Setting It Right - A BB Continuation | Chap 26, Page 11

A/N

Hello everyone!

So, we are back with a new story. It was my idea to write an Epilogue because, like Ayesha and I, I was pretty sure that many of you must have been disappointed with the show's ending, especially because the team wasn't given a few more episodes to properly close all the required loops.

Two of the personal issues that we had with the ending were that Batuk, who clearly had mental health issues, was cut off and punished without getting a chance to say his piece, while TRC, who was actually the root cause of most of the problems in the show, was whitewashed yet again.

I discussed it with Ayesha, and although she was being a lazy bum and busy bee, my persistence and tenacity plus chhota mota blackmail worked like a charm, and finally, she agreed to another Joint Venture.

So, We decided to "Set It Right" and write our version of what could have been shown if there was enough time.

The story starts 1 week after the events of the last episode, and whatever was shown in the show is canon. We may add a few FBs or anecdotes from the run of the show, which we didn't see onscreen but could definitely have happened.

We hope that you shower your love and appreciation as you showered on our previous Joint Venture as well. Do leave your comments and let us know about your views regarding our alternate ending for this show that we all loved so much!

I am going to post this story in a serial format on India Forums, while Ayesha will be posting the chapters simultaneously on her Wattpad profile (https://www.wattpad.com/user/Doc_Ash)

Love you all,

Ashley and Ayesha

-----------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1

19th November 1942, Deenpur City Hospital

Anirudh stood outside the door of the hospital room still wondering if coming here was the right decision.

"Dada, uski haalat bahut kharab hai, aur baar baar bas aapko pukaar raha hai."

Som's frantic voice was still resonating in his ears when he had called him from the hospital an hour ago.

Despite all his anger, the trepidation he felt at this news was enough to make Anirudh forget everything and just rush to check on his little brother.

"Koi zarurat nahi hai wahan jaane ki. Usne khud apne saare rishte jala diye hai."

Kaka's merciless voice had tried to stop him…

It reminded him of every awful thing his brother had done to his family, and the memories were so painful, so bitter that Anirudh felt his heartbreaking all over again...followed by red, hot rage which oddly accompanied a deep sense of regret too!

He had turned into a mess because his brotherly, instinctive impulse wanted him to go to his little brother who albeit had made some mistakes, but was still someone for whom Anirudh cared and whom he loved like crazies.

But on the other hand, his "mistakes" were quite criminal, and Anirudh couldn't find enough benevolence in his heart to let go and forgive his brother so easily for torturing his wife.

However, it was Bondita's voice that echoed in his ears and served as the main deciding factor.

"Patibabu, aapko mujh mien aur Batuk mien kisi aik ko chunna nahi hai yahan, aap bejhijhak jaa sakte hai."

And now that he had finally come to the hospital, all the memories of the past one week were rearing in his head, making him feel a renewed sense of remorse, regret, guilt, and a deep sense of loss that he couldn't brush off easily.

He clenched his fists as the image of Bondita trapped in the ring of fire flashed in front of his eyes. Out of all the emotions that were consuming him, a wave of seething anger overcame him this time as he turned to leave.

However, a delirious voice in the form of a whimper and a sob caught his attention and made him stop in his tracks.

"Big D...Big D… Please...don't do this to me… I love you Big D…"

His heart slammed in his chest as hot tears pricked his eyes on hearing this.

He could recognize this voice from thousands of miles apart too.

It was a voice that was close to his soul...and etched in his heart.

It was Batuk's voice...his little brother who had been so dear to him.

He had never ignored him before…

And this time too, his brother's delirious state and his incoherent anguished words were making it extremely hard for him to stop himself from going inside that room.

Anirudh Roy Chaudhary was famous for his patience and self-control. But this time, his control just snapped as his brotherly instinct was kicking in. Somehow he couldn't find the strength, the determination to walk away!

He slowly turned and peeped into the room. Batuk was lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to a number of tubes. He was thrashing about, crying out for his 'Big D' again and again.

Anirudh's heart squeezed painfully as he watched his brother writhing in pain and calling out for him in his unconscious state.

Looking at him like this was unbearable for him. At that moment, Anirudh could not see the mad monster who kidnapped his children, locked up his family and tried to kill his wife. Instead, all he really saw was his little brother who used to jump on his back and demand to piggyback rides, who used to fight with Bondita over sweets and who had cried because he didn't want to leave his home and family.

Anirudh couldn't believe how his sweet little brother became this monster?

Why did he want to hurt his one time best friend?

Anirudh knew about Batuk's dislike towards Bondita, but he had never imagined it would turn into hatred that would take this extreme malignant form!

And then, Anirudh also wanted to understand how he missed all the signs whenever he spoke to Batuk in all those eight years when he was in Italy, away from home.

