Forbidden To Love

16. The Relations

"Saru! Yeh haar achhi lagegi na mujhpe? Hay, kitna sundar heere ka haar hain! Bhaiya yeh kitne ki hain?" Lakshmi asked, admiring the dazzling diamond neckpiece kept in front.

"Arey Lakshmi Di, aap nehi main lungi yeh wali. Aur iska price tag nehi dekh paa rahi kya aap, sirf pandra lakh ki hain. Bhaiya, yeh main lungi!" Saraswati said.

"Dekh Saru, tu kuch aur dekh le, yeh haar pehle maine pasand kiya hain, main hi pehnungi ise aaj shaam ki party mein!"

"Lakshmi Di, maine bola na main pehnungi yeh necklace, aap khud kuch aur pasand kyun nehi kar leti?"

"Dekh Saru..."

"Ab bas karo tum dono! Yaha itne sare necklace pare huye hain aur tum dono ko ek hi ko leke jhagarna hain! Saru tum koi aur necklace pasand kar lo, Lakshmi ki saree ke saath yeh sundar lagegi." Durga interrupted the bickering.

"Koi bhi haar pasandh karne ki zarurat nehi hain!"

"Par kyun?" Lakshmi asked as she turned back to discover Guddan, standing at the doorway.

"Bhaiya, maaf kijiye par hume koi bhi gehne nehi kharidni hain. Aap ja sakte hain." Guddan apologised, stepping inside the house.

"Samajhti kya ho tum khudko? Unko mana kyun kiya tumne? Har baat pe apni yeh taang adana band karo Guddan! Hum khareedne wale the woh gehne." Durga shouted, raising her a finger.

"Kis khushi mein khareed rahe the aap log yeh gehne?" Guddan asked, her face deadpan.

"Kis khushi mein matlab? Aaj shaam ki party ke liye khareed rahe the hum log. Tumne toh kabhi dekha bhi nehi hoga itni badi party, tum kya janogi ki mehmaanon ke saamne kuch...... Saru, woh angrezi mein use kya kehte hain? Haan, image... Mehmaanon ke saamne humara bhi ek image hota hain jo tumhare samajh ke bahaar hain." Lakshmi answered.

"Aise kayi zewar aap logon ke paas pehle se hi maujood hain, faaltu mein paise kharch mat kijiye. Hum log toh ek hi necklace se saalon chala dete the, aur aap logon ko toh har ek event ke liye alag alag gehne chahiye. Uncle ne party ki taiyaariyon ka khaas dhyaan rakhne ko kaha haina, aap log wahi kijiye please. Yeh bekaar ke cheezon mein paise kharch karna thik nehi." She advised.

"Bekaar? Tumhe laakhon ke woh haar bekaar lagte hain? Aur jo log yeh cheeze khareedte hain sab pagal hain? Ek tum hi toh ho samajhdaar! Tumhare maa baap toh kisi sarak chaap dukaan se tumhare liye saste gehne laa dete honge, ya phir kya pata, utni bhi haisiyat nehi hogi tum logon ki! Kabhi itne mehenge gehne dekha bhi hain tumne?! Aukaat dekh ke baat kiya karo samjhi, paison ki baatein tumhe shobha nehi deti! Pandra lakh mein kitne shunya hote hain yeh jaanti bhi ho?" Durga smirked.

"Baat karne ke liye aukat ki nehi aawaaz ki zarurat hoti hain Durga ji, jo Lord Krishna ke kripa se hume mila hain! Beshak hume pata hain ki paanch shunya hote hain pandra lakh mein, par shayad aap in paison ke mol se waakif nehi. Shayad aap bhul chuki hain ki ek ek paisa judkar hi pandra lakh bante hain. Per kitna bhi mazboot aur bada ho, uski jad hi uska takat hain! Aur humne in ek ek paison ke liye kayi logon ko taraste huye dekha hain. Shayad hum aap jaise ameer nehi hain aur itne paise dekhe bhi nehi hain, par paison ki keemat achhe tareeke se samajhte hain hum, paison ke kami ki wajah se khudke kayi sapnon ka gala ghota hain humne, humari padhai poori karne ke liye paison ki zarurat thi, aur un paison ke liye paseena bahate dekha hain humne apne papa ko. Paison ke kami se aayi huyi kathinaaiyon ko dekha hain humne aur shayad isiliye paison ki keemat aapse zyada samajh sakte hain. Jo pandra lakh aap bahot hi aaraam se kharachne wali thi ek heere ki necklace per, unmein se ek ek paise bahot mehnat se kamaya hain aap logon ke pati aur sasur ne, is pandra lakh se thora sa bhi agar mil jata na, toh kisi masoom ki jaan bach jaati... Shunya ki baat kar rahi thi na aap Durga ji, yaad rakhiyega, shunya se hi shuruyaat hoti hain aur bhagwaan ko usi shunya pe phirse wapas laakar khada karne mein wakt nehi lagega! Aaj aap logon ke paas paise hain, par aane wala kal koi nehi jaanta... Isiliye, paison ki izzat kijiye, kyunki kabhi kabhi bhagwaan sab kuch deke bhi pariksha lete hain. Aur haan, humare papa jaha se bhi aur jo kuch bhi laate the na, pyaar se laate the, aur pyaar ka mol nehi lagta! Laakhon kya, karodon ke gehne bhi unke saamne feeke par jayenge, barabari nehi kar payenge unka!" She completed, expecting some kind of change in their customs.