JaBir OS - The Confrontation| Ek Brahm Sarvagun Sampann | EBSS | Zain Imam | Shrenu Parikh

JaBir OS - The Confrontation

"TELL ME WHERE MY MOTHER IS," She screamed, shoving Kabir backward against their bedroom wall. It was the morning after their wedding night and her head felt as if a thousand hammers were beating repeatedly against it. She couldn't remember what had happened. She had wanted to drug Kabir to sleep and then search for her mother. But somehow, she had fell asleep herself and had found herself wrapped in Kabir's arms. It was nauseating.

And now, as they stood in front of each other, Pooja felt the all too familiar helpless fury overcome her. She had done everything he had said. All the rituals. She had even married the man. And yet, here she was, still alone and motherless as ever. She should have known to not trust a Mittal. He had lied to her. Betrayed her. But she had had enough. 

"You absolute ASSHOLE." She cried. Her entire body was trembling with anger. Kabir calmly stood in front of her, and his tranquil demeanor only exacerbated her anger. "What have you DONE with her?! I want to see her!!!" She hadn't realized the drops of tears that had begun to form in her eyes. 

"My entire life Kabir Mittal," she continued shakily. "All I've wanted is a family." The tears rolled down her eyes, blurring her vision. "My father, my sister, me and Ma. That's all I wanted." She let out a sob. Flashing her eyes back toward his, she angrily wiped away the tears. I shouldn't be crying. She thought. I can't cry. Not in front of him. He doesn't deserve my tears. "First, your father killed my father." She spewed. "Burnt him ALIVE in a flaming house. And your respected family...your mom, dada ji and your chachi...THEY WATCHED, Kabir Mittal." She spat. At her revelation, Kabir flinched. But Pooja was in no mood to stop. "THEY BLOODY WATCHED IT HAPPEN. And they didn't care, Kabir. THEY. DIDN'T. CARE." 

She couldn't help but laugh. "It's unfortunate that my sister and I managed to escape. Or else your family would have happily watched that sight too." Kabir was quiet. But he wasn't meeting eyes with her. Bloody LOOK AT ME when I talk, Kabir Mittal. She stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "You call yourself an army man, Kabir?" She sneered. "You're a disgrace to every army man alive. You know why?" She inched forward so that her face was mere inches from his. "Because you're protecting a family of murderers right now," she whispered. "But why am I bothering to discuss any of this with you? Are you any better than your own father?!" She laughed. "You kidnapped my mother and blackmailed me into marrying you. Why? Because your male ego couldn't handle three slaps. This marriage? It hasn't been about you supposedly 'teaching' me the value of marriage." She clucked her tongue and shook her head, backing away. "No, Mr. Kabir Mittal. It was always about evening the scores. And you know what? You win." She shrugged. "You. Win. This is always what you wanted and you have it. You win." She turned away, blinking away the tears. She would not let him see her this way. 

"All my life," she murmured. "I have been fighting. I have been fighting to put food on mine and Rani's plates. I have been fighting every single day to make a living for myself. To support my family which has been reduced down to just me and Rani. Yes. I wanted revenge from the Mittals. I wanted to hurt them for hurting me." She faced him. "And you're accusing me of doing so when you're doing EXACTLY the same thing to me right now! If my revenge was uncalled for then so is YOURS Kabir Mittal. You can't teach me to be an ideal woman and forgo the hatred I feel for your family when you aren't an ideal man yourself whose only purpose behind marrying me is to exact revenge. It's hypocritical don't you think?" She smirked. "But talking to you is equivalent to talking to a wall. I don't know why I bother."

