Forbidden To Love

5. Destiny or Coincidence?

"Hey Kanha, main chahti hoon Lalla ko ek aisi jeevansaathi mile jo use andhere se bahar laa sake, use phirse jeena sikhaye... Meri bahu Antara ke jaane ke baad woh bilkul akela pad gaya hain... Kitne khush the woh dono saath mein, par tune Antara ko apne paas kheech liya.. Maine tujhpar humesha vishwaas rakha hain lekin ab aur nehi hota mujhse, nehi dekh paa rahi hoon main use is tarah se! Main jaanti hoon apne bete ko, woh Antara ki jagah kabhi kisiko nehi dega, isiliye toh usne aise vachan rakhe hain shaadi ke. Aise vachan sunke kaun taiyaar hogi is shaadi ke liye, kaun sahi mayne mein ban payegi uska humsafar?" Tears rolled down her eyes as she stood in the temple.

Dadi had left the temple when suddenly she took on a pale look. Her stomach had started to give up as the nausea crept to her head. She swayed dizzily, her ears refusing to catch the honks of the approaching vehicle. And then, it all went black.

A hand grasped her wrist in nick of time and pulled her back before the vehicle could hit her. Dadi was made to sit in a nearby bench before she scampered to grab some cold water.

She came to her running and took off her specs, pouring the water over her face while she rubbed her back gently.

'Tum Guddan ho na?" Dadi asked after she had taken few sips of the water.

'Ji, par aapko kaise pata?" She quizzed.

"Lalla ne bataya."

"Lalla kaun?"

"Lalla mera.."

"Tum yaha kya kar rahi ho?" Akshat interrupted the conversation, approaching them.

"Aap kya humara picha kar rahe hain uncle? Jaha bhi jaate hain aap dikh jate hain!" Guddan enquired, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I am not interested to follow you! Get that straight inside your head. Maine meri maa ko dekha tumhare saath isliye yaha aaya." He specified.

"Ek second, Dadi aapki maa hain?" Guddan asked, baffled.

"Haan main unka beta hu.." Akshat answered, confused.

"Aap unke bade bhai lagte hain!" Guddan murmured aloud while he shook his head.

"Aur aap bahot ajeeb bhi hain!" She added.

"Tumse kam."

"Maa aap yaha?" Akshat asked his mother who had been smiling to their childish fights.

"Maa aap akeli kyun aayi? Mujhe bol deti. Ek toh aapko diabetes hai aur aap hai ki tension leti jaa rahi hain! Kisiko bata diya hota, akele aane ki kya zarurat thi?" Akshat chided after he was narrated the incident.

"Hum maante hain ki Dadi ko akele nehi aana chahiye tha, par ab unhe daatiye mat." She furrowed her brows.

"Main unhe daat nehi raha, samjha raha hoon. And, I am glad you came in the right time." He looked at her with genuine gratitude.

"Koi baat nehi........ Lekin suniye, agar aap aise ajeeb tarah se samjhayenge toh har koi isko daat hi samjhega!"

"Ajeeb ki baat toh tum mat hi karo, your name should have been Ajeebuddan!"

"Nehi shukriya, hum Guddan hi theek hain!" She plastered a smile.

"I just don't feel like talking with you!"

"Jaise ki hum mare jaa rahe hain aapse baate karne ko!"

"Guddan, tu na bahot pyaari hain! Tu chal na mere ghar, mujhe tere saath baatein karni hain." Dadi proposed, patting her shoulder.

"Nehi Dadi, hum baad mein aayenge.." Guddan refused with a smile but atlast, had to comply with her wish.

After all, Dadi had expertise in emotional blackmailing.
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"Durga Di, yeh toh wahi ladki haina jisne Aj ke muh par cake maara tha? Yeh yaha kya kar rahi hain?" Saraswati nudged at Durga, confused upon her arrival.

"Mujhe bhi nehi pata Saru." Durga replied clueless, approaching her father-in-law, "Aj, yeh yaha?"

"Daadi ki jaan bachane ke liye shukriya Guddan." Durga gave her a warm smile after she had known the story.

"Thank you kehne ki zarurat nehi hain, aapki Dadi humari bhi Daadi hain."

Dadi had almost dragged Guddan to her room, to share some words with her. She was in absolute awe over the childish innocence she carries in her heart, an innocence still afresh despite the stained world. Her smile which tinctures life into the dead. She had that natural art to paint one's face with a smile, an art she's blest with. How adorable!
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Her eyes fell on the flickering flame of the lamp and she rushed to secure it with her palm, discovering another palm that had come to protect it from the breezes. Uncle? They exchanged glances in surprise.

What does the fate line on their palms hold?

Mere haathon mein...
Na teri lakeerein...
Hai bahot alag si...
Apni takdeerein...
Mera jameen pe chalna...
Tera hawa sa udna...
Haan namumkin hai...
Tera mera milna...

Dadi looked on as a flower fell on their hands, from Krishna's feet. The non flickering flame of the lamp despite the strong wind after they had departed, has answered to her questions. Let no evil eye cast it's shadow on the duo!

"Hey Kanha, tera diya ishara main samajh gayi! Subah hi tere pass Lalla ke liye sachhe humsafar ka prathana karne gayi thi aur tune mujhe bata diya woh jeevansathi kaun hain. Guddan bahot pyaari bachhi hain, dono saath mein bilkul radha krishna lagenge. Par un dono mein zameen aasmaan ka fark hain, phir kaise?....... Lekin Kanha, main tere faislon par shak nehi karungi. Tune jo socha hoga, un dono ki bhalayi ke liye hi socha hoga. Ab jab tune ishara de hi diya hain toh phir un dono ko ek karne ka zimmedaari bhi tera hain. Main apne Lalla ko aur aise nehi dekh sakti!" Tears coursed down her cheeks, unchecked.
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"Dadi dekhiye, Aj ke liye humne inhe pasand kiya hain, inka naam hain Shefali." Durga informed as Shefali touched Dadi's feet to seek her blessing.

"Tumhe Lalla ke saat vachon ke bare mein pata hain?" Dadi asked.

"Ji haan, mujhe is rishtey se koi aitraaz nehi. Woh bhale hi mujhe apni patni na maane par main humesha unka saath dungi, unko samajhne ki koshish karungi. Bhale hi rishta ek tarfa hain, lekin mujhe yakeen hain ki ek din meri koshishen rang layegi aur Akshat ji mujhe zaroor swikarenge." Shefali smiled.

"Kitne achhe baatein karti ho tum! Par.." Dadi trailed.

"Par war kuch nehi, Shefali hi banegi humari sasuma!" Lakshmi squealed, excited.

"Shefali bahot hi sanskari ladki hain. Par tune jo ishara diya Kanha, uska kya? Main khud Guddan ko apne bahu ke roop mein nehi chun sakti, Lalla aur Guddan is shaadi ke liye kabhi nehi maanenge! Aur ab toh tune Shefali ko bhej diya.. Kya main galat samajh baithi, kya woh tera ishara nehi tha?....... Kanha, agar tune Lalla aur Guddan ko ek dusre ke liye banaya hain, toh tujhe hi unhe milana hoga! Agar woh tera ishara tha, toh is ishare ko sach tujhko hi karna hoga! Main sab tujhpar chhod rahi hoon.."