“Aapke kamre mai hi thi. Hai kya ye? Papa ke BP ki dawai hai kya? Wo maang rhe the. Unhe de kr aata hu.”

(It was in your room. What is this? Papa’s BP medicines? He was asking for these. I will go give him these.)

“NHI!”

(NO!)

Devyansh turned and looked at her with a pretentious frown. She was sweating heavily and her eyes were wide due to panic.

“Kya hua? BP ki dawai nhi hai?”

(What happened? Are these not BP medicines?)

He asked in a low voice. She started answering but Devyansh took a step forward.

“Taashi ko toh yahi kaha tha na aapne? Ki ye papa ke BP ki dawai hai.”

(You told Taashi that only? That these are papa’s BP medicines.)

Her wide eyes clashed with his angry ones.

“T-tujhe kaise-”

(H-how did you-)

“Mai chahta tha ki ye sab bas ek misunderstanding ho. Par aapne sach me-”

(I wanted all this to be a misunderstanding. But you really-)

He looked away trying to control his tears. He looked back at her with eyes red with unshed tears and anger. He took threatening steps towards her. 

His father had come out of the washroom a few seconds back when he heard their argument.

“Kya hua?”

(What happened?)

“Kyu kia aapne? KYA KIA AAPNE MAA?”

(Why did you do that? WHY DID YOU DO THAT MAA?)

She broke down crying and confessed.

“Mujhe nhi pasand thi wo ladki. Mai nhi chahti thi wo iss ghar mai aaye. Uske aate hi tu bhul gaya tha mujhe. Pure time sirf Taashi Taashi. Aur koi dikhta hi nhi tha tujhe.”

(I didn’t like that girl. I never wanted her to come in this house. You forgot me once she came. All the time Taashi Taashi. You did not see anyone else.)

“Biwi thi wo meri! Pyaar krta tha mai usse. Iska matlab ye nhi tha ki aapse kam pyaar tha mujhe. Aapne kabhi koshish hi nhi kri maa. Usse apna samajhne ki. Aur koshish krna toh dur aapne…aapne mere bacho ko…”

(She was my wife! I loved her. Did not mean I loved you less. You never tried maa. To understand her. And trying is far away…my kids….)

“Kya chal raha hai ye sab?”

(What is going on?)

His father asked, trying to comprehend whether he was assuming the right thing.

“Apni biwi se puchhiye papa. Kyu maara unhone mere bacho ko? Taashi ke miscarriages natural nhi the. Inhone murder kia hai mere bacho ka.”

(Ask your wife papa. Why did she kill me kids? Taashi’s miscarriages weren’t natural. She murdered my kids.)

His father looked at his wife in shock.

“Surekha? Ye sab kya-”

(What is all this-)

“Bhut badi galti ho gyi mujhse. Mai bas uss ladki ko isse dur krna chahti thi. Ye kya kr dia maine? Hey Bhagwaan!”

(I made a grave mistake. I just wanted to keep that girl away from him. What did I do? Oh God!)

She cried and his father too fell back on the sofa, not able to believe the truth that had just been unfolded.

Devyansh stood there crying silently. His heart was tearing apart but he knew this was the right thing to do.

“Mai complaint file krunga. I will make sure you get your punishment. You deserve it maa.”

(I will file a complaint.)

She cried harder and clutched her saree pallu to her chest. 

“Mujhe maaf krde beta. Bhut badi galti ho gyi mujhse. Mujhe maaf krde.”

(Forgive me. I made a grave mistake. Forgive me.)

Devyansh chuckled humourlessly.

“Maaf krdu? Kaise maaf krdu? It would be injustice to my wife and the babies you murdered. Maine waada kia hai Taashi se. Ki aapko saza milegi. Aur maine kasam khaayi hai apni bachi ki.”

(Forgive you? How do I forgive you?....I have promised Taashi. That you will get your punishment. And I have sworn on my daughter.)

His parents looked at him in surprise, hearing about his daughter.

