon." she pushed him out of the room with full force as he stumbled back.

'Pallavi nahin please tum mera baat ek baar sunlo." Raghav stood back up trying to make her understand.

"Tumhe sach janna tha na lo bata diya tumhe maine sach ab dur chale jao mujhse. Mujhe meri life finally jeene do." she replied banging the door on his face as she slumped on the floor, fresh pool of tears making their way down. She had been holding so muhc inside of her. So much pain and anger that if felt like a weight pulled off from her chest as soon as she let it all out. Everyone had hurted her too much, too much to even look back again. 

As soon as Fake Mandaar's truth was out infront of the family, she had left them for good. Hopped onto the bus to the next city she could find , in order to have a fresh start but it was stupid of her to think that she could escape the Don of Hyderabad. She gave a sarcastic laugh, how naive she had been to give up on her dreams , on her own choices for the people around her. Maybe the exhaustion was too much or the head hurted like it had been rammed but eventually she felt her eyelids go heavy as sleep took in.

Raghav sat outside the door, slumped up on the floor just like she had. He could see her siloutted through the curtain , her tensed and tired shoulders. Maybe somewhere amidst their own happiness and pain they all had failed to recognize what they have done to her and he felt like a loser (no you're not Ragahv, we all go throguh pain), he had later on confessed to have fallen in love with her after she left him but if only he truly had because how can he fail to recognize the pain behind her facade since so long. She was completely broken but still held herself onto a string. he had begged her to open the door but got no reply. he had cried , apologized and banged for her to let him inn for this one last time but she gave no response.

Farhad had heard it all standing a few metres away from the door. He was angry at himself for not being able to protect his sister. If only he had fought with his Anna before he barged in to punish her that night, that things might have been different. But amidst all the pain he was still hopeful for his loved ones. He knew that they were each other'sonly anchor and that without the other, they will drown. So he walked up to her brother keeping a hand on his shoulder as he pulled him from the floor, chanting some calming words as he dragged him away from her to his room. 

Right now they had to understand her need for space and they were gonna give her that but definitely not gonna give up.

Here it is. Everything that i have felt or probally thought Pallavi felt too since it's her story. Hope it was upto the mark.