Finding Love - 2 [TaaRey]

Shweta

@2111_shweta

...

Part Two

Rey's POV:

The next morning I woke up pretty early. I felt as if I was just a step away from my heart, my love, my Taani. I took a glance outside the window and saw the sky overcast and it was just drizzling lightly. I stared at the lawn and a blur image of a girl dancing in the rains formed in my mind. I narrowed my eyes further to see her face. She turned around dancing when I caught the glimpse of her face. My lips curved up and a smile was plastered on my face. I ruffled my hair and came and sat back on my bed.

After a while, the maid came in my room with my breakfast. She arranged it for me and was leaving the room when I spotted a diary in her hand. I asked her what it was and she told me it belonged to that girl Taniya. She had found it inside her bag. I asked her to leave it on the table as it looked familiar. She did as instructed and left.

I lazily walked over to the table, my eyes not leaving the diary. I bet I had seen it somewhere, but where, was the question that disturbed me. I slowly ate my breakfast still thinking about the diary. I could find no answers. I felt like banging my head onto something. Letting out a sighI opened it.

The first page had a sketch of a girl and a boy standing together holding hands. The picture surprised me as this was exactly the same picture drawn by Taani on a similar looking diary in our childhood. That's when I remembered where I had seen this diary. I felt my heart rate quicken and I flipped through the pages finding for a page which would prove my doubt correct. I was successful in finding it and started reading.

"Aisa pehli baar hua hai, satrah atrah saalon mein,
Andekha anjaana koi, aane laga khayalon mein.
Aankho ki khidki par, ek saaya sa lehrata hai,
Dil ke darwaje par, koi dastak dekar jaata hai.
Gehri gehri kaali aankhe, mujhse mujhko poochti hai,
Haatho ki rehkao mein, ek chehra sa ban jata hai.
Uski saanse resham jaise, gaalon ko chhu jaati hai,
Uske haathon ki khushbu hai, ab tak mere baalon mein.
Haan, aisa pehli baar hua hai, satrah atrah saalon mein,
Andekha anjaana koi aane laga khayalon mein."

I jumped up from my seat on reading it. I straightaway left for her room. On reaching her room I found her sitting by the dressing table and engrossed in thoughts while combing her hair. I entered without knocking and went and stood behind her. She gasped on seeing me and got up quickly facing me. She looked frightened, must be my face which was for sure stoned and dark.

"Tum kaun ho?" I asked her with the same expressions.

"Taa..Ta..Taniya" she stuttered.

"Jhoot" I barked at her making her flinch.

Seeing her scared face I tried composing myself but in vain. I was beyond my control. I felt like a robot being operated by a master called emotions.

"Me..mein..jhoot..nahi.." I didn't let her complete her sentence and held her arm tightly making her wince in pain.

"Aisa-pehli-baar-hua-hai-satrah-atrah-saalon-mein!" I said gritting my teeth.

Her eyes widened in shock looking at her diary in my hand and she tried her best to get out of my hold.

"Rey please mera haath chodo" she pleaded when she couldn't get herself free.

Her plead made me loosen my grip but I didn't leave her completely. I registered what she said and my grip over her tightened again.

"Tum mera naam kaise jaanti ho? Meine to tumhe nahi bataya" I raised my brow at her.

She looked here and there trying to give a suitable answer. Like that would help! She then looked at me and spoke slowly.

"Voh meine magazine mein padha tha..one of India's leading businessmen, Reyansh Singhania"

"But sab mujhe Reyansh naam se jaante hai. Tumne toh mujhe Rey kaha" I smirked knowingly.

"Nahi! Meine Reyansh hi kaha tha!"

"Oh come on Taani, tum mujhse jhoot nahi bol sakti!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she registered what I said.

"Mera naam Taniya.." before she could complete I pulled her closer to me while holding her hands behind her back. She tried resisting but I didn't budge.

"Duniya mein bas teen log hai jo mujhe Rey kehke bulate hai; mom, dad and you. No one else knows this. Everyone calls me Reyansh. Aur tumne mujhe Rey bulaya aur voh bhi do baar, kal jab tumne mujhe dekha aur aaj. Chalo yeh ignore kar deta hoon. But yeh diary, yeh diary toh jhoot nahi bol sakti aur naa hi isme likhi poem!"

