The door was open. Smruti came in. Rhea was playing in the garden with her friends and Daaiji. Smruti was confused by the way things were shaping up. She was supposed to be at Wadala Police Station as she was asked to be present there. But, while she was at Juhu Beach with Samrat, Dev had called her up.
‘Come back home. No need to go to police station now.’ He had said.
‘How do you know that I have been called at police station?’ She had questioned him, with a confused mind. A part of her was trembling with the thought of the events that might have happened while she was sitting beside Samrat at Juhu Beach.
‘I know everything. I will tell you. Not on phone. Come home. I am waiting.’ And he had cut the call. Even Samrat couldn’t understand why Dev had called her home. And how Dev got to know that she was summoned to the police station?
However, this time Smruti had not wasted any time. She had immediately left from there. She had not even said a ‘bye’ to Samrat. Samrat kept looking at her as she went out of sight on the beach.
‘Hey, when did you come? I took a small nap. Rhea just went down with Daaiji.’ Dev came in the living room where Smruti was sitting on the sofa. He sat beside her.
‘I just came few minutes back.’
‘Ok. What happened?’ He kept looking at her. ‘Should I make some tea? Your favorite one, green tea?’
‘No. I am alright. Just a bit tired. You tell me. Why did you call me back? And how did you know that I was supposed to be at police station?’
Dev gave her a naughty smile. ‘So many questions? One at a time please!’ Smruti was in no mood to smile. Catching her serene look, he broke the ice. ‘Ok. I will tell you everything. But first you relax.’
‘I am all relaxed. Just tell me what is it.’
‘Yes. The thing is that I had been to the same police station. They have found the culprit. And hence, you were not required there.’
Smruti couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Found the culprit? Who? Who is that person, Dev?’
‘I was shocked myself when I heard it for the first time but then that’s the truth. And it is more shocking when you don’t know the reason behind the happening.’
‘I am not getting you at all. What are you saying? Please be a bit frank and clearer, will you?’
‘Alright.’ He took a deep breath and said, ‘It is Pooja. Pooja had shot at Rajashri at Manali hotel that day.’
Smruti was in absolute shock. She couldn’t believe his words.
‘I know it is hard to believe. But she had confessed her crime in front of the senior police inspector. The reason, however, she gave in front of them is unbelievable. She said that she didn’t like Rajashri at all. And that’s why she had decided to kill her.’
‘That’s so strange. And not true at all. I mean she didn’t dislike Rajashri. There is some other reason…’ She suddenly paused. Dev might be unaware of what Rajashri saw in the hotel, she thought. She didn’t say anything further.
Dev looked at her. She was shocked. Her eyes were saying a hell lot of things. There was, also, a tinge of guilt in her eyes. Her face was sunken and tired. Somehow the beauty was fading away from her face.
He stood up and went near the window. The breeze was cool and the air filled the room. He looked at the mountains far away. There were birds coming in flocks and flying away. Their togetherness was so inspiring, he thought.
‘However, I know the truth. The truth behind this fiasco.’ He finally said.
She looked at him. Her eyes had become watery.
‘I know why Pooja had killed Rajashri. Do you know why?’
Smruti had no answer. The words benumbed her mind. She couldn’t speak to react or reply. But somehow, she said in a very weak voice, ‘Why?’
‘Because she loved Samrat. Yes, Pooja was in love with Samrat. It was a selfless love. She knew that he would never love her back. But still she kept loving him. She kept thinking about him. She could do anything for him. She knew that she will never get anything in return. But that didn’t stop her from loving him.’
Smruti kept looking at him as he spoke further.
‘She was the best girl I have seen. But she shouldn’t have killed Rajashri. She loved Samrat so much that the thought of Rajashri knowing about you and Samrat, together in a hotel room didn't go down well with her.’
That was it. Smruti now realized that her husband is aware of every single thing that has happened in the past few weeks. But he never made her feel that he knew it.
‘Pooja knew that Samrat loved you. And that he will never love any other woman, this way again. But that didn’t change her feelings towards him.’
