Restaurant
Naeem- Neil? Teri baat hui Preet se? Kaisi hai Mini?
Neil- Preet bahar hai. Bol rahi thi use bhi kuch pata nahi. (He burden his weight on hands, leaning to the cabinet.)
Dadu- Bola tha maine, ki mujhe apne saath aane de. Par woh aapki laadli, sunti kahan hai kisiki? (Dadu lectures Biji)
(Neil pours some water in a glass for him. Dadu turns his ripped eyes the other side, refusing it)
Biji- Kuch nahi hoga Mini ko. Mera dil kehta hai. Woh theek ho jayegi.
(Naeem rests her palm on her shoulder.)
Dadu- Mujhe uss baat ki chinta nahi hai Shammi ji....
(Shammi looks at him in confusion)
Dadu- Mujhe toh iss baat ki chinta hai, ki Mini din ba din kitni badi hoti ja rahi hai. ...Bacche jitne bade ho jate hain, apne parivaar se utne hi door ho jate hain.
Biji- Yeh aap kya bol rahe ho.
Dadu- Jo Mini, Bachpan mein apni choti se choti baat bhi uske dadu ko batati thi, dekhiye aaj kaise apni mujhse chupane lgi hai. Itna bura toh mujhe tab bhi nahi laga tha jab usne Neil ke saath court jaane ki zidd ki thi.
(Neil's eyes lower to his feet)
Dadu- Par iss baar usne mera dil tod diya. Use koi andaza bhi nahi hai ki hume uski kitni fikr hoti hai.
(That is the first time Neil encounters Dadu's emotions for her. And he doesn't know how exactly to feel about it. Dadu is worried about her, but he won't say it directly. That's what even Neil was doing since morning, he realizes. He had been thinking of her, all day, but would try to recall their fights so he could distract himself from his worry.)
Naeem- Ab gussa karke kya fayda? Mini toh humesha se aisi hai. Woh toh bss... iss baar humse chupa nahi paayi.
Biji- Haan. Aur naa bhi ho toh kaise. Babita ki parwarish mein pal kar, Mini uske jaisi sahinasila hi bani. Upar se, ziddi. Woh apne ghao kisiko nahi dikhati.
Dadu- Ya shayad, usne dikhaye honge kabhi. Hum hi na dekh paaye ho...
Naeem- Nahi dekh paaye... Dekh kar bhi kuch nahi kiya... Halaaton ne aise jakad liya usse, ki maang kar bhi, koi khada nahi hua uss bechari ke liye.
(She nods)
Naeem- Yeh akelapan khaa gaya hai usse.
Dadu- Saari galati humari hai... Kitna galat tha main, Shammi ji! Main apni bacchi ka dil nahi padh paaya. Mere zinda hote hue bhi meri pouti anaathon ki zindagi jeeti rahi .... mera dil din ba din kamzor pad raha hai Shammi ji. Kam zor pad raha hai.
(Trails of tears flow down his eyes, words sound bitterly painful. Biji rubs his palm, to calm him. Untold, without no thinking Neil bend his knees before him. He could feel his inflamed eyes on him.)
Neil- Dadu, main jaanta hoon apke mann mein bahut si pareshaniyan hain iss samay. Par in sabke liye aap khudko blame mt kiye please? Agar aapki dekh bhal mein galati hoti, toh shayad meri trh aaj Mini bhi galat raston par ja kar thokarein kha rahi hoti.
(He held his hand)
Neil- Pata nahi aap kya sochte hain par main jaanta hoon Mini aapko kitna chahti hai. And main jaanta hoon kyun. Ek doobte ko tinke ka sahara hota hai, dadu. Aur aap toh himmat ki woh lathi hain jisne aandhi mein Mini ka saath dene se dum nahi toda... toh phir aaj aap kamzor kaise pad sakte hain?
(Dadu placed a palm on his head. His eyes were watering. Neil looked at him, dazed as his trembling hands moved over the surface of his hair)
Dadu- Tu sahi keh raha hai bacche. Kamzor nahi pad sakta m... apni Mini ke aage, chattan ki tarah khada rahunga. Bina dare (he wiped his face) Bina uski chinta kiye... Aakhir tu bhi toh hai woh karne ke liye.
