“Doctor Saab… Kaisi hai humari bachchi??” MP asked… “She’s pulled through… We had lost her for few seconds… But don’t worry… She is stable now… Humne bullets nikal di hai… Kuch der mei ward mei shift kar denge…” the doctor said… “Shukr hai Allah ka…” Ammi said… Everybody heaved a sigh of relief and sent their ‘Thank You’s to God… “Hume samajh nahi aa raha apka kaise dhanyawad kare…” AS said… “Thank you toh hume aapka karna chahiye Sir…” the doctor said… AS looked at him quizzically… “I guess aapne unhe letaya nahi tha yaha laate hue… Jiski wajah se blood loss jyada nahi hua… Nahitoh unhe bachana impossible tha… Aapne aise situation mei bhi presence of mind use kiya… That’s very commendable…” the doctor said… “Dhanyawad doctor…”AS said and the doctor left… MP stood in front of AS with folded hands, “Thank you Anubhav ji…” “Kya kar rahe aap Sir… Humne aapse wada kiya tha… Aur woh wada hum hamesha nibhayenge… Lekin aaj toh aapki beti ne humari jaan bachai hai… Hum nahi jante hum kaise unka Ehsaan chuka payenge…” AS said holding MP’s folded hands… Ammi walked over to AS and caressed his head… AS simply hugged Ammi and was lost in her motherly warmth…
HM was shifted to the ward and everybody was waiting for her to gain consciousness… AS was looking at her… She looked weak but still beautiful… Her eyes fluttered and so did his heart… Suddenly she was restless, sweat drops forming on her forehead… “Anubhav Sir…” she screamed and opened her eyes with a jerk… She tried to get up but AS stopped her… “Hum yahi hai Haseena ji… Shant ho jaiye…” he said… “Aap thik… thik hai na… Woh… woh goli…” she stuttered with tears in her eyes… “Hum bilkul thik hai… Dekhiye… Aapne hume bacha liya tha… Hume kuch nahi hua…” he said with a smile… She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled back at him… “Hum yaha…” she said looking around… He wiped her tears, “Aapko yaad nahi…?? Aapko goli lagi thi…” “Haan… yaad aaya…” she said and looked at Ammi and smiled… “Kaisi hai humari jaan??” Ammi asked unable to hold back her tears anymore… “Bilkul aapki tarah strong Ammi…” HM replied… Ammi chuckled and wiped her tears… HM’s eyes fell on KS who was standing far away… “KS… Idhar aaiye…” she said… “Bhaiyya… bol dijiye inse… Hume inse koi baat nahi karni…” KS said… HM smile, she was happy as KS had forgiven her brother and mended their relation… “Aap hi keh dijiye KS… Lekin isse pehle ki aap dono behas karne lage… Hume kuch sawal puchne hai Haseena ji aapse…” AS said with a stern look…
“Ji Sir…” she said… “Aapko kaise pata chala ke humari jaan ko khatra hai??” “Humne humare network ko Choti Maa par nazar rakhne ko kaha tha… Unki harkatein suspicious thi… Hume itna samajh aa gaya tha ke woh aapko aur hume nuksaan jarur pohchayegi… Aaj jab woh jail se bhagi aur unhe koi pakad nahi paya toh humare network ne hume inform kar diya… Banquet Hall mei Chacha ji ne security tight rakhi thi toh Choti Maa ka waha ana impossible tha… Aap waha nahi the toh unke liye aapko target karna aasan tha…” HM replied… “Lekin aapne Genda pe nazar kyu rakhvai thi??” AS asked… “Kyunki unhone pehle bhi humpe attack kiya tha??” “Kya?? Lekin kab??” “Humari gadi mei jo bomb plant kiya gaya tha… woh Choti Maa ne hi karvaya tha…” HM said… “Lekin MS… Woh teen log tho faraar the… Aapko kaise pata chala ke woh Genda ke aadmi the?” KS asked… “Simple tha KS… Choti Maa saalon se Chacha ji ke yaha reh rahi thi… Toh zaahir si baat hai unke aadmi har jagah honge… Jab Zubair ne confirm kiya ke un teen logon mei se do Orphanage mei kaam karte the toh hume yakeen ho gaya ke woh Choti Maa ke hi aadmi hai…” she continued… “Humne un teeno ko dhundne ki jagah Choti Maa pe nazar rakhna shuru kiya… Kyunki woh teeno sirf mohre the… Asli chaal toh Choti Maa chalne wali thi… Bas hum unhe jail se bhagne se rok nahi paaye…” she said sadly… “Aapko dukhi honi ki avashyakta nahi hai Haseena ji… Aapne sahi disha mei vichar kiya aur usi karan aapko sahi information mili… Hume aap par garv hai…” AS said with a proud smile…
The doctor had advised HM to rest… AS had sent Ammi, Mansi and MP home and literally order the MPT members to return to their adobes… CC had arranged a change of shirt for AS… By the time AS had collected it and changed, HM had fallen asleep… He caressed her hair and wished her a good night… He laid down on the couch hoping to catch some sleep… But the moment of HM getting shot replayed in front of his eyes like a broken disc… He assured himself multiple times that she was safe, but the feeling of losing her was not letting him calm down… He turned onto his side and looked at her sleeping figure… Her presence assured him and soon sleep took over… When he woke up, the sun was already up… He looked at HM and found her sleeping… He freshened up and sat down on the chair by her bedside… He slowly held her hand in his and kept staring at her… After three painful days, his heart was finally at peace… He was hoping that she might have forgiven him after their yesterday’s conversation… He was waiting for her to wake up so that he could get his answers…
She stirred and slowly opened her eyes… He smiled at her and she smiled back… She looked around and found the room empty… “Humne sabhi ko ghar bhej diya tha…” he said answering her unasked question… “Ab kaisa mehsus kar rahi hai aap?? Dard ho raha hai??” he asked concerned… “Behtar mehsus kar rahe hai…” “Aapse ek sawal puche??” he asked… “Ji… puchiye…” “Aapko kaise pata chala hum kaha hai?? Humne toh kisiko nahi bataya tha…” She gulped… “Woh… woh humne… aapke phone ka GPS track kiya tha… Matlab jab hume Choti Maa ke involvement ka pata chala tabhi humne aapka phone track karna shuru kiya tha… I am sorry Sir…” she said sheepishly… He was dumbfounded… She was tracking him all this while but he had no idea about it… He felt blessed as there was someone out there who would go to any extent for his safety… “Koi baat nahi Haseena ji… Aapne jo kiya woh humari surakhsha ke liye zaruri tha…” he said with a smile… “Waise hum Kshama chahte hai… Humne aapki baat ko ansuna kiya aur kal wahi ruke rahe… Yadi aapki baat maan kar hum park se nikal jate toh aapko goli nahi lagti…” “Sir… aapki galti nahi hai… Please sorry mat boliye…” she said looking at him… He smiled causing her heart to flutter… She looked away to manage her emotions when she realised, he had been holding her hand since she was awake… She slowly pulled her hand out of his grip… He was hurt… She hadn’t forgiven him, he thought… Before he could ask her, Ammi and Mansi walked in… He wished them ‘Good Morning’ and left the room…
