Shivaay rested his head on dadi’s lap. She started massaging his head.
“Yeh ghar yeh parivaar tere Dada ji ka Sapna hai…Tej aur Shakti toh yeh baat bhul chuke hai…lekin mere teeno pote milke unka milke unka yeh Sapna pura kar rahe hai…aur ab toh unke saath unke Takkar ki ishqbaaaz bhi hai…mujhe pata hai tum log saath me yeh ghar kabhi tootne nahi doge.she said.
“Ek waqt tha jab mujhe Laga tha ki mere teeno pote alag ho jaayenge…lekin USS waqt bhi tumne mujhe galat saabit kar diya…she said smiling, gently massaging his head.
” Mujhe Laga tha ki humne Om Ko kho diya hai… Drugs ke wajah se who hum sab se bahut dur chala Gaya tha…ghar pe saare logo ne umeed chor diya tha…par tumhara Bharosa kabhi nahi dagmagaya…tune usse wapaas laaya.
“Umeed kaise chor deta dadi…agar usse kuch ho jaata toh aaj Mai bhi yaha nahi hota… Those days were the worst days of his life. Earlier he was not able to understand the sudden change in Om’s behaviour and then when he found out about his drugs addiction. He was shattered…that instead of him his brother had to rely on drugs. But at that time Om was more important. He made all possible efforts to bring his brother back, when every family member had lost their faith and gave up the idea of sending him to rehab. He was the only one, along with Rudra, to fight for his brother to send him to rehab. Those days he had slept more outside the hospital and rehabs than in his own house. “I failed as a brother then… he sighed.
“Chup kar khotya dadi pulled his hair.
“Ahhh!! It hurts… he pouted.
Om remembered, he had given only pain to his brothers then. He remembered how many time he had shouted on them, even hurted them physically but that didn’t let his brothers stay away from him. They should have hated him.. but no…
“Tera Bachpan toh tujhe kabhi Mila hi nahi… Om-Ru apne Shivaay bhaiya ke saath bare hue hai…lekin tum Tej aur pinky ke saath… Bachpan me tumne undono Ko hamesha ghar ke jhagro se dur rakha …par khud Ko nahi rakh paaye…tumne unse har who baat chupai hai jo unhe chot pahucha Sakti hai…aur mujhe pata hai tumne mujh se bhi baate chupai hai…
She was right. He knew all the secrets of the Oberoi empire. He knew his bade papa’s way of working. He had faced everything…alone…but he had never told anything to Om-Ru and at times even dadi. So that they won’t get hurt.
“Jab tu college me tha …tab se hi tera Naam Om-Ru ke gaurdian me likha Jaa rha hai…she chuckled remembering how adamant was Shivaay to get his name written as their gaurdian.”25 saal ki Umar me jab log ghumte phirte hai…apni zindagi jeete hai USS waqt tu itne bare Oberoi empire ka bojh apne sar liye ghum Raha tha…his samay log khud ki talaash me rehte hai…USS waqt tu deal ki talaash me rehta tha…iss empire Ko khara zaroor tere Dadaji aur Tej ne Kiya ho… Lekin isse unchaiyon par tu le Gaya hai…”
Although he was only 32 it seemed that he had been working since ages. He didn’t remember when he had time for himself.
“Waise Billu kaha tak mujhe yaad hai…dadji se tu hamesha kehta tha ki tujhe cricketer ban na hai… Tujhe business me koi interest nahi tha…phir…”
“Woh sab Bachpan ki baatein thi dadi…” he said cutting her in between.
“Billu!”
“Aapne sahi kaha dadi…aapke Billu Ko cricketer ban na tha…Business ke Naam se hi mujhe michmichi Hoti thi… he laughed at his selection of words…Jab Bachpan me mai papa aur bade Papa Ko larte dekhta tha Mai hamesha sochta tha ki mai kuch bhi ban jaaunga Lekin businessman nahi banuga…mai nahi chahta tha ki mere aur mere bhaiyo ke beech koi bhi …bachpan mai mom dad or badi maa bade papa Ko larte dekhte aaya hu…aur har waqt reason ek hi tha…business…business…aur sirf business…he said almost choking.
Dadi moved her hand over his hair to calm him …but she doubted if that really worked…
“Toh phir achanak se tune business kyu join Kiya?
He sighed. I had to do it. I didn’t had a choice
“Aakhir aisi kya baat ho gayi thi ki tujhe Wahi karna para jisse tu nafrat karta tha.aakhir aisi kya wajah thi?
“Dadi kaha na I didn’t had a choice… aur har baat ki reason nahi Hoti hai…
“Toh tu aise nahi baataiga…At times he was too stubborn just like her…Tujhe meri kasam,before he could protest, she placed his hand on her head. “Agar tu Ziddi hai toh yaad rakha Mai teri dadi hu.
