Purvi mustered some courage and silently walked inside her house without coming into anyone's attention. She directly went into her uncle's room and found him sitting on a chair. She went near him and knelt down.

"Chachaji...Mujhe maaf kar dijiye...Maine aapke maan-samman ko mitti mein mila diya...Jo galti maine aaj ki hai wo galti nahin jurm hai...Mujhe sazaa dijiye...Mujhe maar daaliye...Mujhe jeene ka koi haq nahin"...She said while crying bitterly after keeping her head on his hands.

She looked up at her uncle who was sitting quiet till the whole time.

"Chachaji...Mujhe daantiye...Mujhe maariye...Magar aise chup mat rahiye"...She said while holding his hands.

Her uncle didn't utter a word.

"Chachaji boliye...Kuchh to boliye chachaji"...She said while holding him from his arms.

Her eyes went wide, her mouth gaped open and her breathe stopped when she realised that her uncle was dead.

"Chachaji..."...She yelled at the top of her voice with tears.

Within seconds she ran outside her house while crying bitterly. She was panting and sweating very badly but she didn't stop running. While running, she reached the railway station which was a little far from her house. She stopped there and sat on a bench. She closed her eyes and shed her tears which were the consequences of her guilt.

"Agar main sahi hoon to tum hi Prof. Shantanu Sahay ki bhatiji Purvi Sahay ho na...Tumhari baarat laut gayi thi"...A drunkard man said while staring at her from head to toe.

Purvi opened her eyes and looked at him in shock.

"Hum le chalein kahin?"...The man asked with an evil smile.

Purvi became afraid of him. She stood up from the bench and walked away from him. While walking, she reached the waiting room. She hurriedly went inside and closed the door behind her. Suddenly her gaze fell on a two years old baby boy. She smiled lightly and went near him.

"Purvi..."...A lady called out in surprise as her gaze fell on her.

Purvi turned towards the source of her voice and became surprised after seeing her.

"Preeti..."...She mumbled in surprise, and unintentionally a smile appeared on her face.

Preeti moved close to her and hugged her while smiling. Purvi hugged her back.

"Kitne dinon baad dekha tumhe"...Preeti said while smiling in happiness before pulling away from the hug.

Purvi: Haan...Waise tum kahan jaa rahi ho...Aur tumhare pati...

She stopped in the middle of her sentence when she noticed that she had wore a plain white saree.

"Preeti...Aisa...Aisa nahin ho sakta"...She mumbled with tears in a teary voice.

Preeti: Ye sach hai Purvi...Aaj se teen mahine pehle ek car accident mein Kartik ki...

She stopped and started sobbing. Purvi wiped her tears and hugged her.

"Achchha abhi tum kahan jaa rahi ho?"...She asked after a while before separating from her.

"Mumbai...Wahan mera sasural hai...Pehli baar jaa rahi hoon"...Preeti replied while looking at her.

"Sasural...Pehli baar jaa rahi ho?"...Purvi asked in surprise and confusion.

"Haan Purvi...Kartik ne apne papa ki marzi ke khilaf mujhse shaadi ki thi"...Preeti replied while looking down.

Then, she looked up at her son.

"Main to ab bhi nahin jaati...Bas Aarush ke liye jaa rahi hoon"...She said and smiled a bit.

Aarush smiled fondly while looking at her.

"Are haan Purvi tumne to mujhe apne baare mein kuchh bataya hi nahin"...Preeti said while looking at Purvi.

Purvi lowered her gaze and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Suna tha tumhari shaadi honewali thi"...Preeti said while lifting her face up towards her.

"Honewali thi...Lekin hui nahin"...Purvi said with tears.

"Kyun?..."...Preeti asked in confusion.

"Lambi kahani hai Preeti...Kya kya bataun"...Purvi replied in a teary voice, her voice choked in her throat.

"Achchha ye batao...Tum kahan jaa rahi ho?"...Preeti asked while caressing her hairs.

