FANAA

I PLAY DIRTY

"Happy Birthday to you....... Happy Birthday to you dear Maasi....... Happy to you" Kartavya with Leelawati with a sweet smile and side hugged her.

Leelawati was looking at him suspiciously when Kartavya forwarded the cake towards her.

"I hope iss saal bhi, har saal ki tarah sabse pehle meine aapko wish kiya. Now let's cut the cake maasi........meine khud bake kiya hai, your favourite orange kiwi fruit cake"
Kartavya lit the candles and handed Leelawati the knife to cut the cake.

Leelawati smiled at Kartavya and blew off the candles while cutting the cake simultaneously. Before she could feed Kartavya, he took the piece from her hand and made her taste it first.

As soon as Leelawati swallowed the small piece of cake, Kartavya with a straight face stated "the cake has poison in it"

Leelawati was stunned hearing this. She couldn't understand how to react. She looked at Kartavya being perplexed at his regretless expression.

Kartavya burst out with laughter "kya maasi meine kaha aur aap maan bhi gayi........aapka chehra toh dekhiye, darr saaf nazar aa rahi hai, isiliye kehta hun ki galat kaam kabhi mat kariye jisse aapko pachtana pade aur darr ka saya apka peecha kabhi na chode"

"Kartavya......"

"Maasi calm down koi zeher nhi hai iss mein..." Kartavya said and he himself ate spoonful of cake to prove his point and flashed an innocent smile at Leelawati.

"Tu mera birthday bhula nhi iss baar bhi" Leelawati patted his cheek

"Mein kuch nhi bhulta maasi aur nahi bhulne deta hun kisiko" Kartavya said. He was meaning the wrong things that she did with him but she was in delusion to understand the hidden meaning in his statement.

"Mujhe laga tha ki jo kuch bhi hua uske baad tu......" Leelawati hesitated to complete her sentence

Kartavya leaned forward and held her hands "Maasi, I know ki aap mujhe apna nhi samajhti par mein toh aapko aapna samajhta hun na......gusse mein kabhi kuch bol diya rahunga but aapko bhi pata hai how much am connected to you."

"Kartavya......tu esa kyu bol raha hai? Mein tujhe apna nhi samjhti?"

"Kuch galat bola kya maasi? Aab dekhiye na aapko sab pata hai ki Ishani ne mere saath kya kiya.....aap janti hain ki Geetanjali mere Zinda main kya maene (importance) rakhti hai..... chaliye Geetanjali ko chodiye par mera baccha! Ussne kya bigada tha? Usse kis baat ki sajah mili?......sab jante huye bhi aap Ishani ko kuch nhi kahengi aur nahi usse iss harkat ke liye koi PUNISHMENT dengi.....kyu? Kyu ki woh aapki apni beti hai, blood relation you know par mein kon hun koi nhi" Kartavya smiled a said smile at the end but made sure to imprint the word 'punishment' in Leelawati mind.

"Esi baat nhi hai Kartavya, Ishani abhi thodi si immature hai.....but I will make sure to make her understand ki woh aage se esa kuch na kare" Leelawati assured

Kartavya sadly chuckled "ji maasi, sahi kaha aapne. Ishani abhi immature hai issiliye usse mere immature bache ki premature death karwadi. Mein naraz nhi hun maasi apse. Mujhe pata hai Ishani apke life mein mujhse zyada important hai. Aapka pyaar uske liye dekha hai meine. Isiliye meine decide kiya hai ki mein Ishani ko maaf kar dunga. Kuch nhi kahunga kuch nhi karunga, bhul jaunga ussne jo bhi kiya......yeh mann lunga ki yeh incident kabhi hua hi nhi..........."

Kartavya made sure to drop 2-3 drops of tears to look more emotional and heartbroken at the moment.

He quickly removed his tears and taking a deep sigh, he continued "jab mere khud ke baap ne hi mere sath dhoke pe dhoka kiya ho tab baaki sab ke injustice ko leke kya complain karna. Par maasi, meine hamesha aapko papa ke upar rakha, unse zyada mana ........par nahi unse koi expectation tha company ko lekar aur nahi apse koi expectation hai Ishani ko lekar. Thoda difficult hai bhulna ki kese Geetanjali ko staircase se dhaka deke uska miscarriage........aaaah......jane dijiye woh sab.......Aap please usse kuch mat kahiyega ........I don't want ki mere liye apke aur Ishani ke beech koi badha aye........thik hai maasi mein chalta hun"