ARTE MANSION
Mrunalini looks sad and worried looking at the preparations going on at her home. The servants and maids are roaming here and there, executing the commands of their mistress. A priest is seated in the middle of the large hall making ready for the rituals to be performed.
Mrunalini looks at the large size framed photograph where a beautiful woman who was not more than 25 years old at the time of taking this photograph, smiling with all happiness in her life. A big yellow garland is hung over the photo frame. A tear drop comes from her eyes and Mrunalini wipes it before anyone would see.
'Ma' calls Arun
Mrunalini turns back at the calling of her son. Anirudh stands dressed in fully white kurta. His face too shows same worry and sorrow.
'Yes Beta'
'Ma, is everything OK? Do you need anything?'
'No, beta. Everything is fine. Preparations are almost done. We can start the rituals shortly. Where is your brother?'
'I did not see him. I am not dared to see. I don't know how we are going to bring him to do the ritual.' says Arun in a sad and scary tone.
Mrunalini too turns worried. 'What else we can do? Sakshi is his wife isn't it? He has to do the rituals of his wife's death anniversary. Go and ask him to get ready and come soon.'
'Ma, why you are not at all listening. How you did the rituals for the past seven years when Bhaiyya was not here. Why are so adamant to do these stuff. I repeatedly told you how it going to upset him'
'But Arun, it is our duty to perform the rituals for the sake of the dead soul. Only if we do this, the soul shall be in peace.Just understand'
'What is there for me to understand? Bhaiyya is not ready to accept that Bhabhi is no more.She exist in his mind and life always. Every year this has become a great struggle for me to console him on this day.' says Arun in a frustrating tone.
'It is the power of true love. When I got married both of them, I really did not expect that he would be so much loving and truthful to her. Do you remember how he was when he rose to the overnight stardom? How arrogant and prideful and he did not respect anyone in industry, at home! So much of selfishness was filled in his mind. He never thought of thinking about others and respect others feelings. It is only because of Sakshi, he changed a lot.'
'Yes, of course. Changed a lot but not completely. His pride and arrogance is still there. Very selfish that he does not want to accept an innocent child as his daughter.' says Arun. 'By the way, where is she? Gone to school?'
'I told the maid and driver to make her ready and drop to school. I don't want her to see this stuff now. Let her grow a little. And also today is her birth star.So I don't want to combine both.Three days later her birthday is coming. We have to celebrate it very grand as usual' says Mrunalini.
'Ok Ma. Sure we can do it. But let me go to accompolish a great task. Sure he might have drunk last night. Have to handle the hangover and bring him down.'
'Ensure he is clean and pure before he comes down.'
'Yeah, I know. I will go now.Until seven years before, we wore white color dress for celebrating holi on this day. But now, we are wearing this dress for....' says Arun in a sad tone.
Mrunalini also look at him very sadly.
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SAHANA APARTMENTS' residents started their enthusiastic holi celebration with men and women, little girls and boys, adolescents running everywhere with colors filled in their faces and joy filled in their eyes. Rahini and Arjun pass by the crowd when some of the girls who knew her try to apply color on her face. Rahini politely refused and smiled at them. She carefully steps out with Arjun so that no one spills colors on his uniform. Arjun looks happy seeing the fun filled color game. He looks at her and grins. Rahini who knew the meaning of it smiles at him.
'Holi is tommorrow. But people started to play today itself.' says Rahini
Arjun looks at the fun and joy which makes him smile more. Rahini looks at him and says 'Once you come back from the school, you shall go and join them. Is it OK?'
Arjun frowns on hearing this.
Rahini smiles at him and says 'Just half a day'
Arjun unwiilingly leaves with her to school bus stop.
School bus arrives and Rahini helps him to get inside the school bus. She waves her hands and bus leaves. Rahini walks towards her house but she stops in the middle on seeing something.
'It can't be. How it is possible?' says Rahini to herself
She stands for a while and watches in the direction. A small girl wearing the school uniform is standing on the platform. Rahini tries to look at her and recognize the girl.After few vehicles pass by she could get the vision of the girl's identity. Undoubtedly it is her.
'What is she doing here? Isn't it she suppose to be in school now?' asks Rahini to herself.
Rahini reminds of the incident when she first time saw her. She was running in the middle of the road, an arrogant guy rescued her, another arrogant girl fighting and a driver came rushing on that day and picked her up. Rahini started to look for the driver who was with her on that day. She could not find anyone.
Rahini once again looks at her. 'Am I imagining anything or any problem with my eyes? Her face is so dull?'
Trisha stands on the platform looking at both directions with scare in her face.Her face and eyes are filled with tears.
'No. It can't be.' she says to herself. 'Let me go to her'
Rahini steps to cross the road and goes towards her. She crosses the road and reaches the partition between the two roads.
She looks at her and calls 'Trisha beta'
Trisha does not respond to her. Rahini raises her voice and calls her again. But she does not turn back to her. A car approaches the place where both of them are standing and Rahini stands to wait until the car cross and go to her. But actually what happened was not at all expected.
Trisha jumps from the platform and falls in front of the car. The fast approaching car tried its level best to stop the car but everything wss too late by the time. But somehow the car managed to stop.
'Trisha' screams Rahini over the crowd.