Saying so, she turned away and headed out the door. Kabir was silent. He didn't know what to think or say. Is that what you think of me, Pooja? He questioned. She thought he was taking revenge for the humiliation he had faced on stage. But he had long forgotten about that. This was more than just revenge. So much more. But Pooja's mind was still stuck in the same looping thought. She knew nothing beyond revenge. She couldn't understand the idea of someone actually desiring the best for her. Actually wishing for her happiness. And in every way, that is what Kabir wished. He would never show her that side, of course, because, in all honesty, Pooja wasn't emotionally ready to see that side of his. Friendship, trust and love (even platonic love) were beyond her understanding and she had proven it with her words. For Kabir, this was not revenge. This was simply acceptance. Accepting that the past could not be changed. Accepting that some wrongs could not be corrected. Pooja was so lost in her thirst for revenge that she didn't know or understand any other way of life. It'll eat you alive, Pooja. He thought to himself. It already WAS eating her alive. His father had done her wrong and he was simply trying to correct the mistakes. He wanted to permanently erase the anger and hatred from her mind and heart and this was the only way he knew how.

There was a saying that he had learnt during his younger days: the truth is, unless you forgive yourself...unless you forgive the situation...unless you realize the situation is over, you cannot move forward. And he was seeing this within Pooja. She was unable to move on. She was permanently stuck in her past. All this time, she had been avoiding his family. Avoiding to deal with the problem...simply running away from it - whether that be throwing the mangalsutra in Dhruv's face or bringing his family to the streets...she had never been happy at the end of the day. She had never found peace. And that was because, despite it all..despite having taken her revenge...she couldn't find it in herself to forgive the situation and move on. Did his family deserve to be forgiven? No. But did Pooja deserve to forgive them for her own mental and emotional sanity? Yes. He sighed, wondering if Pooja would ever understand his motives. 

Before he could contemplate any further however, his own mother walked into the room. From her reddened eyes, Kabir could see that Suman was furious. "I heard that woman yelling all the way down the hall," she said, disgustedly. "Did she say anything to hurt you? Cheap woman. Absolutely cheap. Downgraded and characterless woman. She's just-" 

Kabir raised his hand, interrupting her before she could speak any further. "Mom, first of all, let's clear up some facts. Her name is not 'that woman'. It's Pooja. Kabir. Mittal. And from next time, I expect you to take her name with more dignity and respect. Or else I'll forget why I've still allowed you to stay in this house."

Suman's mouth opened and shut in dumbfounded shock. "Kabir?" She asked slowly. He looked at her, unfazed. "You heard me. She's my wife and I won't hear anything disrespectful about her." He stepped past her towards the door. Just as he was leaving he hesitated and stated curtly: "Just because I don't say anything, doesn't mean I don't realize your past or what you've done. I respect you solely as my mother. As a mother you have done your duties with excellence and for that I will always love and respect you. But if you expect me to give you the same respect as a WOMAN...I'm sorry, I can't do that. Standing by and watching two girls brutally orphaned and yet supporting your husband is exactly the kind of weak-minded mentality that I can't and won't stand."

"Kabir!" She shrieked louder this time. "What has that woman..Pooja...what has she said to you?!"

He laughed. "Nothing that I haven't known for a long time now. I know you were afraid of my father. I know you were scared to speak up." He turned around to face her. "But being a silent observer to a crime, in my eyes, is the same as committing the crime itself. And though I will ensure that Pooja forgives you for her mental and emotional sanity, as a man, I won't be able to forgive you for that." Saying so, he turned and walked out of the room leaving a devastated and horrified Suman crippled on the bed.

It wasn't just Suman who had been affected by this conversation, however. Pooja, who had been listening at the door was stunned into silence. She didn't know what to think or believe. Her mind could barely gather the words that had just left Kabir's mouth. Had he meant them?! Could he really have stood up for her against his own mother?! She looked at Kabir's retreating figure. He had confronted his mother for her. Her mind whirled. This was not what she had seen coming. All her life she had found only enemies, waiting to hurt her at her every step. But Kabir...he had stood with her...silently but steadily. Before she could stop herself, a thought entered her mind: perhaps Kabir Mittal wasn't a reflection of his father after all. 

End