How could he not see that it was nothing like a "mild dislike" or a "situational resentment" as he had believed it was?

How and when did Batuk develop such extremely negative feelings for Bondita, and how had he failed to see it?

Why hadn't he known?

The anger was now replaced by a deeper sense of guilt and Anirudh just closed his eyes tiredly as he started blaming himself for everything.

If only I had known…

If only I had anticipated …

I would have protected Bondita better.

The painful realization hit him like bricks. Had he known about the intensity of Batuk's feelings beforehand, he could have done something or stopped him before the hatred overcame him to this extent.

He felt as if he couldn't fulfil his duties as a responsible and caring elder brother.

He wanted to cry his heart out at this absolute failure…

He wanted to leave…

But that was when Bondita's words echoed in his ears,

"Hum dono Barristers hai, kya humein koi bhi faisla karne se pehle dono paksh nahi sunne chahiye?"

No, he had to go in, he had to find out how everything went so haywire! He had to find out the whole story.

Wiping his tears and adjusting his glasses, Anirudh straightened his back as his heart and mind came to one conclusion to all his conundrums:

He needed his answers now!

Taking a deep breath, Anirudh pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Beautiful Ash and Ayesha ❤️❤️

I was also disappointed about the way Batuk's part seemingly ended with just one slap and one sentence. I believe that Ani will not abandon Batuk without listening to his side and will try his level best to make Batuk realize his mistakes or rather crimes. Thank you for writing this epilogue and a proper closure 🤗🤗

Kaka's reaction is expected. As usual he put the full responsibility on someone else, conveniently forgetting that he is also a reason for all these 😡

This is the Nazuk Kali we know and love ❤️His turmoil is beautifully described, torn between his love for his younger brother and anger for what Batuk did to his Bon. As usual apni patibabu's rakshak babu Bon saved Ani from his confusion and turmoil by supporting his decision without any hesitation ❤️❤️

Originally posted by: Ashley_m

A/N

Hello everyone!

So, we are back with a new story. It was my idea to write an Epilogue because, like Ayesha and I, I was pretty sure that many of you must have been disappointed with the show's ending, especially because the team wasn't given a few more episodes to properly close all the required loops.

Two of the personal issues that we had with the ending were that Batuk, who clearly had mental health issues, was cut off and punished without getting a chance to say his piece, while TRC, who was actually the root cause of most of the problems in the show, was whitewashed yet again.

I discussed it with Ayesha, and although she was being a lazy bum and busy bee, my persistence and tenacity plus chhota mota blackmail worked like a charm, and finally, she agreed to another Joint Venture.

So, We decided to "Set It Right" and write our version of what could have been shown if there was enough time.

The story starts 1 week after the events of the last episode, and whatever was shown in the show is canon. We may add a few FBs or anecdotes from the run of the show, which we didn't see onscreen but could definitely have happened.

We hope that you shower your love and appreciation as you showered on our previous Joint Venture as well. Do leave your comments and let us know about your views regarding our alternate ending for this show that we all loved so much!

I am going to post this story in a serial format on India Forums, while Ayesha will be posting the chapters simultaneously on her Wattpad profile (https://www.wattpad.com/user/Doc_Ash)

Love you all,

Ashley and Ayesha

-----------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1

19th November 1942, Deenpur City Hospital

Anirudh stood outside the door of the hospital room still wondering if coming here was the right decision.

"Dada, uski haalat bahut kharab hai, aur baar baar bas aapko pukaar raha hai."

Som's frantic voice was still resonating in his ears when he had called him from the hospital an hour ago.

Despite all his anger, the trepidation he felt at this news was enough to make Anirudh forget everything and just rush to check on his little brother.

"Koi zarurat nahi hai wahan jaane ki. Usne khud apne saare rishte jala diye hai."

Kaka's merciless voice had tried to stop him…

It reminded him of every awful thing his brother had done to his family, and the memories were so painful, so bitter that Anirudh felt his heartbreaking all over again...followed by red, hot rage which oddly accompanied a deep sense of regret too!

He had turned into a mess because his brotherly, instinctive impulse wanted him to go to his little brother who albeit had made some mistakes, but was still someone for whom Anirudh cared and whom he loved like crazies.

But on the other hand, his "mistakes" were quite criminal, and Anirudh couldn't find enough benevolence in his heart to let go and forgive his brother so easily for torturing his wife.

However, it was Bondita's voice that echoed in his ears and served as the main deciding factor.

"Patibabu, aapko mujh mien aur Batuk mien kisi aik ko chunna nahi hai yahan, aap bejhijhak jaa sakte hai."

And now that he had finally come to the hospital, all the memories of the past one week were rearing in his head, making him feel a renewed sense of remorse, regret, guilt, and a deep sense of loss that he couldn't brush off easily.

