Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 28- Weekend Talks

CHAPTER 28

WEEKEND TALKS

Monami pushed open the door to Sid's room. She glanced around, sighing a little. It was empty.

She walked in, glancing around. She sighed again. Her gaze fell on a black bead bracelet, making her pause. She smiled a little, picking it up and running her fingers over it. She paused when she felt a light bump on the underside, turning it over. A chipped edge stared back at her.

'Yeh tune kya kiya?' A 8 year old Sid shrieked. 'Tune gira diya ise. Yeh mujhe Mummy ji ne diya tha.' He glared at her. 'Kyun kara tune yeh?'

A 6 year old Monami stared at him with wide eyes. Tears filled her eyes up, overflowing in an instant. 'Sorry, Sid', she said. Her voice quivered with the sobs she was holding back. 'Galti se gir gaya.' She held her ears. 'Sorry.'

Sid scowled at her for a few, angry seconds before sighing at the cascade of tears that fell from her eyes. He turned the bracelet over, inspecting the damage. 'Koi baat nahi', he said. 'Thoda sa toota hai. Main abhi bhi pehen sakta hoon.' He wrapped it around his wrist. It was pretty big on him but he had found a way to make it stay on his thin wrist.

Monami sniffled. 'Sorry', she whined again.

He wiped her tears. 'Koi baat nahi, bacche. Rone ki koi zaroorat nahi hai.'

'Tu mujhse gussa hai?'

'Nahi. Aa jaa, cartoon dekhte hain. Aur rona band kar. Tears se ghar bharna hai kya, Moti Billi?'

She wiped her tears. 'Mujhe Moti Billi mat bula', she whined, sniffling.

Monami stared at the chipped edge. She had seen it way too many times to not recognize it. It couldn't be a different bracelet. That chipped edge. She would recognize it anywhere.

'Iska matlab... yeh woh hi waala bracelet hai?' She thought, blinking. 'Yeh kaise ho sakta hai?'

'Itne bhi bura nahi hain. I feel like there's more to him that he shows. He's not that bad.'

'Kuchh bhi toh nahi. Mujhe bas feeling aa rahi hai.'

'Shapat toh ho gayi. Ab waqt hai ispar final seal lagaane ki. Aapki saari cheezen ko iss aag ke bhaint chadna hoga.'

She sat down on Sid's bed. "Uss din... phir yeh..." She shook her head. "Monu, yeh jagah trained commandos se bhari hui hai. Ek box nahi badal sakte kya yeh log?"

'Arey, bol toh raha hoon, waisa hi banwaa liya. Bharosa nahi kya tujhe mujhpar?'

"Par Sid ne mujhse jhooth bola?"

'Pehli, tum yeh baat secret rakhogi. Kisi ko yeh bhi nahi bataogi ki wahan par koi tha. Kuchh bhi bahaana bana dena. Siddharth ko bhi.'

"Karan Sir ne mujhe Sid se jhooth kehne ko kaha tha. Ho sakta hai Sid ko bhi yeh hi kaha ho?" She muttered to herself. She glanced at the bracelet again. "Sir ne Sid ko bracelet waapas kar diya? Isliye kyunki yeh Sid ki Mumma ka hai?"

'Agar late ho gayi agli class ke liye, toh yeh note dikhaa dena. Koi kuchh nahi kahega tumhe.'

'Agar... agar Abhi kuchh bhi kare, scratch that- koi bhi kuchh bhi kare jisse tum uncomfortable feel karti ho, toh tum mere paas aa sakti ho.'

'Photos ke liye de raha hoon, woh le sakte ho, par iss kamre ke bahar ke nahi. Aur kisi ko call mat karna.'

A small smile appeared on her face. She stared at the bracelet. "Karan Sir ne humaari cheezen jalaayi nahi. Aur Sid ko bhi bracelet waapas kar diya.'