I left her harshly and she stumbled back a few steps.

"Bolo, keh do ki ye sab bhi jhoot hai. Kaho ki mein jo bol raha hoon voh jhoot hai. Say it from your own mouth ki tum Taani nahi Taniya ho. Say it dammit!"

"Haan mein Taani hoon. Aur jo bhi tumne kaha voh jhoot nahi sach hai" saying so she collapsed on the floor and started crying.

Taani's POV:

I never wanted him to come to know my reality. He always knew me as a strong independent girl but I had a very dark story which he was unknown of. This was the reason why I had left him years back. I knew he was angry, I could see the anger on his face. I was hell scared as I knew whenever he gets angry he loses his control. But to my surprise he engulfed me in his arms and hugged me like there was no tomorrow. I was startled by his actions but I didn't oppose. This was what I needed the most, a tight bear hug.

After a while he let go of me. I saw his face which had a spark of happiness. All I could do was smile seeing him. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I knew I had to leave from here else I would be stuck here forever, which I didn't mind, but I needed to get away. So I got up and quickly started to pack my bag.

"Tum kar kya rahi ho?" he eyed me confusingly.

"Rey mujhe yahan se jana hoga" I replied not looking at him.

"No ways! Mein tumhe kahin jaane nahi dunga!" I could see the determination of not letting me go in his eyes.

"Rey please try and understand"

"No Taani, tum pehle bhi aise ja chuki ho. Iss baar gayi toh mein mar.." I covered his lips with my palm.

"Aisi baate mat karo, mein nahi ja paungi" A tear rolled down my eye.

His face suddenly tensed. He looked at me in the eyes and wiped off the traces of the tears that had begun flowing.

"Taani please don't go, I lov.."

"No! No..no..NO! Tumne mujhe kyun bachaya. Wahin pe marne ke liya chod dete mujhe" I started crying hysterically.

He understood that there was something major which I wasn't telling him. He started asking me but I didn't speak out. He kept on asking and in the end I had to confess.

"Rey I'm married. Meri shaadi ho chuki hai!"

He blanched on hearing it. He let go of my arms and fell on the bed with his palms covering his face and elbows supported on his thighs. I heard light sniffing coming from his side. It made me panic as the Rey I knew never cried. I quickly sat in front of him and tried to pull his hands off his face. After a lot of efforts he himself stood up and wiped off his face.

Rey's POV:

I was shattered on hearing this. How could she marry someone? I could see love for me in her eyes. If she loves me then why did she marry someone else? Well why won't she? She didn't know that I loved her. She didn't know that I was searching madly for her for the past couple of years. She knew nothing.

'Stop being selfish Rey. She is someone else's now.'

I didn't want to but had to believe this. I quickly composed myself and got up.

"Chalo Taani, mein tumhe tumhare pati ke paas chod deta hoon"

I swear I'm not lying but as soon as I said this fear engulfed her and she began shivering hysterically. I was beyond shocked as the Taani I knew never feared of anything, she was always very strong. I held her tight and she came crashing onto me and started crying miserably.

I knew there was no use asking her right now so I started to put into place everything that I knew of her from childhood to now. I knew Taani's parents had met with an accident and had passed away on the day when I had planned to confess my feelings back then. That was the reason she never arrived and later vanished somewhere. And now from the time she met me she was trying to hide her identity. But why? It was then that I realized the actual picture and the reason of her fear.

"Tumhe kisne force kiya iss shaadi ke liye?" I asked her breaking the hug.

Her head was held low and she didn't utter a single word. I made her look at me and asked her again.

"Chachi" she said in a feeble voice. If I wasn't standing in front of her I wouldn't have heard it.

Hearing her chachi's name made my blood boil. She always hated Taani. After her parents died, I suppose Taani was staying with her chachi, a woman who hated her.

"Taani mujhe sab kuch sach sach batao!" I demanded.

She composed herself a bit and began, "tumhe shayad pata hoga ki mom dad ka accident hua tha aur issi wajah se mein tumse milne nahi aa payi thi." I nodded.