"Preeti main wo besahara musafir hoon jiska koi thikana nahin raha"...Purvi replied in a teary voice.

"Nahin nahin Purvi tum besahara nahin ho...Main tumhe besahara nahin chhodungi, tum mere saath Mumbai chalo...Hmmm"...Preeti said with a smile.

"Nahin Preeti...Tumhare sasural wale kya kahenge"...Purvi said while looking down.

"Kuchh nahin...Main unse keh doongi ki tum meri behan ho"...Preeti said while smiling.

Purvi looked up at her.

"Hamara aur koi apna to hai nahin, isliye main tumhe apne saath le aayi hoon"...Preeti added further while caressing her head.

"Aur agar unhe is jhooth ka pata chal gaya to?"...Purvi asked anxiously.

"Ye jhooth nahin hai Purvi...Tum meri bachpan ki dost ho, aur kyunki un logon ne mujhe kabhi nahin dekha isliye wo log mere liye ajnabee hain aur main unke liye anjaan...Tum wahan mere saath rahogi to mujhe apnapan mehsoos hoga"...Preeti said with a smile.

Purvi agreed to go with her. After sometime, they both went outside the waiting room as their train had arrived. Soon they boarded inside the train and settled down on their respective seats.

"Purvi...Kya soch rahi ho?"...Preeti asked when she saw Purvi looking outside the window while thinking over something.

Purvi looked at her before wiping away her tears.

"Yahi soch rahi thi...Agar tum nahin hoti, to na jaane mera kya hota"...She replied in a low voice.

"Offo Purvi...Chhodo in sab baaton ko...Tum mere saath aao, main tumhe kuchh dikhati hoon"...Preeti said with a smile before taking her to her seat.

Purvi saw her taking out some photographs from her purse. Preeti gave the photographs to her and she saw each of them.

"Kitni achchhi jodi thi tumhari aur tumhare pati ki...Tumhare pati kitne sundar the"...Purvi said with a genuine smile.

"Ab to unki yaadein hi mere jeene ka sahara ban gayi hain"...Preeti replied with tears.

Purvi wiped her tears.

"Jab bhi unki ye cheezein mere paas rehti hain to aisa lagta hai jaise wo ab bhi mere paas hain"...Preeti said with a small smile.

Purvi smiled a bit too.

"Achchha ye rahi mere sasurji ki chitthi"...Preeti said while giving her a letter.

Purvi took the letter and opened it.

Bahu,

Bhagwan ne Kartik ko hamesha ke liye humse isiliye chheen liya taki humein apni bhool ka ehsaas ho, humein iski sazaa mil jaaye...Lekin ab to itna hi kehna hai ki tumhari god mein hamare ghar ka waaris hai, agar ho sake to apne saas-sasur ko maaf kar do aur bachche ko lekar ghar aa jao, hamara ghar hamesha tumhara intezaar karega.

Dipankar Saxena.

"Aisa lagta hai, bahut hi dukhi mann se likha hai...Tumne wahan jaane ka faisla karke bahut achchha kiya"...She said after keeping her hand on her shoulder.

Preeti nodded and smiled a bit. Suddenly their train collided with another train, and there was a deafening sound. Purvi, Preeti and the other passengers closed their ears with their hands on hearing the dreadful noise. Soon, it was discovered with great shock and dismay that the two trains had fully collided and their train had derailed. The scene at the accident spot was very tragic and pathetic. The engine of their train, after ramming into the other engine, forged deep into its compartments. Both the trains were badly damaged. The passengers of trains were in a state of shock. Some died because of the serious injuries while some passengers were sandwiched between the windows of the trains. Loud and piercing cries of men, women and children could be heard. Some had lost their limbs while others were bleeding profusely. It was a scene that would have shaken the most stoic person. The luggage lay broken and scattered. The belongings of the passengers were lying strewn around the site of the accident.