He clenched his fists as the image of Bondita trapped in the ring of fire flashed in front of his eyes. Out of all the emotions that were consuming him, a wave of seething anger overcame him this time as he turned to leave.

However, a delirious voice in the form of a whimper and a sob caught his attention and made him stop in his tracks.

"Big D...Big D… Please...don't do this to me… I love you Big D…"

His heart slammed in his chest as hot tears pricked his eyes on hearing this.

He could recognize this voice from thousands of miles apart too.

It was a voice that was close to his soul...and etched in his heart.

It was Batuk's voice...his little brother who had been so dear to him.

He had never ignored him before…

And this time too, his brother's delirious state and his incoherent anguished words were making it extremely hard for him to stop himself from going inside that room.

Anirudh Roy Chaudhary was famous for his patience and self-control. But this time, his control just snapped as his brotherly instinct was kicking in. Somehow he couldn't find the strength, the determination to walk away!

He slowly turned and peeped into the room. Batuk was lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to a number of tubes. He was thrashing about, crying out for his 'Big D' again and again.

Anirudh's heart squeezed painfully as he watched his brother writhing in pain and calling out for him in his unconscious state.

Looking at him like this was unbearable for him. At that moment, Anirudh could not see the mad monster who kidnapped his children, locked up his family and tried to kill his wife. Instead, all he really saw was his little brother who used to jump on his back and demand to piggyback rides, who used to fight with Bondita over sweets and who had cried because he didn't want to leave his home and family.

Anirudh couldn't believe how his sweet little brother became this monster?

Why did he want to hurt his one time best friend?

Anirudh knew about Batuk's dislike towards Bondita, but he had never imagined it would turn into hatred that would take this extreme malignant form!

And then, Anirudh also wanted to understand how he missed all the signs whenever he spoke to Batuk in all those eight years when he was in Italy, away from home.

How could he not see that it was nothing like a "mild dislike" or a "situational resentment" as he had believed it was?

How and when did Batuk develop such extremely negative feelings for Bondita, and how had he failed to see it?

Why hadn't he known?

The anger was now replaced by a deeper sense of guilt and Anirudh just closed his eyes tiredly as he started blaming himself for everything.

If only I had known…

If only I had anticipated …

I would have protected Bondita better.

The painful realization hit him like bricks. Had he known about the intensity of Batuk's feelings beforehand, he could have done something or stopped him before the hatred overcame him to this extent.

He felt as if he couldn't fulfil his duties as a responsible and caring elder brother.

He wanted to cry his heart out at this absolute failure…

He wanted to leave…

But that was when Bondita's words echoed in his ears,

"Hum dono Barristers hai, kya humein koi bhi faisla karne se pehle dono paksh nahi sunne chahiye?"

No, he had to go in, he had to find out how everything went so haywire! He had to find out the whole story.

Wiping his tears and adjusting his glasses, Anirudh straightened his back as his heart and mind came to one conclusion to all his conundrums:

He needed his answers now!

Taking a deep breath, Anirudh pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Thank u thank u for writing, missing bb so much ❤️

Batuk was mental ill abhi bhi log psychiatrist k pass Jane s hichkichate h us jamane m y ur bhi badi baat hoti age y track dikhate tv p to ek ur stereotype break hota anyway chapter is awesome as always ❤️

Excited and Looking further to read more chapters ❤️

Chapter 2

A wail escaped his lips as his pain intensified and in his distress, he started tossing his head on the pillow.

He felt as if he was emerging to the water surface after being submerged for a very long time.

He wanted to get rid of the darkness and see the lighted world. However, he didn't know why he was so exhausted. Without any strength to open his eyes, he tried to move his body on the bed.

But that just amplified the intensity of his pain...so much so that it felt that he was burning alive…

And that was when a hazy memory of him trying to burn her alive surfaced to his mind too!

His soul stirred at the insane, inhumane thought…

He could now feel his heart pounding in his ears too…

Suddenly, he felt a crushing weight settle on his chest.

He tried to figure out why he was feeling so much pain and why he was not able to catch his breath properly.

He felt as if there was something sitting on his chest… trying to suffocate him… trying to invoke as much pain and distress as possible!

He wasn't able to understand what was happening to him.

His eyelids were so heavy that he felt as if they were glued!

His heart was racing as if he had been running a marathon.

His head was about to explode trying to visualize something, but all his mind was conjuring up were some vague but extremely disturbing images of...

Him kidnapping two babies…

Him snatching two newborn babies from their mother…

Him pouring kerosene oil to burn a woman alive…

Him raising his arm to stab an unconscious woman…

He was now frantically tossing in his bed. It felt as if he wanted to stop himself from committing all those heinous crimes.

