What’s the pain she’s experiencing now, it’s not the emotional pain she has been enduring all this while for her Bihaan; His slap stung her face left her staggering backwards clutching her face, eyes watering, did my Bihaan slapped me. She couldn’t believe herself, and was trying hard to focus on the reality before her.
Bihaan’s words echoed;
“Lord has punished me by getting you in my life, I will not bear this punishment;
I break our relation, get out of my life; I end all my relations with you right now”.
Weeping profusely, Thapki was shocked and emotionally confused,
“No, Bihaan, how can you let me go when you are in peril, I will not let it happen”, she wanted to protest. But before she can express her thoughts, Bihaan left the room in anger with rest of the family.
Totally shattered, Thapki ran out of Dadi’s room conceding her defeat. She reached their room, Bihaan was nowhere to be found. She stuffed her clothes into a bag, and was about to leave when she realized there’s still hope to reconcile. She writes a letter to Bihaan; Thapki leaves the letter on their bed for Bihaan.
“Dear Bihaan, I’m sorry to be the cause of your pain and understand you have lost trust on me. But I beg you to give our relationship another chance, I need you by myside as I am bearing the symbol of our love. Yes, I am pregnant and blessed with our child, we are going to be parents soon. I made several attempts today to share this good news with you but unfortunately fate had decided otherwise. Though you want to end our relationship, our child has given us a chance to pursue our love and relationship as a family. I have left the house but I’m waiting for you near the landmark bridge, where we met first. I can’t imagine a life without you and want to reconcile our differences;
Let’s start life afresh, please come for us. Love, Thapki.”
With beautiful memories of Bihaan and with hope of reconciliation, Thapki left the house walking towards the Landmark Bridge.
Traffic steady passed by as she reached the bridge, whenever the lights shine on her, she hoped it was Bihaan but to her dismay it was just another passing by vehicle. She was certain Bihaan will come for her and continued to wait in the dark night. An hour passed and Thapki was lost in her thoughts, when she heard a woman’s cry. She looked in the direction of the cry, saw a woman hurt in the road. She rushed to her aid, found her bleeding profusely without much consideration, Thapki unpin her dupatta and started to wrap it around her arms to stop the bleeding. Thapki stopped a taxi, and instructed the driver to rush the woman to the nearest hospital for medical aid, and paid him the fare. She took another dupatta from her bag, and continued to wait for Bihaan. Time passed and the night was getting cold, Continuous crying made Thapki drowsy and weak, she huddled against the bridge. Just then a car stopped near her, Thapki eagerly rushed to the car, and stopped…
Bihaan returned home late and walked into his empty room. Though he was still angry with Thapki over today’s incident, he knew she cannot bear to live without him. He walked towards the balcony, hoping to find Thapki there, but the balcony was deserted and dark. Did she move into the guest room, he walked quickly to the guest room, to find it empty! He was getting restless and started to pace around the house, did Thapki for real break her relationship and left him? He felt confused and angry, decided if that’s what she wants so be it, and fall onto his bed. It was 3am, but he couldn’t sleep a wink, Thapki occupied his mind which disturbed him. Wanting to confront her, he took his bike keys and knew exactly where to find her, in her parent’s house.
He pressed the doorbell of Thapki’s parent’s house, hoping for Thapki to open the door. But Aditi was at the door, looked at him surprisingly. He walked passed Aditi angrily, called out to Thapki to come out. Aditi was confused, asked Bihaan why are here in the middle of the night, shouting for Thapki. Bihaan ignored her and walked towards Thapki’s room to find an empty room. He stride towards Aditi, “where’s Thapki ask her to come out”. In an angry tone Aditi shouted, “I’m asking the same thing to you, Has Thapki not suffered enough, what have you done to my sister this time?” Bihaan looked at her confusingly, and told Aditi that Thapki has left their home after an argument. And he was expecting her to be with them. Aditi broke down and shouted at Bihaan, “What have you done to her now, where is my sister?”
Bihaan was devastated, jumped into his bike speed around the city like a madman but couldn’t find Thapki. Out of desperation, Bihaan screamed into the eerie night. Where are you, Thapki?
Precap: Police ask Bihaan to identify a person in mortuary.
RatanaMala (Neeirmala@gmail.com)