Part 6

Part 6

Pakhi and her parents have thought that Virat's parents will bow down quickly before their wish to save their reputation but now seems like it was quiet difficult to convince them. They were not that much of an emotional fools as Pakhi had believed them to be and to add to their difficulty now these Kamal and Alka were also speaking from their side.

"Ye sab kya ho raha hai? Aap sab log yaha kya kar rahe hain?" Virat asked in confusion as he finally managed to locate all of them.

"Ask your girl friend." Ninad said with gritted teeth.

"Pakhi, what is happening here?" Virat asked looking at Pakhi.

Seeing Virat there Pakhi understood now there is no use of making up excuses about the papers. Its now or never moment for them. So she decided to manipulate Virat. "Virat baby look my parents just want to assure my financial security and your parents and these people are insulting them repeatedly." Pakhi said as she faked some sobs.

"Financial security, bullshit. Virat this girl is a gold digger. She is marrying you just for your money. Her parents are pressurizing us to sign these papers." Ashwini told him the truth.

"Please aap meri beti ke bare mein tameez se baat kariye." Shailesh defended Pakhi.

"Pehle khud dusro ki izzat karna seekho. Yaha is tarah theek phero se pehle aap ko achanak apni beti ke furture ki fikar kyu ho rahi hai ye hum sab samajh rahe hain." Ashwini argued back.

"Apni aulaad ke bare mein sochna kuch galat nahi hai." Vaishali argued.

"Haan lekin apni aulad ke bhavishy ke liye kisi dusre ko is tarah blackmail karna aur aise papers sign karne par majbur karna bhi to theek nahi hai na." Kamal extended support to Ninad and Ashwini.

"Arre koi mujhe bhi batayega ye kin papers ki baat ho rahi hain? What is written in these papers?" Virat asked getting frustrated.

Shailesh tried to explain in his own words before Virat's parents could tell him anything. "Nothing, it just says that Pakhi will have right on your property .Even after divorce you cannot take away her right. Its a kind of....haan...woh kya kehte hai..... pre nuptial agreement....aisa hi kuch samajh lo. Its very common in western countries and big cities like Delhi, Mumbai." He explained.

"A pre nuptial agreement about properties! Pakhi you didn't say anything about it till now. I don't remember discussing it with you ever." Virat said as he was shocked looking at this new side of Pakhi.

Now the cat was out of the bag so there was no need of beating around the bush. So Pakhi said  in no nonsense tone ."What if we didn't talk until now? Our marriage ceremony is not yet started. I am asking you to agree to my conditions. Just say yes and we will go to mandap to complete the rituals."

Virat was looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. He thought Pakhi was fun loving, spontaneous, somewhat reckless girl which he liked about her personality but today he was seeing Pakhi who was very calculative, practical and manipulative.

"I thought you supported me in my every decision. I thought you love me for what I am not what I have in my bank account." Virat was hurt by her behavior.

"Ek bar zara apne bare mein kya soch liye tum aur tumhare parivar ne to drama hi khada kar diya hai." Pakhi was annoyed now as nothing was going as per her plan.

"Drama! Tumhe hum log dramebaaz lagte hain. Aur jo tum aur tumhare parents kar rahe hain wo kya hai? Agar tumhe apne future ki itni fikar thi to phir pehle hi mujhse kyu nahi discuss kar liya sabkuch. Is tarah tum aur tumhare parents mera aur mere parivaar ka yaha tamasha banaye hue hain, ye drama nahi hai?" Virat was now seeing for the first time what his aai was telling her repeatedly about Pakhi, that she is not right kind of girl.

"Toh khatam kar dete hain na tamasha. Just sign the bloody papers." Pakhi shouted.

"Jis tarah tum desperate ho rahi ho papers ke liye usse to yahi lag raha hai that you really are a gold digger. Mujhe yakeen nahi hota ki maine tumhe chuna apna jeevan sathi banane ke liye." Virat was heart broken now.

"Don't be so over dramatic Virat. Kab se dekh rahi hoon jab se yaha aaye ho pata nahi tumhe kya ho gaya hai. Tumne to apne parents se jhagda karke unki property mein se kuch bhi lene se inkaar kar diya. Pata nahi tumhara business chale ya na chale...ya phir kab hum ek luxury life style afford karne ki position mein ho paye tab tak main kya karungi......dhakke khaungi tumhare saath? Aur waise bhi jo tumhare parents ka hai wo ek na ek din to tumhara hona hi hai....aur jo tumhara hai uspar tumhari life partner hone ke naate mera bhi  haq banta hi hai...toh phir main galat kya keh rahi hoon ....kya farak padta hai ye aaj sari properties inke jeete jee mujhe de ya wo baad mein inke marne ke baad...." Pakhi kept blabbering but Virat couldn't hold his anger anymore when she talked about his parents death.

"PAKHI!" Virat shouted silencing all of them.

He raised his hand to slap her but then held it in middle with difficulty. "Don't you dare say anything bad about my parents." Virat said as he clenched his hand into fist to stop himself from slapping her. You are a woman and my parents had taught me to respect women so get out of here before I forget that.

