“Aap itni jaldi yaha kaise pohch gayi?? Aur ek second, aapne hume dhakka kyu maara??” AS asked and tried to stand up… HM pushed him again and sat on his lap… “Yeh kya kar rahi hai aap??” he asked bewildered… “Shhh…” she silenced him placing her finger on his lips… She then weaved her arms around his neck and said, “Kitna bolte hai aap?? Pehle sawal ka jawab toh dene dijiye…” He looked at her confused but then it hit him… “Yeh sab aapne kiye??” he asked… “Humne abhi kaha kuch kiya hai…” she said and leaned in to kiss him… He placed his finger on her lips and stopped her… “Mmhmm…” she whined… “Pehle humare sawal ka jawab dijiye…” he said… “Kaisa sawal??” she asked acting innocent… He gave her a no-nonsense look; asking as if she was really going to play the game… “Haan… Humne hi aapko call karke yaha bulaya tha…” she replied defeated… “Uthiye…” he said removing her arms from around his neck… “Bilkul nahi…” she said and put her arms back around his neck… He picked her simultaneously standing up, then he turned and put her down on the bed… She did not let go, so he ducked out of the loop her arms made around his neck… Without another word he turned and started walking out of the room… “Humari baat toh sun lijiye ek baar…” she requested getting on her knees on the bed… But he did not stop… “Agar aap is kamre se baher gaye na toh…” she could not think of anything more… He stopped and turned, “Gaye toh?? Kya karengi aap?? Aap hume dhamka rahi hai??” he asked… “Dhamka nahi rahe… Lekin…” “Lekin kya haan??” “Bas bata rahe hai ke hum kya karenge…” “Kijiye jo karna hai…” he said and began leaving again… “Hum… Hum Maa ko aapki complain kar denge…” she said… “Kar dijiye…” he replied without stopping… She frowned but did not give up… “Agar aap gaye toh… toh…” she thought hard… “Haan… sochiye…” he joked and kept walking… “Toh… a… toh aap humari shakal dobara kabhi nahi dekhenge…” she said hurriedly… He stopped dead in his track…
He could not believe his ears… Did she really say that?? Last time she had uttered the same words, he had almost lost her… A fear crept in his heart… Visuals of her car blowing off into pieces danced before his eyes… He could not move… She smiled victoriously as he did not leave the room unaware of all the turmoil that he was going through… She slowly walked towards him… “Ab nahi jana aapko??” she joked… When he did not reply she went and stood in front of him… He was staring at a distant spot behind her, sweat beads all over his forehead… “Kaju…” she called out again… But he did not respond… She placed her hand on his arm; he looked at her… She could see fear in his eyes… She had seen every emotion in those enchanting eyes, but fear was never a part of those emotions… “Aap thik hai??” she asked… He jerked her hand off his arm… “Aapko kya farak padta hai??” he said without any emotion in his voice… “Kaisi baatein kar rahe hai Kaju?? Hume farak padta hai…” she said fighting her tears… “Agar aapko sach mei farak padta toh aap hume yu chodke jaane ki baat nahi karti…” he retorted angrily… “Aap galat samajh rahe hai… Humara woh matlab nahi tha…” she tried to reason…
“Toh kya matlab tha?? Boliye… Mazak tha?? Mazak hai aapke liye yeh baat??” he hissed… “Kaju… Shanti se humari baat suniye… Humne bas aapko rokne ke liye yeh baat kahi…” she said… “Aapne bas keh diya… bina soche samjhe… hai na??” he asked sarcastically taking a step behind… “Aapke liye yeh bas kuch shabdh hai lekin humare liye aap inka arth nahi janti…” he said running his finger though his hair… “Aapne nahi dekha hai hume apne andar khatarnaak, jaanlewa vishanu ko inject karte hue… Aapne nahi kiya hai mehsoos us bhay ko jab woh antidote mil nahi raha tha…” he said reminding her of Mission Jeet… He took in a sharp breath and continued… “Dekha hai aapne, apni