Acp sir silently put back the drawings and started waking him up like he didn't noticed them. Abhijeet woke up with a terrible strain in his neck as it was obvious. As he saw Acp sir staring him, he immediately averted his gaze.
"Yahan kyun so gaye the itni thand mein. Bed kis liye hai," Acp sir asked him softly.
He finds no suitable answer to satisfy him so he tried to divert the topic.
"Abhi maine bahut bura sapna dekha. Dekha ke main kahin kho gaya hon mujhe wapis jaane ka koi rasta nahi mil raha."
Acp sir was looking at him keenly. He was feeling proud that how much his son is good at changing topic but was feeling sad at the same time because he was not sharing anything, even with him.
"Acha chalo khana khane aajao. Aur koi bahana nahi ok. Main intezar kar raha hoon."
"Lekin mujhe bhook nahi lag rahi." Abhijeet answered hesitantly.
"Kaise nahi lag rahi bhook. Tum ne subah se khaya hi kya hai aur khana khane ke foran baad tum khamoshi se medicine lo ge aur mujhe is ke aage kuch nahi sunna." Acp sir warned him in a little bit of anger.
"Maine kaha na mujhe bhook nahi lag rahi." Abhijeet also replied in the same tone.
"Zid kyun kar rahe ho beta. Thora sa kha lena par khana khao. Chalo ab neeche aao foran."
Abhijeet was again going to argue but he stopped as heard the pleading tone of his father.
After getting fresh, he went downstairs where he saw Acp sir, Salunkhe sir and Daya already waiting for him. Salunkhe sir welcome him with a warm smile. Daya also did the same thing but he ignored him completely. He sat down and start eating without looking at any of them. The dinner went almost silently except for the several times Salunkhe sir tried to start a conversation but when he saw that the young duo are not showing any interest so he quit too.
…..
…..
….
Daya was sitting silently in the corridor thinking of the happy moments they spend together. Unintentionally, a smile came on his face. He remembered how they use to tease each other but above all care for each other.
Both Daya and Abhijeet were sitting on a bench in a park. It was mid of December means a cold day. Daya was angrily looking at Abhijeet who was that much engrossed in his laptop that he wasn't even blinking. Abhijeet mood was totally off as Dcp sir had awarded him with a bunch of reports to write on the day he asked for a leave.
"Abhijeet hum kia yahan logon ko dekhne aaye hain. Jab se aaye hain aise hi baithe hue hain." Daya asked irritatingly.
Instead of giving him a reply, Abhijeet just glared him hard.
"Ab is mein meri kya ghalti hai. Tum ne Dcp sir ko bataya hi kyun ke tum ne aaj chutti li hai." And he turned his head because he was aware of the answer he was going to get from his buddy.
He started scanning his surroundings. Everybody was looking busy except for him. He watched the usual old salts operating their remote-controlled boats, trying to recapture their lost childhoods. Children ran around them, chasing each other and giggling. Just then he saw two man who were walking in the park. Daya guessed that one of them was ill because he was walking really slow. After covering some steps, the ill guy told his friend that he is feeling cold. The other man just put off his jacket and gave it to him. An idea popped up in his mind. He turned back towards Abhijeet who was still staring at the laptop. He looked at Abhijeet jacket and then his.
Abhi mujhe thand lag rahi hai." Daya told him innocently.
"Tum kia chahte ho main tumhein aag laga dun." Abhijeet finally spoke without looking at him.
Daya looked him for a while as his jaw dropped in astonishment.
"Lagta hai tumhara kaam khatam ho gaya hai kyun ke tum wapis apni asli halat mein aa rahe ho." Daya guessed.
"Aap ko bilkul sahi lagta hai." Abhijeet smile and closed his laptop.
"Acha mein tumse kuch sawalat karon ga tum sahi sahi jawab dena. (Abhijeet nodded in yes). Pehla sawal agar tumhare samne koi mujhe mare ga tu tum kia karo ge. "
"Main tumhein apni aankhon ke samne pit ta hua nahi dekh sakta. (closing his eyes) Is liye mein apni aankhein band kar lon ga.". Abhijeet answered while supressing his laugh.
"Acha agar koi mujhe kidnap kar le tu tum kia karo ge." Daya was trying hard not to punch his buddy on his face.
"Tu, phir main thori der intezaar karon ga woh log khudi tumhein mere paas chor jayien gain."
"Matlab ke koi mujhe kitni bhi takleef phaunchaye ga aur tumhein bilkul dard nahi hoga." Daya asked sadly.
"Nahi, kyunke mujhe pata hai ke meri mojudgi mein koi tumhein takleef phaunchane ke bare mein soche ga bhi tu who aur kuch sochne ke laiq nahi rahe ga."
Daya punched him on his arm and they started enjoying the frosty day.
He snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Abhijeet coming the same way he was sitting. As soon as Abhijeet saw him, he changed his way. Daya ran to him but his heart beat was getting faster.
"Abhijeet kia tum mujhe kabhi maaf nahi karo ge." He asked blocking his way.
"Mere raaste se hato." Abhijeet answered without looking at him.
"Dekho main jaanta hun mujh se is duniya ki shayad sab se bari ghalti hogai hai. Mujhe koi Rishta nibhana hi nahi aata shayad isi liye khuda ne mujhe (his voice choked as a stream of tears ran down on his face) anath kiya. Phir shayad unhoon ne socha hoga ke aik baar mujhe aazma kar dekh lein aur mujhe tumhari zindagi mein bhej diya. Aur phir maine unhein sahi sabit kar diya."
Tears slide down from Abhijeet eyes too. He looked up at him but said nothing.
"Abhijeet please mu…
"Kon Abhijeet…. woh tu ussi din mar gaya tha jab us ne tumhari ankhoon mein apne liye nafrat dekhi thi." And he ran back to his room without looking back.
He closed the door behind him and went to the bathroom. He washed his face again and again to until he looked like he never cried. He came out of the bathroom and sat on a chair. He took out his diary and started writing his feelings in a poem.
I cried today
I cried today, I can't tell you why
This pain that I bare I'll have till I die
My eyes they sting, my vision is a blur
Oh what I'd give to find an eternal cure
At night I think how is this fair
I feel I'm here only because I'm told that they care
But when I'm down I feel so alone
Even in this house, I think it's called home
And when the night falls, I lay in my bed,
With no one beside me, just the thoughts in my head
I will for a day that that this torture would end,
That I would wake and not have to pretend
My past it still haunts me, my present is the same,
What future can I have, all I do seems in vain
But I'll pick myself up, I'll continue this role
these thoughts won't define me,
I'll play the starring role
