They are in an age where finding self happiness is claimed wrong. If you find time for yourself, it means you're not committed to your family.
Ruhana is a single mother and her life revolves around her daughter, Ruhaani. After splitting with her hus...
Talking to Vineet has become therapeutic for Ruhana. It has been a week since she was in London, and she has been talking to him every single day, whether the context is business information or just casual talk.
It is another day. While talking to her mother, Ruhaani shoves the phone into Vineet’s hands, asking him to talk, while she walks out of the room. Vineet is astonished but then begins to talk to her, filling her in with the details, and they casually talk about Ruhaani.
“Vineet, tum toh meri beti ko bigaad doge. Itna pamper karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Uske exam hain, agar wo thik se nahi padhe toh thodi daant bhi laga dena.”
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“Main kyun daant lagaun usey? Aise toh phir wo mujhse darr jayegi, aur mere ghar bhi nahi aayegi. No, itni toh pyaari bachchi hai tumhari, kyun usey dant padvana chahti ho?” Vineet rolls his eyes at her.
“Toh tum kya chahte ho? Vo bigad jaaye, aur phir mujhe sataye? Yahi chahte ho na tum? Dekho agar usey kuch galat aadat lagai hai na tumne, toh dekhna. Waise bhi usko tumne tablet de dia, ab main usko koi gift nahi dungi.” Ruhana says, making a face at her friend, who only laughs.
“Ruhana, beta, itni pyaari bachchi tumhe kyun satayegi? Dekho, Vineet ko jo karna hai, wo karne do, baad mein hum dono hamare bachchon ke kaan kheechenge. Tum apni beti ko sambhal lena, main iske kaan kheenchungi.” Saying so, Mrinal pulls Vineet’s ears, taking him by surprise.
“Maa, chhodo..kya kar rahi ho?” He almost shouts, causing Ruhana to giggle on the call.
“Aise iss ladke ke kaan kheenchne padte hai, beta. Aur han, thank you.” Mrinal says, peering into the phone.
“Thankyou? Kyun aunty? Mujhe aapko, thanks, kehna chahiye. Ye Ruhaani toh hai bhi shaitan, aapko sataya toh nahi na usne?” Ruhana asks.
“Arey nai, beta. Vo toh hamesha padhai mein lagi rehti hain. Ruhaani ke hone se ghar mein raunak hai. Aur sabse badi baat, mera beta jaldi ghar aane laga hai, nahi toh isko kaam se hi fursat na thi. Aur isliye hi toh main tumhe, thanks keh rahi hoon.” She smiles.
Ruhana’s heart feels full. She has left her daughter in a home where she’d be taken care of. His mother is treating her daughter like her own grandchild, and there’s nothing more she wants. Her daughter is being praised, and she’s happy.
“Aur haan, beta. Ab jab tum wapas aaogi, toh tumhe yahan aate rehna padega. Tum apni beti ko leke chali jaogi toh mera ghar phir se khaali ho jayega.” Mrinal says, her voice etched with sadness.
“Aap kaisi baatein karti hain, aunty. Aap bhi kabhi bhi Ruhaani se milne aa sakti hain. Ab toh vo aapki hi hoke reh gai hai. Jab bhi baat karegi, aapki hi baatein karti hain.” Ruhana smiles.
Meanwhile, they hear Ruhaani calling her grandma. Mrinal bids goodbye to Ruhana and walks out of the room. She had heard her son talking to Ruhana and came by to talk to the lady.
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Vineet watches his mother leave the room. Her words have raised his desire to profess his feelings to Ruhana. Meanwhile, Ruhana’s voice brings him into reality and tells him that she will call Ruhaani after some time, and they disconnect the call.
He keeps the phone on the girl’s desk, and the wallpaper catches his attention. It is Ruhana’s picture on her wallpaper. He stares at the picture for a few seconds, and in the meantime, he hears Ma calling him. He walks out of the room, and the three of them have dinner with light chit-chats.
After dinner and helping Mrinal with the chores, Ruhaani returns to her room. She has a lot to study; it’s her exam the day after. Her gaze falls on the tablet that’s kept in the corner of the table. She decides to use it, so she switches it on. There’s a stylus pen attached to the tablet, and she opens a fresh sheet to take down notes. While studying, she tends to write on the notepad and seems to enjoy it. All this while, she’s unaware that Vineet is watching her through the door that’s slightly ajar.
He’s content with the fact that Ruhaani is enjoying her new gift. Meanwhile, he feels a touch on his shoulder. He looks around, and his gaze meets that of his mother. She’s smiling at him sweetly.
“Kya dekh raha hai? Baat hi karni hai toh andar jaake kar.”
“Nahi Ma, mujhe usey disturb nahi karna. Wo padh rahi hai. Chalo, tum bhi chalo, tumhe aaram karna chahiye.” He says that and takes her to her room.
Making sure that his mother is fine, he walks into his room. He changes into casuals and stands on the balcony of his room, staring at the stars. His mind is clouded with Ruhana’s thoughts.
The lady has transformed from a friend into a family for him. He has already harbored feelings for her since their college days, and now that his feelings have reached equilibrium, he wants to profess his feelings for her, but he doesn’t want to ruin the holy bond of their friendship.
His mother’s words while she was talking to Ruhana gave him some hope. Maybe she thinks the same way he does, but he’s not sure. He needs to talk to his mother before he makes any decisions. However, he also needs to know her feelings. He doubts if she harbors any such feelings for him because she has always looked at him as a friend, and right now, he’s her daughter’s guardian. He has to take every step very carefully.
He sighs deeply. There’s a long way ahead until he achieves his goals.
*****
On the other hand, Ruhana is working on the laptop. She has just finished talking to her daughter, who must be sound asleep now. As she checked her WhatsApp, she found that her daughter had sent her a few pictures. She opens the chat and finds two pictures. One is Ruhaani’s picture with Vineet, while the other one includes Mrinal as well.
She looks at the second picture for a little while. Her first meeting with Mrinal has been a warm encounter. She has been welcoming towards Ruhaani too, and she feels that this is what she has always anticipated.
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She sighs deeply. Her talks with Vineet have changed her demeanor. They’re often talking about Ruhaani, and he has created a sweet bond with her daughter. He’s taking good care of her; maybe that’s how a father does. And Ruhaani? She’s talking about him all the time.
Her daughter’s statement flashes in her mind again. Is she being serious or did she say it just like that? However, she needs to wait until she finishes her project and go back to India.