His mind was now showing him the horrendous image of that woman inside a ring of fire...and something within him felt like snapping into two…

Perhaps it was him breaking into a good side and a bad side. The bad side was dead, heartless, and merciless. It was vile, manipulative, and vicious.

It was extremely strong too!

In his delirious state, he badly wanted to kill that bad side. He wanted to stop it from going to such lengths to harm a person.

He really wanted to stop himself…

But his good side wasn't powerful enough.

And to make the matters worse, his beloved Kaka whom he had trusted so much had also betrayed him. Not only that, he again abandoned him too!

"No no… please don't do this. How can you abandon me?"

He screamed as anger flashed through his blood.

He had been manipulated and he hated the feeling!

The master manipulator had played him so well!

And suddenly, his kaka's image was replaced by the image of the person he had loved the most in his life-

His Big D!

Even in such intense physical and psychological pain, a smile appeared on his lips while imagining his Big D's face as tears started rolling down his cheeks and he whispered,

"Big D… Dada … Aap aa gaye? Aap zinda ho Dada...I can't believe this. I can't tell you how happy I am... I have so much to tell you. Dada I…"

He wanted to say something when he noticed his Dada glaring at him with fire blazing through his eyes.

And then, for the first time in life, his beloved Big D hit him hard across his face and said the same words that he was afraid of but kind of expecting.

Go away!

Tumhara abh hum sab se koi rishta nahi hai.

I don't want to see you near my family ever again!

Big D's words had invoked the same fear that had scarred him before...and the same trauma that scared him to the core:

Abandonment!

He flinched in pain as he felt his heart breaking into millions of pieces on hearing this.

He was weeping now...

"Please don't do this to me again… don't make me go away again. Don't abandon me like before."

No one listened to him.

He was crying like a baby now…

"Dada...dada please listen to me. Please Dada, don't do this to me. I am your little bro...I love you Dada. Hit me all you want...kill me if you want...but please don't separate me from you, my family, and my niece and nephew now."

His Big D didn't even listen to him.

He wanted to die at that moment. He had lost the love of one person who mattered him the most...all because of that woman…

The one whom he had tried to burn alive…

The one who was now sitting on his chest and hitting his ribcage with all her might, screaming and yelling for her babies!

The image was horrifying.

Her long hair was flying all around her, her eyes were red hot like burning coals. She was radiating a fury that was making him tremble now.

"Tum ne abhi tak bass Bondita dekhi hai. Ager mere bacchon ko haath bhi lagaya, zara sa nuqsan bhi pohanchaya, ya mujhe un se duur kia tou tum Bondita ko Durgaa Maa bante dekho ge. Phir Batuk Roy Chaudhary, tumhien mere qeher (rage) se koi nahi bacha sakay ga!"

Her screams were getting louder and louder.

She had actually taken Durga Maa's roop now. As a valiant warrior, she was also on the battlefield now to fight for her children...and her battlefield was Batuk's chest!

She was hitting him in the ribs, knocking him out while screaming…

He was scared...very very scared now.

"No Bondita… no… don't do this! You...you took everything ffromm mee… Yyou kkilled my dada...I w..won't let you k..kill me…"

He stuttered…

But she didn't stop. She was getting fiercer and fiercer. He had a sinking feeling that she was turning into Kali Maa now!

Breathing was getting more and more difficult. He tried to call for help,

"D..dada… Dada… Help me… Save me… Dada… aajao please dada…dont leave me…Big D…"

His breathlessness was worsening. Gasping for oxygen, his body started convulsing and the alarms attached to the machines he was intubated with started blaring away.

Doctors and nurses rushed in to stabilize his condition, but even in such severe distress, his cries and plea fell directly onto Aniruddh's ears who had entered the room and had seen and heard his brother's hallucinatory gibberish.

His eyes were shedding uncontrolled tears for his brother's condition, as well as everything that he heard so far.

His guilt and anger both intensified on hearing Batuk mentioning Bondita even in his semi-conscious state.

He was replaying everything that Batuk had uttered and his confusion increased many times too. His head started reeling.

"Sir, are you with him?"

The doctor's voice brought him out of his emotional mist.

"Y..yes… He's my...brother."

He muttered, unable to remain aloof or indifferent, and unable to avoid acknowledgement of his relationship with the little bro with whom he was so angry too.

"Sir, aap ke bhai ki halat ziada theek nahi hai. He can slip into a coma. Abhi inko severe respiratory distress hogya tha jo ke cardiac arrest kerwa sakta tha. But thankfully, timely intervention helped and he is stabilizing now. Lekin sir, inka koi buht serious mental health issue bhi hai. Kia inki life mien recently kuch aisa hua hai, ya aapke ghar mien jis ne inki mental state itni affect ki hai?"

