Parineeta

Signals To The Entry!

Manik's point of view :
"Medha.. Ready?"i asked finally getting my stuff as well as Medha's packed but i knew my beauty queen had many more things to be packed.
"yesh papu!"i heard her behind me. I shifted my head to take a look at her and for a minute all i could see a mini Nandini in front of me.

This yellow frock reminded me of Nandini on the first day after our marriage. The day I'd actually wanted to snap Dhruv's eyes out of his sockets.. The way he'd checked her out and then had asked if he could take my girl out for dinner. Like seriously.. My girl.. Tu mere vaali ko.. Tu dinner pe le jayega! Shakal dekhi hai.. That was indeed the first and the last time ever I'd wanted to say something of this sort to my buddy.. But today i realized. He was actually better than me. If not for Nandini atleast for Alya.. So had i said this dialogue back then it would've been a slap on my face today.
"Medhu yeh frock?"i asked her.
"dadi ne dilayi thi.. Unhone ne btaya tha ki yellow bhi mumma ka favourite colour tha.."she said and i wondered why was she mentioning everything. Like this is some hindi serial going on where they suddenly start getting the heroine in each of their discussions just because they want to show her entrance in the upcoming scenes..
"achha chalo.. Nhi toh we'll get late for our flight!"i said shrugging off my thoughts. Jo bhi hoga dekha jaega...
As i sat in the car with Medha beside looking just like her mother i couldn't help but want to slap myself. Had i not decided to pick Alya for college that day i would've been able to have a proper look at her.. I could have admired her for as much as i wanted. Now when i look back i realize that all that I've done all through my life is mistakes.. I've just hurt my people over and over again.. I've broken soo many hearts in this whole journey of choosing the best for me.. That I've actually lost a beautiful heart that could've made the best of my liye just by being in it. Nandini i miss you!
Medha has been my life saver past this whole year. Mom got her home just when i knew i was going to loose everything i had.. Everything i was.. Everyone i had.. Especially i was going to loose myself! That day when i reached home and mom fired me with so many questions regarding Nandini's whereabouts i wasn't really wanting to hear anything merely because i was too exhausted to listen to anything else. I was angry on myself. But then that's when i got to know that i was loosing her forever. Mom showed me her transfer certificate and her application to drop out of musicaana.. That wasn't something i was anticipating.. I knew i had hurt her but she would give me such a harsh punishment i never knew... Maybe i deserved it.. I looked for her everywhere, everyday.. But i guess she'd gone too far..
And then after a month or half when i had lost almost all my reasons to live.. My music, my Nandini.. Everything and i had locked myself in my room.. That's when i heard a knock on my door. I was irritated.. I didn't like disturbance..
"what is it... Didn't i tell you to stay away.. Do not knock on my door after this!"i had shouted thinking that it was someone from the servant staff but then what i heard still rings in my ears!
"papa.."said a soft melodious voice.. I had heard it before. But i was being called a father and how..
"mom..is this some kind of a joke..."i had irritatedly gotten up unlocking the door looking pretty much angry but then who could i have gotten angry on.. I saw no one there. And then i felt someone tugging at my vest and there I saw a miniature of my Nandini.. There stood a pretty girl with long hair that reached nearly her waist.. Hair too long for a girl of three that she was back then.. Her pink top and denim shorts just like my girl used to wear when i used to meet her after school hours only because my dad wanted to meet her father.. I wish i had met her personally rather than for other's sake.. I won't have lost her today..
"bacha aap.."i paused. My tone had softened.
"aap mujhe bhul gye.."asked the little angel.
"nhi Medha.. Par aap.."i paused as i semsed someone looking at us. My head bobbed up to see mom smiling at us.
"mom yeh?"i asked and mom walked towards us and patted my shoulder while she looked down at Medha.
"Manik..mai teri maa hu.. Tujhe iss tarah disturbed nhi dekh sakti.. Maana ki tunne galti ki.. Par ab uss galti ko sudharne ka kaam bhi toh tumhara hai na.. Mai nhi jaanti Nandini kaha aur vo vaapas aaegi ya nhi lekin agar tumne kisi ki kushiyan chheeni hai toh tum kisi aur ko khushiya de bhi toh sakte ho.. Agar kisi ko uski zindagi ke sabse important logo se door kiya hai toh tum kisi ko ek nya parivaar bhi toh de sakte ho.. Medha vhi hai jisne Nandini ka dil jeet liya tha aur ab ho sakta hai uski khushi aur uska saath hi tumhe Nandini ke paas bhi le jaaye.. Manik i hope mai Medha ko tumhare saath chhorhkar koi galti nhi karungi.. Manik Medha ne apne maa papa ko kabhi nhi dekha par agar tum uski vo kami puri kar sakte ho toh tumhe maafi toh nhi lekin tumhari saza thorhi kam zarur ho sakti hai.. Maine jab Medha se kaha ki ab yhi uski family hai aur tum uske papa vo khushi khushi maan gyi..mai chahti hun tum bhi usse issi tarah khush rakhoge!"maa had said. Undoubtedly she was right. I looked down to my three year old girl who was looking at us with a shining smile and i knew sje hadn't understood any of what mom said.
I bent on my knees and hugged her dearly for she gave me a new life and a new hope that i could find my Nandini back.
"papa.. Hum pahunch gye.."she said shaking my hands and i smiled at her warmly. Our flight journey was nothing interesting untill we reached back.
Cabir stood at airport to receive us and guess what he had a placcard on his hand written Princess Medha. Undoubtedly people were staring at him like he was someone from another planet but who would tell them that this chachu and niece jodi was such.
"chachuuu!"Medha ran across the airport straight into Cabir's arms despite me warning her to stop running.

