:Cure me with your Love:
Part 28
Neil looked at the father daughter duo shocked. “Mini, you got married, my one and only daughter is married now and I don’t even know” asked Ashok hurt. “Why do you expect such things? You told us before getting married to Meeta?” Mini asked back angrily. “Mini, please listen to me once. I am a changed man now. Give me a chance to explain. Please trust me” pleaded Ashok. “Trust you, so that you can trample it again under your shoes.” Said Mini as she laughed in sarcasm. “Mini, I was dying to meet you all these years but didn’t have courage to come face to face. Please talk to me. Don’t hate me. Don’t push me away like this.” Ashok pleaded again this time with tears in his eyes. Mini looked away. She hated this man to the core but seeing him after so many years that too like this…..pleading and crying….something happened to her….She felt uncomfortable but she didn’t want to give in to the weak moment so she decided to leave. “I can never forget what you did to me and my babes and can never forgive you for that” said Mini and left from there. Ashok kept calling his daughter but she didn’t even look back. Neil was still standing there watching them. He saw Mini was leaving and he followed her when Ashok’s voice stopped him. “Hey listen, sorry I didn’t get your name” asked Ashok. “Neil….Neil Oberoi” replied Neil.“Neil…listen, we don’t know each other but I saw few moments ago how you tried to protect her. You care for her I can see that.” Said Ashok as he tried to come to the point. “What do you want to say Mr. Khurana?” asked Neil confused. “Neil, Mini is angry from me but I know somewhere she still loves me. She will never listen to me so please you make her understand. Convince her to give me only one chance to explain myself.” Pleaded Ashok. “What are you saying? How can I come between you two? Please sort this out at your own.” Said Neil clearly as he didn’t want to take sides in this father daughter feud. “Neil, please try to understand. I am still there in her heart…though in form of hatred….but I am still there. I know she will never be at peace without giving a closure to this. Like me, she is also suffering. Please for her, convince her to talk to me, just for once.” Ashok tried to explain. Neil was at loss of words for some time. Before he could say anything further Ashok wrote his number on the paper napkin and gave it him. “This is my number. Please give me call when she is ready to talk to me.” Said Ashok and left the place.
Neil came back to the hotel room. Mini had already reached there and was crying while standing in front of mirror. Her hair looked disheveled. She was removing her hairpins carelessly and throwing them on the floor as she continued to cry. Her makeup all smeared across her face due to tears. She looked broken. Neil couldn’t behold the sight before him and rushed towards her. He turned her around. “Why did he come back into my life? I hate him. Why did he have to show up again?” Mini kept repeating hysterically. Neil was worried sick. He had never seen Mini like this. “Mini, Mini control yourself.” He shook her to bring her out of the hysteria. “Why Neil why that man is back in my life. Why didn’t he leave me alone? I can never forgive him for what he did to my babes. I hate him.” Mini looked at him and wailed. Neil hugged her and tried to console her,“Its ok love, please calm down please relax.” Mini tried to pull herself from his arms. “I don’t want to calm down. I suffered all my life because of this man. He destroyed my babes life. He never fulfilled a father’s responsibility and now he just come and demands that I should talk to him. How can he do that?”Mini cried as she frantically tried to get free from Neil’s hold. But Neil made his hold more strong not letting her go. “Love please, stop crying. You’ll end up having fever like this.” Mini nodded her head in no and struggled again, “Leave me Neil” cried Mini. “No, I wont. You are not in your senses now.” Mini kept struggling then gave up after some time and started to slip down as her legs gave away. Neil also went down with her. They both sat at the floor. Neil was still holding her as he let her cry all the while soothing her.
After some time Neil felt that Mini had stopped crying now she was only sobbing silently. He looked at her. Wiped her tears with his thumb. Lifted her in his arms and placed her on the bed. He went into the bathroom and brought some water in a bowl and hand towel. He then wiped her face with the wet towel. Remove the remaining hairpins from her hair, her jewellery. Then he removed her sandals. He remembered she said that her heels are uncomfortable. He rubbed her feet for some time. All the while Mini kept sitting there like a lifeless statue.Neither she had the heart nor energy to do anything by herself. He noticed her party gown was heavy and not made up of soft material. He brought her night dress and helped her to change. Then he made her lie down on bed. He stood up but Mini held his hand. Neil looked at her. Her eyes still shedding silent tears. She looked shattered. His heart went out to her. He came on the bed and sat beside her. He again wiped her tears. And placed her hand on her eyes, “Sleep now, I am here with you” Neil said as he caressed her forehead. After sometime he felt her breathing has become deep meaning she was asleep now.
Neil got up from the bed. He pulled out the paper napkin from his pocket on which Ashok had written his number. He dialed his number from his mobile. Ashok picked up immediately, “Hello, Mr. Khurana Neil here.” “Yes, Neil what happened did you talk to her? did she agree?” asked Ashok impatiently. “Are you still in the hotel?” asked Neil. “Yes I am still here. Tell me where should I come?”asked Ashok hopefully. “Mr. Khurana I didn’t talk to Mini yet first I want to talk to you. Meet me at the Hotel’s bar.” Said Neil and cut the call. He went to the bar where he found Ashok Khurana already waiting for him. “What will you have?” asked Neil as bartender asked for the order. Ashok Khurana was not in a mood to have drink with his newly found son in law but he could feel this boy is a tough nut to crack he wont help him so easily plus they were in a bar so had to place some order, “Whiskey, on the rocks” replied Ashok. “Ok, two whiskey, on the rocks please” Neil placed the order.