"How dare you Virat? Tumne mujhpe haath uthane ki koshish ki....you know what tum ho hi nahi mere laayak...maine apna time waste kiya tumhare upar. Tumne aur tumhare parivar aaj meri bahut beizzati ki hai. I don't want to marry you anymore." Pakhi said in anger.

"Tum kya mujhe mana kar rahi ho....ab tum chahogi bhi toh tumse shadi nahi karunga main. You have showed your true colors today. Mujhe to khud par sharm aati hai tum jaisi ladki ka asli chehra main pehle nahi dekh paya." Virat replied back.

"Mom dad, lets go from here. Let their people laugh at them. Let them wonder what did they do that bride and her family left mandap and rejected them. No respectable family will be ready to give them their daughter after this....saari izzat jo kamai hai na ab tak wo mitti mein mil jayegi. Ye akad jo hume dikha rahe hain na, jab samaj thu thu karega inke muh pe tab sari akad dheeli pad jayegi." Pakhi said each and every word slowly to make them realize their situation.

"Just get out from here before I slap you ." Virat replied.

Pakhi and her parents left the place. They knowingly walked from the mandap area. Pakhi started crying loudly to attract the attention of crowd and her mom also started consoling her loudly to make sure everyone hears them. "Please stop crying Pakhi. This family is not worthy of you. I cant believe they demanded dowry from us on the wedding day. And that Virat even slapped you in front of us.....achha hua tu bach gayi beta abhi se ye haal hai toh pata nahi shadi ke baad kya hota? Hume nahi karni aise family mein shadi."

All the guest were shocked to hear them. Some close relative who knew the family well didn't believe them but most of the people started gossiping now loudly. The Chavans came there and were embarrassed to face people.

"Ghor kalyug aa gaya hai! Itne padhe likhe ameer log bhi dowry ki demand karte hain." One guest whispered loudly enough to be heard by everyone.

"Hum to inhe bada izzatdar samajhte the. Ye to ladki par haath uthate hain. Aise logo ko to jail bhej dena chahiye." Another voice was heard.

Mujhe to tabhi shak ho gaya tha jab jaldbazi mein is shadi ka arrangement kiya gaya. Aisa bhi bhala koi karta hai." Another guest commented.

"Ho sakta hai inke bete mein hi koi kami ho jo wo ladki is tarah se mandap chhodkar chali gayi." Another one taunted.

Virat couldn't stay quiet after that. He wanted to shout at all of them. How dare they judge him and his parents just because of that gold digger Pakhi. "Bas kijiye aap log. Kitna aasaan hota hai na kisi par sawaal utha dena bina sach jaane."

"Toh batao hume, kya hai sach? Wo ladki aur uske parivar ne tum par gambhir aarop lagaye hain." Some one asked from crowd.

Kamal came forward showing courage and support to his friends. "Main batata hoon aapko sach. Hum log bhi the waha par. Humne sab kuch dekha aur suna hai." Saying that Kamal and Alka narrated the whole incident to all of them.

"Ab faisla aapke haath mein hai. Aap is city mein barso se reh rahe Chavans par yakeen karoge ya kisi bahar walo par." Kamal aaded.

Some of them chose to believe them while some still had their doubts and decided to leave from there. Kamal and Alka got busy in handling all of them while Ninad, Ashwini and Virat sat in one corner with their head hung in disappointment. Virat couldn't believe the day he supposed to be the the starting of new phase of life turned out like this. He should have really listened to his parents in this matter. He still couldn't believe Pakhi turned out to be like this. He was sad, heart broken and shattered. Moreover he was feeling bad for his parents. He had brought this shame on them. He was feeling guilty, he wanted to correct his mistake somehow...but how? He was lost in his thoughts when he heard his aai.

"Ye sab kya ho gaya? Kash jaisa humne socha tha sab waisa hi hota to ye din dekhna nahi padta. Kitne armaan the Virat ki shadi ko lekar sab adhure reh gaye....bandnami hui wo alag...is tarah mandap ka khali reh jana aphsagun hota hai....log tarah tarah ki baatein kar rahe hain..." Ashwini sobbed.

Virat realized that if he hadn't brought Pakhi with him then may be things would turn out to be different. He kept thinking about the moment he introduced Pakhi to his parents. He remembered Sai in that moment and suddenly he knew what he has to do to make everything right.

"Ye sab kuch meri wajah se hua na....Now I will set everything right. Don't worry aai....shadi hogi isi mandap mein aur aaj hi hogi."  Virat said with determination.

Before any of them could ask him for explanation he turned towards Kamal and Alka, "Uncle aunty you yourself saw what all happened. You know everything. After all this will you give your daughter's hand to me?" Virat asked.

Alka looked at Kamal as both tears and smile came on her face. "You really want to marry Sai?" Alka asked for confirmation.

"Yes, only if she doesn't mind." Virat answered genuinely concerned for her opinion.

Alka laughed at his words, "Tumhare liye toh wo jaan bhi de sakti hai apni aur tum puchh rahe ho wo tumse shadi karegi ya nahi?"

"Ok, then you guys go and bring her here. I am waiting for her. Ye shadi aaj hi hogi." Virat said with finality. Kamal and Alka went to their home to get Sai while Ashwini and Ninad gathered all the relatives and friends and guests who were still around. They briefed them about the turn of events.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

to be continued....