Fitoor

Chapter 47

Abir Bharadwaj

"Just stop it Appa! Agar aapko uska itna hi help karna tha to sabse chupaake kyu kiya? Ek baar nahi bol sakte the mujhe?" I questioned. Currently, we were all  in Maanav's house, but the tension was still there. This was supposed to be a gathering after years, before we began his wedding preparations. But who could ever think things would take such a drastic U turn!

"Kya bolu Abir? Tu tab bhi sunne ke liye tayyar nahi tha aur aaj bhi nahi hai." He declared.
"Aap mere liye kyu decide kar rahe ho! Khud galti kar baithke mujhpar ilzaam laga rahe ho ki mai sunne ko tayyar nahi tha?" I frowned at him.
"Galti? Wo meri beti jaisi hai, Abir. Sabne uska haath chod diya jab usko help ki zaroorat padi. So I stepped up and did my damn job. Mishti ke liye mai tumse bhi blame lene ke liye ready hu." Appa was being totally ridiculous.
"Abir, chalo. Ghar chalte hai waha baat karlenge." Amma intermediated.

"Amma-"
"I'm not listening to another word. Chup chaap ghar chalo." She tightly replied. I sighed and gave up. When have I ever won against this lady!
"I'm sorry Maalini ji. Aapke bete ki shaadi hai, aur hum sab apne problems ko aapke ghar me discuss kar rahe hai." Amma honestly said to aunty.
"Nitya, Roopa, jo tumne us bacchi ke saath kiya na, wo mujhe bilkul accha nahi laga. Mai sach isiliye bol rahi hu kyuki wo bahut seh chuki hai. Usko aur tadapne mat do. Agar baat nahi karni hai to mat karo. Time do use." I looked at Amma who just sighed and nodded. What had happened before I came!

"Chalo." Amma nudged my shoulder as we left while Nitya aunty looked numb and unresponsive. Vijay uncle silently followed us while Appa had already left. Pranav and Niharika had retired to Bose home. When we exited the lift, we found Kunal and Kuhu sitting near the park bench.
"Mai abhi aata hu. Aap jayiye." I said to Amma and went towards them immediately.
"Nanko? Kya hua?" I questioned.
"Abir, wo-"
"Tujhe ek cone nahi, pure icecream ka khandan bhi laake diya na, tab bhi tera pet nahi bharega." She chuckled and stepped inside.

"Chal jhooti. College canteen me jaake dekh, aaj bhi tera naam bench ke upar likha hai. Tu na permanent customer thi Ramesh uncle ki." Maanav laughed like a gorilla. Kuhu looked aside, maybe because she didn't wanted to hear the conversation. And as if catching the clue, they stopped yapping and gazed at us near the park.
"Sab nikal gaye?" Maanav questioned.
"Haa. Abhi." I said, being as stoic as I could.
"Abir, chal tujhe mandap ka design dikhata hu." Maanav dragged me aside with a stupid reason leaving her behind.

Even now I couldn't think anything else other than her comfort. Lord why did I have to return here!
"Mereko to ye pasand me aaya par-"
"Maanav, tujhe jhoot bol ke bulane ki zaroorat nahi tha." I stopped him.
"Par mujhe tha Abir. Pata hai kyu?" Raising an eye brow, I waited for his answer.
"Kyuki tu aaj bhi mera madhubala hai. Mere draame, nakhre, baate ye sab sirf Kuhu aur Mishti ne nahi suna. You did too." I looked down and controlled a smile.
"Tu mere liye important hai Abir. Isiliye tujhko jhoot bolkar bhi bula sakta hu kyu ki wo mera right hai." He punched my shoulder.

"Hogaya tera pravachan? Chal, ubalte hue volcano ko akela chod diya unke saamne." I joked.
"Oh shit!" He ran towards her as I strolled behind. Honestly, Maanav's words made me realise how much I had missed in the two years I had been in Australia. I never made time to visit, though I was free for few months. I regretted it because not only did I leave my family and friends, but also I had abandoned them nd  escaped to get busy. To forget things. To forget people.

3 weeks, 3 years or 3 lifetimes, Mishti Bose would never leave my heart and soul.

Mishti Bose

Instantly searching through the cupboard, I found the old music player and connected it to my earphones. A patient, named Charlie, had left it as a gift for me, after his treatment was done, which was of no benefit because he had the last stage of brain tumor. We couldn't help him. But he did. Charlie was an amazing human being, who left his family and us with good memories. And I still remember what he had told after we finished his final surgery.