He was finally at peace… His heart had fought a long battle and had finally won… It was healing now… Only thing remaining was his guilt for hurting her… He will apologise to her… but right now he had to rush to the headquarters for a meeting… Before leaving he gave his Maa a tight hug… Thanked her for her advice…
By the time he was done with all his work it was nearing midnight… He hadn’t been able to concentrate for last few days and the files had ended up forming a heap on his table… He decided to go visit HM… When he reached the hospital, he saw her already asleep… She was alone… he guessed she might have forcefully sent away everyone… He went and sat beside her and held her hand in his… “Aap… aap se maafi manga chahte hai… aaj tak jo kuch bhi humne kaha ya kiya un sab ke liye…” He was speaking to her sleeping figure… “Hum yeh wada toh nahi kar sakte ke humse dobara koi galti nahi hogi… akhir hum bhi insaan hai… lekin agar kabhi aapko humari kisi bhi baat ka bura lage toh hume bejijhak daant lagaiye… adhik krodh aaye toh joro ki maar bhi lagayiye… haan magar sabke samne nahi… akhir DSP hai… sabke samne acha nahi lagega…” he said sheepishly… “Lekin jo aaj aapne kiya na bas woh mat kariyega… Hum aapko kho nahi sakte…” with that he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
HM was awake all along… She was forced to rest the entire day and now sleep had evaded her… She was lying with her eyes closed when he walked in… She was listening to his monologue, pretending to be asleep and trying not to smile… His last statement made her heart to flutter… the feel of his lips caused goosebumps to appear… He sat there holding her hand while she slowly drifted off to sleep… Early morning, he decided to leave… he did not want to be a part of any awkward moment… He slowly placed her hand down and left… She woke up due to the lack of warmth she was feeling because of his presence… She saw him leaving and smiled… She was going to cherish all these small moments…
In the afternoon, KS and AS drove into the hospital’s parking lot at the same time. “Behna, aap yaha??” “Yeh sawal toh humko aapse puchna chahiye na Sir?” KS asked… “Hum toh…” “Aaj MS ko discharge milne wala hai… Socha unhe ghar chod dete hai… isiliye aa gaye…” KS said cutting in between… “Hum chod dete hai… aap kyu kasht le rahi hai” AS offered… “Aap kyu chodenge…? Waise bhi MS aapke saath nahi aayengi…” “Kyu nahi aayengi…?? Zarur aayengi…” AS said confidently which was by the way only on the exterior… “Hum keh rahe hai na nahi aayengi…” KS challenged him… “Dekhte hai…” “Thik hai… dekh lete hai…” After giving each other a look filled with attitude both went inside.
HM was laughing to her wits end… to the extent that she had tears in her eyes… Both the siblings were happy to see that, but were surprised to see an unknown man sitting by her bedside… Between her laughs, HM saw them and tried to stop… “Are KS, DSP sir… aaiye na… Jai Hind Sir” “Jai Hind Haseena ji…” AS replied with a smile… “Jai Hind MS… Ab kaisi tabiyat hai aapki??” KS asked. “Jai Hind KS… Hum kafi behtar mehsus kar rahe hai…” KS smiled… “Chaliye acha hai… Jaldi se thana wapas aa jaiye… humara hazma thoda bighad gaya hai… aapse ladhe nahi hai na kafi dino se…” HM chuckled listening to KS’s words… “Ohh… hum toh bhul hi gaye… Inse miliye… Yeh hai Zubair… Humare ache dost… aur Zubair ye hai MPT ki SI KS… aur ye hai Lucknow ke DSP AS…” Zubair stood up and shook hands with both of them… “Nice to meet you…” He said… “Lagta hai aap dono kafi pehle se jante hai ek dusre ko…” KS asked… HM and Z shared an amused look… “Nahi KS… hum bas do din pehle mile the…” HM replied… “Magar hum Haseena ko kafi pehle se jante hai…” AS was shocked to the extent that his eyes would have fallen out of their socket… Did he just address her informally…?? Had they grown that close… that too in a span of two days?? Was he jealous?? “Waise shreeman aap karte kya hai??” AS asked… “Sir yeh Chacha ji ke orphanage ke Manager hai… Hum wahi mile the inse…” HM replied and smiled at Z.
“Hum formalities puri karke aate hai…” AS said all of a sudden… He couldn’t stand HM and Z’s closeness… “Sir, humne sabhi formalities kar li hai…” Z said… “Thik hai… toh chaliye Haseena ji hum aapko ghar chod dete hai…” AS said… “Are nahi sir… aap kyu takleef kar rahe hai… Hume waise bhi Ammi ne milne bulaya hai… Hum chod dete hai Haseena ko…” Z replied… “Haan sir… Hum chale jayenge Zubair ke saath…” HM seconded… KS was having a hard time controlling her laughter… She packed up HM’s bag and helped her stand… All four of them left the room and reached the parking area… AS tried to help HM sit in the car but Z had beaten him to it… “Chalte hai KS… Bye Sir…” HM said and with that Z drove away… KS and AS were looking at the leaving car… “Lagta hai aapka patta kat gaya Siirrr…” KS said teasingly… “Lag toh hume bhi aisa hi kuch raha hai…” AS said with a sad tone…
Though KS was enjoying AS’s plight… she secretly wished Z to be just HM’s friend and nothing more… After all she knew her brother loved HM and she wouldn’t get a better sister-in-law…
