||Junooniyat hai yehi ||MehRya FF Final Chapter Pg 109 06/May/19 - Page 85

Final Chapter

"I am the reason", Sandeep's words shook Mehek. "What are you saying Sandeep?", she was shocked and tried hard to keep her voice low. He composed himself and went on, "Nehal wanted commitment. I like her but her wayward lifestyle was always a hindrance. So I asked to mend her ways if she wanted to us be a couple. She agreed and everything was going good until…", he paused. "Tell me, Sandeep", Mehek demanded."She had a rebound and started using drugs again. I was clueless but few days back she confessed her lapse to me. I was furious and broke up with her", he wept, covering his face. Mehek could understand his condition and also Nehal's. She rubbed his arms to calm him. "She could have hidden it but she tried to be honest with me. Rather than appreciating her truth and supporting her, I rejected her without a thought. I wish I had given her another chance. A chance she well deserved. Coz she was trying her best to make us work", his agonizing words pierced her conscience.

Mehek was walking aimlessly through the corridors. She was trying to find solitude after chaotic events of her life. Everytime she dared to take few steps ahead, she was being forced to retrieve. She cannot be docile and remain passive. It was time to either let it go or grab on to it. She has to be bold and considerate. Not only hers but many lives were affect. Her decision will make difference to wellbeing and future of many. She rubbed her palms and kept them on her eyes. A practice she sought to focus and channelize her energy. While she was trying her best to think rationally, a feeble female voice disturbed her, "Aren't you Mehek Sharma?". Mehek opened her eyes and looked at the lean woman. As Mehek nodded in response to the query, she studied the modesty dressed counterpart before her. "You don’t recall me, do you?", she asked again with a friendly smile. Mehek was a bit embarrassed as she was unable to recognise her."I am Sonal. We used to study in same college", she explained. A quick spark ignited in Mehek's mind and she smiled at Sonal. They sat down and started to chat.

Sonal works as a therapist. Being a survivor of depression, she took it up as a profession to help others. Involuntarily their conversation steered to Mehek's family and Shaurya."Few months after you quit studies, we all got to know about your marriage with Shaurya", Sonal breached the topic carefully, "It lifted a huge burden off my chest". Mehek knitted her brows in confusion. "Karma is real, Mehek. Your good deeds rewarded you while my bad ones broke me",Sonal went on. Although Mehek was clueless, she chose to just listen. "I was blindly in love with Rohit. I overlooked his flaws and started a life with him , only to be broken and shattered", she sniffed, " Back incollege days, when his ego was bruised by Shaurya, all he wanted was pay back.I just stood by him rather than forbidding him", she looked down ashamed,"Entire college knew that you were special for Shaurya. Rohit wanted to use you for his revenge. I should never had coaxed to come to that party "."Sonal, it's in the past", Mehek tried to avoid but Sonal was adamant to let it out of her chest. Unknowingly she pushed Mehek into her bitter flashback. She had buried those painful memories deep down yet they were peeping out of their coffins, revealing their rotten heads. She wanted to stop Sonal yet had to listen to her. "Before it went far, I understood it was not a harmless prank to record your drunken stupor. It was vicious coz they wanted to take advantage of you. The aphrodisiac drug mixed in your drinks would have made you an easy victim", she confessed with a heavy heart. Mehek got startled but before she could lash at Sonal, the latter grabbed her hands to apologize, "Believe me, Mehek. I didn’t have any part of it. As soon as I got whiff of it, I knew I couldn’t protect you so I did the best I could do". Mehek looked at her apprehensively. "I knew few people from Shaurya's friend circle and anonymously tipped them. To my utter relief, he arrived quickly but you had already consumed the spiked drink and was high . You even forced Shaurya to drink it. I was afraid that Shaurya will harm Rohit if I revealed the truth hence I remained mum and withdrew. But I was glad when he managed to take you away. He saved you". Mehek gripped her palms so hard that her knuckles became red. Sonal unaware of her anger and frustration, unburdened her guilt. Mehek quickly stood up and fumbled some excuses. Sonal sighed and nodded. Mehek marched away quickly and managed to lock herself in an empty room. She fell on the floor and wept bitterly.

Holi. The festival of colours. Everyone in Khanna mansion were celebrating except for Shaurya. He sat alone in his room and chided away all who tried to convince him to join the celebrations. His parents didn’t find it strange that Mehek refrained to join them. For them, Mehek was supporting her family to go through a difficult situation and allowed her to stay in Sharma Nivas. But Shaurya knew that Mehek was avoiding him. He knew too well to predict that they were on verge of break up. Mehek had shut him off completely and didn’t bother to hear him out.He could do nothing but wait.Restlessly he turned his attention to office files while another knock disturbed him. "Go away. How many times do I have to make it clear that I am not playing Holi today?", he scoffed and turned back to his work. "I am sorry to disturb you", a gentle female voice startled him. He was unable to contain his surprise when he turned to face Mehek at the door.

She looked pretty,clad in white salwar kameez and red dupatta. Timidly she closed the door and walked towards him. "What a pleasant surprise!", he exclaimed and embraced her. He stepped back, realizing her hesitation and looked at her eagerly. Mehek smiled weakly but remained quiet. Her silence was warning him of impending doom. She opened her mouth but he was quick to halt her. "Mehek, I understand that I deserve severe punishment. I am ready for any torment but please don’t leave me. You can torture me endlessly but I beg you to not to stay apart", he requested with folded hands. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Before she could reach them,he wiped it away. "I am responsible for your tears, although it was never my intention. Years back I did a huge injustice by taking away your virtue and then forcing you into marriage. Today, I could fathom gravity of my mistake. I was reckless and egoist. But I was madly in love with you. I am still madly in love with you. Perhaps my ways were wicked but my feelings are pure", he spoke vehemently. Mehek couldn’t utter a word other than gaze into his eyes. Myriads of emotions passed through them. She couldn’t find an ounce of dishonesty in them.

Sandeep's agonized face flashed through her mind, 'I wish I had given her another chance. A chance she well deserved'. Sonal's confessing words echoed, 'He saved you'. She felt dizzy and held her forehead. Shaurya was quick to rush to her side to aid her. Once she was settled on couch, he anxiously sat beside her. "I am tired,Shaurya", she whispered. "Take rest, Mehek. I will call for the doctor", he was about to dash but she stopped him. "I am tired of this emotional trauma. I know you are trying your best yet each time fate tests me mercilessly", she sobbed, "Wont these trials and tests ever end? Don’t I deserve happiness?". "You deserve it all, Mehek. Please give me a chance and I will fill your life with love and joy", he covered her face in his hands, "I love you, Mehek".

"I love you too,Shaurya. I cannot live without you", she finally confessed her love and embraced him, "Help me.Help me to make this pain go away", she cried on his shoulder. Shaurya didn’t stop her but let her vent out her sorrow. Finally he made her sit comfortably and wiped her tears. "No more tears, Mehek. I will never let you be sad".Mehek sniffed and nodded. He stood up and extended his hand to her, "Will you play Holi with me?". She smiled and agreed. As she gave her hand to him, he grabbed it tightly. Holding one another they walked towards the garden where their family and friends were playing with colours and celebrating Holi. He took a pinch of vermillion and adorned her hairline. While she smiled and accepted his colour as sign of their love , he pressed her palms firmly as if indicating that he would never let her down.

THE END