It was already evening and my house had turned into something that sometimes looked  like a phone booth.. Sometimes a storeroom and sometimes a parliament house! There were various motions taking place and the most fun was the question hour where the only question that rose was 'aur kya chahiye tumhe?' which was mostly posed by the ladies in the house to us. Tell me what would we want more than drinks.. But these anti liquor ladies remained glued to their point.
"dekho.. Tum logo ko peena allowed nhi hai.. Samjhe.. Guests ke liye aaegi drinks bas.. Tum peene ke baad na khud ko sambhal sakte ho na ek dusre ko.. Aur Manik.. Tum toh ek beti ke baap ho tumhe toh sharam aani chahiye!"Madhubala had began her rantings and her target was again me.
"aye.. Hello.. Maine kya kiya hai.. Apne hero ko samjhao na.. Vha toh kuch ni bola jaa rha tumse.. Bas mere charhna hai tumhe miss Navya Naveli ko!"i retorted.
"haan toh galat kya bol rhi hai.. Ek baap aisi faltu ki demands rakhega toh hum in bachelor se kya umeed rakhenge!"mom joined in and i rolled my eyes. They made me sound like i was forty already and all of this was happening for my daughter's wedding.
"hello! I'm just 26..Don't make me sound like a forty six.. Aur yeh saare bhi koi bachelors ni hai!"i said.
"why Manik.. You're the only married here.. So yes they're all bachelors.."Alya poked her nose.
"urgh...Whatever!"i grunted and stood up.. I had to check on Medha whether she was completing her homework or not.. Because i knew after this she might not get any time free..
"oye.. Kaha chal diya?"Dhruv asked.
"teri barbaadi ka jashn manane jaa rha hu.. Chalega.."i looked at him and he made a puppy face and not long before a cushion landed on his face. Alya caught his expression.
"maine kya kiya?"he looked at her innocently.
"dhruv.. Don't try to act innocent.. Tum larko ko kya lagta hai humse shaadi karke tumhari life barbaad hoti hai.."she paused.
"arey tumhe kya pta.. Humari toh life hi khatam ho jaati hai tumse shaadi karke.."Navya joined in.
"tum jaise nikammo se shaadi toh kar lete hai.. Aur phir humari duniya hi palat jaati hai.. Shaadi se pehle tum logo ko itta pyaar aata hai ki bas tumhari duniya humse shuru aur humpe khatam par shaadi ke baad pta chalta hai ki tumhari duniya toh humari bhi sahelio ko bhi apna leti hai.."Navya said irritatedly.
"Manik dekh.. Humpe kaise kichad uchhal rhi hai yeh ladkiya!"Cabir nudged me but I was already lost.. Somewhere Navya's words had pinched. Had i done the same with Nandini.. Cheated on her like all the other men! I was a bad husband always and i knew it!
" mai kya bolu.. Jiski khid ki shaadi successful nhi thi vo kisi aur ko kya kahega.."i said a little lost and left from there.

Airport 9:00 pm:
Nandini got off the plane followed by Maddy and the first thing that flooded her mind were Manik's words. Was she right in coming back?
Her phone pinged with Navya's message:aa rhe ho na tum log? :
She shoved the phone at Maddy and he looked at it closely and then looked back at Nandini.
"I'll inform her!"he told her but she stopped him short.
"let it be a surprise.. I'll call up at Murthys and get dinner ready.."she said.
"vaha kon hoga.."maddy looked at her.
"maine aaj din mei mom ko call kiya tha and they had asked kaka to get back to work so.. Ram kaka is waiting for us at home!"she smiled at him as she whisked ahead of with her luggage.
Maddy still wasn't sure of getting into this reunion stuff. He still wanted to book them the next flight back to NY. But he was helpless because Nandini was adamant. Now it had to be the way she wanted it to be..
He followed her as they hired a cab and left the rest on time to let things unfold.