She continued, "uske baad mere paas aur koi nahi tha toh mein chachi ke saath rehne gayi thi."

"Par mein to tha.." I interrupted her but she didn't let me speak and continued.

"Chachi ko mein kabhi pasand hi nahi thi. Toh unhone mujhe ghar se bahar rakhne ke liye pehle hostel mein rakha aur jab meri padhai khatam hui toh kisi random insaan ke saath shaadi kara di"

I clenched my jaws and fist. She placed her palm over my hand and grazed her thumb over my knuckles calming me a bit.

"Jis insaan se meri shaadi hui usne kabhi mujhe apni patni ka darja diya hi nahi. Mein ek.. ek naukarani ki tarah vahan reh rahi thi. Meine chachi se baat karni chahi par voh maani nahi. Phir pata nahi kyun unn sab ne milke mujhe.. mujhe.. bechne ka plan banaya"

She again began to cry. I was angry at myself that I couldn't help her, that I wasn't there with her when she needed me the most, that she backed away from me and I agreed to it. I wanted to embrace her and never let go of her, but before that I needed to know the entire story and hence I kept quiet.

"Yeh plan ke baare mein jab mujhe pata chala toh meine unhe dhamkaya yeh keh ke ki mein police mein complain karungi but voh log nahi maane. Unhone kaha ki mein unpe bojh banke poori zindagi nahi reh sakti. Isiliye mein voh ghar chodke bhaag gayi thi aur thakan ki wajah se mein road pe gir gayi aur tumhare raaste aayi."

She completed her story and was still sobbing. I got up pulling her up with me.

"Chalo"

"Kahan" she was baffled.

"Police station"

Must be the look in my eyes that didn't allow her to speak or argue with me. We went to the police station and lodged a complaint against the people who were involved in this matter. They all were arrested immediately and put behind bars. I also made her sign the divorce papers, and thankfully she didn't oppose.

From the time she told me the truth till now when everything was sorted and under control, she maintained distance from me. But it was high time, she needed to know that I can't stay without her, that I needed her in my life. I was about to speak when she spoke.

"Rey can you do a favour for me?"

Favour? Nonetheless I nodded my head asking her to continue.

"Kya tum mujhe apni company mein koi chotisi job dilwa sakte ho? Mere paas na paise hai aur naa hi rehne ke liye koi ghar. Please meri itni help kardo. Please." She pleaded.

"Are you serious Taani? Yeh ghar bhi toh tumhara hi hai. Aur kisne kaha ki tumhare paas paise nahi hai? Yeh company toh humari hai, hum dono ki"

"Rey don't get emotional. Tum please mujhe yahan kaam dilwado"

"I'm not getting emotional" I pulled out the company papers and showed it to her. They clearly read that dad had made us both the owners of this company when he retired.

Her eyes widened in shock while I couldn't help but laugh seeing her expression.

"Itne saalon se mein tumhara bhi kaam kar rahan hoon. So now you need to payback for all of that."

"Payback?" 

"By marrying me" I grinned at her.

"But Rey mera past.."

"Mujhe tumhare past se koi lena dena nahi hai. All I know is that I love you and I want to be with you forever."

She was teary eyed hearing it.

"I know bohot hi pheeka confession hai but I can't risk you running away again" I winked at her making her laugh.

"I love you too Rey" she said softly after she stopped laughing.

"Kya kaha? Sunai nahi diya" I rolled my tongue inside my mouth and suppressed the grin forming on my face.

"Nahi suna toh voh tumhari galati, mein firse nahi kehne wali!" she showed me her tongue and ran out into the lawn.

'What was I thinking while messing up with Taani!' I slapped my forehead and followed her to the lawn.

She was twirling and dancing in the rain. It felt good to see my bubbly and strong Taani back again. I went near her and she stopped dancing. I knelt down in front of her and asked.

"Will you marry me?"

"I will, but I have a condition" she winked.

"And that is?" I asked her being in the same position.

"You have to dance with me right now" she grinned and placed her hand in mine.

I kissed the back of her hand and we both twirled around in the rain washing away all our past memories and cherishing our new found love.

Posted: August 1, 2014