Sameer is still standing on doorstep...

Sameer- aap kaun?

Sadhna is there... Looking at him with concern...

Sadhna- beta mera nam sadhna hai... Mai yahi pass me rehti hu... Naina roz aati hai mujhe milne. Aaj tumhara janmadin hai to naina ne mujhe bulaya tha... Khane pe..

Sameer- ander aaiye...!

He closed the door Behind.

Sadhna- beta naina kaha hai...

Sameer- wo...!

Sadhna- kya hua beta tum bhut pareshan kag rahe ho...?

Sameer broke down, he sits on sofa with thud and tears Start rolling down from his eyes. Sadhna sits beside him.

Sadhna- kya hua beta..?

Sameer narrates everything to her. She heard him calmly.

Sadhna- akhir wohi hua jiska dar tha...!

Sameer- Matlab...

Sadhna- kai sal pehle yaha ek ladki ne apni shadi wale rat aatmhatya kar li thi aur tabhi se log kehte hai ki uski ruh yaha rehti hai.

Sameer- aap please meri madad kijiye...! Mai apni naina ko bachane k liye kuch bhi karne ko taiyar hu.

Sadhna- beta hume uski aatma ko mukti dilani hogi...

Sameer- wo kaise...

Sadhna- pehle tum jake naina ko bulao...

Sameer runs upstairs knocked on door.

Sameer- naina... Please bahar aao..

Spirit- nahiii... Mai... Mai bahar nahi aaungi.... Tum jao yaha se...

Sameer- please bahar aao...!

Spirit- tum jao yaha se verna mai... Mai is naina sar pe zor se vase marungi...

Sameer- nahi... Please... Tum aisa Kuch mat karna... Mai jata hu...

He comes downstairs with sadden face.

Sadhna- kya hua beta..?

Sameer- wo nhi aayi... Keh rahi hai agar mai waha se nahi gya to naina k sar pe vase maregi...

Sadhna- mai dekhti hu...

Sadhna moves towards the room...

She knocked the door...

Sadhna- beta bahar aaja...!

Spirit-MAA..!

Sadhna- haan Esha beta mai hu... Bahar aaja...

Esha- nahi mai nahi aaungi ..! Aap... Aap mujhe dhokha doge fir se.

Sadhana- nhi beta mai to teri maa hu na... Maine to tujhe pehle bhi dhokha nhi diya tha. Tu janti hai na... Tujhe shadi karni hai na... To bahar aa... Mai karwaungi teri shadi. Bahar aaja meri beti...!

She opens the door on seeing Naina's condition she cursed her daughter for torturing an innocent soul.

Sadhna- tu aisi halat me shadi karegi... Jaa achhe se taiyar ho ja... Jisse tera hone wala pati tujhe dekh k khush ho jaye.

Esha- haan ye to maine socha hi nahi...! Mai na jaldi se taiyar hoke aati hu. Aap... Aap tab tak shadi ki taiyari kar lo...

Saying so she again locked herself for getting ready...

Sadhana comes downstairs, sameer is pacing here and there, tension line visible on his forehead.

Sameer- kya hua wo aarahi hai ya nahi?

Sadhna- haan... Aa rahi hai...! Par tumhe usse shadi karni hogi...!.

Sameer- ye aap kya bol rahi hai... Aapko pata to hoga na mai naina se kitna pyar karta hu... Naina ne itna to bataya hoga.

Sadhna- sab pata hai mujhe beta... Aur tumhari naina ko bachane k liye zruri hai. Abhi tumne hi kaha na ki tum uske liye kuch bhi karne ko taiyar ho.

Sameer- thik hai bataeye kya karna hai mujhe.. 

Sadhna- mukti dilana hai... Esha ko... Uska nam esha hai...

Sameer- mukti... Par kaise?

Sadhna- esha... Ke aatmhatya karne k baad badnami se bachne k liye uske pita aur bhai ne milke use yahi... Isi ghar k garden me dafna diya tha.... Wo... Wo jo neem ka bada ped dekh rahe ho na... Waha... Uske niche...!

Sameer- aur aapko itna sab kaise pata..? Kya mai ye jaan sakta hu?

Sadhna- kyuki Esha meri beti thi. Mere pati ki vajah se meri bachhi ne apni jaan leli...! Ab mujhe use mukti dilani hai..Hume uski ashthiyon ko jalana hoga jisse use yaha se mukti mil jaye.

Sameer gets shocked after finding that esha is her daughter. But he composed himself.

Sameer- to hum use aise bhi jala sakte hai uske liye shadi ki kya zrurat hai...

