:Cure me with your Love:
Part 29
Three days passed after Mini and Neil returned from Delhi. Mini was better now but she still remain lost in her thoughts all day. Neil didn’t disturb her. She needed space right now and he didn’t want her to rush to any conclusions. Ashok Khurana kept calling him to ask about Mini. Neil was irritated now but he couldn’t blame a father for being impatient to communicate with her daughter. Mini was standing in balcony alone. Neil brought coffee for her, he was about to go when she held his hand. “What do you think? Should I talk to him.” Asked Mini finally breaking her silence. “What I think is not important here. Important is what you think is right for you.” Replied Neil sitting there. “I thought a lot…so much that I gave up. I don’t know anymore anything. To be honest, I do want to talk to him. That day when he showed up like that I wa sangry but then looking him after so many years and the way he held my hand and pleaded with me….something happened…I was feeling bad for him. When you were about to hit him all I could thought was my papaji will get hurt. I scolded myself immediately for having concern for that man but I couldn’t help it. Whatever happened between babes and him cannot be changed but don’t know why somewhere I hoped my papaji will realize his mistakes and atleast everything will be fine between him and me. You know one of the reason why I couldn’t give my father’s place to Hanuman uncle because that place was never empty. My papaji still lived there. I hated him. Left his house, his name but I don’t know why I couldn’t left the hope that he would mend his ways. Babes had Hanuman uncle were happy in their life but I was all alone I hoped he would have been there for me.” Said Mini as she finally let out what was going on in her mind all these days.
Neil hugged her. Mini found solace in his arms. They stood like that for few seconds without saying anything then finally Neil broke the silence,“Then what is the problem? Go and talk to him” asked Neil. “I heard Biji and Dadu. They were talking about him yesterday. They were very angry. They were saying that whatever he did to all of us is not forgivable and he should be punished for it. None of us should talk to him till our last breath. And I feel they are also right at their place. By talking to him again am I not disrespecting my babes?” Mini put forward her doubts. “See, everyone has different point of view of dealing with the problems. Whatever they think is their way to handle it but you have different way you want to talk it out. There is no wrong in it. And you are not disrespecting your mom in any way. She got married to your Hanuman uncle that means she moved on in her life so even you should have the right to move on from past.” Neil explained. “Aur ho sakta hai dadu biji bhi apne bête se phirse judna chahte ho par ye soch kar ki wo tumhe aur tumhare babes ke struggle ko disrespect karenge aisa karke isliye khud ko samjha rahe ho.” Neil continued further.
“I think tum sahi keh rahe ho. Waise bhi kya kehna hai unh ek bar main sun lungi toh shayad mere andar hi andar ye jo dilemma hai wo khatam ho jaye once and for all.” Mini agreed. “Ok, so its decided then.” Said Neil. “But, He was at Delhi that time I don’t even know where to find him now. I don’t even have his number.” Mini expressed the obvious problem. “Come on now wifey, don’t underestimate your husband that much. I knew you will want to talk to him once your anger and inner turmoil subsides. So I have his number.” Said Neil as he showed his phone. “Really?” asked Mini surprised. “Yes, In fact sasurji is pestering me since that day by sending me atleast 10 messages per day asking about you.” Neil confessed. Mini laughed at the mention of ‘Sasurji’ from his mouth. Neil also laughed with her. “Oh, how much I missed your laughter. Tum na ye aise sad mat ho jaya karo mujhe bilkul achha nahi lagta.” Said Neil as he pulled her into his arms. “Achha aur kya kya nahi achha lagta tumhe?” asked Mini finally feeling at peace and normal. “Hmm….tumhara rona, tumhara mujhse ruth jana….wait ruth jana to chalta hai kyunki isi bahane tumse thoda break toh milta hai” Neil teased her. Mini gasped in shock and hit him playfully, “Toh tumhe mujhse break chahiye. Now I will not talk to you.” Mini said in fake anger as she stood folding her hands in front of her chest. Neil laughed at her childish behavior, “Ok, baat nahi karni to mat karo par mujhe jo karna hai wo toh karne do” He whispered in his sexy voice in her ears. Mini blushed at his words. “Whoa look who is blushing now, Delhi mein to bahut sherni ban rahi thi.” Neil teased her further. “Haan toh sherni toh main hoon.” Said Mini, with pride, challenging him. “Baby, don’t try to act smart in front of me. You are still learning.” Neil said accepting her challenge. “Huh, I am smarter than you” said Mini not accepting defeat. “Aisi baat hai toh chalo aaj is sherni ko dikhau ki sher kaise shikaar karta hai.” Said Neil teasing her and before Mini could act he lifted her up in his arms and took her to their room. Mini just blushed and closed the door of the room with feet while they entered there.