The doctor's words were alarming, and forgetting everything, Aniruddh anxiously asked,

"What happened to his mental state, doctor? What do you mean? Mien kuch samjha nahi. Batuk ko hua kia hai? Mera doosra bhai, Dr. Somnath Roy Chaudhary...he also didn't give me much details."

The doctor looked into Aniruddh's eyes for a while. This time, he noticed their uncanny resemblance too. However, Aniruddh's oblivious reply made him wonder if he was not in touch with his brother or if they were estranged.

However, despite everything, he could see the man already so torn over having to see his brother like that. So, after a little contemplation, he said,

"Inko Acute Alcohol Poisoning hui hai. Jiski wajeh se inka liver, kidneys and heart acutely damage hue hain. Filhal we have put him on oxygen support as he cannot breathe on his own, lekin humien buht careful rehna hoga. He can slip into a coma too, which will be very dangerous. Besides this, jab se yeh humare pas aye hain, semi-conscious state mien hi hain and has shown signs of severe depression. So, I would suggest that when his physical condition gets better, make sure to consult a psychiatrist also. He needs rehabilitation for his alcoholism too."

Having said that, he was about to leave when suddenly stopping in his tracks, he said,

"Mujhe nahi pata ke yeh 'Big D' kisay kehte hain. Lekin woh jo koi bhi hain, aap please unko inke pas le aayein. I think it will help him recover fast. "

With that, the doctor left the room, leaving Aniruddh in a sea of extreme anguish, guilt and regret.

"Alcoholism...Depression… Mera chhota bhai Alcoholic hai kia? Is his mental condition not stable?"

With eyes fixed on a now unconscious Batuk, fresh tears started rolling down his cheeks as he went near him and helplessly muttered,

"What happened to you Batuk? How did you go so astray? Was hatred for Bondita so strong that you didn't even mind becoming a criminal for that? And was my anger at your actions so wrong that you ended up hurting yourself like that?"

And then, clenching his eyes tightly shut, he asked himself,

"Did I plunge him into depression? Kia Batuk ka gunehgar mien hun?"

Opening his eyes again, as if in a trance, he held Batuk's hand, carefully avoiding his cannula.

Batuk stirred and turned his face towards Aniruddh. He could see the deep, dark circles under Batuk's eyes. His sallow, pale complexion showed how unwell he was. He seemed to have lost a considerable amount of weight too from the last time he had seen him, which was just a week ago.

Had he not been eating anything?

After I told him to leave the house, where had he gone? Was he living off of alcohol?

He wondered.

And then, feeling exhausted with all the veering emotions, he dropped on the chair beside Batuk's bed, hoping that Batuk gains consciousness soon and that his questions are answered as well.

Another beautiful chapter describing Batuk's mental condition, his trauma, guilt and resentment. Batuk got the punishment he feared the most, abandonment by his family, especially by his Big D which he couldn't handle. Batuk's good side is still alive but now it is weak. It can defeat the dominant monstrous side with proper care from his family and a little help from a doctor. I'm sure our Nazuk Kali will do that. Poor Kali is already feeling guilty.

Thank you Ash and Ayesha for this insight into Batuk's head ❤️❤️

Wow... Ash... another good chapter...

Will be waiting for the next one...

Missing BB...

And missing you and all our BB Forummwasi...🤗

Chapter 3

Batuk slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the bright lights of the room.

The first thing he noticed was the silhouette of a man sitting near him by his bedside with his head bent. He wasn't looking at Batuk, but even with his facial profile hidden from his line of vision, he could still recognise who it was as he felt relief flooding through him.

Big D… I knew it… Aap kitna bhi gussa ho jaaye you won't abandon me like that…

Mustering his strength, lifting off his oxygen mask a bit, Batuk called him in a weak voice. "Big D… You came…"

Anirudh's heart thudded in his chest, his eyes shut tightly as he tried to control his impulse to engulf his brother in a bear hug, and cry his heart out.

But that was when the horrifying image of Bondita in a ring of fire created by Batuk snapped his brotherly, loving instinct and filled him with a renewed determination to find out the true reason behind Batuk's insanity.

As much as he wanted, he knew that Batuk was quite manipulative. He didn't want to sound too lenient as he was afraid that Batuk might take advantage of his softness and might try to detrack him or lie to him.

Bringing as much sternness as Batuk's fragile condition could handle, trying to appear all business-like, Anirudh slowly turned around and with determination stamped on his features, he briskly said,

"Batuk, kisi ghalat fehmi ka shikaar na hona. Tumne jo kia hai, mien woh bhoola nahi hun. Mien yahan tumhare liye nahi aaya hu… Mujhe bas mere sawaalon ke jawab chahiye."

