"Sameer, jaldi aao please!" Sameer heard Naina shout and she seem to be panicked. He rushed towards her voice and realised it was coming from his Mom's room. "Naina kya.." his eyes fell on this other person beside Naina. His mother, whom he had disliked, if not hated, all his life. The very same person who left him for her own selfish needs, at least that's what he thought about her, all his life, not knowing her side of the story. He remembered all his tears in that dark hostel room but he couldn't count any of hers'. Sometimes, what meets the eyes are not the complete truth. Sameer sat beside Naina and was looking on, numb! "Mummyji!" He heard Naina shouting. He lifted his hand and touched her cheeks.
Tham sa Gaya
Waqt yahan
Tum Jo chale yun Gaye
Na kuch kaha
Na kehne diya
Raah Yun chod Gaye
"Sameer, dekho na. Mummyji uth Kyun nahi Rahi?" Naina was crying profusely. Sameer couldn't hear any of those. He was just looking at his mother who wasn't shouting at him like all other times, for which he had always prayed, but, he wasn't feeling good about it. Perhaps, he never wanted it this way. He touched her hands and tears blurred his vision. He could hear Naina talking to someone on phone amidst her sobbing. He completely sat on the floor next to his mother, holding her hand in one and her Saree pallu in his other hand looking at his shoes, like a child.
Tham sa Gaya
Waqt yahan
Tum Jo chale yun Gaye
Na kuch kaha
Na kehne diya
Raah Yun chod Gaye
"Meri baat sunn Sameer, phir main nahi rahungi toh tujhe toh waise hi koi samjhane wala nahi. Papa nein bhi tujhe sar pe Chadha Rakha hai." Vishakha said and packed her bag. "Aap Chali hi jaayein toh best rahega." Sameer thought to himself. "Sameer." Naina shook him. That's when he came out if his trance. The Ambulance was downstairs. They rushed her to the hospital.
Aise na, Betho gumsum
Ghabraata Dil Mera
Kehne Ko baatein baaki
Sunn bhi lo tum Zara
Tham sa Gaya
Waqt yahan
Tum Jo chale yun Gaye
Na kuch kaha
Na kehne diya
Raah Yun chod Gaye
"I'm sorry." That was what the doctor said with a heavy voice. She passed away of the cardiac arrest. Sameer sat on the floor of the hospital. Nothing was audible or visible to him. A faint wailing of Naina was all that he could hear. "Aap kabhi mujhe nahi samjh paayin." That was what he had said to her for the last time. The grief of losing his mother took over him slowly and the tears started to flow. "Mummy." He said softly and got up. She was standing in from of him, clad in a lavender colour saree, smiling at him. "Ab toh tu khush hai na main Jaa Rahi hoon, finally." She said with a chuckle. "Mummy nahi please." He got up and rushed towards her but she was nowhere to be seen. He went inside the hospital ward where her body was lying, drained of all that was there, lifeless.
Aadhi adhuri baatein ye kehkar
Kahan tu Chali re maa
Betha hoon kabse
Iss aas mein main
Sar par tu pheregi haath
Sameer was sitting by the burning pyre. There were no tears in his eyes but there was this hollowness which was not unnoticed by people who loved him. Naina was by his side, holding his hand, assuring him that she's there with him in this but a mother's place is a mother's place and almost no one can replace it. Munna and Pandit were also with him to extend their support to him but there was some guilt that was not ready to leave him.
Aao na phir se
Pukaro na phir se
Daanto Beshak tum mujhe
Wada hai mera
Ruthunga main na
Ek tu hi samjhe mujhe
A wind gushed in through the window and Sameer got up suddenly, "Mummy." He said and looked around. "Kya hua Sameer? Phir Bura Sapna dekha?" Naina said holding his hand. He pulled her and hugged her. "Mummy mujhe kabhi maaf nahi karegi Naina, kabhi nahi." He said and started to cry. "Mummyji tumse kabhi naraaz nahi thi Sameer. Woh tumse humesha pyaar Karti thi aur Karti rahengi." Naina tried to comfort him. "Sacchi?" Sameer smiled, for the first time since Vishaka was gone.
Banke hawa
Hi chale aana
Raahon par saath mere
Dhunde tumhein
Jab jab aankhein
Chhu Jaana Dil Ko mere
Tham sa Gaya
Waqt yahan
Tum Jo chale yun Gaye
Na kuch kaha
Na kehne diya
Raah Yun chod Gaye
___________
Wrote something after ages. How was it?
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