Chapter 2

ananya.2

@ananya.2

Part 4

Dhara sat on her bed and looked at Gaumbi. For the next part of her plan, she needed his help. Ever since he returned from the store, Dhara made a sad face. Gaumbi asked her what happened twice but she didn’t reply. Finally when they were alone in their room, Dhara decided to make her move. She scooched beside Gaumbi, and looked at him sadly. 

“Gaumbi, main tumse kuch maangungi toh tum mujhe doge?” Dhara asked. 

“Kya baat hai Dhara? Aaj shaam se tu kuch ukhri ukhri si lag rahi hai.” 

“Gaumbi maine kuch saalo pehle ek mannat mangi thi humare parivaar ke liye. Kaha tha sab thik ho jaye toh main mandir jaake ek baar maa ke darshan kar aaungi. Kitne saal ho gaya aur main aaj tak jaa nahi payi.”

“Arrey isme problem kya hai Dhar? Chali jaa.” Gaumbi said. 

“Mandir Ahmedabad mein hai. Aur maine promise kiya tha ki main maa ko bhi leke jaungi.” Dhara said. “Gaumbi tum kal jaa rahe ho Ahmedabad. Kya hum kal waha jaa sakte hai tumhare saath? Subah subah nikal jayenge aur raat tak aa jayenge.”

“Par Dhara main toh kaam se jaa raha hu.” Gaumbi said.

“Toh hume mandir chodke tum apna kaam kar lena.” Dhara said. Then she held his hand and smiled sweetly. “Please Gaumbi. Kal raat ko maine sapna dekha ki maa hume darshan karne bula rahi hai. Gaumbi jana parega warna mera mann baitha jaa raha hai.”

“Chal thik hai. Maa jayegi toh gaadi ka intezaam karna parega. Main woh karke aata hu.” Gaumbi said and went outside with his phone. 

As soon as Gaumbi left, Dhara jumped in joy. She squealed. The first step of her plan was accomplished. Now she had to commence the second part. Dhara picked up her mobile and called Raavi. 

“Dhara di, aap itni raat ko?” Raavi asked. “Sab thik hai na?”

“Haa sab thik hai.” Dhara replied. “Tujhe batana tha kal Maa, Gaumbi aur main Ahmedabad jaa rahe hai.”

“Ahmedabad kyu? Koi kaam hai?” Raavi asked. 

“Bhagwan se aashirvaad lene ki woh jaldi se Shiva ke liye ek achhi si ladki dila de. Aur Gaumbi ek supplier se milne jaa raha hai jiski ek beti hai. Maa aur main use dekhne jaa rahe hai.” There was silence on the other side and Dhara smiled at that. Her plan was working. “Ab Shiva ko toh tu jaanti hai. Hum nahi rahenge toh woh bahar ka khana khayega. Ho sake toh uske liye Anita se kehke kuch banwa dena. Ek baar biwi aa gayi toh tujhe bolne ki zaroorat nahi paregi. Wohi rakhegi mere Shiva ka dhyaan.”

“Main khud rakh lungi Shiva ka khyaal.” Raavi’s voice was hard, and she cut the call immediately. 

Dhara relaxed on the bed after this. Her plan worked. Shiva and Raavi would get an entire day together. Krish was going to his college picnic and Dev was never home. He wouldn’t be a problem. She only hoped they would they would make good use of the day and realise they were in love. More than that, she hoped they wouldn’t kill each other. It was a risk, but she was willing to take it. 

***

Shiva stretched as he woke up. He got up and found Raavi sitting beside him, giving him a weird look. He rubbed his eyes to make sure this wasn’t a scary nightmare, but it really was Raavi sitting beside him. Shiva called out to her, but she was too lost in her thoughts. Finally, he shook her hard to bring her out of her thoughts. 

“Tu inti subah subah yaha kya kar rahi hai?” Shiva asked. 

“Tera khyaal rakhne aayi hu.” 

“Kya? Main bachha hu jo mera khyaal rakhegi? Aur baaki sab kaha hai?”

“Baaki sab gaye. Gaumbi, Dhara di aur Suman kaki gaye hai Ahmedabad. Dev aur Krish bhi nikal gaye subah subah.” 

Raavi told Shiva to get freshened up and come for breakfast. Shiva quickly brushed his teeth and went to the dining area. Raavi had got jalebis and kachoris for him. She didn’t want to cook so early in the morning and with whatever Dhara told her yesterday, she wasn’t in a mood to cook at all. 

“Tujhe Dhara di ne bataya woh Ahmedabad kyu jaa rahi hai?” Raavi asked. 

“Puja ke liye.” Shiva replied. 

“Aur kuch nahi kaha unhone?”

“Aur kya kahegi? Tujhe ho kya gaya hai?” Shiva asked. 

“Shiva ko puch rahi hu uska jawaab de. Dhara di ne shaadi ko leke kuch kaha kya? Tujhe emotional blackmail kiya?” 

“Ae maami ki behen ki beti, tu phir se shaadi leke baith gayi. Yeh sab chal kya raha hai? Mujhe koi shaadi nahi karni. Kitni baar batau!”

“Tujhe nahi karni par agar Dhara di tujhe apni kasam de toh tu kar lega. Tujhpe bhi koi bharosa nahi raha mujhpe.” Raavi said. “Mujhe hi kuch karna parega.”

Raavi suddenly got up from the dining table, but by mistake her bag fell off the table. Shiva noticed a number of photographs on the floor which were in her bag. All the pictures were of men. He knew some of the guys. Why was this gadheri carrying their pictures in her bag? Raavi picked up the photos, sorted them and put them in an envelope. Shiva looked at her suspiciously. 

“Yeh photos leke kyu ghum rahi hai tu?” He asked. 

“Maasi ne subah subah ladka diye. Puch rahi thi kaun pasand hai.” 

Shiva’s anger returned. He snatched the envelope from her and threw it in the trash. This girl was worried about his wedding when she herself was going to get married. Raavi was looking at him in shock. She went to the trash can and fished out the envelope. Watching her do that enraged Shiva further and he slammed her against the wall. 

“Tu shaadi kar rahi hai? Kal bola nahi karungi aur abhi khud photo leke ghum rahi hai.” Shiva said with gritted teeth. 

“Aisi koi baat nahi hai Shiva. Mujhe dard ho raha hai. Please haath chod.” Raavi said. 

Shiva loosened her grip but didn’t leave her hand. “Toh yeh photo leke kyu ghum rahi hai?”

“Main aisa karke delay kar rahi hu. Maasi ko agar interest dikhaungi tab unko lagega ki main shaadi ke liye serious hu. Phir sabko reject karungi.” Raavi said. 

“Uss Maami ko toh main nahi chorunga. Humesha apna taang arati hai har jagah.” Shiva said. 

“Tu Maasi ki baat mat kar. Dhara di khud tere liye ladki dekhne gayi hai woh bhi teri marzi ke bina. Inn dono ka dimaag kharab ho chuka hai. Ek shart ki wajah se yeh log humare zindagi ki bali chadha rahe hai Shiva. Hume kuch karna hoga.”

Shiva left her. It was news to him. Did his bhabhi really go to search for a girl from him? It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t ready to marry. But Raavi was right. They had to do something. These two women had lose their minds and he wasn’t going to let them ruin their lives.