Anirudh's words stabbed in his heart and he felt a deep remorse that he had never experienced before!

Clinging to some last vestiges of hope, he tried to control himself from bursting into tears as he told himself,

Nahi, yeh sach nahi hai. Big D came for me, he couldn't stay away. Batuk, you still have a chance.

Mustering all his strength, he mumbled,

"Big D...please don't do this to me. I am sorry Big D… Trust me Mein aapko hurt nahi karna chahta tha."

This was true, Batuk would never hurt Big D. That was why he kept away for so long. That was why he avoided her for so long!

For all he knew, it was him who was sacrificing…

It was him who made all the compromises!

If only Big D looked at this case without his biased lenses, he would clearly see that I was the one who was the victim on most accounts!

However, Anirudh wasn't so keen on giving him any credit for his patience and sacrifice.

Leaning closer to him, with angst and hurt lurking in the deep pools of his eyes, he asked in a serious voice that also reflected his deep ache,

"Aur tumhe laga ke tum Bondita ko tadpaoge toh mujhe dukh nahi hoga? Meri Bondita ko chot pohanchao ge aur mujhe dard nahi hoga?"

Forgetting everything, a wave of irritation washed over him on hearing his Big D's question.

Bondita. Bondita. Bondita!

Thak gaya hun yehi sunte sunte. Can't Big D see how that Bondita doesn't deserve all this love that he lavishes on her?

Trying to stabilize his breathing, he took a while to reply to his brother. Without realizing how childish he might sound, he just blurted in a hoarse voice,

"I knew Dada… Of course, aap ko dukh hota apni Bondita ko taklif mien dekh ker! Mager aap wahan nahi thay Dada. You didn't see what I saw. I saw you…dd..ddrr...drown for her"

Unable to speak properly as angry tears formed a clump in his throat, it took him several seconds to stabilize himself. And then he continued his tirade,

"Dada… Aapne toh decide kar liya hai ke uske saare dard aapko hi uthane hai. Abhi bhi aap uss Bondita ko bachana chahte thay… Aur Humesha se aap yahi tou karte aa rahe hai… Bondita ke liye khudko risk karte hai… Pehle usko Sati se bachane ke liye apni poori life upside down turn kardi. Usko Hira Mandi se bachate hue khud stab hou gaye. Phir uski Thaku Ma ne aapko baar baar hurt kiya, aapko jail bheja, but phir bhi chale gaye aap maafi maangne… aur natija kya hua? Iss baar poori family hurt hui. Aur woh Bondita! Usko koi kadr hai aapke efforts ki? Nahi, bilkul nahi… warna woh aapko aise hurt nahi karti, woh aapki jagah nahi leti, woh aapko peechhe chhod ke udne ke sapne nahi dekhti…Woh…"

He gasped, unable to continue with his emotional tirade, as his strength failed him again.

This time, the mask of indifference slipped off Anirudh's face and, unable to control his love for his brother, he rushed to put Batuk's oxygen mask back in its place. Frantically, he started rubbing his back to help him with his breathlessness.

It took him several minutes to recover, but once he was better, he weakly smiled at his Big D and quietly said,

"Dada, I know miene aap ko hurt kia. But trust me, mujhse nahi dekha gaya ke jis Bondita ke liye aap baar baar apni jaan khatray mien daaltay hain, jis se aap itna pyar kerte hain, woh aap ke naam ko aur aap ki resources ko use ker ke aap se aagay nikalne ki koshish ker rhy thy. Jis insan ne uss per ehsan kia, woh usi ko peeche chhod ker aagay nikal rhy thy. She was trying to use you for flying high, Dada...lekin aap ko apna aasman bana ker nahi, balke aapke ooper apne peir rakh ker wo udaan bharna chahty thy. Sooner or later Dada, aapko bhi iss cheez se problem hota. Mujhe jab phone per yeh sab bataya gaya tou mien Italy se turrant wapis aagya tha to set that woman straight! Lekin phir aap… "

He choked on his words again, but still managed to say,

"Mien jis din aaya,ussi din Dada I saw you drowning. Mien aapko bachane ke liye river mien kooda bhi tha… lekin nahi bacha paaya. I am sorry Dada...I really am."

Batuk fell silent but he didn't realize that he had exploded a bomb on Anirudh's head.

So far, Anirudh was just wondering how his little brother had gotten so negative, and how his hatred for Bondita had amplified and intensified so much.

However, now it seemed that he had heard something malicious against Bondita...Rather, someone had very skillfully filled his ears against Bondita.

Dropping on the chair lying beside Batuk's bed, he held his hand, and very slowly, very carefully, he asked,

"Tumhien phone per yeh sab kis ne kaha tha, Batuk ke Bondita jaan bujhke mujhse aagay badhna chahty hai, mujhe neecha dikhana chahty hai, ya uske aagay badhne se ya uske udne se, mujhe bura lagega?"

