Vineet was sitting at the pool area and was lost in thoughts. He was trying to divert his mind from these thoughts but was unable to do so. In anger, he threw away his phone which landed in between Ruhana's feet.

"Kya baat hai Mr. Singhaniya? Aaj yeh phone kyun aise fenka jaa raha hai?" she asked.

"Kuch nahi" he said.

Ruhana smiled and asked "toh itni raat ko akele yahan kyun baithe ho?"

He stood up and turned to her and said "kyuki uss ek raat ne mera dimag ghuma diya hai Ruhana! Aaj wo sab clear dikh gaya hai mujhe!"

"Kya dikh gaya?" she asked while looking at him keenly.

"Uss raat maine.." he paused as he was unable to tell her.

"Uss raat tumne kya Vineet? Sharab ke nashe mein yeh bhi bhool gaye jiske saath tum ho, wo ek naukrani hai" she taunted him.

He looked at her in shock "Ruhana tum.."

"Haan janti hun main kya kiya tumne uss raat. Bahut shauk hai na tumhe dusron ki galityon pe saza dene ka, ab tumne jo galti ki uski khudko kya saza doge?" she said in anger.

"Mujhe nahi pata yeh sab kaise ho gaya! Main sharab ke nashe mein tha" he said.

"Toh kya Vineet? Galti tumhari hai fayda tumne uthaya aur jabse aaye ho Manvi ko suna rahe ho!" she almost yelled at him.

"Agar wo chahti toh yahan lautke wapas kabhi nahi aati tumhari uss harkat ke baad. Lekin fir bhi wo yahan aayi sirf tumhari Maa ke liye. zara bhi sharam nahi hai na tum mein?" she shouted.

He was silent, Ruhana continued "ab tum mujhe batao tumhe kya saza milni chahiye iss galti ki?" she asked while folding her arms.

"Ruhana galti thi meri, maanta hun main and I am guilty too for that" he said.

"No Vineet you are not guilty! Itne saalo se tum galtiyan kiye jaa rahe ho. Agar agar uski jagah koi aur hoti na toh ab tak ghar chodke chali gayi hoti, tumhari izzat media mein uchal chuki hoti" Ruhana shouted in frustration.

"Ab tum hi batao main kya karun?" he asked.

"Kya karun? Socho thande deemag se, tumne kitni baar usko taunt kiya hai, apni baaton se hurt kiya hai, usko ehsaas dilaya hai uski aukat kya hai iss ghar mein" she said.

Vineet thought for a while.

"Maa aap isko sadak se uthake laayi ho!"

"Na toh iski koi pehchan hai na kuch!"

Ruhana said "Aur uski ehmiyat is ghar mein tumse zyada hai Vineet. Wo na hoti toh tum bhi na hote. Vineet Singhaniya ka naam kahin kho gaya hota. Jaante ho Vineet aaj tumhare saamne jo Ruhana khadi hai wo saalo pehle Manvi ke jaise akeli thi. Aise hi kisi orphange mein pali badi hoon main. Meri bhi pehchan mujhe nhi maloom, toh kya tumhe bhi mujhe uske jaise nahi treat karna chahiye haan?" she asked.

Vineet looked at her in shock, Ruhana smiled... "Aise mat dekho. Ye ek sach hai. Batao na kya karoge tum? Mujhse deals nahi karoge ya mujhe bhi saza doge. "she asked.

She looked at him " Izzat uski hoti hai Vineet jo dusron ko izzat deta hai. Agar kisiki izzat nahi kar sakte na tok itna hurt bhi mat karo kisiko. Aunty ne tumhe do baaten kya suna di, tumhe bura laga. Aur jo tum pichle 5 saalon se karte aa rahe ho uska kya!! " she asked.

He was standing with downed gaze.. She looked at him... " shukar karo ki aunty ko is baare mein kuch nahi pata. Lekin tumhari ye galti maafi laayak nahi hai, Vineet. Dusron ki galtiyan tumhe nazar aati hai lekin apni nahi na? Kuch din Vineet, uski achayi dekho tab shayad tumhe realize hoga jise itne saalo se nafrat karte aaye ho uski ehmiyat kya hai iss ghar mein" she said.

"har koi tumhari tarah rude aur arrogant nahi hota. Jo khud ke liye sehen nahi kar sakte, wo dusron ke sath mat kiya karo. Acha hua main yahan aayi, tumhara asli chehra toh dekh paayi. Varna main samajhti thi ki tum bahut ache ho. Biwi aur maa ki izzat kar nahi sakte baaki sabko chhod do. " she said and turned to leave. She walked but turned to him...