‘That day, she was also present on the same floor. She had seen Rajashri screaming at Samrat, ‘how dare you do this? Do you have any shame left? I will tell everyone how disgusting and shameless you guys have become. Sleeping with a professor? Never thought that you would fall down to such an extent.’ She couldn’t bear the fact that now Rajashri was aware of everything and seen you both together in that hotel room.
‘She thought that if Rajashri tells it to anyone else, it will be the biggest shame for you and Samrat. So she thought, it would be better to kill her and close the chapter, once and for all.’
‘There was a revolver in a room beside the pillar where she was standing. I don’t know how she found it. Before Rajashri could protest further, she took the aim and hit at her. She ran away from there. Samrat couldn’t run behind her to find out who actually did this as Rajashri was shot at her head, near her brain.’
Tears were flowing out from her eyes as Smruti listened to her husband unraveling the entire incident which had happened in the Manali Hotel during QIT’ industrial visit and which had made a big talking in many newspapers and news channels for some days.
‘She shouldn’t have done it. I think her childish mind took over her love as she aimed at Rajashri. Her love for Samrat made her do it. It was a foolish act. She could have possibly explained it to Rajashri to keep the things hidden. But her love and fear of you both getting exposed made her do it.’
Smruti was just crying.
‘Please stop crying. And say something.’
‘Who told you all this?’ She asked.
‘Pooja, herself. Before arresting her, there was some time given to her to meet her people. That time she came and spoke to me. There was not a single tear in her eyes. Not even a feeling of guilt on her face. She told me everything because she thought that I should be aware of it.’
Smruti kept looking at him. He said, further, ‘No one knows about it except me. And of course, now you. Her reason for killing Rajashri is very foolish in court of law but she has no regrets. She doesn’t want Samrat to get into any trouble. He is a God for her. She doesn’t want people or anyone to know about your and Samrat’s relationship. I believe that’s true love. A pure selfless love.’
Smruti started crying like a baby and fell at his feet. ‘I am sorry, Dev. I am very sorry.’ She kept saying.
He held her at her shoulders and made her stand up. He wiped her tears. There was silence between both of them for some time. It was a very difficult moment for Dev. His own wife had betrayed him. Knowing about the extra-marital relationship she had with her own student who was younger than her by about ten years was a disastrous feeling for him.
‘It was a suicidal moment for me when Pooja told me everything and left.’ He paused for a while and continued further, ‘But then I thought a lot over it. You had never been dishonest towards me. You have fulfilled all the responsibilities of a wife and a mother, more than I could expect. You have also loved me the way I wanted you to love me.’
‘Having an other man in a woman’s life is something which is not very strange. But Smruti, I know you still love me.’
She kept crying as he said. His words were healing her.
‘I know you love me. I don’t know what you think about Samrat. Whether it was just a physical intimacy or even much more emotional bond from your side is something which I don’t know. Perhaps, I don’t want to know.’
‘The only thing which I know is that I love you, Smruti. I love you a lot. And I don’t want to lose you.’ It was the first time in her life when she saw tears in his eyes.
‘Yes, Smruti. I love you a lot. And the most important thing is that we have a lovely child. At least, for her and keeping her in mind, we need to sort these things out. I don’t want any of this thing to affect my child.’
‘Slap me, Dev. Please slap me hard.’ She said as she held his hands. But he didn’t do it. Rather he folded his hands and said, ‘I have never hit at a woman and will never do so. Only a weakest man can do it. I just want to request you to come back to my life, or should I say, our life. The doors are open for you. I will forget everything that has happened. But you will have to promise me that even you will erase this chapter from your life. It’s a request, Smruti. I need you. Come back. At least, for Rhea.’
He began to leave from that room. But before leaving, he said, ‘If you feel that you don’t want to come back then you are free to leave our life. I will not have any problem if you want to go ahead with Samrat. It will be your decision.’
He left the house to go and play with Rhea in the garden downstairs. The void after he left was killing Smruti. She stood still and emotionless.
She thought about Samrat. Was it really the love for him that brought her close to him? Or mere lust? She had no answer. But she knew what to do now.
She went near the window and saw Rhea playing happily with her father and Daaiji. She kept looking at her. Seeing her daughter smile brought a smile on her face.
Sometimes, there’s no just no way to hold back the river.
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