aankhon ke samne humari jeep mei visphot hote hue?? Kya aapke kaano mei kabhi yahi shabdh gunje hai?? Kabhi aapka hridya dhadakna band hua hai??” he asked… She stood stunned as he continued… “Kabhi dekha hai aapne hume goliyan lagte hue?? Nahi na?? Khoon se latpat aapki baahon mei kabhi humne apne hosh khoye hai??” Tears made their way out of her eyes… “Kitni baar hum aapko khonewale the… kitni baar hum zindagi se… kismat se harne wale the… Lekin aapke liye hum ladhte rahe… Aur aaj aapne badi aasani se keh diya ke hum aapki shakal nahi dekh payenge dobara…” he said as he choked on the last few words… She could no longer hold herself… She ran and hugged him tightly… He did not move, nor did he hug her back…
He felt a patch on his shirt getting wet… “Hume maaf kar dijiye please… Hum nahi jante the humari masti aapko itni takleef pohchayegi… I am sorry… I am really very sorry…” she said between her sobs… He still did not move… She broke the hug and looked into his eyes… “Aapne sahi kaha… Hum nahi samajh sakte jo aap ke upar beeti hai… Samajhna toh dur hum imagine bhi nahi kar sakte aapke bare mei koi anhoni… Aur aapko chodkar jaane ke baare mei bhi hum kabhi soch nahi sakte…” she said as tears kept flowing down her face… “Hum aapko manana chahte the… lekin… lekin aapko aur chot pohcha di… Hum tauba karte hai… dobara aise lafz aapne zubaan pe kabhi nahi laayenge… Kabhi nahi… I am Sorry…” she said folding her hands… He could no longer see her tears and pulled her into a hug… “Bas kijiye… Bilkul chup ho jaiye… Aur nahi royengi aap…” he said to her caressing her hair… Few minutes later, when he was sure she had calmed down he broke the hug and made her sit on the bed… He gave her a glass of water and sat beside her… She kept her head hung low and was not looking at him… “Yaha dekhiye…” he said… She only shook her head in a ‘no’. He held her chin and lifted her face, looking into her eyes… He could still see the guilt in them… He felt bad for bursting out on her… Those words had trigger something inside him and caused him to lose his composure… “Kshama kijiye hum aapke upar aise krodhit hue… Woh shabdh sunkar hum aapna aapaa kho baithe…” he said… “Aap bilkul maafi nahi mangenge… Itna kuch aapne apne andar chupa kar rakha hai… kabhi na kabhi toh baher aayega hi na… Aur aap humse aapni pareshaani aur dard share nahi kar payenge, toh hum kis kaam ke… Galti humari hai… I am sorry…” she said… He took a deep breath and, “Jo hua use bhul jaiye… Aur abhi aur maafi mangne ki avashyakta nahi hai…” he said… “Aapne hume maaf kiya??” she asked… “Haan…” he replied… “Aur woh purani wali baat ke liye bhi??” she asked again sheepishly… He looked at her and chuckled… “Kar diya…” he said causing her to happily hug him… He hugged her back…
They lost track of time as they found peace in each other’s arms… “Ghar chale??” he asked… “Mmhhmm… Aap se ek pal bhi alag hone ka mann nahi hai…” she said snuggling into his arms… “Ammi intezaar kar rahi hongi…” he tried to reason… “Nahi karengi… Humne unse kaha tha ek case ke liye jaa rahe hai… Shayad subah laute…” “Hume manane mei puri raat lagnewali thi aapko??” he asked… “Shayad…” “Aur agar hum jaldi maan jaate toh??” “Toh aur bhi kuch plan tha humara…” she said… He broke the hug, held her by her arms and looked at her… “Irade nek nahi the aapke…” he said… “Abhi bhi nahi hai…” she replied… He looked at her surprised and then they suddenly began laughing…
Note: First and foremost... Apologies for taking such a long time to update... Secondly, thank you all... it feels great to have support from all of you even when I was absconding... Thirdly, this story will end in two or three more parts... But don't get disappointed as I will be coming up with another one very soon... Bye for now... Happy reading 💕
