The car drove through the streets of Lucknow… AS kept staring at the road ahead while the driver manoeuvred the vehicle towards his home… KRR, seated in the back seat, kept blabbering about how excited she was to be in Lucknow and meeting his mother… Not one word registered in his brain as it was busy deciphering HM’s behaviour… There was something odd about it… All the blabbering was making it difficult… “Chup ho jaiye!! Kitna bolti hai aap??” he roared losing his cool… She flinched… “Aise kaahe daant rahe hai??” she said sadly… The driver looked at him, AS closed his eyes to calm down… “Kuch der shaant baithiye… Kuch soch rahe hai hum…” AS replied… “Ghabraiye mat… Aapki… matlab Amma ko hum mana lenge…” KRR replied… He just hummed as the car halted at the gate of his house… He got down, so did KRR… They walked inside while the driver carried her bag… Maa opened the door… She looked at AS and then at the woman claiming to be his wife… “Karishma… Aarti ki thaali le aao…” Maa said… AS looked at her surprised while Maa just assured him with a smile… AS was now confused beyond limit… Maa performed the ‘aarti’ and led them inside… KRR followed Maa while AS fell behind and stopped KS… “Aap yaha kaise?? Aur kab aai aap??” he asked… “Hum subah aaye… Aur ab delivery tak yahi rahenge…” KS replied… “Chaliye acha hai… Is sab mei Maa ke saath koi toh hoga…” he said with a sigh… “Lekin sambhal ke rahiye… Hum nahi chahte in mahila ki wajah se Maa pe, aap pe ya humari Gudiya pe koi bhi aanch aaye…” he continued and smiled at the thought of the little angel that was soon to enter their lives… “Aapko kaise pata ke Gudiya hi hogi??” KS asked amused… “Hume pata hai… Mama hai uske…” he said with a proud smile… “Abhi hume mukhalay jana hoga… Women Rights Commission se koi aayega… Sambhal lijiyega… Hum chalte hai…” he said… KS nodded… AS had expected some questions but none were asked… He just gave her a tight-lipped smile and left…
He was back in his cabin after a session of questions and answers with all his seniors… He had backed the story that HM had told the media… It had helped him as his seniors let the matter slip considering it a misunderstanding… He leaned back in his chair, rested his head on the headrest and closed his eyes… The events of the day had tired him… He tried to clear his head when, “Jai Hind Sir…” He opened his eyes and looked at the intruder… He sat straight, “Jai Hind Haseena ji… baithiye… Bataiye kya seva kar sakte hai hum aapki??” he asked sipping water… When she did not answer, he looked at her, into her eyes… Her eyes empty as space… She placed a file on the table and pushed it forward… “Yeh ek case hai Sir… Isme aapki thodi help chahiye thi…” she replied… He looked at her and nodded… He opened the file and read through it… “Abhi toh lunch time ho raha hai… Aap yeh file yahi chod dijiye… Hum aapko sham tak batate hai…” he replied… “Thik hai Sir… Hum chalte hai… Jai Hind…” she said and stood up to leave… “Jai Hind…” he replied, and she walked out… He got up from his chair and left his cabin… He walked to the back gate of the headquarters… There was a jeep waiting for him… He sat inside and smiled, “Chaliye Cheetah…” he said… CC nodded and drove away…
AS was guiding CC through the small path in the woods… They reached the clearing where he saw her standing at the cliff… She turned due to the rustle of the fallen leaves under their footsteps… They walked over to her… He looked at her as she stared back… CC looked at them confused… “Acting achi kar leti hai aap…” AS said… “Aap toh aise bol rahe hai jaise aapne pehle kabhi hume acting karte nahi dekha…” she replied… He smiled and she dug herself in his arms… CC kept looking in bewilderment… “Aap humare hai… sirf humare… Koi aur aapko apna kahe humse bardaasht nahi hota…” she said breaking the hug… “Toh MS uu sab ka tha?? Jo aap humse boli thane mei??” CC asked… “Natak tha Cheetah…” AS replied… “Aapko kaise pata Sir??” CC asked… “Subah jab thane mei inhone humari taraf nahi dekha toh hum samajh gaye ye humse kuch chupa rahi hai… Isliye jaisa inhone kaha hum wahi karte gaye… Le gaye humari patni ko ghar…” AS replied… “Khabardaar… Nahi hai woh aapki patni…” HM warned him… He chuckled at her little jealous self… “Lekin pure shehar ke samaksh aapne hi toh unhe humari patni kaha tha?? Aur toh aur ghar bhi bhej diya… Maa ne bhi unhe apna liya hai woh bhi bina kisi sawal ke… Lagta hai dono ki jodi achi jamegi… Ab hume aur kya chahiye Jeevan mei…” he teased her… She held his collar with both hands and pulled him closer… “Us KRR ko toh hum waise bhi nahi chodenge… Lekin agar aapke dimag mei aise khayal aaye toh aapka haal bhi kuch acha nahi hoga…” she warned him… He held her by her waist and pulled her closer… “Aap ke siwa koi stree paida nahi hui jo hume rijha sake…” he whispered huskily… Crimson rose on her cheeks…
“Aap dono ka ho jaye toh humko phone kar dijiye… Hum aate hai zara tehal ke…” CC said who had turned his back to them when he saw AS pulling her by her waist… They separated… “Kahi jane ki avashyakta nahi hai…” AS said… “Toh hum mude??” CC asked… “Ji…” AS replied… “Aap kuch jyada bighad nahi gaye hai?? Jab dekho tab humara parihaas udate rehte hai…” AS asked CC… “Aap dono ka yeh raaz chupane ka chakkar mei humko kitna jhooth bolna padta hai… Santu ji ko kitni baar humpe shaq hua hai… Itta toh humara bhi haq banta hai aapko chedne ka…” CC said with a mischievous smile… “Bromance ho gaya ho toh kaam ki baat kar le??” HM asked sarcastically… “Ji MS… Waise bhi humko kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai… Kon hai yeh KRR?? Chahti ka hai?? Aur aapne natak kahe kiya… Aur bina koi baat kiye Sir ne aapka saath kaise diya??” CC replied… “Batate hai…” Both AS and HM replied…