(He looked at the puffy spectacled eyes and his rough hands met the lousy ones of his. He looked down.)
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Hospital
After several hours of being on anesthesia, the power of drugs goes down. Mini gains her conscious with a dull siactic pain, all over her body. Her eyes are closed and only thing she can feel is the pain, just slowly increasing. Mini sighs and whispers under her breath, hazy voices coming from distance. A nurse comes then and holds her hand. Mini opens her eyes slowly. Nothing is visible. She's still half dead and the parts which are alive are just helpful hydrating her eyes. So as she closes them, water flow down from her lashes.
Preet enters in calling her name.
Preet- Mini. Tu theek haina, Mini?
She rubs her palm
Nurse- Madam, abhi behosh hain. Baat nahi kar sakti.
Preet- Kab taq hosh mein aayegi?
Nurse- Thoda time lagta hai. Par inhe zyada nahi lagega. Inki body par drugs acche se work nahi karta.
Preet- Nahi karta, matlab?... is there any problem?
Nurse - Na na. Par yeh, beech beech mein half conscious ho rahi thi. Neil ya aisa koi naam le rahi thi baar baar.... Inke liye yehi behtar hai ki ghao sukhne taq behosh rahe.
Preet- Doctor,
(Mini could feel by her resonance that she was sitting close. Finally her eyes open. She tries to pronounce her name, but voice does not come out. Preet takes out her phone and makes a call.)
Preet- Han, Mickey... han... nahi abhi behosh hai. Han... han, tu Neil ko call kar de. Aur ghar pe bhi bol dena. Ok. (cuts)
Mini- Preet.
Preet turns her head. Her mouth opens and she grabs her fist.
Preet- Mini, tu uth gayi? (caresses her hair) Kaisa lag raha hai, Mini?... Pain ho raha hai?
(Mini opens her mouth to say and struggles.)
Preet- Han. Accha, accha. Tu aakhen band kar le. (continues caressing) Kuch nahi hoga.
Mini- Dukh rha h (says in her slowest whisper)
Preet- It will be fine. It will be fine, Mini. Tu apni eyes close karle. Ok? (She tightens her grip on her hand) Main baithi hoon yahin.
Mini- Pree-
Preet- Han Mini. I know. I know. Tu chinta mat kar. Hmm? Main baith hoon na?... aisa kar, try to divert your mind... Neil ko call karun? Haan. Pata toh chale, ki mahashay kar kya rahe hain.
(She smiles at Mini and dials his number on video call. Arya picks it.)
Preet- Hii Arya! Hii Neil.
🤳- Hii (they reply)
Preet- Dekho. Tumhari Veer Balika ko. (chuckles) Hospital mein bhi so rhi hai.
(Mini smiles)
🤳- Veer Balika? Ab kaisi ho tum?
(Mini blinks)
🤳- Abhi uthi? (Neil asks)
Preet- Haan.
🤳- Operation ho gaya kya? (Arya asks) Kab wapas aaogi? - Choti madam, (Neil tells her) abhi- abhi operation hua haina, woh chal nahi sakti.
Preet- Han. Nurse ne kaha hai kal discharge karenge.
🤳- han han. Operation jo major tha, ho gaya na? Aur 6- 7 ghante toh chutki mein beet jayenge.
(Neil says maintaining a casual tone. But Arya is worried. She leaps to his ear and asks him why she isn't answering. Mini has no energy. Her whole body is in pain and she cannot even budge a finger. She closes her eyes and struggles to nod at them, but tears pass down against her will.)
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☆♡♡♡☆
Hii everyone. Finally after a long break, here I am. Umm... I dunno about you guys but I always felt that Dadu and Neil should have a special bond. Tell me how was the chapter. And, stay tuned for next. <333
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We Are In It Together
Fanfiction"You said aloud everything I was seeking to say for years. Thank you Mini." Her brows quiver. "Thanks, for being my voice." he hisses. "You don't have to thank me and all..." she says it softly, "I will always speak for you." Her eyes look direct in...