“Jab Taashi ne mujhe bataya meri beti ke baare mai, I wanted to do nothing but bring her home and introduce her to you. But ab…mai aapka saaya bhi nhi padne dena chahta apni bachi pr. Wo ghar aayegi apne…par aapke yaha se jail jaane ke baad.”

(When Taashi told me about my daughter, I wanted to do nothing but bring her home and introduce her to you. But now…I won’t let even your shadow fall over my child. She will come home…but after you go to jail.)

He moved out of his home, leaving the crying woman behind and drove towards the two precious girls in his life.

He rang the doorbell and was welcomed by her mother. He touched her and her father’s feet in greeting.

“Devi kaha hai?”

(Where is Devi?)

“Kamre mai hai. Taashi ke saath.”

(She is in the room. With Taashi.)

Devyansh nodded and moved towards her room. He could hear music from the room. He twisted the doorknob and entered inside to see his princess dancing.

He looked at TV and saw a princess movie playing. There were a lot of barbies who were dancing and his little barbie was dancing along. He smiled and shut the door behind him.

That broke her trance and she looked at him. Then, she smiled wide and ran towards him.

“Papa!”

She launched herself in the air and Devyansh caught her midair, laughing and cuddling her to his chest.

Taashi laughed seeing her antics and smiled at him. 

“Gift nhi chahiye apna?”

(You don’t want your gift?)

He asked her when she didn’t leave him. She immediately looked at him with a glint in her eyes.

“Gift? Kaha hai?”

(Where is it?)

He pointed towards the door and she prompted him to put her down. Taashi heard her loud squeal and the girl came inside dragging a big box in front of her.

“Mumma! Doll house!”

Taashi looked at her and then at Devyansh with a sigh. He shrugged and took his place beside her. The girl sat right there on the floor, opening her gift and getting busy with it.

“How did it go?”

She asked and his smile fell. He told her what happened and she held his hand, rubbing it softly. She rested her head against his shoulder and just stayed.

They sat silently, admiring their daughter playing with her new doll house excitedly.

“Mumma? Ye kya hai?”

(What is this?)

She asked confusedly, holding out one of the items from the set. Taashi instructed her what it was and she nodded.

“Thik hai. Ab aap jaao. Mai kal lungi apne aap.”

(Ok. You go now. I will do it.)

Taashi sighed and shook her head and Devyansh laughed. 

“Tum par gyi hai. So much attitude.”

(She has taken up after you.)

She mumbled and Devyansh objected.

“Hey! I don’t have an attitude!”

“Sure! Let’s believe that.”

She gave him a side eye and he rolled his eyes. 

His phone rang, breaking their conversation. The caller ID showed someone named Manisha. 

Taashi noticed how he didn’t pick up her call but silenced it. The phone rang again and he silenced it again.

An unsettling thought occurred to her. She had never asked him if he had anyone he was seeing. It’s been 5 years since they were separated. 

And now that she recalled, it was her who kissed him first and confessed her love. He had only kissed her on her forehead after that. 

Maybe he was seeing someone and didn’t want to hurt her by telling her first. His phone rang again with the same name.

“Pick it up. Important ho skta hai. If someone’s calling repeatedly.”

(It might be important.)

“Nah! It’s just-”

His phone rang again, cutting off his sentence.

“Excuse me!”

He muttered and went out of the room to attend the call. Taashi’s heart thudded wildly in her chest. Definitely someone he was seeing. Why else would he move out of the room?

She tried not to let it affect her. But something inside her broke. She had hopes after their last conversation. Hopes of getting back with him. 

He came back and sat back on his spot. But he didn’t say anything. She fidgeted with her fingers and tried to control her tears.

“Girlfriend?”

She asked and he looked at her with a frown.

“Huh?!”

She plastered a cool look on her face. As if it wasn’t killing her.

“The one over the phone. She kept calling repeatedly. Girlfriend thi?”

(Was it your girlfriend?)

He looked at her in disbelief.

“What?”

She shrugged and looked ahead.

“I understand. I mean…we’ve been separated for five years. I wasn’t expecting you to remain single. It’s ok if you’re seeing someone.”

Devyansh could see right through her. He poked his tongue against his cheek and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Then he chuckled and nodded.

“You’re right.”