His mind was silently trying to guess who it could be...and aside from Somnath, he couldn't recall anyone who might be carrying any kind of remnant resentment towards his Bondita.

His train of thoughts halted abruptly on hearing Batuk's reply,

"It was Trilochan kaka, Big D."

Anirudh felt like the sky had fallen on his head on hearing this.

Loved the chapter ❤️

Much needed release of Batuk's pent up resentments. Little Batuk went to Italy with his resements about Bon whom he considered as the reason for all the troubles in his and his family's, especially his Big D's lives. Sadly no one was with him to correct these misunderstandings. I'm happy that he finally opened up in front of Ani. Ani will definitely help him to come out of it. We already got a glimpse of the caring Nazuk Kali who loves his brother very much ❤️.

Finally TRC's role in this came in front of Ani. Now eagerly waiting for the confrontation 😈😈

Dear Ashley, I really liked this chapter. It's Lovely.😍😍 infact they have not properly whitewashed Trilochan character. Else it will be a problem again for Bondita and her kids also. In future he will definitely be an obstacle for his grand daughter's progress. They should have given 2 more weeks to clear all problems beyond them everything. In last episode, Trilochan promising that he will treat men and women equally, will not bother who is born all should get equal rights for education, and survival.

Chapter 4 - The Brewing Storm

Anirudh walked into the haveli in a daze, numb due to the revelations in the hospital.

Kaka!

His Trilochan Kaka was the one who instigated Batuk against Bondita?

He poured so much venom in his ears that he turned totally against her!

WOW!!!

He was so numb that he didn't even feel any emotion…

No anger…

No regret…

No nothing!

He was just feeling…

Nothing!!

"Anirudh… Tum thik toh hou na?"

Anirudh looked up to meet Sampoorna Maa's worried gaze, before glancing around. Apparently, he had reached his favourite sofa in the study.

"Anirudh, kya hua hai tumhe? Kabse awaaz lagaye jaa rahi hu…" After a short pause, she hesitantly asked, "Tum... aspataal gaye thay na? Batuk se milne… woh theek toh hai na?"

"Batuk theek nahi hai Sampoorna Ma! Bilkul theek nahi hai woh… Sharaab pi pi ke usne apne aap ko maut ke muh pe khada kar diya tha. Apne ghar, apne parivaar ko khone ka sadma laga hai usey, aur yeh aaj ki baat nahi nahi hai. 8 saalon se is dard se, iss sadme me tadap raha hai woh… Mera bhai, mera chhota bhai, 8 saal aise tadap raha tha, aur mai kuch nahi kar saka, karna toh durr, mai dekh bhi nahi paya, samajh hi nahi paya… Apni hi zindagi mein itna ghul gaya ke, dekha hi nahi, ke Batuk wahan akela tha, usko woh akelapan khaa raha hoga… Kaisa Dada hu mai? Mera bhai wahan akela tha aur mai…"

"Aur tum yahan, sab ke saath hou kar bhi akele thay…" Sampoorna interrupted his self-flagellation.

Sampoorna's words stilled Anirudh for a second as the weightage of her declaration registered in his mind.

To reinforce further, a quiet voice spoke from the foot landing of the spiral staircase,

"Haan Pati babu...ager Batuk ne 8 saal tak suffer kia tha, toh aap bhi yahan khushiyaan nahi mana rahe thay, aap bhi yahan tadap hi rahe thay, iss dushmani ka nuqsaan aap sab ko hua tha.

Sampoorna nodded, confirming Bondita's words, and laying her hand on Anirudh's shoulder, she said gently,

"Anirudh, mien umer mien tum se chhoti hun, lekin rishte mien tumhari maa hun. Aur miene apne teeno beton ko alag alag terha se iss dushmani ke asraat se joojhte dekha hai. Somnath per iska asar ek terha pada, Batuk per doosri terha aur tum par sabse zyada.

Taking a slight pause, heaving a deep breath, she reminded him,

"Tum sab se baday nahi thay ghar per Anirudh, tum se baday bhi mojood thay...Lekin tum ne bada bann ker poore parivaar, balke poore Tulsipur ka khayal rakha. Hum sab ka khayal rakha… Apne baba ka, unke karobar ka, iss ghar ka, Somnath, Batuk aur Shashwati ki padhai ka...har cheez ka khayal tumne hi rakha. Tumhare apne dil ko chot lagy thy. Tumhari Bondita tumse duur thy...sab khatam hogya tha tumhare liye. Lekin apne zakham chhupa ker tum ne hum sab ke zakhmon per marham rakha tha Anirudh."