“What did she say?” asked Ashok unable to hide his curiosity anymore. “I didn’t talk to her” replied Neil. He saw Ashok was about to say something so he gestured him to stop and continued, “Mr. Khurana, right now she is so fragile emotionally. I saw her state and I couldn’t bring myself to even talk about you forget about convincing her.” said Neil honestly. “But please try to understand its very important for me as well as for her” Ashok requested. “Mr. Khurana you try to understand, right now she is not in her right mind set. Seeing you after longtime opened her old wound. She was crying continuously and was also angry. Whatever I say she will not listen.” Explained Neil. “I know my daughter Neil. All this emotional turmoil she is going through is because she didn’t talk to me. Something left unfinished, unexplained between us. This will end once we sort out things. But for that she needs to meet me.” Ashok made his point. “Mr. Khurana, I know your urgency but I have to make sure my wife is ready for this. She is not good in dealing with emotional outburst. She needs time to be normal again. If I will try to force her into something right now she will end up closing herself even from me which will hurt her more. I wont let this happen” Neil put forward his point of view. “What are you trying to say that I cant meet my own daughter? Now I will have to wait for your permission.” Ashok couldn’t hide his irritation. He thought may be this boy could help him but no this boy…this new boy will dictate the terms of his meeting with his own daughter. “Mr. Khurana,I am not denying the fact that she is your daughter but you have to accept and respect the fact that she is also my wife now. I agree I don’t understand your equation with her but I will not let you hurt her again. Aur waise bhi aapne itne saal intezar kiya hai thode din aur sahi” said Neil as he finished his remaining drink and stood up. “You have my number now, I’ll give you a call once I talk to Mini but I cant tell you in how many days. I will only talk to her when I feel she is ready. Till then Please dont try to contact her.” Neil said and left from there. Ashok Khurana kept looking at him. Now he was wondering what is more difficult, talking to Mini or convincing this overprotective boy. But he couldn’t help but admire him for the love and care he felt in his words for Mini. Like her mother atleast Mini didn’t get a bad husband.
Neil and Mini checked out of the hotel and left for Patiala in the morning. As Neil had doubted Mini had developed fever because of excessive crying.. Her temperature was high, eyes were swollen, and she looked in a bad shape. During whole journey also she kept quite looking outside the cab’s window all lost in her thoughts. Neil decided to give her space and didn’t disturb her. Half way she herself leaned on to his shoulders as she felt fresh tears wetting her eyes. “No, please love no more tears. Get a grip on your emotions. You already have high temperature.” Said Neil as he kissed her forehead. Mini slept again in his lap. Neil woke her up when they reached Patiala. All family members came to receive them at the gate. All were excited to see them back specially Arya. Mini and Neil came out and everybody’s smile was lost seeing Mini’s condition.“Mini, what happened? Why do you look so upset?” asked Biji. But Mini didnt say anything and walked to her room quietly. Even Arya was upset looking at his Veer Balika. She didn’t even looked at her. “Veer Balika ko kya hua? Kya use award nahi mila?” asked Arya. “No, its nothing like that little princess. Your Veer Balika got the award but she is very tired from the journey and also she had fever. She needs some rest now. She will be fine soon.” Neil explained Arya as he took her in his arms. “But she looked sad” said Arya again. “Its not like that….and let her rest some time till then I’ll show you all the gifts, toys and chocolates we brought for you” Neil said to divert her attention and it worked. Arya took him to her room and become busy in opening her gifts.
All the elderly also felt that its not about fever something else had happened to Mini. After Neil came out of Arya’s room they asked Neil about it. Neil told them about Ashok Khurana and how it affected Mini. “Uski itni himmat. Meri bacchi ke sath itna galat karke ab uske samne aake khada hai aur ummeed karta hai Mini use ek aur mauka de” said Dadu angrily. “He was like that only from the starting. When he cared about others happiness? He was always selfish.” Biji said supporting dadu. “Tumne achha hi kiya Neil jo use saaf saaf mana kar diya Mini se milne ke liye” said Naeem bi. “I didn’t deny him completely. I told him that He can only meet Mini when Mini will be ready for it.” explained Neil. “Why?Ab jab Mini ki life mein sab kuch achha chal raha hai to kya jarurat hai use purane zakhm kuredne ki?” asked Naeem bi. “Right, we consider him dead. Mini should also think the same.” Said dadu with finality. “I feel sorry for you dadu and biji. Whatever happened between your son and you was unfortunate but relationships are not that simple. Unko mara hua maan lene se problem solve to nahi ho jayegi. I don’t know Mr. Khurana as well as you know him but he was right in one thing that Mini needs a closure to all this. Open wounds can be painful and dangerous, they need a proper treatment.” Replied Neil. “But you are seeing yourself Mini ki kya haalat hui hai uske baad tum kaise….?” Asked dadu. “Come on we all know Mini is a strong girl. Right now she is just under emotional shock. Wo andar hi andar lad rahi hai apne aap se. But once she will come out of it I am confident she will handle it.” said Neil feeling confident about Mini’s ability to deal with this matter.
to be continued.....
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