"Tum na hote to mera kya hota?" Ever said this to someone very close? Everyone finds someone special in their lifetime, someone that is made for them, someone that turn every impossible into possible, someone that learns and teaches to love.
Agar tu...
Bandana was cooking dinner when someone rang the doorbell. She wiped off the tears that rolled down her cheeks by chopping onions, and went to open the door.
She found Manjot standing at the entrance, "tum yaha kya kar rahe ho?" She asked immediately, "woh ACP Sameeksha ne bulaya tha" He replied.
Bandana took a deep breath, "Sameeksha!!" She called her while staring at Manjot, Sameeksha came running, "isko yaha kyu bulaya?" Bandana asked.
"Mere pass Police Station jaane ka time nhi tha, to socha yehi meeting karlu. Vese bhi me case ki files ghar le aai thi, fir sab wapas le ke jaana padhta" She replied, Bandana rolled her eyes.
"Ab tu lazy hai iska matlab ghar pe koi bhi aa tapkega?" She asked, "ab aa gaya hai to..." Sameeksha said. Bandana just shook her head and went back in the kitchen.
Manjot sat on a couch in the hall and Sameeksha sat infront of him. Bandana was watching everything from kitchen's window.
After a couple of moments, she got a message from Sameeksha, asking to bring something to drink for Manjot.
Bandana didn't want to create a scene so she poured some water in a glass and went to give it to Manjot.
"Paani" She said, "Bandana...paani?" Sameeksha asked, "market wale juices me sugar zada hoti hai, elite cricketers ke lie theek nhi na" She replied. Manjot just took the glass and started drinking that water.
All of a sudden, Kabir came running towards Bandana. Manjot looked at the six years old kid, and expected him to be Bandana's brother or relative.
"Mumma maths ka homework karado na" Kabir said to Bandana. Manjot spilt all the water in his mouth and started coughing.
"Are you okay?" Sameeksha asked, he nodded, "yeh...aapka beta hai?" He asked Bandana.
"Kyu? Tumhe koi problem hai?" Bandana asked, "mujhe laga nhi tha aapka itna bada beta hoga iss umar me" He said rubbing his chest, "mera 6 saal ka beta bhi hai aur 8 mahine ki beti bhi" She said.
"Beti bhi?" He asked even more surprised, Bandana nodded.
"To...aapke husband?" He asked, Bandana looked here and there, "witness ho, jo kaam karne aae ho woh karo. Meri bareme zada jan'ne ki zarurat nhi hai" She said.
"Mumma homework" Kabir said, "beta dinner karne ke baad karvati hu" She replied.
"Mumma yeh kon hai?" He asked pointing at Manjot, "Papa" Manjot replied. Bandana looked at him, her cheeks got red.
"I mean Papa jesa hu..." He said and shook his head, "I mean..." He said, "tumhare Papa ke dost hai" Sameeksha said all of a sudden.
"Haan? Papa ke dost?" Kabir asked going to Manjot, "mere Papa kese hai? Acche dikhte hai woh? Mene kabhi nhi dekha unhe..." He said, Manjot looked at Bandana.
Her teary eyes were enough to convince Manjot to lie, "haan, bilkul theek hai tumhare Papa" He replied, "mujhse milne kab aaenge?" Kabir asked excited, "jaldi aaenge beta" Manjot said with a smile.
"Kabir, jao Aaliya ke saath khelo" Sameeksha said, "aur baat karne do na inse" Kabir said, "Kabir" Sameeksha said, "okay Choti Mumma" He said and left.
"Mr Kalra, thank you very much for the video. Uss ladki ke bareme kucch aur jaante ho?" Sameeksha asked. Manjot started thinking, Sameeksha was staring at him.
He was feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, "Ma'am...aap...thoda idhar udhar dekhengi please? Me..." He said, "yeah sorry" Sameeksha said and started scrolling down her Instagram feed.
There was a post that caught her attention. She tapped on it and read it carefully, "what the..." She said and immediately switched on the tv.
Every news channel was showing the murder video that Manjot gave Bandana as their evidence.
"Tumhara dimaag kharab hai? Yeh video news walo ko kyu di?" Sameeksha almost shouted.
"Ma'am...mene nhi di yeh kisi ko. Bandana Ma'am ko di thi bas" He defended himself.
"Oh shut up! Bandana yeh video kabhi bahar jaane nhi de sakti!" She said.
Bandana came to the hall, "iss gadhe ne video news walo ko dedi" Sameeksha told her, "dekhiye Ma'am" Manjot said, "isse aur ummeed bhi kya kar sakte hai" Bandana said.
Manjot was about to say something when Sameeksha's phone rang.
"Haan Shetty?" She said staring at Manjot, "Madam ek problem ho gaya hai" He said, "haan pata hai. Abhi news dekhi" She said moving her gaze to the tv.
"Madam woh video...mere phone me tha aur mere chote bete ne galati se Facebook pe daal dia" He told her.
"Shetty!!" Sameeksha gritted her teeth, "tumse yeh ummeed nhi thi" She said closing her eyes.
"Madam maafi chahta hu. Galati ho geyi Madam" He said, "ab kya fayida? Facebook se woh video har news channel pe aur har social media platform pe chali geyi hai" She said.
She hung up.
"Shetty ke bete ne Facebook pe video upload ki thi" Sameeksha said to Bandana. "Dekha, kaha tha mene" Manjot said.
"Sorry" Sameeksha said.
"Ab kya kare?" Bandana asked, "media to peeche padh jaegi" She said.
"Media ko chod. Hamare seniors hamari jaan le lenge" Sameeksha said sitting on the couch.
"Manjot, filhaal tum jaao. Zarurat padi to ham khud tumhe bula lenge" She said. He nodded and left.
*******
Kabir Singh (age: 7)
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