Next day Neil called Ashok Khurana and asked him to come to Patiala. He confirmed that he will reach there in afternoon. Mini decided to meet him in the restaurant as asked Neil to call him there. Ashok Khurana entered the restaurant. He saw the name of the restaurant, ‘Patiala Babes’ Babita’s face came in front of his eyes. He closed his eyes as all his past sins came before his eyes one by one. He took deep breath and stepped inside. Naeem bi saw him and immediately called Neil. “Neil ye Ashok Khurana yaha bhi aa gaya Mini ko pareshan karne” said Naeem bi. “Naeem bi, Mini has called him here. She has decided to talk to him.” Replied Neil. Naeem bi tried to argue further but he gestured her to stop as he went to receive him. “Welcome to Patiala Babes Mr.Khurana” Neil put forward his hand to him as he welcomed him. “Thanks, Neil”said Ashok Khurana as he shake his hand. He looked Neil in his chef’s uniform.“Toh tum chef ho” Ashok khurana said more than asking. “Yes, great to know you can recognize chef by his uniform” replied Neil. Ashok laughed at the humor.Neil also shared a little laugh with him. Neil took him to Mini’s cabin. Mini looked at him and become nervous. Neil was about to go from there when mini stopped him, “Please stay.” She requested. “No, you talk to him alone. I am there for you but I will be outside. You don’t need anybody else to convey your feelings.” Said Neil as he went out.
Ashok Khurana started to say something but Mini stopped him as she nervously clarified, “Look, whatever you say will not change the things you did in past so don’t expect any forgiveness.” Ashok Khurana laughed at her. “You are just like Babita in some matters. Telling your judgement even before listening to me. Are you afraid that you can find it in yourself to forgive me?” said Ashok Khurana. He waited for her to say something but when she didn’t he continued, “See Mini, I am not here to ask for your forgiveness. I just felt that between all that mess which happened between me and Babita our relation had suffered a lot .You took your mother’s side always and I don’t mind that but I feel that I didn’t even get the chance to communicate properly with you. We never shared that kind of bond but it doesn’t change the fact that you are my one and only daughter and I love you.” Ashok Khurana said and stopped to look at Mini. She had a surprised look on her face. He thought why is that then it dawned upon him that he never confessed before that he loved his daughter.
He sighed, “You know Babita’s side of story that how she was so young when we got married and how I left her and went abroad for earning money. But I don’t know you ever realized it or not that I too was very young to get married. At the time when any boy would dream of meeting girls and roaming around with friends I was already married. She was the very first girl in my life and I had no other option. I tried to make this work for both of us. She was beautiful but we had totally different personalities. No matter whatever I do whatever I say our wave length didn’t match. I couldn’t form that connection with her. Then I got a chance to go abroad and I wanted my wife to be with me but Either due to fear of society or for the sake of Biji and papaji….I don’t know what is the reason but she never showed the interest in coming with me and I also didn’t ask her. I went alone and what I witnessed there was a cultural shock for me. For a boy who never been with any woman other than his wife it was strange to see women who are not only independent but bold enough to voice out their desires. I also earned lot of money initially which made me feel empowered. With the lack of love in my marriage and complete freedom away from home I almost forgot about her. She just existed for me nothing more. I wanted to break all the ties with her but back then in India it was not so easy. Then you came in our life. I hold you for the first time and I fell in love with you. My little angel. But that closed all the doors for my and Babita’s separation. So I let it continue like that for years. I used to come back here for some days, acted as if everything is normal but the fact was I was suffocating in that relation. It only increased with time. So I stopped visiting frequently also. I even started ignoring you.”
