Posted:
12 years ago
Here you go.. As promised. The next part.
Chapter 5
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"Come in Kinjal, Dhawal ji and vevan ji" Hetal Kaki had welcomed them all. Everyone had noticed how Urmila alone had been talking to herself all the time. They had found it odd and had left it at that.. However Kinjal ben had suddenly questioned Rashi about the sloka. "Rashi. Will you again recite that Sloka for me? I seem to have missed it.." Kinjal had requested. "Kinjal ben.. I have work." "Its ok Rashi Bhabhi. Baa will also like you to repeat the sloka again.. Wouldn't you Baa.. And Faye don't leave just yet.. Don't you want to hear your daughter reciting slokas?" Kinjal ben had continued.
Rashi ben had now gone really pale and had looked at Maami and then at the floor. "Kinjal!! What is all this?" Maaji had questioned. "Mom. You always find fault with me. DOn't you. Now what do you say to Rashi. She has all of you fooled again by using a bluetooth to recite slokas. Faye has been telling her the sloka and Rashi has pretended that she herself knew it. Check her if you want." Kinjal ben had shouted. She had seen Jigarji go towards Rashi and remove a similar device Aham ji had given her from Rashi Ben's ear. He had looked really angry. Rashi ben had bent her head in shame.
"Chi Rashi." Everyone had been surprised at the voice that uttered this. It has been her Kaki who had said it. Hetal Kaki had been shattered that day. She had cornered Rashi ben and had questioned her on her actions. "Rashi I knew it was not right to trust you. You who have not been interested in pooja paat before today. You suddenly recited slokas like Gopi and I should have known." Something had happened to Rashi ben after that. She had heard Kaki for a few minutes and then had started shouting. "Mummyji. Please stop. Where did you get a voice to talk now. You never talk when Kokila Kaki taunts me. Do you? Your praise is always for Gopi Gopi Gopi... You and your son have no backbone. and that Gopi gawar. My mother was right. Till she is here I will never get my rightful place in this house. You ask me why I did all this.. That's why.to get my rightful place. What did I not try to get Gopi out of this house. But no.. She was always brought back. Why? Nobody came to take me back but when it was Gopi, Aham jiju himself was sent. What do you see in her? Do you know if I wanted I can easily get her to do stupid things. She is STUPID. That gawar washed the laptop because I told her to.." Rashi ben had then proceeded to say every little thing she had done with a look of hatred.
Gopi shuddered. So much hate. She had been broken that day. It had been beyond her imagination that Rashi ben and Maami could be that cruel. And all because of her. "It's not your fault Gopi. It never was". Aham's words echoed in her head and she continued thinking..
"Why Rashi ben. I thought you loved me." Gopi had asked pleadingly. Rashi had just looked at her with hatred. Gopi's hands involutrily tightened around the arm rest as she though of that day again. She had been wrong and at that moment had realised how naive.
"She still manages to stay your favourite right?.Gopi vahu.. Meri Gopi beta.. Everyone seems to keep saying her name nothing else. And.." Rashi had continued and had turned to Kinjal ben next. "Don't you dare be righteous with me Kinjal. Don't I know what you did? You told Gopi that Aham Jiju loved Anitha did you not? and you gave Jiju's letter to Gopi that said he loved Anitha. I am pretty sure you wrote it.. And what about your drama to get yourself married to Umang? Don't tell me you forgot that.." Rashi ben had continued until there had been a SLAP.. Jigar ji had had enough. He then had proceeded without a word to drag Rashi ben out. Maami had run after her hurling curses at her in laws.
A silence had engulfed the room. When suddenly Ahamji had spoken out. "What letter was Rashi talking about Kinjal? I wrote no letter..NOW TELL ME.." It was the first time after that awful night when Ahamji had slapped her that Gopi had felt fear. Real fear. She had heard his voice go from dangerously low to a scream and had closed her eyes.
"I did it all for you Bhai." Kinjal Ben had cried. "I wanted you to have your love back. Anitha Bhai. How will Gopi ever measure up to her. She is a nobody Bhai. So I wrote a letter saying you loved Anitha and that you were not interested in your marriage with her. She still came to the Mandap Bhai. She did. Does this not tell you that she was after our money?" Gopi had fearfully looked at Aham. She had been sure that Ahamji would now send her out. She had just realized what her Rashi ben had done..
"She did not know to read then Kinjal. She would not have had read the letter." Ahamji's voice had been silently menacing. "Bhai.. Please Bhai.. I did it for my love.. I did not want Umang to leave me.. So I tried to seperate you two Bhai. I pretended about the Jewellery and also about the necklace. The 5 lakh one.I am sorry bhai. Bhabhi please.. I am sorry." Aham had looked at Kinjal and Gopi knew that he was on the verge of an explosion "Enough Kinjal." Maaji had stopped Kinjal Ben from saying anything further. "Dhawal Kumar.Please take your wife from here this instant." She had thundered. "She is no longer my daughter. Please take her out.."
"NOOO.. Why do you love her more than me.. Rashi was right. This Gawar is a manhoos alright.. First her parents, then her maami, her sister now me.. She has taken you all away" Kinjal ben had spurred venom. "SHUT UP KINJAL." Gopi remembered opening her eyes to see her Ahamji closing in on Kinjal Ben. She had been frightened he would do something he would regret. Before she could do anything, her maaji had stopped him. "Take Gopi to your room Aham. She should not be here."
And Ahamji had silently looked back at her for the longest time. He had walked back and had lifted her up without a word and had taken her to their room.
He had proceeded to set her up on the sofa all the while watching her face. Gopi had been crying. She had not dared to look up at Ahamji or Maaji as she had felt it had been her fault. She was manhoos as everyone said. She had brought misery on all. "It is not your fault Gopi. It never was". Gopi had heard Ahamji tell her softly. The concern in his voice had broken her. She had sobbed her heart out that day and he had listened to her without uttering a word.
She had not dared look at him. But when she was done... When she felt there were no more tears left, she had felt him sit down facing her with his hands holding hers. "Gopi. Remember this always. Whatever anybody might say, None of this is your fault. None of this. So please stop blaming yourself."
Ahamji had proceeded to make his point across in such gentle tones that she had started crying again. She had let out all her sorrow and her Ahamji had been there soothing her and rubbing her back until she stopped.
"I was a fool and I am sorry I hurt you Gopi. I really am. Will you forgive me?" He had choked. When she had looked up she had seen pain and something undeciperable in his eyes. Fear. She had dismissed that thougt immediately. Ahamji was never afraid.
"It is not your fault Ahamji and that there was nothing to forgive. I never thought you were wrong Ahamji. Believe me." She had said.
Dead silence surrounded them after that. Ahamji had however not let go of her hands..She had felt him tighten his hold when she was talking and he had looked at her with an expression that she could not understand. But there had been something in his eyes that had made Gopi Shudder. She had not understood what it was exactly but she had known that he was angry. She had been frightened. Ahamji had looked ready to cry then and had asked her to rest. He had very carefully helped her to the bed. Then he had left her turning back to see her once. "I am sorry." she had heard him say softly. But she had already been half asleep by then.
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Let me know how it is.. The last part did not come out as good as I wanted it to. But I just could not get the right words.
And a word of apology. I was hoping this chapter would cover everything that happened in the past till the point where Aham is today. But unfortunately, I got carried away with Rashi's outburst.
Hence the reason for Aham's outburst or what he did could not be included. Please bear with me till then..
Comments and Feedback please:)
