"My" Soul! "My" Love!

Chapter 84

"Manik...!"

Manik stood up hearing the voice. Nandini looked at the man, standing opposite to them. He is a tall, well-built man of his 50's...somewhere near Manik! She is confused about seeing him and then she looked at an angry Manik.

"Dad!!?"

Nandini looked at him wide-eyed, she doesn't know what to do now.

Yes! he is Srikant Malhotra..

Srikant walked towards him and hugged him wholeheartedly, "Manik...beta, tum zinda ho!! main toh...!!, mujhe laga ki mein ek dum akela ho gaya...and I was about to quit everything, but then mujhe pata chala ki tum zinda ho,..."

Manik didn't even hug him back. He just stood like a statue, his hands in fists.

Then Srikanth looked at him with all his love. But Manik's face held anger, "Aap yaha kyun aaye ho?!, aapko kisne bulaya?!"

"Maine!" Manik looked at Moloy standing at the door. Manik got a shock and then he walked towards the door, 

"Inhe kahiye ki, yaha se chala jaaye" Manik said to Moloy without looking at him and walked away.

..................

In the hall

Everyone gathered there, except Mohini and Anurag, because of the discussion between Moloy, Manik and Srikanth.

"Please Baaba, aap inse kahiye ki yaha se chala jaaye...."

"Please Manik, ek baar meri baat suno...please?" Srikant pleaded before him.

"Mujhe aapse koyi baat nahi karna hai...."

"Beta, ek baar unse baat toh karo?!" Moloy also asked Manik in a calm voice

"Baaba, aapko pata bhi hai, aap kis insaan ko yaha bulaaya hai.... yeh uss insaan hai, jinki vajaise maine apna sab kuch khoya... iss insaan ka chehra bhi nahi dekhna chahta main, kyun ki jab jab main inhe dekhna chahta tha, voh har pal, inhone mujhe akela choda hai"

"Beta... voh tumhara Baap hai, kam se kam ek baar unke baat sunlo!?"

"Baap!!? Really..?! Baaba, sirf bache ko paida kar ke koyi baap nahi ban jaanta.... uss insaan ko baap ban na padta hai, voh rishta nibhana padta hai... inhone vaise rishta mujhse aaj tak nahi nibhaaya hai... inhone mujhe akela chodkar chala gaya tha, khud ke liye"

"Par!"

"Haa, mere paas sab kuch tha... inhone mujhe ek mansion diya, 10-20 naukar diya, ek bade se bade institutions mein graduation karaaya., jab chaahe paise diya.... yeh sab mujhe diya, main maanta hu.....par Baaba, aap kahiye, kya sirf yeh sab dena hi ek baap ka kaam hota hai?! mujhe toh sponsorship lag raha tha"

"Manik, main jaanta hu.. main galat hai, aur main bahut khudkars ho gaya tha.... Uss din jab sab kuch ithna complicated laga tha ki, mere dimaag mein aur kuch nahi aaya,... bas problems se bhaagna chahta tha..... I'm sorry... sorry beta"

"Sorry?!.... 23 saal ke liye ek sorry kaafi hai, hai na?!"

"Beta, Srikant ko maine ek business meeting mein mila tha. Ek private vakt mein hum dono ne bahut baate ki, aur uss vakt voh ek dum laachar tha, apne bete ko khone ki dhuk mein voh jal raha tha.  

Insaan hai, galati ho jaata hai, ...par bhagwaan uss galatiyon ko sudharne ka ek mauka sab ko dete hai.... agar voh apne kiye par pachthaa rahe hai, toh unhe maaf kar dena chahiye"

Manik thought for a moment and then sighed, 

"Theek hai, aap keh rahe hai, isliye main maaf kar deta hu... "

"Really Manik?!, tum mujhe maaf kiya beta... main... main toh" Then Srikant hugged him.

Manik didn't want to hug him back, but then he saw Nandini. She smilingly blinked her eyes, conveyed that he should reciprocate.

Manik slowly raised his hands and hugged him back. Everyone smiled at them. 

"Manik, sare Malhotra Industries tera wait kar raha hai... sab main tumhe saumpna chahta hu..."

Manik stepped back, "No! mujhe nahi chahiye... main aapse yeh sab kuch nahi le sakta!"

"Kya?!, par beta, voh sab tera hai"

"Main kal hi vaapas Mumbai jaa raha hu, mujhe apna music career start karna hai... Fab5 ka sapna poora karna hai..."

"Kya?! Kisse puchkar tum yeh decision liya?!" Mohini's angry voice came from upstairs.

Mohini slowly descended the stairs with the help of Anurag.

"Maa!... voh... ab sab kuch clear ho gaya... toh phir kya problem hai?!"

"Achaa!! toh tumhara kehne ka matlab hai ki... tumne Anurag ko vaapas lauta kar, sab kuch clear kar diya?! toh, ab tumhara koyi rishta nahi hai humse?!"

"Nahi Maa... mera matlab voh nahi tha..."

"Toh phir kya hai?!, bata?... Tum mujhe Maa bula rahe ho na, toh phir tum achanak paraaya kyun kardiya mujhe?!"

"Manik, Srikant ko maine yaha isiliye nahi bulaya ki voh tumhe leke jaaye, balki isiliye bulaya, ta ki usse bhi apne bete paane ka khushi mil jaaye" Moloy said to Manik, and then he turned to Srikanth

"Sorry Mr. Malhotra, Aapko apne bete se milne ke liye bulaya tha, isse saath le jaane ke liye nahi. Kyun ki agar saath le jana bhi hai, toh pehle aapko humse baat karna chahiye."

"Baaba..." Manik looked at Moloy and Mohini with happy tears.

"Anu, tum...!!" Mohini cupped Manik's face and called Manik as Anu, but stopped realizing her mistake. But Anurag came near her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Koyi problem nahi Maa... vaise bhi main kehne hi waala tha...ki aap log mujhe Anu mat bulaayiye. Voh naam sunne ki aadat toh kab se peecha chud gaya tha... Ab agar main sahi salaamat aapke saamne khada ho, toh voh sirf, Sidharth Murthy ki vajaise..... Issi naam ne mujhe apna pehchaan diya tha....{He hugged Mohini from behind, around her shoulder and said in a cool and joyful manner} Isiliye, aap isse hi Anu bulaa lijiye, aur mujhe Sidharth"

Mohini held Sid's hand and they both lovingly touched their heads each other, and then looked at Manik. Mohini placed the other hand on his cheeks,

"Anu, 14 saal baad.... agar main phir se ese khushi khushi sab ke saamne khada ho, uss 14 saal pehle ki Mohini ko phir se jeena shuru kar diya ho, toh voh sirf aur sirf.... teri muh se Maa sun ne ke baad hi hua hai. Jab tum pehli baar mujhe Maa bulaya na, ussi vakt main phir se jeena shuru kar diya..."

Manik's eyes held tears and he closed his eyes, feeling the motherly affection. Everyone looked at them with tears in their eyes. Nandini thanked her ayyappa, for 1000 times.

"Humara ek nahi do bete hai... kyun Mohini?!" Moloy said in happiness.

Then Mohini and Moloy hugged both Manik and Anurag. Nivedita walked towards them, "Aur main?! bete ko mil gaya, aur mujhe bhul gaya?!" She faked anger

Moloy and Mohini hugged their children wholeheartedly.

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