“Then I met Meeta. She was everything I ever wanted in my wife and before I could stop myself I fell in love with her. But then everything started falling apart with my and her family knowing everything about us. You leaving our house with Babita, Financial problems. I don’t know what happened to me. How all this bring out the worse in me. Today I look back I can’t identify myself with the monster I had become. I was so engrossed in selfishness that I disrespected my parents also. I hurt Babita, I hurt you, I even hurt Meeta, the woman I claimed to love. Everyone left me. I was shattered. I couldn’t put my life together and like a coward I ran away from the situation. After some time when I again become capable of standing on my own feet and finally the repercussions of my actions sunk in. I was so ashamed to accept what I did that I didn’t even dared to come in front you to apologize. I came to know that Babita married Hanuman Singh through some of our relatives. I didn’t know how you felt or what were you going through. I sent a letter to Hanuman Singh in a hope to communicate with you but I never got a reply. I thought you didn’t forgive me. Then sometime back I got to know that Babita and Hanuman are no more. I again tried to contact you and Biji-papaji but then I got to know that you were going back to Australia. I also tried to find your address in Australia but couldn’t. I never had the courage to directly come here and face Biji-papaji. I was going through personal hell. Not a day passed by when I didn’t think about you or Biji-papaji but I knew nobody is going to forgive me. I don’t deserve it. But that day when I saw you at the Hotel I couldn’t stop myself.” Ashok Khurana completed his story as he wiped his tears.
He turned around to look at Mini who was also crying. “I can understand that no person is bad by nature sometimes circumstances have their role to shape a person’s character but I still cant get over the fact that you were never there for me. You said loved me but you never really cared for me. Love is selfless but your love was selfish. I cant even count how many times I needed you to be there but you were not. I missed you a lot. You were my hero. Father is the first man in any girl’s life, her hero but my hero never made me feel protective, never made me feel loved. You know in the initial days of my marriage when Neil was being protective towards me I didn’t understand his behavior. I used to fight with him. You know why? Because I never experienced how it feels when the man in your life protects you, disciplines you, show his care….holds that…that authority to even deny you things which are not right for you. I could never understand it because I never knew a father's influence in girl's life. Whatever you did with Babes I hated you for that but couldn’t bring myself to replace you with someone else even with Hanuman uncle. After their marriage I was very lonely. I felt like an orphan. I got your letter but I couldn’t read it. I even fought with babes over that because I wanted to know what you had to say. After that things got sour between me and babes and I went to Australia. I almost forgot about you but that day when I saw you in front of me I didn’t know how to react what to do.” Mini vent out her feelings.
“Cant we start fresh leaving all the things behind?” asked Ashok hopefully. “I told you I cant forgive you for anything.” Said Mini with finality. “I can understand. I know I don’t deserve it but you can move forward from the past. Don’t forgive, don’t forget but atleast give me a place in your life….a small place….a right to call you sometimes…to talk to you…to know about your whereabouts. That’s all I ask.” Requested Ashok. “I cant promise anything but….I will….try. But its not easy for me….I need time.” Replied Mini. “I can wait for my whole life” said Ashok as he moved forward and hugged Mini. Mini was startled. She didn’t hug him back but also didn’t push him away. Mini took him to Haveli because she knew like her even Biji-dadu needed to talk to him.No matter what they say but he is their son after all. And she was proved right when after initial fight and emotional trauma Biji- dadu did forgive their son.He also asked them to come with him but they chose to stay with Mini. Ashok Khurana finally felt at peace and so did Mini. She felt as if the burden she was carrying all these years was lifted from her heart. Ashok Khurana said his goodbyes to everyone. “Bye Mini, thanks for listening to me and...... please say thanks to Neil on my behalf......I liked your chef. He is a great guy.” Said Ashok as he put his hand on Mini’s head lovingly. Mini smiled at his last line. For her Neil is best he doesn’t need anyone’s validation for that but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling when her papaji praised her husband.
to be continued......
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