Dance Se Dosti

Ghai

A lot happened in the time span after the departure of Swayam left for New York. Everyone thought it was the obvious reason of rejection from Sharon. But no one knew the real reason except one soul. Smriti Ghai....

It was the morning after Swayam had left the Ghai household, of meeting Mrs. Ghai.

She had received a lot of rings on the phone overnight but she had chosen not to answer them and listen to all the intimidating questions and to reply timeless explanations even though she knew she had to soon. And hence she wasn’t that alarmed of usual when the doorbell rang that morning. And with Kria still in Neha’s house, she could move bravely to face the uninvited but expected guest.

“Hello Ghai Ji! Aap toh bilkul theek lag rahe hein!” a middle aged moustached guy in traditional dhoti-kurta, chewing paan in his awfully big mouth with a crooked red smile, was the one who greeted her behind the door with his palms together in a praying position, along with another well built guy who looked like a bodyguard to the latter.

“Kya baat hein Kamal Ji? Andar aayiye!” She smiled at him and invited him in. He entered the hall with his bodyguard following him.

Having seated across Smriti Ghai with his guard standing behind him, he started speaking only after a moment of glancing around the place. “Toh! Sach kahun toh hum log bahut sankat se guzre the kal raat Ghai ji... aur aapne toh humein daraa hi diya tha! Phone utha hi nahi rahe the!”

“Arre Kamal Ji, ab aapse kya jhupaaun! ...Mein maafi chaahtha hun aapki iss taqleef ke liye par kya hein ki, kal raat meri beti ke saath meri kuch jhagda hogayi aur mann shaanth karne ke liye meine neend ki goliyaan li thi! Par aap achaanak se kyun phone kiye kal raath?”

“Hoo!!! Aap bhi na Ghai Ji! Kria jaisi pyaari si bachchi ke saath kyun jhagda karoge? Math karo... aur jahaan tak humaare kaam hein, mere bhaanje ke bare mein hein...”

“Kya baat hein Kamal Ji?" She asked in a tone of concern.

“Haan! Woh kya hein ki uska father ek aise khaandaan se aa gaya tha jahaan log, reedh ki haddi kamzor waale paida hothe hein... fir bhi apne parivaar ka hissa maanke, uska peedith chehra humaare andar angaare jalaa diye toh kya karen!!...” He continued after a small pause. “Aur aapko toh pata hi hoga ki mere bhaanje ke saath yeh zulm karne ki jurrat kisne kiya hoga...”

"Mein kuch samjhi nahi... Shivam ko kya hua?"

"Oh! Toh aapko abhi tak khabar nahi mili... Kal mere bhaanje ke upar kisi ne haath rakha aur RPH ke ek ward mein daal diya... aur hum ek naam ke talaash mein hein..."

“Kamal Ji... Mein aapke emotions ko samajh sakthi hun, par mujhe kaise pata hogi... Shivam ab theek toh hein na?”

“Hmm... Ghai Ji, hum aapki baath kyun nahi maanenge...? Subah ki iss taqleef ke liye maafi chaahtha hun... Bhaisaab ko hum bataa denge... Apni beti ki khayaal rakhiyega...” and he stood up holding his palms together saying his goodbyes and exited the door without further delay.

Once he stepped out her house and met his brother’s eyes from inside the car, he turned to his bodyguard. “Ghai achchi se jaanthi hein... Jhoot bolne ka sahi tareeqa... Donom ke upar nazar rakhna padega...” his bodyguard nodded to his boss and walked along to the car.

..................................................................................
One year after Swayam left Mumbai.

“I can’t believe woh log aise hi chale jaane ka decide kar liya!” Kria blabbered while walking into the dining room where her mother sat reading her blog in her tab.