Sadhana- usne naina k sharir pe kabja kiya wo tumhe pana chahti hai... Iska matlab hai uska kuch khas tumse juda hai... Beta achhe se yad kar k batao jab tum log yaha aaye to yaha furniture k alawa koi aisi chiz thi jo tumhe ajeeb lagi... Dhayan se soch ke batao...

Sameer thinks for a while...

Sameer- haan... Yaad aaya...! Jab hum yaha aaye the to hume bedroom me ek antique lakdi ka sindoor box mila tha. Jo naina ko bhut pasand aaya tha..

Sadhna-kya kiya us sindoor ki dibbi ka?

Sameer- usme pehle se hi sindoor tha to naina ne wo sindoor nikal k usme apna sindoor dal diya... Aur wo roz usi me se lagati thi...

Sadhna- isse to wo naina se judi tujhse kaise judi... Matlab tujhe hasil karne ki zid kaise thani usne. Sameer tumhe kahi chot lagi thi jab se tum yaha aaye ho...?

Sameer- chot....! Nahi toh...! Haan..! Yaad aaya..! Ek din jab mai wohi sindoor box khol raha tha to meri ungali kat gyi thi...

Sadhna- thik hai... Tum mere sath chalo humare pass waqt bhut kam hai... Isse pehle wo taiyar hoke aaye hume apna kam pura karna hai.

Sameer and sadhna comes out of house. They moves towards the neem tree. Sadhna said him dig the soil so they can find Esha's bones. Sameer do so, luckily he finds it after digging some time.

Sameer- ye to... Ye to sach me...!

Sadhana- beta sukhi pattiyan aur ladkiya le aao... Aur wo badminton khelne k liye net laga hai na wo le aao.

Sameer comes with things within few minutes, sadhana also collected some dry leaf and wood stick they cover that with net and then scattered all dry leaf on it. The care fully placed some thick wooden log for imitation of havan.

Doing that they comes inside. Here Esha comes downstairs...

Esha- maa...! dekho mai taiyar ho gyi... mandap kaha hai? Maa apne koi taiyari nahi ki..?

Sadhna- ki hai na par bahar... Garden me..

Esha- wha kyu?

Sadhna- beta ghar k ander aag jalane pe ghar ganda hoga aur fir tujhe hi saf karna hoga na..

Esha- ohh... Haan... Mai kitni pagal hu na... Chalo bahar..

Sadhna- beta teri sindoor ki dibbi kaha hai?

Esha- wo to upar hai!

Sadhna- to kya bina sindoor k shadi karegi..? Jaa leke aa..!

In no time she comes with that box..

They comes outside, sameer is silently looking at Ghost daughter and human mother. They are now sitting front of havan. Sadhna gives matchbox to sameer to lit the fire. He do so.

Esha- aag jal gyi chalo phere lete hai...

Sadhna- nahi.... Matlab... Abhi nahi pehle apne sukhi vaivahik jivan ki prarthana karo.

Esha sitting with joining hands. But at next moment she holda sameer's hand and make him stand on his feet.

Esha- bas bhut hogya.. chalo phere lete hai...

She forcefully takes one round around the fire. Sameer looks at Sadhana with hope.

Sadhna- ruk jaa beta... Humare yaha aise shadi nahi hoti...

Esha-matlab..n?

Sadhna- matlab pehle tera hone wala pati teri mang me sindur bharega fir tum dono fere loge. Laa.. wo sindoor ki dibbi de...

Esha didn't gives sindoor box to her. She opens it herself and forwarded ot towards sameer.

Esha- ye lo lagao mujhe sindoor,..

Sadhna- arey... Aise nahi beta... Tu pehle wo dibbi sameer k hath me de fir wo lagayega..

She give it to him with hesitation. Taking it in his hand Sadhna gestures sameer to pull the net out.

And next second he pulls the net with power of light which make wood logg fell on the bones of Esha.

Here Esha... Looks at them in horror and next moment her horror expression turns in anger.

Esha- tum logo ne mujhe dhoka diya....! Maa....! Apne fir se apni beti ko dhokha diya...! Par mai ab kisi ko nahi chhodungi...

She takes steps towards sameer and when she is about to hold his neck he throw that sindoor box in fire. Which starts burning next moment.

Now Esha gone weak...

She stumbled back...

Cried aloud as she can....

Here her bones and box is about to turn into ashes. As it turns she left naina's body and naina fall on ground with thudd....

Sameer runs to her and take her head in his lap...

Sameer- naina please aankhe kholo...!

Sadhna- sameer beta ise ander le chal...

He scooped her in his arms and take her directly in their room.