Rahini could not believe what she saw in her her own eyes just now. For a few seconds, her whole body turned like a status and she was not able to respond to the situation. The crowd start to gather around the place where Trisha fell down. Rahini comes back to the world and she too rushes to the crowd. She went inside the crowd and sees Trisha lying down fainted with blood oozing out slightly from her head.
She takes the girl on her laps and tries to wake her. Trisha does not open her eyes.
Some person starts to shout at the car person 'Hey you, can't you see the road and drive properly. What the hell you think in your mind?'
Other guy too joins the person 'Are you driving the car or an aeroplane?' All other people join in chorus and shout.
'No, there is no fault on the car. The girl suddenly jumped from the platform. I saw it' says a woman. Rahini does not listen to any of the conversations. She tries to wake the girl up.
'Anybody have water?' she asks the crowd. A lady offers water to her. Rahini takes some water in her hand and sprinkles it on Trisha's face. Trisha slowly frowns her face but does not open her eyes. Rahini feels relieved on seeing her.
'Let us take the girl to hospital' says a lady in crowd.
Rahini looks at them 'No need. She is fine. I know this girl very well. I will take her with me. She is my son's friend only. Both of them study in the same school.' says Rahini and lifts her. Few others help her to hold the girl in her arms.
Rahini feels happy for being a famous person in that area. Who else will let a small strange girl to be carried by a strange woman to her home, even though she protest she knows the girl.
'Rahini ji, are you sure. No problem?' asks a neighborhood lady
Rahini looks at her and says 'No problem. I can handle it. ' says Rahini and takes her with her to her home.
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ARTE MANSION
Arun walks towards the room and stands outside near the door. He leans his hands towards the door to knock but he does not knock it.
'Oh God, Please give me the courage handle any worst situation. Let this day shall pass without any problem.'
Arun touches the door to knock but the door opens at it is, surprising him. He slowly opens the door and enters inside the room. He goes inside the room and looks around for Rohit. He is found no where.
'Bhaiyya' calls Arun raising his voice. No answer comes from anywhere. Arun calls again 'Bhaiyya, Where are you?'
Again no answer is heard anywhere. Arun looks for Rohit in the whole room but does not find him. He takes his foot to step further but he retreats back on seeing down. He gets shocked to see the scattered stuffs on the floor.
The ground is spread with broken glass pieces for almost full room. Arun looks around the glass pieces and the liquid poured beside it. He then looks at the alcohol bottle rack which is almost empty with one or two bottles.
'Hai! Hai! Situation seems to have worsened this year.What am I going to do?' asks Arun to himself.
His face turns pale anticipating the next drama that is going to happen. He goes forward further and looks for him. He looks at a place where Rohit is laying down intoxicated with alcohol. A bottle is hanging in one of his arms and Rohit lies on the chair looking at the roof top. Arun could not prevent himself getting scared for a second seeing him in that position. He slowly steps towards him. Rohit does not move from his position. Arun takes away the bottle from his hand and keeps it aside. He slowly touches his hand.
'Bhaiyya' he calls him slowly
Rohit does not answer him. Arun gathers his full courage and raises his voice to convey the message.
'Bhaiyya, everything is ready downstairs. Please come down and do the needful.' says Arun to him.
Again no response from his side.
'Bhaiyya. It is seven years since everything has ended. How long are you going to suffer like this? Please accept the fact and move forward. This is what we are all insisting for all these years. Don't get painful as you were at that time. Don't you know time is the best healer?' says Arun in a very slow voice.
Rohit turns back towards him. Arun's mind fills with chillness. He struggles to conceal his feelings and tries to look normal but sad.
'Bhaiyya. Please get ready and come soon. You are the one to be mandatorily present in the today's ritual. You have to do this for Bhabhi. Her soul shall be happy and peaceful if you do it. As you always say, her happiness is your goal. Is it not your duty to keep her happy even if she does not physically exist?' asks Arun to him.
Rohit takes a bottle from one place and pours the liquid in his mouth continuously. Arun tries to stop him and grabs the bottle from him.
'Bhaiyya' shouts Arun angrily. 'For how many years are you planning to kill yourself and others like this? Consuming this bottle drink is ever going to be a solution for all your sorrows. Why don't you understand? Bhabhi is no more. She left us. You and everyone. Death is inevitable. Everybody faces it one day. Why don't you get along with what you got?'
Rohit gets up from his chair and shouts 'What is got for me in this world? What is my purpose to live in this world when I lost everything?'
Arun looks at him with worry.
'All I got is only this' says Rohit pointing to the alcohol bottle
'She left you a little angel as her rememberance,Bhayya'
Rohit's eyes turns red in anger. 'Don't ever dare to say that word again in front of me.' says Rohit with rage in his voice. 'She is not any angel. A devil who took away my happiness, my future, my soul, my life everything from me.'
'Bhaiyya, what that little girl has to do with bhabhi's demise. Maternity death is not any new thing. If you have lost your soul mate, she has lost her soul. Her mother. An eternal relationship of one's life. I don't think your loss is much bigger than hers.'
Rohit again shouts rage fully 'Shut up. Don't ever talk about her in front of me. Remember one thing. I cannot accept her in my life at any cost.If she ever comes in front of me again, I swear, I will kill her.'
Rohit drinks the whole drink in the bottle and throws the bottle on the floor. Arun gets bewildered on seeing the rage, anger and fury.
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