He froze for a moment. He never wanted this to be out. He never wanted to share this with anyone. He wanted to carry his one and only reason of joining his family business to his grave.
“Ab bhi nahi bolega? asked dadi breaking his trance.
He looked up at her and closed his eyes. “Omru ke liye…
“Om-Ru ke liye? Mai samjha nahi…
Omru looked at each other unable to understand.
There was dead silence for a minute or two.
“Haan dadi…Omru ke liye… Om Bachpan se hi artist ban na chahta tha…uske liye art hi sab kuch hai. Crayons,paints,canvas, colours…woh inn sab ke beech me bara hua hai. Om Ko hum sab se zyaada uski murtiya samjhti hai…Art uski zindagi hai or agar Mai USS waqt business me nahi aata toh meri jagah Om Ko aana parta…Agar who business me aata toh who toot jaata dadi… Om se uski jeene ki wajah cheen jaati… Who…woh kabhi Khushi nahi rehta…
After hearing this, Om felt week on his knees, he held the wall for support and Gauri held him. Tears were flowing from everyone’s eyes. Om tried to stand straight…but he couldn’t… How could he… he just heard that his brother destroyed his own dreams so that Om can live his life as he dreamt for himself…
“Aur hum teeno bhaiyo me sirf Rudra hai jisse apna Bachpan Mila hai… Shivaay continued. Mai usse uska bachpana nahi cheen na chahta… Mai kabhi bhi usse business ke iss berehem duniya me nahi aane Dunga…mai nahi chahta ki usse pata chale ki yeh duniya ruthless hai…business world me survive karne ke liye Insaan Ko har who kaam karna padega hai jo who nahi chahta… Mai nahi chahta ki mere bache Ko iss cruel world ka hissa ban na pare…
Rudra…he had been crying from the time when he came to know why Shivaay had asked for their signatures… Mera bacha…he had grown up hearing this from his bhaiya… he always felt peace within…the same calmness that one experiences when he cuddles on his mother’s lap. From the childhood, he had found both his mother and father in his Shivaay bhaiya …Shivaay was his superman. He had always been with him from the time he can remember… His superman had been walking on thrones to give him the feel of roses…His brother sacrificed his dreams so that he could live a happy cheerful life. Saumya, fighting back her own tears, side hugged Rudra giving him the much needed support.
Anika, gripping the edge, leaned on the door frame, tears streaming down, she stood there feeling numb. This man…she thought can scatter himself into bits to fill the missing pieces of his family.
Completing this a lone tear escaped his eyes which he was trying to hold from the time he had entered the room, closing his eyes he let them fall freely, without making any attempt to stop it.
For the first time he himself was removing the bricks of the wall he had created for himself. He was tired…tired of pretending…pretending to live a life which people thought he enjoyed. His mask was slipping. He wanted to cry, to shout, to vent out his years of frustration but instead he sighed. He cannot loose himself. He has to be the Shivaay Singh Oberoi. He smirked at the irony.
Drying his tears he turned towards dadi and griping her hand tightly he said “Dadi ab sach me aapko so Jaana chahiye raat bahut ho gayi hai…aur aap chinta mat kariye hamari family aur maut ke beech hamesha Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki Deewar hogi…unhe kuch hone se pehle Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki Jaan jaayegi… Aur…
“Aur Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki jaan itni asaami se nahi jaayegi… The five of them appeared, completing his signature dialogue.
He was shocked. They were the last people whom he ever wanted to hear this conversation. Before he could register anything they all engulfed Shivaay in a bone crushing hug and cried bitterly. Shivaay was overwhelmed. He too wrapped his arms protectively around his world. Closing his eyes he let those tears fall freely. But he felt incomplete… something was missing… he opened his eyes…tgere he saw Anika sitting in front of him staring him with tears in her eyes. They had an eyelock. His eyes begged her to hold him… or else he would… She quickly stood up went to his side and hugged him tightly. He rested his face on the curve of her neck and as always he felt easy.
Dadi looked at them…clinging to each other… After seeing her own son’s and daughter-in-laws, she didn’tknew how she would keep her family together… but seeing these six together the thought of her family scattering never made its way back to her mind. She smiled with tears in her eyes, looking toward the portrait of her dear husband. She then placed her hand on Annika’shead. Annika turned towards dadi, still holding Shivaay, Dadi just smiled. Annika understood, blinking her eyes, she promised dadi that whatever comes in their way, she would always be with Shivaay, holding him together, being the wall of their Shivaay.
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No proof reading.
Hope you guys like it… Do comment and hit the like button The next part would be last and it will have our Shivika 🙂