As he squeezed his eyes shut on the painful recollections of those extremely painful and lonely days, unchecked tears started rolling down his cheeks. He would have remained unaware of them had he not felt a beloved, warm brush of fingers gently wiping his tears, as he heard Bondita's quiet, reassuring voice,

"Pati Babu, Sampoorna maa sahi keh rahy hain. Aap khud zakhmi thay, lekin aap ne doosron ke liye messiah banna choose kia. Batuk ke sath accha nahi hua...Lekin usme aapka koi bhi dosh nahi hai. Aap ne tou apni taraf se uske liye best environment hi provide kerne ki koshish ki thy na…"

Anirudh's face reflected his uncertainty, and although he just gazed into Bondita's eyes in helpless mutiny, Sampoorna noticed his internal battle and said,

“Haan Anirudh, Bondita ne sahi kaha... yeh mat bhulo ke tumne Batuk ko wahan uske suraksha ke liye bheja tha. Batuk wahan parivaar se duur tha,lekin woh surakshit tha, usko koi aur kami nahi thy. Uski padhai, rehne sehne aur uski zaroorton ke liye sab kuch mojood tha. Woh sab kis ne dia? TUM ne, Anirudh. Aur toh aur, maine dekha hai, woh tum hi thay, jo har mahine Kalkatte tak jaate thay, taaki chupke se Batuk ko chitthiyan bhej sako, ya usey telephone kar sako. Dou saal pehle tou Madras tak chale gaye thay tum, taaki wahan se Italy ka jahaaz pakad sako aur Batuk ko mil sako. Tumne poori koshish ki Anirudh, ki tum Batuk tak woh saara pyaar pohancha sako, jo usey yahan milta tha. Agar Batuk tadpa hai, toh woh tumhari wajah se nahi. Ghar me aur bhi bade thay yeh zimmedari uthane, par hum bhi nahi kar paaye. Mein aur Somnath toh jaante tak nahi thay ke Batuk dikhta kaisa hai. Aur jab tum lapata thay, tab Batuk ka dard baatne, usey sambhalne, sirf jethji hi tou uske pas thay. 'Batuk' ke 'Anirudh' bannay ke baray mien bhi sirf woh hi... ”

She abruptly stopped mid-sentence as Trliochan Roy Chaudhary's loud voice laced with anger interrupted her,

"Sampoorna bahu! Soch samajh ker baat kero. Hum Batuk ka dard baatne aur usko sambhaalne ke liye bilkul mojood thay, mager Anirudh bannay ka naatak kerne ke liye hum ne usay nahi kaha tha. Yeh sab uske apne dimagh ki khurafaat thy. Woh khud hi Bondita bahu se itni nafrat kerta hai ke us nafrat ke agay usko sahi ghalat ki parakh hi bhool gai."

Anirudh's entire body stiffened as his facial expressions hardened. Sampoorna's unintentional and incomplete sentence, and Trilochan kaka's defensive statement were enough to confirm to Anirudh what Batuk had told him in the hospital.

"Dada… mujhe Italy se Trilochan kaka ne bulaya tha. Unhone hi mujhe call ker ke kaha tha ke Bondita ki fame aapko nuqsaan de rhy hai. Unhone hi mujhe sab bataya ke Bondita kia kia kerty phir rhy hai… aur kis terha woh aap ko taklif dene ki tayyari ker rhy thy. Kaka ne hi kaha tha ke mien aa ker sab sahi kerun… Aapki life ko bhi...aur Bondita ko bhi!"

The hurting image of an extremely distraught Batuk who was in severe pain and was fighting for oxygen flashed in front of his eyes, making him wince in pain too.

His heart started thudding in his chest painfully too as the exact implication of everything that he had heard from Batuk, Sampoorna, and Kaka himself started sinking in his head as he came to the disturbing conclusion:

Kaka…

Mere kaka ki hi wajeh se yeh sab hua…

Mere kaka ki hi wajeh se Batuk ka yeh haal hua…

He felt as if a heavy rock had slid onto his chest, the weight of which was not letting him breathe or even think properly!

Bondita saw her husband's handsome face darkening with anger and inexplicable remorse, and she felt as if he was caught amidst a building storm. She flinched as she felt dread crawling up her spine on noticing her husband's hardening expressions with each passing second. And then, his voice laced with seething anger filled the atmosphere as he icily said,

"Aur Batuk ko iss bemaqsad nafrat ki aag mien KIS ne dhakela tha? Bondita se jo usko masla tha, usko badhawa KIS ne dia tha?"

And then, something snapped in him as he yelled in rage,

"AAP ne yeh sab kia tha Kaka! Sirf AAPNE!!"

A/N Do review guys! We would love to know what you think about our story.