"aaj raat sochna zaroor ki kya kya galtiyan ki tumne. " she said and left.

Vineet was walking to the room with thoughts in his mind. He was deeply lost in thoughts after what Ruhana said. He collided with someone, he looked up and it was Manvi.

Manvi said "sorry Sirji wo main paani le jaa rahi thi maa ke liye"

He walked away to the room without saying anything to her. Manvi was left surprised with his behaviour. She thought "Waise toh zara sa kuch karun toh chila dete hai aaj kuch kaha bhi nahi?" she brushed away her thoughts and moved upstairs to Gautami's room.

She came and hands the glass of water. She said in concern "maa itni raat tak aapka jaagna thik nahi hai aap soh jayie na"

"Main thik hun aur mujhe neend nahi aayi hai baitho tum" Gautami said.

Manvi sat down and was silent. Gautami asked "kya hua?? Kuch soch rahi ho?"

She looked at her and said "haan maa wo Sirji kalse kuch ajeeb behave kar rahe hai aur abhi toh mujhse takra gaye toh kuch kaha bhi nahi warna toh ghar sar pe utha lete hai"

"Aisa kya? Shayad Ruhana ki baaton ka asar ho raha hai uspar" Gautami said.

"Ho sakta hai Maa lekin unka behaviour bahut strange hai" Manvi said.

Gautami said "zyada mat socho tum! Akal thikane aa rahi hogi uski!"

"Manvi I am sorry meri hi zid thi ki tumhari shaadi Vineet se ho agar mujhe pata hota ki wo yeh sab harkat karta hai main tumhari shaadi usse kabhi nahi karati' Gautami said.

Manvi nodded in no "nahi maa galti aapki nahi hai"

"Haan galti tumhari hai tumne mujhe kuch nahi bataya kyun?" she asked in anger.

Manvi replied "kyuki main nahi chahti thi meri wajah se aapke aur unke beech koi problem ho aur unhe aur mauka mil jaata fir mujhe saza dene ka"

Gautami looked on at her, Manvi sighed and said "ab baatein bahut ho gayi hai aap soh jayie"

"Lekin... meri baat abhi khatam nahi hui" she said.

"Kal baat karte hai na aap soh jayie abhi warna Sirji mujhe dhaant laga denge" Manvi said.

Gautami nodded and lay down, Manvi covered her with blanket and left the room turning off the lights.

She moved downstairs and found Vineet's room light still on. She thought "Sirji ab tak jaag rahe hai puchu kya? Nahi rehne deti hun bharosa nahi bekar mein chilla denge mujhpe"

Vineet was sitting on the bed and thinking. Ruhana's words echoed in his ears. "aaj raat sochna zaroor ki kya kya galtiyan ki tumne.

He remembered how he locked Manvi into the store room for whole night.

Made her stand into the rain for long hours.

Made her cook food for more than 100 people.

And his biggest mistake in goa.

"Itna sab kiya maine uske saath yahan tak ki itni insult kiu usko tab bhi wo maa ka khayal rakh rahi hai" he thought.

Manvi entered inside the room and lay down on the floor to sleep. She closed her eyes and fall asleep soon.

He looked down at her and thought how hard it was for him to sleep in just one night and from months she is sleeping down without any complaint.

Vineet lied on the bed was unable to sleep. He stood out of the bed and glanced at Manvi, who was sleeping cosily. It was 5 am in the morning, and the wind was crisp. She turned in her sleep hugging herself with one hand. She was soundly asleep, he lifted her in his arms and laid her on the bed, and covered her with the blanket and left the room.

He made a cup of tea for himself. Meanwhile, Ruhana came there and was shocked...

"Kya baat hai? Tum aur kitchen mein! Aur itni jaldi kaise uth gaye? " she taunted.

"Neend nahi aa rahi thi. " he replied briefly.

"toh kuch socha aapne?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

He looked at her, yes he realised how wrong he was. How he ill-treated her, misbehaved with her. But he didn't have the power to accept it.

"Jab khud ki galtiyon ka ehsaas ho jaye, toh maafi maang leni chahiye. Kya tum aisa kar paoge vineet? " Ruhana asked.

He looked at her but was silent..

"tumne galti sirf manvi ke prati hi nahi ki, apni maa ke prati bhi ki hai. Un dono se agar tumhe maafi mil jaye, wahi kaafi samajhna. It'll be better agar tum khud manvi se baat karoge." she said and left leaving him in thoughts.

To be continued.

Will he ask forgiveness from them?

Stay tuned will update on Wednesday 😊😊