Her face gone pale cuts and wounds are covered with blood. He cleaned it and make her lay properly... While sadhna is adoring them. Covering her properly with duvet he walks towards Sadhana.

Sameer- aapka bhut shukriya dadi aaj aapki vajh se meri Naina ki kaan bachi hai... Agar aap waqt pe nahi aati na to pata nahi mai akela kya karta...

Sadhna- nahi beta isme shukriya jaisa kuch nahi hai...! Mera bhi to swart tha.. mujhe bhi to apni beti ko mukti dilani thi...

Sameer- aapse ek baat puchhu... Aapki beti ne suicide kyu kiya tha..?

Sadhna- wo kisi ladke se pyar karti thi... Jo humare cast ka nhi tha... Ghar me jab uske shadi ki baat chalne lagi to Esha ne bina kuch soche samjhe us ladke k sath bhag k shadi kar li. Jab ye baat uske papa aur bhai ko pata chali to wo bhut naraz hue...! Aur unhone us ladke ko mar dala...! Uske baad Esha ki shadi jabardasti apne pasandida ladke se karane jaa rahe the... Esha bhut royi... Gidgidai par wo nhi mane...! Aakhir me meri bachhi ne dulhan k jode me hi khud ki jaan dedi.. kalai ki nas kat ke...! Jab uske papa aur bhai ko ye pata chala to unhone turant uske sharir ko isi ghar k garden ne dafan kar diya... Esha ke jane k baad mai bimar Rehti thi .. ek din achanak mere bete ne chhat se kud k apni jaan dedi, aur mere pati ki accident me maut hogyi. Ab mai akeli is ghar me kya karti isiliye maine ye ghar bech diya aur pass hi ke ek chhote se ghar me shift ho gyi...

Sameer looks at her without blinking his eyes.

Sameer- Esha k sath jo hua wo bhut galat hua...

Sadhna- haan... Par ab tum naina ka dhayan rakho...! Mai chalti hu... Humesha khush rehna...

She left from there. Now samaina are alone. In mid night sameer found naina is burning in high fever. He kept cold water soaked napkins on her forehead...

In morning....

She finally opens her eyes and calls him weakly. Sameer who is sleeping resting his head on back rest wake up with jerk.

Sameer- naina tum thik ho?

Naina- haan par mujhe hua kya...? Aur... Aur ye itni sari chot kaise lagi mujhe...? Sameer batao...?

Sameer narrates whole incident to her. Which makes her hell shocked.

Sameer- aaj dadiji ki hi vajah se tum sahi salamat mere pass ho... Aur aaj hi hum ye ghar chhod k vapas apne ghar jaa rahe hai.

Naina- sameer mujhe pehle unhe Thank you kehna hai.. please leke chalo na..

Sameer- thik hai... Chalo..!

They left to meet sadhna.

Reaching there they found her house is too old...

Thick layer of dust covered whole house.

Spider's web and birds nest are visible.

Sameer- yaha rehti hai dadiji...? Ye ghar to rehne layak to bilkul nahi hai..!

Naina-pata nhi sameer mai lagbhag roz yaha aati hu aisa mujhe kbhi nhi aisa laga...

Just then a man is passing through the road. He stopped when he found samaina.

Man- yaha kya dekh rahe ho aap log...?

Naina- bhaiya yaha sadhna nam ki ek aurat rehti hai na?

Man- rehti hai...! Rehti thi...! Behenji...! Bhaisahab...! Aap log wo jo bada wala ghar dekh rahe ho na wo woha rehti thi pehle. Par beti, pati aur bete k jane k baad yaha rehne lagi... Abhi ek sal hi hue the unhe yaha is ghar me aaye hue aur unka bhi dehant ho gya... Aur tab se ye ghar band pada hai...! Waise aap logo ko kaise pata unke bare me...?

After hearing the truth samaina are shocked. They are not able to ssy a word. Gathering a courage sameer says.

Sameer- wo kuch logo ke hume batay... Ab hum chalte hai...!

In the way to home...

Naina- sameer iska matlab dadiji bhi....

Sameer- haan naina...

Samaina entered in house...

They walks towards sofa but stopped.

They found bunch of same white roses on table.

The roses are fresh and bloomed more than ever.

Naina pick them, and she found a chit under it.

"Humesha khush raho.."

Written on that...

They smile....

Put the Roses in vase...

Samaina left the house...

Way to krishna kaustubhi......

~the end~

Cover credit;- Khamoshdil.. 😁

Some scene suggestion by Dream_girl024

So readers...

Tell me about the story? You like it or not...?

Any requests or suggestions..!